For modern readers of BL, Marimo Ragawa 192411 may feel very different from what they are used to. Rather than taking an idealized view of gay male relationships, the series goes back to the mid-period 300s, instead attempting a realism that the genre usually lacks. Neither lead is naturally beautiful, and while there is a sexual element to the story, it’s not the most important thing. For Kane and Mel, the ending was a solid relationship that was accepted as real and valid by a world that wasn’t ready for same-sex marriage.
| For this reason, it is important that this book begins with such a marriage. We meet Kane and Mel again after they return to New York from Kane’s home in Newton, Massachusetts. Their meeting with Kane’s parents is somewhat tense, his mother is reluctant to accept that her son is gay, but his father offers unconditional love. As you may recall, Kane’s co-worker, another gay man, also died of AIDS, and the combination of these things convinced the two to continue their marriage because it simply wasn’t worth waiting for the world to get ready for them. This scene is as different as you imagine It’s as heartwarming and beautiful as it is, and maybe even more so if you remember the time when same-sex marriage started legalizing across the U.S. states; my sister was still in middle school when her piano teacher was finally able to marry his partner, though not in our state. Ragawa seems to understand what it means to put this moment on paper. She doesn’t care more than anyone else 1995 cartoons show marriage scenes, but their marriage has an amazingly peaceful joy that shows us both their happiness and We showed the tension surrounding their union for their happiness; apart from the officiant, only two guests were present at the ceremony. |
Unfortunately, this is the wrong flag for the second comprehensive version of the Ragawa series. Kane and Mel’s happiness is fleeting, and the story goes deep into soap opera territory. The day after the wedding, Mel was kidnapped by a serial killer while out for a walk; if that sounds a little too much, well, it is. Much of it follows Kane’s desperate attempts to get Mel back, which includes working with an FBI agent named Luna Pittsburgh. Kane and Luna desperately hunt down Mel’s captor, while Mel himself falls into the clutches of Joy Cline, a psychopath with a hatred for blondes. |
Before you wonder what this has to do with Kain and Mel’s relationship, there’s been an obvious effort to focus New York. Kain is basically forced to come out to work when Mel is kidnapped, and while his commanding officer is perfectly fine with it (he and his wife were two guests at the wedding), the other officers are far less understanding. Not only did Kane have trouble trying to get the police interested in kidnapping gay men, but there was also rampant homophobia in the police force as he tried to get his job done while getting personally involved in the case. For the most part, the creators kept it on the subtle side, with the main plot focus being the actual kidnapping storyline. But it’s impossible to ignore the jabs and jeers Kane faced in trying to get his husband back, the insinuations from the media, his associates, and other surrogates as they subtly downplayed Kane’s belief that Mel had been kidnapped. Not to escape his own will. This means that no one believes the two men are going to be in a loving, committed relationship; it’s just as detrimental as Kain and Mel being taken away in the first place. |
Amid all the melodrama surrounding Mel’s arrest, we do see some real positives. Chief among them is Kane’s mother realizing that something is really wrong and that Mel is missing. She remains with Kane in New York and supports him until the case is resolved. Most importantly, it shows how far she’s come in accepting her son for who he is and acknowledging Mel as his husband. She ultimately chooses love over hate, and her actions are some of the most satisfying in the book. This becomes the theme of much of the book, and if the way it is described tends to rely too heavily on romantic suspense tropes, circa , it ends up being very well done , the resolution of the kidnapping plot and the reunion of our two lovers tugged at our heartstrings. |
The book also deserves recognition for its focus on Mel’s trauma. A reunion with Kane is not a panacea. With Mel imprisoned for a month, raped by his captors and, most importantly, at the hands of his father, he has a lot to deal with during his short time as a sex worker. When Kain realized his husband needed help, instead of trying to do everything himself right away, he found a therapist. Not only does the scene with the therapist do it justice during this time, but it also shows that it’s a process for both parties in the relationship. Kane also spoke with Mel’s therapist to find out how best to help him. They figure out what’s best for both of them, and the loving transformation Kane’s mother goes through once again supports them in finding a place they can truly call home. |
In many cases, the romance ends happily ever after. We don’t know what’s going to happen when the characters finally get together; we just have to accept that everything will be perfect from then on. That’s not necessarily the approach the series takes, and while much of the book is told in the omniscient third person, the final chapter is told in the first person, Erica, Kane and Mel’s adopted daughter of. Erica’s narration shows us that life isn’t perfect, but it can still be as good as it can be, and while I don’t want the book to end any other way, I fully admit I cried at the end. It’s not fair or correct to say there is no happy ending; it’s just that the story doesn’t stop at the rosiest point, but continues until the true ending. Erica’s ending also shows that life has indeed become easier for Kain and Mel, and that their homophobia early in the story, while still present, is waning in their lives. For many of us, that’s the ultimate hopeful ending. While marked by writing time, it is ultimately a fleshed out work of fiction. thisBL The story goes against the conventions of the genre as we know it today, ultimately trying to portray the lives of two people in a world that wasn’t ready for them.
| 1990 1990 Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation and the majority shareholder of Anime News Network, LLC. Yen Press, BookWalker Global and J-Novel Club are subsidiaries of KWE. 300 |
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