danini's manga / #affair(3)

this is definitely a "more than meets the eye" type situation!! also, it leaves me feeling so sad..... definitely underrated!!!! i wish people were willing to give stories with cheating a chance; there can be nuance, and flawed characters are interesting!! like, lots of people make bad, morally reprehensible choices, why not explore some of the intricacies that lead them there.

5 stars because i don't agree with 7.8 stars (why do people rate manga so much more sensitively than manhua??) i feel very conflicted about this... on one hand, i really really do understand the hatred of cheating, but on the other... i think it's explored in a way that is a lot more understandable here. i don't think Uke was staying with his boyfriend as a safety net, but rather trying to cling onto the sense of stability and independence from the ex who broke his heart. still shitty, but in my mind not as bad as Seme actively pursuing a relationship (sex on the first meeting!!) and forcing sex and meetings when Uke was clearly against it and trying to distance himself. -- i *very much* agree that they both do really shitty things, but i think we should at least acknowledge that Uke tried to go against it and was clearly having an internal struggle. cheating can be nuanced (still BAD, but with some shades of grey)--