Welp, it wasn't dated like 15 years ago when it was created ╮(￣▽￣)╭ Who cares anyway? It's only a comic, to each their own and all that...
Yeah, you're basically right. The main thing which makes Finder stand out is the art, it wouldn't be where it is today without it.
The rape to love trope is ass backwards and dated even for the time it was released. If you knew even a little about Japanese rape culture and sexism in Japan you would understand how harmful a lot of women-oriented porn is, including yaoi. It doesn't cause the mindset of rape but it perpetuates alot of harmful mindsets that already exist around rape yet is available even for children to read. Some of us know how to critique things we used to love. Viewfinder is dated and problematic, look up rape culture and romanticized rape in media. Maybe learn something.
Yea tbh Viewfinder's art is quite polished and beautiful even now. The art is the one thing that DID age well imo but woooo yaoi is so much better and more progressive as far as plot goes nowadays (tho there's still growth that's needed). Viewfinder reads like one of those trashy romance novels now.
Also, the hilarious thing is that yaoi didn't start out with these harmful tropes lmao back in the 70's when BL first started the two lovers tended to be equal and rape wasn't used as a lazy plot device to make h-scenes and jump start a romance. They actually developed the romance instead of using shortcuts, plus rape was treated as a serious crime (as it should be) back in the origins of BL. The shitty rape trope is actually a more modern development that happened after the couple became more heteronormative. You must care a little since you went out of your way to reply to me (and thumbs me down) lmao
It's strange how you're getting so worked up. Dude - you totally went on a rant (in two replies may I add) all on your own with nothing but pure defensive BS conjecture, reading subtext from my little two line comment that simply wasn't there. Arguing points I hadn't even made. All because you want to feel like the big, pretentious POS that you clearly are. Well done you, we're all very impressed.
Once again - it's only a comic! Who cares! And I hope you can manage to crawl out of your ass long enough one day to see that. No need to get all uppity about it (=・ω・=)
I suppose I can see why this might be a little problematic if someone is reading purely out of love for the romance and is a little too impressionable.
Personally I just read this because I find it kinky, and I can't find much harm in that if then again someone doesn't get disullonised into thinking rape is fun. Feeling safe with someone is so important. But I do enjoy my fiction a little wilder than that (I don't really ever feel unsafe with books, so sky's the limit lol), getting a little degraded is pretty much my biggest kink, so I do love the first parts better than the lastest ones :3
That being said I don't really get how people could find this is romantic and all, but hey that is just me, some might see in it things I don't. I like my romance pure and my sex trashy, go figure haha.
I guess Asami gets singled out since he's one of the mc's, but actually most of the significant characters are rapists. And as for your claim that Akihito has Stockholm Syndrome, HEY...
... captors need love too. But in Akihito's case, he just really got addicted to the wild sex (and also his ego wouldn't let him leave Asami alone). Every encounter at the first (which was Asami getting revenge on Akihito for meddling in his business) was initiated by Akihito. Then came the love story because that's what the readers themselves pleaded Sensei for.
Me personally I only read VF for a) Feilong (and to a lesser extent Mikhail) & b) the art. The art is truly beautiful and one of a kind. YA deserves lots of credit for that. Unfortunately lots of other aspects are lacking for me. Yeah, the story and plot isn't THAT great, let's be real. But I don't know how it stacks up compared to other yaoi series, because VF is the only one I've read.
Yes I agree with pretty much all you've wrote. Although I don't know much about the specifics of what you're talking about (Japanese rape culture and sexism in Japan, history of BL etc) but I think its common sense to see that positive portrayal of rape in media is a bad thing, and without a doubt VF's portrayal of rape and the aftermath is morally insupportable.
Asami is a trash rapist and Aki has Stockholm syndrome. It's nice to see some people moved away from this fandom. A lot of us liked Viewfinder back in the day and personally I get why ppl still like it. It's pretty to look at and it has good drama. But the tired ass hypermasculine seme who's abusive and controlling and the romanticized rape is dated af. Some people simply grew up and have better tastes now. (❀╹◡╹)