Former Childhood Friends, Now Creditor x Debtor
About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Dirty Dandies. While the manga may vary slightly from all other forms of media, it may have similar story elements and could be considered spoilers.
Content Warning: There may be references to power imbalance, violence, child neglect, excessive drinking, scamming, extortion, gang activity, and sex work (sex as debt payments), as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Michiya and Kaoru were once childhood friends. Michiya’s family life was tough, with a mother who worked very late in the evening, often leaving Michiya home alone. On a fateful evening after forgetting his key and being forced to sit outside his front door in the cold, snowy night, Michiya ends up being approached by Kaoru. Kaoru invited Michiya to his house, and from there, they were inseparable. Over the course of their youth, up into high school, their friendship evolves into a physical relationship. Michiya is hopelessly in love with Kaoru, but as Kaoru’s graduation looms, and the prospect of his bright, college-bound future overshadows Michiya’s less than hopeful one, Michiya realizes that he may just be holding Kaoru back.
So, Michiya runs away. He disappears from Kaoru’s life, focusing instead on his future. He works various blue-collar jobs, buys his own crane truck, and hopes to one day open his own handyman business, but in a drunken stupor, he ends up signing up alongside an untrustworthy business partner. The business partner runs up a bill with loan sharks, with Michiya as a guarantor, forcing him to sell his truck, his business, and even himself, to try and pay off his debts. Unfortunately, this still isn’t enough, forcing Michiya on the run, back to his hometown.
And just like the day in the snow, Kaoru ends up finding Michiya hiding away in his childhood home. Kaoru buys up all of Michiya’s debt and hires Michiya as a handyman at his own handyman business, allowing Michiya to work off his debt, both at jobs and in Kaoru’s bed. Their relationship is a hollow shell of what it was in their youth, but could there still be lingering warmth between them?
Review:
I saw muscles, and I purchased this. I wasn’t super fond of the art on the cover, but there just isn’t enough super masculine, muscly bottoms and tops in BL, so I had to give this a shot. While the art in the story itself isn’t the most consistent, I will say it’s much more attractive within the series itself. There’s something about the faces on the cover that is just weird to me, especially on Michiya, but Michiya is much cuter in the series. I also love that we have a muscly bottom with a nipple piercing, a belly button piercing, and a chubby belly, all of which the top likes to play with during sexy time. It’s very fun, and something I rarely see in BL, which is a treat.
However, the chemistry between these two is really weird. I like the sexy time, especially when Kaoru plays with Michiya’s pudge, but outside of the bedroom (or rooftop), they feel like strangers. For the story, this makes sense, as they were separated for an extended period of time. Kaoru, of course, feels like a bully and an asshole, as his role as friend and lover has changed to that of boss and creditor. But over the course of the story, we are supposed to see them grow closer together, especially as Kaoru learns why Michiya left, and as Michiya learns that Kaoru has loved him all of this time. But Michiya, as a character, is painfully irritating.
It’s certainly implied that he has abandonment and self-image issues, having been neglected by his parents and then feeling like a burden to his friend and lover. But the growth we get in that area is nonexistent. On the contrary, rather than express that he is still dealing with his issues and explain why he still refuses to communicate with Kaoru, they flash back to a moment in their youth. Michiya and Kaoru are making a wish during a festival, and just when Michiya is about to say his wish out loud, Kaoru stops him and tells him not to, as saying it out loud will cause it not to come true. Apparently, this singular moment in childhood, one that we never see in the main portion of the story, was so powerful that it is the reason Michiya refuses to express any of his wants or needs to Kaoru. This negates all the deeper and more painful moments in Michiya’s life, making all the moments he avoided expressing to Kaoru seem childish and silly. It was immensely disappointing.
I also want to note that while Michiya and Kaoru do secretly pine for one another in this weird and awkward “boss x employee” and “creditor x debtor” relationship, much of the sexy time feels very dubcon. This doesn’t bother me, but for anyone who is looking for 100% consensual, that is not the case here. I definitely love the sexy time, though it can be hard to discern what happens from one panel to the next, and there are elements that are super unique to BL. If you’re looking for muscly, masculine smut with piercings and some fluffy tummy love, this is the pinnacle on all fronts. I need more of all of these elements.
Results:
This was interesting. There are many visual and smut-related elements that I like, and there are portions of the story that I think work really well. But by the end, it all falls apart. There are some stories that are super strong all the way through with a shitty ending, but then there are stories that are mid for the most part and then completely flop at the end. This is definitely the latter, and that’s unfortunate. If you’re looking for the type of smut I mentioned, then definitely give this a read. However, those who are looking for a strong story may be better off reading something else.
Have you read Dirty Dandies? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!