otakulys's manga / #sociopath(5)

I don't like this one as much as the sequel. It isn't as careful and psychological. This one is more self-indulgent, I think, and I find it odd that the teacher would be so careless as to risk this sort of thing getting out when he'd carefully groomed the first boy over a period of time. It's an interesting concept, the process of breaking in a plaything, and the prequel was disturbing and sad, but very well done. This was... okay. It had a slight edge to it, but it ultimately felt more like typical yaoi BDSM than Harada's work usually does. Though that thing with the toy and the classroom is definitely screwed up. I've never seen that used in such a dark way.

Haha, this mangaka is a big fan of sociopathic, manipulative characters. I love the subtle build throughout, just little things that suggest something is off with the sister, and early on you start to wonder about that accident. Definitely another dark comedy here. I liked it the most out of what I've read by this author, though. Very twisted little snapshot about how the most dangerous, bloodthirsty people can wear a bland smile and sleep in the room right next to yours.

Whaaaaaaaaaat, I somehow didn't see that coming. XD I should have, all things considered, and Harada's work is always so deliciously fucked up, but I've never seen her play with perspectives like this before. Of course, it wouldn't really be Harada if it weren't terribly twisted, right? Haha, I love her. I can't believe it took me this long to read this one. Twisted as can be, with an ominous, ambiguous ending. So calculating, right to the very end. Harada doesn't pull any punches. She knows her characters are sick and wrong, and the narrative doesn't make any apologies for it. If only more yaoi stuff didn't act like psychotic, abusive behavior could be fixed or forgiven. This was a great read with an ending that satisfied me. I don't know how else it could have possibly concluded without it being a bit irritating. (Though a more violent end to a certain someone would have been nice, but that'd sort of ruin what the story was going for, haha.)

Oh man. Part of me wishes I had just read without seeing spoilers, but it was good to know going in that this is NOT yuri, and I don't know why it thinks it is. Even in the beginning, it was never indicated as anything more than friendship, and that girl isn't even the main character anymore. The focus is on a girl with a crush on her male childhood friend. At any rate, this is super messed up, and I'm kind of bummed that it's been abandoned. No update in at least seven years, so I guess it's dead. I wanted to know what happens.

I read the comments and actually expected this to be way worse. It was too brief to really have an impact, though the ending was certainly cruel. It made me sad when his friend was so excited to hear from him and see him, when we know the true reason for all of it. Other than that, it was kind of rushed, and I skimmed the smut scene because I wasn't fond of the art, nor the type of sexual exchange. At any rate, it had potential to really offer a sucker punch at the end, but it's otherwise unremarkable.