The MC is disappointing. And that makes this a disappointing read for me. You get a protagonist to try and see the world through there eyes. To live vicariously through them in the story. And what I find in being in his shoes is just...disappointingly sad.
On one hand, they suck for wanting and trying to rape their childhood friend. Bad enough on it's own, but, okay we've seen enough hentai and manga that turns it around into a romance where the struggle snuggle becomes make up sex.
Here, he's just pathetic. Goes from attempting to rape them-to being late to raping them-to not defending or preventing them from being raped by the competition-to faping to them being raped-to settle on waiting for their turn to rape them-and then to dreaming about being able to rape them along with keeping the video of them being raped as fap material.
And the thing is, as I'm seeing the world through his eyes, I'm watching a much better character in action. Not condoning Asashina, but bro is exactly what masculinity is supposed to be. He follows through with doing what he wants with Totori...while protecting him at the same time. Like, if this were ever going to a story about how the protagonist grows up and steals Totori back and we needed to come up with good and bad points for both sides in a love triangle, reminder that the MC was going to take advantage of Totori after Asashina was finished with him-and he didn't because the Antagonist had standards. He Exerts Authority, yet, Bares Responsibility.
And the final nail in the coffin-though not bad or a negative-is the protagonist accepting that his perspective is a little wrong. And that's my disappointment. He has a redeeming quality to not obsess over his childhood friend. And that's just the end of the ride. I mean, good, you grew up a little...I wish there was a greater resolution and more story around these characters. But nope.
"You're a piece of shit. Stop that."
"Ok"
To clarify, I wanted something more. Something where the protag actually tries to win his friend back and/or save him. As is, he just watches him leave for another. Totori, like it or not, changed greatly. MC, changed mildly.
