Tamaranaidesho? by Kusabi Keri

I’ve been very dissatisfied with the things I’ve been finding and, sadly, Tamaranaidesho?  is no exception.

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Part of the problem is the mood I’m in.

I want well-written smut, like Kinbaku (2008), (which I’m not sure that I ever officially reviewed here because I read it years before I started trying to keep track of the manga that I read.)

What I love about Kinbaku and Zaria’s other work, like, Pet Keiyaku, is that they are unabashedly SMUTTY, but have weird amounts of world-building. For instance, Kinbaku seems to be taking place in some kind of sex slave compound, where our hapless hero has attempt to make an escape from? I mean, that’s exactly the amount of plot I want in my smut. Just enough for my mind to start to think, ‘Mmmm? What’s this now?’ and then let it fade into the background while I enjoy the terrible things happening to the various characters.

Tamaranaidesho? had some promise. It was listed in the Baka-Updates categories under ‘rough sex’ and when I looked at the cover, I thought, “Okay, the art will be good.”

The set-up was strange… or maybe I just didn’t read all the words. Our point of view character Aoi, is a really bad artist. No, I’m not being mean. He describes himself this way.

But, he really loves the art world, so off he goes to graduate school to get his MFA in studio arts.

He meets a cranky teacher who invites him to join his seminar, despite calling his painting garbage. Or, maybe that’s not an invite, but a taunt? It’s really unclear. For a manga I picked up because I was in the mood for something dirty, I spent way too long trying to parse out what was going on.

What I think happens is that Aoi responds to this taunt with the kind of ‘I’ll show’ you attitude yo might expect from a shounen hero, and decides to stay late (or come in early) to the studios. He’s thinking he’ll try to level up in time for sensei’s seminar on Wednesday (in three days.) While he’s freshening up in the college bathroom, he hears two guys going at it in the toilet stall. It turns out its harda$$ “garbage” teacher (Tsukumo) and another one of his teachers, Kazuyan… and Kazuyan tells him to keep what he’s seen a secret and he’ll pass him.

Which, you know, Aoi could use.

But, then, while trying to get some of his colleagues to go out drinking with him, Aio’s friend asks Tsukumo-sensei if he wants to come along. Tsukumo insults everyone as usual but tells Aio to bring his drawings up to his studio, which Aio assumes is a “come see my etchings” kind of way.

Which maybe it is?

But then when Aio asks Tsukumo if he’s dating Kazuyan, Tsukumo says something rude about how he’s just Kazuyan’s toy and Aio is very disppointed…

Then, we have another sudden transition to a ramen shop where Aio sees his two teachers out together and he finds out that Kazuyan was Tsukumo’s first pupil.

Apparently, Kazuyan has had a big break-out and is famous enough to have his art in a museum and Aio decides to go see. Who should he meet but ‘garbage’-sensei, Tsukumo, who is gazing lovingly at his student’s work. Tsukumo apparently wants to keep his adoration a secret, because he swears Aio not to say anything again, only this time Aio demands “hush money” in the form of sex… in… the storeroom? Of the museum/gallery?  Or maybe they go back to the studio?  Because who should walk in, but Kazuyan!

Aio is all, ‘look, you’re just using him for a booty call, so give him to me.’

Kazuyan is all *shrug* sounds good, but how about we share?

And, then they have an angry threesome? I mean, they’re all into it, but garbage-sensei complains a lot in a ‘shut up’ kind of way.

The end seems to involve the two students arguing over who gets to keep garbage-sensei, and I found myself not caring either way and wondering if Zaria had written anything new lately…

So, I mean, I think I made more sense of this one than you might, if you read it. The sex is…angry? But not in a fun way. Whoever tagged this as ‘rough’ does not mean that the way I wanted it.

I’ll go see what else I can rustle up.

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Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii / Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Vols 1 -2) by Fujita

Turns out, I can sort of root for straight people to fall in love, if they’re nerds.

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The set-up for Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashi / Wotakai: Love is Hard for Otaku is one I find  mostly works for me/yet sometimes annoying, which is: nerds are automatically comedic gold because: NERDS, am I right?

This is the same sort of semi-exploitive/semi-self-depricating schtick that “Big Bang Theory” and Kuragehime/ Princess Jellyfish operate on.

Here’s how the back cover copy reads: “Narumi Momose has had it rough: every boyfriend she’s had dumped her once they found out she was an otaku, so she’s gone to great lengths to hide it. When a chance meeting at her new job with childhood friend, fellow otaku, and now coworker Hirotaka Nifuji almost gets her secret outed at work, she comes up with a plan to make sure he never speaks up. But he comes up with a counter-proposal: why doesn’t she just date him instead? In love, there are no save points.”

At least in Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukasshi / Wotakai: Love is Hard for Otaku there’s none of this nerd-to-prince/ss transformation that both “Big Bang Theory” and Kuragehime/ Prince Jellyfish imply/employ by including some mundane (non-nerd)  pretty boy/pretty girl love interest.

I really hate that.

Even though this manga doesn’t try to tell me that the only way I’ll find love/fit in is to change everything that is awesome about me and put on a stylish dress, do my hair and make-up and wear shoes that hurt my feet,  this is still a manga whose humor depends on its audience finding people who would rather play video games than sleep (or have sex) super, duper HIL-AR-IOUS.

At my house, that’s what we call: every day.

I don’t find it particularly laugh-out-loud that my girlfriend wants me to cosplay with her or she might wish we shared the same taste in manga.  I guess it’s funny because the boyfriend is cross playing… and he’s cute as a girl? Or that the girl wants the guy to get into yaoi (and, surprise! when he finally breaks down and tries it, he likes it, and reading about gay sex didn’t make him gay!)

Again, that’s called MY LIFE as a queer fan, BACK OFF.

Yeah, I mean, I complain about all this, but I found plenty to enjoy to all the way through both volumes.

As a bonus, I think that Hirotaka is a kuudere.

Even though it’s just as guilty as Kuragehime/Princess Jellyfish of forcing the otaku to “pretty up” in order to land a date, I like the approach to nerdiness in Watashi ga Motete Dousunda / Kiss Him, Not Me better.  Serinuma is also a fujoshi, but it feels more to me, somehow, like the mangaka of Watashi ga Motete Dousunda/ Kiss Him, Not Me is actually “one of us.” Or, at least, one of us who LIKES us.

As for this, the characters are compelling enough that you root for them, but, ultimately, this is where I stop with this one.

I may try the anime, though. Apparently, there’s also a live-action movie coming.

Her: “Nope! You’re not my type!” Him: “Nope. Especially not when you act like that.”

 

Satou Masashi no Heya / Masashi Satou’s Room by Nyannya

Text: “My childhood friend just confessed to me. I’ve known about his feelings for awhile now.”

Satou Masashi no Heya / Masashi Satou’s Room is a one-shot where the ‘kuudere’ isn’t very kuudere/cold or emotionless, so much as ‘mostly straight’ or maybe even just ‘not super-duper/all the time into sex’

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As the first page suggests, Satou Masashi no Heya / Masashi Satou’s Roomstarts with a love confession.

Masashi is nice about it. As he says, he knows about Riku’s crush. He’s known for a long time–in fact, he figures he’s the reason Riku is so gay.  But, he doesn’t want to ruin their childhood friendship, so he says, “thanks, but no thanks.”

Unfortunately, this sends Riku straight (as it were) to the hook-up apps. The first time, Masashi sees Riku coming out of the storeroom closet at school with some rando date, he has a very un-kuudere response:

Text: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING SO EARLY IN THE MORNING? WHO’S THAT GUY?! WHERE DID YOU MEET HIM?” “Owwww. It hurts, Masa-chan.”

A lot of this one-shot, in fact, is Masashi getting progressively more freaked out by the sheer volume of ‘dates’ Riku goes through.  The final straw is when Masashi sees one of Riku’s hook-ups threatening him. Masashi punches the hook-up out and he and Riku run off together to have a talk.

Masashi makes Riku a deal. Stop with this dangerous hooking-up, get rid of the app, and I’ll date you.

Turns out that one of the reasons Masashi feels like it’s al his fault that Riku is gay is because once, after stumbling across porn on TV, he talked Masashi into fooling around with him.

Text: “…. It’s all my fault.”  It’s really not. You can’t catch Teh Gay.

So, it’s not that he’s not gay… or at least willing to have gay sex, it’s just that, well, for starters, he thinks the first time should be special and, well, is maybe a little ‘demi’ in that he only wants it to be with someone very, very special.

Which, luckily, Riku is.

Cue: awkward but adorable sex and a HEA.

This one was short and sweet and totally worked for me, but I would not have called Masashi ‘kuudere’ by any stretch.

He is adorably dorky, though:

Myopically starring at lover. “I’m pretty clumsy with my glasses on, but…”

I totally recommend this one. The sex is mostly cute, rather than hot, but sometimes you need some cute sex, am I right?

Hachi by Kujuu Siam

So, I may have started with a very ‘out there’ first ‘kuudere’ example. There’s definitely a ‘kuudere’ character in Hachi, but there’s also a threesome and… er, _actual_ bestiality–since this story takes place in a fantasy world where some people can transform into animals under the right (or wrong) circumstances, like getting stressed out, etc.

Yet… I kind of liked it?

It’s a weirdly adorable story that features a wonderful set of friends who support each other.

If you can get over the actual hedgehog/human sex? I’d highly recommend this one.

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My only complaint is that I’m not fond of the heteronormativity that has characters making the choice not to just live together in a happy poly threesome forever.  The idea that three people might have sex, but there’s ‘only room for one lover‘ gets floated a bunch throughout this and that makes me sad.

This mangaka needs to learn about polyamory, stat.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

The story is about a French restaurant where Hachi has found employment. There’s a whole cast of characters in this manga, including a ‘married’ couple Ryuusei and his partner, a “beast kin,” named Momo. Who, when sexually excited, turns into a lion.

Text: “Cuu-te!” Beastkin can transform into beasts under specific conditions.

No surprise, Momo spends a lot of his time wandering around as an anthropomorphic lion.

But, even though we get several scenes involving Ryuusei and Momo, the story actually follows Hachi.

Hachi has been dreaming a lot about a threesome he had, years ago. His high school boyfriend, Kuma (who never turns into a bear, despite his name,) has a best friend from childhood named Hanabi that Hachi has been smitten with since they first met.

Hanabi’s name means fireworks, but he’s actually both the ‘kuudere’ and the ‘beast kin’ in this threesome. Hanabi, when nervous, turns into a hedgehog.  Luckily, dude mostly has his sh*t together. He’s classically ‘kuudere’-ly unflappable.

Oh, I should probably take a moment to discuss our type of the week: kuudere. The easiest way to think of a kuudere is the Western expression ‘a cold fish’ or maybe, in the context of yaoi, ‘ice prince/ss.’ The appeal of the kuudere type is that when you get them to open up even a little, you know it’s a Big F*cking Deal.

Text: The many emotions of Byakuya Kuchiki (the joke being that it’s all the same face from joy to emo.)

But, so the story is mostly told as a frame for the flashback to the threesome days, and the slow realization of Hachi that, while he loves Kuma a lot, he likes Hanabi even more. Not wanting to break-up the friendship of Kuma and Hanabi, however, he broke both their hearts and left them to pursue a career in cooking.

They’ve tracked him down to the restaurant and want to talk.

The story then breaks into a long flashback where we discover how the three met. Kuma is the outgoing one and he basically gloms onto Hachi and won’t let go. Kuma is ‘canonically’ bisexual. We see him start off with a girlfriend, but he eventually dumps her in order to make his love confession to Hachi.

I kind of adore Kuma.

Look at this cute-dorky man!

I was even more charmed by him when we find out from Hanabi that Kuma is usually the type who gets asked out and says ‘yes,’ and that Hachi was the very first person he ever intentionally went after.

Kuma is also the one who ends up inviting Hanabi into sex with the two of them, even though he already kind of knows that’s a dangerous proposition.

Hachi’s crush on Hanabi is pretty obvious… they make a lot of serious promises to each other on the rooftop, where their high school club meets. Like, Hanabi has a bunch of piercings that Hachi thinks are so cool, and Hanabi promises to hand-make some piercing jewelry for Hachi, should he ever get piercings of his own. Coming from ‘kuudere’ Hanabi, this promise feels very weighed, very INTENSE.

You just know he means it; he’ll follow through, no matter what.

The story of how Hanabi and Kuma became very best friends forever is also heart-tugging. In shop class, there was some kind of accident and the only person to try to catch Kuma when he fell was Hanabi. But, because he was stressed out, he turned into his hedgehog form and injured Kuma even more…. but he was also so small that he ended up in intensive care, himself.

Apparently, ‘beast kin’ isn’t a thing that runs in families. You’re just born that way.  Hanabi’s family was so embarrassed to have a hedgehog in the family, they didn’t come to visit him–even though he could have died from his injuries.

Kuma decides, at this point, that he will never, ever leave Hanabi’s side.

Thus, when Hachi realizes he’s falling for Hanabi, even though he’s dating Kuma, he refuses to do anything that would break this lifelong friendship. He’s particularly worried that if Kuma and Hanabi fight, Hanabi would end up lonely forever–because he’s just too kuudere to make friends on his own.

When the three meet-up again in present time, Kuma has resolved to get Hanabi and Hachi together no matter what. There’s a very weird (funny?) situation involving handcuffs and a rowboat, but suffice to say it all works out and Hanabi and Hachi end up a happy couple with a supportive friend in Kuma forever (Kuma loves to keep asking the new couple if they’ve had sex yet.)

Which they eventually do, but… Hanabi is nervous, so….

Yeah, that part was not sexy for me, but how can you not appreciate how HAPPY Hachi looks with his hedgehog friend?

As I said at the start of this review, I can’t help but be a little sad that Kuma doesn’t get to be part of this coupling. I liked Kuma the best, personally, and, as an outgoing person, I kind of feel the sting of “well, they can more easily find someone else.” I mean, it might be true? But, I really don’t get the whole “room for only one” bull.

I really want more ‘and then the three of them lived together, happily ever after’ stories. (I may have to make that another quest, after I get through some of these personality types.)

 

 

 

Aku yori Aku / Evil Than the Devil by Yoshida Yuuko

I finish off my week of yandere, with Aku yuri Aku/More Evil than The Devil, an odd little supernatural smutty tale of the ‘love’ between a succubus and a fallen angel.

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I tend to enjoy stories involving angels. I made my debut as a fiction writer, writing science fiction about angels, fallen angels, and such–so I’m almost always up for more in that vein.  The premise of Aku yuri Aku / More Evil than the Devil seemed like a good one: a starving succubus ends up begging for a little action from Shimizu, a guy whose apartment he’s accidentally stumbled into (after having been rebuffed by Shimizu’s female neighbor.)

Shimizu basically says, “Sure, I’m up for it. That little devil tail of yours is cute, and it’s been a while for me.”

Text: “And let’s do our best, okay?” ‘Gambatte ne’ with sex, boys!

The succubus is extremely grateful and plays along with any of the perverted games Shimizu suggests. Shimizu’s suggestions, in fact, get more and more sadistic the longer the succubus stays with him because, it turns out, Shimizu is, himself, a fallen angel.

There is a suggestion that the translation doesn’t entirely make clear that the sex both feeds the succubus and may also make him human, as well–or maybe love does that, but it’s not entirely clear either. Because maybe, it’s the conscious turning away from God, which is actually a plot point in this, which does that. (But then why the succubus is rewarded with a rebirth as a human, I’m not entirely sure. Not that I’m an expert on the Christian god, but… reincarnation is not normally a Christian thing so… ??)

I will say, if you’re reading this yaoi for the story, there’s a lot of confusion around the mechanisms of how the succubus becomes human and why that makes him fade away and be reborn as a human–as opposed to Shimizu, who seems to have had his wings cut off either on purpose or as some mystical part of his own “fall.” (We see the scars on Shimizu’s back in one panel.)

But, really, why am I reading for the world-building? It’s smut!  Obviously, I spent way too much time with this one actually READING it.

Good news: the smut is fairly smutty.

I’m guessing that Shimizu is the “yandere” here, since he’s a sadist? I guess his ‘love’ for the succubus becomes obsessive when he pursues the succubus after he’s been reborn, even though the human-version keeps saying “I’m not that person you once loved.” But, Shimizu doesn’t even stalk the reborn succubus, the succubus just happens to move in next door.

So, I don’t know about this one.

The sadism is pretty good–there’s some group action here that’s kind of kinky, too, but, I have to say that the lack of kidnapping is sort of a big disappointment.

I think my favorite yandere of the week was actually Kawaii Senpai no Kaigoroshikata / How to Keep a Cute Sempai Until He Dies the one with straight-up (as it were) drugging and kidnapping. Apparently, if I’m going to buy into yandere, what I want is a good kidnapping ‘love’ story.

As I suggested in a previous blog, I’ve decided to go into next week with a new -dere.

I found a number of listings under ‘kuudere‘ So, you’re welcome to join me for a week of exploring ‘kuudere’ characters in yaoi starting next.

As long as I continue to enjoy this exercise, I may go down some of the less well-known -dere types, week-by-week, too. If you have a vote for a favorite -dere that you don’t see enough discussion of, feel free to drop me a comment.

Ore to Omae no Stalker Boushihou / Me and Your Anti-Stalker Law by Kanabe Goroe

I’m taking a stab at translating the title of Ore to Omae no Stalker Boushihou, since no one else has.  If you just plug the original Japanese into Google Translate you get: 俺とおまえのストーカー防止法 = Me and Your Stalker Prevention Law.

This confused me because it seemed like you might read it, “Me and your stalker, prevention law,” which caused me to google “bōshi-hō”/prevention law. I wondered if it was something like a restraining order, so that it might be “Me and Your Stalker, Restraining Order!”

But, the romaji “bōshi-hō” comes up in a Wikipedia article about prostitution as part of the word for “anti-prostitution law.” That suddenly made me realize–particularly given how this story goes–what is probably meant is an anti-stalker law.

Given that there is a main character who keeps running afoul of other people’s perceptions of him as a stalker, I decided that a good translation of this title would therefor be: “Me and Your Anti-Stalker Law.”

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Chino is a construction worker who has a childhood friend on he police force. One day, after stopping at the convenience store for something sweet, Chino spots a damsel in distress. She’s being stalked by Yamada, a coffee house manager… or so it seems.

The plot of this one is honestly a little convoluted (and it’s all we get, since this is a BL in terms of smut level.)

The point is Chino drags Yamada off to the police station to file a report. This causes Yamada to make a formal “gift” apology of homemade sweets.  And, to show up again for an apology for the apology with more sweets.

Pretty soon Yamada is inching closer and closer into Chino’s life.

His friends are worried Chino has a stalker now.

Text: “What do you mean by ‘again’?! And why is his coming to your house becoming a normal thing?!”

There’s four chapters of “is he or isn’t he?” regarding Yamada’s stalker tendencies. At some point Chino stops resisting and finds Yamada’s attention endearing. I think, in fact, I get my first clue into why ‘yandere’ might be an enduring trope for Japanese audiences.

Text: “But… it would be wonderful if that obsession of yours was all ‘mine.'”

The fantasy of being the object of someone’s full, even psychotic obsession.

I can’t say I really relate. I mean, I’m with the best friend above who keeps popping in at various moments in the story to shout “RED FLAG! RED FLAG!” which Chino pointedly ignores.  But, as I have always said, your fantasy is _yours_.  I’m not going to harsh your squee.

So, if you’re looking for the perfect (and kind of funny) yandere romance, this is the yaoi for you.

The funny bits include the fact that, at one point, Yamada is so stalker-y that he’s legitimately hiding under Chino’s bed for a day (maybe days?)  Also, they have a kind of “I’m not into you, dumbass!” relationship that can be seen as kind of cute, if you find that sort of yelling cute. (And, I _can_ in the right ship. I sort of ship it in Haikyuu! for instance between Kagayama and Hinata).

Ultimately for me, this yandere love story asked too much of me (I have never found the ‘surprise’ I broke into your apartment thing attractive)– and gave too little smut. As I have said here time and time again, humor is often a hard sell for me. You might read this and wonder how I could take any of it seriously….

So, milage may vary.

For me, it’s a pass.

 

Kawaii Senpai no Kaigoroshikata /How to Keep a Cute Senpai until He Dies by Ichinashi Kimi

The bonus of “yandere seme” is that there’s a LOT of kidnapping…

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In Kawaii Senpai no Kaigoroshikata/ How to Keep a Cute Senpai until He Dies we have the story of a driven, lonely Yuuya. He’s a lawyer who, every Saturday, is visited by his adoring kohei, Kanae.  They have a very cozy sort of friendship, until, one Saturday, Yuuya is late because he’s been on a date with the boss’s daughter.  Yuuya’s boss thinks it would be just grand to have his ace lawyer and his daughter in a nice arrangement.

Kanae is… less than thrilled:

Text in STALKER font: “You want a wife? What you want is a father figure, isn’t it! You just want Maki-san to be your father, right?”

Apparently, Yuuya’s dad abandoned him, so… yeah, that could totally be part of it. But, Yuuya’s been alone for so long and a wife seems like a normal thing that normal people would want.

They have a complete knock-down fight. Kanae storms off in tears…

… and shows up the next morning with a lovely “apology” breakfast. Except, yeah, the tea has been drugged.

Yuuya wakes up in Kanae’s family villa in the deep mountains. It’s off-season. They’re utterly alone, and, you got it: Yuuyu is in chains.

Cue all the nonconsensual nasty times.

During the course of all this, however, we find out that part of why Kanae has felt possessive all along is that, when Yuuya gets tipsy, he falls right into bed with Kanae. They’ve been doing this whole “Yeah, let’s meet-up on Saturday night, drink too much, and f*ck like bunnies” thing for YEARS.

Yuuya, however, never remembers any of it.

So, he’s super-confused (and, of course, HORRIFIED) by how his body responds to Kanae’s touch.

As soon as he’s able, he makes a break for it.

When he nearly slides down the mountainside, Yuuya ends up lost and nearly frostbitten. Luckily, Kanae has been out looking for him and rescues him. However, having been out in the cold for so long makes Yuuya sick. During his convalescence, Yuuya has a startling memory.

Kanae has nursed him back to health before.

In fact, Yuuya starts to realize that Kanae has always been there for him.

Of course, just has Yuuya starts to have a change of heart and think that maybe Kanae isn’t a complete crazed stalker/rapist, Kanae starts to realize that maybe you don’t treat the people you love like prisoners… Kanae drugs Yuuya once again, only this time to say “sayonara,” good-bye forever.

Yuuya tries to go on with life after that, but, of course, he can’t. Eventually, he decides he do anything for Kanae and breaks up with the boss’s daughter and runs off to where Kanae has finally accepted a job with at super-successful lawyering family’s practice. Yuuya is ready to debase himself and Kanae’s word and so they have a mutual love confession… HEA?

I mean, sure?

For such a rape-y set-up, there’s a lot of backstory in this one. The mangaka goes to some trouble to try to make Kanae’s motivation seem a little more understandable than some random yandere trope.

I kind of think this is a case where, if this were Real Life ™, I’d be worried about both these men. Clearly–and we know this from Kanae’s sister showing up at the mountain villa and being weirdly casual at the sight of a passed out man and jokingly says, “I hope I’m not abetting a crime!”–Kanae is kind of borderline.  Like, dude did not HESITATE to use drugs not once, but twice.

Yuuya is just… sad. He has no problem smacking Kanae around, but he does seem really desperate for… slavish devotion. More than once, when we first meet, him, he tends to think about Kanae as a puppy following him around:

And, this is a huge turn-on for him.

So, Real Life ™, maybe see a therapist?

But, as a fantasy, it’s fairly entertaining. The art style is a little wispy for me in places, but the sex is graphic and plentiful. The story is actually more there than I usually need, but, in this case, I thought it added to the whole scenario.

Plus, three and a half chapters is all there is, so it’s a very quick diversion.

I may be done with yandere after this, but part of me wants to read a full week of ‘yandere’ men.

I thought maybe next week, I’d do some of the other -deres.