No. They weren't. One guy is compromising more in order for that to appear to be the case, even. Sounds like they mismatch more than anything. T.
How do you figure that? On the contrary, he feels liberated from the burden of his heritage. Externally, it seems that he's compromising based on society's standards, but the whole point of the story is that he's shedding all of those expectations in order to be himself (a hardcore masochist) to be with the only person that fulfills him (a hardcore sadist). As simple as that.
I'm talking about the masochist compromising more than the sadist which you just confirmed. So I don't know why you're talking as if you're disagreeing? We were talking about THEM and thus the compromises they made in THEIR relationship, you remember... right? I haven't seen ONE example given either in the story or here where we can see the sadist compromising, at all.
First and foremost, tone down the snarkiness, since there's no reason for that. This is nothing but a commentary on a Manga, not a political debate on social justice. It seems that there are two issues here, the first one is that you are applying the definition "compromise" inappropriately, and the second issue is that you are misconstruing the central point of the plot, which in itself is not a criticism, but an objective observation that your interpretive skills are still developing.
The word "compromise" denotes **giving up** something one wants, to **trade-off** or **resign oneself** to something or a course of action; to compromise is to give up something desirable, to sacrifice something valuable, which is not the case here because Tatsumi did not sacrifice anything, because he did not value his yakuza heritage, he did not want at all to assume the responsibilities imposed on him by his family, he did not want at all to continue being the recipient of his mother's obsessive smothering, he did not want to eventually marry a woman to continue his family lineage and he did not want to continue his relationship with his brother because it neither emotionally nor physically fulfill him; therefore, Tatsumi did not lose anything when he chose Shingo over everything else he *did not* want. This is made very clear in the manga throughout several introspections that indicate Tatsumi feels empty, that he is dissatisfied with his life because he feels that something very vital is missing from it, and all of that changes once his sadomasochistic relationship with Shingo deepens.
This is the central point of the plot, that by choosing Shingo, by embracing his masochism, Tatsumi liberates himself from the social and familial conventions that trapped him, that he felt asphyxiated by because he has finally met someone that fulfills him both physically and emotionally. A more viable argument could be made that the one that compromised here was Shingo and to a lesser extent Tomomi; the former compromised his control, his emotional immunity when he accepted Shingo's feelings because he has now become emotionally vulnerable; and the latter because Tomomi has resigned himself to the fact that he just wasn't and would never be enough for Tatsumi. Only Shingo could. Now, my analysis is simply based on the facts presented by the manga, which I invite you to re-read. But whether you do or not is your prerogative.
Yo, I was blown away by your post cause at first I didn’t see it that way, but just for the hell of it I went back to read it again and so many things clicked point by point. Starting in the first page we’re told the uke is not happy with his life cause he feels “there’s something wrong” http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru-chapter-1/7/
And he never goes home, so he must hate it, right? No joke with that crazy mom http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru-chapter-1/12/
The uke feels suffocated by his family, what they expect from him and his brother and in a moment of panic he realizes that he only feels relaxed when he’s with the seme http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru-chapter-1/25/
http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru-chapter-1/27/
and when you say that the uke didn’t compromise or sacrifice anything cause he didn’t want any of it to begin with is clearly stated here http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru-chapter-2/7/
“for me, this is not what I want”
After being raped by the seme’s friends, the uke gives his brother a chance, wondering if his brother be able to give him what he needs http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/c004/pg-10/
And the answer is no, he can’t http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/c004/pg-29/
And his brother finally gets it and gives up on him http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/tr_chapter-5/pg-32/
And the seme is emotionally shaken when the uke says he loves him, despite his abusive nature http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/tr_chapter-5/pg-23/
And at the end we can see the seme being changed by the uke and that their relationship works for them http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sanshoku_mazareba_kuro_ni_naru/uu/tr_chapter-5.5/pg-10/
Damn this was so interesting. Obviously most of us in society don’t approve this type of codependent or violent relationship, but the point the manga makes is that it works for the uke and the seme, and that yeah, the uke didn’t sacrifice anything and instead gained what he needed to fill the void in his life, while the seme did become vulnerable cause it was the first time someone accepted him and loved him for who he was violent nature and all. By defying society’s judgment and expectations, the uke and the seme got mutual fulfillment and happiness. I live for reflective posts like yours that help me see things in a different perspective and really, it’s amazing to find this type of deep thinking in a yaoi forum cause it proves that yaoi is not just about the smut. Thank you thank you I vow to you
Not my cup of tea at all, but from a fictional standpoint, they were perfect for each other and ultimately happy with themselves.....
Who am I to judge? ╮(￣へ ￣ )╭