fatal dose of love
Writer/Artist: Yumi
Translator: Amber Tamosatis
Writer: Chancellor Dietrich
Publisher: Yen Press
Publication date: October 15, 2024
grade: 18+ male
type: Romance, boy love
Content notes: fatal dose of love Issues involving child abuse, sexual abuse, alcoholism and references to suicide.
When Yu confessed his love to Ryosuke in high school, Ryosuke was surprised at first, but before he could reply, Yu left the next day. Ryousuke never forgot him, though, and he kept trying to find him for years. Just when he was about to lose hope, he found Yuu again, only to have him slip out of his hands again – and fall into the arms of another man.
I’ve read a lot of BL; I wouldn’t say I’m some kind of expert, but I think I have a pretty good understanding of the genre. fatal dose of love Not reinventing the wheel, but I was surprised at how neatly it subverted some of the common tropes of BL.
In many BL comics, usually only one party has unrequited love for the other party, but in A fatal dose of love, There is mutual desire. Another example is when Ryousuke is about to tell Yuu that he will reciprocate his feelings, which doesn’t happen very often because the person being confessed to will refuse to confess, saying “I’m not sure how I feel about you” or ” I “only treat you as a friend.” ” This kind of return usually happens near the climax of the story, but Ryousuke has already established his feelings for Yu.
However, there is a fleeting moment where Ryousuke says, “I’m not gay or anything,” which does fit the BL trope of a man being “just gay” to his eventual romantic partner. fatal dose of love Try to weaken it.
Ryosuke went on to say that he was happy to be on Yuu’s side as a friend because he thought Yuu was straight, but now that his confession gave him the courage to confess. He’s always loved Yuu, but he just doesn’t want to lose his friend if he doesn’t feel the same way. This situation is not common in BL, especially from a “top” perspective.
Emotional aspect fatal dose of love Very well done, especially regarding Yuu’s emotional state. Due to his family situation, Yu has a distorted concept of love. After his mother abandoned him, Yuu felt desperate. He wants love, and while he believes physical love is the easiest way to get it (“If they love me, anyone will love”), he is also worried about how it will go further. He wholeheartedly believes that he is a curse, unworthy of happiness or anyone’s love: “I can’t be happy. I can’t make anyone happy. That’s why I can’t be with you, Ryousuke.”
At the same time, I feel like Yuu’s childhood trauma was never addressed, which is a shame because it’s the root of Yuu’s problems. He was sexually assaulted. This is somewhat glossed over in favor of focusing on his relationship with Ryosuke. I hope we can find some sort of solution for this. While I can understand the purpose of the narrative, it’s to symbolize that Yuu’s past no longer binds him and that he should stay in the present and look to the future… I mean, it’s really not that easy to forget the past.
YumiThe art conveys Yuu’s changing emotions very well. Yu Yu’s eyes were empty, without any emotion. He just seemed tired of life and acted like he was just waiting for the day to be over. However, over the course of his date with Ryosuke, you can see his walls gradually lowering. A blush came to his cheeks as he realized that love could be as simple as spending an ordinary day with the one he loved.
As for Ryosuke, he has endless patience and understanding. He was content to move at Yuu’s pace, and no matter how far away Yuu was from him, he would never relax. Although he hesitates to push Yuu too far, he realizes that, thanks to his friend Jihua, he must make the choice with the least regrets. This is similar to Yuu’s confession in high school that I loved.
As a blow, fatal dose of love The ending was very good, my only gripe was that I wished Yu had been given some time to heal from his childhood trauma. If anything, I do hope the manga will have a spin-off about Honjou, who is Yuu’s sexual partner. He doesn’t appear much in the manga, but he has a reason for taking Yuu in, which would be fun to read.
For those who are looking for some short stories that are less angsty, yet full of sweetness, they should pick up A fatal dose of love.
Yosumi’s “Lethal Dose of Love” is released digitally and in print by Yen Press on October 15, 2024.
