punchline: existential dread's manga / #Yaoi(2)

yagi finds himself jolted wholly out of his comfort zone by asakasa, with the way he cuts through courtesies with candor and blusters through all yagi's hard-won defenses. i don't think the way yagi is described, both by the other readers and by his own admission, does him justice - he's not sycophantic, exactly, he just prefers to keep everyone at arm's length. currently, yagi clearly harbors some animosity toward and no small prejudice (unvoiced, of course) against asakasa, and i appreciate that that's the direction the mangaka is taking the story so far. i'm looking forward to the quiet dismantling of yagi's worldview - at least in respect to interpersonal relationships - and the dance & shuffle of polar opposites trying to accommodate for the incipient affection budding between them verdict: this is shaping up to be a highly emotionally engaging manga about love overcoming boundaries, defenses, and differences.

this feels very much like if yamane ayano had transplanted her usual stories of man subjugated by uber-alpha man through rape and thrill into a historical fantasy, for better or for worse. the same recurring theme of rape fostering affection is prevalent. the same format of an epic drama/thriller/adventure that spin out trial after heart-pounding trial that test the protagonist's will and resolve to the limits. even the art, which is stunningly similar. even the recurring trope of the Unflagging Penis of Denial TM!! there is, however, an element i find fascinating. the seme's actions in chapter 2, where he allows the protagonist to dominate him and humiliate him in the same manner he did him in chapter 1 (which suits the theme and time period of this manga, actually, because it's about conquest and prisoners of wars), showcasing his willingness to overturn existing power dynamics - something ayano would never do with her (unflappable, sexually indomitable) semes.