I like this mangaka's art so I have all her physical books...
I've had all Ten Count books for years now... But just as collection... Today was the first time I read this manga and.... I reaaaaaaaally didn't like it...
A SM relationship like this is not to my liking... I didn't like the seme at all... I'll just keep the books as part of my collection tho.
The art as always is pretty and the concept is original. But more to the core, I don't really like manipulative and cunning characters.
FThey never really talk about themselves. Seme never really opened to the uke. Him crying and telling not to leave him was brushed off too easily. Uke calling his dad in his sleep was also brushed off.
I found the lack of communication and the characters not caring about that not so appealling.
It's like "I don't care who you are, just make me feel good"
I felt it superficial.
And when uke says he's scared while having sex it felt off with the seme saying even though I love you... With a sad face...
Like because he "loves" him so much, everything he does to the uke must be ok, right?
I felt that Takarai had a lot more planed for this manga but for some reason ended it abruptly.
This manga is trash. No, sorry, this couple is trash.
I think the seme was going with the logic that since Ume's a man and two men can't date, that doesn't count as a real relationship. You can only have a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and only can marry someone of the opposite sex.
Hara never saw Ume as a romantic partner, more like a jerking off partner.
Stupid, trash, sickening.
In the end is just the uke hopelessly running to the arms of the "full of himself" seme... ┑( ̄Д  ̄)┍
At least make the seme chase a little more after the uke for a change! Not confess after FIVE FUCKING YEARS, wait a couple of days and win him over geez
The senpai told himself he'd confess once they met and he did. But I agree with winning him over because that library kissing scene was sexual assault and I'm glad Hibi rejected him. And i don't think Hibi ran into the arms of someone who is full of himself. The senpai did accept being rejected just like Hibi wanted, but Hibi was consistently shown to have had feelings for the senpai even if it was hate because he admitted disliking being away from his senpai after meeting him again.
Also, when they began dating and especially during the basketball scene, this is the senpai trying to win Hibi over. Cause courting never stops even your official, isn't it?
I get where you are going, but he didn't explain anything to uke, didn't have a proper conversation. He just pushed him and forced his feelings.
You know that he "intended to confess" and that at that time he wasn't sure of their feelings not because he told the uke, but because of his conversation with the granny. In all that time he didn't bother to look for him, so it was more like "ohhh I remember him, guess I'll confess now that he's here" to me. He bet in the confession he once received from uke and was so sure of uke's feelings for him, that bothered me.
Uke spent 5 years trying to forget and get over his crush and the seme just waited "patiently" until uke came to him again.
I know it's romantic and all, that's the point of the manga, to give the message "omg he's so in love, he waited for him for 5 years and now he's doing everything to win him over" but did he? Waited for what? He dumped him and told him his feelings were not real and selfishly 5 years later make a move and make him love him again and only because of the coincidence of uke working in the same place.
If that's how the story affected you, I won't argue. Nonetheless, it's true that it's because I am given Sugino's perspective that I am less aversive of his character (but i seriously hated how he forced himself on Hibi at the library ugh) at the same time it's because it showed his impatience, the regrets and consequences that it made him more human. The plot becomes less 2d because it's not perfect and they are distinct character meeting halfway.
Sugino wasn't given an easy out just because he loved Hibi and Hibi wasn't written out to be an easy catch. I have to disagree with how you phrased the message of the story though because it simplified the conflicts and emotions too much.