beta
I am continually humbled by the fact that I used to look at a lot of older yaoi and immediately dismiss it as being bad simply for the time it was written or the retro art style—and this story is another reminder of how stupid I was to think and do that. The comments praising it are what got me to read it and really they’re warranted.
It really is so good, the development from enemies to lovers was just deliciously angsty, with a lot more nuance than I expected going in. I’d tried to read it a couple of times over the years but just assumed it would be shallow slave story like I’ve seen before and dropped it. I’m glad I continued this time, it was dynamic and well planned, and the characters revealed themselves to be equally sympathetic. Shitty seme trope felt actually justified—especially when you came to understand how the seme’s worldview was shaped. And a lot of people don’t like the uke but I actually found him to be super endearing. He’s sensitive and kind, above all, and this has been taken advantage of by others. And I always eat up a good story about the conflicts between love and duty to your countrymen or family ╮(￣▽￣)╭