duanchu's manga / #BL(111)

there are some works of fiction that are not inherently painful; it struck you so deeply, however, to the core of your soul--drawing tears with its tenderness and softness. this manga is one of it. it is not painful, no, not tragic. but, no matter how, it surely will bring tears for the readers. maybe because the manga completely capture how stuffy first love can really be. maybe it's the beauty of its simplicity, the imagery on every pages. the simple yet stunning art style. simple, yet powerful story.

TW: domestic abuse (not between main couple) Simple and straightforward, but really good. The main couple has a very good and healthy relationship. It wasn't anything special; no fateful meeting, no dramatic and cheesy destiny, no nostalgic first love. It was so generic and so /real/. We met someone, we got to know them, and we fell for them. Which is what happens most of the time in real life; life is never as grandeur as fiction, after all. But that's how it is so easy to relate to this manga, because it could have happened to "us". ALSO this manga doesn't have the "I fall in love wiith my saviour" trope and I personally love that!!! OH, and the way they handle domestic abuse here??? I do wish the abusive ex got more repercussion, but I really love how the seme empower the uke and said outright that HE doesn't deserve to be abused. The seme is a really good person. He is kind, supportive, sympathetic, caring, and not-abusive. He respects the uke's decision and opinion; he lets him choose for himself, and is always there to help when needed. He is just... a really good man. Real life could use more men like him tbh!!!

i personally think it's pretty weak in terms of storytelling. the characters are not bad, yet they are also not that interesting enough for me to be invested in. the premise is particularly generic, and in terms of execution, there wasn't anything particularly special. it was just missing something crucial for a totally enjoyable BL, in my opinion. while the worldbuilding is interesting, it could use more work and development. it feels pretty wasted on the plot. furthermore, the couples are just not that,,, gripping? would probably rate it 2.5/5; however, the art is really gorgeous. great character design as well. pretty hot smut scenes! tldr; read for the porn, and not the plot, i suppose.

some fun, light reading. the plot seems pretty cliche; shall see how it progress in the future.

CW: suicide attempt & ideation, depression. Ch. 3

Current: Ch. 5

Current: Ch. 17

Art is OK, plot seems interesting so far. Still unsure about the relationship, but so far I enjoy how tragic their relationship can be, especially because it’s self-induced.