noblemadness | pimp post, of sorts: Shinkuu Yuusetsu

the seme/uke dynamic taken literally! and with gorgeous results
background: in a certain country, people are either born as suppliers or receivers. this distinction pertains to the transfer of life force, which is done through kissing. it is implied that sexual intercourse is the best mode of energy transfer.

this is a biological thing: people can't live very long without having a supplier or receiver to transfer energy with. people are paired off at the age of 3 or 4 once it has been determined (by computer) that they are the perfect match for each other.

this sort of "fated partnership" is most commonly heterosexual. it isn't abnormal for partners to develop feelings for each other, marry and settle down. however, it is also common for people to have love interests other than their own partners, and to have children outside of the pairing.

what is not so common is same-sex partnership. people know it happens, but not very often. there is also no social bias against it; it happens, and it's natural. the important thing is that everyone is paired up with the best supplier or receiver for them - it is, after all, essential to living to have the most compatible partner. the feelings they develop individually and for each other are none of society's concern.

i really, really love this world. it speaks to the science fiction fan in me - specifically the one who loves anthropological SF such as the ones written by ursula le guin and aldous huxley. this pairing culture has massive world-building potential.

they could easily have been aliens, but they're not - they're a certain kind of humans, and this makes it more interesting for me. it makes me feel like the mythology behind this is actually TANGIBLE, believable, historically fudgable XD MAN would i love to know more about things like, what causes the biological difference* that distinguishes the paired people from other humans, how the pairing culture was developed, how it evolved over time (when they started using computers and how it affected them, what exact factors are being used in determining pairs**, etc)

we follow the stories of Alexi and his partner Rael, Alexi's father Floran and his partner Gil, and Keel and his much younger partner Elias. i will tell you right now that they are all reasonable and fairly well-adjusted people. in a way it feels like we're in the happy spectrum, when there are so many things that could go wrong. Elias is probably the most unstable, for completely understandable reasons... but even when his worst fears are triggered he responds in a steady, admirable way.

i am amazed that the characters involved are so non-dysfunctional, in such an unusual setting... in a way it defies what we know about human character, but i am comfortable with the suspension of disbelief required to enjoy this story.

for example, what happens when you develop feelings for your partner, which s/he can't reciprocate? what if you have a repulsive partner? how often is it that people refuse their pairing choices? what happens when you, as a receiver, are completely dependent/addicted to your partner, or to receiving in general? what happens when you're NOT paired off with anyone? what happens when there's an excess of suppliers or receivers... or does this just never happen?

make no mistake: it's not just the angst potential i enjoy about this title. it's SWEET, and funny, and cute, and the characters are complex and relatable. i also rather like that it's NOT explicit, and it's letting my imagination do all the work xD

but i need to look up raws, i think, because the words used in scanlation - such as "culture" and "energy" - will probably acquire greater depth of meaning in original Japanese.

* before the chapter which shows the circumstances behind alexi's birth, i was toying with the notion that the supplier/receiver mindset was fictional. like, the people of this country made up their minds that some people are just born suppliers and some receivers, and then created the strict social rules that made it possible for this system to thrive?

let me say it again: i'm very much in awe of how well-adjusted everyone is. if the author is telling me that such a sexually permissive society would produce good stock, i can believe it... although an inherently monogamous society is just something that strikes me as having a lot of natural hangups to deal with. in my mind, it kind of conflicts.

that's why i'm extremely interested to know if there's a mythos that explains everything... "昔々" and all that. how were pairs determined before computers came into existence? what were the worst case scenarios?

...well, it's actually still possible that it's all made up. that the legend of the supplier/receiver dichotomy was invented a long time ago, and people wanted to believe it so much their bodies adapted to it, and it became biologically rationalized. but this isn't expressly stated in the manga.

** i don't think all these questions will be answered in the manga, and i'm fine with that. it opens up the mind to a great many possibilities - and going off orbit is my favorite pastime :P

pimp post, of sorts: Shinkuu Yuusetsu

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