(Beware: might have some spoilers) i give this story a 9 because i would have liked it to be longer, besides that i really liked it, and plus i even liked the art even though others didnt like it. what i truly liked about this story its that its from the point of view of the rapist, this helps you see into his thoughts and his feelings which helps you to actually like him dispite his awful act, you can feel that he truly loves Shou. i especially liked the end where he said he can never forget the fact that he hurt the person that he loved because then he would truly be an awful person. i thought i would hate a manga about a rapist but its obvious that he loves Shou, and this manga shows that if people want to they can change, and that all they have to do is decide to change and do what they can to change themselves. another scene i liked its when he gets close to Shou (after the rape) he gets mad at him again and chases him down and he thinks of raping him again but he sees him crying and he forces himself to let him go, because he can't bear the thought of hurting Shou. Also, i like how he gradually changes from a moody person that everyone dislikes to someone that is warm and deserving to be with Shou.

... Last updated on May 8th, 2008, 7:52pm

Love after rape and yaoi are practically synonymous. Very few writers opt out of the convention, and even fewer bother to look at it realistically.
Monchi Kaori bothers.
Yes, the seme rapes the uke. But his reason for doing so is realistic, though far from sympathetic.
And the uke later loves the seme and has a consensual relationship with him. But he never enjoyed the rape, and if anything it was a terrible obstacle in their relationship.
Awakening Puberty somehow feels almost like a deconstruction of that rape-to-love convention.
And because of that it has become one of my favorite yaoi stories.

I liked this one too. It almost read like a Young Adult novel that a teenager could pick up at a library. It deals with serious, important and prevalent-to-age-group issues in a serious manner, and the two boys' affection for one another is believable with all their heavy mistakes, regrets and strong, maturing love. The sense of their inexperience, lack of clear guidance and frustrated feelings with no corresponding thoughts to understand those feelings was strong, vivid and believable.

As for the youth of the boys, it's realistic - they are in 'awakening puberty!' And the mangaka has delivered a drama worth reading and thinking about.

The sexual parts are never graphic, but always touching. The artwork is loose and sketchy with the uke being extremely tiny and effeminate. The artwork flowed well, although it wasn't outstanding in any way.

... Last updated on April 28th, 2009, 8:39pm

Yes, this is one of those "love after rape" yaois, but IT ISN'T CLICHE! *reels over in shock*
In most of the other love after rape yaois I've read (Gerard to Jacques being the only other exception), the rape actually enhances the romance. But in Imadoki no Shishunki, the rape is a huge problem and obstacle in Danzou and Shou's love. I have to say that a true love between 12 year olds is very far-stretched, but other than that, the story is very realistic. Danzou's (the seme) reason for raping Shou (the uke) makes the readers at least dislike him-which is what makes this manga so unique and awesome. Shou obviously hated the rape-which is another reason why Imadoki no Shishunki is so different from the cliched-rape-after-love yaois. So, I give this an 8/10.

The art...Well, the art isn't that great. It lacks in details, body proportions, and background. It's also a bit sloppy. But, the emotions the characters show is very beautiful. The art is 5/10
My overall rating: 7.3/10

this scared me at first but gradually, I could empathise with the characters & it turned sweet If you take the shota with a pinch of salt, it might turn out to be an enjoyable read!

the story is quite good, but like pleochroic said, it art was pretty bad, although maybe two or three panels are decent. but i would recomment it to people that dont mind the art too much, because it is a very interestin story.

everything is the same for me only that... i don't really care about the art style. i stopped to care about the art after i had enjoyed yaoi for like 2 month?, so only plot itself is important to me. that's why i like this manga. it's def not a must read, but give it a try. it's interesting: the story line is exciting and somewhere sad, but the end is simply sweet.

... Last updated on September 25th, 2011, 8:27am

I really liked it. It had a subtle feeling of the confusion around puberty and touched on newly developing romantic feelings in a different way than the usual cliches. On one hand, Danzou very clearly loves Shou but acts in a completely selfish manner as befitting his 12-year-old mentality, only to take responsibility for his actions later and thus, he starts to grow as a character. On the other hand, Shou still maintains his childish body and with it, he struggles to keep his childish mind, repeating the mantra "I'm just a kid!" over and over in an attempt to keep himself from growing until finally he faces his true feelings.

What I would have liked to see, would have been a few longer time skips. There were some, but by the end, I didn't feel that their ages suited them anymore. It made sense where the story started, but for them to be believably having a much deeper relationship, I felt it should've skipped a little more time. Lust aside, they still are just young kids at twelve years old.

As for the art, I personally liked it. It's not the most beautiful art you'll ever see, and it's a little sketchy, but then again I'm a huge lover of the BL art styles of the 1990s.

I liked this manga...What I have to say about this mangá is that it may not seem like it has a theme and strong, different from other sleeves by the appearance, the theme rape was widely used ... The characters had personalities let manga darker ...

Yes, the seme rapes the uke. But his reason for doing so is realistic, though far from sympathetic.
And the uke later loves the seme and has a consensual relationship with him. But he never enjoyed the rape, and if anything it was a terrible obstacle in their relationship.

Although the art is typically old-fashioned, the characters, their thoughts and the issues they face are endearing. This is Shotacon, however it should be noted that the 'sex scenes' are not in any way explicit, are only a couple panels and don't show any climax. The characters are also the same age, no paedophiles here.
There is rape in this manga but unlike in most yaoi's it is delicately handled, and one of the main themes of the story is the psychological effect this has on both characters, there's no rape = instant love.
Don't be put off by the bad art (although I admit I normally am). This is a sweet, thought-provoking manga about growing up and the way people's opinions of you change in regards to your looks(ish x).
Read! It's not that long, and you will be absorbed into it immediately x