Personally I've though that the love story will concern the blue king and the red king. I didn't pay attention to the summary that's why. Because the art was too good I wasn't aware of what was going on until the sexual scene between Sage and the Blue king. So, I do think a tag is really important.
Even if this sort of thing was common at this period, not everybody can handle something like that - specially if there is an explicit content.
And I don't know in which country you are, but having sex at 12 with an adult isn't common at all - most people will have sex for their first time between 15 and 18, and with someone of their own age.
In my teenage time - I also knew girls around 12 or 13 with boyfriends from 16 till 18. In this age - for us- the diffrence were not so high. also only the age- doesnt mean you are mature.
That's why I said "most people" ; the average age in France is 17. I do not know anyone of 12 doing such thing, expect one of my friend who has been raped.
I agree, but some people just want to create attention. All manga lover reading these few chapter already know what happen...even if people don't tag or whatever...and like we said it's a fantasy/drama/romance/historical...so it annoy me when some people call us pedophile when I'm just trying to read a manga, trying to understand the story, and how it goes...and i totally agree with you on 12 yrsd can have consent to sex..cause generation of kids after generation of kids..they just keep getting smarter...-..-
I barely pay attention to the tags. What counts is the art and the story. What we have here is a mix of history and fantasy. Long long time ago it wasn't uncommon that children got sold, raped or married. Even homosexuality was respected in the noble circles.
And even without the shotacon-tag I knew what will happen. It's a yaoi manga, the boy is the main protagonist... No reason to be surprised.
I'm really curious how this story goes on. Really.
(I have always brought "shotacon" in connection with garbage like boku no pico or those mangas/hentai with little boys looking like girls and are obsessed with sex; no story, just great exaggeration.
So it feels a bit off to me, to see the "shotacon" tag...^^)
Nowadays it's pretty normal that 12year old kids have sex, on their own free will and that seems less disturbing, huh.