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Post #477816
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11:22 am, Jun 22 2011
Posts: 4


I'm starting this post for all those who want to share their reactions on Zankoku... as a whole or as chapters are released by the scanlators.

So this may contain spoilers, let's just not forget to use the spoiler tag for those who do not wish to be spoiled wink

So recently, chapters 15 and 16 has been released and my first reaction is
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
Edgar Allan Poe reference! :| my reaction must be anti-climatic LOL, but aside from that....well I was wondering when that old man will hit the bucket....if it was me, I would've wanted him to suffer before he dies, and then make Sandra suffer too for being an incompetent mother and woman in general! >:(

And! Did anybody expected Ian to hit it off with the new maid?! I didn't! But who kissed who first? Right? Did the new maid seduced Ian or did Ian willingly pursued Sharon? >_< just my piece of thought.


Also, ch 16 is soooo short cry is it really ch 16 or is it chopped into two parts?

well, kudos to the scanlating team they're really fast these days when it comes to releases smile

So what are your thoughts?

Post #480283
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1:01 am, Jul 5 2011
Posts: 40


Spoiler (mouse over to view)
I just want Greg to die already!!!! XO But I guess the author is doing a really great job in building it up slowly so that our reaction to him is as powerful as Jeremy's.... It's interesting seeing how Jeremy is slowly changing as well, poor boy. :(


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Lone Wanderer
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12:47 am, Jul 7 2011
Posts: 2127


I really like how Zankoku tries to deal with morally challenging situations and emotional trauma in a way that most manga (especially BL) do not, but there are a few things that I intensely dislike;

One - The implication that Jeremy is having his 'straightness raped out of him' is more than a little bit odd. I don't particularly find it very thrilling that he starts feeling attracted to guys only after his encounters with Greg, when he was obviously attracted only to women beforehand.

Two - Jeremy's utterly irrational compliance to the sexual abuse. It would make sense if he and Sandra had nowhere to go -- but in America there were people who urged him to stay and promised to look after him! (Not to mention a girlfriend he obviously cares about quite a bit) He shouldn't have let his mother leave with Greg since he already knew what he was like beforehand ('cause the rape began before the marriage) He's trying to protect his mother's innocence by letting her get married to, and totally dependent (both financially and emotionally) on a sadistic guy like that?
Jeremy is a mentally and socio-psychologically normal 17-year-old - he's not a child! So those are really irrational actions which were obviously meant to just move the plot forward. They don't make much sense otherwise.

Three - Another playboy 'seme' type character who just so happens to be bisexual where only the protagonist is concerned, huh? There are "Ian" archetypes aplenty in the BL world (some of which I've enjoyed, myself) -- but in a manga that obviously attempts to be realistic, it's just silly.

Now don't get me wrong -- I definitely consider Zankoku to be one of the few meaningful BL manga ever written; but it'd have been even better if these flaws were absent.

Last edited by calstine at 12:53 am, Jul 7 2011

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his and her sonnet
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1:08 am, Jul 7 2011
Posts: 1127


ah i love this topic!
i reallly love the author...she puts alot of emotion in all her works
i havent read the new scanlations yet but from what i remember this was a very heart wrenching read
here's the author's opinion about the manga
Quote
"Because of my problems with my parents, I did a lot of reading about psychology and counseling. Among those stories were a lot about stories about sexual abuse. I always had a hard time understanding why other members of the family, particularly the mother, does not step in and help. In order to search for the answer to this question, I started that story. [... ] I had the idea, but it was such a dark, heavy story, it took me 10 years to find a way to put it into manga form. When I started A Cruel God Reigns, I told the editor it would probably last two years, but it took a lot longer; it took nine years [to finish the series]." Hagio found that Julian (Ian) in particular was difficult to characterise.



Post #505070
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10:17 am, Nov 2 2011
Posts: 4


phew, 3 chapters in one go biggrin that was nice! though it was all short that it felt like it was only a chapter and a half....I'm so happy though that this 'car' Sandra bought is finally here....I feel like this will be the car that would lead Greg to his grave and I am so excited for him to go dead

But I'm kind of worried as well...I mean, what would happen to Jeremy after, right? According to the summary, he'd be doing drugs and all so it's kinda sad too sad

When will Ian notice Jeremy romantically anyway? I can't wait! eyes

Post #515531
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6:23 am, Jan 3 2012
Posts: 4


FINALLY! the long wait has arrived in chapter 37! >biggrin

Spoiler (mouse over to view)
but then again I didn't like the fact that Greg didn't die and was hospitalized instead meh...I hope he dies soon enough though.
I just hope the next chapters are going to come by soon, I'm so excited with this development eyes

Post #525939 - Reply to (#480749) by calstine
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4:48 pm, Feb 26 2012
Posts: 156


Quote from calstine
I really like how Zankoku tries to deal with morally challenging situations and emotional trauma in a way that most manga (especially BL) do not, but there are a few things that I intensely dislike;

One - The implication that Jeremy is having his 'straightness raped out of him' is more than a little ...



did you even read the mangaconfused jeremy sleeps with greg because of his mothers attempt at suicide when greg tries to break up with her. jeremy loves his mother so much, he allow greg to have sex with him. greg is kind to his mother only so long as jeremy stays with him. he is afraid his mom will kill herself if she loses greg. which is ironic because she doesnt have the same love for jeremy.

Post #675116 - Reply to (#480749) by calstine
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8:01 pm, Dec 23 2015
Posts: 566


Quote from calstine
Two - Jeremy's utterly irrational compliance to the sexual abuse. It would make sense if he and Sandra had nowhere to go -- but in America there were people who urged him to stay and promised to look after him! (Not to mention a girlfriend he obviously cares about quite a bit) He shouldn't have let his mother leave with Greg since he already knew what he was like beforehand ('cause the rape began before the marriage) He's trying to protect his mother's innocence by letting her get married to, and totally dependent (both financially and emotionally) on a sadistic guy like that?
Jeremy is a mentally and socio-psychologically normal 17-year-old - he's not a child! So those are really irrational actions which were obviously meant to just move the plot forward. They don't make much sense otherwise.


These were definitely my biggest problems with the manga. The manga works emotionally (how many times did this manga make me tearful ) but logically the manga is a mess. I can't realistically believe that a 16 year old would so easily sleep with his future step-father so that the he would stay with his mother. It makes no sense that he would want his mother to marry this type of man.

There was also the mother's multiple suicide attempts. Did no one think that the mother needed to get some type of help, like counseling? She tried to kill herself after her first husband died, but there's not mention of her getting any help. Becoming depressed after you lose a loved one is normal, but becoming suicidal should have raised some red flags. Then for her second suicide attempt, she goes to the hospital, the doctors say it probably isn't a suicide attempt, and just let her go.

Then there's Jeremy's behavior that no one really reacts to. The doctor makes no attempt to determine why he lost his voice, like temporarily losing your voice just happens out of nowhere.

There were also a lot of little things not related directly to the story progression that annoyed me. Like when Jeremy goes to school for the first time in England, a boy asks him why his last name is different from his brothers'. When Jeremy explains that they are step-brothers and that he and his mom came from America, the boy is surprised to learn he's American. The boy would've noticed the moment he started talking to Jeremy that he had an American accent. There were a lot of little details that made the manga so unrealistic.

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