Everybody is morally bankrupt within this god damn screwed up manga it's screwed up I hate this. Like, I'm sorry Am I suppose to ship these couples? I just, I'm over it. I'm going to go read a manga where everybody is no evil and psycho.

First I want to say that plot is not the strongest point of this manga. Some suspension of belief had to be had when reading this, or you'll spent the whole time, saying what? why did that happen? that made no sense what so ever. Realistic, it is not.

That being said, it is much more of a character driven story. specifically about messed up people in a place where their crazy is encouraged and some are even pushed into.There is no normal people here. Even, the most 'normal' character, Atsumu, have tendency to be controlling and obsessive.

While, it is still had some of the cliche' storyline about rapey seme (how weird is it that rape had become so common in yaoi that it had become a cliche'), that plot is flipped on its head by giving it to a seme who do it not because he is in love but because he is sadistic bastard and is bored and an uke with a wall so high up, the only way he can start to feel for someone is when that person sadistically humiliates and pick apart the uke's own control.

will either karino or azusa ended up confess their real feelings OR was there none in the first place? to be honest i'm not interested in karino big bro story at all (sorry idk his name)
OR will there be a HUGE plot twist coming soon? i want this author to suprise me but also exceed my hopes towards karino and azusa. i want karino to bully azusa more and more and more and more AHAHAHA

To be completely honest, I went into this thinking that I'd hate it. Turns out that this series is actually pretty good. The characters are even likeable, too (despite their HEAVY flaws). Should have known that this woul b okay since it's an Ogawa Chise work. This manga artist has not published a single story that I have disliked up to this point.

When reading this manga, there are a few things to bear in mind:

1) None of the characters in this manga are normal. They all have something twisted about them (no matter how nice or smart they are), therefore all of their intended partners are equally as messed up. Each character provides their respective partners with something they are lacking. No matter how twisted those "somethings" are, it is what it is, and it works well here.

2) You can not go into this expecting "realism" at all. Read the summary. A school caste system? Yeah...I recommend you lower your expectations of realism in this series ASAP.

3) This is not for those who are looking for lovey-dovey hook-ups. These encounters are cruel, twisted and gritty. S&M themes ensue regularly. There was even an instance in which That was the only instance where something like that happened, but it further demonstrated the perversion of this series, so read with caution.

Azusa is quite an interesting, solid-minded fellow. Despite having some obvious hick-ups and strokes of bad luck, he is still fighting tooth and nail to not lose himself to the pressure, always holding his head high. He may not always feel good, but he never lets it show--even in the face of danger. Karino, his "partner," is an ass; an entertaining one, but an ass regardless. But if I'm being totally honest here, so is Azusa, so I guess the coupling makes sense. They're both jaded and stubborn. They suite each other.

Atsumu is an all-around "good guy," and I did like him very much. What I also like is the fact that he reigned himself in when he realized that his lust was starting to change him. He also means it when he tries to help others, so hats off to him. His love interest...you know, on the surface, he comes off as easy-going, but I just remember thinking "his smile does not meet his eyes" as I was reading. That dude just comes of as psychotic. *shivers* Hang in there Atsumu. They do make for a rather interesting (albeit it scary) couple.

I'll be the first to admit that I laughed at the little dude with the yandere friend. Trust me when I say I am not losing sleep over this character--especially given his bully/sniveling attitude. Also, when

All in all, this series is not bad. It's actually quite amusing.

... Last updated on January 12th, 2017, 2:16pm

it... honestly... doesn't... make sense at all? Whenever the caste hunt or w/e is being held, it just bothers me. It's a friggin school in a non-fantasy world... It's weird... I still like it though. And the first time sexes, iirc, are mostly rape it bothers me and it felt unnatural. Well, it's still ongoing and I have mixed feelings about this manga so I'm not leaving a rating. (Please note that this is just my, a mere reader, opinion)

... Last updated on December 28th, 2016, 8:30am

Out of all the stories I've read from Ogawa Chise, this one is the most engaging. I've never read anything like that and I have no idea how the story can progress from now on. It's not a lovestory at all, there's just a spoiled rich kid that got horny and wanted to jump his beautiful male classmate. And due to various reasons, everything up till now went exactly as he planned.
I wonder about Karino's feelings, though. At some point, Atsumu said that Karino acts like a bully towards Azusa because he's overwhelmed by his feelings and that's how he handles them but I don't see Karino as an emotional guy. He acts like an a$$hole every time and I hope in the next chapters we'll get to see this story from his point of view, to see his take on things. I'm pretty sure he IS a scam of the earth, that's why he acts like one, but anyways....

UPDATE: I first read this in 2014 and read it again today and the story is progressing so well. It is VERY well written, original story. It's not the usual "I love you for raping me" storyline so I don't understand the people who alluded to that? The main uke Azusa is FIERCE and very interesting....something that not all that common in Yaoi world.

If you read chapter 9 then you would understand the story more and why Karino is doing this. Why no one is scared to talk, why the caste system continues.

But people should be WARNED: this is a dark, twisted storyline meant for ADULTS who enjoy these kinds of stories.

First of all,I LOVE Ogawa Chise. I love all of her work, her art and story telling are impeccable and they go together with each other perfectly. Her stories are DARK which adds to her charm. People who don't like rape or any darkness in their yaoi should stay far away. I think she always does it right, so here we go....

Spoiler alert!!

The theme is brilliant , the whole power structure and caste system is so interesting! Karino was always meant to be the main love interest of Azusa, from the very first chapter he is longingly and obsessively looking at Azusa. He is the one beside Azusa in the beginning and it makes sense for him to have developed a sort of obsession or better yet...love/HATE feelings...for Azusa. He has been wanting to overthrow Azusa for a long time now because that is his only way to get much closer to Azusa. Yes, Karino played a lot of games in the beginning (blushing and such)but again that was his way of finally overpowering Azusa. He went through a lot to finally overpower this one guy.

Nobody would think this is a normal and healthy love story and of course love is not the main focus here, dominance and violence is but that does mean Karino has no feelings for Azusa. I think he is too immature and arrogant to express it but that does not mean he feels nothing. His boredom is only part of the reason for his obsession but I honestly think a bigger part is unexpressed feelings. Those feelings can be anything...anger, infatuation, jealousy,LUST, etc...I think there is hate involved too and obsessive love as well. There is no simple formula for these things...and I like that complexity.

Let me also add that I like Azusa, he does have depth and something in his childhood/the relationship with his mother probably made him want to cheat his way to the top. Being king means he won't have to feel small. But when he was King, he was not a good person, he was a actually a tyrant! So how do you get rid of Tyrant and make him feel like nothing.....Chise did this part very realistically in that she had someone of lower rank, like Karino, embarrass and humiliate Azusa but in a way that would feed into our sadism-masochism thirst lol...he has to break Azusa for Azusa see him, so he blackmail was needed.

Then starts their sexual relationship which I found to be really hot. I think Karino is super sexy especially with his glasses on....so if you like hot semes then Karino is one. I might have glasses fetish....I don't know.

May I also add, Azusa starting to have feelings for Karino is needed for this story to develop. That was the whole point, for Azusa to see Karino as more than just a past servant and now as a King, he had to develop SOME feelings. It makes things more interesting. I see it as sado-masochisms relationship and I think there could be love in that kind of relationship, not saying this is love but there could be. This feeling of being dominated by someone can consume a person to the point that they are all you think about... I don't always like the love-rape yaoi themes but sensei does it right. She is brilliant.

Let's see how this goes, can't wait for more chapters.

... Last updated on September 4th, 2016, 1:08pm

I got to like chapter 11, but I just can't anymore.

What the fuck, everyone in this manga is fucked up in the head. the only person with a redeeming personality is the main character Azusa (and maaaybe Atsumu but he's so typically nerdy and weak, and it's just so boring and sad.), and even then I just feel immensely sorry for him.

The premise was pretty interesting and I'm actually really used to reading rape and shit in yaoi, and i can even see a "sweet" side to those stockholm syndrom-y ukes and "i raped ya cause i love ya" semes, but there's just too many yandere characters, seriously. You can't have so many yandere/crazy characters, and it completely brings me out of the story cause I end up going "what the heck? ANOTHER crazy fuck?". why the hell are there no normal-ish characters? Even that teacher. seriously what the fuck.

It's interesting how many people enjoy this fucked up story though...and by interesting I mean scary. Damn, all you sadists. and that's not a compliment, that just creeps me out like fuck. y'all need jesus. lol. jk, but seriously tho jesus that's a lotta girls (and boys?) who likes rape and cruelty without much logic/motive :/

Lmao I still think Caste Heaven is a little trashy, but I wouldn't give it too harsh of a backlash. It's a little too cringeworthy to be totally reprehensible.

I'm more accustomed to dark yaoi like the bittersweet poetry of Nakamura Asumiko instead of this kind of try-too-hard-but-still-ditsy sort of manga. Flashback scenes are like typical shojo and don't have that hint of nostalgia/wistfulness. I read it as tragic situations without empathy. Caste Heaven is like a critique on Japanese society but without the seriousness since its tone and formatting is like typical yaoi and characters are flat and over the top. The sex is like Psyche Delico's stuff because it's all dark and stuff but more kiddy since the characters lack depth and inner motivation/we don't see them get turned on, hence why I say Caste Heaven more like a critique because Ogawa Chise focuses more on the structure of the Caste System than on the characters.

... Last updated on May 19th, 2016, 4:13pm

I loved Karino x Azusa couple, but I don't feel same way towards the others.
Kuze x Atsumu is hella boring and both, seme and uke are so clihéd that are easy to read; they make their story predictable and boring. The new couple that appeared in the story is better, but I still thinking Azusa and Karino are the best.

Azusa's personality makes the story interesting, he's so cool and seme-alike even he's the uke. His past is chaotic and his background is well created, he's the best character of the manga considering all the details Ogawa sensei has put in his creation. In Karino's case, he's interesting too, he is an abusive guy whose past is a mystery; all we know is that he's part of a rich and important family and he's obsessed with Azusa's natural charm and reslient personality. His inner self is kind and I'd like to know what impulses him to act the way he does towards Azusa. Of course, he may end explaining himself once Azusa had understood his own feelings for him.

I hope Ogawa sensei come back to the main story soon, is the best of Caste Heaven and the one most fans are waiting for to conclude. By the way, Azusa and Karino have the sexiest and most erotic scenes

... Last updated on May 14th, 2016, 1:28pm