otakulys's manga / #asphyxiation(3)

Wow, I've been meaning to read this forever, and I can't believe it took me this long. This was not at all what I was expecting. I hate that I have to wait now. I hope it updates more soon. But seriously, I went in expecting way more cliches and shallow character motivations. This is an intense thriller, not just plotless smut. I'm always looking for stuff like that, but rarely does it bay off in this way. Plus, gorgeous art. I'm scared it's gonna have a sad ending, or a bittersweet one, and I'm pretty sure at least one of the characters I like will die, so that sucks, but I'm hoping it's all worth it in the end.

"I'm too scared to ask, but I think maybe Shinobu is gay." ... .... .......... What makes you say that, guy who currently has the dude's dick up his ass??? This is the definition of what I hate in yaoi. For whatever reason, the uke is always magically worried about the seme or starts to find him attractive in the middle of rape, and it's like this weird romance. It's so gross. I'm intrigued by the strangulation fetish, so I checked this out, hoping it would be more interesting than your typical rape to love bullshit. It isn't. It just adds choking. Take the choking out and it's the same as a million other stories. I understand that Japanese culture encourages meekness, but I feel like the lengths ukes go to help others in these things is kinda pushing it. This story would have been cute if they'd started as consensual fuck buddies with no feelings between them, but because the guy just jumps the other guy, it's gross. Anyway, they were all supposed to be kinky, kinda twisted stories, but they came across as average stories with weird shit shoved in there. I know a lot of people are confused by the second story, but I kinda liked it. I wish it were a lot longer. You don't see a lot of stuff focusing on MPD, and when it is, it portrays the person as dangerous or something. This wasn't super accurate, but it was better than a lot of stuff out there. I also liked the fourth story. It was very sad, but I like that moment of realization, how he coped with the trauma and the implications of all the times he's seen monsters. The third story, uh... I'm not sure how to feel going into a manga that starts off talking about bloody diarrhea. Not my thing, but there are people out there who hate how yaoi guys don't poop, or at least bitch about it. So here ya go! Also, why is there a tragedy tag? Am I missing something? So far, no one has died.

You know, I really debated on my feelings for this one. The art is gorgeous, and I like the mind games and kinks, etc. I wasn't crazy about the rapey elements, even though they were very mild for yaoi. It was easier to forgive because the characters are supposed to be a little messed up, and it wasn't forceful like you usually see. It was all a little too convenient, but that's often how yaoi goes, and ultimately, the couple is supposed to be twisted, so the rough sex between them and the unhealthy obsession fits just fine. My problem is more with the many yaoi manga out there that contain similar themes but act like it's healthy and lovely. So that in mind, I really enjoyed the story. I can forgive the things that put me off, because I like the way that they fucked with each other, and I appreciated that there was a lot less beating around the bush. Plus, it's sooooo pretty. This art is amazing. I hope she draws a million more manga. I want to read it all. Oh, and piercings! I love the delinquent look, which I believe is what made me start reading this from the beginning. So sexy, ugh.