pluckaduck's manga / #Psychological(132)

ngl their co-dependency was teetering on the edge of romance in so many scenes; the homoerotic vibes are palpable here. i love it. i kinda feel bad for aki; i cant tell if taraka actually loves her, or if he's just trying to find another "rock" to depend on, for emotional and physical needs in an attempt to distance himself from yuujin. anyway, the camera work and panelling is exceptional; so many subtle, in-between-the-lines meanings and emotions. when emphasis is necessary, the expression on their faces is detailed and intense and the scenes are framed dramatically. and taraka and yuujin's dynamic is so compelling?? this is exactly what i crave in psychological subtlety BL stories. i need them to end up together.

couldn't believe ellery died... he was set up like the main character, but then he also died.... sigh. i have to admit, the trick was brilliant, and the mangaka utilized the advantage of manga format, readers's dismissive attention to details, and a bunch of red herrings to pull the wool over our eyes. the storytelling/panelling is pretty simplistic but the art is really gorgeous. the motive ended up kinda cliche, but the reveal that it was all for nothing made it even more bitter and sad. it'll probably torment him forever.

the pseud-rape of the highschool girl and eating his own semen was uncomfortable to read.

a story that delves into complex human nature and explores the multi-faceted dynamics between ranks or classes within a controlled and more digestible version of the systematic society in which the rich/powerful dominate the lower masses. suji, a bold and clever girl who becomes a victim of this vicious game, endeavors to cause chaos and internal conflict and ultimately collapse the game with her solid grasp of manipulation and the crux of human nature. despite her efforts, it is difficult to change the status quo maintained by the compliance of the majority, and the ruling class who holds the power to recede those waves of change.

i pity the mother to some extent bc she simply didn't have the mental fortitude to deal with raising two kids, but it does not justify her abuse at all. she victimizes herself, is timid and immature, cannot own up to her mistakes, and vents her frustration and anger on innocent kids. she's a pretty nuanced chara; instead of simply being an abusive cruel parent, she just emotionally premature and too weak-minded with a victim complex to juggle the responsibility of raising two children and being the breadwinner.

the stories were intersting, tho not necessarily enjoyable. the mangaka just created short stories out of various unconventional ideas and tropes that elicit angst... and yall just call it "brilliant, realistic, etc"? yall, it doesnt equate to story execution. the downside of short stories is that there's not enough space to flesh out the charas and give nuance to make readers actually feel, and this story encapsulates that; while it's psychological, i don't understand the motivations of the old men-- why not just confess and stop draggin people into your mess? and the ending-- are the three in a poly relationship or smth? the dark-haired old man's confession of love feels very abrupt. and random

the cover art is so intentionally misleading and the first chapter sets up like a typical rom-com shounen about humans fighting against evil, but it completely shocked me when it wasn't.... i love it. i couldn't vibe with the protagonist at first, but her karma and chara development is just amazing. but if there was a criticism i had, it would be that the classmates who were completely unaware of her murder... i wished their reactions (instead of just attacking her bc of naka's instigation) were more touched upon, so mc would feel more ashamed and guilty and it would flesh out her classmates more

pretty good. solid plot with decent pacing. side charas are compelling, so i was disappointed when the main villain fell short of them. all that buildup just to be reduced to a weak basic nonintimidating villain without much depth when mc arrives on the scene. how did they become an archdemon in the first place? expanding on their backstory and how blackwing betrayed god would've done so much to their story, and give the plot more depth. and i find it hard to believe he was the only one capable enough to beat him, in lieu of the high-level angels. i also felt mc's only friend-ish, the guy with the biker helment had potential to get his own chara arc, cuz of his chara design, but like, i guess not. the subplot with pong and her rehab subject ending was tied too loosely? the potential and themes about religion, god's will, and redemption were def there, but it just fell short of it. it's still pretty good tho, with likable charas and romance and a relatable chara arc for mc.

great great magnificant art, but lets be honest: the pacing and progression is messy asf. i wish the mangaka put more care into the storyline, characterization (except for Marie-joseph) as he did for the art. the art carried. also, probably the only manga where naked guys hugging each other, guys kissing each other is completely platonic... *cue regretful sigh*. also, marie-joseph is really hot. she ended up being the chara readers rooted for the most, and henri-whatever's chara arc is sooo disappointing. I'm glad he recalled his dream again, and stopped being a total ass, but it's not a very high bar. his sudden change to supporting the revolutionaries was also confusing, and i thought it should've been delved into. but i suppose if the manga was trying to be historically accurate, there's only so much the author can do in his characterizations... even tho it felt so random.

beautiful, and an insightful take based on the executioner's family in medieval France. i loved the themes in the manga, about liberty, women's rights(wrongs lol), the social inequalities and injustice, the excessive opulence of nobility, and the inescapable dirty swamp that is being born in the bloodline of an executioner's family. the charas felt fleshed out, and altho henri-whatever's chara development was very disappointing, it was realistic and ties to one of the themes: that men are pigs who think with their crotches. marie-joseph tho... my feelings for her oscillated between like and dislike, and she certainly made my straight ass sweat, but she's ultimately the most admirable chara of the entire cast who stuck with her beliefs. my complaints is that i felt Marie Antoinette's change of feelings for her is very jarring; how and why did she suddenly dislike and disdain her all of a sudden? there is no explanation for this sudden change from admiring/loving her? there is a huge gap in her chara arc. second) if alain was gonna be a huge influence in marie, he really shouldn't have been introduced in less than 5 chapters just to get killed off. his addition felt so random.