Cover Image: FANGS, Volume 1

FANGS, Volume 1

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Member Reviews

Recently I've been requesting every vampire I see, so I was thrilled to find FANGS. En is a recently turned vampire who must choose a vampire partner to share life/blood with. Ichii, originally assigned to help orient him in this new world, is eager to be paired with him. This was a typical yaoi title, jumping into the story, and wastes no time getting spicy.

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This manga is neither particularly remarkable nor particular disappointing -- it's a fine enough read that I didn't quit it, but without compelling me to keep reading past this volume. Very much typical BL manga in story and art -- just very much what I'd expect from the genre, without standing out much as its own thing. The art is nice and consistent, but without any particular stylistic flourish. Narratively, despite a slow start, I liked that it had a sort of contemplative vibe -- there was a lot of exploring what it meant to be a vampire now and unaging, what it meant to lose people after bonding to them when eternity stretches in front of you, and so on. It was sort of balanced out by a pretty hokey concept (vampires no longer call themselves vampires but the ORGANIZATION FANGS and to avoid attacking other people, Fangs form blood-marriages with each other. Our hero is a new 'Fang' having to navigate how the Fangs do things and dealing with everyone lusting after him as New Blood since new vampires are now rare). The protagonist is consistently tsun and it plays out like the standard tsundere bl romance, tbh. I was initially a bit concerned that the queerness would be tied to the vampirism, with a concept raised that 'blood has no gender', but the protagonist admits he's experimented prior to that, which I appreciated.

There's no conflict in volume 1, and the love interest Ichii goes along with everything without any explanation. We don't really SEE why he was willing to play along with the 'we've already been paired' line, or why he's so invested, and his attempts to explain it later don't really match up with what happened. I expect we'll find more about him in vol 2, though, as a cliffhanger at the end seems to be introducing an antagonist associated with him.

Translation is fine -- a bit stiff in places, but serviceable and doesn't stand out too much. Scan quality was not great in the ARC -- to the point that it took me a good 80 pages to realize the discoloration was some kind of blurred out or partially removed watermark -- but I imagine this will be improved by the final released version.

I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

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I absolutely love smut and jaoi mangas and was really excited to dwelve into something that looked like Vampire Knight 18+.

I liked both En and Ichii, especially the latter cause smokin hotness. The characters were beautifully drawn and I got everything from the adult content I wanted to, sometimes even more than I expected :D
However I did not fall in love with the story and the characters as much I wish I would've
I usually finish mangas I love in one sitting but in this case it took me a couple of days. The story was ok but nothing new under the sun.
This is the kind of manga that I would continue if there was nothing else on my tbr but I might not go out of my way to get it on my own.

3.5 stars

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This manga was sexy, full of banter and vampire mischief and I loved every single second of it.

This is about recently turned En and about his new life as a vampire. I loved the progression of En and Ichii’s relationship. It’s full of banter and some very spicy moments but nearing the end of the first volume, we get to see a bit deeper into both of them but especially Ichii.

I’m so intrigued by all of the vampire politics we were introduced to as well as that introduction at the end! Volume two cannot come fast enough.

If you’re looking for a queer, sexy vampire manga series definitely get this asap!!

5/5 ⭐️

TW: blood, sexually explicit scenes, suicide/suicide mention, murder, death.

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I grew up reading Vampire Knight and waiting assiduously for the weekend when I could go and buy the next volume at the comic shop. So when I was having a look for a graphic novel to read and FANGS popped up I was all for it and let me tell you, it didn't disappoint one bit!

En has just been turned into a vampire and Ichii is his guardian, but quickly things evolve and En is discovering more and more. Fangs coexist with humans, but instead of feeding on them they pair up and feed and look after each other. It doesn't take long for both Ichii and En to discover a bond between them.

The art is amazing and honestly, I can't wait to get the second volume to see what will happen next!

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FANGS Vol. 1 was an enjoyable read. I liked the premise, and both En and Ichii came across well as characters. The artwork is fine, the men all beautifully drawn, and I also enjoyed a lot of the interactions with side characters, as well as those between the two main protagonists. However, it was missing a spark for me. I never completely well in love with the tale or the characters, and when this volume ended I felt like I wouldn't mind seeing what happened next, but that I wouldn't be heartbroken if I didn't read on. As such, I am giving it 3.5 stars. Although it didn't completely grab me, it has a lot going for it that will make it appeal to fans of BL vampire stories with plenty of steamy moments.

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I don't know what I thought I was getting into with this book, but it was none of this (in the best way!). I was completely unprepared for how much I loved FANGS. This gay speculative fiction manga takes place in a world where vampires and humans coexist. In order for vampires to control their thirst and their predatory drive, many pair off into couples who feed and watch out for each other. The manga begins with a newly turned En and his guardian Ichii attending a 'pairing party,' where En, flustered by all the attention, accidentally announces that he and Ichii have already planned on bonding!

I loved seeing their relationship develop as they navigated their new situation and grew closer together, and I LOVED the side characters. They were all so interesting! One vampire dealing with the loss of his partner, another married to his elderly human wife... I adored this cast and can't wait to see more of them. I loved the art and character designs throughout the manga, and the smut scenes were also very hot and heavy. Be warned that the first scene does have some dubious consent for in-world reasons that are addressed and changed later.

I'm also really looking forward to discovering Ichii's backstory and seeing where the cliffhanger with the mysterious murdery dude will lead. I can't wait to read more of this!

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If you grew up wanting Vampire Knight to go even further, this may just be the series for you!

En was a young, human man when he became the sole survivor of a vampire attack. When he wakes up with white hair, fangs, and a craving for blood, he realizes his whole world has changed. He’s taken in by the vampire health and welfare organization, FANGS, and the officer who found him, Ichii, steps in to be his guardian. Ichii is meant to gradually introduce En into their world and to make sure he’s paired with someone who can support his transition properly - but of course, those plans quickly change when En panics and says that he’s to be paired with Ichii. Despite being the young man’s guardian, Ichii does not appear to hate the idea as much as he should...

There is a little bit of a power imbalance in the couple, as there usually is with a guardian/guardee relationship, but despite being a little more hands on than En is ready for, Ichii does appear to respect most of En’s boundaries. There is sexual tension and steamy sex that will please many yaoi readers, but where this book shines is in its open and honest discussions about mental health and depression. We even get a side character who’s an actual therapist! Vampires live a very long time and carry a lot of baggage throughout the years, so it only makes sense that supporting mental health would be a priority for them.

Overall, I found FANGS to be a very tantalizing start to a new series with romance, humour, and even some dark cliffhangers. I’m already ready for more vampire goodness!

PS - Darwin is the best!

CW: blood, suicidal thoughts, loss of a loved one, on page sexual content, and some dubious consent.

*Thank you TOKYOPOP (LOVE x LOVE) and NetGalley for the ARC*

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4 stars - It was really good

This was a very fascinating and cute vampire manga. En was bitten and turned by a vampire and is struggling to deal with all the changes going on. He struggles to understand the fangs pairing system but does know he feels safe with Ichii, his guardian.

Em was adorable and shy. I really liked him. He is a 19 year old kid who didn't know what to do with his life and now is a vampire on top of that. It makes sense that he is struggling. Ichii and Em were a cute couple and I really can't wait to see how their story progresses.

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This was entertaining, funny, and romantic, with great artwork. It is the beginning of what is definitely going to be a very entertaining manga series.

When En is bitten by a vampire at a club, he is taken under the wings of a protector. Ichii is one of the health and welfare guardians of Fang which is a vampire welfare organisation. Under Ichii's supervision En gets to know all about his new life and how to survive it.

After a rather dubious debut ball for unpaired vampires at which En is very popular, En becomes close to Ichii who protects him from the interest of other vampires. Suddenly the two of them are in a relationship together. En continues to navigate this new way of being but as he does so he begins to realise that there is much more to being a vampire and much more to Ichii's past.

This is an excellent first volume with every indication of being an intriguing and romantic series. If you enjoy yaoi manga then you will enjoy this volume.

Copy provided by Tokyo Pop via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

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This book/comic doesn't make any sense... It might be the layout that's just not working out on my device, but I'm pretty sure the story wouldn't be easy to follow even if the layout didn't suck.
I was so excited about this vampire gay comic/manga, alas, it wasn't meant to be.

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Well, this is intriguing! Especially that ending. The art is really beautiful but sometimes following the story felt a little hard. I’m definitely intrigued by Ichii and who that mysterious murderer person was! I’m also curious to see how things will develop between En and Ichii, and I enjoy the friendships of the side characters. A good start to a new series!

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Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This manga is a BL / MM romance.
(in case anyone doesn't like that)

I loved to see a paranormal romance similar in vibes to the manga 'Midnight secretary' be with done as a Gay relationship, yes there are sex scenes, but so is there in Midnight Secretary. Which is, for the record, an old favorite. There is complexity in the story and as this is the first volume we are introduced to multiple characters and a little of the dynamics/politics of the vampire world. How they function, form and choose life time partners and how they survive.
I enjoyed our MC's relationship, as it is a sort of slow-ish burn that expands as they have a past before the manga (briefly shown (which no spoilers !)) that is deepened throughout the novel.. I loved the cliffhanger where we left off, it seems like darker secrets will come in play and that our MC who is the first of the two to be a Vampire, will be thrown off as he will seemingly come across someone from his dark past. AND WE LOVE A CHARACTER WITH A DARK PAST.

ANYHOW, this is for fans of Midnight Secretary and Blood Blank (The manhwa) !
Totally loved this, read it in one sitting.
5/5 stars
Bookarina .

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Unfortunately the way this book came through as a file did not work on the device I was using - it was sideways and it was broken up in strange ways. It's likely this is just a result of the device I was using though. I'm certainly curious enough about the story to investigate when it is out in physical form.

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I loved the concept of the vampires and the FANGS organisation, but I just didn’t really vibe with it as much as I wanted to, through no fault of the presentation or writer,, I’d definitely recommend it to people who would enjoy it more though

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