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テンカウント #2
Ten Count, Vol. 2
Shirotani begins opening his heart to Kurose, until the counselor suddenly tells him that their sessions are over. Shocked, Shirotani withdraws into his home, refusing to leave. Then, out of the blue, Kurose texts him and asks to see him. What will Shirotani do when he finds out the secret Kurose has been hiding from him this entire time?
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2014
96 people are currently reading
2113 people want to read
About the author
Rihito Takarai
51 books689 followersRihito TAKARAI (宝井 理人) is a Japanese manga artist.
Takara is also known for her dōjinshi circle called Giga Traper.
Associated Names:
* Rihito Takarai
* ริฮิโตะ ทาคาราอิ (Thai Profile)
Takara is also known for her dōjinshi circle called Giga Traper.
Associated Names:
* Rihito Takarai
* ริฮิโตะ ทาคาราอิ (Thai Profile)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
September 21, 2024
Germolene, disinfect the scene, my love, my love, love, love / But please don't go, I love you so, my lovely (Breezeblocks – alt-J).
Hi, I like listening to music when I read. Sure, it makes the whole process take way longer than it needs to and I often find myself going back a few pages when I realize I’ve just been gliding through the sentences without actually reading the words, but it’s sometimes fun to create imaginary soundtracks to literature. Music is how I relate to things, and sometimes the most random and disconnected songs could feel deeply related to whatever it is I’m reading at the moment. I mean, I grew up watching AMV’s on YouTube (where people would put random songs over Anime clips), so I used to be there sitting on a Tuesday afternoon crying my eyes out over Dragon Ball Z clips set to the tune of “Bring me to Life” by Evanescence! I guess old habits die hard, because while Ten Count is actually a lot more emotional and earnest than I was expecting, it probably wasn’t the Song of Achilles-esque, “bawl-my-eyes-out” ordeal my brain was treating it like just because I was listening to “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Nina Simone while reading it. It’s a cliché, but “running in the rain” scenes will always get me in my feelings. Yeah, so anyway, I’m liking this series a lot! Despite the sexy man on the cover, it’s actually rather mellow and lowkey. And while, yes, I do enjoy the covers as much as any shallow so-and-so, I also appreciated how this manga took on a more naturalistic style and focused on developing Shirotani and Kurose’s relationship before diving straight into the not so straight stuff. Otherwise, it was great how this is a love story where the love doesn’t “cure” the main character, which is something that always drives me crazy (I’m totally not side-eying The Silver Linings Playbook right now). This is all basically to say that it understood the line between feeling too much like simple exploitative schlock, and being a super sweet, “cinnamon roll that’s too pure for this world,” instruction manual. I know it seems outlandish that something would perfectly manage the delicate balance of these two opposing views, but here we are. Besides, I’m just relieved that it did accomplish the impossible, because now I don’t have to pick a lane. Yay! What can I say? I’m bisexual, I like things both ways.
Hi, I like listening to music when I read. Sure, it makes the whole process take way longer than it needs to and I often find myself going back a few pages when I realize I’ve just been gliding through the sentences without actually reading the words, but it’s sometimes fun to create imaginary soundtracks to literature. Music is how I relate to things, and sometimes the most random and disconnected songs could feel deeply related to whatever it is I’m reading at the moment. I mean, I grew up watching AMV’s on YouTube (where people would put random songs over Anime clips), so I used to be there sitting on a Tuesday afternoon crying my eyes out over Dragon Ball Z clips set to the tune of “Bring me to Life” by Evanescence! I guess old habits die hard, because while Ten Count is actually a lot more emotional and earnest than I was expecting, it probably wasn’t the Song of Achilles-esque, “bawl-my-eyes-out” ordeal my brain was treating it like just because I was listening to “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Nina Simone while reading it. It’s a cliché, but “running in the rain” scenes will always get me in my feelings. Yeah, so anyway, I’m liking this series a lot! Despite the sexy man on the cover, it’s actually rather mellow and lowkey. And while, yes, I do enjoy the covers as much as any shallow so-and-so, I also appreciated how this manga took on a more naturalistic style and focused on developing Shirotani and Kurose’s relationship before diving straight into the not so straight stuff. Otherwise, it was great how this is a love story where the love doesn’t “cure” the main character, which is something that always drives me crazy (I’m totally not side-eying The Silver Linings Playbook right now). This is all basically to say that it understood the line between feeling too much like simple exploitative schlock, and being a super sweet, “cinnamon roll that’s too pure for this world,” instruction manual. I know it seems outlandish that something would perfectly manage the delicate balance of these two opposing views, but here we are. Besides, I’m just relieved that it did accomplish the impossible, because now I don’t have to pick a lane. Yay! What can I say? I’m bisexual, I like things both ways.
January 21, 2022
AHEM, BLESS MY SOUL!
WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? WAIT ARE WE STILL READING THE SAME BOOK?
Shirotani and Kurose are so flat and stereotyped that it's disgusting. Shirotani is the typical shy and insecure uke, and you can probably say that's because of his phobia, but I rather think it's the opposite – the mangaka seems to use his phobia to make him such a passive man
MR. Kurose, I thought he was a nice and careful guy, maybe a little quiet, but kind of gentle in general. I thought so, but I was wrong. From the second volume on, he started to change in a very bad way. He became that sadistic seme who is so controlling over his boyfriend. He even reminded me of Christian Grey sometimes. Clichéd. BAD.
WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? WAIT ARE WE STILL READING THE SAME BOOK?
Shirotani and Kurose are so flat and stereotyped that it's disgusting. Shirotani is the typical shy and insecure uke, and you can probably say that's because of his phobia, but I rather think it's the opposite – the mangaka seems to use his phobia to make him such a passive man
MR. Kurose, I thought he was a nice and careful guy, maybe a little quiet, but kind of gentle in general. I thought so, but I was wrong. From the second volume on, he started to change in a very bad way. He became that sadistic seme who is so controlling over his boyfriend. He even reminded me of Christian Grey sometimes. Clichéd. BAD.
March 17, 2017
BR with em
Edit: I finally decided on a rating for this after talking to my BR partner and other people in the comments.
As I said in my original review, there is in fact at least one explicit scene where consent is not given. It's not the only explicit scene in this volume, but I'll get to the other ones in a second.
Some of you might consider what I'm going to write about to be spoilers, so if you don't want to read ahead, don't read, but I'm not going to mark it because I feel like it's important to know exactly how this goes. Also it gets NSFW so you're warned about that too.
As the blurb from the first volume mentions, Shirotani is mysophobic (fear of germs), and his friend/therapist Kurose has developed a 10-step plan for him, in which Shirotani will have to go through things that make him uncomfortable, starting from smaller things like touching door handles and move on to bigger things like shaking hands with someone or (that's the 10th and final step) having intercourse.
In the first volume, Kurose seemed good enough to be patient and let Shirotani go at his own pace.
However, in this volume, Kurose proceeds to touch Shirotani without his consent, pushing through his repeated "nos". It doesn't matter that he's touching him above his clothes, it doesn't matter that Shirotani is shown to apparently "enjoy" it (more on this in a moment), since he eventually orgasms from it: this whole scene was not only about Kurose pushing Shirotani's mysophobia to an extreme level of discomfort for him (it was Kurose himself who developed the 10-step plan, and he was well aware that what he was doing was pushing Shirotani's boundaries to an extreme, since he still hadn't gotten through the middle steps), this scene was rape-y and not okay. This is something that seems to happen a lot in yaoi and I can't for the life of me understand why.
Consent is not optional and it doesn't take much to depict it in a manga in a simple but explicit way. A simple nod, a "yes" would be enough, there's no need for extra drawings or scenes.
Now, there are more explicit scenes after this one, and consent was definitely given in one of them in the form of nodding, however the initial approach was always started before that happened.
In the final notes from the author, she mentions something about doms/subs, basically hinting how Shirotani is a sub in the making. While knowing this explains why he seemed to enjoy being dominated by Kurose, it still doesn't change the fact that Kurose couldn't know that for certain before he touched him. It goes without saying, but even in the heaviest BDSM, consent to be dominated needs to be given before.
I won't be continuing this manga because there are many other ones and I don't feel like this is worth my time anymore.
Original review:
Okay I seriously have no idea what to think of this. I'm not going to rate it yet because I want to discuss with my BR partner first and see what she thinks about some things, but to me this volume contained at least one scene of EXTREMELY dubious consent.
Edit: I finally decided on a rating for this after talking to my BR partner and other people in the comments.
As I said in my original review, there is in fact at least one explicit scene where consent is not given. It's not the only explicit scene in this volume, but I'll get to the other ones in a second.
Some of you might consider what I'm going to write about to be spoilers, so if you don't want to read ahead, don't read, but I'm not going to mark it because I feel like it's important to know exactly how this goes. Also it gets NSFW so you're warned about that too.
As the blurb from the first volume mentions, Shirotani is mysophobic (fear of germs), and his friend/therapist Kurose has developed a 10-step plan for him, in which Shirotani will have to go through things that make him uncomfortable, starting from smaller things like touching door handles and move on to bigger things like shaking hands with someone or (that's the 10th and final step) having intercourse.
In the first volume, Kurose seemed good enough to be patient and let Shirotani go at his own pace.
However, in this volume, Kurose proceeds to touch Shirotani without his consent, pushing through his repeated "nos". It doesn't matter that he's touching him above his clothes, it doesn't matter that Shirotani is shown to apparently "enjoy" it (more on this in a moment), since he eventually orgasms from it: this whole scene was not only about Kurose pushing Shirotani's mysophobia to an extreme level of discomfort for him (it was Kurose himself who developed the 10-step plan, and he was well aware that what he was doing was pushing Shirotani's boundaries to an extreme, since he still hadn't gotten through the middle steps), this scene was rape-y and not okay. This is something that seems to happen a lot in yaoi and I can't for the life of me understand why.
Consent is not optional and it doesn't take much to depict it in a manga in a simple but explicit way. A simple nod, a "yes" would be enough, there's no need for extra drawings or scenes.
Now, there are more explicit scenes after this one, and consent was definitely given in one of them in the form of nodding, however the initial approach was always started before that happened.
In the final notes from the author, she mentions something about doms/subs, basically hinting how Shirotani is a sub in the making. While knowing this explains why he seemed to enjoy being dominated by Kurose, it still doesn't change the fact that Kurose couldn't know that for certain before he touched him. It goes without saying, but even in the heaviest BDSM, consent to be dominated needs to be given before.
I won't be continuing this manga because there are many other ones and I don't feel like this is worth my time anymore.
Original review:
Okay I seriously have no idea what to think of this. I'm not going to rate it yet because I want to discuss with my BR partner first and see what she thinks about some things, but to me this volume contained at least one scene of EXTREMELY dubious consent.
April 7, 2018
I'm so confused. On the one hand, I think this relationship is utterly wrong and, on the other, I find it rather cute.
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February 12, 2022
08.2015:
I wish the story took a different direction. I find Kurose's behaviour extremely questionable and unprofessional. At times he gave the impression of being more like a psychopath rather than a psychiatrist. I get the point of shock therapy but this was just too much. Shirotani constantly thought how gross the whole situation was, he said "no" several times but Kurose kept on going. I find it hard to comprehend that Shirotani kind of enjoyed it or wanted it while at the same time he felt an extreme aversion. The lust he may have felt despite how icky he thought the situation was, this is something that is very difficult to comprehend for me personally. I don't want to say that it isn't possible to feel it simultaneously with his kind of illness but the way it was displayed made me uncomfortable.
In my perfect version of the story Kurose would treat Shirotani's illness but he would maybe distance himself a bit from Shirotani because of his feelings. Shirotani would slowly (but maybe not fully) recover. During that progress their relationship would shift from doctor/patient/friends to lovers but with Shirotani being the one who instigates it. If it had to be Kurose who finally made the first move it should've been much more considerate on his part because he's, you know, a freakin' therapist. Maybe asking about why Shirotani is the way he is would've helped too. The way it was handled here was just way too quick, and it felt like it was all for the sake of showing some sex after the first volume was very tame in that regard. Unfortunately the story suffered for it, in my opinion.
Lastly, I just want to add that I like Shirotani very much. He seems young and innocent, and so very helpless at times that it just makes my heart ache. But I think he is a strong person at heart, he just has to find the confidence in him again.
I wish the story took a different direction. I find Kurose's behaviour extremely questionable and unprofessional. At times he gave the impression of being more like a psychopath rather than a psychiatrist. I get the point of shock therapy but this was just too much. Shirotani constantly thought how gross the whole situation was, he said "no" several times but Kurose kept on going. I find it hard to comprehend that Shirotani kind of enjoyed it or wanted it while at the same time he felt an extreme aversion. The lust he may have felt despite how icky he thought the situation was, this is something that is very difficult to comprehend for me personally. I don't want to say that it isn't possible to feel it simultaneously with his kind of illness but the way it was displayed made me uncomfortable.
In my perfect version of the story Kurose would treat Shirotani's illness but he would maybe distance himself a bit from Shirotani because of his feelings. Shirotani would slowly (but maybe not fully) recover. During that progress their relationship would shift from doctor/patient/friends to lovers but with Shirotani being the one who instigates it. If it had to be Kurose who finally made the first move it should've been much more considerate on his part because he's, you know, a freakin' therapist. Maybe asking about why Shirotani is the way he is would've helped too. The way it was handled here was just way too quick, and it felt like it was all for the sake of showing some sex after the first volume was very tame in that regard. Unfortunately the story suffered for it, in my opinion.
Lastly, I just want to add that I like Shirotani very much. He seems young and innocent, and so very helpless at times that it just makes my heart ache. But I think he is a strong person at heart, he just has to find the confidence in him again.
March 23, 2017
Si el primero me gustó, este ya ha sido la leche, tanto que la edición de Sublime del 3 aún no ha salido y me voy a buscarlo hasta el Averno si hace falta, porque quiero más, mucho más.
Kurose, sigues subiendo puntos ^^
Kurose, sigues subiendo puntos ^^
April 1, 2018
It’s just getting hotter and hotter. 🔥🔥🔥 There’s dub-con/non-con content in the second volume and if you are thinking to start reading this manga, this is a heads up.
The relationship between Shirotani San and Kurose Kun is getting more and more entangled. Mmmmm 😋 can’t wait for the final magic to happen! Onto the third volume! 😉
4.5 I love it although I say no stars 😜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
The relationship between Shirotani San and Kurose Kun is getting more and more entangled. Mmmmm 😋 can’t wait for the final magic to happen! Onto the third volume! 😉
4.5 I love it although I say no stars 😜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
February 15, 2017
Male. Mi sento malissimo.
December 26, 2017
After a short hiatus with reading manga, I must say it's exhilarating to fall into the habit again. The quick pace of the story and the rapid succession of the visuals always make it a unique experience.
As far as Rihito Takarai's Ten Count series goes, I've found the second volume quicker in narrative speed but, probably because of that, not as equally satisfying as the first episode. I loved Volume One's slow pace in building up the story and characters and I would have liked to continue with that sort of rhythm.
This second volume was also more difficult to handle for the presence of a couple of scenes in which Shirotani's painful unease and Kurose's puzzling behaviour made for a rather uncomfortable read.
Anyway, the artwork is still rather stunning and the story continues to be intriguing and I'm certainly curious now to know what'll happen next.
As far as Rihito Takarai's Ten Count series goes, I've found the second volume quicker in narrative speed but, probably because of that, not as equally satisfying as the first episode. I loved Volume One's slow pace in building up the story and characters and I would have liked to continue with that sort of rhythm.
This second volume was also more difficult to handle for the presence of a couple of scenes in which Shirotani's painful unease and Kurose's puzzling behaviour made for a rather uncomfortable read.
Anyway, the artwork is still rather stunning and the story continues to be intriguing and I'm certainly curious now to know what'll happen next.
June 23, 2020
4.5/5 estrellas.
ESTE TOMO FUE DEMASIADO SEXY.
Me encantó ver cómo Shirotani fue avanzando poco a poco con su fobia, teniendo en cuenta que aún le queda mucho camino por recorrer.
Ay, ya quiero leer el tres 💖
ESTE TOMO FUE DEMASIADO SEXY.
Me encantó ver cómo Shirotani fue avanzando poco a poco con su fobia, teniendo en cuenta que aún le queda mucho camino por recorrer.
Ay, ya quiero leer el tres 💖
June 19, 2017
Warning: no apto para altas temperaturas e.e
May 24, 2022
Vol. 1 ★★★★★
Vol. 2 ★★★☆☆
I re-read Volume 1 before reading this one, since it had been so long since I started the series, and I'm glad I did, because Volume 2 doesn't stand as well on its own. Not only does it feel a little bit insta-love-y and lacking in chemistry and depth, but I was also bothered by the lack of focus on consent.
While I get that the idea is a taboo dom/sub romance forming between these two, there were some moments where even I, as the reader, wasn't 100% sold on whether Shirotani was enjoying himself or wanted Kurose to stop. It was all just a bit rushed, too.
That said, I'm still really intrigued by these characters and the plot, and I think the pairing has a lot of potential (I was rooting really hard for them in volume 1 and the first half of this volume!), so I'll still continue the series.
✨ Representation: Shirotani is queer and has OCD; Kurose is queer; all characters are Japanese
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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August 4, 2015
The story is taking a different direction than I expected, and to be honest I am not sure whether I like it yet. It all will depend on how it continues, and whether she manages to wrap it up in a satisfying way. As it is at the moment, I find it creepy and disturbing but interesting.
I do wish people reading the illegal raws or scanlations wouldn't keep spoiling me though. This goes for all the books I'm reading.
I do wish people reading the illegal raws or scanlations wouldn't keep spoiling me though. This goes for all the books I'm reading.
September 14, 2017
Ok, das ganze geht jetzt in eine ziemlich seltsame Richtung, bei der ich mich zunehmend unwohl fühle... Trotzdem war der Band noch spannender als der erste und ich habe ihn nur so inhaliert... Ich bin mal gespannt, wie ich mit der Reihe noch so zurecht komme...
July 17, 2017
I really liked the first volume of this series... but then. This one had a lot of dubcon/rape in it????? Which I super don't like. :/ So I won't be continuing on with this series. Hard pass.
January 3, 2018
I really wanted this series to be amazing! The description and first book had such potential. Two boys falling in love. One helping the other overcome an extreme fear of germs. The first book started so strong.
However, there were several things I had issues with in the second book. The main thing being sexual consent was clearly not given in one scene and barely (and not even until the middle of the act) in another. The MC seemed to “enjoy” both encounters, but he was clearly very uncomfortable and verbally said no and asked to stop. And these two scenes weren’t meant to be rape scenes.
The MC clearly has unresolved feelings for the secondary character. He is well aware that secondary character is in love with him, but hasn’t come to terms with the fact that he likes him back, or even that he is gay from what I gathered from one comment he made earlier in the book.
Less concerning, but still concerning enough, is that the secondary character seems to push MC further than what is necessary and too quickly for real progress with dealing with MC’s condition. About eighty percent of the time he seems concerned with MC taking his time with overcoming his issues and completing the tasks on his list. But the other twenty percent of the time he is overbearing and pushes way past boundaries. Even in just every day touching.
I just wish the author would have taken more time to develop the relationship before it got sexual and made sure consent was given fully. It all just seemed rushed like there was some time crunch that secondary character was on to get in MC’s pants.
However, there were several things I had issues with in the second book. The main thing being sexual consent was clearly not given in one scene and barely (and not even until the middle of the act) in another. The MC seemed to “enjoy” both encounters, but he was clearly very uncomfortable and verbally said no and asked to stop. And these two scenes weren’t meant to be rape scenes.
The MC clearly has unresolved feelings for the secondary character. He is well aware that secondary character is in love with him, but hasn’t come to terms with the fact that he likes him back, or even that he is gay from what I gathered from one comment he made earlier in the book.
Less concerning, but still concerning enough, is that the secondary character seems to push MC further than what is necessary and too quickly for real progress with dealing with MC’s condition. About eighty percent of the time he seems concerned with MC taking his time with overcoming his issues and completing the tasks on his list. But the other twenty percent of the time he is overbearing and pushes way past boundaries. Even in just every day touching.
I just wish the author would have taken more time to develop the relationship before it got sexual and made sure consent was given fully. It all just seemed rushed like there was some time crunch that secondary character was on to get in MC’s pants.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2022
"A Dom will slowly train their sub step-by-step, pushing them just to the edge of what the sub is willing to tolerate."
I actually like the direction this story took and damn did things started escalating quickly! I barely blinked my eyes and they were already in bed doing things I didn't think Shirotani even thought was possible. It was something watching him struggle between wanting to experience what his body was feeling and trying to close his mind to the fact that he was actually being touched, and even licked, by someone. The whole thing was incredibly sexy and there is no way either of them will be able to go back to the way things were. Kurose said he was going to try to make Shirotani fall in love with him but I think Shirotani's been in love with him since volume 1. I am so ready for the next volume.
I actually like the direction this story took and damn did things started escalating quickly! I barely blinked my eyes and they were already in bed doing things I didn't think Shirotani even thought was possible. It was something watching him struggle between wanting to experience what his body was feeling and trying to close his mind to the fact that he was actually being touched, and even licked, by someone. The whole thing was incredibly sexy and there is no way either of them will be able to go back to the way things were. Kurose said he was going to try to make Shirotani fall in love with him but I think Shirotani's been in love with him since volume 1. I am so ready for the next volume.
May 6, 2020
I really enjoyed the slow burn thing going on in volume 1. However, here it seemed to be zero to sixty. I still enjoyed it, I just need to get used to the fast pace of the romance for future volumes.
May 21, 2019
Reseña del manga completo: En general me ha gustado mucho el dibujo y la historia -Kurose es too much-, pero no he entendido ese final.
April 5, 2018
that was a really strange sexual relationship what. no , you know what ? it was not just strange, it was kinda rapey. the dude didn't really give consent , so ew. He wanted it but also didn't. Enjoyed it and wanted it to continue but said no and the other dude just kept going idk it was rapey af y'all
December 21, 2016
Puff cada tomo nueva de esta serie es mejor que el anterior. Estoy super viciada.
February 1, 2019
I think I found another new manga series. I fucking love the main character. He's so precious
May 11, 2022
Ok, so I did spontaneously combust..🔥
February 10, 2018
Continua la mia RILETTURA di Ten Count, dopo averlo divorato in inglese. Devo dire che avere le pagine con Kurose e Shirotani in italiano tra le mani non ha prezzo.
Dunque, dove eravamo rimasti? Ah, sì… con il fegato dolorante e il cuore un po’ ammaccato.
Kurose ha deciso di interrompere la terapia e, quindi, di non vedere più Shirotani, lasciandolo nella confusione. Dopotutto, era stato Kurose a insistere affinché Shirotani iniziasse a vederlo, nel tentativo di spuntare le voci della lista.
Sembrava anche che Shirotani stesse facendo progressi insieme a lui, e allora perché questo improvviso allontanamento?
Eh,Shirotani, lo sappiamo noi perché!
Dapprima Shirotani sembra convinto di poter gestire la sua fobia: si dimostra più amichevole coi suoi colleghi, si vede spesso con il collega Mikami.
Ed è proprio con Mikami che Kurose lo incontra, vicino alla caffetteria in cui era solito vedersi con lui. Kurose si convince che Shirotani possa camminare sulle sue gambe e che la sua decisione di non vederlo sia stata giusta. Così i due si salutano.
|Questa è la nostra prima e ultima stretta di mano…|
Ed è qui che inizia il secondo volume e noi continuiamo a perdere pezzi di fegato.
Kurose sente per Shirotani qualcosa che va al di là del rapporto medico paziente, qualcosa che va al di là anche della semplice amicizia: per lui quella stretta di mano significa lasciare che Shirotani continui la sua vita senza la sua presenza.
Ma per Shirotani stringere quella mano per la prima e forse l’ultima volta significa arrendersi a tutti i tentativi che aveva fatto per essere normale, rinunciare a tutti i progressi che aveva ottenuto grazie a Kurose, e, infine, perdere Kurose stesso.
La reazione di Shirotani a quella stretta di mano è tale da spezzare sia il suo cuore che quello del lettore. IL MIO POVERO CUORE!
Shirotani piomba in un baratro senza fondo. Si chiude in se stesso, smette di andare a lavoro, ritorna, come dice lui, allo ZERO. Kurose l’aveva sollevato, facendogli credere di poter affrontare la vita come una persona qualunque, facendogli credere che trovarsi a suo agio con lui fosse semplice, tanto da poter essere così con tutti. Ma non era vero. Quello che Shirotani era con Kurose capitava solo con lui. E così Shirotani precipita, sempre più giù, sempre più giù…
Vuole dimenticare Kusose, le sensazioni che provava con lui, vuole solo tornare a quello che era prima di incontrarlo. E così lascia fuori il mondo che lo circonda, il suo capo, l’amico Mikami.
Ma a quanto pare Kurose non è intenzionato a permetterglielo.
Un suo messaggio al telefono lasciato spento per giorni rimette il cuore di Shirotani in agitazione, tanto da spingerlo a correre all’appuntamento con Kurose alla solita caffetteria:
prende il treno, si dimentica il portafoglio, scorda persino la sua fobia, nemmeno la pioggia e i microbi che porta con sé lo fermano.
|Perchè mi hai inviato quel messaggio?
Non pensi di avermi già confuso abbastanza?
Ti prego solo di smetterla di telefonarmi e di scrivermi.
Solo così potrò tornare a essere quello che ero prima di conoscerti.|
Ed è qui che scopriamo il segreto di Kurose, cosa lo abbia spinto ad allontanare Shirotani, cosa lo abbia indotto a richiamarlo.
Bugie.
Era una bugia quella di Shirotani? Non aveva superato nessuna delle sue fobie senza di lui.
Gelosia.
Aveva bevuto il caffè con Mikami? Quella tazza di caffè non aveva mai toccato le labbra di Shirotani.
Attrazione.
Kurose era solo un terapeuta? Era solo un amico? No. Era molto di più.
|Se ho cercato di respingerti ,Shirotani san,è perché mi sono accorto di essermi innamorato di te. Finché mi consentirai di starti vicino io farò il possibile per farti innamorare di me.|
Le sentite le campane che suonano a festa? Le trombe che squillano, mentre Kurose dichiara i suoi sentimenti a Shirotani? La Marcia Trionfale dell’Aida, altroché!
Ma Shirotani sembra confuso, si chiede se sia questo il motivo che ha spinto Kurose a occuparsi di lui e della sua fobia. Non può essere, perché sono due uomini, perché non può davvero volerlo toccare, perché lui è sporco, perché lo sta solo prendendo in giro.
Eppure…
Eppure Shirotani non riesce a non pensare a Kurose, il suo cuore e il suo corpo lo desiderano, come afflitti da una sorta di dipendenza, come se Kurose fosse una droga.
Shirotani non riesce a rifiutare Kurose, sebbene combattuto tra il respingerlo e il volerlo.
|Cosa vuoi che ti faccia, Shirotani?
Voglio che tu la smetta.|
Eh, no. Decisamente Kurose non ha ascoltato Shirotani.
Quando Takarai sensei, a proposito di questo volume, dice: “Mi rendo conto che questa storia sono molto come tizio sadico educa gradualmente tizio masochista per spingerlo al suo limite massimo di sopportazione ma vi assicuro che questi due si evolveranno a mano a mano per cui vi prego di continuare a seguire Shirotani e Kurose in questa storia”, lo fa con cognizione di causa, e questo ve lo conferma una che il manga lo ha letto tutto, fino all’ultimo capitolo del sesto volume.
Kurose non è sadico, Shirotani non è masochista. Kurose non agisce più da terapista e nemmeno da amico. Quello che sente per Shirotani lo porta a fargli cose che la fobia di Shirotani troverebbe inaccettabili, ma quello che Shirotani prova per Kurose gli dà la forza e il coraggio per subirle.
Dunque, dove eravamo rimasti? Ah, sì… con il fegato dolorante e il cuore un po’ ammaccato.
Kurose ha deciso di interrompere la terapia e, quindi, di non vedere più Shirotani, lasciandolo nella confusione. Dopotutto, era stato Kurose a insistere affinché Shirotani iniziasse a vederlo, nel tentativo di spuntare le voci della lista.
Sembrava anche che Shirotani stesse facendo progressi insieme a lui, e allora perché questo improvviso allontanamento?
Eh,Shirotani, lo sappiamo noi perché!
Dapprima Shirotani sembra convinto di poter gestire la sua fobia: si dimostra più amichevole coi suoi colleghi, si vede spesso con il collega Mikami.
Ed è proprio con Mikami che Kurose lo incontra, vicino alla caffetteria in cui era solito vedersi con lui. Kurose si convince che Shirotani possa camminare sulle sue gambe e che la sua decisione di non vederlo sia stata giusta. Così i due si salutano.
|Questa è la nostra prima e ultima stretta di mano…|
Ed è qui che inizia il secondo volume e noi continuiamo a perdere pezzi di fegato.
Kurose sente per Shirotani qualcosa che va al di là del rapporto medico paziente, qualcosa che va al di là anche della semplice amicizia: per lui quella stretta di mano significa lasciare che Shirotani continui la sua vita senza la sua presenza.
Ma per Shirotani stringere quella mano per la prima e forse l’ultima volta significa arrendersi a tutti i tentativi che aveva fatto per essere normale, rinunciare a tutti i progressi che aveva ottenuto grazie a Kurose, e, infine, perdere Kurose stesso.
La reazione di Shirotani a quella stretta di mano è tale da spezzare sia il suo cuore che quello del lettore. IL MIO POVERO CUORE!
Shirotani piomba in un baratro senza fondo. Si chiude in se stesso, smette di andare a lavoro, ritorna, come dice lui, allo ZERO. Kurose l’aveva sollevato, facendogli credere di poter affrontare la vita come una persona qualunque, facendogli credere che trovarsi a suo agio con lui fosse semplice, tanto da poter essere così con tutti. Ma non era vero. Quello che Shirotani era con Kurose capitava solo con lui. E così Shirotani precipita, sempre più giù, sempre più giù…
Vuole dimenticare Kusose, le sensazioni che provava con lui, vuole solo tornare a quello che era prima di incontrarlo. E così lascia fuori il mondo che lo circonda, il suo capo, l’amico Mikami.
Ma a quanto pare Kurose non è intenzionato a permetterglielo.
Un suo messaggio al telefono lasciato spento per giorni rimette il cuore di Shirotani in agitazione, tanto da spingerlo a correre all’appuntamento con Kurose alla solita caffetteria:
prende il treno, si dimentica il portafoglio, scorda persino la sua fobia, nemmeno la pioggia e i microbi che porta con sé lo fermano.
|Perchè mi hai inviato quel messaggio?
Non pensi di avermi già confuso abbastanza?
Ti prego solo di smetterla di telefonarmi e di scrivermi.
Solo così potrò tornare a essere quello che ero prima di conoscerti.|
Ed è qui che scopriamo il segreto di Kurose, cosa lo abbia spinto ad allontanare Shirotani, cosa lo abbia indotto a richiamarlo.
Bugie.
Era una bugia quella di Shirotani? Non aveva superato nessuna delle sue fobie senza di lui.
Gelosia.
Aveva bevuto il caffè con Mikami? Quella tazza di caffè non aveva mai toccato le labbra di Shirotani.
Attrazione.
Kurose era solo un terapeuta? Era solo un amico? No. Era molto di più.
|Se ho cercato di respingerti ,Shirotani san,è perché mi sono accorto di essermi innamorato di te. Finché mi consentirai di starti vicino io farò il possibile per farti innamorare di me.|
Le sentite le campane che suonano a festa? Le trombe che squillano, mentre Kurose dichiara i suoi sentimenti a Shirotani? La Marcia Trionfale dell’Aida, altroché!
Ma Shirotani sembra confuso, si chiede se sia questo il motivo che ha spinto Kurose a occuparsi di lui e della sua fobia. Non può essere, perché sono due uomini, perché non può davvero volerlo toccare, perché lui è sporco, perché lo sta solo prendendo in giro.
Eppure…
Eppure Shirotani non riesce a non pensare a Kurose, il suo cuore e il suo corpo lo desiderano, come afflitti da una sorta di dipendenza, come se Kurose fosse una droga.
Shirotani non riesce a rifiutare Kurose, sebbene combattuto tra il respingerlo e il volerlo.
|Cosa vuoi che ti faccia, Shirotani?
Voglio che tu la smetta.|
Eh, no. Decisamente Kurose non ha ascoltato Shirotani.
Quando Takarai sensei, a proposito di questo volume, dice: “Mi rendo conto che questa storia sono molto come tizio sadico educa gradualmente tizio masochista per spingerlo al suo limite massimo di sopportazione ma vi assicuro che questi due si evolveranno a mano a mano per cui vi prego di continuare a seguire Shirotani e Kurose in questa storia”, lo fa con cognizione di causa, e questo ve lo conferma una che il manga lo ha letto tutto, fino all’ultimo capitolo del sesto volume.
Kurose non è sadico, Shirotani non è masochista. Kurose non agisce più da terapista e nemmeno da amico. Quello che sente per Shirotani lo porta a fargli cose che la fobia di Shirotani troverebbe inaccettabili, ma quello che Shirotani prova per Kurose gli dà la forza e il coraggio per subirle.
May 1, 2022
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
I love Dom Kurose 🤤 This is heating up and I’m loving it. But I also love how Shirotani is getting better even if he thinks he’s not
I love Dom Kurose 🤤 This is heating up and I’m loving it. But I also love how Shirotani is getting better even if he thinks he’s not
November 25, 2024
A relação entre Shirotani e Kurose se aprofunda, e os desafios que Shirotani enfrenta em sua jornada para superar a misofobia são retratados de maneira sensível e realista. O desenvolvimento dos personagens continua a ser um ponto forte, com as camadas de vulnerabilidade e força de ambos sendo explorada. A dinâmica entre Shirotani e Kurose é complexa e cheia de nuances, o que torna a leitura cativante. Fiquei ansioso para ver como a relação deles evoluirá e como Shirotani enfrentará seus medos.
March 12, 2026
The line between therapist and patient begins to BLURRRRR
March 25, 2018
Il volume precedente aveva spezzato il mio cuore perché infatti Kurose aveva detto a Shirotani che non si sarebbero più visti. I progressi che il ragazzo aveva compiuto vengono immediatamente spazzati via e solo l’intervento di Kurose lo aiuterà a riprendere il suo percorso di guarigione dalla sua misofobia. Il rapporto tra i due si complica ulteriormente perché Kurose rivela di provare qualcosa per l’affascinante segretario e quest’ultimo si rende conto che il contatto con lo psicoterapeuta lo ripunga ma allo stesso tempo non può fare a meno di desiderarlo. Sto davvero adorando questa storia perché ha dei due personaggi davvero complessi e imprevedibili in un certo senso e per questo provo molta curiosità nel vedere come si evolverà il loro rapporto e se Shirotani riuscirà mai a superare la sua malattia. Mi sono davvero entrati nel cuore questi due personaggi e voglio continuare assolutamente la lettura di questa storia per nulla banale!
September 3, 2019
2,5 stars.
This took a turn and I didn't like it. The story is still very interesting, however Kurose's behaviour was very wrong, specially in the first explicit scene. I'm still interested in seeing how the story develops.
This took a turn and I didn't like it. The story is still very interesting, however Kurose's behaviour was very wrong, specially in the first explicit scene. I'm still interested in seeing how the story develops.
January 1, 2017
Huh, the first volume was wonderfully sweet and slow, but, for whatever reason, the mangaka has thrown that out the window with the second book. Kurose needs to slow his little wannabe Dom self down and check on his partner more often. The author makes it clear in the end note that a D/s relationship is what she's heading for, but it feels choppy. Not sure if I'll pick up the next volume.
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