beta
characters: eunjae & san
eunjae is severely depressed, traumatized, and self-destructive. san takes care of eunjae and helps to rebuild his self-esteem. later on, san also has issues with depression and trauma. i love the vibes, art, and supernatural themes. i really hate geumsun.
sexual assault, death, body horror, gore
characters: sehyun & boris
sehyun deals with severe and repeated trauma over the course of the story. boris helps him through his worst periods, and eventually faces his own trauma. a story of hardship and struggle that becomes one of healing and hope. it ends on a happy note. still, mind the warnings.
suicide, sexual assault, violence, homelessness, severe depression, self-harm, racism
characters: skyler & yeonduk
skylar has adhd and anger issues (and PTSD from a specific traumatic event), yeonduk shows signs of anxiety and complex PTSD from being bullied. skylar has yeonduk’s support but has to work to win his heart. very realistic struggles with adhd symptoms and a cute ending, albeit rushed.
bullying, severe depression, planned violence towards a child (never carried out), neglect, emotional abuse
characters: yata & momota
probably my favourite story by harada. momo has ptsd and depression from childhood abuse. self-described as “good-for-nothing”, he has a gambling addiction and offers sexual favours for money. yata takes him in and helps him get his life together. serious moments are interspersed with comedy, making this a lighthearted yet impactful read.
sexual assault, child abuse, homelessness
characters: jaerim & yuri, yumin & dohoon, aerak & heeno
every character has some demons they're battling. the only trauma that's explored in-depth is yuri's, who is actively suppressing his traumatic memories. jaerim encourages him to process his trauma and let himself grieve. mind the warnings.
severe bullying, depression, homophobia, sexual assault, eating disorders, violence, abuse
characters: sui & angie
sui is a sex slave rescued by angie, a former slave-turned-killer who targets abusive owners. sui is badly traumatized and largely non-verbal. with angie's help, he learns to function independently and overwrite the "training" he was subjected to. along the way, sui and angie find comfort in each other. a surprisingly healthy story from sakana tojo (just skip extra 1).
heavy angst, sexual assault, slavery, dehumanization, pedophilia
characters: shindou & toshio
warning: very fucked up. toshio is a cyborg created for sex. mentally, his development is between a child and a teenager. shindou (autistic, asexual) educates toshio and eventually frees him from the lab. they have a surprisingly wholesome nonsexual relationship.
sequels: sabi no yume hidari, sabi no yume migi
underage sexual abuse, nc body modification, dehumanization
characters: terrance & jeff
terrance has severe depression and PTSD. jeff saves him from the verge of suicide and thoroughly works with him to recover a healthy mental state. great execution, discussion about heavy themes is skillful and educated. terrance’s recovery arc is one of my biggest comfort reads.
suicide, mentions of death, bullying, sexual assault, abuse
warning: HEAVY angst before ch 40
characters: en & ichii
en is attacked and turned into a vampire. ichii takes him in on behalf of the organization, 'fangs'. en begins to understand the difficulties of being a vampire and the consequences of immortality. lots of cute, fluffy moments, despite the setting and themes.
violence, suicide, murder, cults, drug use
characters: soobum & hyuksoo
soobum is miserable and depressed, narrowly (and accidentally) saved from a suicide attempt by a chance meeting with hyuksoo. for his part, hyuksoo seems to suffer PTSD from a tragic event in his childhood. though their relationship starts out on the wrong foot, both boys comes to realize that they really just wanted to escape. they find refuge in each other.
suicide, self-harm, murder, drowning, medical malpractice
Fate Makes No Mistakes