insaneneko

I was shocked to find out that there are (at least) 9 volumes of Manatsu no higaisha by Aochi Syu and illustrated by Fujiyama Hyouta. I read the first two and didn't think they were very good. They were crap, but not the offensive kind. The biggest problem with them was the insipidness of the characters.

The main character is one of those slightly-soft-in-the-head boys (who have grown up indulged by those around him) who I can't imagine being desired as ardently as he is. The main love interest is a wanna-be alpha-male who doesn't quite succeed. He mostly came off as desperate and immature. There's another guy who was *really* pathetic for a variety of reasons. I felt bad for him because the author really did him a disservice. Yet for all the bleah I felt for the two volumes (I skimmed parts of the second one) I still want to read the rest of the series. Why did she even bother writing more? What is the appeal? Maybe it'll come to me in volume 7 or something. ^^;

Main character (nicknamed MC from now on) goes on a solo trip to tour Hokkaido by motorcycle, despite his total lack of a sense of direction and his family's strong objections. He'd planned on going with his bestfriend/boyfriend, but BF backed out at the last minute and they ended up breaking up when MC made a fuss over it. BF is cool, good-looking, a leader. He'd been the one that proposed the trip years ago and they'd saved up money over the years to take this trip in their last summer of high school. MC had been a faithful follower for the most part, but stubbornly decides he needs to set out on his own when he catches BF kissing another boy at school.

MC ends up touring with this "really cool guy" (or so he is described in the books) I'll call DB (for dragon boy, because his name is Ryuu-something). They stay at DB's brother's house (or was it DB's brother's boyfriend's house?) at one point and MC is raped by DB. DB claims MC had been toying with him with his seductive looks, etc. MC has no idea what DB is talking about, has an awful experience, runs to DB's brother and is nursed and protected by DB's brother and DB's brother's boyfriend until he can go back to Tokyo. He has a last confrontation with DB, during which DB assures MC that he will come for MC eventually and that MC will not be able to get away.

MC comes home traumatized. He is afraid that DB will show up all the time. The fear gradually recedes, and he even manages to make up with BF (not as boyfriends but just as friends). They get into the same university.

Of course DB reappears. They always come back. MC is freaked out, but at the same time he's drawn to DB. BF is jealous and decides to do something extreme. BF and MC had never had anal sex. MC had not even known that that the ass can be a receptacle in sex and had always vigorously resisted when BF tried to go there. BF comes to the (BRILLIANT) conclusion that he will take MC by force since DB had done it and MC was drawn to him, so that must be the way to make MC come back to him. He drugs and rapes MC. MC is not happy. He's not happy at how desperate and needy BF is turning out to be. He liked strong leader BF.

MC goes to visit DB's brother for some comfort, and ends up getting a lot of comfort. He has sex with DB's brother AND DB's brother's boyfriend in a lovely whirlwind of pleasure. (I appreciated that the healing sex actually came from a third party, not the rapist/abuser as usual.)

MC is entrusted with DB's brother's house (or is it DB's brother's boyfriend's house? I can't remember this one either...), but is shocked when DB appears. DB even has a spare key! Of course, sex ensues. Lots of sex. MC is not happy. DB is like a big puppy trying really hard to act like a badass. After much sex and some talking MC and DB end up an item...sort of. They even go on a date at the end.

There was a side story from BF's POV that really made me feel sorry for the character. How pathetic did the author have to make him? Turns out BF is a manipulative bastard who'd set his sights on MC to make him all his from the first day of middle school. He'd carefully planned his approach, and made sure he was at the center of MC's world. The only thing he couldn't figure out was how to go all the way. He'd been shocked at how vehemently MC rejected him trying to do anything with his ass. So he's supposed to be smart and scheming yet after 5 years fails to go all the way, lets MC go off on an adventure and be stolen by another guy, then in desperation drugs and rapes MC and yet still fails to have him? LAAAAME.

I laughed at the threesome. It seemed so gratuitous. I liked that MC was actually traumatized by the first rape, instead of turning into an uke slut immediately. Too bad he's too bland a character to be truly interesting. :P

Part of the reason I want to read more is to see if MC has more gratuitous sex with random people. I think it'd be funny if he slept with or was raped by someone different in each volume. And even more funny if DB rages at each incident but can't/doesn't do anything about it (besides fucking MC silly, of course).