Nana And Kaoru

Thanks! I was afraid there wouldn't be anyone around.

It is an interesting way to have characters express their emotions, although I must say that a part of me is still confused about the "breathers" and how they work. I get that they relieve Nana and Tachi of stress, but I'm afraid I don't see how spending hours in those uncomfortable situations does that. That, and how they don't seem to elevate to more sensual acts.

Maybe that's why I cannot get the series off of my mind, because my curiosity keeps me trying to understand a world I'm not at all familiar with.

Damn I had forgotten about this series and I am now 14 chapters behind (and 5 behind on the Black Label spinoff), I really need to catch up.

I feel really bad for Tachi, especially since Kaoru is rather dismissive of her. This is another example of rooting for the obviously wrong girl. Still, the most recent chapters are interesting and I can only hope that everyone in our trio learned from it.

In my shallow understanding, S&M is about playing with power and control. It's a cliche that the publicly powerful (CE Os, politicians, class reps) are always privately subs. It's a relief to give up control, to not have responsibility, to follow orders instead of giving them.

Think back to what Kaoru was trying to do for Nana in chapters 82-89. In school, in her family, in everything, Nana felt ultimately responsible for things going right and took on everyone's burden—even acting as an intermediary between her separated parents. What Kaoru did was create an environment where it was impossible for Nana to do anything: to say anything, to watch over anything, to fix anything. If she literally can take no action, then she cannot be responsible for anything. In this one aspect of her life, she can—indeed, has to—rely on somebody else.

This is why, at the same time, Kaoru needs to make Nana feel safe in her helplessness. This is what most of Kaoru's preparation goes into: smoothing the ropes, scouting locations, seeking advice from Tachibana. In chapter 88, Nana needs to know that, not only is she not required to act in this moment, but that any cathartic response is OK and will not result in future public consequences (shame, demotion, "What's a good girl like you doing with this perverted stuff?"). This is a place where she can drop her "good girl" exterior that keeps everybody else in her life at a distance.

The ropes, mask, gag, and other bindings represent a trade: giving up power for safety. Notice that Nana equates being bound with being embraced: Kaoru's embrace in chapter 88 that finally lets her scream, her enthusiasm for the custom collar, even the leather suit at the beginning felt like she was being grabbed all over. Perhaps this is a common experience in S&M, but I wouldn't know anything about that.

I thought I'd necro this thread since the manga just finished. I thought this was a very interesting story with detailed looks at how doms and subs get in and out of their roles. Not at all a cliche ecchi rom-com.

The cheesecake certainly didn't hurt either.