tsukineko's manga / #tragic past(90)

Seems kinda reminiscent of 'Dirty Dancing', but deeper, with the characters healing one another of their scars, (mental and physical). I quite like the art - simple lines.

I'll have to be in the right mood to read this one. It has a depressed and suicidal mc, who is in self destruct mode, and deliberately does everything to push away the one who loves him, (and who he loves). They have a happy end, though, so it might give me hope that even Z can find (and keep!) true love. It seems to be quite well written, so it could be good, plus there's apparently also smut in there, (because one of the mc's methods to hurt himself and others, is promiscuity, just like Z), which might help to relieve the sadness for and annoyance with the mc.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this more than I expected to from the comments. The ending is too inconclusive, though. Also, I feel that there's not enough depth - be it regarding the plot, the characters, or their feelings. It'll be interesting to read 'Gekkouzaka no Hanayashiki', which was written several years later, and would appear to be a more mature, intense and in depth exploration of the same themes, with its greater length also allowing for better character development. I expect that sensei was also unsatisfied with 'Tonari no Kare', especially its ending, and that 'Gekkouzaka no Hanayashiki' is the result of the maturation of the ideas behind 'Tonari no Kare' and of sensei's own writing style. As such, I'll be disappointed if 'GnH' isn't a lot better than TnK.

2 stories, both on the theme of past trauma, (loss : grief/abandonment), and how it affects future relationships. Sounds interesting - light psychological I guess. Apparently the art's not much good, but the story makes up for it.

3.5 stars. At times I thought this was meh, at others beautiful. When it ended I certainly thought that it all came together nicely, and it did make me cry from the beauty and sadness. The whole thing had a bittersweet feeling to it. I liked the inclusion of the fairytale, which worked very well, although it could have been expanded further. I would reread this.

Apparently, this involves the same struggles as in 'Yoru wa Tomodachi'. Edit: Just read this, and yes indeed, the seme gets pulled into the uke's kink, when it's not his natural inclination, and starts to lose control of himself as a result. I much preferred this to YwT, though. I found this manga beautiful. The art was simple, yet wonderfully evocative, and was a perfect match for the dark and deep subject matter. 4.5 stars.