Birds of Shangri-La, Vol. 1 by Ranmaru Zaria

Birds of Shangri-La, Vol. 1 Reviews

• 
  ʟᴇxɪᴇ

  I NEED MORE!!
  I'M OBSESSED!!!
• 
  Peter Parker in Texas

  I’m not going to lie that I had not heard of this title prior to discovering the cover image. I preordered almost immediately.
  
  So we have Apollo who is straight and welcomed to shangri la, an all male brothel, where he will be working as a helper of sorts to the birds...
  
  The birds are the main attraction and phi is as attractive as they come. Never having been with a man before Phi is instructed to introduce Apollo to the duties he is required to fulfill in his new position. The story is very different than other traditional BL storylines, more intellectual and character building. We have glimpses of both of the boys having dark sides they are suppressing that are slipping out.
  
  It’s nice to see sex workers respected, sexuality respected in stories along these lines!!
  
  I am anxious to see where this goes. I look forward to following this series.....
• 
  Keh

  WHAT. DID. I. JUST. READ?
  
  Explicit content. Basically, they all just lay there naked waiting for you with all the barest of all truths and desires. I like that the author took the decent path to weave explicit content. This isn't actually bad. It does not only revolve around intercourse and pleasure but healing and overcoming trauma. By the way, loved the poetic intro.
• 
  dragon

  I've been sort of avoiding this author's books because I knew I'd love them and yup, i loved it. The art is so beautiful and sexy, like watch me drool all over these books!!! The story is pretty tame so far, we have a few hints of what's happened to both mains but idk how to describe it, the vibe is very mellow like even when things have been violent, the overall vibe hasn't changed which is a nice change of pace. I feel like smut is always usually frenzied and passionate but this, at least in our mains case, is something more down to earth, mature perhaps. I think it's Apollo, lol. I'm not sure where this is headed but damn I'm feeling the affection and now I'm swooning! Also wow these working conditions are AMAZING please hire me!
• 
  Dylan

  Re-read for Thirsty Thursday. Still love it!
  
  CW: Child Abuse in the past, Sex trafficking backstory, Marital problems, Divorce.
  
  This manga was so good! I couldn't stop reading it. We follow two men in a brothel called Shangri-La. Apolo is new to the brother, he's straight, and looking for an escape from his life that's been turned upside down. He meets Phi, one of the escorts, and starts learning how to be someone who preps people for sex.
  I love the art, as always. And the emotional aspects of the story is great, too. Apolo is like a sweet puppy dog. I'm loving this series and I highly recommend it.
• 
  Ben Howard

  I think it's safe to say Ranmaru Zaria is my favourite Manga author. Her works just have an amazing atmospheric vibe to them.
  
  And
  Birds of Shangri-La, Vol. 1 is no exception. The island paradise feels practically oozed from the pages. The characters all have interesting intros here, especially our main two Apollo and Phi. I can't wait to find out more about their backstories and how they both develop in the next volume.
• 
  VICTORIA EDWARDS

  I loved it so much 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲
• 
  Aidan Weber

  I want to read this but I feel like it fetishizes gay men and that's not the kind of story I want to read.
• 
  Emi

  Pues pensaba que sería una historia más chunga, pero no. Me gustan mucho los personajes y el enfoque que tiene esta historia. Hay mucho conenido erótico i el dibujo una pasada.
• 
  Elaine White

  Ranmaru never disappoints!
  There was a whole lot of story, without feeling like we were being bombarded with information. Back-story to both MC's, without being crammed or unnatural. A really good exploration of Shangri-La, the Birds and the Teasers. A really great, original concept that gives the story room to breathe.
  It wasn't rushed, it wasn't PWP and it wasn't all the things I was afraid it might be, when I read it was about a male brothel. This is one of those brothels that is well-run, with a respected/rich owner who takes care of his Birds first and clients second. Everyone is happy, loved, respected and well-treated, but Phi is an exception without anyone realising it, with a dark past that it slowly being explored.
• 
  Mazzy

  I had a hard time finishing the book, I was so bored. At least in the middle we got the backstory and it got a little bit interesting, so I round it up to two stars.
• 
  Kat

  4.5
• 
  frau.meln

  Ranmaru Zariya ist eine Mangaka, die es schafft mit spannenden Settings, geheimnisvollen Charakteren und sehr heißen Szenen aufzuwarten. Und meiner Meinung nach ist sie völlig underrated!
  
  In Birds of Shangri-La landen wir in einer paradiesischen Umgebung, in der alle ihrem Leben frönen, denn Shangri-La ist ein ziemlich besonderes Bordell. Dementsprechend beinhaltet die Story einiges an Sexy time 😏.
  
  Die Spannung wird durch die beiden sehr gegensätzlichen Charaktere herbeigeführt. Bisher sind Backgroundinfos über Phi noch Mangelware, aber es teastert sich eine düstere Vergangenheit an, die gar nicht zu seinem allgemeinen Wesen zu passen scheint.
  Der stille Apollo landet wegen eines Vergehens auf der Insel, denn er benötigt dringend Geld. Auf Fragen antwortet er ehrlich, kurz und knapp sowie emotionslos. Allgemein kann man ihn eher an seiner Gestik als seiner Mimik lesen.
  
  Band 1 ist ein Auftakt, der Leser:innen erst einmal in das Setting einführt, aber dennoch Spannungsmomente herbeiführt und Köder auslegt, die mich neugierig zurücklassen.
  
  Ein großartiger Reihenstart, einer großartigen Mangaka 👌🏼.
  
• 
  Andrew

  In my first Yaoi (aka gay romance-specific manga), I discovered Birds of Shangri-La.
  Apollo is a straight new-hire, desperate for cash, working at a gay brothel.
  He is taken under the tutelage of experienced sex worker, Phi, to be shown the ropes.
  The only rule: no falling in love (with your co-workers or customers). How hard could that be?
  
  Let's just say, it gets steamy...and I don't mean the hot tub or the showers.
  
  Ranmaru Zaria is a force amongst the Yaoi community as a newer up-and-coming and does a fantastic job of creating believable characters, showing both the stereotypes and prejudices faced by sex workers, presenting intimacy in a realistic (no closed doors in this manga) and follows a very fast storyline to its ending...though this series is far from over.
• 
  colagatji

  started cuz i was intrigued enough by the cover and blurb to try
  
  now i am OBSESSED with the cover and the inside TT_TT
  
• 
  L Ann

  Let me begin by saying I LOVE THIS MANGA!!! This is my second time reading this and it's just as enjoyable as the first time.
  
  I enjoyed everything about it... the slow leisurely pace of the story, the beautiful artwork depicting Shangri-La's lush tropical gardens and open buildings, the way I could almost feel the breeze blowing through the trees and into the bedrooms, the way Phi looks at Apollo, the way Apollo is unwittingly becoming more and more drawn to Phi, how buff Apollo is, lol... I could go on and on! Everything unfolds so organically that we are even able to get the dark details of Phi and Apollo's past without it bogging down the relaxing flow of the story.
  
  Shangri-La is the name of the all male brothel in which the story takes place. All of the sex workers, referred to as birds, are pampered and treated with love and respect. Their happiness and comfort are placed above those of the clients or any profit motive. They are allowed to choose who they sleep with and when. If they don't feel like doing anything they are allowed to take time off. They are also given access to a wide variety of "teasers," men who help prepare them for sex before customers arrive and clean them up when they leave. Apollo is a newly hired teaser and Phi is one of the more popular birds.
  
  I really like the way everything is set up. It's apparent that Apollo is exactly what Phi needs in his life; someone who sees him as worthy of love and protection. Apollo already has this innate desire to love someone so why not Phi? I mean, other than the fact that he isn't gay. But this is yaoi so anything is possible.
• 
  Julie

  *Reread 11/18/2021*
  I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I last read this. It’s so so so good. Also reading this right after reading Twittering Birds made me recognize so many similarities mostly with the two main characters. Clearly I have a type.
  
  Apollo and Phi are just so precious to me and I want them both to love and be loved. I’m afraid they’re going to get hurt just because of the situations they’re in and the trauma they’re dealing with.
  
  Anyway!! I’m so excited to finally be able to read the next volume :’) it’s been a long wait.
  
  *Original Review 10/30/2020*
  I am pleasantly surprised by this. The story has a very slow and soothing progression. It feels laid-back. It really sets the mood for the paradise that is Shangri-La. I like the fact that these are happy and respected sex workers. The workers get priority over the money and clients. They aren't forced to do anything they don't want to do and if they want to leave or take a break they are completely free to do so.
  
  I liked the story as well especially towards the end. I hope we get to delve a lot more into Phi's trauma in the next volume. I'm kind of hesitant about the relationship between Phi and Apollo tho. I like them together, but I don't want Phi to get hurt considering Apollo is straight. It's a weird situation. They're both precious and neither of them have malicious intent towards each other, but I know the relationship will get messy cause that's just how it works.
• 
  zah

  yes. a 5/5. this was a very deliberate choice that I had made, didn't even meant to read it even if it was from my fav bl author EVER possibly because of the *questionable* concept and vibe. but boy I was wrong. I legit cried reading this, at least once. Phi is so precious and needs to be protected at all cost, and Apollo needs to ALSO be comforted for the heck of it, and I need them both to be at peace and happy.
  
  however, i sense that this manga is so slow in its translations (waited almost a year to finally read the recent chapter, ya Allah) and I don't exactly know the situation of the release in Japan, but, I really really can't wait to read more. because I sense an abundance of angst and pain coming up.
• 
  rya

  Alright, this story is extremely compelling and the art is beautiful— it leaves you craving to know more about Phi and Apollo; wanting to see more of them, too. Excellent chemistry. Unexpectedly an enjoyable read though, I must admit, despite the amount of sex scenes in the manga made it a bit awkward for me; the story is just too good that makes it worth it and that is just something easy to ignore. 🤍 Can’t wait to read volume 2 next!
• 
  Frank Chillura (OhYouRead)

  An exclusive island owned by a very wealthy man is home to Shangri La, an elite members only brothel where only men aptly named birds are on the menu. These birds of paradise are treated with the utmost respect and if anything untoward happens, the patrons is immediately banned.
  
  Apollo is running away from his divorce and needs money to pay for the mistake he made, so he takes the job as a teaser. As a straight man, all of the birds are excited to have him there, where it’s his job to get them “ready” for the patrons. Think of it like the boyfriend experience, but where the birds aren’t allowed to c_m or be “entered” with anything other than fingers. (Trying to make this PG😅)
  
  Phi is Apollo’s trainer and also the most popular bird on Shangri La. He’s damaged, coming from a past where he was made to service men from a very young age. His scars are both physical and mental, but sometimes they peak out when he lashes out at someone who touches him without permission.
  
  I really enjoyed that this isn’t only a boys love manga. It’s about mental and physical trauma and dealing with the aftermath. But the smut is 👨🏻‍🍳🤌🏼💋!!! So if that’s what you’re looking for… there is a LOT!
  
  I can’t wait to see what Volume 2 has in store for me.
• 
  Elyse

  The drawings & characters are gorgeous as always.
  This book just like others from this author are quite explicit and doesn't shy away from the sexual details. So, take that in note if you have curious people around XD.
  
  Shangri-La is a brothel made up exclusivity of male sex workers and is a members only place. The prostitutes are nicknames "little birds" by the owner.
  
  Apollo is a straight man looking for a job, in need of money. He accepts to become a teaser - he basically takes care of the bird before and after customers.
  
  Phil is the one assign to him, he keeps teasing him and trying to push him to his limit since he believes the other man is timid, sweet and even naive.
  
  Both of them are running away from something from their past and the so call Island of Paradise is just an escape.
  
  This is only the first volume and an introduction to the characters but I feel that rules will be broken pretty fast in futures volumes and I am curious to see where the story will be going.
• 
  Yunebooks

  Que Zariya llegará a España era algo MUY necesario.
  
  Si bien no conocía nada de esta obra, el primer tomo me ha gustado mucho. Es muy introductorio pero ya te enganchas con los personajes. Conocemos la filosofía del burdel y los diferentes trabajadores, y sus funciones, y a los protagonistas, tanto sus personalidades cómo pasados. Al menos nos muestra brevemente cómo han acabado en Shangri-la.  Y ya os digo que sus historias son duras...
  
  
  Lo más divertido es ver cómo Phi descoloca a Apollo, y este aún que lo intenta no es el mejor catador del mundo 😂 Estoy deseando leer el segundo tomo. ¡Necesito saber cómo avanza la historia entre estos dos!
• 
  Ana Jim

  Uno de esos mangas que tienes que leer sin sobrecubierta si estás en un sitio público :')
  
  Este primer tomo lo tiene todo: smut (que para eso lo leemos, vamos a ver), humor, drama y misterio. Estoy deseando saber más sobre el pasado de Phi.
  
  El dibujo de Ranmaru Zariya es increíble. El tomo en sí (en España, esta serie la publica la editorial Nowevolution) me ha parecido un poco tieso al principio (?), pero conforme vas leyendo se hace más fácil manejarlo y el papel me parece de gran calidad.
• 
  Vera

  Der Zeichenstil... wie schon bei Coyote - ein Traum. Mittlerweile. Früher hab ich auch anders darüber gedacht. Was an Ranmaru Zarias Mangas ganz besonders ist: die Settings. Auch hier führt sie die Leser:innen in ihre Fantasieblase und die ihre eigenen Regeln hat.
  Im Laufe des Bandes gibt es düstere Entwicklungen und huuui, ich glaube, dass kann noch was richtig großes werden.
  Das Cover ist ein kleines Highlight. X3
• 
  Venda J. Croft

  3-
  Per il momento non mi sbilancio. Il primo volume di per sé non mi è dispiaciuto, ci sono delle situazioni di dub-con ma considerato il contesto possono essere ok.
  Il fatto è che sento puzza di gay for you: protagonista che si dichiara etero e lavora in un bordello di lusso di soli uomini per uomini. Gli do però il beneficio del dubbio perché è stata nominata la bisessualità, aspetto di leggere il secondo volume e, quando uscirà, anche il terzo. Spero di sbagliarmi.
• 
  Arsnoctis

  La storia si svolge tra le mura di un bordello - di e per soli uomini - con arredamento lussuoso e richiami orientaleggianti. Le premesse sono interessanti e il passato dei suoi protagonisti viene a galla un po' alla volta, al prezzo di saperlo aspettare. In questa occasione mi dimostro poco paziente e ho deciso di fermare qui la lettura lasciando il tempo ai suoi protagonisti di dedicarsi alle loro prodezze ginniche indisturbati invece che attendere fuori dalla porta per ogni sviluppo di trama. [2.5 arrotondato per eccesso]
• 
  Redbeanmochionastick

  I kinda thought this was only gonna be pwp, but the manga really hit with some of the emotional scenes and the characters had compelling stories and personalities. The first manga is very introductory though, and nothing major happened other than setting up the series, so I'm looking forward to future volumes where the story and characters will progress more.
  That said, most of it is very well illustrated porn.
• 
  Patricia

  The first one I like by this mangaka! I will continue. The art is pretty as always.
• 
  Brianna

  ⭐️4.5 stars⭐️