Unfortunately, I think you're missing the point, if your argument is that master/slave relationships have not been discussed even peripherally on the board. Because they have. Master/slave relationships STILL rely on consent, and (again) we've said that, after all. The dom also still relies on what they think the sub wants or needs. It is the dom who must prove themselves trustworthy.
I agree. Even (especially actually) in M/s relationships, there needs to be explicit consent beforehand. The Master needs the slave's 100% full, un-coerced consent before entering into the relationship. After it's begun is a different story, because both parties have agreed and understand the terms.
Well the problem is that neither of them had agreed to a BDSM relationship in the first place, never-mind what kind of BDSM relationship. And there is a distinct lack of trust here, so maintaining a nonexistent trust is kind of out of the picture. Of course, trust develops along with the relationship, but this was definitely not a good start to one.
i agree that there needs to be explicit consent beforehand. my point was mostly that the beginning of their relationship seems to have gotten muddled by the mangaka's urge to create drama in her story, resulting in an unrealistic first chapter.
in the future chapters, though, there seems to be plenty of opportunities for them to establish the actual terms of their s/m relationship if/when they continue. and i believe ther relationship definitely has the potential to become a realistic depiction of a bdsm relationship.
my other other point was that all bdsm relationships have different dynamics, and i was pointing out how some of those differences typically play out. i didn't intend to apply those dynamics to this couple. i just wanted to point out that there is no one right way to be in a bdsm relationship, that is, beyond forming and maintaining trust, which i rather hope happens with this couple in the coming chapters.
That's reasonable. I agree that there could be potential for it to develop into a more realistic BDSM relationship in the future. At least consent was mentioned in the first chapter...many BDSM-esque manga never mention it at all, ever. It would be nice if more mangakas could write realistic stories right off the bat, instead of trying to hook readers in with unnecessary added drama that ends up misrepresenting areas like the BDSM community. Though I kind of understand--real life just isn't interesting enough to fantasize about, I guess. Let's hope for better future chapters, eh?
+ 1
i believe i understand why people compare this to real life bdsm. while there is obvious distortion of bdsm relationships to create tension and plot (you agreed to be tied up while drunk! then you forgot you agreed to bondage! oh no!), the mangaka obviously understands why bdsm can be psychologically and sexually appealing/pleasurable for both the dom and sub-- the kind of erotic trust between being dominant and being submissive.
i'm interested in seeing where the manga goes from here, because hopefully in the next chapters the sub's consent (to an S&M relationship) will be more explicit. i mean, at this point the sub understands the dynamic of the relationship and either agrees to it or backs out of it.
also, just to clarify something in the comments, all bdsm relationships are different. while safe words are a common practice in the community, not all relationships have/need them. safe words are mainly useful in roleplay and abuse play (whipping, spanking, etc). there are also other ways to gain non-verbal consent from someone. for instance, if the sub is gagged or tied up, the dom can disengage from the sex/play and can let the sub reinitiate things. if the sub can choose not to, the session is over. if the sub reinitiates the sex/roleplay, the session continues.
that happens here:
http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/sm_gokko/mi/30ba27864169047076448c274a9d7eb5_chapter-1/32/s
and finally, depending on the agreement of the relationship, the sub could or could not have a say in what's done to him. two different types of relationships in bdsm: sub/dom vs. slave/master. in a sub/dom relationship, the sub communicates his limits and the dom respects those limits. in a slave/master relationship, the master decides what the slave's limits are and the slave agreed (by the conditions of their relationship) to be at the mercy of the master.
it's complicated, but what is important is understanding the type of relationship you're agreeing to and maintaining trust.
if these two characters agree on the type of bdsm relationship they want to be in and maintain that trust, this manga could actually turn into a realistic depiction of a bdsm relationship.
despite this unrealistic first chapter.