Okay, so, like, I know that this is not a shounen-ai manga AT ALL, but...what if it was???? I would really like to see Kashima develop a romance, and, because I enjoy BL, my main target is Kamitani. I think that would be a interesting plot--seeing Kashima realize he has a crush on someone of the same sex, coming to terms with that person being Kamitani, and what that means for himself in Japanese society. Also, how that would affect his relationship with Obaa-san/his brother/Kamitani himself, and how he thinks his parents would have felt about it. Does he have enough energy to devote to a new relationship along with taking care of/being there for his brother? I think a 'burgeoning gay crush' storyline would fit quite well with this kind of manga, but as I said, I'm a little biased.
I love this manga so much because it has this kind of gentle tone throughout it, it's cute but melancholic at the same time. Poor Kashima and Kotarou have lost their parents (quite recently), changed schools (one with kids in a whole different socio-economic class than he was) and have moved completely out of the house they grew up in! They are also living with a caretaker that, imo, sends them mixed signals all up and down the board--if Kashima was a "real" person, I'm sure he would feel less than welcome in that home. Kashima and Kotarou cling to each other because of that loss of family, their caretaker works constantly and has an abrasive attitude towards them and the butler/secretary is caring and doting, albeit in a superficial kind of way. Their actions say they care, but there is no true 'parental affection' (as I would think of it) from either of them. Yet, Kashima (and Kotarou to an extent) take this all with a smile, they are both trying so hard to not be a burden to anyone. I think some of this is personality, and no matter how much of an oblivious mess Kashima might be with romantic affairs, I don't think things like this escape his notice and that's when his mindset of 'I'm okay, everything is okay' comes out.
It's really making me want to see the 'breaking point'.
Okay, so, like, I know that this is not a shounen-ai manga AT ALL, but...what if it was???? I would really like to see Kashima develop a romance, and, because I enjoy BL, my main target is Kamitani. I think that would be a interesting plot--seeing Kashima realize he has a crush on someone of the same sex, coming to terms with that person being Kamitani, and what that means for himself in Japanese society. Also, how that would affect his relationship with Obaa-san/his brother/Kamitani himself, and how he thinks his parents would have felt about it. Does he have enough energy to devote to a new relationship along with taking care of/being there for his brother? I think a 'burgeoning gay crush' storyline would fit quite well with this kind of manga, but as I said, I'm a little biased.
I love this manga so much because it has this kind of gentle tone throughout it, it's cute but melancholic at the same time. Poor Kashima and Kotarou have lost their parents (quite recently), changed schools (one with kids in a whole different socio-economic class than he was) and have moved completely out of the house they grew up in! They are also living with a caretaker that, imo, sends them mixed signals all up and down the board--if Kashima was a "real" person, I'm sure he would feel less than welcome in that home. Kashima and Kotarou cling to each other because of that loss of family, their caretaker works constantly and has an abrasive attitude towards them and the butler/secretary is caring and doting, albeit in a superficial kind of way. Their actions say they care, but there is no true 'parental affection' (as I would think of it) from either of them. Yet, Kashima (and Kotarou to an extent) take this all with a smile, they are both trying so hard to not be a burden to anyone. I think some of this is personality, and no matter how much of an oblivious mess Kashima might be with romantic affairs, I don't think things like this escape his notice and that's when his mindset of 'I'm okay, everything is okay' comes out.
It's really making me want to see the 'breaking point'.