Here's to a new year! Here's my first mega try (also first time posting in a while due to reasons) but heya! Admittedly struggled a fair bit with self doubt and anxiety on this one as put it off for a while/other things caught up with me but I figure I'll be glad I did it once I've done it. It's kinda being done last minute though, so admittedly there's that...

I'd been intending to make the mega about something else originally when I signed up, but that would require more time on my part (and I just binge read this recently, so it all works out). Anyways, my subject of the week is The Summer Hikaru Died; it's a queer (BL) horror manga which is currently also scheduled for anime release next year (2025).

Content warnings naturally follow and further details will be spoilered.

CONTENT WARNINGS

Grief, body horror and (very debatably IMO) mild gore, supernatural horror (ghosts/"impurities", otherworldly entities), death I suppose though that one's a given

Premise

The titular Hikaru went for a walk in the woods, died, and something came back wearing his body, something that doesn't quite know how to be human or mortal; "Hikaru" returned, to ensure that his best friend, Yoshiki, would not be lonely. Romantic tension (and tension of a less pleasant kind) ensues.

The plot/things I like about it thus far (light spoilers)

Yoshiki and "Hikaru" have an absolutely great dynamic- their relationship may not be fully healthy, but their intentions seem to both be in the right place, as are their deep feelings (Yoshiki's for Hikaru and increasingly for "Hikaru," and Hikaru and "Hikaru's" own true feelings) and honesty in this regard, despite the latter "Hikaru" being effectively an imposter of sorts. (it's complicated, but these are increasingly distinguished separately and I really like that process as well)

"Hikaru" is, while not quite a blank slate, extremely new to the concept of even just "being" in the sense that mortal creatures and individual organisms(?) do. They've had to learn (and Yoshiki has had to confront them about) the value and significance of life and death; they've increasingly established boundaries, and they approach the world with a liveliness and curiousity that is really cute (the original Hikaru was also lively FWIW, but "Hikaru" is experiencing everything anew even if they retain the memories).

Yoshiki, on the other hand, is both grappling with his grief and loss of Hikaru, while finding comfort (and discomfort alike) in his imposter, and in guiding them through a new world or state of being. He's finding his resolve and moral/ethical backbone interacting with "Hikaru" (very blue-and-orange morality dynamics, though they're learning), he's experiencing what could be described as a rocky but determined romance and queer experimentation at the same time "Hikaru" is being introduced to notions of attraction and desire (beyond instinctual desire to consume).

Their pairing in so many ways should not work (or rather would be usually destined for a tragic end). From the start, there have been several points where by all means it should have met such an end. But their determination and willingness to meet the other where they're at and gradually be understanding with the other is both fascinating and something I'd feel optimistic for (and interested in seeing play out further).

Anyways, I should cut myself short at this (and make sure to have something properly written beforehand for next time). But anyways, thus far it's a strong recommend (if you feel alright with the content warnings) from me.

Join our public Matrix server! https://matrix.to/#/#tracha:chapo.chat

As a reminder, please do not discuss current struggle sessions in the mega. We want this to be a little oasis for all of us and the best way to do that is not to feed into existing conflict on the site.

Also, be sure to properly give content warnings and put sensitive subjects behind proper spoiler tags. It's for the mental health of not just your comrades, but yourself as well.

Here is a screenshot of where to find the spoiler button.

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  • GenderIsOpSec [she/her]
    ·
    6 days ago

    ok just dont read this, i'm journaling basically catgirl-huh

    hetero fucking in fanfics

    the men fuck like lesbians, this is wild and kinda cool actually. the sex starts with her getting off atleast once before the dick is introduced, this doesnt seem very realistic. In fact I'm pretty sure eating pussy is "gay" according to real men catgirl-disgust

    anyway i just want to excise this one couple from my head just....goddamnit catgirl-flop i dont wanna read about your hetero fucking please stop being this good at writing

    • SuperZutsuki [they/them]
      ·
      6 days ago
      spoiler

      Not that I'm a dude any more (or ever really was) but that was very common for me. I also loved eating pussy (still do). My gf should have dumped me for being gay tbh.

    • NotLuigi [they/them]
      ·
      6 days ago
      hetero fucking (outside of fanfics)

      the sex starts with her getting off atleast once before the dick is introduced, this doesnt seem very realistic

      Is this actually as widespread as it’s made out to be? Are the vast majority of straight men not getting their partner off before they do? Even when I thought I was cis it was hammered into my head that foreplay is important and that she’s supposed to finish first. Men who couldn’t get their partner off were Bad Men and men who thought their dick could get a woman off reliably every time were Delusional Men.

      Possibly TMI about my sex life (a woman with a masc NB)

      Like my partner will finish over and over until they’re just about ready to be done and we don’t think about penetration until then. That’s genuinely weird?

      • GenderIsOpSec [she/her]
        ·
        6 days ago
        hetero fucking science and shit

        Well, quoting from this one website article some choice points

        At least 92% of women orgasm when pleasuring themselves. Women also orgasm more when having sex in relationships compared with casual sex. In a study of more than 12,000 college students, only 10% of the women said they orgasm during first-time hookups while 68% said they orgasm during sex that occurs in a committed relationship.

        Women also orgasm more when having sex with other women. In one study 64% of bisexual women said that they usually or always orgasm when being sexually intimate with other women.

        In all these scenarios where women are climaxing more, there is a greater focus on clitoral stimulation. The majority of women need clitoral stimulation to orgasm

        In my work, I’ve asked thousands of women: “What is your most reliable route to orgasm?” Only 4% say penetration. The other 96% say clitoral stimulation, alone or paired with penetration.

        The main reason for the orgasm gap, then, is that women are not getting the clitoral stimulation they need. And cultural messages about the supremacy of intercourse feed into this. Indeed, countless films, TV shows, books and plays portray women orgasming from intercourse alone.

        Popular men’s magazines also give advice on intercourse positions to bring women to orgasm. And while some of the positions do include clitoral stimulation, the message is still that intercourse is the central and most important sexual act.

        The language used in these articles – and in the culture as a whole – reflects and perpetuates this overvaluing of intercourse. We use the words “sex” and “intercourse” as if they are the same. We relegate the clitoral stimulation that comes before intercourse as “foreplay”, implying it is a lesser form of sex.

        Multiple studies have demonstrated that such messages give the idea that sex should proceed as follows: foreplay (just to get the woman ready for intercourse), intercourse, male orgasm and sex over. In this version of sex, it’s the man’s job to “give” a woman an orgasm by lasting a long time and thrusting hard.

        No wonder research finds that men feel more masculine when their partner orgasms during intercourse. And, it’s no surprise that women fake orgasms, primarily during intercourse, to protect their partner’s egos.

        Indeed, studies suggest that between 53% to 85% of women admit to faking an orgasm. Some research indicates that the majority of women have faked at least once in their lifetime.

        just having a sex ed where they teach men to find the clitoris would increase the orgasm numbers massively

    • ashinadash [she/her]
      ·
      5 days ago
      ew gross smh!

      This one was a bad read (kidding, all of this disgust is jokes) but I upbeared it because the analysis kinda rules though. I guess because fanfic is written by people who aren't men a lot more, so it's like if hetero sex wasn't fuckin awful? Kind of? As a bit?

      Also the het "norms" around oral sex are just the absolute worst, I mean wtf ssriously.

      I'm sorry to hear you cannot stop this pairing living in your head and making you read het fic though meow-hug I write this with utter sincerity because I know how it is when you are compelled to something that does not satisfy your gay and it can be draining.

      • GenderIsOpSec [she/her]
        ·
        5 days ago
        smdh a lot of people reading my journal ;3

        I have two het pairings that I just cant get rid off, both are from Bioware, and Dragon Age. Only one of them is actually possible as a romance option. I fucking love to read about them and all the stories are like 500k words and so good. I've finally started to jump into some wlw pairings that I also have open on my gay (queer) tablet to get some of those good good gay cravings fixed though. meow-hug

        also yeah, hetero sex that isnt awful??? damn. only in fanfics, sorry sis. catgirl-flop

        • ashinadash [she/her]
          ·
          5 days ago
          I fucking LOVE JOURNALPOSTING

          lets-fucking-go I have seen and even received JOURNALPOSTING lately which fuckin rules!!!

          Only one of them is actually possible as a romance option

          Tickled that there is a het pairing that is impossible ingame. Had the experience of queer pairings that cannot be done ingame so lol, lmao, cishets cope.

          fucking love to read about them and all the stories are like 500k words and so good. I've finally started to jump into some wlw pairings that I also have open on my gay (queer) tablet to get some of those good good gay cravings fixed though

          Gotta maintain a healthy balance :3 beloved gay (queer) tablet... Also yeag, "sorry sis" fr catgirl-huh not great lol