Sep 25, 2015
I read this on a whim, and man, do I ever regret doing so. Bitter Virgin is so poorly-written that it actually managed to offend me.
I found the premise intriguing: A girl, Hinako, works to move past horrific abuse at the hands of her stepfather. Unfortunately, Hinako isn't our protagonist. Instead, we get Daisuke, your average seinen guy. Appallingly, the story plays out in typical harem fashion. We're introduced to a couple of other potential love interests: a cute childhood friend and a haughty clingy-type. Both are completely smitten with Daisuke--one to the point that she will commit actual, not-played-for-laughs violence on rival Hinako.
...
This is very uncomfortable to watch, because Hinako isn't her own character. She doesn't have interests, hobbies, or personality quirks. She's defined by what happened to her, and later, by her relationship to Daisuke. Because her character is so underdeveloped, the scenes involving her trauma feel cheap and exploitative.
All this said, I feel the author genuinely set out to write something thought-provoking. I get the impression she was simply too unskilled to pull away from common tropes and stock characters.
I implore anyone reading this to educate themselves about violence against women.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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