#revisted this series because it's both hot AND heartbreaking AND fulfilling (and idc for her more recent series sdfhfnf)

[rascheln]

The Monster Falls Apart & The Monster Exposed: forehead kisses and touches

#the monster falls apart #the monster exposed #ogeretsu tanaka #hadakeru kaibutsu #revisted this series because it's both hot AND heartbreaking AND fulfilling (and idc for her more recent series sdfhfnf) #anyways I really love kan-chan. I love the way his story is told from multiple POVs and how his character changed over time #I love how his story with Yumi is not just a black and white 'this person is evil this person is a helpless victim' story because it's more #complicated than that. it's about the cycle of abuse and about trauma and about how both of them were not right for each other. #sometimes loving someone isn't enough and you can't magically make them go back to the person they used to. #like I think Yumi stayed out of guilt and a false sense of pride even when he was for all intents and purposes emotionally cheating #and I think the biggest act of love Kan-chan was still capable of at that time was letting Yumi go and breaking up with him. #And then there's Shuuna. ah man. I like that he's sooo out of his depth lol #he's soo in love and he has no idea how to tackle the whole mess that an older Kan-chan is but like #the love they have for each other and the way they DO manage to get through to each other? yea. #you can really feel the difference in maturity at times and that's also a really well done characterization!! #I liked the one author's comment where it's said about him that he went through love on easy mode until he met Kan-chan haha #also the flashbacks... that's a lotta baggage. like I don't blame Yumi for not knowing and it makes sense Kan-chan won't forgive himself #but still. he was never just some evil guy who did that shit out of pure malice when he was experiencing so much abuse and pressure. #(which doesn't make his actions any more okay but it makes his character more complicated and tragic.) #oh and one final thing I love about this series and the connected stories: the thing about life is that it goes on and the people who leave #our lives still continue living in this world. and you may choose or just happen to never meet again. #and no matter who hurt who the memories of each other will remain. the bad. but also the good. #and hopefully you get to continue on making new- making good memories.