Soryo Fuyumi - Eternal Sabbath, vol. 05 (Eng. trans.)

[oyceter]

I am really glad Soryo moved from shoujo to psychological thriller, because she's so good at it! Also, the mix of psychological thriller and shoujo in Mars was somewhat disturbing (well, uh, on another level than the straight psychological thriller side).

I was just a smidge disappointed to see Mine and Shuro kissing and having sex, just because I feel it's so rare to have a romantically unattached female character (even outside of manga, sadly). On the other hand, most of me liked it because it was strange and a little disturbing and not very romantic at all. Also, I continue to love how Mine thinks about these things.

I laughed hysterically at the one-eyed dog, because dude! What is with manga and missing eyes? On its own, it's not cracktastic at all, but I am twelve like that.

I was intrigued by Yuri and her mother's relationship, and Soryo did a good job of portraying the complexities in it and the wrongness even as she acknowledged the mother's abuse from her own parents. I really liked the mother's conversations with Mine and how Soryo didn't let Mine off the hook for prying, even if it was to help Yuri. Also, LOVE that Mine corrects herself -- she can't save Yuri, but she can try to help. I do think Mine did the right thing, but I like that it wasn't a straightforward event, that Soryo dealt with the mother's complicated feelings as well. And it was particularly interesting watching Mine wrestle with her position as privileged (or relatively so), and I like that Kimiko's ghost was hanging over the entire scene as well.

And hey! Shuro is not as amoral anymore! Even though he still wiped the memories of everyone in Mine's lab, at least he is thinking more about using his powers.

Comments

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

I accidentally flipped the book open to the sex scene before I read it. It really confused me, because I did not think Mine and Shuro could get there in the space of one volume without it being horribly contrived, and I've come to expect better things from Soryo. It was a little, but not anywhere near as bad as I feared.

I really liked the confrontation with Yuri's mom, too. Especially that Soryo didn't let her off the hook because she was abused herself. I like angsty backstories as well as the next person, but I get tired of seeing a character's current bad deeds completely forgiven when theirs is revealed.

[oyceter]

Wow, that must have been very confusing!

I think I ended up buying it because it was troubled and disturbing, though I am not quite sure I completely buy Shuro's change of heart yet.

Yes! I really liked that even though Soryo acknowledged Yuri's mom's past, she didn't use that as an excuse! Unlike most romance novels... ;).

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I really liked it: psychological complexity, creepy!hot!dysfuctional! sex, an acknowledgment of the cycle of abuse that doesn't excuse current perpetrators and of the complexities of healing and trauma, psychic kids, and one-eyed dogs. Of course.

[oyceter]

Yes! ES is just so satisfying to read. I really like the acknowledgment of the cycle of abuse, not just with Yuri and her mother, but also with Isaac and Shuro and Yuri herself. We see why they are how they are, but it still doesn't pardon Yuri for getting Isaac to kill bad people or Shuro for manipulating people or any of Isaac's actions. Or the actions of the scientists themselves.