I love this story a lot. Both the manga and anime are absolutely beautiful and captivating. I could probably write a novel about it, but I want to talk about something else instead.
I can't help but feel that the manga would've turned out so differently if it wasn't serialized in a seinen magazine, especially after reading the pilot episode (chapter 0). In the pilot, Mokumokuren made it clear that Hikaru was in love with Yoshiki, and she also made 'Hikaru' kiss Yoshiki pretty early on. I'm grateful that such a deep queer horror story is allowed to be published in a seinen magazine, but I also believe this is what prevents Mokumokuren to draw a few queer scenes she originally wanted to include. I know she talks on Twitter about ace representation and 'Hikaru's' ambiguous sexuality, and I do want to like it since their is barely any ace representation… it's just that it feels she's only doing it because she wouldn't be able to make the story queer otherwise.
Japan still isn't truly accepting of queer people which is mirrored in their pop culture–while BL (and GL) are big genres, queer relationships (especially gay) are confined precisely within those genres. They usually have to meet certain standards/tropes (relationship progress, kisses, oftentimes smut etc.), or (Japanese) readers would complain. Other genres barely ever include queer characters, and if they do, those characters are stereotypes or they are destined to stay single. So what I want to say is… TSHD being a horror seinen restricts it from exploring the relationship from a more sexual angle like originally intended (see the kiss in the pilot, Hikaru's feelings not being ambiguous, the "touching insides" scene in TSHD), but the work couldn't have been a "BL" either because Mokumokuren wanted Yoshiki's queerness and horror as the central theme.
I don't know. I just think Yoshiki would've acted differently is he was "allowed" in this story. Them kissing doesn't make 'Hikaru' any less ace, and neither would showing Yoshiki wanting "more" from 'Hikaru'. He wouldn't have left 'Hikaru' alone in chapter 48 even for a second if it wasn't for the demographic of the magazine. Pretty sure he would've been more obsessive, or at least more dependant on him.
I wouldn't call this criticism. The work is still very important to me and I'm happy it's told the way it is. I just wish homophobia would completely vanish and authors could be truly free when it comes to drawing what they want, because I believe this isn't a 100% what Mokumokuren envisioned before it got picked up.
I love this story a lot. Both the manga and anime are absolutely beautiful and captivating. I could probably write a novel about it, but I want to talk about something else instead.
I can't help but feel that the manga would've turned out so differently if it wasn't serialized in a seinen magazine, especially after reading the pilot episode (chapter 0). In the pilot, Mokumokuren made it clear that Hikaru was in love with Yoshiki, and she also made 'Hikaru' kiss Yoshiki pretty early on. I'm grateful that such a deep queer horror story is allowed to be published in a seinen magazine, but I also believe this is what prevents Mokumokuren to draw a few queer scenes she originally wanted to include. I know she talks on Twitter about ace representation and 'Hikaru's' ambiguous sexuality, and I do want to like it since their is barely any ace representation… it's just that it feels she's only doing it because she wouldn't be able to make the story queer otherwise.
Japan still isn't truly accepting of queer people which is mirrored in their pop culture–while BL (and GL) are big genres, queer relationships (especially gay) are confined precisely within those genres. They usually have to meet certain standards/tropes (relationship progress, kisses, oftentimes smut etc.), or (Japanese) readers would complain. Other genres barely ever include queer characters, and if they do, those characters are stereotypes or they are destined to stay single. So what I want to say is… TSHD being a horror seinen restricts it from exploring the relationship from a more sexual angle like originally intended (see the kiss in the pilot, Hikaru's feelings not being ambiguous, the "touching insides" scene in TSHD), but the work couldn't have been a "BL" either because Mokumokuren wanted Yoshiki's queerness and horror as the central theme.
I don't know. I just think Yoshiki would've acted differently is he was "allowed" in this story. Them kissing doesn't make 'Hikaru' any less ace, and neither would showing Yoshiki wanting "more" from 'Hikaru'. He wouldn't have left 'Hikaru' alone in chapter 48 even for a second if it wasn't for the demographic of the magazine. Pretty sure he would've been more obsessive, or at least more dependant on him.
I wouldn't call this criticism. The work is still very important to me and I'm happy it's told the way it is. I just wish homophobia would completely vanish and authors could be truly free when it comes to drawing what they want, because I believe this isn't a 100% what Mokumokuren envisioned before it got picked up.