Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun

This is one of the best-known titles by Yamagishi Ryouko. It shocked the public immensely when first published, because the story depicted how the legendary regent of Japan, Prince Shoutoku - who supported the spread of Buddhism - fell in love with a man, suffering because of it, and acting on his unrequited love. This is no ordinary BL manga, as its homoerotic theme is the driving force behind a convoluted plot centred on complex characters and depicted in complicated Japanese as representative of the setting. Hi Izuru Tokoro no Tenshi is regarded as a masterpiece in the manga world. Won the 1983 Kodansha Manga Award for shoujo.