2019 is going to have a lot of new interesting release. Chou To Kumo No Su (蝶と蜘蛛の巣) is one of them! It is a title created by Akabeko, with the original publisher being Takeshobo.
First serialized in Reijin Uno, it is a prequel to Akabeko’s other title released in 2017 called Chou to Hana no Kankeisei. Though she keeps some of her familiar themes from her previous title, she manages to bring her prequel into light with psychological, sadness, and obsessive seme themes. Even though this title is complete as of now, it still doesn’t change the fact that is took only a single chapter to pull the reader in and become invested in the story about Hitohira and Kumoi. In one chapter we are given amazing insight to the characters, as well as provided a pretty wonderful pace to the story before being brought to the climax.
Our story is told to us from the future, and speaks of events from the past. Hitohira is a student who loses his mother to an unnamed illness when he is a high school student. Though you would think as her son he would take the death of his own mother quite terribly, you would all be shocked that he expressed no emotion or really even shed a tear over his mother’s death. In fact, it was her lover, Kumoi who grieved her passing the most. The two had a rather interesting and intimate relationship that Hitohira was quite aware of.
Kumoi copes with his beloved’s death by projecting his emotions toward her son. Hitohira sees that Kumoi seems to almost turn into a father figure. Packing lunches, telling him he would take care of him…that is until Hitohira expresses he plans to move out when he graduates.
Something within the other snaps. It’s almost as if he couldn’t let another person he cares about get away from him. No, it was more like he wouldn’t allow it. Kumoi soon develops a possessive dominant nature towards Hitohira, perhaps the same nature he displayed with Hitohira’s mother.
■ Hitohira Chouno
This young man seems quite reserved and doesn’t appear to have much emotional response to really anything. His eyes speak a million words. They are empty yet so full of sorrow. We are provided with some insight that he may have suffered either some emotional or physical abuse from his father, who we do not meet in the story. But he is quite innocent and naive, due to the fact it was too late when he realized Kumoi-san had replaced his mother with him after the day he snapped. He never verbally expresses this, but he is quite aware he belongs to Kumoi. He is weak to the dominance and “love” Kumoi-san provides.
This grown man shows to be quite caring and energetic. Almost like he will wear his heart on his sleeve for only those he cares most about. So when Hitohira’s mother died, we saw his heart was heavy with sadness, and his mind was plagued with endless sorrow. With each passing night and day he would sit in front of her memorial he seemed to get worse and worse, until he found a way to channel his emotions. He started taking care of Hitohira, first as if like a fatherly figure and he almost seemed content with that, but he wasn’t yet fulfilled with just caring for someone he loved. It wasn’t a satisfying type of love or bond for him. With an unstable heart it’s easy to understand why he loses his control when he is “threatened” with Hitohira leaving. It was almost like Hitohira was the last straw and he wouldn’t dare allow something that was his to leave him. So he soon becomes obsessive and controlling. The fatherly vibes vanish, and in it’s place is an unhealthy need to control and own someone he loved and cared dearly for, just as he did with his late lover.
This is truly a great read if you are looking to get away from your stereotypical raunchy smutty BL manga. It has an amazing pace to the plot. The story is laid out to the reader beautifully. It is neither too slow nor too quick. And I believe the first and only chapter to this title serves it adequate justice. Regardless of it being one chapter or not, the author should be proud of this title. It takes real skill to pull off what usually take several chapters and spread it out into only one. It’s simple, but not at all boring. So give this one a chance!
Adorkable gamer, aspiring writer, anime convention addict, and rhythm game specialist ^~^