lilithespark's manga / #Actor x Actor(4)

Hmmm, the anime stayed pretty loyal to the manga with the omitting of the VERY explicit sex scenes, lmao. Don't get me wrong, I really like this manga. Might say "love" even, but as stated before, there are very obvious flaws in this series. Before I go on a tangent about the things I dislike and are done poorly, I will highlight the positives of this manga. First of all, the emotional climaxes and catharses are done extremely well. It's imperative to the story, considering this is a romance manga which usually means that the main conflict is something internal, not external. Not to mention the art heightens this as well. An example of this is Junta's repressing of his lust for Takato. Very much red flag-y (a problem I will address later), but rather than being said flatly, the mangaka expresses this via Junta chowing down on mints. The meaning of the action is pretty obvious, and it's recurrent in the storyline. Azumaya is a very masculine representation of the "seme" or domineering person in a monogamous relationship. He's got a high libido and is often compared to a "beast" when it comes to his desire (more often sexual than not) for Takato. Like a typical alpha male one could say. Takato is kind of the opposite. He's more feminine looking, more likely to be harassed, and is susceptible to Junta's advances. Here's the thing, though. They both want each other just as much as the other. They're greedy for each other. Although Takato doesn't usually take the initiative to show that that is indeed what he wants, he does want it, and that's what makes it so significant. The emotional release I got after reading the part where Takato says that he only likes it "because it's Junta" was so worthwhile. I admit that the build up could have been done better (as in less misunderstandings and "almost-rape"), but it felt so insanely romantic. It gave me the feelings I strive to feel whenever I start reading anything out of the romance genre, and a part of it is due to their character writing. Also, it might be important to note that the traditional,y masculine man in this case is allowed a space to properly understand and convey his emotions in a more minor story point (when Junta reveals his anxieties of Takato leaving him/breaking up with him again with a "see you"). Obviously not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction. The next best thing this manga did was the entertainment trope! Surprising? I think not, but I really liked those little tidbits in which the two leads convey a message, whether it be through modeling, acting, whatever. The art and writing for the acting/modeling parts satisfied even me, someone who loves the acting trope in romance. I feel like the nature of Takato and Junta's relationship is something that brings out the best in the other. I loved seeing that. Anyway, those were the reasons I liked this manga. Now, onto the reasons I DIDN'T like this manga, Number One: Over used rape plot points. The literal thing that propels this story forward is a rape scene??! Like, okay. You could argue that it is not the rape but only the consent that is dubious, since Takato "technically" consented to the act. The "technically" part is outrageous in my opinion. It should always be crystal clear whether both parties want to do it or not. The scene is then justified or made less than because Takato "enjoyed it"/got physically aroused from it (which is utter bull by the way). The line is blurred as to how the scene should be treated, but overall, it's just not a good start to an ostensibly healthy romantic relationship. It also doesn't help that Takato's character is often afraid to admit that he enjoys the sex or even anything that he considers "dirty" or "shameful." He's the classic, reluctant uke (would rather not use the word, "uke," but for lack of other words that sufficiently describe the trope, I'm just going along with that for now). One could argue about this for years, but I don't feel like doing that, so I won't. The takeaway from this? First sex scene in the first chapter = dubious and/or questionable. These dubious sexual acts continue for a while before the two finally get together. I began actually liking this manga with the introduction of how Junta fell in love with Takato, a nice change compared to the sex, sex, sex and uninteresting push and pull (I came to like the push and oull in their couple dynamic a lot later on). After that, it kind of stops, and it is made obvious that Takato doesn't mind it as much as he says it does. BUT, ah yes, there is a but, Takato proceeds to be sexually assaulted by other male characters of the cast. These occurrences are brushed off as those same characters are typically given some sort of a redemption, be it comedy or a pitiful past. I'm sick and tired of seeing the same thing. Takato is frequently written as a damsel in distress where Junta has to come along and scoop him back into his broad arms. And yet, there are times he is not, and that is proven through his actings skills and his aptitude for handling situations. It is very contradictory, and I really wish the mangaka would just focus on the latter. I get it. Guys can be weak, too, but I feel this is just crossing the territory of making their relationship somewhat more heteronormative in that their behavior resembles that of a stereotypical heterosexual relationship (which is also harmful, but I'm not diving into that). There are tons of ways to write a story, and I hate how the mangaka resorts to the attempted rape one when they are very much capable of writing more sophisticatedly. Number Two: Cheap misunderstandings. This gripe of mine was something that never went away despite continuing to read the afterward parts of the manga that weren't animated. Like when Takato breaks up with Junta over some paparazzi photo? All would've been avoided had he just, Idk, TOLD HIM ABOUT IT. But noooo, he has to get sentimental about it because he wants to "protect" Junta. This is the kind of thing I abhor across alllll romances. If you've read my other reviews, then you've probably seen it more than once. This frustrating lack of communication is used as a plot device which becomes annoying over time when it gets recycled. Over. And over. And over. And over again. Not very fun to read. Number Three: The side couple. The side couple doesn't show up enough for me to have a long list of complaints about them, but it's enough that I simply do not care about them. I don't care about their backstory. I don't care about their history. I don't care about how their relationship came to be so strained. I. Don't. Care. I think this goes for a lot of the side characters in this actually. They all feel awkward and are just there to provide a few laughs and/or glamorize/belittle a character to influence how the reader thinks of said character. I think the only character that I really like besides the main couple is the dude that really liked Junta and disliked Takato but decided that he liked Junta best when they were together. The side characters do have some depth to them with their anecdotes about the main characters and personalities, but I think they're just used as gags most of the time which is why I could not bring myself to fully empathize with them. I think I touched on everything. If there are things you think I should, let me know! ^^ I would say this is a good BL manga if you think about how this is one of the older ones. It is not without its problems, but I do think it's a good read if you focus on certain parts.

I think this was a decent read. Relatively fluffy, light, and entertaining. Will always like the acting trope. The gags were part of this manga’s charm, but as always with older BL, there was the overused SA as a plot device. Some parts just feel nonsensical and obnoxiously dramatic. If this had come out today, I might not’ve read it ‘cause the execution is so lacking. Still, I enjoyed this with its silly characters. Glad the main couple (and even the side coupe) got their happy ending. This did do more than what I expected on the emotional/philosophical side (i.e. Ryouma questioning what it meant to “date a man”). Appreciated that Izumu got to top Ryouma despite being the typical “uke.” Perhaps a step in the right direction for its time but nothing mind-blowing.