Manga Review: Ten Count, Volume 6, by Rihito Takarai

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 6.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder in this doctor-patient romance fraught with compulsion!

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani’s attraction to his counselor grows.

Review:

This is the final volume of the series, though I was unaware. We see Shirotani face some of his traumatic history in this volume, the girl who scarred him, and how Kurose reacts to that, despite not knowing the whole story. Shirotani has to get over a few of his issues, in his attempt at being better with his OCD. And he does get better in some ways, and he knows he still has more work to do, and that there's only so much he can do. This issue isn't an easy-step-process to being cured, and I appreciate that that's addressed at the end of the book. They both acknowledge that he isn't going to be magically better, but that he can still work to overcome some of this.

Throughout all of this, we see the couple grow more stable with each other, grow closer and better together.

I completely understand that a lot of people don't like this series. It's problematic—there's no arguing that. But I still really liked it. It's very hot, and I like the possible D/s elements it plays with. It's a definite guilty pleasure read. To me, it reads and feels very much like a Fifty Shades of Grey, or a Sylvia Day, kind of romance. It has very problematic themes and romanticizes not-good things and somewhat-unbelievable, problematic characters. And yet, it's still a book that I enjoy reading, and that I continue despite being unable to really defend it. It is bad, but it's also so good and fun/hot to read.

I enjoy this series, the good and the bad. I liked it a lot. And I would definitely read more of Takarai's work.

Manga Review: Ten Count, Volume 5, by Rihito Takarai

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 8, 2017

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder in this doctor-patient romance fraught with compulsion!
Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani's attraction to his counselor grows.
Seeing Kurose for the first time in two months, Shirotani takes a big step forward in their relationship--and his treatment--by holding hands with Kurose. Then, after Kurose fails to invite him home, Shirotani chases after him! Could this new, more impulsive side of Shirotani signal a new phase in this tumultuous relationship?

Review:

It's really hard to tell where this couple stands. A couple of times already, it has seemed like they were making up and taking a step forward, and then suddenly they're not speaking again. It feels like they've finally accepted their feelings for each other in this volume, but then the ending gives the sense that something else is coming along to mess it up. But even without that, they're still not quite used to each other yet.

This is a guilty pleasure romance, and I really enjoy reading it, but it keeps reminding me how unhealthy it really is. When we see what happened to Kurose when he was younger that led to his behavior, it's actually even more unsettling. He has some even bigger problems than Shirotani does, and it makes me second guess them being together, if he's even worse for Shirotani than it seems.

They both have some serious stuff to work through.

And I am undoubtedly going to read the next one, because I'm hooked. It's dirty, questionable smut, but it's hot and intense and the art is really good, and I can't get enough.

Manga Review: Ten Count, Volume 4, by Rihito Takarai

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 2017

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3. 5.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder in this doctor-patient romance fraught with compulsion!

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani’s attraction to his counselor grows.

At the mercy of Kurose’s hands and words, Shirotani finally hears the full reason Kurose fell in love with him. The truth is such a surprise that Shirotani runs away from him in shock, and it isn’t long before his body starts aching for Kurose’s touch, causing Shirotani to soothe his own desire. But in doing so, he scares up memories of the traumatic event at the core of his compulsion.

Review:

I think I've just given in at this point. I know that this series has some serious issues regarding healthy relationships. But as a guilty pleasure, I really like it.

This series is so dirty. Explicitly dirty. I love it.

We get to see what started Shirotani's problems, and why he feels so shameful and bad all the time. It's honestly heartbreaking.

Hearing Kurose's reasons for wanting to be with Shirotani is actually more unhealthy and problematic, in my mind. It's even a little disturbing, and the way he's mean to Shirotani is a bit upsetting. And yet I like the way that he reassures Shirotani afterward. It is sadistic, for sure, at times.

I honestly really enjoy this series, and am looking forward to the next one. They're bad, and yet so good at the same time.

Manga Review: Ten Count, Volume 3, by Rihito Takarai

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: February 2017

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder in this doctor-patient romance fraught with compulsion!

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani’s attraction to his counselor grows.

While out on the town with Kurose, Shirotani daydreams about the younger man kissing him. His desire quickly overcomes his phobia of human touch, and he gives himself over to his counselor’s hands for relief. Watch as the relationship between the corporate secretary and his counselor continues to boil over in this story of love and therapy.

Review:

I know that this book has some real issues. Quite a bit of the way that Shirotani's issues are handled are very problematic. He's really fragile here, and yet Kurose does appear to abuse that. It's hard to tell if any of this is actually helping Shirotani or not; he's still pretty much in the same state as when the series started, maybe even worse.

This does really bother me, but at the same time, I'm still quite enjoying this series. I like it for the problematic, dirty smut that it is.

I do like how intense Shirotani's reactions are, though. Every time someone touches him, when he's worried about germs, when him and Kurose start getting intimate. I can really tell what is happening in his head, and his worries and reactions feel very real.

This volume gets quite dirty, as well. There are a couple of really intense and dirty scenes between the two, and I quite like them.

Even if parts of this series aren't good, I'm really enjoying reading it for what it is. I want to read more.

Manga Review: Ten Count, Volume 2, by Rihito Takarai

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: November 2016

Volumes: 5+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 3. 

Goodreads Synopsis:

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder in this doctor-patient romance fraught with compulsion!

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani’s attraction to his counselor grows.

Shirotani begins opening his heart to Kurose, until the counselor suddenly tells him that their sessions are over. Shocked, Shirotani withdraws into his home, refusing to come out. Out of the blue, Kurose texts him and asks to see him. What will Shirotani do when he finds out the secret Kurose has been hiding from him this whole time?

Review:

I will admit that this volume was a bit underwhelming after my enjoyment of the first one.

Firstly, Shirotani's mental health is definitely not good here. Kurose is pushing him too far too fast, for sure, especially when it comes to the sexual stuff. And there's quite a bit of that in this volume, as well, now that Kurose has dropped the pretense of strictly being his counselor.

On one hand, this is definitely not healthy. It's not good for Shirotani, and he's clearly going forward with a lot simply because of his attraction to Kurose. The way that Kurose is pursuing this, as well, is bad. The reality of these things is overall not at all good. On the other hand, this being a yaoi smutty romance, and even their romance looked at in a somewhat bdsm style, it's kind of okay? In a guilty pleasure, not realistic kind of way. On that side, I'm enjoying it.

I'm a little iffy on the contents, but I am enjoying this series. I will be giving it a few more volumes, and I hope that it gets better and not worse.

Manga Review: Ten Count, Volume 1, by Rihito Takarai

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: SuBLime (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 9, 2016

Volumes: 4+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Corporate secretary Shirotani suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. One day he meets Kurose, a therapist who offers to take him through a ten-step program to cure him of his compulsion. As the two go through each of the ten steps, Shirotani's attraction to his counselor grows.

Review:

This one wasn’t really on my radar; the cover looks dark, and not at all yaoi-like. It looked just okay. But I’m so glad I got a copy, because I’m more than impressed.

Shirotani is a germaphobe and obsessive-compulsive. He works as a secretary and his boss is very understanding, but it’s getting bad and he has moments of hate over it. When he meets Kurose, a counselor, he’s encouraged to take ten steps toward overcoming it.

It’s a slow-moving story, taking it’s time to introduce the characters and the problems Shirotani faces and how he’s slowly trying to overcome them. The attraction is slowly starting to show throughout the volume, and there isn’t any real acknowledgement of it, only that Shirotani is starting to feel something for Kurose and hints of Kurose's feelings. I’m honestly already very in love with them, and the end of this volume just hurts my heart.

The development here is very real and honest, and I was sucked in from the very beginning. The artwork is really pretty. I’ve never read anything by Takarai before, but now I’m definitely going to be picking up their other releases. And I really cannot wait for the next volume.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!