I don't think that using rope and being fluffy are mutually opposed... I mean, so what? Some people just do things differently in the bedroom. Isn't it better to love someone and do what they like rather than in many other yaoi stories, where the only way kink is used is to hurt someone because of an angsty past? (How fake! In real life, you'd go to jail for that, lol. Most people IRL who have kinky sex have it in a loving, consensual, relatively issues-free mental zone.) I prefer a couple that is sweet; that they use ropes hasn't got anything to do with that sweetness, as far as I'm concerned. Why does that make the rope-user an ass? confused
Plus, I thought the story at the end about the two schoolboys was VERY SWEET and very realistic. Like, I could really understand their awkward young love. 🙂
I really like the fact that being "uke" isn't made a big deal of here, and they aren't any more feminine or anything stupid like that. It's just two blokes in a relationship - sometimes they're idiotic about it, sometimes they're good to each other, sometimes they make mistakes, sometimes they do everything right - it's like any other relationship, not overly idealized where everything goes from being wrong all the time (pre-sex) to perfect all the time (post-sex). I don't know, I actually thought these stories were more emotionally resonant than most yaoi.
There are many stories in this collection, and to my pleasant surprise, they were all kind of different. I didn't have to put up with reading an anthology where despite there being different stories, the characters all look/act the same. This often happens with less skilled or creative mangakas. At least in this one, I got into each story separately and enjoyed its unique flavor. 🙂
This is a great read. (Well at least I thought so!) It may not be to your taste, but please don't avoid it just because it's a bit unusual. It's GOOD that it's unusual. Just try it, seriously.