Back to mochiluv16's Profile mochiluv16's Profile

I feel like I do not have enough good things to say about Koroshi Ai. It quickly made its way up to my top 5 favorite manga and I only wish the chapters came out faster. I am a sucker for a good romance and while the dynamic between the two MCs is what originally drew me in, I have to say that it is the intrigue of the plot that I am so gripped by.

To begin with, the story is pretty captivating. I have read a lot of complaints that it is difficult to follow, which I can somewhat attest to, but the ... elements of the story are much more subtle than the usual plot of a manga. It is difficult to give examples without spoilers so I can only really say that initially, the story is difficult to follow but I think if you persevere through the first 5-10 chapters, the mangaka does a better job presenting the story more clearly. Koroshi Ai also lends itself well to multiple readings as I mentioned above that certain story elements and characterization is subtle and can take a while to pick up on. The plot revolves around multiple mysteries concerning our two MCs. There is a lot of stuff to follow and it seems for a while that there are far more questions than answers. I suppose this may frustrate readers but I think in its current arc a lot of things are being cleared up and I trust the mangaka to give us a satisfying wrap up when its time. The writing is really good so, as I said, I trust the mangaka to deliver.

The art isn't phenomenal but I really like it. It fits the dramatic atmosphere of the story and the gore is also pretty great if that is what you are looking for (I mean IT IS about contract killers and stuff so..). I really enjoy the character's designs and I think some of the fight scenes are dynamic enough that they would work well if animated.

The manga is almost exclusively about its characters which works out because I think the characters are fantastic. Chateau, the female MC, is surprisingly complex given her silent-type characterization. She maintains her badassery even in contrast to the far more capable Ryang-Ha. Ryang-Ha is personally my favorite character but the plot's intrigue focuses a lot more on him so that may be why. I think his transition from cute loverboy to the cold-blooded killer is, while troupish, still entertaining and he definitely pulls at my heartstrings. I also really like that the romance between them is done tastefully. I won't say I don't enjoy my fair share of fanservice but it is refreshing to see a romance manga take itself a little more seriously. More than anything, the characters are well done because their actions and motivations are believable and in line with their characterization, especially once you get into the later chapters and start to learn more about them.

I enjoy this series a lot. It satisfies what I want: romance and bloodshed. The grim setting of the criminal underworld and the dynamic between the two MCs is done well and every chapter improves on the last.

Overall, I truly do not understand why this series is so underrated. I feel that it can appeal to a large audience and I wish for it to be officially translated someday!

*Minor spoilers*
I was very excited to start reading this manga. The first episode of the anime came out and immediately after watching it I knew I wanted to read the manga as well. I always appreciate manga trying to take a more serious approach to sex and eroticism and that seemed to be exactly what Araburu was doing. Usually, with many of these romantically themed mangas, we get characters who dance around concepts of sex and it can feel very repetitive and immature for someone who reads a lot of romance. Araburu got straight to the point of it and takes an interesting and realistic ... take on what sex is like for teenagers. It seemed to bring something new to the genre and I was very excited.

Unfortunately, my excitement quickly vanished as halfway through the story the plot goes in a very cliched and regrettable direction. The love triangle that emerges is essentially what ruined this manga for me. Not only does it cut through any character development that the male MC has, but it takes away from what the manga really had going for it. Despite the troublesome nature of growing up and facing the insecurities that teens have with sex, the main girls all had the literature club, and most importantly each other, to help them deal with these problems and their relationships to one another was what made the manga cute and fun to read.

With the love triangle, we are resorting back to the typical ways high school drama is written about and it's aggravating. We see friendships being broken beyond repair as the two main girls actively pursue the same love interest who, before this point seemed like a decent character but has instead fallen into the douchy and oblivious male role we expect to find in trashy harem writing. Instead of focusing on the feelings behind sexual desire, the basis of this manga initially, it is all about hormonal teens making bad decisions and, while this may be realistic in its own right, it has lost the sophistication I felt it had at the beginning.

I was excited to see each girl follow their own path towards adulthood and while I expected the angst of show about high school, the turmoil caused by the love triangle put a hold on any future development for the two girls and has made the only male mc completely unlikable. I appreciated the introduction of a non-straight character but her involvement in the feud seems to undermine her story and growth as well which is a huge disappointment.

I know it is not over yet but I am unsure that anything could fix this decision and it seems the story is beyond help.