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Why is it that in spite of so many manga readers' supposed maturity, the community so often pivots towards screwed up titles? As much as we decry such titles as DeadTube and Metamorphosis, we still give them attention and popularity beyond reasonable standards of expectation. I suppose it's because whatever our kneejerk reactions indicate, we're still fascinated by the capacity of media to show us extreme facettes of the imagination.
Objectively speaking, Enma Akiyama's Killer in Love (Kimi ni Koisuru Satsujinki) doesn't hold a candle to the titles mentioned prior in terms of content, but it has similar elements of brutality and general mind****. It vascillates between an analysis of the spiralling consequences of poor decisions and a soap opera written for edgelords, but we're taking the time today to talk about what it was, and how it held my attention while it was still around.
An argument for sociopathy... or not
If there's anything I can't deny this manga title, it's the strength of its initial start. Exploring the adoption of public personas and the exploitative nature of social scenarios, there are some very relatable elements at play here that isolate and torment our main characters, who are still sympathetic at this point. Unfortunately, this contemplative start may not be enough to completely justify the onslaught of sociopathy that follows.
As far as the first volume, I could follow this series. Manipulation, vulnerability, and grisly amounts of stress accompanying the protagonist's circumstances inform his poor decision making and open the rabbit hole. To be frank, it's morbidly fascinating to see Akiyama's presentation of collapsing mental state due to personal weakness, in no small part because it mirrors real-to-life issues.
The quality of the initial set of plot twists is debatable, but it's unquestionable triumph was its initial, high-octane transgression of events. The tone is rushed and hectic, perfectly portraying how such drastic scenarios break us down and impair our sense of discretion. The tension is palpable, and it's no small understatement to say I genuinely felt for the main cast as they went through it.
However, once the tension died down, it became increasingly clear that the author had little plan for what comes next, as we descended into a giddy mess of plot progressions. I wasn't above entertaining that this was intentional, accentuating the slippery slope of critical mistakes, reflecting the characters' fragmented state of mind through an uncontrolled narrative, but this is a rather generous interpretation. It's more realistic to assume the series was just pivoting on the shock factor of its plot progressions.
It's probably safe to say that the deciding factor in psychological thrillers is the characters, but our main cast of Kokoa and Ryuuto are defined by nothing beyond their inadequacies and insecurities. While this does provide some clarity to their actions throughout the series, there's little tangible development in their character arcs beyond the catharsis of their experiences: character arcs are driven entirely by pathos instead of actual progression. In the end, that leaves the story nothing to show us but their shattered psyches.
I remember thinking that in spite of some of the obvious toxicity in their dynamic, the depiction of their codependent relationship was a decent direction to go in, but this important element was ultimately discarded as well.
In light of the end
Some of these... failures... could be attributed to the series' ending, which very much felt like a translation to me personally. The conclusion to the manga was rushed enough to clue me in, although I couldn't find hard evidence it was formally discontinued.
Nonetheless, I personally found that the individual character arcs were derailed long before a cancellation seemed in sight. The main characters in particular became introspective and self-pitying towards the end, killing any future for their development. When accounting for that, I had to consider that perhaps Akiyama had sufficient heads-up that the end was nigh, and this was just how they chose to wrap things up.
The real world circumstances notwithstanding, the resolution was an abrupt end to a fragmented story, leaving many story lines and side elements without any closure. The "bad guys" seem to get away with everything, while all that time delving into Yuuto's psyche seems to have been for nothing, since he's written off in the final chapters. The only solace I could find was a speck of development in Kokoa's open-ended personal conclusion, but it's a tiny grace that doesn't solve the lack of reflection on the people she's deceived and the damage she's done.
Yuuto's own finale could possibly be meant to reinforce the inevitability of personal responsibility, showing us that it's impossible to escape the consequences of conscious decisions. His choice to face reality and the mistakes he made is undermined by the story killing him off without any development to his character. I don't say this lightly, but given what came next, he might as well have driven off that cliff...
Closing thoughts
We're keeping this one short because this was quite an imperfect piece of work, but short enough that I gain nothing by dunking on it. However, I'll stand by my assessment that the initial sequence of events was a strong hook and a fascinating story even in isolation, but moving past it, the character realisation is only shin-deep, and a lack of clear direction is plainly evident in how the story's potential was squandered thereafter.
Considering where the manga went, and the fact that most readers won't end up reading it in installments like me, the complete five volume package is unlikely to impress much in a single sitting beyond shocking and concerning you with the energy of its first act. Everything else will simply evoke criticism or a deadpan, uninterested "that's craaaaaazy..."
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