Mujihi na Otoko...mostly
Updated: 08/31/11
(02/03/11): Happy birthday, Kyuhyun, you snarky maknae you! ^.^ But unfortunately for Evil Kyu, this post is to gush about my favorite yaoi manga.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I LOVE IT SO EFFIN' MUCH ♥ ♥ ♥
Fangirling rants: Mujihi na Otoko part 1 | Mujihi na Otoko part 2 | Mujihi na Anata part 1 | Mujihi na Anata part 2 | Mujihi na Anata part 3 | Mujihi na Anata part 4 | Mujihi na Karada part 1 | Mujihi na Karada part 2 | Warui series
I think it's the only manga that I've read at least five times and still actually want to reread again and again and again (as awesome as Seven Days is, I don't love it that much). Aaaaand there really is going to be an extra. Yay! Heh heh, and oh look, another excuse to read the entire thing again. However, I'm highly disappointed that the super hot smut scene in the last chapter has not been translated *pout* I really wanted to know what they're was saying aside from the usual "Ah! Aikawa! Oh! Uhn! Nrg!" and so on. I mean, they are finally making love, after all, and it's what Nanao really has always wanted, and as far as I can tell, Aikawa has not said "I love you" yet *glares at him* [EDIT- 04/09/11] Parallels Scanlations finally put out the complete translated sixth chapter! \0/
But just what about this manga is so enticing to me? I mean, it doesn't have an extended and intricate storyline that takes up several volumes or anything, yet it somehow replaced Maiden Rose (uhn, I love all the sweet, devoted master/servant moments >.<) as my favorite yaoi. I guess I'll just go through things bit by bit.
First of all, the artwork. Sakuraga Mei draws some of the prettiest bishies ever. The cover for Kirai ja nai Kedo was what pulled me into her work (Yuki and Shinonome's story was actually my favorite until Mujihi na Otoko came along and totally and completely pwned it). I have read a ton of manga and cooed over characters from mangakas like Kisaragi Hirotaka, but NANAO HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST GORGEOUS THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN. Whether he's strolling around with his shirt unbuttoned very low and cigarette in hand or donning a properly buttoned/slightly formal clothes and glasses, he is so darn beautiful. There have been so many pages where I took one look at him and just completely melted into a puddle. I'm usually not too crazy about ukes with glasses because a large number of them either are the wimpy type or they look very similar to Tezuka (sorry, but I like TeFu, not FuTe), but Nanao is just so incredibly pretty. And it doesn't hurt that I have a huge megane fetish :) Oh, and Aikawa is very handsome too.
Now, the characters. Aikawa first since he's not my bias. Actually, there's not much to say about him since he's the strong, silent kind of guy. Ooh, but his insane possessiveness does deserve some mention. It's kinda sweet, really, especially since it's just what Nanao needs. And speaking of which, Nanao! As evident from the above paragraph, I love love love this guy. In addition to being ridiculously gorgeous, his personality is awesome as well. Bipolarity seems to run in the family...*cough*Mikado*cough* His capricious, confident, teasing side when he's at home is very hot (ha ha, poor Towa). And at school, he just oozes this quiet sensuality without even trying (or wanting to). However, it's the fragile part of him that just totally captured me- the side that never fails to show up whenever Aikawa is involved. It takes my breath away to see how much he loves Aikawa, and how much it affected him when the love was unrequited. Can't explain it, but my heart clenches each time he's wistful or upset or rejected or so on. Unh, makes me want to sweep him off to some safe place and prevent anything from hurting him >.< Most importantly, this fragility is only a small portion of his personality. Nanao is in no way one of those annoying pushover ukes that I detest so much. He has his own character, and the fragility just makes him all the more endearing. Oh, and I LOVE dominant ukes. Nanao was definitely one during the first chapter ^.^ And even if that dominance dwindled off a bit, he sure was persistent as hell for a while, and I can't say no to a dominant and persistent uke. They are so rare, yet so great. For the sensei...I guess he's okay, though I can see why people hate him. It's kinda funny how the rumor of Nanao being a man-eating siren came about XD
The relationship. (I'm running out of steam here after fangirling over Nanao) What can I say? They just go together very very well. The contrast in their personalities actually complement each other in ways I'm too lazy to explain properly. Aikawa's possessive stoic-ness is exactly what's necessary to go with Nanao's enticing yet fragile (I keep on using this word...) sexiness. And before they even got together, the dynamics whenever the encountered one another was intense. One of the reasons why I used to love Kirai ja nai Kedo so much was because of the extra in which Nanao showed up for the first time (for me, that is). I had absolutely no idea who he was or how the elder Aikawa brothers knew him, but I knew right away that Nanao and Aikawa needed to get together. Seriously. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife. I was over the moon happy upon finding out that they had their own manga. All the back and forth and back and forth and the UST just kept building up slowly until everything finally got resolved nicely.
You know what would be nice? If Hisa got together with Nanao's sister. I saw on a MangaFox forum something about how a dominant/cool businesswoman would be best for him, and guess what Nanao's sister seems like? :) Plus, the entire Aikawa family can get with the Shirahane family (good looks run in this family), and there would be at least one couple to produce some kids. IT WOULD BE PERFECT.
Ha, so long. Now off to watch White Collar (Why am I still watching it? It frankly has gotten even worse. Maybe because Matt Bomer's pretty?) and eat dinner.
More (04/12/11): As with a lot of my stuff, I look back and think, "Wow, did I really write this?" XD I certainly did (and do) have a lot of praise for this manga, and not much has changed. Nanao is still the most gorgeous manga character I've ever seen, and Mujihi na Otoko is still my favorite yaoi. And I still don't know why I love it so much, because, my bias aside, it's not perfect.
Others have mentioned that the last chapter is quite rushed. That, I agree with, mainly because I wanted more Mujihi na Otoko, but also because things were indeed wrapped up pretty quickly. But I guess it was unavoidable? From my standpoint, there's only so much stuff you can cram into one volume, and as far as I can tell (hope), there won't be a sequel. It seems quite difficult to be able to thoroughly express everything within a set limit, and after working so hard on so many different things, well, you frankly run out of steam. Wrapping things up is quite a Herculean task, and when I write fics (not the same, I know), I find myself rushing through the ending all the time since I'd spent so much effort on the beginning parts. But basically, I think this was because the volume would've been too long otherwise.
Translations were another main issue that I saw expressed. I admit, I thought that the dialogue was a bit odd at times (several times). Readable, but kinda funky nevertheless. However, as I am not fluent in Japanese, I really can't say whether the translations did the original work any justice. I'm still very grateful to Parallels Scanlations for bringing us the manga though.
The sensei (whatever the heck his name is) seems pretty much on the hating end of the stick, and I can see why. He's out to get Nanao, he pretty much forces himself on Nanao, he's older than Nanao and Aikawa, his personality's not instantaneously likable (or likable at all, for some), etc. He really doesn't play much of a role in the manga aside from being the "love rival", a role that doesn't seem to come into play very much. Even though I was completely infatuated with Nanao and all his UST with Aikawa, I would've liked for the sensei to be a bit more than just background noise.
Truth be told, there's nothing particularly special about Mujihi na Otoko that would make it one of those things that you must absolutely read. It's just a school-life yaoi with a standard storyline within one volume. The characters aren't absolutely complicated and the plot is not all that intricate. I hold Fake in very high regards, and, frankly, Mujihi na Otoko as a manga doesn't even come near the level of Fake, or even Maiden Rose for that matter. Yet, there is just something about this manga that got me hook, line, and sinker (probably the combination of the pretty art and the character dynamics), and I'm completely enthralled by it.
My main personal complaint would actually have to be the smut scene. Can't believe I'm even saying it... OTL But yes, that scene. I love dominant ukes, and I love it when, done properly, the dominant uke is on the bottom after a long stint of being on top. To my mild disappointment, although the sex started out pretty good with Nanao offering to ride Aikawa, Nanao ended up displaying quite a few traits of your typical cliche uke- blushing, being vocal, self-lubricating (maybe, because saliva only takes you so far). I don't mind a bit of blushing, but I didn't like how Nanao's face was on fire for the latter half of the session (at least). It's a given that semes hardly blush, but couldn't Nanao's blushing have been toned down to more of Aikawa's level? And Nanao certainly does make a lot of noise. Granted, he doesn't bottom from the bottom often (at all?), and it's Aikawa doing the taking, but is it really necessary to cry out so much? And on crying, there was a bit too much of tears and saliva on Nanao's lovely face for my taste. I'm a bit sad- the wonderfully dominant Nanao turned rather submissive :( And considering male anatomy, their positions seemed rather off. Actually, that was also the case (for me) with their first time together. And another point of annoyance- Nanao's shirt. Okay, so Aikawa needs easy access to Nanao's nipples, I get that, but it's just really really weird how the shirt somehow always remains pushed up to reveal said nipples (and an unexpected six-pack O.o). I guess the Rules of Yaoi surpass the Rules of Gravity. Still, the smut was pretty hot- I'm always up for reading some rough sex, and this is Sakuraga Mei doing the drawings :D
Even with all the complaints and imperfections, Mujihi na Otoko remains my favorite yaoi manga (and it's because it's my favorite manga that I felt the need to nitpick it into tomorrow), and Nanao the most gorgeous character I've seen. Now to wait for the extras to come out, and to have an excuse to read the manga all over again ^.^
More (06/23/11): Gosh darn it, I really really love this manga. Heck, I've even reread it twice within the past week, and I'm still not tired of it. Though I somehow did not realize until very recently that Aikawa has earrings. How did I not notice before? D: Oh, right. Probably because I was too busy cooing over Nanao (still the most gorgeous character I've ever seen, and my most favorite bishie).
I think another concern (one that numbuh_009 also brought up while reading over my shoulder) is that Aikawa and Nanao seemed awfully chummy during the beginning part of chapter three where they're chatting about the rumor. I have excuses for that :D From the manga, I was under the impression that Aikawa was only trying to be civil and respond (since Nanao's doing most of the talking). Yes, this does contradict a bit with how rude Aikawa was during the Kirai ja Nai Kedo extra, but I believe that he was being polite as he has gotten just a tad bit closer to Nanao. I mean, it's not like he can be disrespectful all the time- he seems like a pretty honorable guy. But yeah, civil conversation. And then I listened to the drama CD, and that actually made things a bit clearer. The polite responding was still there, but it actually seemed like Aikawa wasn't trying to help Nanao out with the random flirting guy (who looks like every other unimportant guy in that volume). In fact, it sounded like Nanao called out to Aikawa, Aikawa blanched and marched the other way, and Nanao chased after him. Gotta love a persistent uke ^.^
Which brings me to another point: the drama CD. I totally forgot that there even was a drama CD (did not listen the I Want to be Naughty one. Besides, Towa sounds really annoying and nasally, and Mikado sounds a bit weird. Too bad Hisa-nii didn't get a role in this one). So Aikawa is voiced by Yasumura Makoto and Nanao is voiced by Yusa Kouji. Now I'm unfamiliar with the characters that Yasumura Makoto voiced, and I thought he could've sounded a bit more angry at times, but since his voice is deeper than Yusa Kouji's, I didn't have too much of a problem. Yusa Kouji I do recognize. When I first started listening, I thought his voice was slightly deeper than I would've thought for Nanao, but upon realizing that he has voiced Gin (Bleach) and Lau (Kuroshitsuji), I realized that he was perfect for the role. I find that those two and Nanao are rather alike in the sense that they all smile a lot even when they don't really mean it, so yeah, a good match for the voice. I do wonder about the smut scenes. How did the seiyuus do them? I would imagine it must have been rather awkward voicing a sex scene, much less one between two guys. I actually don't watch much yaoi anime or listen to BL drama CDs, but are the ukes usually that...squeaky? Because the only other uke I have to go upon is the pushover dude from Boku wa Sexual Harassment (heh heh, corn cob), and he was definitely squeaky, but I don't know about these scenes in general. Oh, another part I found funny was when Aikawa was running around campus trying to find Nanao. Now Aikawa's a big and fit guy and all, but I highly doubt that he was running as fast as the footsteps sounded XD Probably came from a standard set of noise or something. But overall, I liked it (though not as much as the manga).
More (06/23/11): On next July 25 we will have a new story between Kuon and Nanao. The new installment will officially be published in Hanaoto's website next month. There's no cover or preview about what will the story be, but it be announced in the next Boys Capi magazine issue. Mikado and Towa's fans will need to keep waiting for more about them until new Kuon and Nanao's story finish. In the same Hanaoto’s issue of this month, was announced a ranking contest to know what is the favorite character of the Warui Koto Shitai’s fans. The votes must be sent to Hanaoto’s department address. In the next Boys Capi issue the bases of the contest will be published as its tentative date for the results. News Source: 花音7月号6月14日 次は7月25日発売のボーイズキャピ夏号で 「無慈悲なオトコ」久遠×七王の新章が始まるそうです
Okay, so Tumblr is not a reliable source, and sequels are generally not as good as the originals, but LKJ@$OI%&EFLKJFDJLKJ#$LKJGFEJK#$LJKGDELKJ#$IOJREKLJFE!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD IT'S A MOTHER EFFIN' SEQUEL!!!!!!!!! SCREW MIKADO AND TOWA; AIKAWA AND NANAO ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!! *wheezes* Oh, I do hope this is true >.< *spazzes and fangirls some more*
More (08/19/11): THERE REALLY IS GONNA BE A SEQUEL!!! KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! *fangirling like crazy* Gah, so so very excited >.< I hope that the artwork will look mostly the same (because Shinonome looked really weird in his sequel). What's the storyline going to be this time? I'm gunning for some jealous!Aikawa or maybe hurt/insecure!Nanao that will result in very hot angry/make up sex~ Though hopefully said hot angry/make up sex will not make my beloved Nanao look like a blushing virgin. And there's also the issue of who's going to scanlate it (if someone's scanlating it *crosses fingers*) because it looks like Parallels' website is gone again (insert frowny face). And I'm pretty sure the Mujihi na Otoko extras have not been scanlated despite what Baka-Updates Manga says. But still! Sequelsequelsequelsequelsequelsequelsequelsequelsequelsequelsequelsequel... *gasps for air*
More (08/31/11): I know that LJ is probably gonna mess up the formatting (*sobs*), but having just reread this yesterday, I really wanna go all crazy over some more stuff, like page by page.>.< Seriously, this is a mostly page by page commentary. And oh look, yet another excuse for me to reread it right this instance to remember what I wanted to say ^.^
Before the official cover of the volume came out, Baka Updates used the chapter one cover as the picture. Now Nanao looks gorgeous as always (I really need to find another word for ‘gorgeous’, but since when does he not? :D), but Aikawa looks…well, orange. Uniformly orange, too. And I really keep expecting him to be blond because that’s how it looks in the black and white pages (never mind that Japanese people generally aren’t naturally blonde, but still). Nanao, lovely person that he is, pulls off purple hair rather well, much better than anime!Atobe, in my biased opinion. And you can really see Aikawa’s love for flowery shirts (and he still looks very manly and seme-ish while wearing them. On the other hand, Heechul simply doesn't. Still very pretty though. GONNA MISS HIM SO MUCH *hugs Heenim tightly*)
I swear, there’s this one guy who always shows up whenever a random male is needed. Seriously. I mean, the only really notable appearance he makes is when he asks to sit next to Nanao, but I’m pretty darn sure that he pops up a lot more. He’s already there on the first freakin’ page, sitting behind Nanao and looking at some book, and then he moved so he could get into Nanao’s pants. And then I could’ve sworn it was him chatting up Nanao in chapter three to get into his pants again albeit with a different top. Back of the head looks the same though. And in the same chapter, it’s also him, wearing the first outfit, asking the sensei to basically have a drinking party. I mean, the girls look mostly different, so I guess it was just easier to use the same guy?
You know, it would be kinda nice to see Aikawa smile at Nanao. That brother with a brother-complex has a nice smile after all, as we can tell after his phone call to Towa, so he should direct it to his newly beloved eventually. Perhaps in the sequel? Because nothing says ‘I care about you’ more than genuinely smiling at your significant other, especially when you don’t smile often (Tezuka, I’m looking at you).
In chapter one when Aikawa’s at the Shirahane house, the tray on the table looks kinda funny. And it’s a little bit weird when Nanao puts his elbows on the table and ends up right against the tray. Just saying. And it’s probably just me, but Nanao’s bare butt looks a bit…not completely round. I think because the width of the line varies, so it comes out slightly lopsided. Still a very lovely butt though :3 Though would it kill Aikawa to show some semblance of pleasure? I’m under the impression that he is indeed enjoying the sex very much (who the heck wouldn’t?) despite who his partner is, but his face basically never changes except for a teeny weeny inkling of a blush. I would think that he would grab Nanao’s hips and hang on for dear life or start thrusting up and away or something, but that’s just my dirty imagination speaking. And then there wouldn’t be that truly breathtaking scene (later, one of my favorite pages) of Nanao holding Aikawa’s hand to his face *swoons*
I’m pretty certain that Nanao is left-handed. Why? Because he jerks off, Aikawa and himself, using his left hand. Now, I’ve no experience with these matters, but I would assume that you would use your dominant hand to do those kinds of stuff :3 Aikawa for sure is right-handed because he writes with his right hand in the first few pages of chapter one. But I don’t think we see Nanao writing, so I dunno. However, he does use his left hand to grab Aikawa and do a bunch of more stuff later. True, he does use his right hand quite often, but I think there’re enough occurrences that would support him being left-handed.
Heh heh, one of Aikawa’s friends has glasses *fangirls* Megane fetish further satisfied. And have I mentioned how much I love that Nanao has glasses? Not enough, I believe ^.^ Though I do wonder, is Nanao really that short? He’s shorter than Mikado, but he otherwise seems to be of a fairly average height. Maybe it’s just that Aikawa hangs out with scarily tall people like himself.
One of the very annoying things about the first three chapters is that the cleaning job for the scanlation was rather sloppy. To be honest, it’s rather distracting and irritating to still see the original text/previous scanlated text behind the English translation. And another thing. I think it said somewhere that this was scanlated from a Chinese scanlation. That would partially explain why the translations are rather funky. It’s already kinda bad to translate since there are so many meanings and such lost in the process, and to go through another language just makes it a bit worse.
However, my favorite scene of Aikawa would have to be when his friend gives the scenario about the betraying lover and he deadpans, “I don’t deny it,” or something to that extent. SO HILARIOUS. And that probably says a ton about his character, namely his alarming possessiveness. And I guess you can throw in something about being honorable and devoted and those other old fashioned loyalty traits. Good man.
From the first time I read this, I had a very huge nagging suspicion that the sensei was the one who started the rumors (unintentionally or not). Well, frankly, we’re not introduced to any other characters that could have the opportunity to start the rumors. Plus, he does come off a bit oily, so yeah. And talking about the ‘aim’ of the rumor spreader- wow, way to be discreet.
In chapter two, when Nanao and the sensei are talking about stuff ‘in the past,’ I thought that there was going to be some crazy big dirty scandal. Possibly another unrequited love of Nanao’s, which would tie in with the comments about Nanao being hurt again during the restroom comfort scene. I mean, it seemed to be a pretty big deal, so I was a bit confused when nothing was brought up in the last two chapters. So I’ve concluded that they must be talking about their one time fling a year ago, as anticlimactic as it is since it’s so obvious that they’d slept together once, but there’s not much else that could have any trace of scandalous written all over it.
As for that seductive black and white opening image for the third chapter, well, I really would love to see that carried out into a blowjob. It sure looks like a prelude to one already :3 And after opening the shirt buttons, Nanao, pull off the belt, and unbutton the pants and pull down the zipper with your teeth and then…
Hah, Aikawa’s jacket has a bit of a dead animal on the hood. I really don’t know how I missed his earrings… But another complaint is that Nanao and Aikawa’s conversations seem to go in different directions rather quickly- they begin talking civilly for awhile and then suddenly things just go south abruptly. And some of the things they say don’t quite follow. “Ordinary people like you, who will always preach, will not have any dreams to speak of.” Where the heck did that come from?! And what does it even mean?! So random.
My favorite outfit of Nanao’s is definitely that black sweater over a light-colored dress shirt combo. It’s semi-formal yet very casual at the same time, adding onto his intelligent appearance and also making him look insanely sexy as well. Definitely sexy *drools* The suit jacket and dress shirt with casual pants is nice too, but this one is just the best. Aikawa’s shirts usually show off quite a bit of his chest. And a very nice chest indeed :3 Too bad we never get to see his abs (if even Nanao has abs, then Aikawa definitely has them).
And another thing that makes it appear as though Nanao is left-handed. Generally, the majority of people are right-handed, and when they’re relaxing at a table, they usually have their left hand against their chin so that they can use their right hand if necessary (I think there’s some Facebook thing for this). And the scene where Aikawa and co. come in for observation is the second time that Nanao is resting his chin on his right hand (though it was the other way around when the random dude was asking to sit next to him in chapter one). And oh looky there, Nanao is drinking his alcohol with his left hand (and all by his lonesome, poor thing). But then he suddenly switches hands? Oh, but there he is using his left hand on Aikawa.
THE PART WHERE AIKAWA SLAMS NANAO AGAINST THE WALL AND MARKS HIS NECK IS SO HOT. Must be a bit painful on Nanao’s part, but SO HOT *does the So Hot dance* You can really feel the sexual tension between them at that point.
And it’s comments like “You’ll only end up hurting yourself again” that disillusions me into thinking that Nanao really does have some unrequited love or other equally angsty thing in the past that was unresolved by the end or was just exaggerated. Or maybe he does have a sob story that will be addressed in the sequel. Ooh, the possibilities. And I have to admit, Nanao and the sensei hugging comfortingly is rather hot, though Nanao’s hurt expression was just incredibly heartbreaking ;_;
Though really, who says stuff like ‘overly loose’ anymore? And which expression is Aikawa referring to this time? The restrained expression?
Or perhaps “that fleeting sense of loneliness in his eyes?” Because that picture of Nanao- all defenseless and tender and so fuckin’ beautiful- is my favorite. I think I have a huge thing for secretly lonely characters/people. Aww, sensei ruffling Nanao’s hair~
I don’t know if it’s just Aikawa’s personality, but I thought he could’ve been a bit more tactful during the confrontation outside the bathroom. Nanao is clearly upset and down (ugh, breaks my heart to see him like that), so it would be better if Aikawa was a bit…nice or something. Guh, wanna hug Nanao so badly.
Such a shame that Hisa-nii only shows up for one page; he is totally hilarious (especially in the sixth chapter of Kirai ja Nai Kedo). I WANT HIM PAIRED UP WITH NANAO AND MIKADO’S SISTER, DARN IT. I’m still clinging onto the notion of the Aikawa and Shirahane households getting completely together with one straight couple to make kids. And the sister would so complement Hisa-nii. IT’D BE PERFECT.
I do very much love the Shirahane brothers’ relationship, how Nanao is always telling Mikado to act like his slave and Mikado being snarky and having none of it. So much brotherly affection~ And especially because they are so totally different, even with the bipolar things (it’s just Nanao’s appearance while it’s Mikado’s personality). It reminds me of the Fuji brothers since Fuji (Syusuke) is always teasing his beloved otouto, though Yuuta doesn’t appear to successfully ward it off. And Yuuta’s taller than his effeminate looking aniki as well. You know what? I would really really really like a scene where Mikado shows his love for Nanao, whether it be a hug or some insightful thought noting Nanao’s feelings or whatever, just something to show that he cares since he’s one of the few people that can see through Nanao. And Nanao really could use the support. For the longest time, I keep getting this feeling that Mikado and Nanao’s hair styles are similar even though they look so different (with Mikado being handsome and NANAO BEING PRETTY AND GORGEOUS AND SO ON)…
And speaking of Fuji, I think one of the reasons I’m attracted to Nanao and Aikawa is because they kinda remind me of Tefu. As mentioned, Fuji and Nanao both have a beautiful older sister and a younger brother that’s taller than them. In addition, they’re both rather effeminate looking with a sadistic (though it’s more of an inclination to tease others) personality to counter it. And Tezuka and Aikawa are both big and stoic, to some extent. And both pairings are kinda cases of opposites attracting, not to mention they have a pretty big angst potential (Why am I always attracted to pairings with high angst potentials? Tefu, Kurofai, SeiSub, Hanchul, Yunjae, Kemaru, and so many more).
Hmm, I think it’s actually quite rare to see an uke masturbate and not look like either an idiot or some shoujo girl while doing so. Possibly because it’s a more masculine pastime? The only other case I can think of is Tadayoedo Shizumazu, Saredo Naki mo Sezu (one of my favorites, and with a lonely uke with an unrequited love, too *sobs*). Nanao uses his left hand, and ooh, comes with Aikawa’s name on his lips :D
Their shoes look a bit weird, and what do you know? Aikawa thinks Nanao is fragile as well. He’s learning :) Heh heh heh, and Aikawa’s not the only one that wants to do immoral things with Nanao *grins* What I would do to get such lovely skin as that…
The first time I went through chapter five, I read ‘full body’s itch’ as ‘full body sitch,’ and well, that didn’t make any sense at all XD Still think that ‘full body’s itch’ is a rather odd description, but whatever.
And yet another teaser at Nanao’s past. So does it mean that he possibly knew the sensei before meeting him at the university? Could there be more truth to the rumor of Nanao being a siren than meets the eye? When did Nanao start going to the ‘other side,’ and, more importantly, when and why did he stop? Ah right, possibly explained in the sequel.
I realize that the whole point of the image is on Aikawa’s hands and his dialogue, but I just can’t help thinking, “Heh, it’s Aikawa’s crotch.” *whistles innocently* It’s all about the angle. Like on this page, too. The focus is on Nanao’s clenched fist, but my eyes are constantly drawn to Nanao’s butt ^.^
I really like it when the speech bubbles have little chibis of the speaker attached to them. I never noticed the chibis before. They’re cute~ As is Nanao’s face when it’s more chibi-fied rather than it’s usual pretty self.
What’s with the flow of conversation indeed. It randomly jumps from contacts to sex friends (that’s what I’m getting). Yes, yes, it’s necessary to build the tension and move the plot along, but it’s just too random.
Oh, and there’s Nanao dragging Aikawa away with his left hand.
“Your half-arsed interference is the cruelest of all.” Guh, that’s one of my favorite lines because it’s so true. If it’s all love or even all hatred, that at least you would know where the other person stands. But if things are only half-hearted, then there are mixed feelings all over the place and it just gets so messy. I guess an example would be from Hoshi no Yakata (SPOILERS AHEAD) when the pretty shoulder-length haired protagonist is getting branded (or something) and the guy that he likes (I shall call him ‘the idiot’) is like “Oh, here, bite down on my fingers when it gets painful” and pretty guy doesn’t do it because it would mean hurting the idiot, which the idiot doesn’t realize until someone points it out to him because the idiot, in turn, likes some other asshole. Totally forgot everyone’s names… But yes, half-hearted is worse than everything or nothing. But Nanao is somewhat at fault for bringing up the sensei so much.
And can I get a whoot whoot for Nanao shoving Aikawa up against the door and kissing the heck out of him? WHOOT WHOOT AND BOO YAH! Dominant ukes are just so so hot, and this scene was even hotter because of all the sexual tension that’s been building up and because it’s their first kiss. This scene was possibly even hotter than the smut. Really. DOMINANT UKES FTW! Though the face that Nanao makes when he pulls away (right before going out the door first, like a boss) was just really tugged at my heartstrings T.T
When Nanao runs into the sensei and the sensei goes “I know you don’t have class today,” that came out as really stalker-ish. I don’t think it’s supposed to since he knows Nanao well enough to be informed about his class schedule (and he is head of the economics department), but it was just creepy, especially since the text is bold and italicized.
I’m thinking that Aikawa lives pretty darn close to the university. He must, because in the span of Nanao hanging out with the sensei, Aikawa has the time to get over the shock of being kissed, slowly/normally make his way home, chill in his bedroom before taking the call, go all the way back, race around campus, and get to the office maybe five/ten minutes after the sensei left. Unless he somehow found a way to teleport himself, I’m gonna venture that his house is within walking distance (lucky him) since we never see any indication of him driving (Nanao, on the other hand, is quite the chauffeur). Heh, isn’t it cute? Aikawa’s sulking in bed. And I thought his reaction to being kissed was hilarious? His face after getting the phone call was totally priceless XD
I’m rather surprised that the sensei remembered the incident with Aikawa from one year ago. I mean, I barely remember things from a few months ago, let alone an entire year, especially with someone that I’d never met before. I’m going to guess that Aikawa has a memorable face and that the sensei noticed mainly because Nanao was involved. And it might be just be, but I would love to find out explicitly what went on between Nanao and the sensei that night :3 Yay for Nanao being a dominant uke~
Good question. Why doesn’t Nanao confess? I believe someone mentioned how disappointing it was that everything was left up to Aikawa to set into motion. Nanao has a strong personality, so he should do something other than let the misunderstandings grow. I’m going to say it’s because the fragile and insecure side of Nanao is a lot more dominant than he lets on or even knows. We can see that he gets hurt because of Aikawa quite easily, but not many people, perhaps not even he, realize it. And plus, there’s not much of an opportunity to confess because he is completely convinced that, despite the half-hearted stuff, Aikawa hates his guts so there would be no point in confessing if it would just result in further pain.
And I guess this is the point where people’s hatred of the sensei is justified. Truthfully, he comes off as very sleazy throughout the previous chapter, and now, with this chapter six, what he did could be considered rape at the worst. Nanao seems certainly unwilling enough. However, as we don’t get to see it, it’s hard to tell because it could’ve turned consensual somewhere in the middle. And Nanao doesn’t seem too upset (in fact, he’s completely normal) the next day. And even in the aftermath, while shaken up, I think he was more upset due to his confusing feelings towards Aikawa and the fact that Aikawa saw him. So I guess it’s not really rape? Nonetheless, rape is bad, despite how it often gets romanticized in fiction, but this is not the time and place to discuss it.
“I can’t even imagine myself being good buddies in reality with normal people like you guys.” That seems to be a flashback to something that Nanao said previously. Problem: I don’t recall Nanao ever saying that, and I’ve read this manga quite a few times. I’m guessing that Nanao did say that at some point, but the scanlation group just had a different translation for it. Perhaps it matches up in the drama CD, but I don’t know since I don’t understand Japanese and haven’t found a translation for it yet.
And are Aikawa’s affectionate feelings too abrupt? Not necessarily. He’s not proclaiming his love from the rooftop, so it’s safe to say that he didn’t just up and decide that he loves Nanao. These feelings were already there; he has always been thinking of Nanao, just in a negative rather than positive light. Besides, the closest thing to love is hatred. Also, Aikawa is a person with pretty honorable traits, so it’s not too much of a stretch to believe that he would change his opinion of Nanao to something much more favorable once he finds out that he was wrong (about why Nanao kept interacting with him).And he’s also quite possessive, so it seems rather natural for him to be protective once he realized that Nanao was a bit of a scaredy-cat.
Ah, random. Either Aikawa changed shirts, or Sakuraga Mei just decided to save ink and make his flowery shirt a lot lighter than it was in chapter five.
Heh heh, though once he realized the truth, Aikawa is so sweet and protective towards Nanao~ I frankly think he’s even more shocked than Nanao over what the sensei did. Once upon a time, I said that these two go well together. I still think that. While Nanao does have a very strong personality, I’m under the impression that he’s not too good at taking care of himself, say emotionally or in matters dealing with relationships (as he has had none). As a result, Aikawa’s possessiveness and instinct to protect and care complement Nanao’s character perfectly. And, in turn, Nanao loosens Aikawa up and adds a lot of excitement into the mix.
Of course, since Nanao doesn’t know that Aikawa has had a change of heart, it’s all the more heartbreaking to see him so depressed and resigned. And I’m sure Aikawa’s kicking himself to the moon and back now that he can see things differently. Oh, Nanao. The expressions that he makes ;_;
Someone mentioned that Nanao’s unrequited love is unexpected. I disagree. From the start, it seems as though whatever class they were taking has been going on for a while, giving Nanao plenty of time to develop a crush. And then, in his own words, one year has passed, so that is definitely enough time for that crush to turn into an unrequited love, all the more so since they’ve frequently run into each other, as is evident in the prior volumes in the whole series. Still, unrequited love is just so incredibly painful. The image of Nanao looking at Aikawa’s back… *wibbles*
Though speaking of having enough time, I’m a bit confused as to the timeline. It’s been over a year since they’ve laid eyes on each other, yet Aikawa is still a first year, and the school year hasn’t ended yet (or it’s almost ending since they’re picking classes). So when the manga first begins, it has to be taking place the summer before Aikawa’s first year at college. Therefore, Aikawa was taking summer school along with Nanao or he’s one of those smart kids who take college courses while still in high school. Either way, they’re both overachievers :) And this is under the assumption that Nanao and the sensei are referring to one year as 365 days. If their ‘one year’ means one school year, then this paragraph is just rambling. But I’m under the impression that they’re talking about one Earth-goes-around-the-sun year.
Oh, another shot of Aikawa’s crotch, though sadly not that close. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Heh, Aikawa’s shoes look like Nanao’s shoes except without the buckles. They’re kinda ugly XD
But not gonna lie. The whole sequence starting from when Aikawa places his hands on Nanao’s shoulder up through Nanao’s confession? I cried. I was in a rather weepy mood that day (I also cried during the most recent Hyakujitsu no Bara chapter at the time). But it was just so beautiful. That fragile, melancholy air. Aikawa’s gentleness. The light and glowy background. Nanao’s expressions (always his expressions). Guessing what he must be feeling. The actual words coming out of his mouth. SO. FREAKIN’. BEAUTIFUL. *bursts into tears*
Ah, I remember a complaint being that, no matter how romantic or symbolic it is, the kiss scene is just plain gross because, hello, Nanao just gave the sensei a blowjob. My question: how can you not see the symbolism? True, it’s incredibly gross, but it wouldn’t be so significant otherwise. The kiss is symbolic because not only is Aikawa the one to initiate it, but because he cares about Nanao so much that he willingly ignores Nanao’s protests (and Nanao does protest) as well as the whole icky-ness (and mind you, he really has it against the sensei) and does it anyway. So yes, disgusting, but still meaningful.
Aww, laying out his possessiveness right then and there. So cute and typical of Aikawa ^.^ And Nanao’s face is pretty priceless as well.
I’ve already expressed my mild discontent with this very hot smut scene before, so I’ll keep it short. Nanao’s abs look a bit odd, Aikawa keeps all of his clothes on (seriously, why do so many semes not get naked? Klaus never takes off his pants. Never. At least Nanao has his top that defies gravity on, so he’s not totally naked while Aikawa is totally clothed), Aikawa’s face doesn’t change much, Aikawa doesn’t make that much noise, Nanao blushes and cries and leaks a bit too much, Nanao makes a bit too much noise (kinda squeaky, in the drama CD), la di la. But despite all my complaints, it was still smokin’ hawt. It’s Sakuraga Mei, after all, why wouldn’t it be hot? Loved it when Nanao was all, “I can’t be satisfied with this already. Come inside.” SO SEXY! Dominant ukes whoot! Loved the fact that Nanao is bottoming from the bottom for the first time. Dominant uke is dominated whoot! The wonderful thing about Sakuraga Mei’s smut is that it’s very detailed- none of that glowing genitals stuff :3 Loved the kiss because it’s mutual and initiated by both of them. Loved that the sex is kinda rough. Loved that Aikawa shows some signs of lust and isn’t one of those talk-dirty-with-a-smug-face semes. Loved that Nanao doesn’t completely turn into one of those blushing virgin ukes whose heads I want to smash into a wall. And loved that heartwarming tender kiss to the hand at the very end.
Somewhere near the top of this post, I mentioned my dissatisfaction that Aikawa has yet to say ‘I love you’ to Nanao. I’ve reconsidered. Aikawa, the guy with the sudden change in attitude that he is, barely just accepted Nanao as a lover/boyfriend/whatever and realized that he does have feelings for him. However, it would be much too sudden for that hatred-suddenly-turned-affection to be love or anything. Those things take time. Again, perhaps in the sequel?
The sensei…is a very odd guy. Yeah, he claims that he just wanted Nanao to give him head, but I believe that he also did it on purpose. However, if he did do it on purpose, then he must have known what it would lead to. And if he knew what it would lead to, it means that he’s okay with them doing it in his office? Weird guy, that sensei. Very hilarious though (I personally found the rumor’s origin to be highly amusing), and I do still like him even after everything that he did.
It just really warms my heart to see Nanao so happy. Aikawa’s possessiveness might seem over the top and creepy with someone else, but it’s just perfect for Nanao, and they just go together so well. Nanao, being ever so gorgeous, makes several lovely expressions, but his being happy is the most beautiful of them all (it takes my breath and all of my words away, which is why this paragraph is shorter than it should be). And if his slight blushing is any indication, Aikawa definitely agrees. Oh, Aikawa, do fall completely head over heels in love with Nanao already :)
Because Mujihi na Otoko was scanlated before much of the rest of the Warui series, I did not know that Nanao and Aikawa showed up in the previous volumes (with the exception of Kirai ja Nai Kedo since that was completely scanlated. As a result, it was a very very pleasant surprise to see them grace the storyline of Mikado and Towa (CAN’T STAND THEM AT ALL. TOWA IS SO STUPID).
Starting with Waruiko Demo Ii? since that’s where we’re first introduced to Nanao. The only notable scene is when Nanao drives Towa home and confirms his theory that Kuon and Towa are related (He’s so smart! *flails*). As I had already read Mujihi na Otoko and was familiar with Nanao’s bipolarity, it wasn’t that much of a surprise to see him modify his appearance to look more formal. Still funny though since Towa didn’t know about it. And wow, right from when we first see Nanao and Aikawa in the same room, there is a buttload of tension right then and there. So tense (and even a bit rude, on Aikawa’s part) that Nanao leaves right away. Bad Aikawa. Though I do love Hisa’s reaction ^.^ But yes, so much sexual tension from that incredibly short ‘first’ encounter.
And then onto Kirai ja Nai Kedo, which I loved the most along with Shinonome and Yuki (the cover was the reason I started reading this series) before I got to chapter six. At the time that I read Kirai ja Nai Kedo, only this and Warui Koto Shitai (I Want to be Naughty) were scanlated, so this was actually my first encounter with Nanao (and AikawaxNanao), and I was rather confused as to when they met ‘Mikado’s older brother.’ But I didn’t dwell on this for too long because I had fallen in love at first sight (see? It exists!) with Nanao :D Not only was he very well dressed, but he was quite pretty (love my pretty boys) and had glasses (my megane fetish went wild) and he was just oozing sensuality and snark. And when Aikawa said “You’re not welcome,” followed immediately by Nanao revealing that he’s an uke (which I could already tell), they unceremoniously gekokujou-ed Shinonome and Yuki and became my OTP for the Warui series \O/ Actually, the gekokujou came a bit later because I didn’t realize that Mujihi na Otoko existed, but they were definitely ready to shove Shinonome and Yuki out of the way. I didn’t quite understand Nanao’s, “I’m envious” at the time, but now I definitely do :D
Pretty sure they didn’t show up in Koi ja Nai Kedo (which I didn’t like that much, especially Shinonome’s face) or Warui Koto Bakkashite Gomennasai. But I loved Nanao’s role in the latter- getting Towa drunk and corrupting his mind with talks of riding, especially since the riding thing makes a cameo in Mujihi na Otoko XD
And oh! Warui Yatsu Demo Ii. Because this is the volume directly before Mujihi na Otoko, Aikawa and Nanao show up a lot. And I frankly don’t remember much of the volume aside from them and Yuki with his “I smell an IDIOT” spiel (I was laughing so hard at that). Ah, the appearance of the chibi heads next to the speech bubbles- so cute~ And of course, sexual tension, as always :) Though fortunately this time, Aikawa was a lot more civil. And I do like Nanao’s perplexed, “Why are you in front of my house?” That was kinda priceless XD Ooh, Nanao holds the cigarette with his left hand. And while we’re on cigarettes, I wonder if he’s self-conscious that he’s looking like that- loosely buttoned shirt, jacket carelessly slung over shoulder, cigarette- in Aikawa’s presence. He’s usually careful about his appearance, but Aikawa took him by surprise this time. Heh, Aikawa contemplating the notion of training camps for the student council XD And aww, Nanao’s pout when Aikawa storms away. And Nanao the chauffeur/outstanding older brother shows up again XD Love Nanao and Mikado’s relationship.
And then we have that special chapter completely dedicated to Nanao ^.^ Oh ho! He reads manga. Nanao is such an interesting character, especially with him teasing others and being a siren. Poor waiter didn’t know what hit him. Though ooh, chibi Nanao! :D And ouch- the unintentionally hurtful dig about smiling out of courtesy versus smiling sincerely (also an issue with Fuji); I really wanted to hug Nanao at that part :( There’s Nanao using his left hand again, to stop Towa and then to pick up his tea. Oh, and there’s Nanao expressing his jealousy over Mikado and Towa- twice in one chapter. Though his reaction to Mikado’s declaration over Towa’s cuteness was hilarious XD And of course, those last two pages chock full of AikawaxNanao implications were the best. *sigh* That wistful air combined with the then unrequited love does make me want to cry a bit and hold Nanao real tight >.< Yes, Nanao, you gorgeous person you, we all want you to get that special person. And since I read this after Mujihi na Otoko, it was all the more poignant.
Whew! So that’s all for now on Mujihi na Otoko. I LOVE THIS MANGA SO MUCH. Can’t wait for the sequel!