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LOVELESS #13
Loveless, Volume 13
Ritsuka Aoyagi is alone in the world—never fitting in at school and alienated from his own past by a fragmented memory. When his beloved older brother is brutally murdered, Ritsuka is heartbroken but determined to find answers. His only lead is Soubi, a mysterious, handsome college student who offers him an intimate link to his brother’s other life: a dark and vibrant world of spell battles and secret names.
With Soubi coerced back into his relationship with Seimei and now missing, Ritsuka becomes determined to reclaim the strange man who changed his life from the brother he once adored. Meanwhile, Nagisa reveals information about the past of Seven Voices Academy and the painful origins of old loves lost.
With Soubi coerced back into his relationship with Seimei and now missing, Ritsuka becomes determined to reclaim the strange man who changed his life from the brother he once adored. Meanwhile, Nagisa reveals information about the past of Seven Voices Academy and the painful origins of old loves lost.
160 pages, Paperback
Published June 12, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 29, 2018
Yun Kouga is finally back after years of hiatus. I had to sit back down and reread all my volumes of Loveless because I've forgotten most of what's happened before and the plot gets really tangled towards the middle.
It's really been a while. I started reading Loveless when I was still at uni and I loved the story back then. There's a lot about the world of Loveless that feels very self-indulgent to the creator: the cat ears that disappear after people have had sex, the fluidity of gender (everyone's super fashionable also), even the relationships the characters have with each other. It might be easy to dismiss the series as silly and shallow, nothing more than an appeal to BL (and GL) fans with its pretty boy aesthetics. And in a way, it is that. Like I said, a lot of Loveless feels self-indulgent.
But at the same time I admire the world building, the battle system that relies on the power of words (like a poetry slam, except with more action), and also Yun Kouga's ability to write kids. This isn't easy and I think a lot of anime and manga fall into the trap of writing young characters as more mature than real life kids. Loveless isn't for a young audience--it explores very adult themes like parental abuse, depression, emotional manipulation, and even rape--but there are very young characters in it. We follow Ritsuka and his friends, who are 12 years old and really not fully equipped to handle the mind games and unpleasantness brought on by adults (although to be fair, Seimei is 17. He sure doesn't act like it). And through all that Kouga still writes her young characters as kids: Ritsuka has gone through much more than a normal 12 year old ever would (and to be honest even some adults), but we see his conflicts in a way that is framed from a child's point of view. He's doing his best, but he's still a child and I think that's why so many other characters feel protective of him.
In volume 13 we see some of the aftermath of Soubi leaving Ritsuka to follow Seimei's orders and a conclusion with Moonless. We also see a bit of Ritsu's past and why Nagisa feels so strongly about him. Ritsuka decides that he needs to face Seimei again. Maybe this time as a challenger.
Looks like the story's going to end soon and I can't wait to see where Kouga will take us. It might take a few more years, but hey we've already waited this long.
In short, I came back to this series wondering if Loveless really is as good as I remember and it is. Meandering and sometimes unpleasant, yes. But definitely as complex and kind to its characters as I thought years ago.
It's really been a while. I started reading Loveless when I was still at uni and I loved the story back then. There's a lot about the world of Loveless that feels very self-indulgent to the creator: the cat ears that disappear after people have had sex, the fluidity of gender (everyone's super fashionable also), even the relationships the characters have with each other. It might be easy to dismiss the series as silly and shallow, nothing more than an appeal to BL (and GL) fans with its pretty boy aesthetics. And in a way, it is that. Like I said, a lot of Loveless feels self-indulgent.
But at the same time I admire the world building, the battle system that relies on the power of words (like a poetry slam, except with more action), and also Yun Kouga's ability to write kids. This isn't easy and I think a lot of anime and manga fall into the trap of writing young characters as more mature than real life kids. Loveless isn't for a young audience--it explores very adult themes like parental abuse, depression, emotional manipulation, and even rape--but there are very young characters in it. We follow Ritsuka and his friends, who are 12 years old and really not fully equipped to handle the mind games and unpleasantness brought on by adults (although to be fair, Seimei is 17. He sure doesn't act like it). And through all that Kouga still writes her young characters as kids: Ritsuka has gone through much more than a normal 12 year old ever would (and to be honest even some adults), but we see his conflicts in a way that is framed from a child's point of view. He's doing his best, but he's still a child and I think that's why so many other characters feel protective of him.
In volume 13 we see some of the aftermath of Soubi leaving Ritsuka to follow Seimei's orders and a conclusion with Moonless. We also see a bit of Ritsu's past and why Nagisa feels so strongly about him. Ritsuka decides that he needs to face Seimei again. Maybe this time as a challenger.
Looks like the story's going to end soon and I can't wait to see where Kouga will take us. It might take a few more years, but hey we've already waited this long.
In short, I came back to this series wondering if Loveless really is as good as I remember and it is. Meandering and sometimes unpleasant, yes. But definitely as complex and kind to its characters as I thought years ago.
September 11, 2021
I at least got to move immediately to vol 13 after vol 12 (I got vols 11-13 just now when I realized I didn't have those) but now it's waiting again...
This volume had more background for Nagisa and Ritsu (and it's obviously tragic because everybody is suffering in this series... except maybe Yamato and Kouya, stay safe girls) and the battle between Seimei and his fighters and Moonless concludes but nothing about Soubi and Seimei is yet solved, nor the whole thing about Seimei having two fighters. So, it's still very slow burn. Ritsuka has decided to go face Seimei and get Soubi back. Go quickly Ritsuka!
I liked the volume but I have so many questions! And we haven't seen Kio for a while, last time there was some shocking news about him but those are kind of unexplained still...
These last few volumes have had one odd thing though: there have been short side-stories that have been somewhere in the middle of the main story instead of at the end of the book?? Why? That's so confusing. The side stuff is nice but why put them in such weird places?
This volume had more background for Nagisa and Ritsu (and it's obviously tragic because everybody is suffering in this series... except maybe Yamato and Kouya, stay safe girls) and the battle between Seimei and his fighters and Moonless concludes but nothing about Soubi and Seimei is yet solved, nor the whole thing about Seimei having two fighters. So, it's still very slow burn. Ritsuka has decided to go face Seimei and get Soubi back. Go quickly Ritsuka!
I liked the volume but I have so many questions! And we haven't seen Kio for a while, last time there was some shocking news about him but those are kind of unexplained still...
These last few volumes have had one odd thing though: there have been short side-stories that have been somewhere in the middle of the main story instead of at the end of the book?? Why? That's so confusing. The side stuff is nice but why put them in such weird places?
May 6, 2023
This review is for all 13 of Loveless' books. I'll be honest, I thought this was going to be the last book, but it's not.
I really liked the beginning and books 4 through 9 were really exciting and are also my favorite books in the series, but the last few books are really slow with the story. There are more short stories and side stories, and it's confusing to me that the extra stories are in the middle of the book instead of at the end of the book. I wish Yun Kouga could focus more on the main story and characters - or just make the book longer. The books from 10 to 13 are really short.
Also, I hate Yuiko. She's so over the top and annoying, and she's not really of any use to the story. Why is she there? So there won't be a lack of female characters?
For the whole series so far, I would give 4.5 stars. (I hope more books will be published soon. It's been quite a long time since the last volume.)
I really liked the beginning and books 4 through 9 were really exciting and are also my favorite books in the series, but the last few books are really slow with the story. There are more short stories and side stories, and it's confusing to me that the extra stories are in the middle of the book instead of at the end of the book. I wish Yun Kouga could focus more on the main story and characters - or just make the book longer. The books from 10 to 13 are really short.
Also, I hate Yuiko. She's so over the top and annoying, and she's not really of any use to the story. Why is she there? So there won't be a lack of female characters?
For the whole series so far, I would give 4.5 stars. (I hope more books will be published soon. It's been quite a long time since the last volume.)
October 23, 2021
If I could describe my experience with Loveless in three words, it would be "confused and uncomfortable". Apparently the series is meant to end at 15 volumes (though the 13th was the last volume released and that was in 2017... ) which partially explains why ALL THE PLOT HOOKS still remain unanswered.
I honestly couldn't tell you what Loveless is about. There is the concept of "fighter pairs", connected through a shared name, where one partner is the "sacrifice" who takes the damage and the other partner is the "fighter" who deals the damage through spells. How the magic system works and how people become part of these pairs, I couldn't tell you BECAUSE IT'S NEVER EXPLAINED despite being a huge portion of the world/plot.
The main character (and a large portion of the main cast) are children around the age of 11 and under, and there's no reason for it. The implied romantic relation between Ritsuka (an elementary school student) and Soubi (a college student) made me so uncomfortable!! The cast could have been aged up to adulthood without effecting the story, so the decision to make them children is just???
Also, in this world, people are born with cat ears and a tail, which they lose when they lose their virginity. Why????? What's the reason to make this a thing????
Overall, give this series a hard PASS. The story makes no sense at all, the worldbuilding is vague and leaves you more confused than anything, the relationships depicted will make you uncomfortable, and the characters have as much personality as wet cardboard.
The only positive thing I can say about Loveless is that the art is really nice.
I honestly couldn't tell you what Loveless is about. There is the concept of "fighter pairs", connected through a shared name, where one partner is the "sacrifice" who takes the damage and the other partner is the "fighter" who deals the damage through spells. How the magic system works and how people become part of these pairs, I couldn't tell you BECAUSE IT'S NEVER EXPLAINED despite being a huge portion of the world/plot.
The main character (and a large portion of the main cast) are children around the age of 11 and under, and there's no reason for it. The implied romantic relation between Ritsuka (an elementary school student) and Soubi (a college student) made me so uncomfortable!! The cast could have been aged up to adulthood without effecting the story, so the decision to make them children is just???
Also, in this world, people are born with cat ears and a tail, which they lose when they lose their virginity. Why????? What's the reason to make this a thing????
Overall, give this series a hard PASS. The story makes no sense at all, the worldbuilding is vague and leaves you more confused than anything, the relationships depicted will make you uncomfortable, and the characters have as much personality as wet cardboard.
The only positive thing I can say about Loveless is that the art is really nice.
October 16, 2020
So this volume was better than the last, but still not amazing. I am glad Ritsuka has decided to go after Soubi because fuck that took forever. I am still annoyed with Soubi though. Plus, this is random but I feel like the past few volumes have been super short - especially this one. Either way, it was good volume and I will be getting volume 14 whenever it is released because I have made it think far and i will finish this series goddamnit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2018
It's been about 4 years since the last Loveless volume came out, so I was understandably a little confused by what was going on. (This series is a little confusing anyway). Ritsuka is spending a lot of time at Soubi's, mostly with the Zero pair and sometimes with Yuiko and Yayoi, while Soubi is off fighting battles with Seimei. There's some backstory of Soubi's parents and Seimei and Ritsuka's parents. I was left feeling really confused about the world of fighters and sacrifices and none of the chapters really seemed to flow into the others. However - as always - the art was beautiful, and the two bonus stories were really cute. And I do understand that the artist needed some time in order to maintain her health. Someday I'll re-read the whole series together and maybe it will make sense.
April 13, 2018
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Loveless continues to be one of the most intriguing and nuanced of manga titles, providing rich psychological depth with magical shoujo themes. Despite the glacial pace of the release of each volume, the story does progress and we're given more and more background on the tale's fascinating characters. It can be tough at times - the casual physical and mental abuse that persists throughout and with each character can make the story daunting at times. But it is this perversity in the characters that makes the story worth reading.Story: Ritsuka's teacher Hitomi is still fascinated with Soubi. As her friends caution her against becoming an old maid, she finds her thoughts drifting to the mysterious friend of Ritsuka's. Soubi, meanwhile, has returned to Seimei and is fighting Moonless along with Nisei. But a lesson is about to be learned that winning might actually be a loss. Natsuo, meanwhile, confronts his mentor Nagisa about why she hates him in particular. But instead of answering the question, she instead tells him of her past with Ritsu and why they have their rivalry today - a rivalry that included the creation of the Zeroes and Natsuo.
Some spoilers here:
There was finally a lot of background information given and even a battle. A large chunk of the volume is taken up explaining Nagisa's relationship with Ritsu. They both went to the Seven Voices Academy and even then, Ritsu was an 'arrogant prince'. Ritsu's fighting partner was Nagisa's sister but Ritsu was in love with a college age teacher's aide, Akio. Akio was engaged to a man named Agatsuma - and they would have a single child, Soubi. It would be years later that Akio and Agatsuma would die and Ritsu take over the raising of their son. We know how that ended, with years of abuse. Nagisa, meanwhile, would continue a rivalry with Ritsu and attempt to find a way to defeat the monstrous fighter that Ritsu created in Soubi through pain and deprivation.
There are many scenes of the typical 'quietude' moments between characters. And there are talks of finding Seimei so they can find Soubi and get him out of Seimei's 'clutches.' Ritsuka, of course, just wants to know what happened to the brother he knew - and how that brother changed into the monster that everyone calls him.
The art is, as always, flawless. Kouga has a way of creating beautifully tragic figures. As the heartbreaks continue to widen, they are still intelligently tied in to the other storylines. As with a ripple in a pond, the echoes of the past are slowly revealed but all radiate from a central focal point. Hopefully, further chapters will not take as long to come out and we will get another volume sooner rather than later. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
October 22, 2020
This is kind of a review for the whole series (so far), in which case the score would be 3.5, but rounded down because I don't think the writing in the most recent volumes is what it used to be.
The experience of reading Loveless reminds me, most fundamentally, of Berserk. That might seem strange since they're completely different genres. But they both have some wonderfully complex characters who aren't always utilised properly, a lot of interesting worldbuilding that never gets expanded on, are oddly endearing to read, yet kind of weird and dark and hard to get into or explain, and most importantly, both possess an update schedule that ensures I will probably never see their endings.
Loveless' biggest problem, from a writing standpoint, is pacing. There's a lot of pointless filler (including literal dream sequences) and then when things do happen, they happen all at once in a way that makes it hard to follow. Ultimately I gave Berserk a higher rating despite my similar feelings about the two series, purely because there's enough Berserk out there to have resolved at least some subplots, whereas Loveless just builds mysteries upon mysteries. These last few volumes feel like we're coming to some sort of conclusion, but it doesn't feel earned, because a lot of the work of constructing the story isn't there. What is Seimei's actual goal? We will probably never know. The individual characters and their backgrounds are compelling, but the plot itself is so deliberately obtuse that the series is less than the sum of its parts.
Final/miscellaneous thoughts: I don't see this series as a "BL manga" in the traditional sense and it definitely isn't a romance, so the way this was marketed back in the day was a bit off. Also all these kids and young teenagers talking so nonchalantly about murder started to weird me out after a while. Everyone who has ever been connected to Septimal Moon needs so much therapy I'm amazed it functions as an organisation.
The experience of reading Loveless reminds me, most fundamentally, of Berserk. That might seem strange since they're completely different genres. But they both have some wonderfully complex characters who aren't always utilised properly, a lot of interesting worldbuilding that never gets expanded on, are oddly endearing to read, yet kind of weird and dark and hard to get into or explain, and most importantly, both possess an update schedule that ensures I will probably never see their endings.
Loveless' biggest problem, from a writing standpoint, is pacing. There's a lot of pointless filler (including literal dream sequences) and then when things do happen, they happen all at once in a way that makes it hard to follow. Ultimately I gave Berserk a higher rating despite my similar feelings about the two series, purely because there's enough Berserk out there to have resolved at least some subplots, whereas Loveless just builds mysteries upon mysteries. These last few volumes feel like we're coming to some sort of conclusion, but it doesn't feel earned, because a lot of the work of constructing the story isn't there. What is Seimei's actual goal? We will probably never know. The individual characters and their backgrounds are compelling, but the plot itself is so deliberately obtuse that the series is less than the sum of its parts.
Final/miscellaneous thoughts: I don't see this series as a "BL manga" in the traditional sense and it definitely isn't a romance, so the way this was marketed back in the day was a bit off. Also all these kids and young teenagers talking so nonchalantly about murder started to weird me out after a while. Everyone who has ever been connected to Septimal Moon needs so much therapy I'm amazed it functions as an organisation.
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September 22, 2023Really curious if the Mr. Aoyagi in the flashbacks has any relation? Since - when Seimei was selected for Soubi - there was mention of the "Aoyagi family" so I've been curious if maybe there's some ties to this world for that family that were somehow severed? But then, it could just be a last name reused, just as one of the students was also named Seimei...
It had some good backstory, overall, but I do wonder what the future of this series holds if it ever gets updated again. I have so many questions I'd love answered.
It had some good backstory, overall, but I do wonder what the future of this series holds if it ever gets updated again. I have so many questions I'd love answered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2024
I do enjoy the character background of Nagisa and Ritsu and we even get a little glimpse of Soubi's mother, but this volume was also much shorter than its other. While I'm sure the mangaka has her reason to have such a gap year, the side stories don't help to enjoy because there is little story-telling and so much filler. And what's more, this volume has been published in 2017. Apparently, however, there are only two more volumes left. I do hope when the last two volumes are released it's more story-telling and less filler. Seriously, people didn't wait years for side stories.
November 10, 2022
I was so surprised to learn that Ms. Choko is actually Soubi’s mother ?! Makes so much sense as to why Ritsu resented Soubi and treated him terribly after taking him in. Also, Kouga’s message at the end of Seasons Greeting 2017 is a great message for readers to understand her perspective in publishing more volumes and to kinda give her space. I follow her on Twitter and every once in a while she will post a Starbucks post or something about her other works too!
June 18, 2018
I was so excited to see a new volume of Loveless after four and a half years and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed seeing some long standing questions answered combined with the slice of life tranquility amidst all the trauma. I can't wait to see what comes next.
October 2, 2018
I have waited a long time for this volume to be released, and it was awesome!
It was really great. I was sad when I was done reading it because I have no idea how long it will take for the next volume to come out; but for a series this good I definitely do not mind waiting.
It was really great. I was sad when I was done reading it because I have no idea how long it will take for the next volume to come out; but for a series this good I definitely do not mind waiting.
November 24, 2024
We’ve arrived at thirteen, is this actually the end? / I don’t like that Sanae girl / Soubi’s mom was so pretty / I knew that Sanae girl was bad news / I’m afraid of dentist too my boy 😭 / is not yet finished 😭😭😭😭😭 I hurt
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2019
I didn't feel much progress in this volume. We received good information into Nagisa's past but that's about it. Hopefully the next volume picks up a bit.
June 3, 2019
This is killing me I just want to know how it endssssss
June 4, 2022
Im glad i got to jump back into one of my favorite seried growing up but aaah i will always miss it
April 1, 2024
3.5* these volumes have gotten to be so all over the place.
May 19, 2025
And now to wait forever.
October 3, 2019
My goodness, I first remember reading this series when I was still in high school and that was over a decade ago (at the time of this review). Looking back, I still love this series, however I feel as if the later 2-3 volumes felt random. The story seemed to be going nowhere, often giving us a side story that seemed to not make sense and has no bearing on the main plot. Nevertheless, I was really glad to see volume 13 coming at. It's been four years since the last one. Unfortunately, it seemed that there are currently no words on the next volume. I hope that we don't have to wait another four years or another decade. I heard that Yun Kouga planned to end this series at volume 15. If that is so, then we are only two volumes away from closure. However, since the release of volume 13, there has been no new chapter updates or news. We are now left in the dark, wondering if the author lost interest in finishing this project.
January 3, 2021
This series is beyond messed up in so many ways there are many relationships that are messed up. In this volume we learn some new and very interesting information. I don't know if the author meant to do this from the beginning but I find it awfully convenient that both Soubi's & Ritsuka and Seimei's parents knew each other. I don't remember Ritsuka's dad being mentioned until this moment so I'm curious about how he and his wife got together. Ritsuka's mother mentioned Seimei but she's still in school I don't know her age but she seemed YOUNG so yikes! It's also really fucked up that both Miss Nagissa and Ritsu are having/ had soubi pay for what his mother did in the past.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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