I started this thinking based on the cover art, comments at the time and tags that's a a nice smut/fluffy story. About 1/3 of the way through it became clear this manga is darker than I expected. And then it turned really really dark.
BE WARNED!! This manga is not for the faint of heart or people who have triggers. There are multiple realistic scenes of rape, sexual abuse, and physical abuse. This is not a fluffy yaoi that includes the rape trope and glosses over it, but portrays the grim reality of dealing with the trauma of it and the difficult situation and consequences of an abusive relationship. There are only about 3 chapter warnings regarding explicit chapters but there were way more scenes than that.
Having said that, this is a brilliant story. It's so well-written, the characters are multi-dimensional and it delves into serious issues. I know there will be people who find the uke annoying and think he's a slut but honestly, his behaviour makes sense given all the trauma he's been through. I know people who have suffered from being molested/almost raped and it stays with you and affects your personality and how you view yourself. This isn't something all readers can understand, especially if they're used to yaoi rape tropes and want something more shallow and characters who always do the right thing, despite their issues.
If you're an older reader like me and appreciate a well-written and grim realistic story go for it. If you want a typical yaoi or have triggers, avoid it!
I started this thinking based on the cover art, comments at the time and tags that's a a nice smut/fluffy story. About 1/3 of the way through it became clear this manga is darker than I expected. And then it turned really really dark.
BE WARNED!! This manga is not for the faint of heart or people who have triggers. There are multiple realistic scenes of rape, sexual abuse, and physical abuse. This is not a fluffy yaoi that includes the rape trope and glosses over it, but portrays the grim reality of dealing with the trauma of it and the difficult situation and consequences of an abusive relationship. There are only about 3 chapter warnings regarding explicit chapters but there were way more scenes than that.
Having said that, this is a brilliant story. It's so well-written, the characters are multi-dimensional and it delves into serious issues. I know there will be people who find the uke annoying and think he's a slut but honestly, his behaviour makes sense given all the trauma he's been through. I know people who have suffered from being molested/almost raped and it stays with you and affects your personality and how you view yourself. This isn't something all readers can understand, especially if they're used to yaoi rape tropes and want something more shallow and characters who always do the right thing, despite their issues.
If you're an older reader like me and appreciate a well-written and grim realistic story go for it. If you want a typical yaoi or have triggers, avoid it!