September 2022 Patron Newsletter and Staff Picks

September has been a busy month behind the scenes. Not only have we been getting ready for Fall premieres and prepping new items for the store, but we've also been working on making our funding more accessible. If you've supported us here (thank you, all of you!) but Patreon isn't your preferred service, we've now set up ongoing donation tiers over on Ko-Fi! Same bonus content, just a different place to get it. We've also set a new goal on Ko-Fi (for both ongoing and one-time donations) that will allow us to raise our pay rates to both contributors and editors. 

Thank you as always for your support. We couldn't do it without you.

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September Recommendations 

Our Colors

Format: Manga (standalone)

Picked by: Vrai

What’s it about? Itoda Sora lives his life behind a mask as a closeted gay teen; when he happens upon a café run by the confident, openly gay Mr. Amamiya, it sparks a flicker of hope that he might not be destined to a life of secrecy and misery. But as Sora begins to accept himself, he also learns that the courage to be out doesn’t come simply, especially for the older generation.

Content warnings: Depictions of homophobia and comphet, a chaste kiss between an adult and a teenager (requested by the latter as a memento)

Why we like it: Legendary gay manga artist Tagame Gengoroh closes this story with a postscript, saying that he wrote it for his teenage self – a young man who didn’t see himself in the deranged deviants depicted on screen or the ethereally beautiful boys in early shoujo. That sense of reaching back through time, and the desire to protect and mentor our past selves, is something I think most LGBTQ+ people can relate to in some capacity, and that bittersweet ache permeates this manga. Sora’s plot beats aren’t necessarily new as a coming out story, but they’re full of small touches that speak to their authenticity. And the real stand-out here is Mr. Amamiya, a character type rarely seen in manga: a gay man who was only able to come out in middle age, starting over while also trying to live up to his newfound position as a role model. It’s a sometimes sad, somewhat wistful story that refuses to allow itself a pessimistic end, and a valuable snapshot of solidarity across generations.

A Thousand Steps Into Night by Traci Chee

Format: Novel (standalone)

Picked by: Alex

What’s it about? In a fantasy world drawing on Japanese history and folklore, servant girl Miuko is living an ordinary life until she’s kissed by a demon and starts turning into one herself. Miuko sets off on a journey towards the temple that might be able to cure her, trying to hang onto her humanity and avoid the malevolent demon prince who’s taken an interest in her along the way.

Content warnings: systemic sexism; domestic violence; veiled threats of sexual violence from the villain; supernatural body horror

Why we like it: If you’re hungry for some biting commentary about misogyny wrapped up in a spellbinding ribbon of mischievous spirits, bickering gods, and magical time loops, consider checking out A Thousand Steps Into Night. In a review for Tor, Wendy Chen drew comparisons to supernatural anime series like Blue Exorcist, but many elements of A Thousand Steps Into Night place it neatly in conversation with classic works of sweeping, historical fantasy shoujo, and I have a feeling that it might appeal to fans of those.

The emphasis of the story lies in the character growth of our plucky but awkward heroine. Miuko’s adventures—and slow transformation into a demon—open her world up and give her the space to develop newfound confidence, cleverness, and righteous anger. The setting is one filled with inequity, both in terms of class and gender, and as Miuko gains unexpected forms of power she begins to question and rally against the systemic awfulness she had taken for granted… and question if turning into a scary, powerful demon might be so bad. It’s a lot of fun, and the episodic adventures feel like you’re reading a collection of folkloric tales.