DO S
Finally caught up to the Loveless manga scanlations.
It's been a loooong time since I read the manga.. err, I was stuck at volume 6 I think? Anyway, after rereading the series, I feel like sharing my thoughts on a lot of things.
Wait, it's actually more of a review... or a wiki.
Contains spoilers.
(1) Yun Kouga
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Art Style
Yun Kouga's art is typical of the Josei genre, which combines the elements of a Shoujo manga with mature content. She draws her men skinny and effeminate, rarely with pointed and/or rough features. The art is detailed, but clean, and puts emphasis on the hair and the eyes of the characters. Although this suggests a very typical feel to it, Loveless has a particularly fascinating and attractive atmosphere. Her illustrations, most especially the colored ones, are stunning. They have a certain charm to them that matches the overall theme of Loveless. (As the anime staff mentioned, the style is focused on beauty. And it is through beauty that the mood is expressed.)
[My take on the art: I wish Yun Kouga had illustrated more of Soubi's paintings. One thing I like about the anime is that they depicted Soubi's paintings beautifully. And it made me feel like something was missing from the manga.]
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Panels
There are times when panel order and speech bubble positioning can be quite confusing (and therefore distracting), but in general, panels are simple and organized (without too much SFX). Panels only have a background if necessary, and most backgrounds are designed to fit the current mood of the scene.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Dialogue
Dialogues are emphasized, especially that of spell battles.
More than words/spells/orders, dialogues evict feelings and emotions from the characters -- making lines in Loveless quite memorable.
(2) Main Characters
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Ritsuka
"I think... Ritsuka is more of an adult than both you and Soubi are." - Seimei to Ritsu
Being the protagonist, Ritsuka's character development comes first. He has a lot of things going on his life, but he deals with them calmly and by his own, not allowing himself to be affected by others. He is seen to be quite lethargic in the beginning, but he's recently more strong-willed and caring. For a child his age, Ritsuka matures pretty fast in a lot of aspects, especially in how he deals with his relationship with the people around him (Mom, friends, Soubi, Seimei, etc.). Most of the characters revolve around Ritsuka, and his interaction with them triggers character development for them. The story unfolds mainly, but not limited to, his point of view.
Character Diagram
Soubi ➞ In love with Ritsuka. The more he says "I love you", the more insincere he is. Soubi regularly said it in the beginning, until he eventually stopped. Soubi treats Ritsuka as his Master and enjoys being ordered by him. Soubi wishes he had met Ritsuka in primary school, even if he wasn't sure if they would've been friends. Soubi told Ritsuka that he wants Ritsuka to "hold him" someday.
Seimei ➞ Loves Ritsuka. Whether as a brother or as a lover, is unclear. Seimei believes the world was made for him and Ritsuka only. Seimei reasons out that Ritsuka is the only one who will accept him for who he really is. Seimei wants to be loved only by Ritsuka, and that if Ritsuka loves him, he should give Seimei his whole self.
Yuiko ➞ Loves Ritsuka romantically.
Kio ➞ Likes Ritsuka for being "good" to Sou-chan. Was jealous of him at first.
Yayoi ➞ Treats Ritsuka as a rival for Yuiko. But is also friends with him.
Misaki ➞ Believes Ritsuka is not "her Ritsuka". Constantly abuses him and tests him by giving him the food he dislikes on purpose.
Nagisa ➞ Likes Ritsuka. Or so she says.
Natsuo and Youji ➞ Considers Ritsuka as a valuable friend.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Soubi
"You really are such a child." - Seimei to Soubi
The most problematic character in Loveless. At least, in the latest development.
Is depicted to be a bastard at first, then a masochist, then a lonely man.
From the beginning, Soubi's character has been hard to understand because of the way he handles his words. Moreover, he can be very contradictory (in both words and actions), regardless of sarcasm. But as his character develops, it is learned that Soubi is actually a simple individual with simple wants. Unlike Ritsuka, he prefers not to decide for himself, making his problems complicated. And these problems give way for his character to develop, in spite of the fact that his character development is already second to Ritsuka's. Most of the characters are attracted to him, albeit in twisted ways.
[My take on Soubi's character: Soubi's character is a mirror of Ritsu's -- or at least the one he shows on the outside. Deep inside, Soubi has always been the child he was before, perfectly following orders given to him, whether it's Seimei's or Ritsu's. And despite his negative attitude towards Ritsu, he doesn't hate him. He's probably still sulking over the matter about Ritsu giving him away (and not choosing him). Soubi was certainly more honest when he was a child.]
Character Diagram
Ritsuka ➞ Still confused about his feelings for Soubi. Was originally interested in Soubi's relationship with Seimei until he himself learned to like Soubi. Ritsuka used to say that seeing Soubi hurts, and is often having ambivalent feelings for him. When Soubi was branded as an imposter, Ritsuka claimed to only pity him, and yet his chest "ached" so much.
Kio ➞ His feelings of friendship are without a doubt, but whether it ends there or not is questionable. Especially when Kio is often found to be sexually (or romantically) suggestive towards Soubi, saying "He already has me!" and "If you want to be tied down to satisfy your kinks, then let me do it. I'll make it so you won't be able to stand." (The TV guide, however, revealed Kio to be romantically interested in Soubi.) Kio was taken in by Soubi's beautiful paintings at first, which is why he approached him. Later on, Kio mentions that the reason he was persistent in being Soubi's friend (despite being ignored) was that of his curiosity of Soubi's injuries.
Shinonome-sensei ➞ Has a strange kind of crush on Soubi -- maybe not something so solid, but it's there.
Ritsu ➞ Stated that he's attracted to what's inside of Soubi, and not his face. Soubi's face reminds Ritsu of Soubi's mother, who Ritsu knew to be a "despicable woman". (Nagisa mentions that Ritsu had feelings for her. Though the relationship between the two are unknown.) Ritsu claims Soubi to be his, and even confessed to taking Soubi's ears so that he could become Ritsu's slave. Ritsu treats Soubi as "his perfect creation," and is dismayed by the fact that Seimei "ruined" him.
Seimei ➞ Thinks of Soubi as a bird. Like Ritsu, he also takes claim of Soubi -- saying that whether Seimei is around or not, Soubi will be his. Seimei's possessiveness is extreme, to the point of carving his name on Soubi's neck with a knife -- indicating a mark of ownership. It is so that every time Soubi sees it, he will be reminded that he belongs to Seimei. (This is part of Seimei's plan to conquer Soubi's thoughts as well.)
Nagisa ➞ Hostile towards Soubi and totally detests him. Jealous of Ritsu's dedication to Soubi.
(3) Other Major Relationships
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Seimei & Ritsu
The two persons that should never meet. Their personalities are too similar, and they would clash with each other. Seimei and Ritsu meeting basically entails a confrontation for Soubi's ownership, as it happened in Volume 8. Ritsu has more of a personal grudge against Seimei than the other way around, however, Seimei's hostility towards Ritsu may be due to his possessiveness over Soubi, among other things.
[My take on Ritsu: When Ritsu found out about Seimei's abuse, he may have started regretting his decision to give Soubi away. Ritsu letting Seimei do that to him -- he probably thought it was partly his fault and that it was his punishment for letting Soubi go in the first place. Though it's unlikely that Ritsu will give up ownership of Soubi.
[My take on Seimei: For a person with germ phobia, Seimei was rather willing to touch Ritsu, even gouging out his eyes and writing with his blood on the wall. It was definitely something Seimei was capable of, however, he wouldn't have been able to take it if he was indeed germ phobic. Most likely, his disgust with other humans (besides Ritsuka) led people to think that he has germ phobia.]
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Soubi ➞ Kio
Kio caught Soubi's interest with his tattoo, because it's both a sign of pain and strength. Soubi admired Kio's determination to withstand pain and swear to it. Soubi sees this as a similar trait to himself, which made him open up to Kio. In Volume 8, Soubi told Ritsuka that he would save Kio if something were to happen to him. Ritsuka, however, noticed that Soubi never once mentioned that Soubi "loved" Kio.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Seimei & Nisei
Nothing more than a Master and dog relationship.
Seimei considers Nisei as his Fighter (therefore, his property) yet he will not tolerate it vice-versa (Nisei calling him "his Sacrifice"). With his words, Seimei makes it obvious that he thinks of Nisei as nothing but a dog, though Nisei is indifferent about it. Seimei once said that in his world, the only humans are him and Ritsuka, but beautiful creatures like birds (Soubi) and dogs (Nisei) are welcome. When Seimei said that he wanted to loved by Ritsuka only, Nisei mentions that he couldn't understand feelings of wanting to love and wanting to be loved. Seimei later says that Nisei is a pitiful person.
[My take: The relationship of the two is pretty good, considering that they're not killing each other (given their personalities).]
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Nisei & Soubi
Soubi detests Nisei, probably more than anyone. He even swore to kill him. The obvious reason is for spying and planning to take/harm Ritsuka. The not-so-obvious reason is... for being Seimei's (real) Fighter. Nisei hates Soubi (and Ritsuka) as much, though his reasons for feeling so is unclear. Nisei doesn't appear jealous of Soubi and Ritsuka's relationship/meaning to Seimei, so it could be more of a personal matter (interest?).
[My take on Nisei: I believe it's too early to label Nisei as a sociopath. Nisei's desire to see people suffer, including his inability to understand love, doesn't immediately equate to sociopathy. Seimei actually fits more into the description.]
(4) Comments, etc.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Soubi's name is a troll. The name itself could mean "sublime, magnificent beauty" but Kouga-sensei deliberately used "grass lamp/light". Poor Soubi.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ I do not believe that Kio has a daughter. Kio himself said that he doesn't believe it. The child looks about 8-12, and unless Kio actually impregnated a woman when he was 10 (he might not even reached puberty by then!), then it's possible.. but did Kio really lose his ears at such an early age? Moreover, that child doesn't even have ears.. and she speaks too mature for her age. She may look like a child, but she could actually be older -- and they're all just deceiving Kio. It's even more suspicious that Kio doesn't know he has a younger sister. Or was he kicked out of the house before he even met her?
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Shinonome-sensei's seiyuu, Noto Mamiko, said that Seimei seemed to be in a lot of pain. And I don't completely understand. Maybe she was talking about Seimei's "death"? After all, when the anime started, Loveless was only up till Volume 5, and it was not until Volume 6 that Seimei is confirmed to be alive. Seimei, at present, does not show any... kind of painful feelings. Except maybe pained that Ritsuka was hesitant to accept him? But Seimei just does things at his pace, without caring about anybody or anything else. He's in complete control of his life.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Natsuo and Youji's surnames are from Nagisa because she created them... which means they are not really brothers? So it's not incestuous to lose their ears to each other? XD
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ I do believe that Ritsuka will lose his ears to Soubi. But not because Soubi will hold him, but rather... he wil be the one to hold Soubi. (Yes, I'm saying Ritsuka/Soubi.)
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ At the moment, Seimei is the main antagonist. When they face off again, things will get ugly for both Soubi and Ritsuka. Though if Seimei got what he wanted, the four of them (Seimei, Ritsuka, Soubi, and Nisei) will be together, anyway.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ I suspect that the Loveless Fighter is Ritsuka himself, more specifically, his other self. The name "Loveless" may be connected to that as well. The novel actually reveals the Loveless Fighter, but since it's a spin off, it's not canon to the manga even if Kouga-sensei illustrated it.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ It's amusing to think about how Nisei lost his ears. He's a rather crazy individual -- he probably did whatever he wanted before he met Seimei. If he lost his ears, I bet he raped someone, LOL. It's also interesting to think why they're called "Beloved". (It's as if the name existed just to spite Ritsuka.) Ironically, the Beloved pair is not "beloved". And the fact that it's not a -less name is quite... intriguing too.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ I'm not saying that the Loveless manga is superior to the anime (because the anime caught my attention first), but the manga made me appreciate the minor characters more. When I was watching the anime, I was indifferent to a lot of characters, even hated some of them (or maybe because I was just younger then). The manga made me accept and like everyone -- Yuiko, Yayoi, Shinonome-sensei, Nagisa, etc. It could be the effect of rereading or it could be because the manga (compared to the anime) showed more character development. But the anime is beautiful too. I have watched it more than 5 times.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ People say that reading Loveless will show you different kinds of relationships. The TV staff and even the fans themselves argue that Loveless is pretty much worksafe and non-malicious, yet, there is a certain hint of eroticism implied. And I have to agree. Not only sometimes, but all the time. It so happens that Yun Kouga is very good at hiding them under "beautiful" terms and concepts that it is not so dirty anymore. C'mon, Ritsu confessed about taking Soubi's "ears" because he wanted Soubi to be tied to him. And people focused more on the "deeper meaning" and forgot that Ritsu ACTUALLY had sex with Soubi. When he was a minor. And they are both men. LOL, I love Kouga Yun-sensei.
Whew, that took... a while.
I think I fell in love with Loveless all over again.
- - - - - -
CRS is a bitch. Will kill myself during enrollment again.
Also, going to Subic with 9b9b this coming Sunday-Monday.
Expect some kind of diary-ish entry after I come back. And possible... errr, manga panels.
It's been a loooong time since I read the manga.. err, I was stuck at volume 6 I think? Anyway, after rereading the series, I feel like sharing my thoughts on a lot of things.
Wait, it's actually more of a review... or a wiki.
Contains spoilers.
(1) Yun Kouga
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Art Style
Yun Kouga's art is typical of the Josei genre, which combines the elements of a Shoujo manga with mature content. She draws her men skinny and effeminate, rarely with pointed and/or rough features. The art is detailed, but clean, and puts emphasis on the hair and the eyes of the characters. Although this suggests a very typical feel to it, Loveless has a particularly fascinating and attractive atmosphere. Her illustrations, most especially the colored ones, are stunning. They have a certain charm to them that matches the overall theme of Loveless. (As the anime staff mentioned, the style is focused on beauty. And it is through beauty that the mood is expressed.)
[My take on the art: I wish Yun Kouga had illustrated more of Soubi's paintings. One thing I like about the anime is that they depicted Soubi's paintings beautifully. And it made me feel like something was missing from the manga.]
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Panels
There are times when panel order and speech bubble positioning can be quite confusing (and therefore distracting), but in general, panels are simple and organized (without too much SFX). Panels only have a background if necessary, and most backgrounds are designed to fit the current mood of the scene.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Dialogue
Dialogues are emphasized, especially that of spell battles.
More than words/spells/orders, dialogues evict feelings and emotions from the characters -- making lines in Loveless quite memorable.
(2) Main Characters
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Ritsuka
"I think... Ritsuka is more of an adult than both you and Soubi are." - Seimei to Ritsu
Being the protagonist, Ritsuka's character development comes first. He has a lot of things going on his life, but he deals with them calmly and by his own, not allowing himself to be affected by others. He is seen to be quite lethargic in the beginning, but he's recently more strong-willed and caring. For a child his age, Ritsuka matures pretty fast in a lot of aspects, especially in how he deals with his relationship with the people around him (Mom, friends, Soubi, Seimei, etc.). Most of the characters revolve around Ritsuka, and his interaction with them triggers character development for them. The story unfolds mainly, but not limited to, his point of view.
Character Diagram
Soubi ➞ In love with Ritsuka. The more he says "I love you", the more insincere he is. Soubi regularly said it in the beginning, until he eventually stopped. Soubi treats Ritsuka as his Master and enjoys being ordered by him. Soubi wishes he had met Ritsuka in primary school, even if he wasn't sure if they would've been friends. Soubi told Ritsuka that he wants Ritsuka to "hold him" someday.
Seimei ➞ Loves Ritsuka. Whether as a brother or as a lover, is unclear. Seimei believes the world was made for him and Ritsuka only. Seimei reasons out that Ritsuka is the only one who will accept him for who he really is. Seimei wants to be loved only by Ritsuka, and that if Ritsuka loves him, he should give Seimei his whole self.
Yuiko ➞ Loves Ritsuka romantically.
Kio ➞ Likes Ritsuka for being "good" to Sou-chan. Was jealous of him at first.
Yayoi ➞ Treats Ritsuka as a rival for Yuiko. But is also friends with him.
Misaki ➞ Believes Ritsuka is not "her Ritsuka". Constantly abuses him and tests him by giving him the food he dislikes on purpose.
Nagisa ➞ Likes Ritsuka. Or so she says.
Natsuo and Youji ➞ Considers Ritsuka as a valuable friend.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Soubi
"You really are such a child." - Seimei to Soubi
The most problematic character in Loveless. At least, in the latest development.
Is depicted to be a bastard at first, then a masochist, then a lonely man.
From the beginning, Soubi's character has been hard to understand because of the way he handles his words. Moreover, he can be very contradictory (in both words and actions), regardless of sarcasm. But as his character develops, it is learned that Soubi is actually a simple individual with simple wants. Unlike Ritsuka, he prefers not to decide for himself, making his problems complicated. And these problems give way for his character to develop, in spite of the fact that his character development is already second to Ritsuka's. Most of the characters are attracted to him, albeit in twisted ways.
[My take on Soubi's character: Soubi's character is a mirror of Ritsu's -- or at least the one he shows on the outside. Deep inside, Soubi has always been the child he was before, perfectly following orders given to him, whether it's Seimei's or Ritsu's. And despite his negative attitude towards Ritsu, he doesn't hate him. He's probably still sulking over the matter about Ritsu giving him away (and not choosing him). Soubi was certainly more honest when he was a child.]
Character Diagram
Ritsuka ➞ Still confused about his feelings for Soubi. Was originally interested in Soubi's relationship with Seimei until he himself learned to like Soubi. Ritsuka used to say that seeing Soubi hurts, and is often having ambivalent feelings for him. When Soubi was branded as an imposter, Ritsuka claimed to only pity him, and yet his chest "ached" so much.
Kio ➞ His feelings of friendship are without a doubt, but whether it ends there or not is questionable. Especially when Kio is often found to be sexually (or romantically) suggestive towards Soubi, saying "He already has me!" and "If you want to be tied down to satisfy your kinks, then let me do it. I'll make it so you won't be able to stand." (The TV guide, however, revealed Kio to be romantically interested in Soubi.) Kio was taken in by Soubi's beautiful paintings at first, which is why he approached him. Later on, Kio mentions that the reason he was persistent in being Soubi's friend (despite being ignored) was that of his curiosity of Soubi's injuries.
Shinonome-sensei ➞ Has a strange kind of crush on Soubi -- maybe not something so solid, but it's there.
Ritsu ➞ Stated that he's attracted to what's inside of Soubi, and not his face. Soubi's face reminds Ritsu of Soubi's mother, who Ritsu knew to be a "despicable woman". (Nagisa mentions that Ritsu had feelings for her. Though the relationship between the two are unknown.) Ritsu claims Soubi to be his, and even confessed to taking Soubi's ears so that he could become Ritsu's slave. Ritsu treats Soubi as "his perfect creation," and is dismayed by the fact that Seimei "ruined" him.
Seimei ➞ Thinks of Soubi as a bird. Like Ritsu, he also takes claim of Soubi -- saying that whether Seimei is around or not, Soubi will be his. Seimei's possessiveness is extreme, to the point of carving his name on Soubi's neck with a knife -- indicating a mark of ownership. It is so that every time Soubi sees it, he will be reminded that he belongs to Seimei. (This is part of Seimei's plan to conquer Soubi's thoughts as well.)
Nagisa ➞ Hostile towards Soubi and totally detests him. Jealous of Ritsu's dedication to Soubi.
(3) Other Major Relationships
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Seimei & Ritsu
The two persons that should never meet. Their personalities are too similar, and they would clash with each other. Seimei and Ritsu meeting basically entails a confrontation for Soubi's ownership, as it happened in Volume 8. Ritsu has more of a personal grudge against Seimei than the other way around, however, Seimei's hostility towards Ritsu may be due to his possessiveness over Soubi, among other things.
[My take on Ritsu: When Ritsu found out about Seimei's abuse, he may have started regretting his decision to give Soubi away. Ritsu letting Seimei do that to him -- he probably thought it was partly his fault and that it was his punishment for letting Soubi go in the first place. Though it's unlikely that Ritsu will give up ownership of Soubi.
[My take on Seimei: For a person with germ phobia, Seimei was rather willing to touch Ritsu, even gouging out his eyes and writing with his blood on the wall. It was definitely something Seimei was capable of, however, he wouldn't have been able to take it if he was indeed germ phobic. Most likely, his disgust with other humans (besides Ritsuka) led people to think that he has germ phobia.]
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Soubi ➞ Kio
Kio caught Soubi's interest with his tattoo, because it's both a sign of pain and strength. Soubi admired Kio's determination to withstand pain and swear to it. Soubi sees this as a similar trait to himself, which made him open up to Kio. In Volume 8, Soubi told Ritsuka that he would save Kio if something were to happen to him. Ritsuka, however, noticed that Soubi never once mentioned that Soubi "loved" Kio.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Seimei & Nisei
Nothing more than a Master and dog relationship.
Seimei considers Nisei as his Fighter (therefore, his property) yet he will not tolerate it vice-versa (Nisei calling him "his Sacrifice"). With his words, Seimei makes it obvious that he thinks of Nisei as nothing but a dog, though Nisei is indifferent about it. Seimei once said that in his world, the only humans are him and Ritsuka, but beautiful creatures like birds (Soubi) and dogs (Nisei) are welcome. When Seimei said that he wanted to loved by Ritsuka only, Nisei mentions that he couldn't understand feelings of wanting to love and wanting to be loved. Seimei later says that Nisei is a pitiful person.
[My take: The relationship of the two is pretty good, considering that they're not killing each other (given their personalities).]
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Nisei & Soubi
Soubi detests Nisei, probably more than anyone. He even swore to kill him. The obvious reason is for spying and planning to take/harm Ritsuka. The not-so-obvious reason is... for being Seimei's (real) Fighter. Nisei hates Soubi (and Ritsuka) as much, though his reasons for feeling so is unclear. Nisei doesn't appear jealous of Soubi and Ritsuka's relationship/meaning to Seimei, so it could be more of a personal matter (interest?).
[My take on Nisei: I believe it's too early to label Nisei as a sociopath. Nisei's desire to see people suffer, including his inability to understand love, doesn't immediately equate to sociopathy. Seimei actually fits more into the description.]
(4) Comments, etc.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Soubi's name is a troll. The name itself could mean "sublime, magnificent beauty" but Kouga-sensei deliberately used "grass lamp/light". Poor Soubi.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ I do not believe that Kio has a daughter. Kio himself said that he doesn't believe it. The child looks about 8-12, and unless Kio actually impregnated a woman when he was 10 (he might not even reached puberty by then!), then it's possible.. but did Kio really lose his ears at such an early age? Moreover, that child doesn't even have ears.. and she speaks too mature for her age. She may look like a child, but she could actually be older -- and they're all just deceiving Kio. It's even more suspicious that Kio doesn't know he has a younger sister. Or was he kicked out of the house before he even met her?
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Shinonome-sensei's seiyuu, Noto Mamiko, said that Seimei seemed to be in a lot of pain. And I don't completely understand. Maybe she was talking about Seimei's "death"? After all, when the anime started, Loveless was only up till Volume 5, and it was not until Volume 6 that Seimei is confirmed to be alive. Seimei, at present, does not show any... kind of painful feelings. Except maybe pained that Ritsuka was hesitant to accept him? But Seimei just does things at his pace, without caring about anybody or anything else. He's in complete control of his life.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Natsuo and Youji's surnames are from Nagisa because she created them... which means they are not really brothers? So it's not incestuous to lose their ears to each other? XD
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ I do believe that Ritsuka will lose his ears to Soubi. But not because Soubi will hold him, but rather... he wil be the one to hold Soubi. (Yes, I'm saying Ritsuka/Soubi.)
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ At the moment, Seimei is the main antagonist. When they face off again, things will get ugly for both Soubi and Ritsuka. Though if Seimei got what he wanted, the four of them (Seimei, Ritsuka, Soubi, and Nisei) will be together, anyway.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ I suspect that the Loveless Fighter is Ritsuka himself, more specifically, his other self. The name "Loveless" may be connected to that as well. The novel actually reveals the Loveless Fighter, but since it's a spin off, it's not canon to the manga even if Kouga-sensei illustrated it.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ It's amusing to think about how Nisei lost his ears. He's a rather crazy individual -- he probably did whatever he wanted before he met Seimei. If he lost his ears, I bet he raped someone, LOL. It's also interesting to think why they're called "Beloved". (It's as if the name existed just to spite Ritsuka.) Ironically, the Beloved pair is not "beloved". And the fact that it's not a -less name is quite... intriguing too.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ I'm not saying that the Loveless manga is superior to the anime (because the anime caught my attention first), but the manga made me appreciate the minor characters more. When I was watching the anime, I was indifferent to a lot of characters, even hated some of them (or maybe because I was just younger then). The manga made me accept and like everyone -- Yuiko, Yayoi, Shinonome-sensei, Nagisa, etc. It could be the effect of rereading or it could be because the manga (compared to the anime) showed more character development. But the anime is beautiful too. I have watched it more than 5 times.
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ People say that reading Loveless will show you different kinds of relationships. The TV staff and even the fans themselves argue that Loveless is pretty much worksafe and non-malicious, yet, there is a certain hint of eroticism implied. And I have to agree. Not only sometimes, but all the time. It so happens that Yun Kouga is very good at hiding them under "beautiful" terms and concepts that it is not so dirty anymore. C'mon, Ritsu confessed about taking Soubi's "ears" because he wanted Soubi to be tied to him. And people focused more on the "deeper meaning" and forgot that Ritsu ACTUALLY had sex with Soubi. When he was a minor. And they are both men. LOL, I love Kouga Yun-sensei.
Whew, that took... a while.
I think I fell in love with Loveless all over again.
- - - - - -
CRS is a bitch. Will kill myself during enrollment again.
Also, going to Subic with 9b9b this coming Sunday-Monday.
Expect some kind of diary-ish entry after I come back. And possible... errr, manga panels.