miseryxcompany's manga / #Good Translation(15)

TBR

What is this manga trying to say in having Amemiya consider the words of his late rapist? Initially he rejects the insinuation that he and Tazaki are the same, though he seems to have a change of heart on account of his attraction to Yagi. Tazaki’s letter suggests that if Amemiya keeps suppressing his desires he’ll end up an abuser just like him, and to this stories credit, Amemiya says that simply acknowledging his feelings for Yagi did not free him; it took effort on his own part. But that it is his rapists words he is considering so deeply, after his expressed desire to kill him, is just so odd. This idea of the “limiter” may well have broken the story by equating violence in pursuit of justice to the violence committed by abusers themselves, Amemiya going as far as to shield his kidnapper from Yagi’s gun, after noting how the situation resembles his run-in with Tazaki. The “limiter” itself lacks nuance. Why are we even taking the words of a psychopathic serial rapist/murderer seriously? Why would Yagi have ‘removed his limiter’ had he shot Junya, a kidnapper, murderer, and attempted assaulter? I assume the message Limiter aims to convey is that improperly managing the anger and animosity resulting from your abuse can hinder your ability to recover. But this manga does not acknowledge any nuances to the topic. There’s nothing wrong with wanting those who’ve hurt you to hurt in the same way, but Amemiya allowed his hatred to consume him, for Tazaki to retroactively take control over his life. And it was powerful when he described sex with Yagi as breaking his chains. For the first time since his assault he’d been touched and felt pleasure from it and Tazaki had nothing to do with it. He didn’t need that hatred for him that had driven him up until that point. Was it not enough for that to be the point in which his thirst for revenge ceased? For him to realize that Tazaki doesn’t own him, that he can still take his life back from him and live normally? The closing line, “Another removes his limiter,” only tells me Amemiya continues to live within the grasp and with the memory of his rapist, even in his death. It would have been significantly better had the letter subplot been abandoned and Amemiya’s relationship with sexuality and Yagi been further explored.

I’m really fond of this which is why I hate it. Partners follows six gay swingers, each in a committed relationship with another man, set in 1990s New York. Though they often get together for play parties, they’re dedicated to their individual partners. It’s more realistic in its portrayal of the gay BDSM scene and there are multiple points in which the level of honesty and communication needed to maintain their relationships is displayed. It’s a very mature work and reads as though it could go on for a number of volumes, which is disappointing since i became invested in the more pedestrian side of each of their relationships: Lewis’ body dysmorphia, Randy’s football career as a closeted gay man and his commitment and anger issues, Phil and Randy’s rocky relationship, Marlon and Dougs’ day jobs at the same office, and Marlon’s bedroom troubles mentioned by Lewis. With that in mind, I was disappointed with how Doug’s jealousy was portrayed. I like that he and Marlon have conflicting feelings about one another being alone with the other men— it could have made for a very intimate conversation about boundaries, monogamy and their commitment to each other. Instead, Doug feels pressured into lying about being interested in sleeping with Charlie in front of everyone and hypocritically takes his jealous rage out on Marlon for being interested in Lewis- which sucks because it was a very tender moment in which Marlon affirms Lewis's attractiveness and this just abandoned in favor of Dougs hissyfit. In the same chapter, Phil says he’d like to try more gentle sex with Doug, and Randy snarkily apologizes for being too rough. Regardless it’s a very hot and surprisingly tender story that I just wish was much longer.

“You’re a rabbit and I’m a cat!” “You’re a Neko?! Doesn’t that mean I’m the Tachi?”