Sensitive Boy And The Impeding Doom

[syntheretique]

So I've been enjoying Sensitive Boy quite a lot lately and sometimes I'll have a look at the comments in mangadex regarding the last published chapter. I've been surprised by the amount of dread expressed there. Many seem to expect some really painful turn to the story and also saying stuff like "I know it's going to make me sad, why am I doing this to myself?"

I don't really get what this feeling of impeding doom is about. I mean, sure, the author could take the direction of a very depressing story. It's a possibility. But I think it's probably going to be a story about healing trauma and growing up with the help of people around. Are there some obvious death flags I've been missing or something?

 

[solstice258]

People might just be keeping their expectations low so that if something bad happens it doesn't hit too hard.

Btw, I don't read the manga (it seems like too heavy of a subject for me personally) but I keep up with the comments instead

 

[Remocracy]

So I've been enjoying Sensitive Boy quite a lot lately and sometimes I'll have a look at the comments in mangadex regarding the last published chapter. I've been surprised by the amount of dread expressed there. Many seem to expect some really painful turn to the story and also saying stuff like "I know it's going to make me sad, why am I doing this to myself?"

I don't really get what this feeling of impeding doom is about. I mean, sure, the author could take the direction of a very depressing story. It's a possibility. But I think it's probably going to be a story about healing trauma and growing up with the help of people around. Are there some obvious death flags I've been missing or something?

Shouldn't you post this on the thread for the manga itself?

 

[syntheretique]

Shouldn't you post this on the thread for the manga itself?

I'm not super familiar with this forum, but I didn't want to ask this question in a thread about a chapter because it's not about a chapter in particular. Also it's nicer to have this conversation as a standalone. Am I infringing some rule without realizing?

 

[Remocracy]

I'm not super familiar with this forum, but I didn't want to ask this question in a thread about a chapter because it's not about a chapter in particular. Also it's nicer to have this conversation as a standalone. Am I infringing some rule without realizing?

That’s not it, I’m just saying most recommendation threads go there. The manga sub forum has the discussion threads but it also has recommendation threads.

 

[CulR]

Btw, I don't read the manga (it seems like too heavy of a subject for me personally) but I keep up with the comments instead

that's interesting. do you plan to read it later based on the comments or something?

 

[solstice258]

that's interesting. do you plan to read it later based on the comments or something?

Maybe? Idk, for now I just like reading the comments. It sounds weird, I know

 

[comeonnow0]

Part of it is that people are able to see the untranslated chapters and infer some details. They might see translations into other chapters and read there. They might even see people like me posting summaries of future chapters that detail what happens.

But part of it is also that there's a kind of...serial escalation tendency in works of this genre. Works that are meant to be taken seriously.

Some comments for Sensitive Boy compare it to Boy's Abyss. I understand why they say that, even if I somewhat disagree. But if you actually look at Boy's Abyss, it's kind of a mess. It's escalation after escalation, drama after drama after drama. And Boy's Abyss isn't the only series to do that kind of thing.

So when people come to Sensitive Boy with that kind of background, they kind of expect this to be like that, to just have more and more drama. They feel there is an impending doom.

 

[syntheretique]

Part of it is that people are able to see the untranslated chapters and infer some details. They might see translations into other chapters and read there. They might even see people like me posting summaries of future chapters that detail what happens.

But part of it is also that there's a kind of...serial escalation tendency in works of this genre. Works that are meant to be taken seriously.

Some comments for Sensitive Boy compare it to Boy's Abyss. I understand why they say that, even if I somewhat disagree. But if you actually look at Boy's Abyss, it's kind of a mess. It's escalation after escalation, drama after drama after drama. And Boy's Abyss isn't the only series to do that kind of thing.

So when people come to Sensitive Boy with that kind of background, they kind of expect this to be like that, to just have more and more drama. They feel there is an impending doom.

Great explanation. Thanks a lot!

 

[moono19]

i like turtles

 

[Vissions]

People might just be keeping their expectations low so that if something bad happens it doesn't hit too hard.

Btw, I don't read the manga (it seems like too heavy of a subject for me personally) but I keep up with the comments instead

Exactly, expect the worse, but I hope for the best. So if terrible things happen later, the blow is soften, because I expected to be bad. However, if things turn out good, it's a nice pleasant surprise, because that's what I was hoping.

 

[InsidiousIntent]

So I've been enjoying Sensitive Boy quite a lot lately and sometimes I'll have a look at the comments in mangadex regarding the last published chapter. I've been surprised by the amount of dread expressed there. Many seem to expect some really painful turn to the story and also saying stuff like "I know it's going to make me sad, why am I doing this to myself?"

I don't really get what this feeling of impeding doom is about. I mean, sure, the author could take the direction of a very depressing story. It's a possibility. But I think it's probably going to be a story about healing trauma and growing up with the help of people around. Are there some obvious death flags I've been missing or something?

I think the story type and the impending sense of doom are not mutually exclusive. Thematically, the unresolved issues were bound to surface at some point; "cheap" or not its an effective way to not only build tension (drama) but also an extremely good way to develop not only the characters themselves, but a readers attachment to them.

I think the fact that it IS likely a story about healing and growth is part of why it IS depressing; as readers we join the characters on the emotional journey to the darkness and back, painfully, but therefore endowed with value.

Is heaping "bad things" on a likeable character for the sake of being able to make their successive rise grander, cliche? Absolutely. However, the execution is a balancing act, not too much cruelty, not too easily overcome, realizations and success not at the snap of ones fingers. This work does a pretty good job so far.

As far as "painful turns" go, I think that stage was set from inception, and reality (particular subject matter or no) is painful.

A lot of the "flag" reactions are indicative of how hard that balance is, and how sometimes authors will choose to simply shock or hurt readers with little eloquence, and there are plenty of opportunities for that here.

 

[Remocracy]

I don't really get what this feeling of impeding doom is about. I mean, sure, the author could take the direction of a very depressing story. It's a possibility.

Well with the chapter where she almost breaks up with him, seems it's going this way where not everything that happens is roses and sugar.

 

[syntheretique]

A lot of the "flag" reactions are indicative of how hard that balance is, and how sometimes authors will choose to simply shock or hurt readers with little eloquence, and there are plenty of opportunities for that here.

That makes sense!

 

[syntheretique]

Well with the chapter where she almost breaks up with him, seems it's going this way where not everything that happens is roses and sugar.

A breakup is sad. I wouldn't call it depressing though. Breaking up with someone who makes your life miserable, even if you didn't choose to separate, is a boon in many ways. In the long run. But I suppose we would be running against the typical manga convention that MC's first love interest is supposed to be the one that prevails in the end, maybe?

 

[InsidiousIntent]

A breakup is sad. I wouldn't call it depressing though. Breaking up with someone who makes your life miserable, even if you didn't choose to separate, is a boon in many ways. In the long run. But I suppose we would be running against the typical manga convention that MC's first love interest is supposed to be the one that prevails in the end, maybe?

Ah but that's a good example of their emotional immaturity, or lack of experience and perspective. Being young with no relationship experience, a breakup can feel like the end of the world, because you don't have any concept of how much life there still is, or that its better to break up. Hell, even adults cling to toxic or simply "bad" relationships too long, for many reasons, been there myself once upon a time. So its probably a combination of the trope, and a realistic mindset, in my opinion.

 

[Grod]

You're definitely right about the observation of a lot of fears expressed in the comments ^^;

I think a lot of it comes from 'audience expectations' instead of what message the story is trying to say for itself.

A lot of people are expecting a story that is focused on the audience experience of an emotionally engaging story that takes you through rollercoasters of drama with plot twists and heightened tension at well placed moments, or stuff that follows the hero's journey structure.
I think a lot of people are also more used to seeing characters have traumatic events happen to them in the form of 'tragic backstories', rather than seeing them live with trauma and so are expecting more of the former if the topic comes up as a theme.

Sensitive Boy is not really following a plot orientated structure that is usually more commonly read.. It's more like manga like Our Dreams at Dusk

 

[tbogard]

So I've been enjoying Sensitive Boy quite a lot lately and sometimes I'll have a look at the comments in mangadex regarding the last published chapter. I've been surprised by the amount of dread expressed there. Many seem to expect some really painful turn to the story and also saying stuff like "I know it's going to make me sad, why am I doing this to myself?"

I don't really get what this feeling of impeding doom is about. I mean, sure, the author could take the direction of a very depressing story. It's a possibility. But I think it's probably going to be a story about healing trauma and growing up with the help of people around. Are there some obvious death flags I've been missing or something?

I Like the manga, however, in each new chapter, we want our MC to get better and overcome his trauma... Not all of us want him to have a path of thorns for him because, after all, he wants to be loved and be happy.

However, I do think, that the search for love in our youth was sort of idealized and this manga shows that not all of this is a path of roses and fulfilled first love. The settings of his environment determine some outcomes (Rio's cafe, Tsubasa's feelings towards what means love) rather than having our boi be the one determining the outcome accordingly to his will, so it is an interesting story of someone being swallowed by a whirlpool and see how MC gets away from it.

Settings rather than characters make this manga interesting, and I hope our boi can overcome his trauma, but not sure how he will do that while having such an environment.

 

[syntheretique]

I Like the manga, however, in each new chapter, we want our MC to get better and overcome his trauma... Not all of us want him to have a path of thorns for him because, after all, he wants to be loved and be happy.

However, I do think, that the search for love in our youth was sort of idealized and this manga shows that not all of this is a path of roses and fulfilled first love. The settings of his environment determine some outcomes (Rio's cafe, Tsubasa's feelings towards what means love) rather than having our boi be the one determining the outcome accordingly to his will, so it is an interesting story of someone being swallowed by a whirlpool and see how MC gets away from it.

Settings rather than characters make this manga interesting, and I hope our boi can overcome his trauma, but not sure how he will do that while having such an environment.

Mostly agree. I don't know that I would describe MC as being swallowed by a whirlpool though. He's struggling against the trauma aftermath sure, but between his network of supporters and his resilience he seems to be doing just fine.