The fact that most of this thread is taken aback by the rape seems promising that the author did one thing right at least. Make a rape scene which is technically ambiguous and almost seen as a joke by the MC clearly horrifying to the reader. Whether it was intentional or not, I'll have to argue it definitely was.
This did make me feel sick. I thought the rape was about being with the guy at first, cause she was thinking it hurt like hell and she wanted it to end/stop talking about it - actually I think that might still qualify as rape, only she immediately realizes she's gained her disgustingly desired status with it. Those lines on pg 64 make me think there are one-sided feelings on Hana's part, which I won't fain call romantic, more intensely possessive twisted "best friend" jealousy.
Most ominous retrospective foreshadowing, "Nozomi's nice. She'll forgive me." For her goddamn sake, I swear she had better not.
There's an unfortunate message in here about that desire to conform, be liked and a dark criticism of societal views on sex and love. It's hard to say which should be blamed, the society, MC, those girls who looked at her 'differently' afterwards, the guy who wanted a one-night stand. Maybe the very last line, Nozomi's, could have been changed so it wasn't just "what an idiot Hana is", but the message is clear. Its biased slant is because it's told from Hana's point of view and she sees no wrong with what she did. It hits a bit too close to real life in how understandable her actions are, from her perspective, which is what I have to grudgingly admire about it. The story is not set up in a way where the rape only has impact from the shock value; it is given its full seriousness, with Nozomi saying it hurt, her shaking later, her clinging to Hana and confusion as to what this meant, that her trusted friend had done this, her bitter outcry as to whether 'everyone' was more important to Hana than her.
I hate Hana and people like her but I also know this is a more widespread issue than any single individual.
Awh geez and I remembered Japan literally has a thing about how girl-girl relationships are fine in adolescence because they're not real and it's good practice for their later heterosexual marriages. You grow out of it. Jegus.
last edited at Jan 4, 2018 12:48AM