Author: MINAMI Kanan
Volumes: 8
Status: Complete
Year: 2002
The story starts with the heroine, Seri, an ex-karate girl that has left her old violent ways to try and get a boyfriend. Since guys don't like violent or violence connected girls, Seri tries to be as different as possible in order to please someone in a singles party. Little does she know that her first crush Tamaki is there as well and has other plans for Seri: to turn her in to his personal sex toy!
The story is not as dirty as it seems.. Well, it is. When character development is concerned it isn't as deep as some mangas that I have already read but the most interesting part is how you get to see them grow. Seri, a girl that didn't accept herself learned to do so with the help of Tamaki's real love and for me that is the most important tging in the world: having someone to accept you for who you are. The side characters aren't that important since they are only there to show you how strong the relationship between these two really is. While you are trying to see and get past all of their evil obstacles you really get to see how inconditional love is supposed to be, and maybe that is why I really love this manga.
The artwork of this manga is just stunning. I have read it quite some time ago now and I really don't recall the backgrounds but I'm pretty sure they weren't that developed. The lines of the characters though, are greatly defined and they are beautifully designed and proportional. The problem with the mangaka's drawings is that you somehow get the feeling that the people are all the same, the only thing that changes is (probably) the colour of the hair. What I mean is that the characters look pretty much all alike, even though they all look like the great Bishomen that they are.
There isn't much to know about the story of Seri and Tamaki: they love eachother and they hate all the people trying to separate them, by all means possible. And when I say by every mean possible I am including rape, drugs and violence.
Many people criticise these smut mangas because of the excess of sex, rape and emotions but that is what I really like about them. I mean, There is true love in these characters and he loves her more than everyting in the world. He gets jelous of other guys, he likes to make love to her in every place you can imagine and he wants to protect her for the rest of her life. I mean for me, that is exactly what I want for my life: love, sex and protection. I loved this manga for the rawness in it: things will not always be easy but if there is love and if there is a true feeling of fighting over the one you love, you can overcome all obstacles.
The main downsize of the manga (for me) it is not the excess of rape but how she always tries to find an excuse for the guys who do it. I mean, that makes no sense. If you want to make that guy rape a girl, fine, but don't say that he loved her and wanted to steal her for him because that makes no sense. Rape is rape and the real love of the two chacaters is never based on that note. If you have this in mind, and enjoy the true meaning of SMUT (explicit sexual tension) you'll love this manga as much as I do, he is a man and that is what a woman really needs.
This is a 2002 Manga released in Japanese by Shogakukan, in German by Tokyopop Germany, in French by Akiko and in Chinese by Ever Glory Publishing. To read it online just try searching it in google + read online.
Final Thoughts?
Storyline - 3+
Artwork - 4
Love development - Mature romance, sexuality and mature contents (rape and violence)
Final Grade - 4
1 comment:
Nice review! I thought it was a typical Minami work, bishie, possessive guy with rabbit-like sexual habits and a weak, dumb heroine(I use this word lightly here). However, what shocked me was the ending. Firstly, it was really abrupt although predictable. Secondly, for a couple whose only interest is sex to start suddenly discussing marriage and babies...that's just too much. Those dates carved on the tree confused me a lot. Just how old were they when they had twins?! Children came all too quickly...Reading Kanan Minami manga I can't help but wonder whether she had a satisfying sexual life as the feeling you get from reading the manga is that the mangaka is rather desperate for some...
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