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May 18, 2016
*This Review Contains Spoilers*
This manga was adorable, short, sweet and to the point. I was smiling all the way through. Since it is only six chapters, there is not a whole lot of character development, but I thought the artists managed to create wonderfully likable characters with what they had. I particularly liked the protagonist, Komatsu. I found his internal struggle very relatable, and his reactions and emotions felt realistic and appropriate.
As a teacher myself, at first I was a little put-off by Shindo-sensei's behavior. As a teacher, he should be able to control his behavior, and I was sure he was aware that the
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manner with which he conducted himself would easily make an isolated, insecure teenager fall in love with him. But I suspected the mangakas had a plan to remedy the situation, and they sure did.
SPOILER:
Though I guess it's not much of a spoiler, we all know how yaois end. The reason I was okay with Shindo's behavior is that I appreciate characters who know their minds, are decisive, and act on their emotions. Shindo acknowledges that he loves Komatsu, but wait for the kid to graduate and makes sure his behavior doesn't distract the student from his studies. I appreciated that.
SPOILER DONE
The art style is not my type, but I thought the story and dialogue more than carried the manga through in the parts where the art was a bit lacking.
A highly recommended short read, sure to put one in a good mood!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 17, 2016
This manga was written by Nekota sensei, one of my favorite mangakas, so I must admit I had a few expectations coming into this, and as Nekota says, if you have high expectations, the disappointment it much greater.
Of course the art is beautiful, and the dialogue is cute and funny, and the characters are likable. Yet, as I've come to appreciate sensei's story-telling skills, this manga was a great disappointment. I have just finished reading all the available volumes, and frankly, I am so underwhelmed it is rather overwhelming.
Actually, even a 6 feels too lenient a score. The only reason I've decided to give Hidoku
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Shinaide a 6 is that there's no question that sensei is a talented and clever artist.
I wanted to mention, while I did not like the manga, I've read all the related doujinshi and really enjoyed them. I think it's because I could pretend they were a separate story, and there's no denying this mangaka's characters are super cute.
I have strived to keep this review spoiler free. However, I do discuss several tropes that the mangaka makes use of, and that could give one the sense of the storyline.
I often read in reviews that people did not like the main couple, and vastly preferred the side characters; however, this is the first manga I have ever read that made me feel this way. From the beginning, I completely disliked Maya and Nemugasa. I wish I could say that they redeemed themselves as the story evolved, as characters often do in the yaoi genre, but if anything I felt these guys slowly devolved (and I mean slowly - this manga feels like it never ends! I can't believe I'm saying such a thing about one of Nekota sensei's works. I'm upset with her for making me say something so awful).
To begin with, our two main characters are introduced with my least favorite of all yaoi tropes - a rape scene. There are yaois that handle this trope well (see Totally Captivated). This manga did not. Instead, sensei chose to use rape as a legitimate commencement for a romantic relationship. This is often done in yaoi, but generally the mangas that use this trope in such a manner are short and shallow, and as readers we are not expected to get all that attached to the characters. However, Hidoku Shinaide is very long and drawn out, and so the reader (supposedly) gets rather attached to the protagonists.
The manga chould have at least addressed the event and portrayed its ramifications on the boys' relationship. However, all I got from the story was a sour taste throughout. The reader cannot even pretend that Nemugasa was just saying "no" and "stop" to be cute or whatever the reason ukes are always shouting "no" during sex. But Nemugasa very clearly does not want it when he describes what is happening to Akira, and the one time the rape scene is mentioned between the couple, Nemugasa states that it is a very bad memory.
In addition to a sour taste, the sexual assault created a very weird inconsistency in Maya's character. He's supposed to be a delinquent or something, but his one transgression (albeit, a ruinous one) is his sexual abuse of Nemugasa, and that lasts about one chapter. The purpose of making Maya rape Nemu completely evades me. I do not understand what it was supposed to acheive or add to his character. Yes, the other characters mention how Maya's personality underwent a transformation, and Maya tells Nemu that Nemu has changed his life; however, this character transformation from a rapist to a kind, respectful person is so abrupt and unexplained, it left me dizzy. Moreover, since the only social interaction we see Maya having before he undergoes his "transformation" is the sexual assault, the mangaka did not provide us with an initial personality to have a transformation upon.
As for Nemu, he's just a stereotypical uke. Clumsy, absent-minded, socially-inept, short and thin, bookwormish. And he has no character development whatsoever, unless the Stockholm-syndrome-esque feelings he develops for Maya count. All in all, he had no redeemable characteristics.
Every interaction between these two felt rehearsed and cliched, and the entire time I had the sense that I've read this manga before.
All around, a disappointing story (hehe, I know I've used this word quite a few times now, but I think if I repeat it enough, it might help me get over my disappointment).
As for the other stories, there are several oneshots in the first volume that were pretty cute, and I was happy to escape the Mayanemu pairing, but they were not particularly noteworthy.
The relationship I really enjoyed reading about was Akira and Shimikawa's relationship. I love Nekota sensei's tutors, they absolutely rock, and Akira is no exception. Unlike Maya/Nemu, Akira has a mature story, and I think that the mangaka could have done so much more with this character. This manga should have been Akira's story, with Maya and Nemugasa as side characters.
Akira's history with his teacher was an original take on the sensei/student trope, and his relationship with Jutta, his brother, is terrifying. I hope Nekota sensei writes more chapters dealing with this relationship and allows Akira to escape from his brother's control. I also liked Shimikawa, since he came across as a mature, calm character. However, I feel like I missed out on a chapter or two from the 5th volume (can't find them anywhere!). In the last chapter I could find, it appears a new character has been introduced (Ruka san? Who is this guy?), and that Shimikawa has forced himself on Nemu (again with this stuff?), so I'm confused and am not sure what to think of Shimikawa.
All in all, while I adore sensei's style (she's quite obsessed with her semes sticking their tongue out during sex. I'm not sure how I feel about that), I'm afraid I cannot recommend this manga. I feel truly awful saying this, but I'm just glad to be done with it. However, if you would like to read some of Nekota sensei's great work, Otona Keikenchi and its sequels were adorable.
Speaking of Otona Keikenchi, there was a crossover between Hidoku Shinaide and Mousou Elektel (a sequel of Otona Keikenchi) featured in this manga that also had me confused. I think there is an implied history between Maya and Fumi (Fumi blushes when they meet), but its never explained. This manga left me with so many questions and so few answers.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 18, 2014
The summary of this manga kind of threw me off. The fiance of the runaway bride comes to live with the father of said bride? And since this is a yaoi and there were only two male characters mentioned, we can all guess exactly what is going to happen between those two. Is it wrong to think it'd be kind of cringe-worthy if the guy slept with both daughter AND father?
Well, don't let that get to you, because this manga is definitely worth reading. The story is actually pretty simple and, if not always predictable, is never really surprising (though there is a related genre
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unexpectedly incorporated into this manga that made me smile). So I think what makes this manga stand out is it's art and characters. And the art is just beautiful.
This is the first time I've read one of Itsuki sensei's works, so in the beginning I wasn't really used to her style. I think what got to me the most was that the text bubbles aren't bubbles! They're squares! SQUARES! It was so weird in the beginning, but by chapter three I got used to it and completely forgot about the weird text bubbles. The people are also very pretty. Too pretty, maybe? I don't think I've ever seen men that pretty. I mean, the only thing that made Masumi (the fiance) look slightly manly was his height and maybe the haircut. Maybe. But I think that if the mangaka had said Shoutarou (the father) was a woman, I wouldn't have wondered about it. I mean, he isn't one of those stereotypically girly yaoi guys, but he's definitely got this feminine delicate look to him. Not that I am saying that was bad, the characters were fun to look at. And I liked how she sort of added wrinkles to Shoutarou's face (though he doesn't look like any middle aged man I know).
As for the characters' personalities, they made me wonder if such calm, peaceful and serene people actually exist in real life (I know those were all synonyms, but the characters were so far from anything like tantrums or anger or whatever that I felt like I needed to put some emphasis on it). Still, they were likable, particularly Risaki (the daughter). I enjoyed her character; she seemed sweet and probably the most real person out of all the characters. I also liked Masumi. But as for Shoutarou, well, I am not sure there's much more to him except for being an eye candy. I mean, he wasn't annoying or anything, but except for "calm" (and its synonyms), I can't think of any other adjective to describe him with.
All in all, I recommend this manga. I think the premise is unusual, and age gaps sans pedophilia are always fun. :D
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 15, 2014
This is basically a story about child abuse and pedophilia wrapped up in fluffiness à la yaoi. And I am not sure whether the fact that the pedophile and the abuser are two different people makes it better or worse. Oh, the poor kid.
I've read age-gap yaoi before, and some of them have been really enjoyable (Honki Ja Neekara, Sweep!, Not Equal and Yume Musubi, Koi Musubi to name a few); however, this one just felt so wrong. Maybe it's because Keisuke behaves like an elementary school student and looks like a middle schooler (though really the fact that he's actually 16 doesn't make the
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situation any better). Or maybe it's that Hisashi (the predator) happens to be the one person in the entire world Keisuke trusts and can talk to. And with the other manga I could at the very least estimate how old the older guy in the relationship was. But in Suki no Mebae all I know is that Hisashi has already finished college, is living on his own and works in accounting. I mean, I guess I can estimate about a 10 year age gap between Keisuke and Hisashi, but it could be more and considering Keisuke is 16 years old, 10 is bad enough. Oh, also, apparently Hisashi has been in love with Keisuke (and I mean in a sexual way--I am not going to say romantic because it isn't) since the poor boy was 13 years old. THIRTEEN! What kid in his twenties is sexually attracted to a 13 year old? This is just beyond messed up.
Of course, the fact that Keisuke gets beaten up at home by his brother just makes the whole thing so much better (and it's not some brotherly squabbling, it's full on physical abuse).
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Feb 13, 2014
One of the reasons I read yaoi is that I rarely come across a female manga or anime character that I like. They tend to either have no personality, a bad/stereotypical personality or just a poorly-written personality. At least with yaoi, the characters usually have more meat to them (hehe, pun not intended), and if they are poorly-written, than at least it has nothing to do with their gender.
Now, when a mangaka adds a female character to a yaoi story, the writer is in a highly dangerous zone since the story usually becomes an example of the Smurfette Principle (one woman in an ensemble of
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men), so we notice every little thing about that character. And that's what Sakuragi sensei did with this manga and she failed miserably. The first chapter was fine. It was a little silly and I didn't appreciate the implication a bride's role is to cook for her guy.
The second chapter was stretching it by giving Shibata (the "bride") an eating disorder. I switched to yaoi to escape gender discrimination and misogynistic ideas, but the purpose is defeated if the mangaka all but states that the protagonist is a woman with a penis and then goes ahead and throws every single girl stereotype at that character. And she didn't even handle the idea of an eating disorder aptly. Anorexia nervosa, which is what Shibata appeared to suffer from, is the most deadly psychological disorder. Analysis showed anorexia to be four times more deadly than clinical depression, three times deadlier than bipolar disorder and two times more deadly than schizophrenia. Anorexia puts a person at a six-fold increase for death compared to healthy persons. That means that anorexia is roughly three times more deadly than other eating disorders. People with anorexia most often die from one of two causes; either their body shuts down, or the person commits suicide (one in five deaths blamed on anorexia is the result of suicide). Anorexia is similar to starvation in that it deprives the body of nutrients over a long period of time, and this extensive malnutrition starves organs until they eventually fail.
Still, this manga treats anorexia like a joke.
But I guess it wasn't enough to stereotype girls through an effeminate male character, so Sakuragi sensei brings in an actual girl in chapter 3 to add to the fun. Hiiragi is Shibata's senpai, and she excels in just about everything. Not only is she smart, she is also very good at martial arts, and she is attracted to Shibata's, umm, cuteness (I guess? She says she wants to protect him). Oh, but guess what? She can't protect Shibata. Why you ask? Not because of arrogance or lack of awareness or a simple mistake. No, she can't protect him just because she is a girl. That's the only reason. Or as Yogi put it:
"Even if he looks unreliable, fundamentally, he's still a guy. If something happens and he can't protect you, isn't that just unacceptable? Although you've always been strong, when you're confronted with a dangerous situation, you're as helpless as any girl."
Thank you, Sakuragi sensei, for clearing that up for me. I wasn't really sure whether I was reading too much into the story, but now I know that I was right. I've read many of sensei's other works, and I was really disappointed with this one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Feb 11, 2014
Here's the thing about this manga: it begins with a screech. That's how it felt! It was like something was grating my brain! I was all, "What happened to Naono sensei!? Give me back my beloved mangaka! I want Renai Nenrei back!"
But I guess she was just testing us to see if we are truly Naono lovers (:D) because by the second chapter it's back to the usual Naono awesomeness of hot (old) men, cute lovers, huge age gaps and adorable comedic situations. Oh, and let's not forget the smutty parts, ha?
The characters really annoyed me at the beginning. I thought Susugi-san was just an
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indifferent hermit who couldn't give one way or another; Jiro came off as flaky and, I don't know, overly young (is that a thing?); and though Tarou was the only one I could stand, he was sort of bland. But I think the best characters are the ones that the writer manages to get us to fall in love with after she made us completely hate them. Which is what this mangaka does with Three Wolves Mountain (cute name).
As the story progresses, we discover Susugi's past, and his true nature. And though he's slightly self-centered, who isn't? it's okay, he feels real. His trauma and story feels real. Tarou isn't as nice and easygoing as he first appeared. Actually, he's kind of dark and violent. And finally, Jiro's innocence is nothing but a mask.
Of course, I found some faults in this manga (I'm such a stick in the mud sometimes). There's a lot of substance, themes and pretty gritty topics all stuffed into 6 chapters. I think she could have turned it into at least 2 volumes.
Also, there's a heterosexual relationship in my BOYS LOVE manga! What's going on here?! Conspiracy! :D The way she added that in is actually pretty sweet.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 9, 2014
Oh my god! What an amazing manga! I like the ratings myanimelist has, "Masterpiece" is the perfect description for Yubisaki no Koi. It was just perfection. I don't even know where to start. The one thing I did not like about this manga is that it's way too short! She could have gone for at least another 40 chapters. AT LEAST. This is the kind of manga I feel like buying two copies of (you know, one for reading and one for keeping safe :D).
I guess I can start with the art. It is so beautiful. The characters look real and man-like. They aren't those
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girlier-than-girls yaoi characters, but they are not the bara kind of manly either. They're just normal. That being said, they are still really handsome, but realistic handsome (I love Nakagawa's glasses). There are also some fairly grotesque scenes in this manga, and I think Naono sensei handled them really well (though I admit, I closed my eyes, I am not very good with blood or dismemberment).
Since I already went there, I think I'll talk a little about the story now. Many mangas romanticize situations or themes (such as the yakuza, the mafia, rape, pedophilia, etc.) that really should not be romanticized. And I think this manga was in danger of that with it's setting of a detective agency. But the mangaka did not fall for that trap. Yes, this is a fantasy yaoi with the premise of ESP, which romanticizes the idea of detectives a little. But other than that, everything is pretty gritty and dark, and frankly it's arguable that Maizuru's powers add to the grittiness (he can read people's minds, but in general what he finds is very unpleasant [understatement] and the manner in which he got those powers isn't really fun either). Over the course of the manga, Maizuru and Nakagawa deal with some really awful situations that I think deserve a trigger warning (I was totally caught by surprise, the summary makes this manga out to be some sort of fluffy, supernatural yaoi, and it isn't).
On to the characters. What is there to say? Maizuru, Nakagawa and even Hajime are all complex and well-developed characters with their respective emotional baggage. Maizuru has trust issues, which at first seem to have arisen from his ability to read people's minds, but by the end of the manga I got this feeling that his general mistrust comes from his own self loathing (in other words, he thinks of himself as an awful person, so he figures everybody else is too). Nakagawa also has trust issues, but I think his issues come from growing up in a yakuza family. That is never out-right stated, but he keeps calling Maizuru "boss," and I can put two and two together. Finally, Hajime is just a jaded and cold person who has seen way too much.
I just read over my review, and it kind of makes the manga sound super depressing. But it really isn't. It's funny and cute and rather romantic at times. It's just not cheesy or over the top.
So, as you can tell, I highly recommend Yubisaki no Koi.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 4, 2014
I think every yaoi lover knows Totally Captivated (which is funny because this is a korean work, not japanese :D). This is THE mafia yaoi. Before you read any mafia yaoi, you've got to read this one so you'll have your standard set. Forget that, before you read another yaoi you've got to read this one. That being said, this is not a very mushy story. I always find it odd when mafia guys are portrayed as these really fun, cute guys--which is really common in manga (e.g. Tight Rope). Mookyul might be hot, but there is nothing cute or sweet or really fun in
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any way about him. He is abusive (both physically and emotionally), scary and domineering. Of course we love him because he's just a really messed up kid who won't hurt anybody too badly (well, okay, he does hurt people, but I suspect he is so strong he doesn't realize how painful what he does is).
Second time around:
So this manhwa often gets labelled as "yaoi," so I used that term in my first review. But it really isn't. Actually, it's one of the most innocent in terms of sexual explicitness of any shounen-ai I've read. Which is very funny, because this is one dark story.
I think a tool that authors sometimes use that can prove to be rather dangerous is introducing protagonists that are actually really awful people. You know, the kind that in a normal story would be the antagonists? On the one hand, we have Ewon, who is basically the kind of person I can't stand--he cheats on his lovers, thinks nothing of it or their feelings (and even blames his disgusting behavior on "curiosity!" I mean, are you for real?) and then throws said lovers to the curb. Then on the other hand we have Mookyul, a violent, hulking thug who thinks nothing of people's feelings either, only he expresses it through his fists. Now, if this was a normal story, our protagonist would be Jiho, the lover whose heart Ewon completely crushed, and the plot would be how Jiho breaks up with Ewon only to get mixed up with the mafia boss Mookyul, but finally manages to put that all behind him and find a decent and caring boyfriend.
But no, what we get is the story of the two jerks, Ewon and Mookyul.
And the reason I said that this tool is dangerous is that if the writer/mangaka isn't careful, they may end up with characters that we just hate throughout the volume. However, that did not happen to Yoo Hajin. More than anything, Totally Captivated is a story of personal growth. It's not just about finding true love; Ewon and Mookyul could have found that anywhere (no really, they each have like a thousand suitors, or the gay-equivalent of suitors). Totally Captivated is about learning to care about other people, learning to put them before yourself, learning what it feels like to be cheated on (it's called karma, Ewon) and learning that everything can be solved without violence if you just try (so proud of you, Mookyul).
Yes, upon analysis, we find that Ewon and Mookyul were pretty terrible guys in the beginning. But this situation is so aptly handled that we just feel for them the entire way through.
Also, I feel like I need to give a disclaimer for what I said earlier: Mookyul is abusive, but he never actually harms Ewon or Jiho. No wait, he slapped both of them. And I'm pretty sure he slapped Ewon twice! Ahh, but I think Ewon slapped Mookyul at some point too. Not that justifies the violence from either side. Bad boys! Behave!
There are many funny and cute moments in this manhwa, but overall, it is very gloomy. The situation seems hopeless, the characters are messed up, and I just found myself cursing the mangaka-goddess for putting Ewon through all that misery (yeah, I was mean, but I love him).
What must at this point be the tenth time around:
Out of all the many mangas I have read, this is the one that I keep going back to again and again. No matter how many times I read it, it manages to surprise me and draw me in all over again. I have been trying to put my finger on why, since this manga is choke-full of tropes and storylines that I cannot stand in other mangas and should have made me drop it in the first place, let alone reread Totally Captivated for years at this point. I've brought up the horrible domestic abuse, but I didn't mention that both the protagonists lie to and cheat on each other repeatedly. This manga should be totally depressing, so why is it so capitvating?
I think maybe it's because despite being mired in a grim, realistic and tragic setting, at the end of the day this manga tells the story of a love so obsessive and heart-wrenching its fantastical in its essence.
By now it has to be official, Totally Captivated has totally captivated me (ha! I'm so funny).
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 29, 2014
You know how sometimes you read something, and it's just kind of meh? Like you don't hate it, but you don't particularly like it either. That's how this manga is. I think student/sensei yaoi are a make it or break it deal, and 24 Jikan Kiss Dekinai breaks it.
I know the mangaka tried to instill conflict and emotion into this work, but I just wasn't buying it, or more like the characters were flat so it was hard to empathize with them.
This manga also includes another work, about a city boy who moves to the countryside where he encounters a 20 year old who
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keeps getting held back in high school and sleeps with anybody who asks. Again, I just wasn't buying into the emotion, and I am not sure if this manga is worth the read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 28, 2014
I guess this is what one would call hardcore? But I don't really see it as "hardcore yaoi," because usually manga that gets labelled like that is full of rape and other unpleasant stuff. Which leaves me in a pinch, since I enjoy, shall we call it, explicit(?) yaoi, but I hate those rape tropes.
Ikenai Otoko is certainly explicit (actually, explicit might be an understatement). Well, it is about a guy named Ryuo who is told by his boyfriend that he is lousy in bed, so he decides to become a porn star to learn; I guess he means learning new techniques :D (yes, because
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that would be the solution any person would come up with in this situation :P). Thus, if it wasn't explicit it wouldn't really fit it's subject matter. But though the premise sounds a little silly, Takao sensei actually pulls it off really well.
Don't be fooled, there's no character development and the such to be found here. But that's not what Ikenai Otoko is about. This manga is more about how we perceive sex. Are porn stars immoral because they normalize sex? Why should sex not be normal? What's the difference between sleeping with a friend and sleeping with someone you love?
These might not be the usual questions we see in a manga, but just because they are unconventional doesn't mean they are of less worth. Speaking of unconventional, who doesn't love a short seme? Or a tough guy who'd "never bottom," but then gets swept away by his carnal pleasures? :D
However, I think it's only a fair warning that this manga can be seen as provocative if you're used to the "Only You, I Am Completely Obsessed" yaoi or "If It's You, It's Okay" trope. In this manga, sex is casual, like playing tennis ;). So there are threesomes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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