Unethused Model is Inspired by Eccentric Photographer
About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Penetrate Me With Your Eyes. 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 dubcon, power imbalance, chronic injury, ageism, homomisia, obsession, self-deprecation, age gap, BDSM, cheating (not between the main couple), violence, slut-shaming, blood, excessive drinking, sexism, breakups (not between the main couple), strained familial relationships, possible financial abuse, manipulation, and mentions of pedophilia (not between the main couple), as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Ousuke Akiyoshi is an unenthused model. Modeling really wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life, but after a devastating injury in college, his dreams of being a professional basketball player were no longer an option. Yet, despite his lackluster performance as a model, he gets a call to work for famous and well-known photographer Shogo Nowaki. Shogo specifically wants Ousuke, but when they try to work together, Shogo ends up disappointed and tells Ousuke that. While this might have broken most models, this only spurns Ousuke on.
Determined to do better and find out why Shogo chose him, Ousuke ends up in Shogo’s hotel room. But instead of the knockout drag-out fight he had anticipated, the two take a tumble in bed instead. Admittedly, Ousuke finds himself drawn to Shogo, wanting more than a one-night stand. But no matter how hard he tries, Shogo keeps him at arm’s length. Finally, Ousuke has a reason to be a better model, and it’s a simple one: to keep Shogo’s attention on him.
Review:
I fucking love this artist’s style. It’s very unique, with a style that leans more towards realism, which I enjoy. The eyes are so large and expressive, and the expressions are everything. Nowaki, in particular, is stunning. He’s very quirky and eccentric, which really comes through in his expressions. Plus, he has long hair, which I will always be a fan of. This artist is killer and is probably one of my new favorites. If you want a unique, beautiful, and clean style, look no further.
I also have to mention that Shogo is one of my favorite character archetypes of all time. The eccentric artistic type with a clearly fake positive outer shell just does something to me. Instantly, you can tell there’s something within Shogo that he’s doing his best to hide, which always leads to interesting and deep character development, and this gives Ousuke something to tear down by bearing his own soul. This ends up leading to some powerful realizations regarding sexual identity and the LGBTQ+ community. This includes Ousuke’s acceptance that he may like men more than he likes women, and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s very empowering.
These revelations usually occur between Shogo and Ousuke during photo shoots. Oftentimes, we perceive the photographer as the one peering into someone else’s soul or life, and in these moments, Ousuke does reflect a lot on who he is and what he struggles with. However, more powerful than that is what Ousuke is able to expose within Shogo. Though Shogo is the photographer, there are stunning moments where Ousuke meets Shogo’s gaze through the camera lens, and Shogo ends up being shaken. It’s Shogo who is steadily torn down due to Ousuke’s eyes. There’s also a twist in personality. Initially, Shogo is very forward and disconcerting to Ousuke, coming off rudely forward. However, it’s Ousuke who ends up being forward, expressing his love and devotion for Shogo every chance he gets, throwing Shogo off his game. I love this change of expectations, and it further leads to a shift in power dynamics as Shogo appears to have most of the power only to be controlled from in front of the lens. It’s everything.
Finally, something I thought I would hate was the time skip. It’s not a huge time skip, just a year, but I always find myself bracing when a time skip follows what is the equivalent of a breakup or, at the very least, a negative encounter. It’s a very heartrending moment, with Shogo admitting he cares for Ousuke in the same way Ousuke cares for him, but he feels neither of them are at a point in their careers where they can or should be together. This then leads to Shogo going to work overseas for a year. I was super nervous about this, as it occurs in the last chapter, so I feared there wouldn’t be enough time to finish everything satisfactorily. Thankfully, I was wrong. The breakup moment is very soft and is presented as a promise for the future, so when these two reunite, there isn’t anything painful they have to rectify or work through. All it takes is for them to meet eye-to-eye, without a camera between them, to realize they are finally at the place where they can be together. It’s a beautiful moment, and it is worth every penny for that moment alone.
Results:
I feel like it has been so long since I’ve said this, but this is a huge favorite. The more realistic art style is gorgeous, the character development is reasonable and powerful, and it has lots of yummy smut. This has everything I could want in a great BL and more. It has some intense topics, but it’s on the lighter side of things. It’s heavily grounded in reality and refreshing for such a short manga. I can’t recommend this enough.
Have you read Penetrate Me With Your Eyes? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!