I don't know, I'm GLAD the doctor and Kiyo never got together. As far as I'm concerned he DESERVES to suffer. He's a JERK. "Oh, let them rape you so I can still give you candy. If you die who will I give my candy toooooooo! Boohoo poor widdle MEEEEEEEE." THEN he begrudges giving the one shining light to the uke who's in love with him and whom he KNEW was in love with him because HE fell in love with HIM and because his feelings are more important? Ugh, the only way this could get any better is if the guy who owned the brothel and the guy who first raped him had been burned in a fire slowly while everyone watched. I mean, seriously, the guy who's raping him 'spoils him too much?' What the literal fucking fuck?
You can't read this with todays mindset. Think about the time they've lived in.
Sure, doctor is not perfect, and I definitely do not support child prostitution but those were different times, when that was regular (not to say normal) to happen in that situations. It's sad and heart breaking, doctor's reason for him living is selfish, but it's still something that saved his life.
That's how prostitutes lives in those times were. Somebody did with them before the customers to get them used before "work". Every guy in brothel went trough that.
But of course I'm glad that he didn't refuse that guy so that he could see doctor from time to time. That's what I was afraid of.
My thoughts exactly. The common sense is really different from present time.
My grandmother once told me that in her childhood she would sometimes see runaway girls of the brothels get reported by neighbors and get caught dragged along by her long hair. And I was like 'Ugh, grandma!' but at the time it was normal that the prostitutes were store's property and most people regarded them with contempt.
I think the doctor treated the boy as a human and that meant a lot to the boy.
Anyways I'm glad I'm born at this era. I mean I think it's such a sad and ugly practice. When I think of these things, I really get disgusted with men's desires, well, no offense so don't take it personally... even my friends who are guys agree on this, that men have dirty desires (not that women don't) ...
Oh gosh ╥﹏╥ thank you tho
Oh my god this is beautiful yet so sad im hurt man .. Duh cant stop crying （/TДT)/
I am crying from your comment. Oh God. Sad. Realistic. Beautiful. And sad. This is life. It's hard and yet... Ahhhhhhh it's too painful. My heart just broke.... Fuck.
Where can we read this though? Please
WTH!! I HOPE IT GETS TRANSLATED. It's so unique since the ending wasn't BL but simply about life in that era. GOSH, Shoowa is just unique. Even this one-shot compilation have varying genres.
The doctor had different intentions at first when he gave Kiyo candy. He only developed feelings for him when Kiyo grew up at around 16 years old since Kiyo grew up to be quite seductive. He tried to buy Kiyo because it was the ONLY way to save those people from prostitution because he wanted a better life for Kiyo but couldn't afford it. So that candy and life is actually a viable way to save someone, especially a kid who is forced into prostitution. And being relunctant over sex because even if he is attracted to Kiyo, for him Kiyo is innocent and untainted, no matter what job Kiyo had plus he has wife and kids. That "spoils him too much", have you forgotten that they are in a brothel? Everyone works for a living in there, whether you entertain guests or cook food, no one is there for free, so Kiyo had to earn living for himself and the institution he is living in. They mentioned that more than once in the series.
***SPOILER ALERT***
The boy left with his client, who was a very kind man. He sent the boy to school and left him his money after his death. In college, the boy met a classmate, who was very kind as well. They fell in love with each other and started a long-distance relationship. Yet war broke out, his lover was forced to go to war. Because he lied about his age a year younger before, the boy needed not to join. He stayed in his house waiting for his lover to come back. Bomb dropped to his house, he was forced to evade. Not knowing the life-or-death of his lover, he broke down and wanted to die. Then he remembered his client once told him to live for him, and he saw a little boy crying in the ruins, he then became a doctor. Few years later, he got married with the maid who stayed with him in wartime. They gave birth to a child. He found a new kind of love from his son. Ending scene was a flashback of his encounter with the doctor, client, and lover. He laid on the bed, his grandson called out to him, and at last, he fell into sleep forever.
This is one of my favourite mangas. The story is so poignant and beautiful. It is not just any lovey-dovey relationship, but one telling the life story of a person. It touches the deepest part of your soul in a very tender, yet painful way. The title of 2nd chapter is "escape of water". The cover also had a sad poem on it --
(Forgive my poor translation)
The mirage appeared in desperation
One chases forward, yet water never stops flowing. He can never get closer to it.
"He cannot even catch its shadow."
This story also has another name of "The Mirage". Once again, we realize how this mangaka can be both ridiculously humorous and exquisitely artistic...and cruel....
She stabbed right in my kokoro.....