otakulys's manga / #unhealthy relationship(14)

Guy rapes kid to get back at the chick who didn't run away with him years ago. Kid, of course, is madly in love with him for no reason. (I mean, Yaoi-land reasons, but that's pretty much the same thing.) This is a scary-unhealthy "romance" which, of course, is never addressed as such. If this were real life, that guy would have murdered his lover or gone to jail for something, I'm sure.

I'm always so sad for Bun. I hope eventually he gets a happy ending. Daisuke is so hot, but he's such an asshole. I'm torn between wanting them together despite that and wanting Daisuke to get dumped by Bun and his wife and both of them ending up with guys who treat them well. Or, even better, he stops with the lies and they just have an open, three-way monogamous relationship. I wish more stories like this ended that way.

As usual, Miyamoto Kano's stories are kind of heartbreaking. I'm still rooting for Bun's happiness, regardless of what that means. I'm bitter about Daisuke, but it would kind of be nice if they ended up together, just because Bun loves him so much. But Daisuke would have to clean up his act first. That jerk. I feel bad for Satorou, though. He's so sweet, and Bun would have been better off with him. Hopefully Satorou finds happiness, too, though I doubt we'll ever find out for sure.

Ah, so this is the one. I knew I'd read one of Miyamoto's pieces that involved a guy raping what I thought was his boyfriend, then asking him if he was still sulking afterward, like he was a big baby for being upset after being freaking raped. Gross. She's not usually that sort of writer, so it bums me out. It only gets worse from there, though, as the seme slaps him for not doing what he wants and generally treats him like shit. I'm really not sure what she was going for here. This is a classic abusive relationship, and there's really no apologizing for treating your partner that way. Not that Sakura ever tries to apologize. He just threatens him, asks him "Do you really want to make me angry?" I mean what the flying fuck? This should have ended with Sakura getting hit by a bus and spending the rest of his life as a lonely loser. Poor Ryouichi. Anyway, I mostly reread it because I'm re-reading all of her stuff, and it has a chapter that starts off the Rules universe. Because of that, I still gave it a four rating, since chapter five is the start of the Rules universe. If not for that, it would have been a two, only because I love her art. The plot of this story was so stupid. Also something I didn't really notice before, but Miyamoto Kano really has a thing for asshole semes. I knew of a few, but now I'm seeing a trend. Why are these guys all unrepentant jerks?

Harada is the master of subtly manipulative and evil characters. The ending was a bit more spelled out than most of her stuff, though. I feel like readers knew what the real situation was before the reveal, so it didn't need to be so overt. Still, creepy-crazy face is always off-putting in a fun way, haha.

I really enjoy seeing a BL manga that dissects different elements of love and relationships. It's so rare to see an unhealthy relationship portrayed as such, and it's almost unheard of for a character to end up with a guy who's healthier for him in the end. Very sweet, though it was a bit abrupt and confusing in places. Still, I really liked it. I'd enjoy reading more about the main two, but I was still satisfied with what there is.

Wow, that was the twist I was hoping for, but I wasn't sure if I'd get it. I feel like the first shot of his face kind of makes you wonder, though, haha. Not sure if this is a oneshot or not, and it's screwed up either way, but it was a good read.

Hmm... I was first exposed to this mangaka in an anthology where she'd written a oneshot. At the time, that was all that she'd had published, and I lamented that fact as I absolutely adored her short story. It broke my heart into a million pieces--like ugly crying, swollen eyes, blubbering mess--but it was so beautiful and perfect. I rejoiced when I saw, some time later, that she'd released more work. However, I'm on the fence with this. I love her art, but I'm really over the whole "my brother raped me but secretly I'm in love with him, so it's okay" bullshit. It's sad that his brother is like that, but I hate when that sort of thing is just brushed aside, like the rapist's feelings are what's most important. I can tolerate that mindset in a story that knows it's messed up. I'm concerned that the mangaka thinks this is somehow sweet or justified. I don't even know. They clearly have a complicated relationship. I'm hoping that it breaks the typical expectations and gives us something fantastic, but I'm bracing myself for more of the same. I hope her other stuff isn't marred by yaoiland logic. She's obviously talented.

Wow, this is definitely twisted. What a messed up relationship. But I enjoyed the manga, and I really liked the parallels to the fairytale, The Red Shoes. It's a less literal approach to it, though it still maintains that concept of never being able to take the shoes off. In the fairytale, a huntsman has to cut off her feet to save her life, so I guess be happy that wasn't you, Yuriy. Lol Seriously, though, a lot of creepy sexism goes into shoe designs, if you dig into the history and concept. They look pretty on your legs, but they aren't good for you. I've had jobs where I was forced to wear heels, and it's not great. Anyway, Adam, you fucking sociopath. It started out seeming like Yuriy was the one in charge, arogant and confident sort, but that wasn't the case at all. The way Adam smiles all passive and calm, like nothing is happening, wtf. It's his own fault things go the way that they do, but I honestly feel like Adam wasn't punished enough for what he did. The ending came so quickly. I get that it was something major for what he likes to do, but I feel like Yuriy should have been killed. He treated him awfully and he doesn't deserve to have him in the end. That would have really crushed his spirit, and he deserves that. At any rate, the happily ever after doesn't seem fitting to the story, but it's sweet enough. The whole tale is pretty creepy and disturbing, though. Manipulative love to the most unhealthy degree. Also, did I miss something? What was the secret? That Yuriy whored himself out? I wasn't clear on that. I did like the history with the uncle and his rival, though. That was a nice little addition. I love when enemies turn out to have been involved, especially when there's still sexual tension there.