Chikao is a gentle soul who has the bad luck of falling in love with Yuuji, a playboy and cheat. Can his love withstand the heartache or will Yuuji go too far?
4 Chapters (Complete)





Chika is a moron and Yuuji is a jerk.
Various spoilers in the whole comment, so read at your own risk
The story started off OK, Chika was being cheated on and humiliated, so he made the decision to leave his bastard boyfriend. AND THAT WAS THE RIGHT ONE.
I was actually expecting something good with that other guy what's-his-name who seemed to have feelings for Chika, but then, as the story unfolded, I got a nasty foreboding "God, I know where this is going, he's going to get back with his arrogant cheater of a boyfriend! " and sure enough, that's what happened...
That Yuuji guy is a total ass, I can't think of Chika getting back together with him as romantic. I just can't! It's just plain stupid imo! The situation is just gonna be the same twisted farce all over again after a few months.
So that pissed me off big time. That whole "You're a twisted cheating jerk, but I forgive you because you've been a little sick and I'm confident you'll be the perfect lover from now on!" plot really made me cringe.
Though, to be honest, the thing that pissed me off the most in the manga was the guy who acted like he loved Chika, and was in fact unable to sleep with him. What the f*ck was that?! If you don't swing that way, don't go and waste people's time and expectations by giving them the wrong idea! WTF?!
So, yeah, not such a good read for me...
I liked this manga from beginning to end, actually. It had an interesting setting and, I think, enough emotional development to make the turns in the plot believable. I even really liked the ending. It felt realistic to me because Yuuji did go through a lot even before his life-changing moment with his stint at the hospital. I thought it was quite obvious that his life was spinning out of control after the breakup and that he was very unhappy. I also liked how he wasn't completely changed, he was still rather rude and quick-tempered at the end there. It was a sweet ending but not unrealistically lovey-dovey... What I had a bit of a problem with was Chika. I understand why he didn't leave Yuuji before, that was not the issue. He just left Gou so easily to go back to Yuuji. It was too sudden and too easy! I didn't really mind that it was his decision and not the result of Yuuji chasing after him. I just wish his feelings had been developed more at the end. Otherwise what was the point of breaking up in the first place? Also, because Chika and Gou didn't have sex it sort of left the impression that, since Gou couldn't satisfy him, Chika is better off with Yuuji. What the hell? Well it was implied that the relationship felt like chackles to Chika or something so obviously the sex wasn't the only thing off in the relationship. I only wish the sex and whether they had it or didn't have it wasn't brought up at all... There was too much emphasis placed on the lack of sex and that was a bit dumb. Sex sex sex like that's all that's important! Other than that it was good, worth reading absolutely... The art wasn't good but not bad either. I'll give it an 8.5/10
Such a great manga until the end that ruined it completely.
This manga could be so good, but it just fell apart with the sort of
switch between Yuuji and Chika and all that lovely-dovely feeling. To be honest, I like those manga's with one cruel lover and the other on just keep on loving him no matter what. I was okay with Chika leaving Yuuji, because Chika still had feelings left for Yuuji. The thing that's really bothering me though is that Yuuji changed. Chika should love him the way he did before, even though he was cruel.
Well, the first three chapters and half fourth was at least a good read.
...how can someone not like this?
It's been a long time since I read it for the first time, but I always find myself re-reading it when I want a heartfelt story.
"Overdose" isn't about an idiot (Chikao) who endures everything and is too weak to say anything. This isn't about a jerk who cheats on his boyfriend because he wants to fool around.
It's about an uke who is so in love he'd rather be cheated on than left! His love is so pure, so beautiful, that it's moved me to tears a hundred times! He doesn't have the confidence to argue with Yuuji about it because he doen't think he'll be able to keep him if he does, and he prefers to be in pain but with him than suffer alone.
Every time I read this manga again, I realize something new. When you know the ending already, you can easily see through Yuuji too. His eyes give him away, even if his actions are the opposite of his feelings. By saying things like "drink something hot or you'll catch a cold" ou "eat your vegetables", you can see that Yuuji cares too much about Chikao not to love him whereas Gou tries to change Chika and turn him into a different person.
But I think I get Yuuji's feelings: it's not only that he's testing how much Chikao can take, but he's also as insecure as Chikao! He cheats on him and only to see that his own lover lets him do anything! It's obvious he would feel like Chikao doesn't really care what he does and therefore think he isn't loved enough. Even when he says "would you have preferred I didn't come back?", we can see just how insecure he actually is, although he puts on the attitude.
Also, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I think because Chika is the first man Yuuji dated, he has trouble accepting his sexuality too. He says he's gonna break up all the time but can't. He wants to convince himself Chikao's just someone to play with but he can't because he loves him. And he ends up overdrinking because he can't forget Chikao...how can people say he doesn't love him?!
The plot has been used around a lot, but Kawai-sensei does such an amazing job developing it, that it becomes this moving story! It's about love, obsession, the social and emotional barriers they can break, the "overdose" of love they have that is way too much, and how both of the characters are both unable to move on and unable to change...until they have to.
And I find it rather REALISTIC instead of UNrealistic. I hoped for a better ending too, but that is the one that makes sense. As much as Yuuji wanted to change and felt bad for what he did, he wasn't the type of person to become the caring seme some people expected. I think Kawai-sensei didn't express his feelings much either, because it would ruin his personality. Actually showing how he changed would take an extra volume, so she opted for the implicit promise of a better relationship, with no emotional abuse because now they now just how much they can't live withouth each other.
It's just the beauty of Kawai Touko. Her characters' feelings are at times so subtle that it's kind of hard to understand them. But they are deep, intense. If I have a word to describe it, it's definitely BEAUTIFUL.
A good read...but i don't understand why the uke didn't leave him.I hated the seme from begining to end. It was good read, but not of my fave from Touko sensei. Very emontional but...I didn't enjoyed it much...
I can see why some people might not like this manga, since the seme is a complete douche and most of us would probably want to just give him a good slap.
However, I do like how the series brings you on an emotional roller coaster; in other words, I just love angst too much, so seeing how angst is written all over this series, I can't help but eat it all up. If you're an angst-lover like me, you'll certainly enjoy this one as well. Although, If you're looking for something cute and lighthearted, or couples with a lovey-dovey relationship, then do look elsewhere because this isn't it.
i would have liked it better if Yuuji was developed more and we saw him change and fight to get Chikao back, it would have been better if Chikao had actually developed a relationship with that other guy and even slept with him to show Yuuji what he had been going through. It wasnt realistic, its obvious that Yuuji would just continue as he always was. people dont change so suddenly like Yuuji did it takes time and determination, but i didnt see that from Yuuji.
I can't believe this - Chikao is such a pushover that when he has a better boyfriend he still comes crying back to his fomer boyfriend who was a lying, cheating bastard. And the said lying cheating bastard - how can he go from his former personality to one where he angsts over how much he loves Chikao 😕 ? I don't get this. It reminds me of Hachi and Takumi from Nana 🙄 The character developments are messed up and all over the place. I have NO sympathy for either of Chika or Yuuji. I give this stupid manga a 3 for the good art.
This story and art has moments that make it worth the read. There are certain scenes, where her characters are drawn with expressions on their face that are so multi-faceted: sorrow can be combined with confusion, frustration with anger. (pg13, 16,70, 92). She is a master at expressive faces. And the words! Some turns of phrases were very powerful. "Imprisoned by the chains of my own heart." "Tell me I'm enough."
Certain scenes are incredible: Yuuji licking the tears off Chikao's face as he taunts him. Chikao begging Yuuji (before the break up) and trying to explain he doesn't want a replacement. He only wants the one thing he loves.
The whole story is based on Yuuji trying to see how much Chikao will forgive. He is testing not only Chikao, but himself. Finally, when things come to a head, they both fall apart. Chikao seems to be living in a 'zoned' out place and Yuuji in an oblivion of pleasure-filled deep emotional blockage. I kept thinking there was going to be more angst and drama with Chikao. "He's gonna snap! He's gonna do something CRAZY!" (Especially with a title like 'Overdose!') But then, like the ending, i kept experiencing a disappointing, soft thud. Very anti-climatic story in many spots. In fact, it seems all the crisis was resolved with a sound that went 'pssssssssss' when it should have gone 'bang! -with happiness or sadness or any! emotion. The illness/pain at the end that made Yuuji think he was getting some sort of karmic retribuition to teach him how it felt to Chikao seemed contrived and a weak-plot device. (Although, again, the art! Incredible. The characters poses and expressions yank your heart out.)
I thought the story had an excellent base. It saddened me that the delivery needed work. I will continue to check out her work and follow this artist of words in illustration though. One of my ALL time favourite stories is by her: CUT. faints
PS. I think the title is referring to the fact that Yuuji and Chikao both experience an 'overdose' that cause their lives to change.