The story of two hair stylists, one is a social butterfly (or should I say, a sociopath), and the other focuses on his craft more than his customers. The storyline is very predicable, if you know what you're looking for. A Machiavellian seme, Harada-esque yandere tendencies - the story has the pedigree to be creepy af, and it doesn't disappoint. Even though you might see the ending coming, for what it's worth, the sexual suspense and the threat/delirium of a Stockholm-syndrome-type relationship was believable and gave the piece a stale, creepy quality to it. Like every moment was just surface, farcical antics and the underbelly was charged with the energy of "the other, unspoken conversation." I especially appreciate how this piece slips from a daily, slice-of-life type tale into something really abusive. It's more sophisticated work, and I think the best utilization of Harada's content yet. Where we can be clued into the complex life of a manipulation gone all-too-perfect. It's still glamorized immensely, but I like how the ending is pedestrian, how no one gets caught and there isn't a fall out. "Love" might even seem to exist, no matter how problematically it came about (or was crafted).
Speaking as an East Asian Studies major, this story says a lot about social dynamics in Japan generally; it is assumed that you prioritize an air of civility at all times, regardless of your natural disposition. If you fail to do so, you end up as an outcast (like the uke of the series). If you succeed in it, you can be anyone in reality (like the seme, who is actually seriously mentally ill), and no one is expected to pick up on social cues that might suggest personal turmoil - because as long as you appear civil, you don't cause problems for other people. And the bottom line is, as long as the status-quo isn't disturbed, proper social etiquette in Japan dictates that you "shouldn't cause trouble, if it can be avoided." This non-confrontational disposition is the reason why there is still little dialog about rape culture, work-related sexual harassment, and general molestation in Japan today. A story like this is about how Japan accepts and even glorifies mental illness and social manipulation, creating a piece of fiction that capitalizes on the theme, and even goes as far as to reward the scheming behavior of a protagonist, to frame the events and actions of the people in the story to let him succeed, simply because the highlight of his character is to be conniving and socially excellent.
Color Recipe