Dec 30, 2023
I have a soft spot for this manga since it's miles ahead of the noncon trash of the time, and because it's actually a pretty good psychological story without the thriller aspect that usually comes with the genre.
On one hand, Ryou is emotionally dependent on Tatsuhiko to an infuriating degree...but, on the other hand, Tatsuhiko also encourages it. It's an interesting dynamic where Ryou acts "spoiled" but is much more aware of his surroundings than others give him credit for—for example, he is aware that Tatsuhiko is "taking care of [him]", and is capable of working on his own when Tatsuhiko can't be around.
In spite
...
of appearing to be about creating manga, this story is actually about how Ryou has made Tatsuhiko the center of his world, even choosing to become a mangaka because Tatsuhiko praised him for being talented at drawing. And Tatsuhiko, for all his grumbling, enjoys this role; just like Ryou is anxious and fidgety whenever Tatsuhiko isn't around, so is Tatsuhiko upset when he denies his real feelings towards Ryou.
I do recommend giving this manga a try for at least two chapters, because the first is only enough to show a "needy" type of personality in Ryou and a "begrudging, infantilizing caretaker" one in Tatsuhiko, but it goes beyond that. The art also reflects this, with Ryou being given a messy, unfinished-sketch look while Tatsuhiko is always drawn with precise, defined lines, and it gets better with every chapter.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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