So when i first read it, , i didn't feel anything in particular since it wasn't completed but basically thats how the story is set up. We see this doctor who offers these massages to relieve his clients' stress. He has a permanent business smile but his hands are gentle: hence "Minori's Hands"
Then we see that he is a nice guy albeit self critical and self punishing, he cares for his clients enough to help them out with favours. Plus, we see that the distant Minori is all but a front he keeps, while his closed heart is deeply missing Souta as he continues to punish himself but this changes when he decides to be a part of a broadcast, wishing deep down to be found and hopefully forgiven by Souta. They haven't been in contact and he knows that him running away caused Souta grief so he's decided to stay away.
Cue Souta finding him, him wanting Souta to hate him because that's how Minori sees himself- someone worth hating.
But that's when we get to know: Minori hates himself for something the audience deems very small but that's precisely why certain characters don't resonate with everyone. Minori hates himself for not helping Souta enough, for not magically fixing him when Souta tends to bulldoze his way through practice. But he's just a club manager who knows limited massages and mind you, they were in Uni (basically young) and that he couldn't be there or help when Souta inevitably collapsed.
So yes, those 5 years were unnecessary when they could've just talked it out. But i also blame it on the youth thing. But on the brighter side, it helped both of them to move forward a little. Him becoming a chiropractor and him becoming a coach. While Minori kept suffering from the guilt of abandoning him ultimately I don't think he's a bad trash seme and so does Souta because Minori only has the deepest of loves for him and isn't toxic.
We're here with the rapey alphas again :/ wtf. I hate it, couldn't get past the first chapter when seme assaults him.
Accidentally dislike.
See I went in fully considering this to be an okay read with some common tropes but but this blew me away- firstly we have more exploration and explanations in this animal abo, more discussions regarding instincts etc and consequences of it.
Secondly, an understanding alpha who really on multiple occasions has consistently proven that instincts or not, the onus of hurting someone is on you and it was beautiful to see them get close together and then getting together. That confession and communication <3"put a muzzle on me because I don't trust myself and while there's a part of me that wants to eat you up, I love you so much that i'd do anything to protect you"
Even their couple life is adorable while dealing with their issues.
Thirdly, yes, Sachio has some issues he needs to address- maybe it's conditioning, the constant treatment of being below others for being a mouse and an Omega, being considered dirty does make him think that he's lower than others and also the whole idealogy that he can't fight instincts could be what he was taught and that encounter with Shio where when someone's pain overtakes his own plus the dialogue that who'd ever want him- really made him an alpha apologist and I'm glad he's being shown that yes, while instincts are there, you take onus over your actions and all the other times where Ukano constantly spoke up to dispel any negative beliefs he held( like when he firmly reaffirmed that I want you, i want to be with you in your heat or standing up for him)
These all i didn't expect, I'm hoping that this one goes well till the end :) Author san didn't disappoint at all
Long comment here regarding Gyojin's behaviour with regard to all that happened-
get this he's just a high school grad, his schooling showed him how being an Omega makes you a natural target and until he met Hyeono again he carried that guilt for not helping him. So at a young age, all he's know is being targeted and then in Uni's first year (he's 18) he gets his first heat and is raped and how overwhelmed he felt. And the alpha gets involved with him never caring about his emotions, manipulating him and using him for sex which he later realises. But at 18, all he's know is being used and then outcasted and then he drops out because it got tough from pheromones/heat to again being constantly on guard against the world. He literally had to shut himself in his own home.
He also has had one night stands for his heat(because he later explains that alphas were a good option for heats and that's all he's known right from his very first heat and how he was groomed into not taking pills for a while as well) and he's seen how alphas have behaved with him, the casual treatment of alphas getting alphas as though he's an object with no say in this.
Coming to joining the workforce, he's faced discrimination here as well and has constantly been leered at by hr and other alphas. This is what breaks him down to not fight back. From his very first experience with being an Omega to his first heat and to now, he's seen how they are looked down upon. He needs this job, he has no university education and he's constantly seeing these alphas leering at him. So that's why he doesn't report his ex, he didn't report Hyeono at first as well, he's just an intern that they never took seriously. He need that job and has consistently faced hardships and so thats all he's known.
But an important point is, he's not a doormat, he doesn't want to escalate the situation is all but he's firm in laying down his own boundaries despite his own worries.
As a character that's why Hyeono stands up for him as his experience was completely different, he he was an alpha and he cruised through his life after getting bullied because he could fight back and afterwards it all went easy. Proving to him that it gets easier and that he can fight all he wants (also because he's an alpha and that has its benefits since he can get all he wants and so this job doesn't weigh heavily on him and neither will people treat him unfairly) People aren't constantly waiting on Hyeono to fail. He wasn't constantly being broken down later in life. That's why he stood up to the ex and for Gyojin, that's his nature and just shows how different life experiences shape people differently.
That's why Gyojin has a deep mistrust for all alphas until Hyeono and him truly connect, that's why Hyeono is okay with fighting and that's why Gyojin didn't report his ex.
Lastly, I loved that from the start they both apologize to eachother and never overstep their boundaries:'))
Rape should never be condoned, it's traumatizing why make the victims get together with their assaulter (if you really want to incorporate it in the plot *side eye*)?! And the victim blaming and shaming- I get that the whole stint with omegaverse is also bringing forth the unfairness/injustice that the whole class system carries BUT is it sooo hard to have decent fucking semes?! Like the bare minimum of "hmm I shouldn't harm someone" even delinquents are humans and you should cross the lines of what makes you human because that just makes you trash and monsterous. Fuck this
truer facts have never been spoken
It may be because mlm relationships are sexualized by the authors of their respective work (and their audience, who are generally women), it's like "That boy was raped, but don't worry, firstly, he is a man and secondly, his rapistHe's handsome and rich, so it's fine." In this work this is half justified by being an omegaverse, although we have the example of the second couple who denies the "I'm an alpha, I couldn't help but rape you" thing since the Alpha waited for the man with the glasses gave him permission.
I've heard someone say that some women who write Yaoi write about men being victims because they where victims of Rape, SA or Abuse because of a man, so in return they write stories of men experiencing what they experienced.
RIGHT??? and the facts that this has so many good ratings when I tell you I was shocked are people okay ??
This isn't really exclusive to mlm though. Rape is used as a plot device in quite a few nsfw works regardless of the gender of the MCs. Bara is written by men for men and the stories are way hardcore and ripe with problematic tropes. So that's hardly a trait unique to women as a consumer.
Characters who understand consent, boundaries and mutual love and respect!! 100/10 would recommend!! It's story like these that made me fall in love with yaoi. The growth, the blossoming of affection which lead to a budding love, like I'm all here for it!! Our seme and uke pair is soo wholesome and respectful of each other. Author-san is the reason I refuse forceful typecast semes. A beautiful story, funny and def reread mat
Not reading this because it seems like there's also rape in it and already the storyline has turned me off. We need more nurturing stories where mc and ml care for each other :'/ Like tf, ukes already shrinking into himself and you pull that shit on him.
I loved the start, towards the middle I started to get a little frustrated and was tempted to read the end but the last few chapters were good so worth it!! I totally get everyone getting irritated though .
Regarding Masumi, I feel like I know her. She feels like a friend and who's sexual preference is on the queer spectrum so I'm glad she ended up with someone with whom she's doesn't keep up her perfectness, trusts to share her past and preferences and is wholly herself with regardless of the gender. I don't believe she had to have a lesbian tag because being queer isn't about just labels right?
She could be someone who isn't attracted to someone without deeply understanding them so she can't feel attraction very quickly ( like her relationships in his plus she was majorly in love with Futaba) We wouldn't know. She is supposed to feel like a real friend you'd have and this is all Ichinose's pov and story so. But a small detail how her partner was someone in touch with feminity and open with his feelings- she's always loved that.
And for Touma-
I wished i could see him happy more, see his face light up when Taichi and him become a thing. Would've loved that but see that's how it is right? You love someone for who they are and that's why sexuality is a fluid concept- you love who you love. So it's was surprising that he ended up with him but not really you know? Since the bond with Touma that Taichi had was too close to his heart as well. But I want to see ittt. I want Touma to always be happy and not look lonely and shrink himself like in some panels-that broad back looked lonely.
For Futaba-
I'm happy she's happy, she's more confident and assured while still being a sweetheart. Personally not my favourite as a character but she had growth and really was adorable:'))