Mameiha's Topics (609)

What was the point? Where did the guy go in the middle of sex? What happened to the relationship? Where was the resolution to the conflict? Shit, there are more unanswered questions to this manga than there are pages! This is officially the lamest manga I have ever read.

Can be found by reading shampoo directions. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Sadly, I dodn't remember a moment of it. I guess that says it all for this manga. Forgettable.

Since a manga had a sex scene that actually gave me the tingles. The one where the uke is named Nao, phew, hit me right in the good spot. I think it was the seme's expression that did me in.

The writing is smooth and the art is beautiful, but I'm just not into the characters. Ah well, an artist can't please everyone. The story was written fine considering the theme and characters, but I think I would have preferred the characters to have real acceptance between them rather than the feeling of reluctant submission. That is really my only complaint. It just felt empty. The second story was a bit better, but again, it felt like reluctant submission on the uke's part. As if, this is better than being lonely, was the reason for being together.

The plot thickens. Now the question is... Is one lie equal to another? Are the lies that Peach, King and the rest told greater than, less than, or equal to the lies that Zero and his cronies told - or the lie Love told? Can a lie be forgiven if the circumstances and intent behind it is noble? For some, a lie is a lie. They are all unforgivable. For others, the circumstances and intent behind the lie make a difference. Some lies can be forgiven if they are told for the right reasons. I wonder which group Love will be in, the former or the latter? I'm betting on the latter. Usually people who have been forced by circumstance to lie, even though they didn't want to, will be more understanding and forgiving when they are lied to. When you want forgiveness for yourself, you are more likely to be generous with forgiveness to others.

Isn't so much about the things you have in common, but whether what you have in common is wanting to stay together and make each other happy. That, for me, is the take away in this story. Two personalities so very different from each other, enjoying how those differences make life fun and interesting and finding enough common ground to be happy together for a long time to come. This is really a beautiful story. They remind me of my husband and me.

Yes, there is sexism in this manga, but sadly, few readers recognize the true culprit of the sexism. It isn't Issei, it is Hiragi. She is attracted to Yuzuro because she perceives him as weak and in need of her protection. That is arrogant on Hiragi's part. She likes Yuzuro because she will feel strong and superior around someone weaker than herself. That is not love, that is selfishness, superiority and arrogance. Hiragi's kind of love will only enable Yuzuro to remain weak and feel insecure. Issei, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He encourages Yuzuro to feel strong and self-assured when Yuzuro is feeling weak and insecure and when Yuzuro is feeling confident and strong, Issei supports him and shows how proud he is of him. Issei loves Yuzuro because he is Yuzuro, not because he is a weak princess. Now here is where Hiragi's sexism comes in. Hiragi assumes that because Yuzuro enjoys traditionally feminine hobbies - cooking, sewing, etc - and he has moments where he acts effeminate, this makes Yuzuro "weak" and in need of her protection. This is blatant sexism toward effeminate gay men. Hiragi would not be attracted to an opponent who was simply not as physically strong as she is, yet she is attracted to Yuzuro for his "weakness". In other words, she pities him. She sees him as "less than" herself and she sees herself as superior to him. Issei protects Yuzuro, but he has never pitied or saw Yuzuro as incapable or "less than" himself. He even admires Yuzuro for his hobbies. So, Issei's protection is kindness where Hiragi's protection is sexism. Even when Issei tells Hiragi that women should be protected by men because men are physically stronger than women, there is no pity or superiority in his words. He does not think Hiragi is incapable or "less than" himself, he is only saying that, like young people should be courteous to the elderly, men should be courteous to women. It all boils down to intent. Issei's intent toward Hiragi is kindness and chivalry, but Hiragi's intent toward Yuzuro is pity and the self-satisfaction she feels by protecting a weak, effeminate man. Issei is kind, Hiragi is sexist. See the difference now? Sexism is compelled by superiority, arrogance and pity for the other person, but kindness lacks all of those things. It is simply kindness.

His personality is pretty abrasive, but that alone isn't necessarily bad. But is that how he would treat a girlfriend? If the answer is no, then wouldn't he be constantly wearing a mask of being nice while he was with a girl? A mask that will eventually slip. So, if he is always playing nice and then suddenly becomes abrasive, he'd not have much luck keeping a woman around. If a woman wouldn't put up with that behaviour, why should a man be expected to? Now, here is my problem with the tsundere uke character trope. I don't think I have ever read a manga with a tsundere seme... ever. So, for the "woman's role" it is acceptable for the character to be abrasive, disinterested, frigid, verbally and physically borderline abusive, fickle, indecisive and just generally mean and difficult. Or, basically, the "bitchy girlfriend". Yet this trope is not common among the characters in the "male role". Am I the only one who sees the sexism and gender stereotypes in the tsundere uke trope? It kind of screams that women can accept bitchyness in women/uke, but would never accept the same traits in men/seme. Maybe my opinion would be clearer if I said that female readers can accept the character they relate to being a bitch, but not the male role characters - or "It's okay if I act like a bitch, but if my boyfriend acted that way, it is unacceptable." I guess I just don't, personally, believe this kind of personality is acceptable in either women or men, but if it's going to be okay in one, it should be okay in both.

If anyone knows of any manga, shoujo or yaoi, where the tsundere personality is attributed to the male role holding character (in shoujo the boyfriend is tsundere, in yaoi the seme is tsundere - seke/switch characters don't count), could you please let me know what those titles are? If they exist, I'd be curious to see how that dynamic is depicted.

The musician never takes the dark haired guy for granted. He knows, very well, that the dark haired guy's confidence won't be shaken. At the same time, what the girl said about the musician was true. To build a future for himself and the person he loves, he had to maintain his image and reputation. So, he had to hide his feelings for the sake of that future. The musician knows the dark haired guy loves him and he also knows that he is a bit slow, but he always eventually grasps the subtle hints and clues the musician drops about his feelings. Like, when the musician says, "The moon is beautiful." This is an old phrase that was commonly used by secret lovers to convey the sentiment, "I love you.", without giving away the relationship to prying ears or eyes. When the musician says, "I won't look at the moon again.", he is telling the dark haired guy that he is missing him and will be waiting patiently for them to be together again. Just like the musician, this manga drops subtle, yet beautiful, hints at a very deep and serious love.