Forum - View topic

REVIEW: Hot Gimmick GN 12

I have the first five volumes and each of them had made me want to throw it out of the window... Hatsumi's hemming and hawing and complete inability to take control of her life, plus the infuriating (not cute) "misunderstandings" and the stubbornness and single-mindedness of the boys just drive me to the walls.

I might still buy the rest of the series because as maddening it can be, it's truly a guilty pleasure for me (as in, I feel guilty for finding pleasure in it) and I kinda want to see what happens. Probably wouldn't be too difficult to shift afterwards either, selling all 12 volumes at a time should be relatively simple for a series like this.

I quit after 10 volumes and sold them off on eBay. The only reason I ever got that far in the series was to see if Ryoki would change...aannnd.... he never did. I admit, I really liked it in the beginning, but I just grew irritated when Hatsumi confused love with fear and lust and kept being Ryoki's doormat.

The only reason I ever got that far in the series was to see if Ryoki would change...aannnd.... he never did ...I just grew irritated when Hatsumi confused love with fear and lust and kept being Ryoki's doormat.

If what you’re expecting in terms of “proper character development” is for the characters to conform to adolescent ideals of perfect relationships between spunky headstrong girls and impossibly understanding dreamboat protectors, then forget it (though Ryoki does possess a genuine affection for Hatsumi that he is too psychologically messed up to express—or even interpret—correctly).

Yes, Ryoki is an unspeakable bastard. And Hatsumi is a spineless wishy-washy dependent. But that is part of (if not the entire) reason why I rated this volume (and the series as a whole) as highly as I did. I’ve grown weary of male shoujo leads who magically transform into doting, devoted life partners upon meeting the heroine. If what you’re expecting in terms of “proper character development” is for the characters to conform to adolescent ideals of perfect relationships between spunky headstrong girls and impossibly understanding dreamboat protectors, then forget it (though Ryoki does possess a genuine affection for Hatsumi that he is too psychologically messed up to express—or even interpret—correctly). The appeal (for me at least) of this manga is that it portrays characters trying to find happiness on their own terms without recourse to commonly accepted ideas about “healthy” and “unhealthy” relationships. This, of course, is partially a reflection of my affection for characters who live without concern for how society might judge their ideas, lifestyles and attitudes, of whom Ryoki is one (I count among my favorite characters Zorndyke from Blue Sub. #6 and Sunako from the Wallflower manga).

I have the first five volumes and each of them had made me want to throw it out of the window... Hatsumi's hemming and hawing and complete inability to take control of her life, plus the infuriating (not cute) "misunderstandings" and the stubbornness and single-mindedness of the boys just drive me to the walls.

I might still buy the rest of the series because as maddening it can be, it's truly a guilty pleasure for me (as in, I feel guilty for finding pleasure in it) and I kinda want to see what happens. Probably wouldn't be too difficult to shift afterwards either, selling all 12 volumes at a time should be relatively simple for a series like this.

My definition of character development is when the characters learn from their situations and come out more mature. I borrowed the last two volumes and I can honestly say Ryoki's still an ass, Hatsumi's still subservient, and Shinogu's still an angsty emo.

Another reason I stopped reading it was because I thought this manga was an extremely bad example for my little sister (16). She couldn't understand why I disliked Ryoki AT ALL. I thought, maybe he'll get his butt kicked and learn a lesson or two, but like all Miki Aihara's manga (with the exception of So Bad and Tokyo Boys & Girls), the male characters get away with everything and the girls are dumber than rocks. Check out Sensei no Okiniiri!-- you don't even need to know Japanese to be sickened by it. (18+ Warning!!)

Judging from this topic, I can see that it is men that like it...and from what is being discussed here, one might infer that men want to be more controlling, and reading this is a fantasy for them, as typical shoujo (where then men aren't complete bastards) is for women.

And my curiosity has me needing to check out "Sensei no Okiniiri!" >_>