Sleeps In Sunbeams's manga / #Abuse(15)

Trigger warning: Rape Ouji no Hakoniwa: This was quite a dark story and the mangaka really did well sharing the pain felt by the broken Yuzuru. No longer the young master, Yuzuru was used to doing what it takes to get by. He was so tough yet fragile, I really felt for him and absolutely hated Iwase when he raped him too. All that TLC, ruined. Definitely a psychological aspect to the story with a Stockholm style relationship though the extra chapter lightened it a bit. Dannetsu Senjou no Kodou: Two roommates sharing a dorm with a line down the middle. This was a story where the seme bought girls to his room and made out right in front of the one he liked. He was deliberately cruel, though the uke would just put his headphones on and ignore him. I would have preferred the uke move to a different room and get away from that toxic relationship, but he was one of those “But I want to be near him” guys which just makes me roll my eyes when I see nothing likeable about a character. A weak uke, weak in character. Not my favourite type to read about. If he stood up for himself just a little and wasn’t such a doormat I would like it, but as it stands, it irritated me.

Some messy uploading to deal with but the story itself was interesting and unexpected. A good natured saviour type seme and a rather quiet and gloomy uke with a secret. Despite their differences and difficulties, these guys were good for each other. Very sweet and warm ending.

Completed story. The Dom/Sub universe is one of my favourite settings when done well and this mangaka did a great job highlighting that these relationships are based on trust and communication, being safe to let your nature free and not being subject to abuse and coercion. The warmth of this Dom Moriya, his tender after care and attention to his sub, he is a perfect partner especially for an abused sub like Miki Kuroda.

CW: Rape, physical abuse, dark themes -Taichi Kanda: College engineering student, sporty, tough, likes women. -Urushima Nayoa: College engineering student, quiet, studious, high achiever, gloomy, megan-kun. What brings these 2 together isn’t a gentle tale of romance, but was based in lies, abuse and manipulation. Despite this, Nayoa’s gentle kindness and vulnerability drew Taichi closer to a man who could literally turn on him at any moment. How can their relationship possibly work?

CW: Violence, dub con, abuse, degradation This was a surprisingly good story. Misaki and Haru’s story spans roughly 8 years and shows a lot of growth in both the characters and (imo) the mangaka’s approach to and understanding of, a relationship with someone who is strongly masochistic. When we first meet the MCs Misaki was just discovering his affinity for pain, how he was able to make it become intense pleasure and the unhealthy ways he fulfilled this need. Haru was not a sadist so much as inherently short fused and reactively violent. Their relationship began with violence because giving and receiving it met different needs in each other but it was a very unhealthy relationship. Over time, it evolved and changed into something that suited them. For Haru, having someone who was in his corner seemed to bring out his “lovey dovey” side and he became aware that he didn’t want to hurt the one he cared for, but the one he cared for needed that. And, tbh, at times Haru did too. I really liked that each looked into what real S&M was about, healthier ways to satisfy those deep needs and seemed to really prioritise their partners needs. I also liked the hints that other random Ms out there seemed to instinctively recognise the S in Haru. He had a strong presence as he matured. They weren’t perfect (not even close lol) but they grew into an unexpectedly stable pair and they went from mutually toxic to a loving pair.