Ahhhh this was a good read! So much depth to each character and the slight twist with the accident.
I love how Tooru shows his love for Katsuya that borders between a lover and a parent. Many mangas/manhwas just go full steam on one or the other, but in Tooru's case, you can feel from his actions that he does care for Katsuya as a parent while reciprocating romantic affections. My favourite part is that you can't quite tell if some of these actions stem from romantic feelings, parental love or repentance. Tooru never says he loves Katsuya and it's never explained for which reason he does it.
Katsuya's behaviour was kind of refreshing to see. I like how realistic he is portrayed throughout the story. He knows the consequences of his actions and showing as much restraint as a teen could possibly give -- he didn't confess initially because he knew it could end up pushing Tooru away; he reacted the same way any teen would when faced with a life shattering realisation (running away, lols classic); and he acted on his impulses the way a young teen in love would. It's nice when authors inject a bit of realism into characters.
Kuroda is the dark horse here. I love that we got to explore his trauma and his sudden health condition that motivated him to commit the acts that he did -- "I'm dying so what have I got to lose?" The best part of it is that, while the backstory has the typical sad childhood yada yada, you don't quite sympathise or empathise enough to excuse his actions. He is still portrayed as an antagonist that should rightly be punished for his crimes.
He also acts as a very good juxtaposition to Tooru, showing the different ways people can react when faced with a moral dilemma. You either own up and repent, or run and live like it never happened. It also shows that IQ is not indicative of everything. He may be the better artist but he is less mature and emotionally stable as the clumsy and less skilled Tooru.
Ahhhh this was a good read! So much depth to each character and the slight twist with the accident.
I love how Tooru shows his love for Katsuya that borders between a lover and a parent. Many mangas/manhwas just go full steam on one or the other, but in Tooru's case, you can feel from his actions that he does care for Katsuya as a parent while reciprocating romantic affections. My favourite part is that you can't quite tell if some of these actions stem from romantic feelings, parental love or repentance. Tooru never says he loves Katsuya and it's never explained for which reason he does it.
Katsuya's behaviour was kind of refreshing to see. I like how realistic he is portrayed throughout the story. He knows the consequences of his actions and showing as much restraint as a teen could possibly give -- he didn't confess initially because he knew it could end up pushing Tooru away; he reacted the same way any teen would when faced with a life shattering realisation (running away, lols classic); and he acted on his impulses the way a young teen in love would. It's nice when authors inject a bit of realism into characters.
Kuroda is the dark horse here. I love that we got to explore his trauma and his sudden health condition that motivated him to commit the acts that he did -- "I'm dying so what have I got to lose?" The best part of it is that, while the backstory has the typical sad childhood yada yada, you don't quite sympathise or empathise enough to excuse his actions. He is still portrayed as an antagonist that should rightly be punished for his crimes.
He also acts as a very good juxtaposition to Tooru, showing the different ways people can react when faced with a moral dilemma. You either own up and repent, or run and live like it never happened. It also shows that IQ is not indicative of everything. He may be the better artist but he is less mature and emotionally stable as the clumsy and less skilled Tooru.