Popular Man is Secretly a Sub, Until He Meets His Dom
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Warning:
This review will contain spoilers for the manga and anime series Starve Me of Love. 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 sexism (specifically based on secondary sex), BDSM (including questionable consent), self-deprecation, experience gap, mentions of domestic violence, violence, gossiping, kink-shaming, cheating, obsession, dubious consent (refusing to say safe word), and excessive drinking, as they appear in the manga.
Synopsis:
Ichiya is popular. He is never without a girlfriend, and there is always a willing partner waiting in the wings to take her place. Though he has no problem finding company, there is a part of him, deep down, that longs for more. Ichiya is secretly a Sub. He hates this, as he perceives all Subs to be weak, perverted, and masochistic, and he is determined to essentially ignore his dynamic, no matter how dangerous it is. Thankfully, he gets by pretty easily, even without medication, until he starts giving off pheromones.
A Dom named Kamishiro, an underclassman, suddenly approaches him, trying to let him know that he is going to start drawing in other Doms, but Ichiya runs off. It is then that another Dom commands him. Thankfully, Kamishiro follows Ichiya and takes control of the situation. With Ichiya’s identity exposed and his Sub needs finally awakening, Ichiya has to do the one thing he has never wanted to: play. Thankfully, Kamishiro is ready and willing, including keeping Ichiya’s identity as a Sub safe. So, Ichiya begins to delve into the world he has tried so hard to avoid.
But he soon learns that the world of Doms and Subs is much more varied than he ever could’ve imagined.
Review:
I recently reviewed Arinco’s other title, Tenma and Sakaki. I had some issues with that art style, particularly when the characters were looking at an angle or from the side, and, with this title being older, those issues are present and worse. So, if you enjoyed Tenma and Sakaki, and found my critiques petty (which, I mean, fair), then I don’t think you will have a problem with this one. It is more inconsistent, and those boxy, squished qualities are still prevalent, but it is very similar quality-wise. However, if, like me, you are picky with your art, this is rough. So, be warned.
Now, I was very excited about this one. Arinco absolutely served on the vers front in their previous title, and when I saw they also did a dom/sub universe/biokink title, I was pumped. I love biokink (so much so that I wrote my own novel in the universe), and it is under-licensed when compared to things like omegaverse and other established alternate universe settings. Unfortunately, I think I was too excited about this one because it ultimately did not meet my expectations. That’s not to say it is all bad, but it is not my favorite biokink title out there.
I do like this, as it features some of the softer forms of play. It also emphasizes a ton of praise, which is also fun. However, it also emphasizes that anything other than soft, cuddly, and platonic play is bad. It doesn’t do that exclusively, but it does emphasize it, and that makes me sad. Narratively, it makes sense. Ichiya happened to hear about a Sub being bullied and judged because his preferences were more masochistic in nature, and he internalized that. Similarly, Doms are feared because they are perceived as violent, though they are simultaneously belittled, like Kamishiro, when their preferences aren’t violent in nature. I feel like a lot of the more hardcore variations of play in BDSM are often put down or just not even explored in biokink titles, and while I liked that this highlighted a softer side of the BDSM world, I was still left wanting more. So, if you want soft BDSM play, this is great for that, but if you are looking for more, not so much.
Beyond the play itself, the story also just isn’t all that great to me. It feels a bit all over the place. I would describe the pacing as rushed, as we hop from scene to scene with little to no transitions. The most cohesive scenes are the sex scenes, while the narrative beats feel like afterthoughts. This is a shorter title, so I’m not expecting perfection and a ton of depth, but I am also of the mind that if you want to write nonsensical smut, just write nonsensical smut. I feel like this would’ve benefited from less narrative, but if it had developed the narrative more, it could’ve worked just as well.
Results:
This was pretty disappointing. Granted, I am coming off of Arinco‘s other title, which I enjoyed much more, so my expectations were pretty high. If you’re looking for soft BDSM play, then I think it is a fine read, but the story isn’t the most fulfilling out there. However, if you’re a fan of harder BDSM play, this might offend more than it titillates. It’s not the worst read, but it isn’t the best.
Have you read Starve Me of Love? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
