When a Brothel Attendant Attracts a Man of His Own
About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Dyed-in-the-Wool. 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 forced sex work, death, blood, ageism, dehumanization, prejudice against sex workers, slut-shaming, manipulation, child abandonment, human trafficking, mentions of earthquakes, depression, mentions of arranged marriage (not between the main couple), possible homomisia, mentions of suicide, confinement, mentions of torture, mentions of corporal punishment, violence, gangs, gang activity, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Ichinosuke is an attendant at a brothel, a “gangster,” but only due to the circumstances of his birth. He was left swaddled and abandoned near a ditch, a landmark that symbolizes the captivity of the geisha and sex workers there. Women are sold to the brothels and held until they pay off their debt, purchased by a man as a wife, or they die. Until then, they are confined to the brothel and kept inside the property lines by the ditch. Ichinosuke’s mother was probably one of these women, but since he was raised in the brothel, he’s now forced to work within it, subjecting women just like his mother to the same, cruel fate.
Ichinosuke does his best to earn his keep. However, unlike his masters and his more pragmatic beliefs, he finds himself bestowing kindness on the many women of the brothel. But he puts on an aloof front. That is, until he meets Tojiro. Tojiro is an apprentice dyer, and he is highly skilled. He comes to the brothel to study the kimono there, but Ichinosuke knows that men who come to these places aren’t there for any other reason than to get drunk and have sex. Yet, no matter how hard he and the women try, Tojiro makes it clear: he’s only there for the kimono.
Ichinosuke is surprised and in disbelief, especially so when Tojiro’s goal then switches from the kimono to becoming his friend. Ichinosuke’s life was set in stone from the day he was born. Yet, why does this strange man make him wish for more?
Review:
The art in this is beautiful. It is exceptionally clean, and I’m a huge fan of the heavy and well-defined lines. It’s also very, very consistent, which brings me all of the joy. I don’t think the cover does this series justice, so if you like the cover, you’ll love the art in the series. If you don’t like the cover, then good news, the art in the series itself is much better. It’s expressive and refined, and it’s ultimately one of my favorite art styles in manga. It’s relatively simple, so others may not be as enamored with it as I am, but I think that in its simplicity, the art truly shines.
Now, although I marked this as yaoi, the main story is completely devoid of sex. It does have sexual content, of course, since it takes place predominantly in a brothel, but it’s a slow burn between the main couple. What sexy time we do get is censored, and I don’t mean by lightsabers or censor bars, but it’s completely cut out of the panels – so it’s softcore. If you’re hoping for an explicit romp, you’ll be disappointed. I wasn’t all that disappointed by this, since I think the overarching story is powerful enough to satisfy me, even without the smut. Still, it does take the entire volume before Tojiro and Ichinosuke even admit that they love each other. A whirlwind romance, this is not.
But let’s get into the part I love: the story. I have my Bachelor’s in English, so I spent much of my time writing papers on the meaning of various works. I occasionally get to do that in my reviews, but this title, in particular, begged for a similar exploration. I can’t dive into a ten-page essay, but I do want to share some of my immediate thoughts as I read through this work. Much like the fabric Tojiro dyes, Ichinosuke has been dyed by the lives of the women he was raised around. These women who are dehumanized and either die as commodities or live to be purchased as wives, Tojiro sees everything as being “worth” something. Life is a transaction, and, unlike the women who are forced to work in the brothels, he feels he isn’t worth anything, and thus will never be able to escape the life he was born into.
At the same time, he fears leaving this dark and dirty world. He feels stained, and that his stain will spread to others like Tojiro. There’s a very powerful scene where Ichinosuke goes to tell Tojiro they can’t see each other anymore, and Tojiro’s arms are stained with dye. Ichinosuke tells Tojiro to let go because he doesn’t want to be stained, but in reality, he fears staining Tojiro. At the same time, maybe he fears that the more Tojiro touches him, he will be stained with more of that impossible wanting for love and escape. It’s all very powerful, and I love how much meaning is interlaced in dyeing.
Results:
This was fun. It’s not perfect by any means, and although it is packed full of meaning and emotion, it isn’t the smoothest narrative. I do think it’s heavily underrated, and I hope it gets a bit more attention because I’d love to read more from this creator. If you’re hoping for a whirlwind romance or lots of smut, you’re looking in the wrong place. But if you don’t mind a slow burn with a heavier plot line, then look no further. I’d say this is worth giving a shot.
Have you read Dyed-in-the-Wool? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!