My Brother Died, So I’m Going to Woo His Widow
About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series My Brother Left Behind Someone We Loved. 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 age gap, death, self-deprecation, depression, implied disordered eating, body commentary, misuse of medication, and blood, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Kazuki has loved Yukito since he was a child. But Kazuki was much younger than Yukito, and Yukito only ever had eyes for his classmate, Kazuki’s brother Haruki. Yukito was a solemn person, which Kazuki eventually learned was because he was an omega. Though Haruki was a beta, they were inseparable and eventually married. Years passed, and though Kazuki still longed for Yukito, Yukito and his brother lived peacefully far from everyone. That is until a great tragedy occurred.
Haruki passed away, leaving Yukito all alone. With his brother gone, Kazuki is determined to comfort Yukito, so he moves in with him, although Yukito wants nothing to do with him. All these years, Yukito has misused suppressants, so he never went into heat around his beta husband, but this has left him weak and ill. After a hospital visit, Yukito is not allowed to take suppressants. It should be fine since Kazuki is a beta, too… right?
Review:
The art in this isn’t the best. They come off a bit like bobbleheads to me. Their heads, in some panels, appear very, very large. Granted, with Yukito, it does make sense since it is implied that he is ill and possibly experiencing some disordered eating due to mourning. And in all honesty, this isn’t a consistent problem, but it does come up. Overall, though, the style is very sketchy and inconsistent. I don’t hate it, but it’s not my favorite style in the world. If you want perfect art, this isn’t the one for you.
But while the art isn’t the best, the story is very heartrending. Yukito, full of self-hatred for being an omega, something he has no control over, also falls in love with a beta who could never fully satisfy his needs. It’s a painful situation for everyone involved, and then the younger brother of the beta, Kazuki, has longed for Yukito all this time, only to discover he’s an alpha. Was his love predicated on Yukito being an omega? Who knows. Then, Yukito’s husband, Kazuki’s brother, dies. It’s an opening for Kazuki, but he lost his brother to get it. I don’t get the sense that he’s taking advantage of his brother’s death. It’s a painful situation where everyone loves everyone, but there is a hole between them, and they’re trying to navigate this loss while also trying to understand the feelings between them.
For Kazuki, when he lost his brother, he lost Yukito, too. Yukito actually wasn’t part of his life for a long time, so the original crush he had probably waned at least a bit. But then he finds his brother’s journal. He got to see the love Haruki had for Yukito through his eyes. He got to see the pain and worry his brother went through as he struggled with his identity as a beta, which Kazuki couldn’t understand since he was an alpha in love with an omega. When Kazuki goes to find Yukito and inserts himself in his life, he’s trying to fulfill his brother’s role. While this story does appear as one where a brother is trying to take advantage of a mourning widow, it’s not. It’s a story of Kazuki trying to fulfill his brother’s hopes and dreams, his main one being wanting to protect Yukito. It’s not that he’s trying to take his brother’s place. He’s just trying to keep what his brother loved alive.
That said, as much as I love this painful concept, how it ends might be disappointing. Part of me likes it. The other part doesn’t. It’s an open ending, with no relationship established between these two. Some might say this isn’t a romance because it doesn’t have the traditional happily ever after. They do grow to accept each other, and Yukito does want Kazuki to stay around and make him happy, but if you’re expecting an ‘I love you’ or some similar confession, it’s not in this. It is romantic to me, and the bonus does have a hesitant and brief kiss, but again, there’s nothing concrete about this relationship. I wish there had been something more forthright and established between these two, but it ends in peace. All these two wanted was safety, happiness, and peace, which they have in this ending. It’s hard not to like the ending, but I still crave more.
Results:
This was painful, but it was very soft and gradual. This is a winner if you’re looking for that slow slice-of-life atmosphere with tragedy mixed in. It’s a unique title, and it is one that I ruminate on often. I think I’m leaning towards liking it despite the open-ended relationship, but I can see many people disliking it for that reason. There is a kiss, but is a kiss enough when we don’t get an ‘I love you’ or something more official? It’s hard to say. This was a nice shounen-ai title in the end. I’m satisfied.
Have you read My Brother Left Behind Someone We Loved? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!