22 Mar 2016

Watch: Documentary explores gay erotic manga

A revealing documentary provides insight into the world of gay erotic manga in Tokyo and those that work to create and publish it

Two years ago, Anne Ishii and documentary film maker Graham Kolbeins visited Tokyo and Sapporo to meet and interview nine artists on the vanguard of gay Japanese comics, including Gengoroh Tagame, Jiraiya, Takeshi Matsu, and Seizoh Ebisubashi.

What these masterful artists had to say provided the foundation for the first English-language primer on the subject, "Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It," published by Fantagraphics Books and designed by the legendary Chip Kidd.

To celebrate the release of "Massive," the pair threw a party at DOOP in Tokyo's gay district, Shinjuku Ni-chome. Anne hosted a gay manga talk show with Tagame, Ebisubashi, Kumada Poohsuke and Kazuhide Ichikawa, while DJ Mondrian and DJ DSKE provided the beats for gachimuchi go-go boys Chibi Hiro and Don Buri. Backstage, a rare reunion of gay mangaka unfolded in the VIP lounge.

Watch the documentary below: