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Manga Info
Haou Airen ![]()
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Description
One day while walking home from her job, Kurumi Akino finds a wounded young man, and saves his life. He mysteriously disappears after that, and leaves only the name “Hakuron”. Next thing she knows she’s been kidnapped from her school, and is on a private jet with that man, heading to China. It turns out she saved the life of the most infamous mobster in Hong Kong, and he wants her to stay with him.
You can find A Tale of Happier Times (v06 extra) in the anthology Motto Oshiete.
You can find A Tale of Happier Times (v06 extra) in the anthology Motto Oshiete.
Type
Manga
Related Series
Associated Names
Despotic Lover
El Amante Dragón (Spain)
Supreme King's Mistress
มาเฟียที่รัก
覇王♥愛人
覇王・愛人
霸王愛人
El Amante Dragón (Spain)
Supreme King's Mistress
มาเฟียที่รัก
覇王♥愛人
覇王・愛人
霸王愛人
Groups Scanlating
Latest Release(s)
v.9 c.50 (End) by A Willful Muse over 15 years ago
v.9 c.49 by A Willful Muse over 15 years ago
v.9 c.48 by A Willful Muse over 15 years ago
Search for all releases of this series
v.9 c.49 by A Willful Muse over 15 years ago
v.9 c.48 by A Willful Muse over 15 years ago
Search for all releases of this series
Status
in Country of Origin
9 Volumes (Complete)
Completely Scanlated?
Yes
Anime Start/End Chapter
N/A
User Reviews
N/A
Forum
5 topics, 25 posts
Click here to view the forum
Click here to view the forum
User Rating
Average: 6.4 / 10.0 (764 votes)
Bayesian Average: 6.4 / 10.0
Bayesian Average: 6.4 / 10.0
10
18%
9+
13%
8+
16%
7+
12%
6+
7%
5+
7%
4+
4%
3+
4%
2+
4%
1+
16%
Last Updated
January 2nd 2024, 11:21am
Image [Report Inappropriate Content]
Genre
Categories
Category Recommendations
Recommendations
Author(s)
Artist(s)
Year
2002
Original Publisher
Serialized In (magazine)
Sho-Comi (Shogakukan)
Licensed (in English)
No
English Publisher
N/A
Activity Stats (vs. other series)
Weekly Pos #725 
(+26)
Monthly Pos #1579(+112)
3 Month Pos #2648(+272)
6 Month Pos #3709(+318)
Year Pos #4847(+247)
(+26)Monthly Pos #1579
(+112)3 Month Pos #2648
(+272)6 Month Pos #3709
(+318)Year Pos #4847
(+247)List Stats
On 760 reading lists
On 489 wish lists
On 2112 completed lists
On 228 unfinished lists
On 298 custom lists
On 489 wish lists
On 2112 completed lists
On 228 unfinished lists
On 298 custom lists
Forum Posts Click to view the forum
over 6 years ago
over 13 years ago
over 14 years ago
over 15 years ago
over 15 years ago
User Comments
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It might be crap... but it sure kept me hooked.
And Hakuron is hot. Yes, he's a filthy piece of ****, but you and I both know that no one reads Shinjo Mayu's stories for the character development. Perhaps it perpetuates rape culture, but the thing is: this manga works. No matter how much you want to stab a knife into Kurumi three hundred times. Or kill Hakuron.
Other characters are no better. Reiran was a mess, Kaafai was an annoying f, and no one in this story seems to be functional. I didn't understand the function of the "team 5" either. Nothing in this manga made sense. It was just a lot of Hong Kong, some mafia, killing, and random rapes, rape, and more rape. Painful.
Read for the art, not the story.
... Last updated on October 13th, 2015, 11:57am
And Hakuron is hot. Yes, he's a filthy piece of ****, but you and I both know that no one reads Shinjo Mayu's stories for the character development. Perhaps it perpetuates rape culture, but the thing is: this manga works. No matter how much you want to stab a knife into Kurumi three hundred times. Or kill Hakuron.
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
Though the author helps us with that. It would have been better if she killed Kurumi too... reunited in death, y'know.
Other characters are no better. Reiran was a mess, Kaafai was an annoying f, and no one in this story seems to be functional. I didn't understand the function of the "team 5" either. Nothing in this manga made sense. It was just a lot of Hong Kong, some mafia, killing, and random rapes, rape, and more rape. Painful.
Read for the art, not the story.
... Last updated on October 13th, 2015, 11:57am
This is a hit or miss kind of manga, either you'll love it or you'll hate it. What can I say? I have a thing for Mayu Shinjo, an embarrassing weakness if you want. And from all I've read from her, which is quite a lot, I think this is Shinjo at her best. Yeah, it's melodramatic and has lots of clichés, but it really touch me, I kind of cry too. And it wasn't because of the ending, but because of how their relationship turned in one point. Maybe I was heartbroken and more sensible. I don't know, I just know I've read it more than once. I couldn't stop reading it, I can get tired of Shinjo sometimes, but with this one, I just couldn't stop reading!
So, if you are a Shinjo fan or have a thing for her work like me, you'll probably love it. If you are a newbie, there's a chance you'll love it too. If you hate her other work, forget it, this is not for you, don't even try it! It's hard to give it a rating. The art is really good, I like this type of bad boys mangas, and I really think this one it's her best one. Yeah, it's disturbing and what not, but I live dark mangas and angst once in a while. It's not for everyone, if you take things too seriously, don't read it. It's just a manga for me, another story, I enjoyed it and I just let it be.
... Last updated on December 25th, 2012, 3:53pm
So, if you are a Shinjo fan or have a thing for her work like me, you'll probably love it. If you are a newbie, there's a chance you'll love it too. If you hate her other work, forget it, this is not for you, don't even try it! It's hard to give it a rating. The art is really good, I like this type of bad boys mangas, and I really think this one it's her best one. Yeah, it's disturbing and what not, but I live dark mangas and angst once in a while. It's not for everyone, if you take things too seriously, don't read it. It's just a manga for me, another story, I enjoyed it and I just let it be.
... Last updated on December 25th, 2012, 3:53pm
This manga started off interestingly enough, but it quickly went downhill. I read through ch 28 and had to stop when Hakuron saves her only to give her away. Ugh.
Granted, I tried to give Hakuron some slack since he's mafia and violence and control is his MO. However, watching Kurumi descend into classic abuse symptoms was depressing. Check out WebMD.com for info on why victims stay with abusers, and you'll quickly realize that Kurumi isn't thinking she deserves to be raped just because she is weak. This is what abuse does even to strong women who are abused repeatedly. It's sad, and it's sick.
Having read the spoilers about the ending...
I gave it a 3 because it started off decent and because Shinjo Mayu captures the reality of abuse fairly well.
... Last updated on May 5th, 2011, 4:42pm
Granted, I tried to give Hakuron some slack since he's mafia and violence and control is his MO. However, watching Kurumi descend into classic abuse symptoms was depressing. Check out WebMD.com for info on why victims stay with abusers, and you'll quickly realize that Kurumi isn't thinking she deserves to be raped just because she is weak. This is what abuse does even to strong women who are abused repeatedly. It's sad, and it's sick.
Having read the spoilers about the ending...
Spoiler (highlight to view)
I'm glad Hakuron dies (he deserved it) and that Kurumi doesn't have a child. Why tie an abuse survivor to her abuser?
I gave it a 3 because it started off decent and because Shinjo Mayu captures the reality of abuse fairly well.
... Last updated on May 5th, 2011, 4:42pm
This is the absolute WORST shoujo manga I ever read. I managed to stagger through the first three chapters before puking up my guts and dying at the s[uck]iness of it all. Weak shoujo heroines are a dime a dozen, but this girl is downright "special"! She's such an IDIOT, abducted from her family and within 2 pages she's all over her captor, I'm like, HELLO? Your mother's sick and your siblings need you and all you can do is drool over your not-very-hot kidnapper with the bad attitude? Really?
Give this a miss, it's terrible.
Give this a miss, it's terrible.
Can you people not know that it is really real love between Kurumi and Hakuron? Just because he rapes her and all doesn't mean he don't love her, even if he does those horrible things. You all may think that it is twisted, it kind of is, but you don't understand the basic true meaning of this story...She loves him still after all he had done, he loves her and does all those things, but only to protect her and he gets jealous. He wants her for himself and he really does love her. She also loves him because she can never forget him. Though at the end...it's so...so heartbreaking...they should have been married and lived happily ever after....it's a horrible ending...I hate tragedy, but I love the romance. So what if it's smut, people need to be more mature about it...sooner or later in your life time you are eventually going to do it or see it, it's the cycle of life....sigh...I just want to get that out. Love is Love, don't question it!
[edit by mod, warning: Possible spoiler]
[edit by mod, Foul language, but I can't say I don't understand why you would]
I... can't begin to explain how I'm feeling
After the whole rape incident in Volume 4, I... don't have any words. I was so disgusted. I actually started crying. It's so wrong. REALLY wrong.
You actually LOVE this girl?
Oh jesus christ...
Fudging girl, go kill yourself. >_> Do us all a favour. Escape from Hakuron's clutches that way, and do us all a favour that way too. Kill 2 birds with one [literally too, if you can manage that] stone. Everyone's happy.
I can't stop shaking after seeing that. After seeing the blood on her legs after the first rape, I literally started pulling my hair and screaming. I can tolerate EXTREME amount of sex, and violence, but that one scene DISTURBED me REALLY bad. Yes, I've seen lots of mangas / movies / hentai where the girl gets gang raped by 5768476048 guys and I can manage to watch through the entire clip without getting disgusted [maybe a "that's so wrong" comment, but I don't get all "OMGWTFDIE"]. I actually watched lots of disturbing videos [you know what I mean >_>] on the interwebz before, but never really flinched at any of them.
But for some reason I can't explain, that... REALLY disturbed me.
I can't stop shaking.
Not all Shinjo manga is this graphic. I actually like Kaikan Phrase.
Just... stay away from this one if you don't enjoy this stuff. -_-
... Last updated on September 17th, 2008, 1:04pm
[edit by mod, Foul language, but I can't say I don't understand why you would]
I... can't begin to explain how I'm feeling
After the whole rape incident in Volume 4, I... don't have any words. I was so disgusted. I actually started crying. It's so wrong. REALLY wrong.
You actually LOVE this girl?
Oh jesus christ...
Fudging girl, go kill yourself. >_> Do us all a favour. Escape from Hakuron's clutches that way, and do us all a favour that way too. Kill 2 birds with one [literally too, if you can manage that] stone. Everyone's happy.
I can't stop shaking after seeing that. After seeing the blood on her legs after the first rape, I literally started pulling my hair and screaming. I can tolerate EXTREME amount of sex, and violence, but that one scene DISTURBED me REALLY bad. Yes, I've seen lots of mangas / movies / hentai where the girl gets gang raped by 5768476048 guys and I can manage to watch through the entire clip without getting disgusted [maybe a "that's so wrong" comment, but I don't get all "OMGWTFDIE"]. I actually watched lots of disturbing videos [you know what I mean >_>] on the interwebz before, but never really flinched at any of them.
But for some reason I can't explain, that... REALLY disturbed me.
I can't stop shaking.
Not all Shinjo manga is this graphic. I actually like Kaikan Phrase.
Just... stay away from this one if you don't enjoy this stuff. -_-
Spoiler (highlight to view)
LOL @ THE ENDING. I literally cracked up.
I'm upping my mark from a 1 to 3 for the ending. xD +1 for Hakuron dying, +1 for it being on the WEDDING, and another +1 for the random character appearance -THE WAY HE DIED - AHAHAHA, EPIC XD. However, I'm deducting one mark for the girl staying alive. Damn.
Total = 3
lolol
Great ending. Thanks, Shinjo xD I still love you for that. <3
P.S.S I was looking through the comments, and I'm completely flabergasted. How are people that, like myself, find this manga disturbing "immature"? Oh, right, because thinking rape + love is like 1+1=3. IT DOESN'T GO TOGETHER. Never does irl, never will.
No one who gets kidnapped & raped lives "happily ever after" with their captor/rapist. And for those that say that Kurumi was willing to the rape... Yea, sure, of course I'd wanna have sex with someone that killed my friend~ In fact, that really turns me on. So cut the BS and get on with reality - WHICH THIS MANGA TOTALLY LACKS.
Kurumi is a retard whom should get shot. You RETURN to your rapist willingly, only to have him rape you some more. Then bitch about not being able to get away. Uh, okay. I just can't add 2 and 2 here.
This story isn't "the best of the best" nor is it "romantic". It's the worst of the worst, unappealing to women, and no way in hell is it romantic. There is no excuse to rape - and Hakuron's excuse to rape her was the stupidest reasoning I've ever read in any manga.
Hakuron was right to die (I mean, that kid did do it because... Get serious, if you saw someone raped in front of your eyes, and then a few months later, the rapee happily walking the streets with her rapist... Uh, WTF?
Overall, this series is fucked anyhow. And anyone who thinks we are immature for disliking it need to get an effing brain and use logic.
I'm upping my mark from a 1 to 3 for the ending. xD +1 for Hakuron dying, +1 for it being on the WEDDING, and another +1 for the random character appearance -THE WAY HE DIED - AHAHAHA, EPIC XD. However, I'm deducting one mark for the girl staying alive. Damn.
Total = 3
lolol
Great ending. Thanks, Shinjo xD I still love you for that. <3
P.S.S I was looking through the comments, and I'm completely flabergasted. How are people that, like myself, find this manga disturbing "immature"? Oh, right, because thinking rape + love is like 1+1=3. IT DOESN'T GO TOGETHER. Never does irl, never will.
No one who gets kidnapped & raped lives "happily ever after" with their captor/rapist. And for those that say that Kurumi was willing to the rape... Yea, sure, of course I'd wanna have sex with someone that killed my friend~ In fact, that really turns me on. So cut the BS and get on with reality - WHICH THIS MANGA TOTALLY LACKS.
Kurumi is a retard whom should get shot. You RETURN to your rapist willingly, only to have him rape you some more. Then bitch about not being able to get away. Uh, okay. I just can't add 2 and 2 here.
This story isn't "the best of the best" nor is it "romantic". It's the worst of the worst, unappealing to women, and no way in hell is it romantic. There is no excuse to rape - and Hakuron's excuse to rape her was the stupidest reasoning I've ever read in any manga.
Hakuron was right to die (I mean, that kid did do it because... Get serious, if you saw someone raped in front of your eyes, and then a few months later, the rapee happily walking the streets with her rapist... Uh, WTF?
Overall, this series is fucked anyhow. And anyone who thinks we are immature for disliking it need to get an effing brain and use logic.
... Last updated on September 17th, 2008, 1:04pm
title says it all...
If you're looking for pure, violent, s&m smut, then this is it. If you're looking for a well-crafted storyline that intrigues you psychologically, then this series is probably not it. CLASSIC Shinjo Mayu...same artistic style, same basic male and female characters, same rape/sex scenes, you get the picture. For what it is, it's ok. But mediocre as a gangster/kidnapping love story - there are so many better avenues to explore. And jesus, can her female characters get any more insipid and helpless? I know it's a stylized archetype of the passive female, but still. The story just gets annoying after a while...
If you're looking for pure, violent, s&m smut, then this is it. If you're looking for a well-crafted storyline that intrigues you psychologically, then this series is probably not it. CLASSIC Shinjo Mayu...same artistic style, same basic male and female characters, same rape/sex scenes, you get the picture. For what it is, it's ok. But mediocre as a gangster/kidnapping love story - there are so many better avenues to explore. And jesus, can her female characters get any more insipid and helpless? I know it's a stylized archetype of the passive female, but still. The story just gets annoying after a while...
The only reason I kept reading was because the lack of a coherent plot line was hilarious. If you enjoy laughing at things that are really terrible, this is it. Also half the time Hakuron's skeletal/body structure looked like cool guy (look it up on youtube). As much entertainment it gave me though, it really was awful.
... Last updated on May 1st, 2015, 12:05am
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
The way they kept dodging eachother's feelings was actually painful to read.
... Last updated on May 1st, 2015, 12:05am
I get shivers all down my spine reading this manga. Just the right amount of Smut and passion. She's very slutty though I must say. Besides that it's crazy, intense, exciting. A very good read. Artistry is lovely as well.
(Spoiler had beginning to end)
... Last updated on January 24th, 2015, 1:00pm
(Spoiler had beginning to end)
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
some random guy kisses her on her way home to get out of trouble. She instantly falls for him and he steals her away. Literally. He ends up being one of the biggest gangsters of china. They go through many trials from other gangs and she is always out in harm. He also doesn't know how to control his feelings. So he takes her forcefully all the time. It's really a mentally strained type of story. You really feel for them both. Beautiful but very sad ending.
... Last updated on January 24th, 2015, 1:00pm
Personally, I thougt that this was a great manga.
But all the rape and stuff made me wanna kill shinjo mayu.
I mean, really.
He couldve expressed his love in ways other than sex and rape.
But all the rape and stuff made me wanna kill shinjo mayu.
I mean, really.
He couldve expressed his love in ways other than sex and rape.
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