Childhood Friends Become Doctor (Stalker) x Patient
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Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Healing Paradox. 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 overwork, stalking, inappropriate doctor-patient relationships, sexual assault, manipulation, dubcon, child neglect, blood, bullying, obsession, excessive drinking, gossiping, chronic pain, and debilitating injury, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
This review does not include the sequel HEALING PARADOX deeper, as it is considered a separate series and will be given its own review.
Kuroiwa had dreams. These dreams involved playing baseball professionally and doing what he loved for a living. Unfortunately, after an injury in his youth, he was unable to pursue those dreams. So, he settles for the next best thing: working an office job where he helps show off athletes and the sport he loves, among other things, via advertising. It’s painful, especially when he has to work overtime on top of it all, but it’s the life he’s left with. Things are coming to a head, though, with a never-ending stream of overnights at the office.
Thankfully, his friend and coworker has the perfect solution: a chiropractor.
Kuroiwa isn’t so sure, but he’s willing to give it a shot. On the way home late one night, he happens to go down the street where the chiropractor is. There, he finds the owner, Dr. Kishibe, out on the street and talking to people. The two lock eyes, and immediately, Dr. Kishibe is on him. What starts as a way for Kuroiwa to relax and get some relief becomes something darker, but all the same beguiling. There is something about Dr. Kishibe that just draws Kuroiwa in. It’s like Kishibe knows him better than Kuroiwa knows himself, but how could that be?
Review:
The art in this is super sketchy. If you’re looking for pristine and clean lines alongside consistent faces, you will be deeply disappointed. However, I think the sketchiness really fits the overall story, and that’s what ultimately matters. This has an innocent premise. Kishibe, the doctor, is attracted to Kuroiwa because he is in physical pain, and Kishibe is sure he can help. But beneath the surface, Kishibe is harboring intense and obsessive feelings for Kuroiwa. While I’m not sure if the sketchy art style is intentional, I think it really lends the story a sense of horror and terror, which Kishibe’s obsession creates.
This probably goes without saying, but this title is very intimate. Often, the sexiest parts aren’t even during the sex. When Kishibe is seducing Kuroiwa through massage, touching him in the most intimate places, but often over his clothes, it is beyond sexy. That tantalizing teasing is everything, and like a spider, Kishibe steadily wraps Kuroiwa in his web. Having a chiropractor as the obsessive love interest is an amazing choice, and I desperately want more situations like this (just as an aside, while this isn’t as toxic or obsessive, another very intimate doctor x patient title that I love and highly recommend is Love Me, Doctor!).
That doesn’t make Kishibe any less creepy, of course, but I love that it really leans into his creepiness. The very first time he and Kuroiwa interact, and after he’s put Kuroiwa asleep, we see Kishibe pleasuring himself over a sleeping Kuroiwa. It’s jarring and terrifying, but it sets the tone immediately that this supposed professional chiropractor isn’t who he pretends to be. I personally love an obsessive freak, and Kishibe is undoubtedly that. I also like that we lean into it. There is never a moment where the goal is to make Kishibe realize what he’s doing is weird and wrong and make him repent, which is usually the standard course of treatment for these yandere-esque character types, so I appreciate that Kishibe stays his obsessive self from beginning to end.
However, as much as this has a bunch of stuff I really enjoy, the trope of the forgotten childhood friends rears its ugly head in this title. That can work, but it often feels shoehorned in as a way to establish a foundation for a relationship that might be more superficial, especially in shorter work. I typically am not a fan when this appears. With that said, I think it really works in this title. Rather than focus on a random childhood friendship that was conveniently forgotten, the focus is much more on Kishibe, his feelings of abandonment and loneliness due to his neglectful parents, which are mended only when he realizes he can find worth in his friendship with Kuroiwa. It becomes less about creating a foundation for these two, which it still does, and instead focuses on creating a reason for Kuroiwa to be who he is and why he would be so desperate to reunite with Kuroiwa, despite Kuroiwa not achieving his dreams of becoming a baseball player. It’s a powerful and meaningful use of this trope, which I appreciate.
Results:
This was a win. I like it a lot. If the art had been better, I think this would’ve been a favorite, but it just doesn’t quite rouse the same feeling I have for some of my other favorites. However, I highly recommend this one. Even though it is a single-volume story, there is a sequel, which I will also review, so there’s lots of yummy doctor x patient, childhood friends, and obsession to enjoy. I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it.
Have you read Healing Paradox? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
