... but it pales in comparison to Hoshi no Yataka for me. In this series, BDSM is shown in all it's dangerous and destructive facets. The unstable sadist who can't control their desires, the self destructive sadist/masochist who buries their emotional pain in physical pain, the vindictive sadist who just wants to hurt the world because they hate themselves and the novice masochist at the mercy of them all. Then there was the step-father who was so absorbed in his own world and his own view of happiness that he wouldn't have been able to find his own dick with both hands and a map! This is the nightmare version of BDSM that experienced practitioners fear. It is very rare for theses types of personalities to have happy endings when BDSM is involved. That said, although the ending is more fantasy than reality, the plot and character development are exceptionally written. Hoshi no Yataka is a much more balanced depiction of BDSM, but this manga is equally good in its writing.
Thank you i will read the manga that you really like
There has never been another manga that delves so deeply, so honestly and so beautifully into the world of BDSM and there probably will never be one in the future. Each chapter of this manga sheds light on the truths and misconceptions of those who are involved in BDSM and the relationships that form from being involved in it. There is not only pain and pleasure in BDSM. There is love and trust in quantaties that "normal" relationships could never achieve in a lifetime. There are those who are involved in BDSM who are there out of love and there those who are involved for more nefarious reasons. I am always breathless at how thruthful and acurate this manga is whenever I read it. If there is one flaw, it would be that the men involved in BDSM rarely look like women, as they are portrayed in this manga. LOL
... How can anyone who has ACTUALLY READ this manga, page by page and beginning to end, call Kanou a monster?! First, though Ayase looks like he is 10, the first page and first scene of the manga has him being auctioned and the auctioneer discribes him as being AT LEAST 18. Which, in that type of auction, it benefits the auction house to UNDERESTIMATE the product's age. So, if the auctioneer claims he is 18, he is likely older. On to Kanou's behaviour: His initial intention is not to hold Ayase against his will and keep him tied to him with money. That action comes from Kanou's fear that if he does not have some kind of tangible tie to Ayase, Ayase will leave and never return. Remember, Kanou is a yakuza, born and bred. He knows that "normal" people don't follow the same rules that yakuza do because he makes his money off of that very fact every day. Ayase is "normal" and like all the other "normal" people Kanou loans money to, without threats, they will take advantage and run from their responsibilities. Kanou is not aware that Ayase has a deeper sense of honour than most and his trust that Ayase won't "run off" on him is slim. The entire manga is the story of how they grow into their feelings for each other. Which is really why I can't grasp how anyone can call Kanou a monster. Unless they have poor English comprehension skills, poor reading comprehension skills or simply flip through and ignore the dialogue and exposition and just look at the sex scenes. These are the only excuses one can give. Kanou is portrayed consistently through the entire manga as doing everything humanly possible for the sake and care of Ayase. Kanou genuinely loves Ayase. He lacks the tools to express that love like a "normal" person, but as a yakuza, he expresses his love beautifully. Emotions like love, loss, fear and happiness are shared by every human. How they expressed, however, can be vastly different. Projecting one's ideas of how emotions "should be" expressed onto another is arrogant and narcissistic. This manga is a form of erotica. So, if it doesn't "flip your personal switch" that is one thing, but to claim that Kanou doesn't love Ayase would be a bold faced lie.
I think that it has more to do with the drawing style that makes people (including me O,O) a little uncomfortable. We know, intellectually, that Ayase is almost 20 here, but his visual affect is that of a young boy, reminding us, uncomfortably, of shotacon. I mean, in the recent drawings he is almost tall enough to reach the top button on Kanous suit with his mouth, that and the rather extreme dominance and jealousy Kanou displays just exacerbates the issue. The fact that both characters have difficulty expressing themselves emotionally heightens this feeling. ╮(￣▽￣)╭
I agree and I have felt those same sensations myself. However, I also realize that it is an illusion and I must reorient my mind to recognize the facts as they are written in the manga. To simply ignore that which is provided by the mangaka in favor of a personal delusion does a disservice to the effort the mangaka made to create an incredible story. No?
Oh, for sure. One person replied to my personal unease with a great solution: perhaps Ayase has a growth disorder. And as for Kanou, most of us are aware of the tropes used, some just prefer to be outraged anyway, while others see it the same way the view the dynamic in Finder (so very similar, except Akihito is taller and somewhat less defenceless)
Wow, that is a great solution. Very unique and interesting. You're quite right. The dynamic between Asami and Akihito in Finder is very similar. After rereading this, I was compelled to reread Hoshi no Yataka. My BDSM switch had been flipped! LOL
ლ(´ڡ`ლ)
I love Finder, and yes, I do see how the characters relate to each other.
The quality of the manga is outstanding and the art is breathtaking, but the theme is a hard pill to swallow. The idea that love makes a person do the most insane things is a typical trope, but when you add in the element of a family devoid of love and the ability to express love in a healthy manner, you get a dark and twisted tale like this. I admire Kyung Soo for his determination and tenacity to survive all that he suffered and still remain a fundamentally good person. I feel revulsion at the things Yule and Geon did to Kyung Soo, but at the same time, I feel immense pity for them both. They are both mired in hatred, confusion and a warped idea of love and affection that no one but themselves can save them from. I know my view won't be popular, but Yule and Kyung Soo need each other. They both genuinely love one another. They just are clueless as to how to express that love in a healthy way. Maybe if Yule followed more of Kyung Soo's lead rather than leading the relationship himself, their future could have a few more peaceful days. Yule would rather kill himself than see Kyung Soo dead. That is says a lot about the depth of his love for him. I imagine the end as a clean slate and a new start for both of them. Maybe they can get it right this time.
Beautiful art and beautiful storytelling. The writing and character development were both smooth and thorough. If there was one change I could make, it would be reducing the time spent on Ayumu's friendship with his classmate and Yuuichi's friendship with the classmate's mom and dedicating that time to exploring more of how Yuuichi fell in love with Ryou. Or, keep the friend and mom, but add another chapter in the middle exploring Yuuichi's feelings and their growth. The story was beautiful as it is, but it felt slightly rushed in the "when did Yuuichi fall so in love" area. Aside from that, this is a perfect, five star manga IMHO.
Mom?!??!?!?!
Asami from Finder is a much better sadist seme than these two. I'm a proud masochist with an exhibitionist streak a mile wide, so these types of sadists just make me giggle. This is like BDSM training wheels.
They are way out of Asami's league. He's a sadist god. (⌒▽⌒)
With well developed characters, a smooth storyline, angsty moments, warm moments, weird moments and enough twists to make your hair curl. This artist not only has exceptional talent with art, they are an excellent storyteller to boot. I enjoyed the idea of two very twisted people finding peace and happiness entwined together in their twisted, combined life.
I wouldn't rate it higher than 3 stars though. It had good art work and a cute plot, but the dialogue was stilted and choppy. When I wasn't confused by the dialogue, I was bored by it. Though I was convinced of the kimono shop character's love for his partner, the sex scene just looked and felt like the uke hated it until the last frame where he kissed the seme. Sadly, this will go in the "did I already read this manga?" pile and be forgotten like so many other mediocre manga. I've read far worse and I have read far better. "Mediocre" is the best I can do for this manga. It certainly wasn't terrible, but it wasn't awesome either.
The story was sweet and poignant and had terrific potential, but as most new writers do, a lot if the potential storylines were missed or forgotten. That is not to say that this was a bad manga. If it had been written by a hardened pro, it would have been discouraging. However, having been an early attempt at publishing, this mangaka shows tons of potential to do well in the future. Their art is beautiful and consistent and their character development for the main protagonist was well done. Unfortunately, the story and other character development fizzled out about half way through. Secondary and antagonist characters flitted in and out of the story like humming birds. This mangaka has put great effort into their art work and it shows. Now, they need to hone their storytelling skills and combine the fantastic art with a well developed story and characters. They definitely have the potential to do well as a mangaka.
How could you take the words of a jealous, meddling, twat waffle like him, seriously?!?! I'm all about walking away from situations that have no hope, but this is not one of those situations!! Jaeha needs your patience and strength. You have known him your entire life and, unless you screw up now, you will have him in your life until you die. Don't be in such a fucking rush! Is there a fire you have to get to? Let him have some time to get used to what it is like to be happy. He has spent his whole life feeling like he had to meet the unreasonable expectations of others and now, by rushing things, you're asking him to meet another unreasonable expectation. He needs you! He needs your love, he needs your strength, he needs your patience and he needs your support. Don't bail on him now. If you do, you know it will haunt you to your last breath. The douche nugget at the bar has always been jealous of the way Jaeha's eyes soften when he looks at you. You have something he will never have. You have Jaeha's heart. You always have and you always will. Unfortunately, that heart comes with walls around it that have been built there by Jaeha for protection. You can't barrel through them with a battering ram, that's what that idiot at the bar tried to do and Jaeha erected thicker, stronger walls in an instant. You can't just walk up to the gate and be welcomed, that is what you tried the first time and you had the door slammed in your face. This time, you will have to slowly dismantle those walls brick by brick and stone by stone. It may take you your entire life before the wall is completely gone, but once it is, you will find yourself deep inside the heart of the man you love. He already loves you, you know this. Jaeha is just deathly afraid of being truly happy and confident in himself. The poor thing has never experienced those things in his entire life and when he had the chance to, he ran like a scared little house cat. If you chase a scared cat you will never catch them, if you snatch them up and squeeze them they will scratch your eyes out, and if you walk away from them, they will forget you. So, you have to be patient. You have to be there everyday without fail, going about your life quietly in their presence. You have to treat them kindly without seeking anything in return. You have to protect them before they even sense any danger themselves. Slowly, they will come to rely on your presence and eventually trust themselves into your close proximity. Then, one day, when you least expect it, you will look up to realize that there is a cat cuddled up and purring in your lap. Be patient and be strong for Jaeha and you will see that he will start taking bricks and stones away from that wall around his heart by himself. Rush it and he will build a bigger, stronger wall faster than you can blink. You'll never get back inside. And also... never take advice from douche nuggets who failed to cross the moat, let alone put a crack in the wall, like Jaeha's ex. They can only advise you on how to fail as they did. That is their goal, after all, to see you fail as they did. Misery loves company. Now, forget the pointless conversation you had with a failure of an ex and prepare yourself to be patient, strong, supportive and loving for Jaeha. If you muck this up now, I will hunt you down in Yaoiland and beat you within an inch of your 2D, fictional life. Military training, even special forces, won't be able to spare you from my wrath. LOL
Well I think Eunho had enough
Yes I know Jaeha has bad experiences but we can’t deny he hurt Eunho so many times I can’t even count
And honestly I’m not on Eunho’s side either because by chasing after someone like Jaeha he’s hurting himself even more
And so what if he knows Jaeha for his entire life? That doesn’t mean he has to keep up with Jaeha’s shitty behavior ALWAYS
Everything you've said is a fair and valid response to being hurt by someone you were never truly in love with. I've personally had tons of relationships like that, they were fun to be with and sex was good, but love wasn't what I felt. They were easily cast aside at the first sign of a rough patch. You cut your losses when you are not that invested, it is the smart move to make. However, when you find the person you're willing to go through hell for, you'll go through hell a thousand times and be ready to go a thousand more. Love is far from the cupcakes and rainbows of fairytales and romance novels. When it is real, you don't see the effort it takes to maintain it as a problem. Sadly, most couples today go through more effort to part than they do to stay together. I've been married for 23 years and every moment of happiness we've shared was earned through hard work and effort put forth to bring our relationship as far as it is. Love, like everything else, has a cost that must be paid for it, it isn't free. You must invest to see benefits and you will never see benefits from an investment you walk away from. Would you invest 25 years worth of your salary into something and then just give up the potential rewards? If you would, you're not very smart with money or love. Both require patience and perseverance. This is not a story of a relationship rife with abuse or cheating. It's just one man who has never had the opportunity to experience happiness or what it is to feel comfortable in his own skin. The person who claims to love him should be wise enough to recognize the need for patient understanding or they can't truly claim to love him. If they can't weather a small storm like this, they would be a lousy partner when the shit really hits the fan and should run like the cowards they are while they have the chance. They don't really love him, they love the idea of loving him. I don't think that is how Euno feels for Jaeha, or I should say, that is not how Euno is written. If Euno was the type of character to bail at the first or second hurdle, there would never have been a story to write. Remember, Jaeha was married when this story started and that didn't deter Euno. Neither did Jaeha breaking up with him, we do have a volume 2, after all. Perhaps I am wrong, but most writers who are not jaded and cynical bastards wouldn't consider throwing in the towel on a potentially happy relationship a "happy ending" for any characters. Happiness and "happy endings" don't just fall from the sky, nor are they handed to one on a silver platter. You have to work for them, bleed for them, sweat for them and earn them. That is the point of having conflicts like this that drag on for volumes. It reflects the way happiness is earned in real life, through struggle and effort over and over again. It is sad that so many people today just expect relationships to "work" all on their own. They don't want to work for the relationship, they want the relationship to work for them. That is reflected in the way readers comment about fictional relationship conflicts. It is no wonder that so many readers complain of not being able to find a partner, since they are deluded about how relationships work. I certainly wouldn't want a relationship with someone who had no idea how relationships actually work and thought that love and happiness just "happens" without any effort. I'd be putting in all the effort and have no hope of seeing it returned. That is sad... and scary.
Everything you said is true
But what I was trying to say was that Eunho isn’t the only one to blame
After all,there was times Jaeha hurt him too and it’s a bit unfair to except Eunho to take it all alone and Jaeha should let him help him
I’m not trying to justify Eunho’s actions,but both of them hurt each other,not only one of them and people are completely ignoring Jaeha’s actions
And nobody’s perfect and everyone makes mistakes,but what they need to do right now is talking
Oh no, I think what I was trying to say wasn't made clear. Sorry. I was commenting solely on the most recent chapter posted where it seems Euno was influenced by Jaeha's ex. I agree that Euno is not solely at fault. In fact, he is not at fault at all in my view. Jaeha is definitely the one with issues to be sorted out. I only meant that Euno needs to be patient and strong as he supports Jaeha and not give up on him as the ex had suggested. My narrative was written as if I were talking to Euno as a friend. I completely agree that Euno and Jaeha need to do a lot more talking and less fucking. Unfortunately, I don't think talking is going to reach Jaeha. He is stubborn, but he is stubborn because he doesn't know how else to be when faced with things he fears. Jaeha is a monstrous coward and will bolt when he starts to feel scared. That is going to put Euno through hell, but if Euno loves him as he claims, Euno will have to be patient. He can't bail now. Well, he can, but it would not be to anyone's benefit except the ex who is interested in their separation out of spite and jealousy. Jaeha has lots of baggage... LOTS of baggage. Loving someone like that is not an enviable situation, but it can end up being a happy, healthy relationship with patience and perseverance. I used to be Jaeha, until I met my husband. I mean, it is almost creepy how alike Jaeha and I are. I put my husband through years of hell. So much uncertainty and insecurity. I honestly don't know he managed to put up with me. What I do know is that I would not be the person I am today if he hadn't. I needed his patience and understanding so that I could learn who I was and who I wanted to be. The insecurity I gave my husband was a small reflection of the insecurities I felt about myself. When he showed me patience, acceptance and understanding, I was able to feel secure for the first time in my life. With that, I could slow down and look at myself carefully and objectively and thus find the things I needed to change about myself to be happy. That is what Jaeha needs. Honestly, a lot of people could do with having someone like that who loves them.
Everything you said is true and I agree
But I hope Eunho can actually help Jaeha to get over his insecurities
And sorry I misunderstood what you actually meant
Btw it’s not a bad manhwa
I enjoyed it a lot
It’s not the best but compared to other yaoi mangas/manhwas this one feels realistic
I mean people are dealing with real issues
I hope Euno can help him too. I have enjoyed this story very much myself for the same reason, it deals with more realistic issues, where some others I have read are a bit far fetched with their conflicts and resolutions. The author has made considerable effort to get and keep readers invested in both the story and the characters. They have done a very good job, IMO. I would be interested in reading more from them.