Jul 6, 2023
SLIGHT SPOILERS !!
I saw Barbarities on a whim a my local chapters lol and thought I'd check it out online before purchasing a hard copy. Needless to say I read the entire thing in maybe 2-3 sittings.
Not heavy on the worldbuilding itself the world is set in a medieval like area, taking many costume designs from actual historical influences. Based primarily in Tance + Xehena both made up continents based on actual places somewhere in Europe.
Not heavy on the worldbuilding means that the character's should be well thought out and versatile. Although that is somewhat true it's hard to actually pin point any growth
...
from a lot of the character's themselves. The two main leads, Joel and Adam follow a lot of prevalent tropes within the Boys Love manga scene. Adam being the handsome perverted "top" and Joel being the shy, almost ace presenting "bottom". Not to say they aren't enjoyable character's its just to be expected that again like most BLs there's a common theme in terms of character representation.
To give the mangaka props although the characters seem very two dimensional at first they do grow (a bit) as the manga progresses, as we the reader learns more about their pasts and their hardships. It's also important to point out that homosexuality is present with a lot of the character's causing the atmosphere of homophobia itself to be less present within their world. Which is a much welcoming change for readers looking for a less tense politically charged world itself.
The plot itself is alright...Again it follows a lot of similar BL tropes with Adam the playboy falling hard for the distant, hardworking innocent 'bottom' Joel.
There are political motives within the manga if the reader is looking for that, with many of the characters expanding on how much control the church should have over the state, which presents an interesting dynamic within the character's themselves.
The side character's are also enjoyable with two of the side character's being in a very heated relationship, both of them greatly infatuated with each other.
The art itself is also very beautiful with the heavily referenced costuming to the main leads being both very beautiful themselves.
In conclusion, I'd rate Barbarities a 7/10 in the Boys Love genre. Due to the fact that although it plays into some tropes it does break free of the mold plenty of times. With good visuals and enjoyable characters it's an easy read and definitely a recommendation if you're an enjoyer of BLs.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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