I completely agree!! I think the only thing that would make it better is if there were more scenes of them spending time together/growing closer/getting to know each other or interacting than just focusing so much on the plot. By that I mean ALL the characters, not just the main two, I wish there was a little more what people would call “filler” content to flesh out the characters more outside of the main plot, so I wish there was more sub plot.
You're right, i do wish the group had interacted more, and much earlier. Both mukae and erika were introduced a little bit late into the story, and was it volume 5 or 6 when the five of them started spending time together? I forgot lmao. But then again i feel like the progression of the story is at the right pace given the nature of their relationship? Because i feel like mikado is the only person who connects the five of them together, and all side characters' interaction with the hiyakawa-mikado duo depends on his character development & understanding about the "other" world.
That’s true, I was also thinking there wasn’t a lot of room for it due to the progression of all the relationships. But I guess I just wish the story had more room for it :( I would like to hopefully see progression moving forward! I really can’t tell if the story is at the halfway point or nearing the end lol. Feels like it’s getting closer to the final conflict but at the same time it doesn’t and they have to bond more before then...we can only wait and see
Same! I hope to see them bond more.
Also, cmiiw but i think the series already ended with 57 chapters (it was serialized in a magazine). The tankobon itself is currently at the 9th volume and will end at the 10th. So, 15 chapters to go!
Oh okay, thanks for the info!
I love yamashita tomoko's works to pieces. I doubted this manga at first, because the plot was a lot like the classic yaoi trope of "possessive and controlling seme abusing the uke's trust" with exorcism as replacement for the sexual scenes. I disliked hiyakawa at first and how he'd manipulate and use mikado without his consent, and i hated how mikado couldn't just leave hiyakawa.
But then i read on, and by the time i'm on volume 2 or so i realized that it's not about that AT ALL. Now that i've read 42 chapters, i understood that things weren't that black and white.
I understood why hiyakawa was like that towards mikado, and why mikado was unable to leave him alone. To begin with, the nature of those two's relationship wasn't something that could be easily categorized as toxic or non-toxic. It wasn't as simple as "that person had a shitty childhood so he became abusive" and "that one was lonely so he stayed with his abuser". It's something you need to read and think for yourself to be able to determine.
The reasoning behind each character's flaws is so well written. While it was apparent when a character did something bad, i also could understand how easy it was for them to make the wrong decisions given the situations they were in. And the more i read, the more i fell in love with the characters and the depth they have.
I'm reminded of when hiyakawa said that for him the movie "exorcist" was not a horror movie, but a profound study of human relationship. I feel like this manga is a lot like that.
All in all this is what i always want: a well written BL manga with a cool premise that focuses on the story rather than the character's sexuality.