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1) What is Be Beautiful? Be Beautiful is a brand new graphic novel imprint from A18 Corporation. Be Beautiful books are devoted to romance stories written and beautifully illustrated by women for women readers 18 years of age and older. Be Beautiful books offer romantic fantasy similar to traditional romance novels. Be Beautiful titles are published in a right-to-left page presentation as the creators originally intended. 2) What does the character in the Be Beautiful logo signify? In Japanese, this character is pronounced as ["Be"] and means "beauty" or "aestheticism." As Be Beautiful books focus on the depiction of impossibly beautiful men, we thought it would be appropriate to use this particular character for our logo. 3) When does Be Beautiful launch? Be Beautiful will make its highly anticipated debut late August 2004, with the release of its first two Yaoi graphic novels. Be Beautiful is scheduled to release two breathtakingly gorgeous Yaoi graphic novels each month through October 2004. 4) What is Yaoi? ''Yaoi is a Japanese publishing genre that encompasses manga, novels and short stories produced by female artists and writers for the enjoyment of female readers," as Ms. Jeanne Johnson has eloquently described on the official Yaoi-Con website (www.yaoicon.com). A distinctive element of Yaoi is its focus on the diverse interpretations of the "pure love" concept. Be Beautiful graphic novels explore the joys and wonders of love and relationships with dignity, intelligence, and respect regardless of gender. Another element of Yaoi is the beautiful depiction of the male protagonists. Characters in Yaoi are impossibly beautiful men, who represent the epitome of male beauty as imagined by some of the most talented and gifted artists of our time. The alluring artwork alone justifies the purchase of the book. 5) Where did the genre of Yaoi originate? After years of success with shoujo manga (graphic novels intended for girls in junior high and high school), Japanese female artists and writers began to explore new romantic relationships, characters, and situations from a woman's point of view. The genre exploded in Japan, and we at A18 Corporation are proud to be at the forefront of this exciting new market. 6) What are the first Yaoi titles to be published by Be Beautiful? The following Yaoi graphic novels are the first to be released by Be Beautiful and will be priced at $15.99 (SRP) each: Kizuna - Bonds of Love (3 volumes) by Kazuma Kodaka Ranmaru and Kei have a strong and passionate relationship built on years of trust, sacrifice and love. When the mysterious son of a Yakuza boss starts to have designs on Ranmaru's affection, tempers flare, and hidden emotions rise to the surface. Will Ranmaru and Kei's love for each other be able to survive this difficult test, or will the emotional conflict finally come to a head? Monthly releases of "Kizuna - Bonds of Love" are slated for August, September, and October 2004. Golden Cain (1 volume) by You Asagiri Shun works very hard to live up to the memory of his older brother, even at the cost of his personal life. Suddenly, a beautiful stranger comes into his life and takes Shun on a ride down a dangerous road of love, loss, lust, guilt, passion and taboo! Shun craves excitement, and the stranger gives it to him, but at what cost? Available August 2004. Selfish Love (2 volumes) by Naduki Koujima Tempers start to flare when passions erupt in the back rooms and cloistered halls of the Academic Council. How long can a man remain pure when he is surrounded by delicious and wicked temptations? Monthly releases of "Selfish Love" are slated for September and October 2004. 7) Who is the audience for Be Beautiful? Be Beautiful is for intelligent, creative, and open-minded women looking for short interludes of romantic escape. These readers may include college students, professionals, online gamers, and avid readers of fantasy graphic novels. 8) Will Be Beautiful books be shrink-wrapped? As Be Beautiful books will often contain explicit content and are meant for readers 18 years of age and older, some of the books from this imprint may be shrink-wrapped. 9) Will the Original Yaoi logo be an identifying characteristic in conjunction with Be Beautiful? Where will it appear?
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