College boy Kiyo has one thing on his mind―girls, girls girls! But after struggle-bugging for for-EVER to get the ladies swooning over his every move, he figures he's gotta try a new trick. Enter his smolderingly sexy clubmate Issei…a studmuffin who'll act as the perfect foil for his Mr. Refreshing vibe. However, after being tragically friend-zoned by all the gals as their best gay buddy, he soon realizes he may be in over his head when it looks like Issei intends to turn faux into beau…

It’s Strictly Business has a story and art by Mitsubachi Miyuki. English translation is done by Leighann Harvey and lettering by Oliva Osanz. Published by Yen Press (September 22, 2026). Rated OT.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

Mitsubachi Miyuki is a hit or miss creator for me. I really enjoy Spring Storm and Monster (albeit against my better judgement), but Cheeky Brat just irritated me. It’s Strictly Business, the only BL title of her three works to be licensed in English thus far, lands somewhere in the middle. It's by no means a bad story, and it's arguably a healthier romance than either of her shoujo works. But something about the execution just doesn't quite gel, making it feel like more of a slog than it ought to.

The story follows two college students, Ren and Issei. Ren dated in high school with middling results, and he'd like to change that now that he's ostensibly an adult. When he meets the gorgeous Issei, he remembers that his sister told him that girls go crazy for BL; that prompts him to propose that the two of them playact a relationship for the sole purpose of attracting feminine attention. But somewhere around the end of chapter one, things get very real, and Ren has to realize that he and Issei are actually dating rather than just being friends with blowjobs.

On paper it sounds a bit more interesting than it is in practice. Part of that comes down to Issei being very withdrawn as a character. (Too) late in the book, we learn that he was emotionally abused, or at least neglected, by his mother as a child, which does explain his reluctance to truly open up to Ren, at least verbally. (He's very proactive physically.) This is information that ought to have been introduced sooner, because without it, Issei's not got much going for him as a character. That goes for the “attracted to guys” awakenings, too – Ren never really considered that he might be bisexual, and once again towards the end of the volume, Issei makes a comment that indicates that he's pansexual, which is something I'd have liked to see explored in a bit more detail.

There is at least one more book in this series, so it may get covered there. I'm not sure that this can support another volume otherwise, because things are pretty neatly wrapped up in this volume. The art is very nice, though, and this has the most sex I think I've ever seen in a Yen Press book; honestly I'm proud of them for rating it OT instead of M because they've historically been almost ridiculously conservative on that front.

This is one of those books that's summed up by saying “it's fine.” I don't think you'll regret reading it, but I don't see it becoming anyone's favorite, either.

Caitlin Moore
Rating:

Quick question: why do you read BL? I'm not asking in an abstract sense, as if I were wondering what the appeal is. I am asking why you, the person reading this sentence, read manga featuring romance between two male characters. I mean, I assume you read BL if you're considering picking up It’s Strictly Business; if you're not into boys kissing, then you can hit the back button right now. This is not the manga for you. But if it is something you seek, your motivation is relevant, I swear.

If you read BL for interesting or thoughtful queer love stories, It’s Strictly Business isn't going to give you what you're looking for. It's such a mish-mash of cliches that you could generate something nearly identical by pulling up random pages on TV Tropes. You've got fake lovers to real lovers. You've got one revealing his feelings by kissing the other when he thought he was asleep. You've got the pushy seme and the uke who puts up a mild resistance at first but gets really into it. Yep, BL may have become kinder and gentler by and large since the bad old days of Junjou Romantica, but tropes are tropes, and this story regurgitates them without a second thought. Doukyusei this ain't.

On the other hand, if you read BL for more… prurient reasons, It’s Strictly Business may actually scratch that, um, itch. The art, while fairly standard for the genre, is quite nice, and Ren and Issei are good-looking. Issei in particular has a sultriness with his permanently narrowed eyes that makes him stand out a bit as a character design. And the sex? It's not especially graphic, since this isn't an 18+ title, but it certainly is frequent. Once Issei and Rin start going at it, less than 30 pages in, they can barely keep their hands off of each other, including in semi-public places. If that sounds hot to you, well, I don't really need to say more, do I?

At best, even if It’s Strictly Business is exactly what you're looking for, it's disposable entertainment at best, good for a night of fun but not worth engaging further. I can't see this one finding its way to a lot of bookshelves.