Stalker Boyfriend Gets His Own Stalker
About:
Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Satoshi and Kakeru Second Helping. 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 obsession, self-deprecation, dubcon, manipulation, stalking, suicide attempts, mental illness, sexual harassment, police, violence, BDSM (including forced), mentions of drugging, invasion of privacy, excessive drinking, and attempted murder, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
This is part of an ongoing series of manga, starting with The “Flow” in Flower, and next, Satoshi and Kakeru. It’s recommended that these titles be read first before reading this one.
As hard as Kakeru has tried to deny it, he has grown to enjoy Satoshi’s company. At the very least, he enjoys their bedroom chemistry. But they’re still very different people, and things aren’t always peaceful in their little smut-nest. Kakeru finds himself on the opposite side of obsession as Satoshi is pursued by his own stalker. Kakeru’s upcoming birthday leads to a particularly spicy evening, and Satoshi discovers his love for Kakeru may be more than his platonic ideal. What started with chaos is just as chaotic as before, and Kakeru and Satoshi are in for the ride as long as it is together.
Review:
To say I was excited to give this a read is an understatement. I’ve read a bunch of Tsutako Tsurusawa‘s work, and their style has grown and evolved to the point that it is so consistent and one of my favorites. Unfortunately, I do have to say the first story in this collection is a much older one, and it shows. Don’t be discouraged, though! After that, we are back to the more modern style, which is beautiful. They’re so expressive, and each panel is super dynamic. I do have a consistent complaint, though, that has always bothered me across all of their work: the intense use of sound effects. During sexy scenes, the entire page is littered with the things, which makes it very hard to distinguish what is going on. I know it’s meant to show just how raucous their lovemaking is, but it’s just too much for me. Regardless, I love this artist’s style, and this is no exception.
Now, onto the story. This is a collection of stories with the thread of Kakeru and Satoshi connecting them all together. If you’re looking for a full overarching story, that’s not what this is. As the name suggests, this is another helping of an established couple, and we do rehash some of the past storylines. However, I like how the storylines have been turned on their head. My favorite is probably when it is revealed that Satoshi has a stalker of his own. The comedy in this story is peak, but it also creates a power dynamic switch that I really appreciate. Kakeru assumes that he is Satoshi’s entire world and is untouchable. Though Satoshi doesn’t reciprocate his stalker‘s feelings in any way, it does force Kakeru to realize Satoshi has options beyond him.
Similarly, Satoshi starts to explore his sexuality on his own. A lot of what he complains about is that his relationship with Kakeru doesn’t align with the platonic ideal he had imagined. But Satoshi spends a lot of time on his own since he works from home, and he gets used to constant sexual advances. This sends him on a humorous journey of exploring sex toys and, in turn, exploring his sexuality. Satoshi always seemed to hate or be disgusted by the fact that they had such an intimate physical relationship, one that he seemed to think devalued their relationship. So, for him to indulge in his desires as a means of controlling those desires, only to realize he doesn’t want to control them, is everything.
Finally, I would be doing this volume a disservice if I didn’t mention we get a semi-crossover with Tsutako Tsurusawa‘s other series (their catboy-verse, which starts with Saving My Favorite for Last). I have mentioned a number of times when reviewing this series that Satoshi and Kakeru remind me of the characters from Saving My Favorite for Last, so to finally see them in that universe scratched an itch I didn’t even realize I had. I will say, it isn’t the perfect crossover I would’ve wanted. They mention breeding and having babies, but it ends before we see that come to fruition. As many of you know, I am a mpreg fanatic, so seeing it mentioned had me rabid. So, to see it not happen hurt because I desperately wanted to see a baby between Satoshi and Kakeru, but I’m glad I got to see this crossover all the same.
Results:
I’m a sucker for Tsutako Tsurusawa. I try my best to be critical and mindful of my biases, but let’s face it, I have favorite creators. This is one of them. It was going to take a lot for me not to like this. Is it perfect? Not at all, but if you love Tsutako Tsurusawa, there is no reason you won’t like this. It’s funny, smutty, and surprisingly romantic. There’s not much not to love here.
Have you read Satoshi and Kakeru Second Helping? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!