Tokyopop has announced the upcoming release of its new suspenseful BL manga Love Murder Basketball, about a tense mouse-and-cat murder mystery set in a professional sports setting. The manga will be released in uncensored print and digital formats, starting November 28, 2023.
Love Murder Basketball is a new series to be published under Tokyopop’s LoveLove imprint, featuring a story penned by Kurutta Hito with artwork by Tsunderuuu. It is based on a popular OEL webtoon that has been read more than 360 million times and currently has more than 45,000 subscribers.
© Kurutta Hito, Tsunderuuu
Describing the series, writer and creator Kurutta Hito said:
Basketball Love Killer is a mature-themed manga about two men trying to find their purpose in life in a harsh world. It focuses on the haunted and troubled relationship between Goro Nakamura and Shoto Tanaka. Goro is [một] psychopathic serial killer unable to understand basic human emotions, while Shota is a severely traumatized young man who tends to feel too many emotions.
Hito further noted how the race of one of the main characters also impacted his plot, saying:
Goro is Blasian [Da đen và châu Á] and I am also Blasian and have faced many of the same challenges, including prejudice, cultural differences, and identity crises. It’s hard to grow up as someone who is a mix of two ethnicities and cultures. You often feel lost, not knowing which direction to go; you’re too dark for your asian half and too light for your dark half. I wanted to explore these themes in the story.
I was attracted to creating a character that was unique from what we see in a traditional BL story. It is rare to see BIPOC or partially Black protagonists in this genre. I also wanted to portray the Black side of his family and hope this release provides new avenues to inspire individuals of color who want to portray BIPOC protagonists.
Tokyopop describes the summary of Love Murder Basketball as:
As the son of one of Japan’s most notorious Yakuza bosses, Shoto Tanaka’s life is anything but ordinary. Then he met Japan’s most famous athlete, Goro Nakamura. Goro is used to performing in public, and because he comes from a wealthy and famous family, he is often in the spotlight. Shoto, like many others, is attracted to Goro’s icy charisma.
What Shoto didn’t know was that Goro was also the infamous “Hateful Serial Killer”. How will Goro and Shoto’s deep devotion to each other and their conflicting ideologies affect their complex relationship and those around them?
Source: press release