Title: Ink & Pixels
Subtitle: A Love Story of a Novelist and a BL Artist
Series: Japanesque TS
Author: Yulia Yu. Sakurazawa
Welcome to the world of “Ink & Pixels,” a story that I’ve poured my heart and soul into. It’s a story that has taken on a life of its own, just like my characters who seem to have a life independent of my own. It is a story that is quite different from my previous work, and I think you’ll enjoy what it has to offer.
At its core, “Ink & Pixels” is about two people who are trying to make sense of who they are, all while making sense of their own worlds. Takeshi Tange, by day is a salaryman like any other, but when he gets home, he is free to express his inner self as Lisa Takamizawa, author of TS fiction, where people are free to explore the deepest recesses of their souls without fear. Sendo Machiko, meanwhile, is one of the most popular BL manga artists in Japan. She is successful, talented, and loved by her legions of readers, yet on the inside, she is plagued by doubt. They are both creative, complex, and have been living as people who are in a liminal space between their own authentic desires and the expectations of society, and they have both built a career and a life for themselves through their art.
Then fate decides to bring them together at a junior high reunion, a place where people’s past is suddenly thrust into their present, and their carefully constructed double lives begin to fall apart. And they are both forced to meet each other in an absurd context that they weren’t expecting. From that moment on, the story takes on a chaotic life of its own, where Takeshi and Machiko start to realize how similar they actually are.
This story is also about the way people see each other. How, if we are open to it, we can find connection in the most unexpected places. And, how, by sharing our authentic selves, we can form bonds that are both complex and profound. It’s a story that shows us that labels are restrictive, and that we are always more than the sum of our parts, and that it’s important that we understand ourselves and each other beyond the simple categories that society puts us into.
“Ink & Pixels” isn’t just about two artists who find love. It’s about finding love while you’re feeling most adrift. It’s about what it means to be seen for who you truly are and learning how to love yourself in the process. I hope you find as much humor and heart in this story as I did when I was writing it. And please, let me know what you think.