Mameiha's Topics (609)

Not an uncommon occurrence since the uploader is responsible for tagging and uploaders are fans just like you and me. In fact, this manga barely scrapes by as shounen ai. There is an undertone to a few of the relationships depicted here, but, frankly, Kuroshitsuji has WAY more homoerotic undertones and it is listed, here and professionally, as shounen only. There is no kissing, absolutely no sex and the few scenes of nudity stop above the navel. At best, there are a few "sexy", endearing expressions and a frame or two of hot guys in wet, white button down shirts. If you're expecting hot and heavy or even kawaii love and bunny cuddles, you're in for disappointment. There is not even implied sex or even implied kisses, for that matter.

That said, as a shounen manga this was pretty good. There was mystery and suspense to the story and the characters were both admirable and believable. The reading level is about junior high or high school and the plot revolves mainly around the friendships built during this time. Though I was disappointed by the lack of "yaoi" content, I still enjoyed reading this manga. However, I vaguely remember reading this exact manga with the same title, setting and characters, but the plot lines were different. Is this a revamping of an older manga?

This, honestly, was better than I was expecting. Mature, reasonable, believable characters and a sweet, simple story of self-discovery. I'm impressed.

I, personally, preferred Craig's outlook. Everything, good and bad, that has happened to me has made me who I am today. The pain, the regret, the joy, the lessons learned and the comfort of those memories make me, me. Losing even one would change who I am. Which makes me consider a relative I have who has Alzheimer's. Losing memories is not just a fantasy for a story. It happens to people whether they want it to or not and they don't get to pick and choose which memories are forgotten. Knowing that, I cherish what I am blessed with, my memories and all they make of me. Even my worst memories have purpose. They taught me important lessons about how to live well, how to avoid things that will hurt me, how to love, how to forgive, how to move forward and how to keep myself and others safe. Though, I will admit that there are certain times when certain people could benefit from the doctor's power. I think they are limited, however, and memories should only be altered (if it were possible) when all other types of therapy have failed.

The "other" moral to the story was also beautiful, in my opinion. The idea that, regardless of our talents or abilities, we are all "good enough" to be loved by someone. This is a lesson I grew up without and didn't learn it until I was in my early thirties. I was blessed to meet and marry the person who taught me that lesson. There, again, is another memory I could not be "me" without. If I were to lose my husband I would be devastated, but if I lost my memories of him, I would, literally, lose all of who I am.

I'm curious about what memories the doctor removed from Chika(?). We know he looked at her memories with Craig, but why was she there for help? Did he remove the memory of "the doctor that could erase her memories" or did he remove the offending memory?

Kinda bothered me. There was nothing wrong with the writing or art. I just don't like the idea of people deciding what "the right path is" for others, even adults when regarding children. There's a difference between choosing a path for them and guiding their choices. In the case of this story, because the Dr. did not listen to, or talk with Ichikawa about his "path" (except to choose it for him), this is obviously not guiding but choosing. To guide, the person getting guidance must have a voice, and a choice, in the decisions they make. Even young people, no, especially young people.

Although the story feels a bit choppy at first, this could be the original writing or the translation, the connection between a sweet and loving couple is not lost. This is a "to root for" kind of couple. I'd have enjoyed seeing more chapters of their love story.

I felt REALLY uncomfortable with Hasegawa's ending. I get the filial son angle, but he had a STABLE job in publishing. He wasn't a freeter or a host and he just walked away from both a stable job and a stable lover. His family company was also in frickin CERAMICS or something... nothing remotely close to publishing. So, he abandons a good job, good friends and his lover to move 2 3/4 hours away by Shinkansen so he can what??? Work in the frickin mail room? As "heir" he will also end up with the pressure from his parents to marry. Fuck, that is just a bad ending waiting to happen. If he just declined from the start, he'd avoid all the incoming grief. He had that option! He had a great excuse already... that STABLE JOB! He does not live off of his parents and doesn't have to return to them to make a living. He was independent, he was happy and he was free from the scrutiny of "having status". What idiot goes and begs for more trouble on top of being in a relationship that is frowned upon? Especially when there is NO REASON to do so? Their relationship was less than a year old and it was sketchy, at best, as it was. They had separated and gotten back together THREE times in six months! Then, Hasegawa just says, "Hey, let's triple our problems so I can feel a little like a good son AND like a COMPLETE loser when I have to hide my relationship from my parents and pretend to be a filial son and "heir" by marrying some gold digging whore! Won't that be fun?!" Fuckin moron. He is still thinking and acting like a hetero and will end up hurting EVERYONE around him, himself and Ueno included. So, Ueno will now have to face watching another man he loves be ostensibly taken away and married by a woman because she can squeeze out a few pups and he can't. Overcoming problems together also includes NOT inviting those problems in through the front door to have tea.

Well, based on the initial chapters, they go all the way happily, but that last page was like getting kicked in the bean just as you're about to come.

Lots of people hate the seme, but I don't. I don't think his relationship with Chika was healthy before their breakup and neither was his personality. However, I believe humans learn and grow right up to our last breath and anyone willing to make changes to improve themselves are worth second chances. The moral of this story is "You don't know what you've got until it is gone." Sometimes, forgiveness absolutely needs to be withheld in order for the offending party to understand the depth of the insult they have committed. "I'm sorry" is enough when you bump into a stranger on the street, but when you truly hurt the person who loves you, it takes more effort than two little words. You have to fix the problem so that the offense never happens again. That said, a little forgiveness can help change a person for the better. I am someone who has felt the forgiveness of a loved one I wronged terribly and experienced the changes that were necessary to ensure that I never hurt them like that again. It taught me the value of forgiveness and how selfish it is to withhold it indefinitely. You're not hurting the person you won't forgive. You're only selfishly preventing yourself from feeling pain and growing as a person. But, selfish people don't listen to what others have to say anyway. LOL

This story is not for those lacking life experience enough to recognize the truth in my previous statements. Even without sex scenes, this manga is written for a mature audience. That said, it is one of the most heart wrenchingly fantastic stories I have ever read. My heart ached for Chika at the start and even more so for Yuuji toward the end. The characters were developed beautifully even without having many chapters, that includes side characters as well, and it was done without wasted dialogue or exposition. Every word written propelled the plot and every character contributed. Even if the subject matter is not your cup of tea, the beautifully clean and fluid writing is worth experiencing.

... I always fall in love with this story. The writing and flow is just incredible and the characters... you just can't help but love them to bits. The artwork is so expressive and the little reactions the characters have are so genuine and realistic. I just adore this story. Even the conflicts are well thought through and resolved in such meaningful ways. I don't think even a thousand rereads will be enough to make me bored with this manga or it's sequel.

The Japanese government was very concerned with the "morality" of its youth and would withhold approval for any story of homosexual relationships in entertainment unless there was a tragic ending. This was meant to bolster the idea that there is no happiness to be found in homosexuality, while still admitting to its existence. This ceased around the year 2000. The government feared that if homosexuality were accepted, everyone would run right out and "turn" gay. LOL Japan's birthrate has been in decline since the late 80s and the country now suffers in a situation where the death rate exceeds the birthrate by a large margin. This has kept the Japanese government and its traditionalist people from embracing the LGBTQ movement as many other wesernized countries have done. At best, they allow yaoi and yuri manga and don't crack down hard on homosexual AV production and distribution. However, this still leaves homosexuals in the shadows where prejudice, ignorance and violence plague them. Only when they are recognized as equally valuable members of society will they be free from this plague. It's important that we, as consumers of this entertainment, remember that what we read really does have an impact in real life and it reflects the views that its native society holds for its homosexual population. By supporting mangaka who push boundaries and fight for recognition of the LGBTQ communities in their home country, even those of us a world away can give our voice to their cause. So, please, if you can afford it, support the mangaka you love and help them help others.