Itsuka Sukida to Itte

Itsuka Sukida to Itte
By Mizushiro Setona

Overall: Mediocre
Smex Factor: Chaste
Art: Ugly
Status: 1 Volume; Complete

Review: I must emphasize how ugly this manga is. It is so ugly that I opened and closed it on several different occasions simply because of how bad the art is. I looked at it and thought to myself, “dear god, this should be put out of its misery.” I considered for more than a moment that this manga might possibly have been drawn by arthritic Chihuahuas with pens inserted into their eye sockets.

I really, really want to say, “ignoring the godawful art, this story isn’t that bad,” but… “Ignoring the art”?? I’m sorry, that’s not even an option. It really is that bad. I’ll try to get over it for a few seconds:

This story has androids! Awesome! Robots! But wait—this is yaoi. Which implies that there will be homosexual androids. Which implies homosexual androids will be attracted to other homosexual androids. But wait, androids are robots! They don’t have feelings! We then are forced to confront the age-old robot cliché of “what is love.”

I’m over-exaggerating. (I know, me right? Impossible.) I love philosophy, and this manga does address philosophical concepts (as is inevitable with android love stories), if only on a basic level.

I was confused initially about the plot because it’s convoluted, the pacing is horrifically incomprehensible, and all the characters look the same. (Even though there are only four characters…) Basically, East Tokyo and West Tokyo are at war for some reason, and these two guys on opposing sides (who CLEARLY have the hots for each other) both create androids in order to steal each other’s secrets.

The androids can read other androids’ minds by touching each other.

SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF. SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF.

So these two androids, created by the two sexually tentative scientists, carry metaphoric love notes disguised as enemy intel/mission objectives back and forth while discovering their own confusing feelings for each other. It’s very nice and sad how they contemplate their relevance to the world and creators, their illogical feelings and their ability to have them, and lie to themselves in order to not feel guilty about falling in love with a rival spy.

At the end of the manga, you find out that the reason that the two scientists can’t get together IS (SPOILERGAIZ!!) one of them is an android. And they’re on opposing sides of this supposed war I guess? This war doesn’t seem to have any significance after the first page. Where’s the turmoil and violence and YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICER WOULD NOT APPRECIATE FRATERNIZATION WITH THE ENEMY—

That being said, how the fuck do androids have sex? And WHY? They said themselves that they can’t even physically feel anything.

The androids’ romance is actually rather sweet, and as I mentioned before, I like philosophy, even this simplistic and redundant. It’s almost a shame that it is the most sinfully fucking ugly thing ever.