Butterflies, Flowers 3

Yuki Yoshihara – Viz – 2010 – 8 volumes

Masayuki is such a CREEP. I really, really enjoy the humor, but on the other hand, Masayuki is crossing this weird line that I didn’t even know existed. Maybe he’s made more creepy by the fact he’s wearing a suit and keeping a straight face while doing things like asking for sex or loudly discussing Choko’s period with the entire office.

There’s a suppository chapter. I don’t even know what to say about that.

It’s still ridiculously romantic when it wants to be, and part of me loves that Masayuki can switch from gallant lover to perverted little boy in the blink of an eye. It’s what makes this very much worth reading, but it’s creepy all the same.

There are still a few white knight chapters, where Masayuki steps in to save Choko from uncouth men or other bad decisions, but a lot of the focus in this volume is getting the mood just right between Choko and Masayuki so that they can consummate their relationship for the first time. For a manga, there’s surprisingly little beating around the bush (even considering the intended audience), and I think Masayuki has a lot to do with that.

There’s also a new character introduced, another servant from the former Kuze estate and a childhood friend of both Masayuki and Choko. Jinguji is one of the uncouth men that Masayuki has to save Choko from, but after his initial introduction (he and Masayuki really don’t get on well), he blends in and becomes a background character, reappearing for comic relief alongside Choko’s brother and Suou at the office. The last thing this series needs is a lot of miscellaneous characters that don’t do anything except stand around and crack jokes, so I hope things don’t get too much more crowded.

But I like this more and more with every volume. A big part of that is just what a pervy creep Masayuki is, and I think the shock of this is still quite novel. It’s also surprisingly crass at points, another thing that I love. But the jokes are funny and the romance is intense when it wants to be, and so far it’s been hitting all the right buttons for me. The chapters are still mostly one-shots, and with not very many major milestones for Choko and Masayuki to hit, I’m looking forward to seeing the smaller nuances of their relationship in side stories in the upcoming volumes. As blunt as it is about some things, it is subtle when it comes to the actual relationships, and I like this contrast.

This was a review copy provided by Viz.