I think it has the potential to live up to steel ball run, which is already a bold claim, but some of araki’s biggest successes were those with a physical journey involved. stardust crusaders, golden wind, and steel ball run are probably the best parts, both thematically and the way they were written - I personally find that I’m not as invested in the parts that take place in virtually one spot, such as morioh or the green dolphin prison. Though the theme of steel ball run is pretty much unmatched and I doubt there’s going to be something even better, I can see jojolands outshining the other parts that have a lack of diversity in setting already. The premise is already interesting and I’m looking forward to see more of Hawaii through this manga :)
I think it's very subjective. Though I get the appeal of changing locations, since Araki really puts an effort into presenting the culture of these places, it's never a dealbreaker to me. That side of the story not being present in part 6 didn't keep it away from being my favorite part (sue me). But then again it follows Jojolion, which was pretty boring ngl and my least favorite part overall (probably also because of the lenght, since I binged the rest of the show and had to actually wait for every chapter since day 1), so that would enhance how good Jojolands is.
really a rare find - it’s such a well written and beautiful story. It’s difficult to create believable characters while taking into consideration their flaws and past, as well as how it affects their words/actions. I feel like the author does this masterfully; Joe’s character isn’t exactly likeable to me, but she’s incredibly realistic and I find it hard to find fault in that. I may not like her personality all that much, but I understand how it’s shaped by her insecurities and past, and that’s really successfully shown and developed throughout the story. It’s heartfelt and hits close to home - the theme of a woman’s struggle in any industry, wanting to live up to a legacy, desperation for acknowledgment, it’s all very human. The artistic choices contribute really well to an already great storytelling. I love the attention to the psychology and internal struggles of the characters. It’s always nice to read something that clearly holds a lot of value to its author, and is made with such care.
I find it a little strange that so many people are complaining about Mamiya’s receding hairline. He is such a complex and dimensional character, really unique compared to the carbon copies of leads in stories nowadays - which are all based on one out of a handful of cliches and stereotypes. It’s not like his personality is entirely revolutionary, but it’s different. It’s generally disappointing to see so many people ignore how interesting he is just to complain about what he looks like. The plot is interesting, the atmosphere also feels new and it’s a cool combination of an unsettling sense of “wrongness” with a slice-of-life. I actually like that Mamiya doesn’t look like a perfect pretty anime boy, his character becomes a lot more believable that way. It’s kind of ridiculous and shallow to want him to look like a teenager, and does a disservice to him and the story itself. If you prefer to read about two perfectly attractive dudes in a relationship, it’s whatever and that’s your preference. I just feel like people aren’t acknowledging what’s actually good about the story, and how his appearance suits his character. To each their own!
Amen!
Idc what they say he’s cute af
Dude that's what I've been thinking! He looks like that for a reason. Like you said, this story is a morbid slice-of-life, having Mamiya look any other way wouldn't make sense to me
Honestly I find his design pretty adorable. Not to mention his hair and mustache makes him look like a small french man LOL.
The story is cute, the characters and dialogue are sweet. I find the plot itself is unsuited for the art style, however. I feel like all the women look like children, or at the very least underage - I don’t get the sense of maturity from people that look like schoolgirls, especially since in the past they look exactly the same (except for different hairstyles). For that reason the sexual aspect makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I totally understand that’s the authors art style, but I feel there’s a certain difference between having cutesy adult characters and adult characters that just look like children. I like it apart from that, but don’t think I’ll be able to look past the things I don’t like so much.
artstyle literally looks like any other typical japanese manga... If they look like a kid, that's on you for being a weirdo
I’ve read a lot of manga and I certainly don’t think that‘s the case. The art style is similar to others, that’s true, but the ones I’ve seen are actually depicting schoolgirls. A lot of manga has an issue with infantilizing women to a point that it veers into fetishism. I’m not saying that this particular story is fetishizing young women, but ultimately it has sexual content with (in my opinion) very young-looking girls. If you like it that’s your business, but there’s no need to be rude by implying I’m a weirdo for saying the characters look like children; I think they do, which is why I’m not comfortable with reading any further. I’m not sure what’s weird about preferring to read things that have sexual content with people that actually look like adults. Again, if you like it that’s up to you - but calling me a weirdo for saying I don’t want to read about people that look like children having sex is ultimately weirder. I’m not stopping you from enjoying the story, but if you want to defend it then you should probably have a better argument instead of pointing fingers. Happy reading!
They are fucking and somehow you associate that w/ them "looking like children", yeah you're a weirdo. They "look young" because high school is a common theme for most manga, even if those mangakas made an adult themed manga, the characters would still look the same. Nobody can just change how their artstyle looks. Stop ruining the experience for everyone else w/ your unnecessary opinions.
They look like children because they are drawn to look like children. They have big eyes and heads with small bodily proportions that is typical of how a child is depicted in most art styles. I don’t associate them having sex with looking like children, I associate them LOOKING like children to looking like children. By rejecting the idea that this topic is nuanced and not offering a valid argument in response then it’s not a discussion worth having. If my opinion is unnecessary then yours also is! Hope this helps!
Its ok bruh. Its ok. I understand your feelings. If you dont want to read this anymore, your choice. They maybe look like kids to you but they are legal (college students). They were created to be cute. And if youre reading japanese manga, sometimes its good to throw away your morals, only while reading please. I think that is why mangas are made. We can imagine the unimaginable.
Look I kinda get where your coming from honestly and I would agree that the characters do look kinda young but given that the story setting is in a college environment, the characters do match the setting. People age differently so to say but I'm taking it as barely high school graduates, maybe 2 or 3 yrs in college at most and that's why they kinda look younger. but not younger as in like a little kid (maybe exept for Asumi... but given that she's petite there's not much character design choices given her traits and profile), I think the drawing of them looking younger but not too mature is supposed to fit the timeline (college) or at least I think it's supposed to look like that. Maybe that's why I don't see them as looking like kids? I think that the author meant to draw them like that to give a more "fresh into college" look to them and younger feeling other than a mature vibe look that can pass for a "OL" because I mean like when you enter college after high school I doubt many of us come out looking mature and super well developed although I'm not saying that the character is super perfect in the setting but just give it more leniency if anything. I'm not too sure if you dropped this or not but I think you should give more thought into the setting and the plot isn't bad either so... maybe just think about it and you're always able to share with me on your thoughts about it, I wouldn't mind it if it was different since it'll give me a different p.o.v. (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
Hmm... I see and get it. The Japanese do like to draw like that tho so not much I can say. description wise explained would be like of a child but setting of story would make it otherwise. very conflicting! Lol even I feel at times there are manga's that make their characters looking too much like a lil kid and it is kinda off putting unless the character is supposed to be drawn to look so baby faced Σ(っ°Д °;)っ but most manga's always have a character trait to help you get a understanding of what and why they are drawn like that. and plus there no helping it... Japanese manga's draw more of youthful appearances to give off the "cute" in it but that's just my 2 cents... even traits given for a character looking like a kid doesn't mean that they still don't look like a kid (╯°Д °)╯╧╧but this manga doesn't look like that to me(￣∇￣"). they pushed for slight maturity drawingヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~, if anything Asumi kinda looks like a kid but not at the same time. you just have to take in what the author is trying to dish out (╯°Д °)╯╧╧and understand the drawing igヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~ it will make sense
There are a lot of good things about it; I’m a personal fan of the theme, I like the fact that Calahan’s character design matches the type of person he’s supposed to embody. There’s often a lack of diversity in romances that include men, and it gets extremely old to see the same beardless pretty face over and over again - which is why I liked the novelty (the bar is low). There’s respect for and commitment to the setting, I feel like the “Wild West” atmosphere comes across well. The concept is pretty cool too, but I eventually find that I don’t like the romance well enough. I personally never seem to find a sexual relationship before a romantic one to be all that interesting. Sex that is just a product of physical attraction between two people doesn’t feel that special in a story that’s supposed to be more than that, if the sex is just a precursor to a romantic development. I might come across as old-fashioned or pearl-clutching but I just didn’t like how quickly the relationship developed. I don’t feel chemistry between the two all that much, either. I would’ve liked it a lot more if it were slower paced and developed the characters a little more as individuals before introducing a more personal relationship between them. The theme and the way it’s executed is still cool, though. I’m reminded a little bit of Steel Ball Run, which I like. I’m just not that interested in the romantic/sexual aspect between the characters as much as I am the characters themselves. It’s definitely not bad at all though.
it really took me several years of reading manga that made me realize there is such an aversion towards depicting the female experience. It took me aback to see the word period be mentioned, because I realized that a woman’s period had pretty much never been mentioned in all of the romances I’ve ever read. The only thing I can think of was in Berserk, which isn’t even a romance. There’s something so deeply misogynistic about the depiction of women across all genres, and I was just pleasantly surprised to see something so commonplace and normal being spoken of in a casual way. It’s a weird thing to be happy about, but I can’t believe it took me so long to realize how stigmatized a woman’s bodily functions are (so much so that they’re not even mentioned in mangas with female lead characters). I actually really like this, it’s heartwarming and I rarely see women get this kind of depth and development in fiction, even in yuri. Something so simple as a period makes me feel closer to these characters, seeing them as real individuals instead of the fantasized cute girl trope propagated throughout every romance.
There are just so many things that make it cliche, too convenient, or just uncomfortable. I find it hard to view their relationship as anything but familial, the characters lack a lot of depth apart from some trauma, and being fifteen years over the age of someone you practically raised and not completely shutting them down feels morally wrong. There are small things that make the story unnatural, I thought it was weird for se-hee to be too busy with work to attend her close friend’s grandma’s funeral (?), but that’s really just nitpicking. Overall it just feels fundamentally off; I don’t like the age gap, the characters seem very flat to me, and the plot is uninteresting to me. Just my two cents, I’d love to hear the opinion of anyone who disagrees and why.
Sehee being too busy actually does make sense there’s a joke that the only holiday you get in Korea is by being dead. Tho usually they do let you skip work for funerals or weddings so maybe she’s just in a crazy shitty company
That makes more sense. I guess I just found it odd, considering she was also pretty close with his grandma. I guess it’s just the author creating ways to give the main couple time alone together, so she’s conveniently unable to join them often. It makes sense that the author is trying to further romantic development, but it’s too bad it’s at the expense of se-hee.
I really like this story. I really like it because I relate to the main character. I feel like he lives his life trying to do the right thing and the mature thing and be responsible, taking care of SeeHee. Putting others first. But doing that he doesn't have much happiness for himself, he doesn't prioritize it. He's lonely and depressed and only has work. When he tried to do the right thing by Jun Heon it only hurt and isolated Jun Heon. Doing the right thing is good but he made himself and Jun Heon unhappy. Well no way he could have dated a child obviously.
Now they are both adults I like the main character admitting that he doesn't know how to solve the situation. Jun Heon is an adult now and can make decisions for both of him. The MC doesn't always have to be responsible and in charge. I hope that Jun Heon's decisions and different priorities bring them happiness.....but I kinda doubt it. Because of the crime.
* both of them
I guess the crime plot adds the suspense. Otherwise it would just be a story about "immoral" dating or dating someone with a different age and worldview and whether it would work out.
I think even if we always make the right decisions in our life and always do the moral thing that doesn't guarantee a good outcome or any reward. Well that's been my experience.
I actually find it kind of ironic and funny. Jun Heon doesn't care very much about right and wrong he just wants to do what makes him happy...I guess that's why he's a criminal
I actually find it kind of ironic and funny. Jun Heon doesn't care very much about right and wrong he just wants to do what makes him happy...I guess that's why he's a criminal
I thought the art style was too simple and lacked effort at first, but the story itself is much more complex than I could’ve imagined. There’s so much focus on psychology and the effects of physical and mental illness that the characters feel very unique and well rounded. They each have their own ideologies and I like how that can be a source of conflict apart from external reasons. I ultimately don’t care about the result of the romance, I’m just looking forward to all the interesting developments in character and personality. I’m curious about the plot as well, I find it hard to imagine everybody can be saved after all.
It’s always disappointing to see something with such a unique concept and style start conforming to cliche and lose some of its artistic charm. I really liked it from the beginning, and it eventually just became boring and typical. There was some really good potential with the characters and could’ve had an interesting psychological development, but eventually just started focusing on the sexual relationship in a wildly unethical situation. It feels like both characters take advantage of each other nonstop, and I get that there’s a power imbalance and fucked up dynamic from the start, but instead of addressing that, they literally just have sex. It’s disappointing. I admit I’m unfamiliar with the story, since I read it a while back and haven’t been keeping up with it that much, so if someone disagrees with me I’d love to hear about why. I lost interest the moment they started having a sexual relationship, it felt awkward and kind of out of place to me. I get that there was sexual chemistry beforehand, but it didn’t feel like the characters themselves were in a place to act upon it. I could be wrong, though (like I said, I’m unfamiliar with it). I guess I’ve been gutted ever since the art style changed, it was one of my favourite things about it.
I agree with everything you said! This was truly something very different from other bl manhwas out there and it really had that riveting vibe to it like i was so compelled to find out the end but it fumbled so it was a little disappointing
╮(╯_╰)╭
To be honest, I don’t like it. The storytelling is fine, the pacing is pretty good, and I like chang-il as a character. It can be funny at some points, which I find out of place, because the plot is horrific. There is absolutely nothing appealing to me reading about a prostitute that hates his life - if that were the author’s intention (that is, showing the reality of being forced into prostitution), then I feel like this shouldn’t have elements of romance or humour at all. I think that if it were supposed to be a more serious-themed story, then the parts that are more “lighthearted” are out of place and diminishes it as a whole. I also don’t like romances where the relationship is sexual before it is romantic, and I especially don’t like it because chang-il says extremely often that he only likes women. For that reason the “developing relationship” feels unnatural to me, and I grow weary of seeing chang-il get assaulted every other chapter. I dropped it at the end of s1, so I’m unsure if my criticisms hold up afterwards; in any case, I’m disappointed in how the plot was executed. I find no enjoyment in watching a character I like be miserable with no resolution, and I resent the idea that the author suggests a romance would fix everything. That’s just my opinion, I won’t be reading any further but I hope for the sake of everyone else who will keep up with it that it gets better
That's rly the way the author writes their stories
Extremely dark with bits of humor that have no place being there
But they usually heal the severely abused uke in the right way not just romance
But it'll take a while...
for me this just feels like the author is dumping one tragedy after another like... just stacking them like that and it's straight up boring, there's no substance to it?? but i might be speaking too early since the story is still not finished but again imo it's so boring
"There is absolutely nothing appealing to me reading about a prostitute that hates his life - if that were the author’s intention (that is, showing the reality of being forced into prostitution), then I feel like this shouldn’t have elements of romance or humour at all."
I think this contradicts the point of showing reality, do you think people who are forced into prostitution have no life before and afterwards, do you think they don't laugh and they don't love? I think those parts you mention make the situation more real. I really like reading about MC's personal opinions because he just wants get out of this shit hole and i find his acts very realistic.
Also, i think that Yona didn't like him romantically at first he starts developing feelings the more he understand Chang-il and Chang-il also doesn't like him romantically but there is trust and some bond, Yona gives him hope and it looks like Chang-il has been trying to not hope for a while especially after that going to other district part. I don't know about romance and I'm not here for it but them understanding and trusting each other is something i want to see. Oh, well maybe it won't happen and maybe it'll go worse but i really want to see him save his life