beta
9/10
CW; rape, prostitution, violence, blurry consent lines overlooked/part of main relationship
Bloody good, definitely need a strong stomach for a toxic male lead but they have excellent chemistry and despite what the reviews may say the two of them manage to stand on astonishingly even ground by the mid-point. I respect a self-aware protagonist who knows what he’s getting into, and who ‘lets’ himself get taken advantage of in a ‘head does its best but the heart is the
8/10
CW: rape, humiliation in bed, dumb depiction of mental illness, controlling behaviour, gaslighting
I’m not gonna lie I like this one. Do I think it’s a profound exploration of APD? No. Do I think it’s a well written toxic relationship? Yeah. Some people are icked by the thought of the ML being ‘redeemed’, but I personally enjoy the grey area the authors going for with the overall theming and exploration of what it means to love someone who cannot love you the way you love them.
9/10
CW: stalking, gaslighting, attempted financial abuse
Currently a really good read. Has a lot of introspective thoughts about the way privilege shapes abuse, and is uniquely good at making the narcissism of the ML look banal as opposed to Joker Superpowers as is standard. MC stays wonderfully grounded and realistic which is great.
Psych horror/dubious consent/mindfuck/gore/sensitive themes
HMMMMd a bit before adding this, but I’d say it fits with the definition of this list. I’d strongly encourage a thematic reading, as without it I can see the ending feeling a little weird.
cw// rape
This is probably up there for one of the most complicated recommendations i can give. Many people in the replies express complete bafflement over how anyone can think this manga is good outside of a rape fetish, and tbh I think that’s understandable.
Your mileage with this one will vary depending on your ability to separate depictions of assault in media from their reality. For some, that’s impossible, for the rest? This is very good and i rec.
Down and Dirty