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A review by ellelainey
My Beautiful Man, Volume 1 (Manga) by Yuu Nagira, Megumi Kitano
3.0
This was a strange one. It VERY strongly reminded me of the same vibes as [book:Caste Heaven, Vol. 1|50945659] just without the rape and card game.
Kazunori Hira has had a stutter since he was young, and was badly bullied all throughout his school life. His stutter is worse when he's nervous. When he's made to introduce himself during a new school year, he's so taken by surprise when the guy before him - Sou Kiyoi - introduces himself. Kiyoi is so beautiful to Kazu that he can't even think, and Kazu ends up stuttering so badly that all he can say is "Hi Hi Hi" instead of "Hello." or "Hi." Somehow, that translates into his classmates calling him HeHe, because they thought he was laughing.
For the next two years, Kazu endures being bullied, being treated like a slave, and doesn't object to the HeHe nickname, all because the leader of the bullies is Sou Kiyoi. They treat him so badly that they even JOKE that they hope he doesn't kill himself because they don't want to be responsible for his death.
The story was sometimes interesting, but often too much. EVERYONE is unlikeable, even Kazu, who is supposed to be super sympathetic. Unfortunately, I just wasn't convinced. There's nothing really redeemable about him, because he ENJOYS being Kiyoi's slave, despite getting nothing in return.
At least in Caste Heaven, the MC's had actual feelings for one another that felt genuine, and when they endured the bad stuff - bullying, rape, slavery - it was only ever done to protect someone else or because they already had shitty lives that made their school life seem almost bearable in comparison. That's NOT the case here. Kazu has a really nice life at home. His only bad experience is the verbal bullying at school. In comparison to Caste Heaven it's not even close to the same experience.
Kazunori Hira has had a stutter since he was young, and was badly bullied all throughout his school life. His stutter is worse when he's nervous. When he's made to introduce himself during a new school year, he's so taken by surprise when the guy before him - Sou Kiyoi - introduces himself. Kiyoi is so beautiful to Kazu that he can't even think, and Kazu ends up stuttering so badly that all he can say is "Hi Hi Hi" instead of "Hello." or "Hi." Somehow, that translates into his classmates calling him HeHe, because they thought he was laughing.
For the next two years, Kazu endures being bullied, being treated like a slave, and doesn't object to the HeHe nickname, all because the leader of the bullies is Sou Kiyoi. They treat him so badly that they even JOKE that they hope he doesn't kill himself because they don't want to be responsible for his death.
The story was sometimes interesting, but often too much. EVERYONE is unlikeable, even Kazu, who is supposed to be super sympathetic. Unfortunately, I just wasn't convinced. There's nothing really redeemable about him, because he ENJOYS being Kiyoi's slave, despite getting nothing in return.
At least in Caste Heaven, the MC's had actual feelings for one another that felt genuine, and when they endured the bad stuff - bullying, rape, slavery - it was only ever done to protect someone else or because they already had shitty lives that made their school life seem almost bearable in comparison. That's NOT the case here. Kazu has a really nice life at home. His only bad experience is the verbal bullying at school. In comparison to Caste Heaven it's not even close to the same experience.