It's so hard for me to rate this manga because I *love* the secondary couple so much yet hate the main couple equally. Shiba actually made my skin crawl after a while. He says it's his way to love but it's really manipulation. Plenty of yaoi have a manipulating seme, which I'm not a fan of in general. But at least there the manipulation is coupled with love. Shiba's is a detatched type of manipulation which was sickening to see.

If it weren't for Shuri- Kobayashi, I wouldn't ever have finished Vol 2. Their story is filled with so much sweetness, I'd almost recommend this manga. Almost.

... Last updated on July 4th, 2010, 4:40am

Sorry about my insufficient english.

They have such a sick relationship with each other I almost couldn't continue to read it!
Shiba is a psychopath and Kousuke has the typical traits of a psychopaths victim!

Kousuke is as sick as Shiba. He has the plan to get him back through following him in his field of work.
Love is beautiful, I know that, but to be in love with a person you didn't see in years and who did unnecessarily hurt you , is just utter bullshit! His obsession is a sickness. The memory of someone you love fades with time, and so does the love itself. You move on, that's the way of life. Everybody knows that from personal experience.

Shiba does nothing for Kousuke. He gave in to the immature love of a high school student, even drugged Kousuke to make him docile to his own hardcore sex wishes and sex-slave training program . He doesn't respect Kousuke as a person. He destroys an labile person's live for his own selfish and also immature reasons. He even referred to him as a victim.

The scene where I extremely felt shibaura's psychopathic character was when he didn't accept his friend's love confession under the reason that his friend is to self-centered and wouldn't give himself up for him. In addition, he seems to be horrified as he sees his Doctor friend sleeping with his patient but doesn't seem to realize his own sick relationship with his former student. Hypocrisy is also a psychopathic trait

This story could have been awesome if Honjou Rie would have layed more effort in the psychology of Psychopath and victim but she wandered off the subject and concentrated herself more on Kousuke's brother's love-life and unconnected one-shots. I get the feeling that she lost interest in the main couple or didn't know how to continue and tried too lighten up this dark story with lovey dovey side-plots.

I thought Kousuke's brother would be more protective of him but he looses interest when he get's his own boyfriend and just accepts the relationship between his brother and his teacher. He even has the inkling that shibaura is a dangerous person but does nothing at all to stop it. He could have gone to the principal, police or their parents. Kousuke would have been devastated but he would have had the chance to live a normal life or to rediscover a mature love to shibaura, while not forgetting his own value as a self-dependent person.

I just read the story till the end to see a big showdown and confrontation but my effort was useless.
I thought that Shibaura's childhood would also play a role in the story, and I didn't expect a happy-end at all.

But Rie-sensei rushed to a questionable happy end without closure at all.
I know that it is just a story but if you are writing about a dark theme in a shallow way, it always fails to capture the more mature readers.

This story calls for a continuation in a more serious way!

Edit: comment to jelaaay

There is a big difference between love and to be a slave to somebody.

And there is a limit to define love as well. If you give yourself up completely to a persons will but the other person does nothing for you, then the fine line between love and sick obsession is exceeded.

So nobody was worth to be the loved one of Shibaura but the masochistic Kousuke who was psychological corrupted as a teenager?!
Who would fall in Love ( I mean real love not just lust and curiosity) with a person who gives nothing back to you but uses you and hurts you out of self-satisfaction?
I tell you who. Just a labile, weak and masochistic individual. And we know from history that a relationship like that destroys the person who is the victim. In this case Kousuke.

... Last updated on May 22nd, 2011, 11:42am

Though I completely understand why others would strongly dislike them..compared to Shuri and Kobayashi, of course. So what if the main couple's story was more on the dark side? It made it more interesting that there were such opposites. Shuri and Kobayashi were a couple where Shuri was Kobayashi's guide to "light". On the other hand (oh gosh this will sound corny) Sensei was Kousuke's guide to "darkness" (-_-). But that doesnt make the latter's love for each other any less. I mean sure, Sensei's way of loving was twisted. But I seriously believe that his love for Kousuke was genuine. There's no "limit" as to how to define love. Everyone has their own perspective of it. Note that in one of the stories, Sensei described his ideal lover to be someone I personally love their relationship. I like couples that have their own world where only they can understand each other. Overall, they were the main couple, the story revolved around them, it kept me interested in the end so I'm partly satisfied.

Now about Kobayashi and Shuri, I get why others like their story. It was simple and less frustrating to read. But you gotta admit, it was kinda short. And it felt like their story just kept popping out of nowhere. I think it would have been wiser if their story was a sequel. Meaning, a whole manga solely focused on them. Involving them with the main couple just made the plot look like it was all over the place. Anyway, putting that aside. Kobayashi x Shuri story was just any typical yaoi story you often encounter. Regardless, they were still cute so thumbs up I guess.

The other stories were, *sigh* unecessary? (some) unrelated? (mostly) Could've been put in the very end. It felt like the mangaka had so many ideas for plots that she just had to put them all together...The King's Lens was sweet but typical. A Grave's Sin was too much..the misunderstanding was unrealistic. I'm in love with a demon , now that one was cute. A little cliche, but I still enjoyed it. The uke was adorable. No place to return , this one is what I refered to as "unecessary". He was another extra character we couldn't care less about.

I can't remember the other side stories. Oh, about Last Letter , gosh.. que horror! that was an unexpected addition. I disliked it the most. I was interested in the beginning but then finding out that the uke died..I was so unprepared. I mean, I don't see tragedy anywhere in the genre.. you might as well know. So if you're not into tragedy dont read Last Letter

Inhale.

Exhale.

I'm giving both the main couple and the 2nd couple a 7. I'm not including the art cause we all know the art's fabulous..especially if you've read her other works.

... Last updated on January 6th, 2011, 11:22pm

Guess I'm just gonna go with the trend, here.

I really didn't like the main story. I usually like mean/evil characters, but I didn't like Shiba-chan in the least. And up till the end of the story, I felt like I couldn't really grasp his character and pretty much what went on in his head - was he even really in love with Kousuke? And even Kousuke was a bit too passive.

But Shuri and Kobayashi... I LOVED them!! It was different but sweet and serious at the same time... I adored them both!! (Shuri was just too hilarious and sweet... and Kobayashi is just so cool!). And the extra one-shots were really nice and sweet (I especially loved the sad story of Atsushi).

Good manga overall, if it weren't for the annoying main couple.

I loved the second and fifth stories. They were so cute! I had a smile on my face after reading both of them. Definitely worth your time. Off to volume 2!

The only reason I keep reading this is because of Kobayashi and Shuri. Now that's got more depth. The main couple is like cliche. Would have been better to make Kobayashi and Shuri the main couple.


PS: I want MORE OF THEM!!!

... Last updated on November 15th, 2013, 8:15am

lol I'm giving it at 10 BECAUSE of Kobayashi and Shuri. They were my favorite. <33 So cute, love them. And of course, the art, I always love her artworks. Basically, that's the only reason I read this manga. I didn't like the main pair, shiba and kousuke. Their relationship was just too creepy for me. Shiba's just way to sadistic =o=; So I didn't quite enjoy that story.

But, i also enjoyed the one-shot "A Grave Sin". I liked that. one of my favorite one-shots.

My 10 only goes to Kobayashi and Shuri. I wished it was more based on their relationship, then the sadistic teacher and his idiotic pupil. Hopefully the mangaka will make a volume just for them. I can't seem to get enough of them. Even if you give me a low rating my love for them will never die!!!!!

... Last updated on January 13th, 2010, 10:15pm

This is mostly a great title- great artwork, fluid storytelling and interesting stories that manage to draw different emotions from the reader (one side story made me cry like a little girl). The character of Shuri the protective older brother is truly a joy and I think many people will agree that Kobayashi and him should have been the main focus of this story (though they do already get a fair share of attention).

The ending bothers me, though. Spoilers- This could be a question of personal taste but I did not like that at all. Even with the frustrating ending I still highly recommend this manga!

Lots of people are saying that they don't like the main couple. I liked them at first, but then found the twist jolting. Unlike some people thinking it is cliche, or disliking the darker side to it, I just didn't like the fact that Shibaura seemed to suddenly change personalities. However, even from the beginning I liked the other couple better. Oddly enough, my favorite part of this though are the one-shots. Chapter 3 was especially lovely. If only this had ended after chapter 4 I would have rated it 8, but since it continued, spiraling down along the way, I give it a 6.

... Last updated on June 20th, 2014, 7:22pm