queerdinosuar's manga / #bdsm(103)

I absolutely love the aesthetic of this story. The drawings with a steampunk sort of Victorian + vampires inspired aesthetic is perfect and does a lot for be feeling and storytelling. I like the story but the pacing is off, not much happened plot wise for a while and then all the action is happening at the same time with different plot threads. While I like both the main characters, I wish I got to see more of their internal feelings, it would really make me understand what drew them together and why they fell in love. Ok I’m really loving this further in now in the 3rd season. The plot points that could have been set up better have now paid off and there is a really interesting and emotional story underneath about class, a deeply unequal society, exploitation, star crossed lovers, suppressed desires, longing, trauma, and grief. It’s pretty well written and the mysteries that were set up are playing out very interestingly. Eric’s dad was a special person who questioned the status quo and many people admired and loved him for it, in both good and bad ways. The story is all about what we do with the hand we are dealt. I really wish there were side stories.

Cute!

I love how the couples in this play with traditional roles in this manwha. The first couple is a bottom who has a leash kink- a sub in bed but more in charge in daily life, and a top who is basically a big puppy dog in personality all the way around. It’s so cute The second couple is a dom top who ends up being a sub for the guy he likes. The bottom guy is a dog trainer and knows how to handle his top, basically taking on all the “top” roles in the bedroom without the actual position itself. It’s such an interesting dynamic and fun to watch. There is something very queer about the way this comic plays with these roles- way more queer than a lot of the “rich powerful dom top and poor sweet cute bottom” dynamic that is in most BL. Despite being ostensibly queer in that they have two men in a relationship, they recreate the dynamics of heteronormativity in every other aspect of the relationship.

I thought this was a very cute story, probably my favorite dom/sub one I have seen so far. It was pretty frustrating in the middle when then just needed to talk and kept having misunderstandings. But very cute and thoroughly cathartic feeling by the end.

Honestly it’s nice to see a seemingly healthy and consensual bdsm D/S relationship