Fails

The opening was well done as it preempted the questions and feelings that the readers (assuming the readers are emphatic and sympathetic) will have. Thus, it draws you in. However, that will never change the fact that this is fucked up. I did like the attempt that was made to understand this fuckedupness, however I would say that a poor job was done of it since essential background details and introspection for BOTH of the characters was lacking. Since this is a oneshot there definitely must have been limitation that then produced this truncated version, still I think that there was space for fleshing out the characters more-their hopes and fears. While I would also like to see something like this in long form, but seeing how the other long form works have turned out by Sakura-sensei I don’t really have much hope for this. In fact, none. I would also like to make it clear that I am not hoping for any happy-magical reconciliation between the characters, in fact that would be one of the worst things to do, or for a narrative fix that will explain it all, like the one in Sneaky Red (which is just as terrible as this), but rather for working out why these two people stay in such an abusive relationship. Especially Yuuki who is on the receiving end of this DAILY abuse. Clearly Yuuki makes a choice of staying in this relationship; why? Since the manga fails to explore this reason, it fails for me.

I adore this manga. I have read it several times. I think it is the very lack of petty psychologizing (that seems to annoy some) that I find refreshing. It does not fit perfectly into ready made categories; which makes the characters seem "unlikely" to people who swoon at almost algebraic solvability in erotica. One evidently cannot stop crawling and the other is the kind of cold jerk that only exists in feverish masochistic fantasies. So what? I bless them and their "improbable" and insoluble love. I know I never find such love in this life, so why not grant it to these imaginary leeches?

I read this because I was honestly sick of the casual way almost every single yaoi mangas have regarding rape. Rape is ugly and horrifying, and this short piece of work demonstrated that.

I've read a few reviews here complaining how the seme was too cruel and wasn't the type to "hug the uke after raping him" but this yaoi is dealing with rape. It's ridiculous and disgusting that so many yaoi mangas make it Ok to rape someone as long as the seme says it's out of true love, and I'm glad this yaoi managed to at least show that rape is disgusting. Also, the codependency a lot of abusive relationships have is presented. The first line also shows what a lot of victims of abusive relationships think, too.

That being said, the major problem I had with this yaoi was that it didn't fully explain the story well. I don't understand how or why the seme started pimping the uke out, and there isn't an actual plot. But perhaps a plot isn't even needed in this yaoi because its function is to show how abusive relationships can be like, and it did that decently.

I honestly think there aren't enough yaoi titles about domestic violence and cruel, abusive lovers.

So whenever I come across one, I have to read it. The mangaka however, totally missed the point. If you want to use a theme like this you should actually care about the story, or describe it within 3 sentences so the rest can be meaningless, smutty sex. The mangaka sadly couldn't make a choice, and miserably failed to make a decent oneshot. The result is giving TMI about an unbelievable relationship. At least explain why the two are in such abusive, destructive, unequal relationship - the way the mangaka did it, was just weird. (Where is the love, jealousy, uncertainty and the tsundere which hardly seems dere dere?)

Judging from the bondage and bukake the mangaka wanted to do hardcore yaoi manga? In that case, it also feels like a failure. Don't show their faces and expressions so much, and put more time in drawing nice angles. And why bother to waist half a page drawing a scene of throwing the money over the hooker, when the pimp was stading right next to them two pages ago? That could also have been another hot smex scene! One small panel with one pair of hands giving it to another would have been sufficient!!

I sincerely hope this mangaka goes back to doing soft core yaoi that's about first love...

... Last updated on February 2nd, 2012, 3:46am

I keep re-reading this... One of the best mangas even if it is so short and full of sex (which could be good as well but this one is different).

A very good story if you want some perspective of love, or just something different than those typical lovely-dovely, but it's a quite dark/sad story after all. It is also very smut and yet have such a deep story. A good read, but not for everyone I guess.~

... Last updated on August 1st, 2011, 5:38am

Co-dependence sounds pretty accurate =/ poor guy, hes a real masochist to endure that sort of treatment yet do nothing about it. Very deep subject matter and well presented. Not going to be everyones cup of tea though as there are no warm feelings in this one shot (the others i cant find so cant talk about yet). All the same, its a good short story. I felt alot of pity and pain for the uke and alot of hatred for the waster he's supporting.

this kinda twisted relationship is just my cup of tea. no, i hate abusive relationship that portrayed in the name of 'love', but this oneshot is good cos the seme never say he love the uke and its the uke that willingly put up with the shit.

... Last updated on May 9th, 2011, 6:08pm

Really impressive. One of the most memorable yaoi titles I've read, and I read quite a few of them. You either love or hate it. And it has excellent plot / psychological undertones, I just suspect some people are too shocked with the rest of what they see to be able to follow the plot / story. If you're into hardcore yaoi, try it with open mind, you may be shocked, but there is a chance you may really like it. I did.

... Last updated on March 31st, 2010, 9:41pm

I simply HATED this manga. Do not read it at all if you don't like:
* Abuse
* Plotless stories
* ONLY sex, meaningless
* Cruel semes (but not the kind that would hug the uke after raping him, but the one who doesn't love the uke at all!)
* Ukes without his own will that can't even stand up against the seme.

Really, the seme keeps on whoring the uke, doesn't love him, live off his money, makes him say and accept everything...Eiichi is ridiculous.
Yuuki is also an idiot, because Eiichi doesn't love him at all.

I hoped it was a story like "Overdose" (Kawai Touko), but it's nothing like it. The plot is almost the same, but while Overdose shows everything is only done in the name of love, this one crashes our hope on abusive love being real.

I totally do not recommend.

---

EDIT: I tried re-reading this about a year after I posted this review. Seriously, I still don't get it. It's even frustrating, because everyboddy seems to find such a deep meaning to it, and I still find it disgusting.
But now I also think it is very sad. And not in a good, bittersweet way, but in a really bad one, that makes you resent the ending.
I'd read a lot of yaoi when I reviewed this for the first time, and now even more. I'm used to dark, twisted stuff and S/M. But even so, I can't like it. Someday, maybe I'll get its meaning.

For now, I can only say: if I could rate it 0, I would.

... Last updated on January 28th, 2011, 8:47pm

Holy! Mother! of! Twisted! (from the perspective of mainstream 'acceptable' relationships. I love this stuff!)
This is only reviewing the one story that is scanlated from the anthology, Adult na Kaihatsushitsu.
It was very short, so it didn't go into too much detail about the complexity and variety of human needs and relationships, but it did touch on dependency and challenge the reader's preconcieved ideas about what is 'right' or what is 'wrong' in a very subtle way around all the hot, tortured smexin.
I like that this mangaka isn't afraid to present another idea or concept about what people give and take from one another: 'There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.' And when does one decide it's time to intrude on the choices of another to 'save' them. . .? Is it saving them? Or is it airing our own moral prejudices? Good thought provoking stuff. Vanilla is fabulous and sweet, but do we, as a whole, need to enforce it on everyone as the only acceptable and allowable feelings? Humans are more complicated than that.
Other mangas go into this concept with great detail. This oneshot is like a quick intro to the concept.
The 'foot binding' theme should have been introduced at the beginning and followed through like a continuous thread. It seemed contrived at the end, although I believe it was an excellent analogy.

... Last updated on December 27th, 2008, 8:35am