With all due respect, I feel like defending Airi with “he isn’t perfect” minimizes what he messed up on. He dated someone while having romantic feelings for another person, which isn’t a minor issue. I agree that Airi isn’t a monster or deserves to die or anything, but he did something really trashy that was completely unfair to Itsuki and was forgiven pretty easily compared to what he did.
you're right but u're also minimizing airi's efforts to go against his feelings for his brother, and i appreciated that part that's why i cant bring myself to hate him. he got attached with his brother in an unhealthy and immoral way just because he was the only figure he could look up to. while i do agree it's still a trashy move for him to date itsuki and kind of using him as a tool to get over his brother. he still genuinely loved him and he still took an effort to do the right thing. i mean feelings are complicated especially since it stems from childhood.
i cannot simply oversimplify what happened when there's something underlying it. "he dated someone while having romantic feelings with another" he only dated itsuki when he finally thought he was ready to let his brother go when there's actually someone else willing to love and care for him. mind you, he rejected itsuki at first. it is unfair for itsuki but it's entirely up to him whether he wanted to forgive him or not, if he didn't id still 100% support him, and i think that's the part where most readers cannot accept that itsuki forgave him way too easily hence a lot of insults and a lot of shitting on him.
he may be trash but he's at least recyclable xD but yeah i hope got my point across
I agree that ML’s feelings for his brother stemmed from dependency growing up as he was his only source of guidance and comfort, but I didn’t really see ML actively trying to get past his feelings for his brother when initially dating MC. There was definitely guilt, like it wasn’t as though ML was go-happy with his feelings, but he felt quite passive in his feelings towards his brother while dating MC. Kind of like wallowing in shame or pity, but staying stagnant at the same time. It might be different for you so that depends.
I don’t hate ML either, but his mistakes were definitely enough for MC to break up with him and move on, they were quite severe. I think I remember him literally masturbating to the thought of his brother while dating MC, so I wouldn’t say he only started dating Itsuki once he got over his feelings (which is the main problem, not just his feelings for his brother in general in this case). I also do have to agree that the author had Itsuki forgive ML very quickly and smoothly, which feels like the issue is made light though, although that isn’t connected to ML’s character because he didn’t manipulate MC into forgiving him or anything.
ive read this before and i still feel the same sentiment
yall may keep on shitting on airi, he definitely is not perfect but he's trying to be better to be with itsuki because he loves him. yeah he loves his brother ( but knows he's wrong to feel that way, mind u they're just kids!) , but he loves itsuki just as much if not more. airi said it himself, he didn't know happiness until they dated.
if u put itsuki and airi's brother in a room, airi would still choose itsuki and i think it's much more meaningful to be chosen, to consciously love someone for who they are, understand the value they have given u and realizing how much u shouldnt lose this person :(