It's not about rape but recovery from rape. Healing of the heart and mind to be precise. Hope that there is still a future and learning to grasp it with one's own hands. The ending was perfect. I loved it. It was mature and realistic and very Asian, very like what you'd expect here in our culture. Down to earth, grounded in reality, not a soppy Disney ending. Also, they probably won't break up. They're just being typical pragmatic far easterners. Here, everything, including love and life revolves around practicality, possibility and feasibility. I'm Chinese myself, so I kind of understand where they're coming from. They want the best end result for each other, but also hope to remain together forever, but aren't certain if they are the best for each other, so they're just taking it one step at a time, enjoying each moment they have together, and going with the flow, crossing each bridge as they come to it, since life is always full of uncertainty.

... Last updated on September 25th, 2017, 4:40pm

This manga is one of those mangas that won't leave your mind. You'll always remember it because of its depth, and the feelings you get from the characters. For people who like the psychological/dark past kind of thing with a happy ending. This is right up your ally

Not the usual ones that I get to read but, something unusual often gets you interested and keeps you seated to read on and on like this one.

I'm pretty much impressed on how it caught my attention and see the story unfold through the male lead's point of view..

It happens in life, and life happens to be something unpredictable..

Very enjoyable read. The premise was good, even if the gigantic coincidence that started the whole thing was a bit much. The story is great overall, the pacing is nice bar the end. The despair the girl was in felt depressing as it should and the art was good.

Overall it's a great read considering it's only 4 volumes. Some characters would've deserved some more development because despite their interest in him, haven't really gotten any attention whatsoever as to why they liked him and such. It didn't hinder the basic very much though, just lowered the overall enjoyment a bit, since the character was just there.

One of the few romance seinen/shounen mangas that does not focus on vast amounts of overly erotic fanservice ,and a scenario where the loser type character is being surrounded by hot girls in a cheesy romance/comedy plot. The raw emotion added into the plot is what makes it so interesting and compelling rather than the use of panty shots and border line pornographic scenes as selling points. So if your looking for something fresh and serious I suggest you give Bitter Virgin a try.

Put away your Super-Critic Goggles for a bit and read a story for the sake of the story. Admittedly, Bitter Virgin is lacking in a few key areas -- the characters lack some depth and uniqueness, for example, but that's far overshadowed by the significance of the story being told. This story deals with a couple of VERY touchy subjects (rape and stillbirth), and does so gracefully, and in a way that lets you really feel connected to the characters.

The ending was unrealiztically optimistic, but if it was accurate to real life, probably most people would be angry. The type of treatment Aikawa experienced does not leave one so well-adjusted to people and society in general, much less able to function normally in intimate relationships.

This is an accurate and moving story worth anyone's time, and you should read it.

... Last updated on September 6th, 2008, 1:32am

Yet another good manga with twists of reality, I like how this manga is going, the artwork is really good too, It's a must read if you like drama and serious mangas.

I remember years ago I definintely did NOT want to read this series. For the same reason as hot gimmick. I just didn't want to read a series about abuse. In the last couple of years, though, i've kinda craved these darker stories.

This is a pretty solid series but it has a smattering of cliches. I was kind of surprised when one of the tragic developments that I was thinking 'it would be good for the story if this happened' actually happened. 😛

It's classified as Seinen here, probably as it was published in a seinen mag, but at times it frequently flirts with shoujo which is at times annoying.

I'm pretty amazed by the ending, where 4 of the characters, including the main 2 are certain . Due to the underlying shoujo-ness of the series it's a fantastic little spin on the story. I mean, it's really freaking realistic, but perhaps a touch cynical and definitely a little sad.

Still, for the few cliches perhaps, it felt like it could've been better. Still, read it, if you have a few hours and not much else or want some escapism. I think it took me 4-5.

edit: a little over 10 years later I've re-read it on a whim. And yeah, it holds up.
My review also holds up and is accurate.
I mentioned in my review the cliches (mostly Kazuki's character (the blonde), who'd be a better fit for a different series where she could be explored in a different way). I actually cried a little in one chapter, I do find I cry a little easier now than back then.
I'm actually going to bump my rating up a little. originally in Dec 2013 I gave it a 7.3, I'll make it a 7.5 in Jan 2024
With my more knowledgeable world-view, I know interpret the ending a little more differently, too.
Originally I accepted that

... Last updated on January 3rd, 2024, 10:37pm

... and you'll get slapped in the face after only one chapter!
If you took the parts of this story alone, this wouldn't be anything special. But you got the whole thing together. And you'll learn two things:
1. Life sucks.
2. No matter how much it sucks, there's always a way to change it.
It's nothing you'll need much time to get through, there's not enough happiness that goes further than a short smile, but the emotions emitted by this manga are tremendous. This topic isn't an easy one, but it's something that's reaching everyone who has something like a heart.

great drama, great characters, only small issues: 9.5/10

This is one of the very few stories which has actually made me cry. You will definateley enjoy it. Remember that it is not a hentai manga and hence it doesnt have sexual scenes. It is a complete psycological and human behaviour manga.
It shows the pain of a victim and the sufferings he/she have to undergo. The importance of a relationship and a family support.
A must read!