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Sunday, August 6, 2017

Birthday (manga)



If you like short and bittersweet stories, I recommend Birthday for you.



Takashi (top & left), Koyama (right bottom)

The story is centred around the encounter of two boys, the relationship they develop, and the everlasting impact they leave on one another. The manga starts with Koyama, a high school delinquent, who "fell off" the roof and ended up hospitalized for injuries. This is where he meets Takashi, a bright boy his age, yet acts and talks like an elderly man.



Kuro Koyoma from Birthday




At first, their contradictory personalities conflict with one another, but seeing as how most of the hospital ward was filled with elderly, they began talking more and confiding in each other. They both revealed what they most envied about one another; family and health.






Since the manga is only two chapters, I can't say more without spoiling it. However, it is a rather bittersweet manga that will honestly make you feel rather melancholy near the end.






Spoiler Alert:

This is actually a romance/ shounen-ai/ BL. And it's also a tragedy, so I'm sorry.

Monday, July 10, 2017

Kaze to Ki no Uta

Also known as:

The Song of the Wind and Trees


"What Binds these youths together is a law of freedom. It is a place where emotions rule. They are like candles who have just been lit, with doubts and jealousy and contentment and over flowing tears. To them, everything good and bad exists to fulfill their desires; they hide their claws with charming gazes. It's a time when they establish a sense of self-- Adolescence!"

- Kaze to Ki no Uta Vol. 2, Ch. 2, pg. 3

Serge (left) & Gilbert (right)



This story takes place in 19th century France and starts when Serge Battour, a young viscount and piano prodigy, enters the Academy. He gets placed in the same room as Gilbert Cocteau's, where he immediately gets engulfed in Gilbert's mysterious life as the entire school warns him about the promiscuous boy before he even meets him. And Gilbert follows through with the students' expectations of him, seducing and toying with Serge whenever he sees fit to deter him away.





This is when the two children start interacting with each other. Serge adamant to treating Gilbert with the same respect as any of his other peers and urging Gilbert to change his ways to the better. While Gilbert is fixated on his own desires that he pushes and manipulates anyone and anything as to get what he wants. The best word to describe him would be "volatile"; he is constantly in this cycle of being calm and cynical, breaking into hysterical laughter, sobbing uncontrollably, then back to lashing out at anyone in front of him like a cornered cat.

Serge trying to help Gilbert, but oversteps his boundaries resulting in Gilbert lashing out

It's interesting because Serge trys to relate to Gilbert because they are both outcasted by society in some level. Gilbert for being an outward homosexual (sodomy was legal in Paris at the time) and for his rather peculiar behaviour, and Serge who's sun kissed skin separated him from others and who has a reputation of being the son of a viscount and gypsy prostitute. Both actively discriminated and shunned by society. And slowly but surely, they get drawn to each other.


Personally, I believe that that Academy is cursed! Yes, I said cursed! If you read the manga you will understand why I say so! 

This shounen-ai was written in the 70's and 80's and is known to be the first, or one of the very first to incorporate themes of homosexuality in it, which eventually inspired and led to the genres of yaoi mangas. But it is SO MUCH MORE than just homosexuality. It covers topics like morality, child abuse, racism, and much much more that I can ramble on forever about. And it bothers me that all of this gets overshadowed by the genre of "Boys Love" (BL). There really shouldn't even be such a genre as BL or yaoi or yuri, it's just weird to label a story "gay" as people seek those genres in search of stories about homosexuals. It makes it sound like some cheap porn fetish and that's where all the unwarranted fan service comes from.

It is quite a bold manga, not suited for a young audience, I'd say 16+ just for dark themes, content, and utter brutality, however, while there are sex scenes, they are not graphic.

Mischievous Gilbert



As for art, as you can see, it's the classic 70's art style with the giant exaggerated eyes, small lips, the giant curls in the hair, and ever so slender bodies. It's quite interesting, because sometimes it is hard to track switching between the events and a memory because there is not a lot of change in the page when it happens. When someone glares or stares, they draw sparkles and stars in the eyes, and it's a bit odd. Not my personal style, but is interesting. And it gives me a bit of a nostalgic feel to how anime used to be drawn. I'd give this manga a 4/5 so far, because the story is good, but some moments were a bit dull and stretched out. Also, as I said, I'm not entirely sure of the rest of the manga as I have not read it.






At first, I didn't understand why I must know about August's backstory (Gilbert's uncle) or know of Aslan's life (Serge's Father), but in a strange was it does intertwine. It gives you a better understanding of who or rather WHY those people behaved as they did and how their pasts paved Serge's and Gilbert's present actions and thought process. Because you will absolutely hate that snobby manipulative brat that Gilbert is at the start, then you will pity him..and just long to hold him and comfort him after realizing his perspective.

There is also an hour long OVA made of the manga, that rushes through the first 5 or so volumes before abruptly cutting it. The anime is more like a one shot of the manga, so you may not really understand the anime until you read the manga, but it does add to the appreciation of it. I wish it was longer though. I wish it kept going, but perhaps it would have been too brutal and not as entertaining as a mere hour. No, I think I like it the way it is.

So, if you are interested in angsty historical tragic shounen-ai's, I recommend!

If you have already read it, then comment below where you read the manga and your opinions on Gilbert because I'm SO done!

Peace,
M.D.

-----Spoiler Alert-----

This following is a pure character discussion and background summary and basically venting out my frustrations towards the shitty life that Gilbert bore the misfortune of existing in.

So, I actually read this manga twice but I can't remember when I had read it the first time. Maybe I was in my mid teens. I don't believe I understood it too well the first time. I do remember when the duel happened, so I guess I stopped close to the end, or merely forgotten what I had read.

To summarize Gilbert's Tragic Past:

- Born a bastard out of an adulterous relationship between his mom and August (Good ol' uncle dad!).
- abandoned by everyone and hated by his mother.
- until age 5, he was basically a feral child, running around between nature, and the mansion where servants only cared for his most basic needs.
- Then August found him and stripped him of his most cherished comfort items.
- Gilbert was Groomed by August for fun, which resulted in Gilbert being attached to Augu, and ONLY Augu. This made Gilbert act out to seek any kind of attention from his uncle dad. Knowing fully well that if he misbehaved, he will be severely punished (choked/whipped/starved/locked up), which follows being held ...and so he would deliberately act out to seek that small comfort.
- at 9 years old, he was raped by another man (Ever since, August started raping him as well.)
- He proceeded to go to that same rapist's mansion just to spite Augu for attention and because Augu also kicked him out. Then, after growing comfortable with the man, Augu came to fetch him, ripping him out of any little comforts yet again.
- at 11, he was shipped to boarding school, with the promise that he will be visited on holidays. (not always the case).
- Publicly raped at a pub
- sold himself to upperclassmen for grades and to be held.
- was raped/ bullied/ ostracized in school.


Gilbert basically has no self control over his desires, be it sexual or otherwise. He has an unhealthy attachment to August. He has trust issues (who the fuck wouldn't at this point). He is very loving of nature, animals, and being held. He only wants to be fucking held and accepted and to feel that skin to skin contact, because I think he has some serious anxiety on top of what is said above. He displayed some masochistic tendencies; when he wishes to forget about August, he asks for his lovers to choke him harder (daddy) and break him. He also likes toying with others, going as far as sexually assaulting the students at school by forcibly kissing and groping them. Perhaps a way to deter people away or more likely to test them.

Unlike most stories of child abuse, this victim not only likes his abuser, but is madly in love with him.

As for Serge...

He faced ostracism and criticism and racism his entire life because of his darker skin which he inherited from his half gypsy mother. The mother who was also a coquette yet married the heir viscount, a French gentleman.
Kaze to Ki no Uta Vol. 2, Ch. 3, pg. 41
Serge is very stern, he isn't perfect, but he tries to understand people around him. His father died due to over exertion and tuberculosis when he was 3, his mother died later on leaving him in the inherited mansion. At least some of his childhood was happy, and he is slightly less prejudiced than others.


August... Is a son of a bitch.

August also lived a tragic past as he was actively raped and sexually assaulted by his adopted brother (Gilbert's legal dad) and his adoptive father was well aware, but didn't do much to stop it.

His sole desire from Gilbert is to make him as natural and instinct driven as possible, thinking that this is "purity". He doesn't do it out of love, but hate towards Gilbert's parents at the start, then out of jealousy of how freely and proudly Gilbert expresses his emotions and actions uncaring of society. He is basically experimenting with this little boy and toying with him for his own little amusement, which is sickening. Isolating this child from anything and anyone so that he would only desire his touch and attention.

Revolting!


Friday, June 9, 2017

Bastard (manhwa)

"People often refer to kids who don't listen to their parents and rebel against them .....



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I finished reading Bastard by Young Chan Hwang and Carnby Kim. In short, LOVED IT.

Jin Seon from Bastard
The genres I believe include horror, psychological, and drama. I also finished it within three days, so it really isn't that long.

The story is your typical emo looking 17 year old student, Jin Seon, the bottom of the food chain in his school. Jin Seon is also the son of a rich CEO.

The story's plot twist is that Jin Seon's dad is a serial killer....and he's the accomplice. He lures the women in, or plays some sort of role in this charade, and sometimes he participates in some of the action.

Jin Seon from Bastard Ch. 0

However, Jin Seon is slowly rebelling against his father. After meeting the new transfer student Kyon, she becomes his very first ever friend, the first person to ever genuinely be happy to see him. At the same time, his father chooses her as a target.

 Now Jin Seon is caught between disobeying his father and risk the consequences of those actions, or participate in the murder of his very first friend. And it's just a matter of what is he going to do to get himself out of this situation..and ultimately, this toxic lifestyle.
Is he going to become just like his father? Will anyone believe him? Is he going to be locked up? Is he going to lose his sanity? Will he lose Kyon? These are all thoughts I had as I read the manga.



This manhwa, I will actually give a 5/5 for the fact that it was just about everything I would like in a comic in terms of art, plot, character development, turmoil, realism, and plot twists.

The plot twists were not the very best but there were a few moments where I was in disbelief. Many moments where I wasn't really scared, but I was very tense and I just kept mumbling "Ah, shit" to myself over and over as I scrolled through it.


And while it is a horror, there are some funny moments and some very heartfelt moments as well. For example, Jin Seon is rather sheltered, often ill, and mostly caught in his thoughts. So, when he finally made a friend he had the audacity to ask "What the heck is porn?" Have fun explaining that to a 17 year old! Never mind the fact he didn't know what sex was at that age. I mean I know you have better things to worry about, but....



Tell me what you think of it!

Peace,
M.D.

Friday, April 7, 2017

Killing Stalking (Manhwa)

A few volumes are out so far as this is a new webtoon. If you're into thriller comics, this is the one for you.

It is unfortunately yaoi, and it is mature, so no one under 16 should read this. That part is what makes it confusing, it is a psychological horror and the fact it's also marked as "tragedy" is giving me a few premonitions on its ending.
I say unfortunately, because I absolutely loathe the romanticization of abusive/dysfunctional relationships as often portrayed in BL mangas.

So, what's it about?

Yoonbum

The story starts with this pathetic looking man's (Yoonbum) perverted obsession with his crush (Sangwoo). However, our little Yoonbum doesn't just dress like a girl to stalk Sangwoo undercover, he not only tracked down where he lives, but also dedicated several months worth of time on figuring out his apartment code, broke and entered, sniffed his bed, then hid in the basement like the sad creep he is.

(Sorry it's hard being objective because I'm rather frustrated with Yoonbum.)

Sangwoo is the ideal man; tall, handsome, kind, smart, loved and respected by all

However, he is not by all means perfect for he has this tiny little itty bitty flaw...


Sangwoo

...He's batshit crazy; pun intended.


The story was already rather interesting, as I had not read the summary and only clicked on it because of the genre and cover. The ultimate twist was Sangwoo's antisocial personality disorder (to say the least without spoiling too much)


---Spoiler Alert---

What is perplexing is that Sangwoo's actions don't deter Yoonbum from continuing to love him, which makes me believe he has Stockholm Syndrome. Yet, at the same time, Yoonbum is fully aware of the gravity of the situation and has several escape attempts. So, it isn't Stockholm Syndrome in the sense that he sympathizes with the man, it's more of "i need someone that needs/wants/loves me". What ever his definition of "love" may be.

I love how I can never predict what happens (so far), the author really takes you from a nice moment, to a sudden violent act, to a sexual moment, to an escape plot, and both characters are quite unpredictable which is understandable. But it leaves me wondering, what will happen next?

The fact that this manga is a tragedy means someone is bound to die. Perhaps homocide/suicide? There's no other way. Otherwise it means they will magically love each other, somehow growing more twisted "love" for one another, but that will not make sense, I really do hate how BL genres often romanticize abuse, however, the author has been logical through out the manga thus far.

There are some inconsistent things. Bones can't fully heal properly without being realigned by doctors. How much of that soup did they have? Shouldn't it have a bigger affect, if not, then shouldn't have Sangwoo lashed at Yoonbum for it?

I also dislike the unnecessary sexual little things like "oh, I took my shirt off because it's wet" I think considering that his pants are also wet, he either changes his entire outfit, or keeps the shirt on.

However, everything else, is pretty spot on, but I won't be able to discuss nor rate it until the manga is over. Bad endings always ruin a good story.



I will just say, this manga has just the right amount of violence for me. Perfect suffering and anguish that I often seek and I just want to pick Yoonbum up and give him a hug. I love that the author drew them this particular way, how skinny Yoonbum is from malnourishment and stress, that he still can't walk properly despite months passing, that despite his love, he still tries to escape and he still struggles. I love his reactions and flinches despite how much he lusts for Sangwoo. Detail is vital for me.




Those flip moments really put me on edge. I keep thinking, is he gonna kill him? Will he kill him now? Please don't maim him! There's no predicting Sangwoo's actions. I honestly thought he was gonna bring Yoonbum's uncle in the basement next!
That would have just put the icing on the cake!


Peace,
M.D.

Monday, January 2, 2017

Can't Hear, Can't See, but Love (Manhwa)


This manga, brace yourself, is about a manhwaka (manhwa artist) who is currently taking care of his mother who suffers from Alzheimers. The problem here is not the mother, it's the fact that he is slowly becoming blind in the process. However, he does befriend Sori, a deaf woman who is a fan of his manhwas, along the way and that is about all I can say so that I would not spoil it.



This Manhwa and Webtoon is actually interesting. As you should already know, I'm very fond of struggles and hardships main characters endure when I'm reading manga. I will often look for any type of major disability or abuse or suffering be it physical or emotional that a character endures and hopefully overcomes. I can't help being a fan of drama and psychological genres.
However, there is also a lot of comedy in this manhwa here that had me grinning and I do fancy a good comic relief.

Likes and dislikes about this manhwa... a lot
It started out great, it was very emotional and the speed of the plot was good. I even teared up a bit at a certain scene because I have a history of Alzheimer's on my mother's side and I do fear the day she starts forgetting me. So, I can relate to the author a bit on this side. I also liked the characters, they were not the typical man brave, woman needs saving mentality many mangas have which I loved. I also loved how violent Sori was!

The ending was rather confusing. I was not upset or satisfied by it. It just there was a lot of unnecessary drama half way through the manhwa which were not properly explained. I mean, why is he suddenly ill? and the ending makes zero sense. Absolute nonsense. Somehow his mom is also looking for him alongside a friend, and bastards that hate him try to help him suddenly. I mean..come ON!

This manga is a little cheesy to summarize it, yet might still make you cry and laugh.

Peace,
M.D.