Akihito is such an admirable, beautiful man. I love how he develops during the story, how intelligent he is when he makes choices, and yet how sensible and honest, blunt and vulnerable he is with his feelings towards Katsuragi. The scene when Katsuragi is brimming with anger towards him for a faulty decision Akihito made in his opinion, and Akihito instead of becoming agitated by being confronted by Katsuragi, answers relaxed and calmly. One brilliant, among the countless brilliant things about 憂鬱な朝 is, how Hidaka Shoko portrays reality. From the outside people of high class, beautiful and smart, are always looked up upon, people thinking they are gods and perfect. A feeling towards them that they are absolutely flawless, and their way of life works just as flawlessly. However, it's not like that. And perhaps the way in which it is portrayed is the most brilliant thing of all. Because it is portrayed as if unaware of it, straight from the hearts and minds of these seemingly glorious personalities. This is a valuable display of how people who are looked up upon with beauty and high class, of any kind, are very different from the perception people incorrectly have of them. I love how Katsuragi “hated” Akihito from the beginning, and Akihito relentlessly, naturally, made him realize he really didn't. Usually a behaviour like Akihito's in such a situation is looked down upon as desperate, but it so brilliantly and naturally makes one think completely differently in confronts of Akihito. This because he acts in such an admirable and unique way in regards to his own values and personal desires. A perfect, unique balance in between the two, when it comes to Akihito. He is so vulnerable and honest with his feelings towards Katsuragi, to the point where most people would probably think it is desperate and submissive, however, those people will soon be forced to change their mind, since that is in this case, what completely seduces the poised and seemingly perfect Katsuragi. And to mention, that it is not because of the behaviour in itself that Katsuragi is seduced, it is because of Akihito himself. Implying, Akihito's true self is much stronger than what the reader might think initially. It is so brilliantly and subtly portrayed how Akihito matures into a very intelligent and sensible young man, how naturally and undeniably the reader can sense that. He takes complete control of his life, proving everyone wrong about him being childish and irresponsible. The person who is the most shocked to realize this is Katsuragi, who's reaction to his growth is priceless. The dynamic of their relationship is incredibly fascinating. It is love, yet it is problems. Real problems unlike most other relationships. It's caring, yet there's a bitter feeling one cannot quite explain in words, nevertheless as tangible as can be. Furthermore, Hidaka Shoko supports the passion exuding the work itself, with a mysterious, intriguing and intelligent plot, existing and acting as independently and eager to say its point like the main element of the story itself.
On a technical level Hidaka Shoko plays brilliantly with the element of passion and how to stimulate the reader the most. She does this through truly stripping down passion and excitement into the most simple, most basic formula it can be described into being. She does so in absolute poise and class, awaiting the exact right moment, in a manner which I never cease to be amazed by when it comes to her unique work. I am always so impressed by how she portrays intimacy and vulnerability in such a unique and intelligent way. She is in control of the passion by reflecting passion right back. Passion in itself is the dictator, however, it is passion with a point. Instead of thinking of how to release the passion as soon as possible, she thinks about how to accumulate as much passion as possible. That is the main goal, rather than exercising it. How can I keep the passion, instead of throwing it out? This, makes the passion play out, exactly in the right moments, and be built up in the rest of them, the story naturally exuding that very passion through every simple act, seemingly unrelated to the main stimulation of typical yaoi readers. When there is a passion with a point, the story naturally unfolds deeply in every aspect of the story itself, taking the enormous unbridled power of passion to reach another level. Hidaka Shoko works in such an instinctual, yet incredibly intelligent and imaginative wise. She is not interested in what stimulates passion, but in passion itself. This alone, makes a work of art, pure, and endless, exactly because of its purity. The difference between the passion itself, and the things that stimulate passion. The latter I believe, can be described with the analogy of intaking a thing cooked or manipulated, contaminated even, and not intaking it in its true, raw, pure, vital form. Thus, making Hidaka Shoko's work a dazzling, incredibly fascinating untouchable work of art, independent and able to satisfy itself by its own greatness it couldn't care less about. All there truly is, is passion, passion with a point. Brilliant. I admire her immensely.