TachibanaChiharu's Topics (177)

"What If..." side story 2 is complete at 2 chapters (chapters 8-9). I don't mind this; it's a way for the author to explore the characters in different circumstances if things had gone differently or characters had made other choices. They could've been happy too. *shrug*

This series is still up on the "Ongoing" page so I think we're going to get a 3rd side story after this, but we'll have to see next week I suppose. I am hoping the next one will be a redemption arc story for Jihyun, because his character is the most interesting of everyone given his family circumstances, the false accusation on him, and all the problems he's had in his life. Doesn't excuse what he did to Chiwoo of course, but he is allowed to learn from his mistakes too. If not, then we're all doomed.

I do have to say that I am glad we finally got the verbal "I love you" that was missing from the main story from Chiwoo to Kyujin. That was a part of Chiwoo's character arc that had previously been unresolved. It's unfortunate it took 5 years for him to say it, but at least he finally did.

Well, at least none of them are named 'Leo'.

Thoughts on the split-personality plot and who loved who.

White is the functional part of Riya, the part that allows him to fit in with society and go to school, and play the violin. Black is the emotional part of Riya, the one that stands up for himself, that contains his ego, and his ability to love as well as hate. I speculate this divide was based off of a Jedi/Sith distinction because it lines up so well with that, but just complete speculation on my part.

Anyway. The white part of Riya had respect for senpai because of both their relationships with music, the instrument, and performance, but I think it's a mistake to call it love (even though he did say it in the text), because I don't think white was capable of that, he just didn't know what to call it. In the past, full-Riya was captivated by a performance that senpai gave, and meanwhile, after senpai watched Riya's performance, criticized him harshly. Full-Riya knew that his (Riya's) talents were greater, and that senpai was just jealous, i.e., so Riya (pre-split) sassed back at senpai, and that sort of set the stage for white's relationship with him later (e.g., like when senpai kept saying white/Riya "has an ego" even though it was never shown -- senpai just didn't realize there was a split I guess and that the ego went with the part of Riya senpai never saw).

Later, when Riya split, the respect and admiration for senpai's performance went with white/Riya (ex: all the nagging for senpai to get his shyt together, etc), while the hatred of senpai's petty jealousy went with black/Riya ("i hate you" is pretty clear). Because white/Riya couldn't remember anything that black/Riya took with him, he didn't remember the part where senpai was basically a salty jerkhole. This is why white/Riya lets senpai get away with so much (in addition to abuse-victim/stockholm syndrome), and why black/Riya says he hates senpai.

Also, there is the matter that white/Riya's personality was said to be an imitation of his friend Yasui, whom he really misses. Yasui was Riya's first real friend, and the first person who tried to break Riya free of his cycle of abuse, but didn't have the power, as a middle schooler, to do so. And then bad things happened as a result of them running away, and it seemed like white's personality became Yasui so that white/Riya wouldn't have to feel alone even though Yasui was taken from him forcibly. I would say that full-Riya loved Yasui first, never really truly "loved" senpai because full-Riya knew he was a jerk, and that black/Riya loved Atsushi (and white/Riya later accepted this), because the part of Riya capable of love went with black. This was probably why re-formed/Riya told senpai he "loved" him (past tense), because it's an easy word to use, and white/Riya did have some affection for senpai, but it was a completely unhealthy relationship, and full-Riya understands this.

Also, I would suspect the Riya at the end of the manga is actually 3: white/Riya + black/Riya + Yasui. Unfortunately, we're not really given enough time with this final Riya or any time with Yasui to really know for sure. Final Riya is definitely not the zombie his cousin described as his original personality, so yeah.

This is just my interpretation. (๑•ㅂ•)و✧

Haters gonna hate, I guess.

This was really well written. All characters have differently miserable backstories, are shytty to each other at some point because they can't get control of themselves, they all have moments of reflection ala "what have I done", and all characters force themselves to do something about their situation to fix it. There's so much great character development here, it is well worth noting, because most BL is not written this well, and most omegaverse is way way WAY worse.

The omegaverse dynamics of the alpha-omega struggle, and how betas are often left out in the cold, played such a strong yet nuanced role in how the leads broke down and why they did horrible things to each other over the course of the story. I can't over-stress the importance of using omegaverse setting dynamics if you're going to bother writing in the setting. So many omegaverse stories don't even need to be set in omegaverse, and the setting is often wasted. But not here.

I have tried reading this twice before and always stall around chapter 3.

To begin with, everything is rushed at the beginning; the meet-cute, the will-they-won't-they, and confirming of the relationship all happen in the first half of chapter one. Even manga that are only a single volume don't rush things this much. Even one-shots don't tend to rush things this much! Since this is usually the most interesting part of any romance story, it already indicates early-on that there be problems here.

The yakuza organization Aki belongs to doesn't seem to do anything but be inept constantly. Why have yakuza in your comic if you're not going to have any grit in the setting? I get that this is trying to be a romeo/juliet sort of setup with the yakuza/cop, but romeo and juliet was not a rom-com, but a depressing tragedy. This can't make heads nor tails of what it wants to be. There should've been a murder by Aki or his group in the first panel to give the meeting with the dad any teeth at all when Aki tells cop guy he'll end up at the bottom of Tokyo Bay. But it's an empty threat because this yakuza group doesn't do anything at all.

Later, Ueda gets mad at Aki, for the lawyer guy being his "first man". This is effectively victim-blaming Aki for being raped as a middle schooler. I'm not making this up; all the pieces are there, it's just hand-waved by the characters so the audience kinda overlooks it if they don't think about it too much. When Ueda was looking through the pictures, there were comments about Aki being a middle schooler. And then later, the lawyer happily admits to seducing Aki because he's got "that sexy atmosphere" sometimes. How can this be taken so lightly?! To make matters worse, Aki is then forced to make up for stupid Ueda's bad behavior/insecurities over this by grudgingly coming to meet him after Ueda won't get his head out of his arse and go see Aki and admit he was wrong. I hate it when the uke is forced to make up for the seme's bad behavior. Aki did nothing wrong. Why do I have to read this stupid trope in a 9.7-rated manga?

Meanwhile, after Aki grudgingly goes to meet up with Ueda to settle Ueda's ex-boyfriend insecurities, the whole hold-up at knife-point of the lawyer was such a totally stupid contrivation that I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Like anyone would swap hostages in that situation, only adding instability, not in your favor, to an already-losing situation! Yes, he was already going to be arrested before any of this even happened. There is not going to be a huge mob standing around outside of an in-progress bank robbery. If that happens, you've already lost. Bank robberies are grab and dash situations, with quick getaways and car chases, not big crowds of gawkers who aren't in the least scared. Instead, let us recall that Aki is part of a yakuza group. Have the lawyer get caught up in some yakuza business that goes sideways instead, not some random dumb happenstance that would never happen in real life. Ugh. Make use of the things in your setting!

I just can't read this. It's too stupid. This whole comic is stupid. The nice character designs/art is wasted on this stupidity. I made it through chapter 4.2 this time. I'm sure I'll be back to try and read it again after I forget how stupid it is, ala "it can't be that bad, look at how high its rating is!". Well, I'm glad some people got some enjoyment out of this.

This author has other works that are better. "Bokura no Negai" is probably the most well-known one, but "Love and Baseball" was also really good. For a better yakuza story, try: "Aka to Kuro" and "Rouge", "MODS" and "Nights Before Night". For better rom-com, try "Dekoboko Sugar Days" or "Shinyuu tte Soko Made Shinakucha Ikenai No?". Peace, out.

This is an anthology of stories about characters who are put in positions where their preconceived notions about relationships and sexuality are challenged, usually by a character who is psychologically damaged in some way. The characters are generally represented as thoughtful about the situations presented to them and the confessions aimed at them, and the outcomes are by-and-large positive for all involved.

This comic is being officially translated on Lezhin, so there probably won't be updates here until Lezhin catches up with what's been uploaded here so far. It updates on Saturdays and is at chapt 11 right now. It'll go faster than you think.

Luan looks like a middle-schooler cosplaying as a delinquent.

(not spoilers because I don't know what happens) These are my guesses:
1. Taegyu is fallen because he broke an oath
2. Ingyu is powerful but regulated by his chokers/bracelets (so only removing the choker frees up some of his power)
3. Ingyu is part incubus and part angel (which will give him some legitimacy towards staying in the human world, and would also help explain why satan allowed him to go, and has an interest in him to begin with, and why he doesn't really behave that evil)
4. Ingyu and his determination to stay in the human world is going to cause the heaven/hell treaty to be broken, and fighting, and eventually end up in a truce where devils can also return to the human world. Satan was counting on this, and sent Taegyu to be Ingyu's bodyguard because he knew for sure that Taegyu would stay to defend Ingyu due to his stubbornness to not break promises.

The Jiho/Taegyu relationship seems more interesting right now because they're still in the (will they/won't they) phase, which is always the most interesting part of a relationship plot. Ingyu and Kangin have moved far past that already, although I don't find them boring at all, since Ingyu's powers grow every time they have sex (and what the sex/vitality-drain is doing to Kangin) are compelling. I like both couples, and expect my interest in them to go back and forth between the couples as plot things happen. I'm interested to see who is gonna top/bottom in the secondary "couple" since they both look like tops, LOL. (my guess: Taegyu's going to be the bottom since Jiho was going to top Ingyu, and I felt like maybe Taegyu had bottomed for satan in the past given the few flashback scenes of them together).

I have no issues with Ingyu putting his foot down to remain in the human world. He was coming to the human world to begin with whether or not others let him, and it's not his fault or responsibility that satan forced a bodyguard upon him. I feel bad that Taegyu has to do a task he finds detestable because I really like him as a character, but it was his choice to do whatever satan says. Maybe he should think twice about who he pledges oaths to in the future. The conflict here makes Taegyu a way more interesting character though, so I appreciate it his disgruntlement.

Holy cow, Chanwoo has every right to pick and choose who he dates. He's in a business relationship with MD, and has no obligation or expectation to return any feelings MD develops. I'm not even convinced MD even HAS feelings for Chanwoo to that degree, and that he was instead worried about the bruises and black eye, and thought of dating as the quickest way to get Chanwoo out of the situation. When Chanwoo declined, it struck a blow to MD's ego instead, which spurred MD's later choice to pit the two subs against each other, rather than handling the situation in a more mature way.

TBH, I was really hoping Chanwoo would stand up and walk out, telling MD to enjoy his new sub, because really, MD is the one being immature here. And right after Chanwoo gets a huge blow like that guy turning out to be two-faced when Chanwoo liked him so much, and MD is less than supportive. It's one thing to be in a business-like S&M relationship, but that doesn't mean you should be insensitive when your business partner gets his heart broken. I feel bad for Chanwoo, cuz MD is being a dick.

All that said, I do actually like MD because he's (usually) very calm and level-headed and stable, which seems like something Chanwoo desperately needs. I would like to see them become official, but not from MD getting his way while having this tantrum. MD needs to be his calm, collected, stable self, which should show Chanwoo (perhaps over time) just how much Chanwoo really values MD's presence in his life.

No matter what direction this story takes, I still trust this author's writing chops, so I'm sure we'll get there in a satisfying way eventually. Hopefully in fewer than 83 chapters, though.