I'm disappointed with this manga. Having read Zankoku na kami ga shihai suru, I think Bitter Virgin doesn't explore the theme of sexual abuse of teenagers all that great. Some parts were left unexplored (the offender, the protagonist's realtionship with her mother, her reasoning not to tell the mother about her abuse when it started...). In comparision to Jeremy, the heroine doesn't have much personality. During her abuse she acts more like she is below 10, rather than a middle school student (well she is a Japanese girl, likely to be submissive and passive, but I couldn't enjoy her characterization - she does nothing to stop the abuse and she is no small child). Actually, to me she seems like a dumb doll - the way she is drawn, her expressions... I don't like the art of this manga, it's not really pretty, kinda awkward.
Another example of a very interesting manga with a teenager abused by the father/step-father is Satougashi no Dangan wa Uchinukenai. The characterizations are unique and amazing, the psychological themes explored in a mature and interesting way. In comparision, the lady from Bitter Virgin "hates men" and flinches every time a person with a penis approaches her, even when they are teenage boys in school uniforms and don't resemble the offender in any way. She wasn't gang raped or tortured physically (not counting the rape itself) so I don't find this portrayal of her reaction to males realistic at all, rather cliche, something a teenage girl would write thinking it's "dramatic". The protagonist acted normal enough during her abuse, with the abuser in the house-- normal enough her mother didn't suspect anything. So why later she flinches even when a boy just try speaking to her? I'm not a specialist of sexual abuse, but one I know for sure - I don't find characterization like this deep, interesting (won't argue it's unrealistic - I don't know)
I think this manga is trying to be too dramatic, it's almost ridiculous. For example the heroine's confession...
She was raped in middle school by her step-father, got pregnant, had miscarriage... Dramatic, isn't it? But then she continues... she got pregnant again... gave birth to a boy... gave him up for adoption... At this point I'm like "...wtf...". But's it's not over yet-- before her confession she admitted she is not Catholic, yet she decides to ask the "Catholic priest"'s permission to celebrate her baby boy's first birthday.
Her boy's first birthday is today, how dramatic! /sarcasm
Another example is the first rape scene. The guy takes her panties off, rapes her, then shows her the panties splattered with blood-- he just took her virginity. White innocent panties splattered with blood, how dramatic. Except he took them off.
Even the chapters' names are cheesy and overly dramatic "her horror", "her nightmare", "her determination", "her unknown tragedy"...
I admit I did cry a bit while reading the manga, but you know, I also cried while watching the Lion King. I think Bitter Virgin explores some interesting dark themes, but I'm not sure I like how they are explored - at times too sketchy, at times too over-the-top. Not for me.
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