This story actually talks in depth about some real issues and brings up a question for me as well. Idk why but the critical analysis part of my brain has been awakened. My question: who defines something as being rape? Don't get me wrong, I definitely would call what Seo did as rape because he didn't provide any opportunity for Hatogaya to say no, but Hatogaya seems not to really consider it rape? If we considered Hatogaya a victim of toxic relationship or manipulation (or whatever, idk) would that be considered removing his agency when deciding his own status as a victim or not? Tbh I don't think there's a real answer here, but I do wish the characters discussed it with each other more explicitly rather than us just know Seo sees what he did as rape and Hatogaya seeing what happened as consensual (even though I would argue it wasn't consensual).
I really liked how this explored the biracial experience of people in Japan though. My friend once talked about how she'd get bullied before suddenly everyone reached the age of fetishizing biracialness in Japan, so I think exploring that from a model's perspective was especially relevant. Seeing someone that society says they value so much for their beauty value himself so little because of his youth (even sleeping with people he didn't care about or for) was so sad. And then the way that he was basically told "you might get a job if you sleep with me but probs not if you don't" and then turned into the bad guy "playboy" was I think super telling about society. Someone sleeping around isn't always because they're a sex addict or player, sometimes it's indicative of something deeper. Seo's self-esteem issues caused by the treatment of biraciality went so deep as to even affect how he viewed his relationship with Hato, saying he didn't want to "dirty him." I actually understood this not as a "my love for him is impure and I have dirty thoughts" but as a "I am impure (mixed) and a monster, (sleeping around because of his self esteem), I don't want that to rub off."
Honestly Seo's complexity was so well done and I loved the way it just thoroughly explored this aspect of his identity. I think this story would have held up just fine without the rape bit, but I still really like the character complexity plot and themes
This story actually talks in depth about some real issues and brings up a question for me as well. Idk why but the critical analysis part of my brain has been awakened.
My question: who defines something as being rape? Don't get me wrong, I definitely would call what Seo did as rape because he didn't provide any opportunity for Hatogaya to say no, but Hatogaya seems not to really consider it rape? If we considered Hatogaya a victim of toxic relationship or manipulation (or whatever, idk) would that be considered removing his agency when deciding his own status as a victim or not? Tbh I don't think there's a real answer here, but I do wish the characters discussed it with each other more explicitly rather than us just know Seo sees what he did as rape and Hatogaya seeing what happened as consensual (even though I would argue it wasn't consensual).
I really liked how this explored the biracial experience of people in Japan though. My friend once talked about how she'd get bullied before suddenly everyone reached the age of fetishizing biracialness in Japan, so I think exploring that from a model's perspective was especially relevant. Seeing someone that society says they value so much for their beauty value himself so little because of his youth (even sleeping with people he didn't care about or for) was so sad. And then the way that he was basically told "you might get a job if you sleep with me but probs not if you don't" and then turned into the bad guy "playboy" was I think super telling about society. Someone sleeping around isn't always because they're a sex addict or player, sometimes it's indicative of something deeper. Seo's self-esteem issues caused by the treatment of biraciality went so deep as to even affect how he viewed his relationship with Hato, saying he didn't want to "dirty him." I actually understood this not as a "my love for him is impure and I have dirty thoughts" but as a "I am impure (mixed) and a monster, (sleeping around because of his self esteem), I don't want that to rub off."
Honestly Seo's complexity was so well done and I loved the way it just thoroughly explored this aspect of his identity. I think this story would have held up just fine without the rape bit, but I still really like the character complexity plot and themes