The gist of the story is about a girl, Satoko, who is conflicted about her feelings for two guys. She's a giver by nature of her time, advice, and life. Her friends constantly vent to her, and she feels as if she is the head of the household due to childish parents. At a couples mixer (she had to set up), she ends up alone, but briefly meets an intelligent airhead, Shinguuji. Satoko then begins dating a guy Kenji, who is attractive but doesn't stimulate her. The story doesn't have a linear plot, and bounces between wondering when Kenji's going to find out and who she ends up with.
Hetamen is great for making you feel guilty. I want to cheer on the characters , but also give the side-eye. I don't justify cheating even for cute manga characters. In all honesty, she never should have led on the guys. It's never wrong to just ask for time to think out your feelings.
Something I find funny, the manga and Satoko never fail to remind you that she likes Shinguuji not Kenji. It was set in stone when she fell asleep when Kenji wanted to get all lovey-dovey. :p
Also, there are implied love scenes, which aren't really inappropriate minus a line or two. I was surprised that there's A LOT, if not constant, of sexual content in the last two volumes. Apparently, this is a "mature" manga depsire the slapstickness.
Art:
I like the artwork! It's not necessarily an art style you may not have seen before, but I find it appealing. I like seeing Kenji with his determined eyes, like at the movie theater scene. The faces are nice and convey emotion well when they are meant to.
Characters:
I don't have a favorite character in particular. I had liked Kenji, but he was designed to be the likable dude you felt bad for. His little brothers were very adorable too. Kenji started creeping into no-no behavior toward the end of the first volume. I wish he hadn't gone that route. I guess it goes to show even so-called good guys' true colors will show. For those who this may bother, Kenji started showcasing rapey vibes under the guise of possessiveness. I guess the mangaka found she made him too likable and had to derail that fast.
I'm with Satoko concerning Shinguuji. How is this guy still alive? He's absent-minded to the point of forgetting meals, and can never find anything in his messy room. He's also easy to scare, but will pull from hidden bravery to help someone. All in all, a self-less guy who needs a day-planner. It's also canon, that he is super handsome. “Like a prince from some other country,” as Satoko once said.
Satoko is a neutral character, who is very wishy-washy. You can see early, that she's trying to make herself love the good guy over who she prefers. She understands what she is doing is wrong, and doesn't try to convince herself otherwise. Still, she prefers Shinguuji's company and lips as oppose to Kenji's. She became annoying at some points.
Overall:
The story was okay, but essentially (for the first few chapters) it's just about a girl cheating on her boyfriend, emotionally and physically, over and over. Also, Satoko fantasizes about Shinguuji a lot. If reading about iffy actions doesn't turn you away, you could try reading Hetamen. The story's not ground-breaking or something I would reccomend, but it is entertaining at times. Apparently, Hetamen stands for "good-for-nothing."
