Gentle Cage

by You Shiizaki, Kumiko Sasaki (Illustrator), Bianca Jarvis (Translator)

Amateur painter Itsuki Hashimoto and up-and-coming sculptor Masatsugu Tokiwa became friends through their love for art. But a few years later, family circumstances force Itsuki to cut Tokiwa off of his life. Now, Itsuki is living a confined life as the “human pet” of Yamabe-sensei, Tokiwa’s former teacher. Can Tokiwa help Itsuki break free of his cage?

Genres: Yaoi, Manga, Romance, M M Romance, Light Novel, LGBT, Fiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2007

Reviews

[Maverynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Trigger warning: Talk of rape)


This book was just a pile of rape, except for the end.



A lot of this book was telling and not showing, that being said Itsuki really didn't do much in the novel at all. It was always "Tokiwa this" and "Tokiwa that". Being a yaoi novel it seems to follow the par for the course of having a high amount of rape. Itsuki never consents to anything, even at the end where it just seems he has because the author has informed us that he was liking it or something.



Also the story just felt.. boring. No real character development. Hell one character doesn't even get a name and is simply 'hairdresser'. It's just, guy goes to old BF place and gets disabled there and has to stay there (broken legs). Gets raped repeatedly, boss dies and then he gets to be with rapist forever. The end... and they were artists the whole time!



Ultimately Itsuki is never free, and is caged by Tokiwa. BUT 'well he's free to do what he wants right?' Yeah OK

[kimberly_rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally published at mangaupdates.com in January, 2010.

This is one of my favourite yaoi novels; it has all the typical fantasy elements that I want in a smutty sort of novel that raises the hackles of social workers! LOL!

The relationship of the seme and uke includes rage, possessiveness, ownership, angst, and non-conish-conflict all merrily alongside tender, sweet, protective and loving. It accumulates in an ultimate, if socially-unacceptable/unbelievable, happy resolution!

The art is very sexy!

[Benji · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modern light novel with an entertainingly far-fetched, soap opera-esque plot. The MC Itsuki is in a non-sexual/romantic total power exchange relationship as a “human doll” for a famous artist in order to pay off debts. Itsuki’s former friend Tokiwa is named as successor when the artist grows ill and seems to expect to inherit Itsuki as well.

This book is tagged as “confinement” on the publisher’s website and the plot blurb gives the impression it’s a captor-captive story (which is why I picked it up) but it never fully committed to being one which got frustrating. It was weirdly fluffy in parts, had a lot of miscommunication, a love interest with serious mood swings, kind of a mess overall but enjoyable in a ridiculous sort of way.

CWs: rape, suicide attempt (side character), toxic relationship, terminal illness, death

[Kimiko Kotani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years back, Tokiwa agreed to mind a stand at a street market for his friend. Amongst the various offering at the stand stood a small sculpture done by Tokiwa himself, who was surprised when a young art student decided to buy it on impulse. Itsuki dreamed of graduating from his vocational college and becoming an artist and drawn by their mutual love of art, the pair begin to hang out together. Sadly, things began to go bad for Itsuki. His single parent family is riddled with debt; suffering a breakdown from the pressures brought on by debt collectors and the impossible deficit his mother attempts suicide. Knowing she needs professional help and having a younger sister to provide for as well as the debts to repay, he drops out of college and agrees to work for the eccentric artist Yamabe in exchange to his family’s troubles being taken care of.

Needless to say, this comes at a high price. With the amount of money involved, Yamabe’s demands are many. Itsuki not only cannot return to college, but must attend Yamabe personally and obey his every whim. Yamabe’s private workshop students believe Itsuki is Yamabe’s lover, and Tokiwa is bitter to have his once close confidante drop him completely for his wealthy patron and lover. Indeed, the lure of money seems to have completely changed Itsuki; he is not only aloof seeming and dressed to the nines, but has grown his hair out incredibly long, sweeping past his waist. Feeling betrayed, Tokiwa himself moves on.

But things are not always as they seem, and a chance encounter years later thanks to Yamabe whimsically deciding to send Itsuki to Tokiwa’s remote home midwinter for a business meeting starts to unravel the snarl that their relationship suffers. Itsuki’s car refuses to start again in the extreme cold, and then Itsuki himself slips in the ice and snow, injuring himself. Tokiwa sees the opportunity to make Itsuki suffer for his betrayal, while Itsuki himself seems perplexed and saddened by Tokiwa’s actions to his once close friend. It doesn’t take long, but Tokiwa soon discovers that he has imprisoned himself in feelings of hatred thanks to false rumours, while Itsuki himself is locked into a psychologically abusive but nonsexual relationship with Yamabe. He’s not his lover, but a pet, a living doll to be more precise. Left alone and ashamed, having nowhere to turn, Itsuki has all but given up. Can Tokiwa help Itsuki free himself and can love save them both?

This light novel by You Shizaki is by no means a light romantic read. It covers several mature themes, earning its 18+ rating, and in places can be a little disturbing. Tokiwa’s treatment of Itsuki is at times horrific as he executes his desire for revenge but falls quite short of the horror that one realises Itsuki has had to suffer at the hands of Yamabe while everyone else looked on oblivious. Unable to choose his own clothes, speak to his friends or family without permission, to trim his hair, or anything else, Itsuki has spent years reduced to an object. All anyone else sees is a retiring young man in awe of his wealthy and talented lover, and Yamabe blithely allows the misconception to enhance his own reputation and cover up his misdeeds.

The plot flows along at a decent clip, resolving neatly within the single volume and while not overly long manages to take this tale of complex issues and provide not only an engaging plot, but well rounded characters. Itsuki’s stoicism is plausible given the way he has learned to shield himself emotionally as self protection, and it doesn’t take much for the reader to accept this very wall as being the initial catylyst that caused the severing of his and Tokiwa’s friendship. The remoteness of his own connection to others leads him to not accept his own feelings nor to explore them, cascading into an inability to accept feelings from others, which may lead to pain after all. It’s a vicious circle whose moods are beautifully captured in the handful of illustrations by Kumiko Sasaki. The inclusion of a colour insert in the front and the cover illustration further enhances the emotions captured within the prose, showcasing the artist’s gifts of using colour and rendering expression.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review: It has to be noted, at least by me, as a writer of m/m romance from a western perspective, that had this book fallen into any romance category but Yaoi, there's a good chance it might never have been published. Tokiwa's 'seduction' if Itsuki is not gentle, and really, not consensual. At least not at first, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that. Knowing the genre, I'm well aware this is a common trope, but I have reservations about it, nonetheless. Lots of people who love the genre aren't really bothered by it, and as far as the execution of the much-used plot device goes, in this book, it's rather well done.

Itsuki's experiences and personality won't let him accept Tokiwa's advances, won't even let him see what Tokiwa is hiding behind his brutal demands on Itsuki's body. He's so far buried his own feelings under indifference and stoicism, just to get through his days as an untouchable, perfected bit of art to his current owner, it's impossible for Itsuki to admit his own feelings, let alone recognise them in Tokiwa. It's hard to see him accept what he thinks is indifference and even hate from the man he won't admit he loves, but he can't believe there's anything else there.

As for Tokiwa, it would have been nice to see what was going on inside his head as he's mercilessly demanding Itsuki take his advances. In the end, we see what he's thinking, and if, in the real world, his methods are at the very least, suspect, his heart is arguably in the right place. He wants to open Itsuki up to feeling again, and just doesn't know any other way to get through to him. The one-sided, uke-based way so many of these stories are written doesn't give the reader that insight until after the fact, and that makes Itsuki's struggles hard to watch, and Tokiwa's treatment of him hard to understand.

As tenderness grows between them, though, it becomes clear Tokiwa is very much in love with Itsuki, even if he never says so, and Itsuki can't see it. When this comes clear, then I waited and hoped they would make amends and come together. It's curious to me how the writer managed to make not just Itsuki forgive such brutal treatment, but how she managed to get the reader to forgive Tokiwa, too, and want him to succeed in wooing Itsuki back.

Read the rest of my review here: http://www.kuri-ousity.com/2010/01/re...

My Recommendation: Be aware this Yaoi novel is true to type, and you'll appreciate it, but don't expect realism where it isn't meant to be.

[Elisa Rolle]

Itsuki and Tokiwa were friend when Tokiwa was still a struggling artist. Even if young and without money, Tokiwa was a proud man and also a persistent one; his interested for Itsuki went beyond friendship and he told so to the boy. He was gently wooing the man when sudden and serious family issue forced Itsuki to accept the proposition of an older artist, Yamabe, to become his personal assistant in all for all, almost a pet for the man to play as he please. Itsuki was forced to stop to seeing Tokiwa without giving the man a reason.

Years later Itsuki knocks to Tokiwa's door: Yamabe is dying and the old man wants to make Tokiwa the full recipient of all his possession. Tokiwa includes in them also Itsuki, and with the help of an injury who forces Itsuki to accept Tokiwa's hospitality, Tokiwa takes Itsuki in captivity. Day after day Tokiwa destroys the doll image that Yamabe built for Itsuki, but at the same time treats the man no more than an object, arriving also to rape him.

The rape is dealt as always in the japanese yaoi world, Itsuki protests vehemently against Tokiwa forced seduction, but in the end his body betrays him, arriving to crave Tokiwa's touch. In this novel maybe the contrast is more heavy, since Itsuki's mind doesn't accept Tokiwa, and almost till the end Itsuki continues to refuse Tokiwa's attention.

The book is pretty interesting, I don't know how much realistic... the idea of an adult man who is treated like a doll only for the pleasure of eyes is quite unbelievable; plus Itsuki's behavior is a bit too submissive, first with Yamabe and then with Tokiwa, sometime it makes me want to scroll the boy and push him to react in some way.

There is a lot of sex, Tokiwa and Itsuki's relationship is very intimate, above all since Tokiwa is forced to take care of Itsuki in all the most intimate moment when he is injured; but even if a lot, the sex is almost detached, not very graphic. Maybe also for this reason, when Tokiwa forced Itsuki, it is even more strong and unsettling.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/156970712X/?...

[Cathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book actually has a really decent plot and I like the themes and concept. I still can't quite get past all the SA. For years I've been saying that a lot of BL has dubcon and is kinda rapey, but this past week and a half has reminded me how bad it really is.

I wonder if there's been a cultural shift in the genre in recent years or if this is still happening a lot.

I'm going to try reading some more recent manga and see what it's like.

[madamada-chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

優しい檻 "Gentle Cage" (licensed by June Manga) left me breathless. I just couldn't think of a word right now good enough to describe it. The interactions between the two main characters, as well as supporting characters, were so sensitive and plays gently on the heartstrings like a song softly strummed on a guitar.

At the end of reading, I was left sighing... in a good way. I guess the part I loved the most was the epilogue, and how it was told not from the main (uke), but the other (seme) lead character's point of view. It left me so satisfied, knowing how he had viewed the events from his perspective, starting from the very beginning of their story, as well as all the motives behind his actions especially the things he did to the lead character (uke).

I love it.

I think it just soared to being the number one love story I've ever read. Itsuki (the protagonist) stared at a painting for hours without noticing how much time has passed, that's the closest thing I could compare to how I felt reading this story.

At one point while reading it, a song played on my mind- one which i think somehow fits the story, particularly the time Itsuki spent in his "Gentle Cage". It's called "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. ^_^

[Untamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book some time back, and thankful I did. To me, a book that I can't put down, and must read in one sitting are exceptional. I fell in love with the dynamics between Tokiwa and Itsuki who were always on the path to fall in love, but life interfered. To see the lengths in which Tokiwa took to remain in Itsuki's life was heartwarming, although his way of doing it, was difficult for Itsuki, who never felt worthy of his love because of their past. I loved this novel.

[Vanyel Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a great book, but I greatly enjoyed it compared to many others of its kind.

[Marsha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This yaoi book sours almost from the get-go. It features an improbable premise. The young Itsuki Hasimoto found his family severely in debt; his mother was in the hospital; his sister needed an education they couldn’t afford. Here stepped in an angel in the form or Yasuyuki Yamabe, a man who agreed to give Itsuki all the money he needs if he’d live with Yamaba, curtail his personal interaction with anybody else and allow the man to groom and clothe him as if he were a pet.

If it were a woman who was being taken care of in such a fashion, you’d know what to expect. She’d basically be nothing more than a well-kept mistress, used in a sexual way in exchange for all of his attention and lavish spending. But, no, Itsuki is kept on simply to keep Yamabe company. He’s not the older man’s boytoy in spite of the slanderous gossip that the other art apprentices whisper about him. Yeah, simply not plausible.

When Yamabe learns that he’s dying, he sends Itsuki to seek out Tokiwa, a former student to Yamabe and a man who’d secretly expressed amorous feelings for Itsuki when they were younger. Tokiwa has swallowed the same calumny slung against Itsuki and his tender feelings for past best friend have been colored with rage and contempt.

The novel swiftly runs in the wrong direction as Itsuki finds himself at Tokiwa’s mercy with the latter subjecting him to rape by night and indifference by day. It’s hard to see how this leads to love or why Itsuki isn’t more upset and outraged by this vile treatment. When he leaves abruptly after Yamabe’s death, I breathed a sigh of relief. At last he’d be away from those toxic relationships. But, of course, separation of “lovers” doesn’t constitute a happy ending.

Tokiwa finally acknowledged that his treatment of Itsuki was wrong, especially after learning the real nature of Itsuki’s relationship with Yamabe and he did apologize. But it was way too little too late.

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeesh, apparently when I divided my BL novels into two bags and then lost one in a series of moves, the one that stayed was the non-con bag -_-

I'm really sick of rape being used as the go-to for angry partners simply because they think their ex has slept with someone else or wouldn't agree if they actually asked. But apparently it's okay as long as it's out of love / possessiveness. Probably the strangest thing about this novel is that another character half-calls Tokiwa out on his behaviour (why hasn't he taken the clearly ill Itsuki to hospital? why is the wheelchair being kept in the car rather than inside where Itsuki can use it, unless he's punishing Itsuki by removing his ability to move [Itsuki has both legs in casts]?) but seems to instantly dismiss these actions as soon as Tokiwa tells him it's none of his business and not to interfere. Another character later almost calls Tokiwa a stalker, but only to stop him from taking one specific action, never in relation to anything he's actually done (which did include some very stalker-like behaviour and much much worse as well). It's like the author knows Tokiwa is a horrible, horrible partner and can't make other characters dumb enough to not notice, but at the same time won't ever follow through or, y'know, improve Tokiwa's character to be less of a nightmare rapist.

It's a shame because I thought the novel was an interesting look into Itsuki's character, development and choices, as well as the fallout from some very dangerous laws/practices in Japan and how it destroys whole families.

Rating: 1.5, rounded down to 1.

[Christina Mastoraki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Δεν είμαι σίγουρη τι να σκεφτώ για την ιστορία. Από την μια έχουμε τον Itsuki που για να βοηθήσει οικονομικά την οικογένεια του γίνεται βοηθός ενός γλύπτη που ελέγχει κάθε πτυχή της ζωής του. Από την άλλη έχουμε τον Tokiwa που είναι ερωτευμένος με τον Itsuki, αλλά λόγω των περιστάσεων καταλήγει να τον κατηγορεί για την όλη κατάσταση. Στην αρχή τον χρησιμοποιεί όπως θέλει (σεξ), χωρίς τη συναίνεσή του, και μετά προσπαθεί να τον κάνει να ξαναγίνει ο παλιός του εαυτός. Χαίρομαι που στο τέλος καταλήγουν μαζί, αλλά το ταξίδι για να φτάσουν εκεί δεν ήταν ιδανικό.

[Unapologetic_Bookaholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 really

The story of Itsuki and Tokiwa was one of the better yaoi romances I have read. Itsuki paints when inspired and Tokiwa is a trained sculptor.

When Itsuki disappears one day Tokiwa wants to know what is going on. He inquires and finds out Yamabe-sensei has taken Itsuki to be his personal assistant or better yet his own living doll. Be do with what he pleases. Even rumors of them being lovers does not bother Yamabe. But Itsuki is questioning his decision to work for him.

When he gets a chance encounter with Tokiwa he realizes that his feelings, after all these years, remain alive and strong. Tokiwa tends to him during the day and is like a different person at night, in bed. Itsuki wants him still.

So in all this story gives you both perspectives. If you have read yaoi before you'll be familiar with the way in which the story and setting is written. Yaoi is m/m romance but it is not typical. At least not what I have read so far. I really enjoyed this story quite a lot.

[Reader17 Der · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this story. This is a typical Yaoi novel, but I like reading the Yaoi novel they are fast reads.

The book starts out with Itsuki going to Tokiwa house to ask him to come to his employers house to talk to him. Itsuki has a slight accident while there, so he has to stay for a few days. While he is there we find out the story of how Itsuki and Tokiwa meet in college and they become good friends. Tokiwa starts to fall for Itsuki. Itsuki family has some problems and to help with the financle situation he takes an older man up on his offer to move in with him and live as this guy tells him. They do not have a romantic relationship it is more like an owner with a pet that he loves. In this novel it has the present situation and what is happening but it also has Itsuki remembering back to times he was with Tokiwa before. Can these two be friends again, can they be more, or do they hate each other now. If you like Yaoi novels you would have to read to find out.

[Michalyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book managed to save itself at the very end but I thought for sure it was going to be a 1 star read. The writing wasn't bad; I'm just sick of yaoi novels where cruelty is passed off as kindness or love. Tokiwa mistreated Itsuki so much and yet not only did Itsuki not realize Tokiwa owed him an apology and then some, all he could think of was that he didn't want to inconvenience his partner. Grr. Could have been good if the seme wasn't such a jerk.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

reading this one was kind of hit and miss. i didn't get to into it wich suprised me since it was about painters and painting.

[Lucy_nyu13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Senpai · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: Rape, Confinement, Abuse, Debt.

It was very nice, I liked the whole premises of the story.

[Brittany Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this Yaoi novel, but I can't help but think that I would have enjoyed the story line more (and kept up with the time skips better) if it had been in manga form.

[Tracy's Place · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

[Chean]

kekekekeke