Laurent's Topics (32)

Dislike and entrenched prejudice often make us forget that people who err, are capable of repentance, capable of feeling guilt, pain, and hurt just like any other person—and that they too, can grow out of their past selves and become a better individual. It's through acknowledging this that Ogeretsu Tanaka is able to create such a layered, complex, wonderfully flawed, yet relatable character like Kan. He's impossible to hate in this story because he serves as a mirror to each and every one of us at some point in our lives—we all want to go back to that one moment so that we could say something differently, do something differently.

Often which, many authors forgo portraying or even acknowledging this very human flaw in the process of fleshing out a character, in favor going for the route with less effort: by creating a one-dimensional, antagonistic character that has no complexities whatsoever, with the capacity to only perpetuate pointless drama (they usually come in the form of random 'exes' that appear out of nowhere).

Morality is a volatile, capricious part of ourselves. It morphs and re-defines itself with each event one experience. Ogeretsu Tanaka has conveyed that through this particularly masterful piece of art. There's a resounding message told through her work: that the past does not define the current you. The depicton of Ken's struggle to come to terms with this fact is one that is not just extremely crushing and debilitating, it's also extremely realistic and that's what makes it so satisfying and rewarding when we finally see that in the final chapter, Ken can finally, finally embrace his previous wrongs and surpass it.

It's been a long while since a yaoi manga suceeded in bringing tears to my eyes. This was an absolute masterpiece that explored heavier themes that are not usually explored in this genre—abuse, morality, etc—of which were handled so delicately and executed so elegantly, it made this manga a heart-wrenching and powerful story.

At the end of the day, partner abuse is still wrong, and shouldn't be condoned in any way. But true repentance deserves to be answered with patience, love and forgiveness for one to really grow past one's ugly mistakes. And goddamn am I glad that Kan could reconcile his past with the present, and found not just his well-deserved closure, but also his smile, through a wonderful lover like Shuuna.

I won't spoil, but I just have to say that the remaining chapters, 4 and 5, are absolute masterpieces. Saya and Yuusuke managed to reconcile through the one of the most heart-wrenching and touching way possible, and yet everything that happened was so utterly grounded in reality, it really makes the culmination of their relationship extremely worthwhile to read.

The mangaka's artstyle is also inspiringly masterful: her panelling, anatomy and her particular knack for capturing the most adorable, most tender of expressions are just lovely. And when you combine a superior plot with superior art, you get a paragon that demands to be reread again and again.

A man realizing that he might not be ready to embark on a gay relationship with another man halfway through a heated make-out session because it challenges the subconscious, well-established security and comfort of being straight for his entire life up until that point? Hell yeah. Give me that any day, rather than 'adult' ukes who look disconcertingly prepubescent, overdone drama and unhealthy relationship dynamics—of which are so rampant in the yaoi tag, it gets frustrating to wade through the overwhelming amount of them. But when you find works like this, it makes all those arduous hours spent, worth every single second.

The way Ogeretsu Tanaka handled the more mature themes of sexuality and homoerotic love so delicately, and yet so brutally honest is definitely on a top-notch level. There's a running similarity between all her works—it's that she never fails to portray the different obstacles and dynamics of a relationship, especially when it has to do with homosexuality—she doesn't sugarcoat reality, pain, and the turbulent emotions that come with it. And that's what makes all her works such wonderful gems to indulge in.

Naoto is ridiculously hilarious and lovable! I'm definitely looking forward to the next chapters to come and how those two blockheads in love are going to overcome the hurdle of 'not working out' as a couple.

An extremely heartwarming story exploring the different aspects of friendship, love and growing up. I love, love, love the relationship between Choco, Bun-chan and Suzu—it felt so genuine, the author really captured the essence of being a 'childhood friends trio'. The unconditional support they all have for each other is wonderful to read.

Many yaoi mangas with the premise of the 'childhood friends' trope always seem to be fraught with so many miscommunication, or simply a gaping lack of communication, it sadly casts doubt onto that friendship, which supposedly lasted and persisted from childhood until adolescence, or in some cases, adulthood—which would not have been possible without compromising, understanding and communication. But in contrast, this author handled this extremely well!

The interactions between Bun-chan and Choco is realistic and very down-to-earth. Of course, it came with its own hitches like every other friendship, but I'm glad that they always quickly resolved it through their thoughtfulness for each other, and of course with ample communication: Choco cares for Bun-chan in his own impulsive, air-headed way, whereas Bun-chan expresses care for Choco in his silent, and often surprising way. It's so toothrottingly cute, I'm going to have cavities.

I'm also glad Suzu is so loveable in her own way even though she wasn't the main focus of the manga, she wasn't made into that antagonistic, egocentric female friend that appears all too often in the yaoi tag.

This definitely warrants a reread in the future.

Idiotic, conceited, airheaded ukes will never ever be my thing—they are every aspect and sense of annoying, and that perpetual blush and asinine proclamations he shouts out almost every single second does not make him cute. Eye-rollingly innocent yes, but not cute.

If you want to court someone, it's common courtesy to do it yourself instead of dragging your reluctant best friend along, it's disgusting to take that friendship for granted and extremely uncalled for. The plot is elementary, choppy with almost zero layers, everything happens linearly and there's almost zero development before the author slaps another convenient plot element onto the story, of which obviously weren't very well thought out of at all. But more importantly, the weak characterizations are this manga's main undoing.

Otona's thought process and reasonings are so simplistic and self-serving, I'm left to wonder if he's really a high schooler—I hate to say this, but his schoolmates are indeed right for calling him immature because every single sentence he utters reflects exactly that. And his best friend definitely deserves better rather than having to tolerate Otona's egocentric behavior.

Here's to hoping Osanai ends up with the teacher instead because Otona really has a lot wisening up to do before he can even hope to correctly care for and maintain a healthy relationship with his partner, any partner.

Trust me, I'm an advocate for communication in relationships so usually situations like what's happening in Chapter 10 right now grate on my nerves to no end, but I'm more tolerant in this case because believe what Ichikawa Kei is trying to portray here is a realistic issue and worry that is extremely predominant in gay relationships.

Sometimes we forget that being in a gay relationship is very different from being in a straight relationship. What's at stake and what's usually the main concern plaguing each party's mind are entirely different for gays because your sexuality is simply not accepted by society yet. What I've been saying so far may seem obvious and maybe even commonsensical, but many people seem to forget this fact because of how many yaoi manga portray gay relationships as something that is normalized in society, which they are clearly not and the reality is far from pretty even in countries where gay marriage is legalized. It's still a social stigma and there's still a long way to go before it is widely accepted.

Having your supposedly gay boyfriend cheat on you for a girl is different from having your straight boyfriend cheat on you with a girl—and the thought of that reality is terrifying, and this fear is reflected very clearly in Narasaki's behavior and thoughts. It's not just the relationship and your romantic feelings becoming invalidated that comes with knowing that your partner is cheating on you, it's your very gender and sexuality, the center of your identity, being trampled over because you will inadvertently feel inferior to the other sex and that inadequacy is debilitating because it's not something you can just change on a whim and at your will. That's how crushing it can be to find out that your partner prefers the other sex over you.

Therefore, it's entirely understandable for Narasaki to be apprehensive about confronting Terashima about this because he would have to question everything about himself—his feelings, his self-worth, his right to love—if he were to find out that his insecurities are actually true. It's human nature to want to avoid pain and the truth, especially when it hurts—and for someone like Narasaki who is naturally taciturn and introverted with an innate propensity to avoid direct confrontation, it's doubly difficult for him to speak up about it.

But hopefully, everything will turn out alright soon and the unspoken misunderstandings are finally aired out to be discussed healthily.

EDIT [SPOILER-ISH]: I'm glad to say that after reading the raws, Narasaki and Terashima will talk about their relationship issues like level-headed, responsible young adults and reconcile with each other! Thank god the silence and misunderstandings aren't prolonged up until the point where it becomes pointless drama. Ichikawa Kei never disappoints.

I'd read the raws and I'll tell you guys that it'll be totally worth it even if you have to wait for a year for the next update. I probably burst a blood vessel due to all the internal screaming from all the sickeningly adorable fluff.

Everything will play out nicely in the last chapter: feelings are finally validated, our idiot couple's relationship status will be firmly established after an amazing lovemaking scene, and the reason for Kakei's interest in Asano will also be revealed as well! All in all, it's an extremely satisfying conclusion.

Ichikawa Kei will always remain as one of the best yaoi mangakas for me, I've been hooked on her manga ever since I read Blue Sky Complex and Slow Starter. All her plotlines are not very grandiose, and one would even say that it's understated and plain at first glance, which shares a parallel to her simple art style— sure, it's not frilly and fulsome, but what's amazing is that she manages to make every single one of her works shine through the individual characterizations, the colorful monologues of each characters, as well as the subtlety she puts into defining relationship dynamics. The facial expressions, actions and thoughts of the characters are all very realistic and down to earth that it makes them hard to hate and easy to love—it gives her manga a very comfortable and soothing feeling as you read it. And this, I believe, is the ultimate charm point of her works.

Many yaoi manga nowadays are too overly concerned with trying to have that 'completely original' edge in their plot and try to include all that pomp, it ends up crossing the line and becoming too excessive. Too caught up in that notion, they forget that sometimes simplicity is what shines through the most, and Ichikawa Kei has gotten that down to a top-notch proficiency.

God do I love her works.

I'll say this again and again and again, this is easily one of the best BL ever despite the plot being so understated and ordinary. The way the author depicts the naivety, impulsiveness and playfulness of youth their age is so endearing and wonderful. I love how there are little snippets of Jian Yi's harrowing past thrown in here and there in small smatterings—it's a really gradual introduction of depth to a seemingly happy-go-lucky and blasé person such as Jian Yi, and the author definitely leaves the readers wondering.

At first glance, or should I say, a long glance, this comic may seem to be nothing more than pure fluff, crack, and unreciprocated pining skillfully portrayed as something hilarious with a crude sense of humor unique to Old Xian. But towards the later chapters, heavier elements are introduced—we start to more of Jian Yi's and Zheng Xi's past, followed by the extent and development of their friendship over the years. When you see Jian Yi taking liberties with Zheng Xi, and the latter always reacting violently but tolerating it anyway, it really warms your heart to know that their friendship is a really solid one, and the fact that it started from childhood is just all the more adorable.

This will start off as a casual read for most people, but as uou read on, you'll start to fall in love with the different dynamics between the characters and you start to really, really root for Jian Yi, who is so precious I think we need to start a protection squad.

BUT THEN CHAPTER 142 AND 143 CAME AND I'M NOW BEYOND BROKEN UNTIL OLD XIAN DECIDES TO FIX ME WITH SOME FLUFF AND BANTER

What can I say other than the fact that the art is stunningly beautiful and the characters are all portrayed on point? The longing, yearning and confusion are all very realistic and heartrendingly touching, and the way the author conveys them is definitely on an extremely high level. One of the best doujins I've ever read in a long time.

This was hilarious and the raws were even more fantastic. It's crack turned into extremely tender and hot sex, definitely a good read.