Oni to Tengoku

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*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

I was surprised to see no reviews on this so I decided to write one because this yaoi really made me smile when I finished it and as a proud fudanshi, I felt obligated. this is my second review so it may be rough.

Story 9/10
So this yaoi is sort of perfect for me because sure college students are fine but teachers for some reason, I like and they are in their 30s, which add to it because mature sex, please don’t judge me, I guess it’s just something new.
Getting back on track, when Aoki and Tengoku first encounter, it reminded me of Ten ... Count, which is another yaoi I enjoyed (and my first yaoi). I like how the story progresses and it’s really cute.

Art 15/10
The art was certainly nice. I like the details to make the characters not look like they are in college. Writing this made me realize I might have a thing for older men...

Characters 10/10
Trauma is a funny thing. Childhood trauma, brother complexes, and obsessions but I won’t say who, READ IT!

Enjoyment 9.7/10
I enjoyed it.

Story 9/10
Art 15/10
Characters 10/10
Enjoyment 9.7/10
Overall 10/10

"Oni to Tengoku" is, on the face of it, rather disturbing. I did originally believe that it was going to take a darker route, given the story appeared to be setting up sexual extortion (twice in fact), but it was played rather lightly. This is endemic to this story. Students are seduced by someone who can only really read as a chronic sexual offending psychopath and the other MC has been abused thoroughly by his mother. But these aspects of the story are played in a rather soft way. Of course, this situation in real life would be totally morally bankrupt - as the reviewer ... "kenzokun" pointed out, our non-psychopathic MC becomes quickly complicit in the nurses chronic sexual abuse. This would not fly in reality, so I can understand why it turned them off the story.

For me personally, the fantasy situation shown to us does not demonstrate the amorality of the author, nor make me enjoy the story less. Mainly because this is one of the most thematically bountiful yaoi I’ve read - nihilism, abuse and love vs sex being but a few. Both characters feel they have been ignored by the world around them, and compressed into the shapes that their families (primarily) expected of them. As we move through the story, the drama and comedy are all conveyed through expressive and well constructed art, panelling and character dialogue (this is most certainly not poorly written as kenzokun claims). It was refreshing to have a story where the characters are drawn with notes of realism and were a bit closer to expiring than a high school student. I was thoroughly hooked from the first time the MCs spoke to each other -the weirdly off-kilter psychoticism of the nurse being shown as a reptile eyeing up the archetypical sufferer of an oedipus complex. It’s great and I’m glad the author gave the story some time to breathe with 10 chapters. Thoroughly recommended if you don’t mind the aforementioned issues surrounding a character, who if existed in IRL, would be completely indefensible (I would like to note for any readers that this is arguably true for many enjoyed characters in popular media e.g. yanderes, the spiders from HxH, and I could go on endlessly). Fiction exists for a reason people.

Should start off by saying if you can't stomach SA/non-con/implied grooming or making light of it (still confused on this front) then this is not for you!

This manga is confusing lol. I gave this a 5 not because it is a bad/boring series, but because it felt like the tone changed gears so abruptly between volumes that it is hard to rate it objectively as one series. I think the premise is interesting? Its definitely insane, but I was curious to see how they were gonna handle Aoki's childhood trauma and what the hell Manabu's deal is.

My biggest gripe is the following:
This ... trope is pretty common in bl but it is frustrating watching a character not have a good relationship with sex and then get assaulted and they are immediately intrigued/want more and that is treated as their responsibility. It is particularly frustrating with this series because Aoki's trauma is very tightly connected to his sexual desires/experiences, their interactions intentionally mirror his abuse, but then they just stop going into that when Manabu learns to be normal or whatever. It's how their whole relationship started but is literally just never brought up again? I dont understand that. To that point, Manabu switching up the way he did felt too jarring. (this is more of an issue in comparison to the later volumes) Again, a big part of their relationship has to do with his warped perception of love, and yes, he is learning what it means to be with someone in a not shitty, sadistic, sex-driven way lol but his personality felt like it was chalked up to "well! hes just kinda fucked up" and like, ok. Then why isnt this more of an issue then? I dont know!! They make me go crazy

There are some really interesting/and heartwarming parts in this series, (especially in the sequel) and I think it can be worth getting through if the first couple chapters arent an immediate drop for you. Honestly, the psychosexual aspect could've been really interesting too! but I do think there's some inconsistency in the tone that's too confusing and unresolved, ... So essentially, it is good...but at what cost? I don't know.