Stigma
6.10.2020 - A story about how violence and hate only perpetuates itself - and how ultimately love, acceptance and forgiveness is the only thing that can ever end it. Seyhun and Boris both deserve to be happy, because too msny shity things have happened to them.
Yuki to Matsu
24-25.10.2020 The story of how the traditional medicine doctor found a half-dead yakuza hitman in the snow, and took him home and patched him up. Thus begins a love triangle between the doctor (Matsuo), the hitman/former kaitama (Tatsuo, kaitama means male prostitute) and the second in command of the yakuza gang (only called Aniiki or ”big brother”). The story goes all the way up to when Tatsuo/now Yuki and Matsuo are both old men, proving how they stayed together their whole lives. As a historical depiction of possible pre-Meiji era male lovers (before 1870) and all the possible drama they could encounter, I think it’s fairly accurate. Tea house brothels, people’s lives being mostly about how to get food on the table, farming, ”crude” medicine and class segregation. Oh mai gawd, does Yuki and Matsuo’s relationship revolve around them sitting and eating together. And talking, and misunderstanding, and having both stupid and important fights, and realizing how much they’ve fallen for one another. Their love is both raw, forgiving and a bit comedic. There’s also two other couples depicted: a farmer and his lady love, and the Aniiki and his lover Ruyo. The art starts out depicting things very shounen ai, but then evolves gradually into more yaoi.
Hanamachi Monogatari - Hatsuzakura Mau, Yoru No Shitone
23.11.2020
3-pun Instant no Chinmoku
28.11.2020 I hate the whole idea of incest. So this story might be a ”once in a lifetime read”-thing for me. In this case, the stepbrothers have NO common gene pool, and the father of the older one took him away from an abusive, druggie, prostitute mother. Their childhood together was all about the love and less about the attraction they felt for one another. In the end, the older brother’s gynophobia isn’t made fun of or swept under the rug, and the younger one’s absolute adoration for his older brother is presented in such a way that you get to feel the whole angst and guilt about it. A difficult read, for me, about a topic I hate. But, I actually managed to read it because of how mature and realistic it seemed, so that’s why it gets 5 stars. .
Nichijousahan Bi - Beautiful Life