“Kuzu Sensei” would have been a more apt title in many ways. After all, Mizutani is not kuzu (scum) for the reasons depicted here, and this characterization of him just enrages me to no end.
I do think that I am pretty proud of myself for not reading this the first time around. When I first saw this, don’t remember when but probably about half a year ago, I skipped reading out on it because of the rape scene. As to why I decided to read it now, well, I really liked Kasui sensei’s first manga Fuyou Kareshi. And, thought that maybe the topic of rape will be dealt with care in this. Needless to say, it wasn’t. Like, as soon as I came upon the rape scene in the first chapter, the very first panel of the rape scene was enough to tell me the route this manga is going to follow.
Furthermore, minimizing men getting raped with the rhetoric of “well, I am not a girl so it doesn’t really matter” or “well, I am not a girl so it’s not like I am going to get pregnant” or “well, I am not a girl so it’s not like I am bothered by the roughness” is quite prevalent in manga. Actually, rather than minimizing the act, that is rape, this rhetoric is used to justify rape as rape. Meaning, while this is rape, and the mangaka, the victim, and the rapists all acknowledge it as such, however since there are no long lasting and/or harmful effects of it (“well, I am not a girl so it doesn’t really matter”), there is no need to be overly concerned about getting raped. That is why, Mizutani is able to call Kuriyama a rapist to his face, which Kuriyama accepts and doesn’t apologizes for but justifies with, “I wanted to hold you”. Not once but repeatedly. Throughout the manga this keeps going on and at the end, as we all know, Mizutani and Kuriyama are all lovely-dovey. I wish Mizutani had dug his fingernails into Kuriyama’s eyes, instead.
I will just end with this: if I had to make a bet as to whether Kuzu Seito to Stalker-sensei or Fuyou Kareshi sold more, I would definitely bet on Kuzu Seito to Stalker-sensei. That’s the kind of SHIT that sells more, is my impression for having read so many manga. That is why, there will be no joy if I turn out to be correct, only a sense of helplessness and a deep, deep, deep sadness.