AHH! I'm so frustrated right now!!
As everyone said, it's really not worth it, even though I thought it may have had potential. I usually doubt the reviews and read it on my own accord, but I recommend you don't do that, because they're all right...as grumble_cakes said, these most important questions are left hanging, and I cried of frustration just like jellaaay. Oh, there's too much sex - and meaningless, on top of it.
I like the idea of Stockholme Syndrome. I understand why a lot of people don't, but if you're not prepared for rape and pain, you probably should read something sweet and fluffy instead, to begin with. Then again, I was expecting a brilliant and remarkable story, and they managed to fuck it up. But the most saddening thing of all was that the description here created great expectations on me and as the categories add to my interest, I thought like "oh, stockholme syndrome, that must be so original!". It's just my type of story, but...it's not that it is particularly bad, but it's just regular.
As it went closer to the ending was quite angsty, actually, and that adds a positive outcome for me, but it's not enough to change my opinion about this. Especially because, though the middle/end started to get good, the end itself left me frustrated in a way I've never felt before with any other ending. I mean, WHAT?! I can't accept it, it must be continued! And it's not just because of the lack of explanation at points, but mostly because of their feelings!! So, does Kazuma love Kei after all? Or not? I just don't get it! It seems to me as if Kei got a glimpse of what we all didn't see - and even that wasn't so developed, since Kei though of himself as being his Dad's substitute. Well, then, is it like that? Does Kazuma love Kei's Dad and didn't feel any affection for him after all? Because if it is, I'd be even more devastated. Or not, because the simple fat that I don't get to know it already makes this so hard to endure! Worst than that: we don't even know if Kazuma actually loved Kei's Dad, because I don't know if you guys noticed, it was all Kei himself's assumptions! Kazuma didn't say any word about it. Actually, Kazuma didn't do anything that wasn't raping Kei.
Also, I don't know if I'm being oblivious or naïve, but I just don't see where's that "sadism" that Kei keeps talking about all the time...he talks as if the were into S/M or something, but all I see Kazuma doing is raping him, and nothing more - not like it's not a big deal, just saying. I don't really care about forceful sex and such (after all, if you don't like it, don't read it), but the problem was just that he never changed. Never. Even the last sex scene seems to be without any feelings from Kazuma's part - and I don't get to know if even that's true, which pisses me off greatly.
What scares me a little is that the adult characters in this manga are pedophiles. Like, for real. Age difference, even illegal ones, don't usually bother me when reading manga, but this is just unreal! All the adults seem to want to rape Kei even if he's still under-aged and it's not like they have morals and actually think about it, it's just treated as something normal! It's not child abuse, as kuka65 said, but the problem here is that they don't have ANY sense of moral!! Shouldn't they at least feel guilty?!
What I did like was what a lot of people probably didn't: how Kei prostituted himself to Souryou. That's because it showed just how damaged he was as to let himself be held by any one. What's even better is that he actually stopped midways, whilst in yaoi the ukes usually "test-drive" their partners before they come to the conclusion they actually love the mean semes.
I don't care that Kei had to actually feel imprisoned by Kazuma to realize he loved him - did he? I don't know that either, or if he was just feeling sorry for him - but that's not Stockholme Syndrome. Kei could actually get out of there whenever he wanted, it's not as if he was captured or something. I like love/hate stories, but this is just not well developed.
Oh, and I was about to like Kazuma. He can rape Kei just as much as he wants, be cold about it and everything, but I still think he has his own way of caring for Kei, even if that's not too clear most of the time. But I really wanted to get an "I love you" from him, or at least some clearness on his feelings.
But I hate Souryou. He's just so creepy! No matter how much of a gentleman Kei thinks he is, to me the only difference between him and Kazuma is that he's straight-forward while Kazuma hides his feelings. Other than that, what's he being gentle about? Paying stuff for Kei? Because he tried to abuse him just the same as Kazuma. Also, his feelings for Kei are disgusting .Kazuma actually got to know him for a very long time, and even though his feelings may have started impurely, he eventually cared, while Souryou just liked Kei because of his father. And..."started off as a joke and got serious"?! What a ridiculous and disgusting excuse for making a pass at him! - even if Kei let him.
The art isn't that great either, but that's probably because it's a rather old manga, and they're usually drawn like that anyways. It gets better as it goes, anyways. You can get used to it, but don't go thinking the main characters are gonna be hot bishounens because they are pretty common.
PS: I do love the names of the chapters, and that's about it =X
(-28)
