5 Seconds
Warning: Sex with violence, blood Do not expect this to be the mangaka’s usual works because in this bunch of short stories, the mangaka explores darker themes. 5 Seconds: The longest story (Chapter 1 & 2 and final chapter) with Hayato and Terada. Hayato has an hereditary ability that triggers when he holds a gaze for 5 seconds. He has tried to hide it from his childhood best friend because he doesn’t want to spoil him with a power that he hates. But when Terada finds out he doesn’t run from his friend..This was my favourite story and the sweetest of the group. The Way To Nurture Love: Identical twins reunite at a gay bar where Yuuichirou (who had run away from home) cross dresses as a girl. Keiichirou is conflicted with the reunion, realising that the brother who looks just like him is still so different in every way other than appearance. Moving in together these two became increasingly close. I didn’t really bond with the twins, it made little sense why one ran off with no contact with the brother he obviously cared for and tbh I didn’t get any real feeling of intensity that would justify their move to being lovers. Even with the “only you can” comment, it was a little underwhelming for me. Too: Stalker Kudou imitates the unsociable loner on campus, right down to the brand of shoes he wears. Each are aware of the stalking, but there are no confrontations or reports to the police. But when he makes a change he gets more attention than he anticipated. This story was interesting but it needed more chapters to do it real justice. We get to see the trigger, but when did the stalking actually start and what happens next. The ending was really not a good place to stop. Itai No Itai No: Easily the darkest story, this was perhaps too sad for me to find erotic. Rei, the “ordinary” one in the trio of friends had terrible childhood experiences that twisted him into someone definitely NOT ordinary. Yet like many a psychopath, he seemed so very normal. The picture he drew in the room with his mom was revealing and again, too sad for me. The friends who were masochists seemed so normal with their kink, but Rei, it came from a darker place. It made the story really interesting but seriously not (in any way) erotic. A story like that needs to be much longer to go from damaged child to darkly sexy guy. Just coz you put someone in an erotic scene doesnt make it erotic. Mushuusei No Ohisama: The AV story, my least favourite by far. I just skimmed it tbh, I don’t like seeing sweet young friends in the beginning ending like that. Not my kink and not fond of AV stories often anyway. Only read one that I liked.
Koibito wa Hatsujouki