Welcome to BRB, everyone!
My apologies. I know it's been a very long time since I published a post. But my writing career is heading down a different road, not that I've given up on Blak Rayne, but this pen name will be evolving in the new year to include straight romance and thrillers. Whereas my new pseudonym, which I will publish under in 2020, will be strictly adult science-fiction and fantasy. Anyway, I've been entrenched in writing, editing and preparing for my forth-coming publications, a quadrilogy. So, thanks for sticking around!
In manga there are countless stories that deal with non-consensual sex. For some reason many authors in this medium seem to use a common theme: the victim falls in love with their rapist or another way of putting it: the rapist claims they love the victim and instead of treating them in a deserving manner they get scared and rape them to get their point across.
Yeah, I know, creepy isn't it.
I understand that rape happens in books, fiction or otherwise. It's usually a case where the rape is a catalyst to the protagonist's behaviour and/or it is an essential plot point. However, when the rape is uncalled for and it happens over and over, and then the perpetrator(s) are caught but not punished accordingly, basically let off, and the victim is portrayed as believing they somehow brought it upon themselves, it really makes for a lousy read. Of course, I understand it's just a story, but it makes me question the cultural attitude towards sex crimes. Hey, I'm no different than the next person. I like a good romance, even the hot steamy sex. But when I grit my teeth with every page something is seriously wrong.
So, here are two stories, both mangas deal with rape, but they are at completely different ends of the scale.
My Teacher, My Pet by Sakuya. Konomi starts teaching at a school for delinquents. Things seem to go well until she meets her childhood friend's little brother Ryuhei, and she discovers one of the female teachers is sleeping with multiple students at the same time. Then she finds out she's their next target.
My
favourite line (sarcastic, of course) in the manga is when the gang bangers get caught raping Konomi and the principle says, 'You may be minors, but what you've done is a crime. We're gonna have an emergency meeting!!' F*** the emergency meeting, you should call the police asshole.
Now that would've made the story more interesting.
Nothing, not even the art can make up for this rape fest or the male lead's deplorable treatment of the female lead, his friends, family, and the other female teacher. I can handle decent smut, but this wasn't decent. This was bad. Honestly, I don't mind a student and teacher getting it on either, goodness knows I've read enough of it in comics and books throughout the years, but blatant abuse, ugh. Buyer beware with this manga. 1 Star and that's for the art.
Omega-verse, drama, yaoi, Kiraide Isasete by Hijiki. Koga Naoto, an omega, is raped by his alpha classmates and gets pregnant. Regardless, he decides to keep the child and raises her on his own. But due to that traumatic experience, he hates alphas and doesn't want a lifemate or to bond. As a result, his daughter becomes his strength in a cruel world that treats omegas unfairly. But his life suddenly changes
when he meets Tsuchiya Hazuki, a younger alpha who does care.
I'm not big into omega-verse because, again, rape is a common theme and the m-peg thing is just weird, but every once in awhile I do come across a gem. This story is good. Yes, the rape is the reason Naoto has a daughter, and it is the reason he lives as he does and, of course, it also influences how he meets Hazuki. But it isn't constantly shoved in your face, page after page in gory detail. This story is touching, and you can't help but root for both male leads. There's a ton of feels in this one. 5 Stars!
By Blak Rayne
