Obviously, if you can't handle bdsm/yaoi, OR if you have no interest in it, OR if you looking for an extremely deep and intricate plot, don't read that. ELSE, it's a must-read !
I really really liked this series, BUT the prerequisite was that there were 2 chapters that I had to skip. First one was Sumiya
getting raped by that annoying SOB Nanasaka. In my mind Sumiya is the master's uke ONLY, and that's final.
Second one was the major part of the final chap, in which
! the master is supposed to be raped as well. In my mind, the master is a SEME ONLY (Sumiya's <3) and that's also final.
But apart from those 2 chapters, I've read and enjoyed every part of the series. In its own category, it's a masterpiece. The art is gorgeous, and the characters are very distinctive and individualized.
My two favourite characters were the Master and Sumiya <3 (maybe that's why I had to skip above-said chapters). And I've read a whole bunch of softer yaoi, allegedly 'with a real plot', in which the MC's personality was not even remotly as interesting as those two's.
The only character I didn't like, that I hated in fact, was Nanasaka or whatever his name is. He was an annoyance and a turn-off in the story, imo, in addition to being a whiny and self-obsessed drama queen. A real pest. As I said, I didn't really read the most harmful chapters, but I know that it would have been a major turn-off if I had. So yeah really the series would have been better off without this guy.
In the end, Hoshi no Yakata is directed at initiates, but if you're interested, it's really worth reading.