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Somuku Kanou
Somuku Kanou
A towering, gruff and unforgiving Loan Shark, Kanou is the couple's designated Seme. Unscrupulous and ruthless, he heads a corrupt financial loan company that makes a point of fleecing people dry.
We know little of Kanou's past, only that he had a very bad relationship with his father and that he always had a temper.
He got saved by Ayase's kindness back in the times when he reached his life's rock bottom. As repayment, Kanou "frees" Ayase from the grip of his would-be buyers during the auction his cousin Testuo sold him off to by bidding higher than the rest. After trying to bond naturally with Ayase, this proves ineffectual especially when Ayase seems to have lost all memory of his previous encounter with Kanou.
As his urges get the better of him, Kanou goes to the next best thing in his mind and proceeds to rape Ayase. He then practically locks him up with a debt to make sure Ayase doesn't run away from him.
Quite unusually, Kanou is clearly head over heels for Ayase thus isn't always at his advantage in his relationship with him. However, he is gradually learning how to convey his emotions better and usually treats Ayase with kindness and consideration, despite being thoroughly possessive and domineering.
- Armoured Closet Gay: Before recognizing he's totally gay for Ayase, he was very crude against gays and transvesties like Somaya.
- Bad Boss: When you know how he recruited the twins...
- Berserk Button: Do not, repeat do not, raise a hand to Ayase. Kanou will get angry, and Kanou will fuck you up.
- Cannot Spit It Out: The source of his problems is that he just can't bring himself to tell Ayase that he loves him- not only because of some lingering hangups over being in love with another man but because (to Kanou) his feelings are obvious. He's more of an "action is better than words" guy.
- Character Development: He learns to be more considerate and empathetic towards Ayase. He also is trying to control his temper around him.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Can become incredibly possessive towards Ayase.
- Death Glare: The absolute master of this in the manga.
- Former Teen Rebel: One of the many points of contention between him and his father is that Kanou has always had a temper and would often get in trouble for being an overall disrespectful asshole back in the days.
- Gayngst: Has a hard time admitting that just because Ayase is the only man he ever had sex with doesn't change the fact that both of them are in a homosexual relationship by definition.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Emphasis on "monster". Incredibly possessive and jealous towards Ayase. Anyone who touches him will regret it.
- Heartbroken Badass: After Ayase initially rejects him. While he gets better when Ayase starts to warm to him slowly, he's still hurt over the fact that Ayase doesn't remember their first meeting.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Kanou behaves like a complete asshole but many characters -especially Gion and Someya- are able to see through this and are not afraid of provoking him openly because they know that Kanou, for being a ruthless and violent Yakuza Loan Shark, is actually much kinder than what he lets on. He just can't stand it when people find out about his true character.
- If It's You, It's Okay: He's "not gay". Ayase is "special". Once he admits he actually is gay for liking Ayase, he makes a big deal out of how he's still different because Ayase is the only guy he likes.
- Loan Shark: Owe him enough and he'll cut you up and sell your organs. Or force you into prostitution to earn back his money.
- Not So Above It All: Very rarely, but he can turn into a overemotional fool whenever he can't express himself around Ayase.
- Poor Communication Kills: Not only he Cannot Spit It Out, he also has absolutely no tact towards Ayase, constantly saying that he "owns" him. Thanks to this, Ayase thinks more often than not, that Kanou is just interested in his body and only sees him like an object.
- Real Men Hate Sugar: To the point dreaming about cake leaves him a bad feeling in the chest the morning after.
- Seme: And how! He's big, he's strong, he's aggressive, he's possessive and jealous, he's rich and powerful, he's... yeah.
- Single-Target Sexuality: Kanou is attracted to Ayase and nobody else.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: As tall, dark and handsome as they come, being indeed a taller man (at least to Japanese standards), athletic and a Perpetual Frowner.
- Tranquil Fury: While Kanou doesn't like to do things in half measures, he's capable of doing this. Best example is the end of the fourth chapter of volume 4: Ayase says that everyone is special to him, not only Kanou.
- Troubled, but Cute: Because of his abusive, unhappy childhood, Kanou is borderline paranoid about losing the one person that could move his heart. And for that, he's ready to go into Yandere mode. See below.
- Yandere: Irrational jealousy, manipulative, violent, doing everything within his power to keep Ayase with him. Not to mention the fact that the whole reason he loved Ayase at first is that he lent him an umbrella 3 years before their second meeting note . He might be a bit rational most of the time to be fully yandere, with the whole knowing he's a terrible person for it, but when it comes to Ayase most barriers vanish.
- Younger Than They Look: Hard to believe he's 26 years old when he's scowling all the time, wears fancy suits, and looks murderously intimidating. But also adverted as he looks his age in casual clothing.
Yukiya Ayase
Yukiya Ayase
A sweet, innocent, caring and shy University student sold to slavery to make up for his cousin's gambling debts. He was bought by Kanou to save him from worst and in hopes Ayase still remembers their first meeting, which Ayase does not. Crushed by this, Kanou rapes him in hopes of making his feelings being clear, but he ends traumatizing him. To "made up" for it, Kanou offeres him a way for freedom: Ayase must pay off the money Kanou spend on him (120 million yen, with 10% of interest every 10 days) and Kanou will buy his body for 500 thousand yen everytime they have sex.
Or Ayase could just remember their first meeting and Kanou will call off the debt.
Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama
- Accidental Pornomancer: Ayase, by the Anthropic Principle.
- Am I Just a Toy to You?: Initially, one of the main obstacles in Ayase and Kanou's relationship is that he can't see the deep love behind Kanou's possesiveness, and thinks he's only interested in him as a personal boy-toy. Things started to get better once Kanou learned to be more considerated towards Ayase. In a more general view, Ayase pretty much attracts men left and right, and he's hurt that people just see a pretty face instead of his real self, issue that was explored in the Tokikawa arc.
- Attractive Bent-Gender: He can make for a pretty cute girl. When's he's working at Someya's shop, he quickly becomes the most popular worker there.
- But Not Too Foreign: Ayase is half-Japanese, explaining his natural blonde hair and blue eyes.
- Can't Hold His Liquor: To which Kanou takes full advantage of.
- Character Development: He's learning to express his opinion around others. The fourth chapter of volume 4 is dedicated to his willingness to change.
- Defiant Captive: When threatened and cornered by some members of the yazuka, Ayase stands up for his okama co-workers.
- Desperately Craves Affection: After losing his parents, grandparents, and his last living family sold him, Ayase is desperately longing for a loving family. Kanou offering to be his family is the first thing that makes him warm up to the man.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Many people mistake him for a dainty young girl, including Gion when he first met him and Honda, Homare's mechanic friend, who both thought he was Kanou's new woman.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Ayase is an extreme case where 95% of the straight guys he meets will either fall in love with him or simply want to have sex with him. It gets to the point where you're not quite sure if the manga is going to swap genres and become a fantasy where we find out that Ayase is in fact some inhuman entity who secretes pheromones that make everyone want him. The cover art with him
exhibiting white angel wings seems to be screaming something along those lines.- This was lampshaded in an omake at the end of Chapter 39, where the auto mechanic thinks about how both President Kanou and his employee Kuba seem to be in love with Ayase but claim they're not gay. He then looks at his employees who are all drooling over Ayase, and concludes that Ayase-fever must be contagious.
- Extreme Doormat: He's unable to express himself in fear of being left behind, so he just let people walk over him. Ironically, this only leaves him lonelier than ever.
- Forgetful Jones: Ayase doesn't have the best memory in the world, especially with people he met just once.
- In an extra chapter in the manga, his cousin says that Ayase and him met when they were kids, but at the funeral of his parents Ayase still told him "Nice to meet you". This one is kinda justified, as Ayase was just 2 years old when they met.
- And of course, the infamous first encounter with Kanou 3 years ago, the one Ayase has no memory about and it means his easiest and quicker way to freedom.
- Gilded Cage: Kept against his will in Kanou's very fancy apartament. Kanou also is not against buying him expensive clothes and gourmet meals.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: His hair is a light flax in the manga and OVA, but is describe it as chestnut.
- Hates Being Alone: Kanou realizes that Ayase's fixation on returning with his cousin is not because he hates him, but because Ayase fears that without his cousin's family he'll be all alone.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Initially, he keeps insisting to Kanou that his cousin is a good person who would never do something bad to him, despite Kanou saying very clearly how Ishii owned him money and sell him in order to pay off his gambling debts. Then he admits he's conscious of his cousin's actions but still defends him because he's his only relative.
- Made a Slave: Obviously, to pay off his cousin's Yakuza debts.
- Oblivious to Love: He's unable to see the deep love Kanou feels for him hidden under all the sex and manipulation. Nor could he realize that Homare was starting to fall for him.
- Older Than They Look: He's 18 and male but looks 16 and female.
- Protectorate: Kanou would destroy, kill and even humiliate himself in order to keep Ayase safe. Homare will do just as much and for the same reasons.
- Poor Communication Kills: Ayase is unable to express his real thoughts in fear of sounding offensive or giving the wrong idea. Many things would be in his favor if he could bring himself to told Kanou that he feels he's just an object to him.
- Sex Slave: Pretty much he's Kanou's. Subverted in that Kanou really loves him.
- Shrinking Violet: Shy to a fault, Ayase is notable for being completely incapable of doing anything without blushing or feeling guilt. He always looks like he's apologizing for existing.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: So so much. His beauty tends to bring out irresistible urges in the males around him, and in chapter 17 Tokikawa suggests he hasn't had real friends because people only see his beauty, not the person inside.
- Too Dumb to Live: Can be excused, though, since victims of rape, human trafficking, and abusive relationships tend to act like Ayase does. It could also be that he has developed Stockholm Syndrome.
- Uke: In case you were wondering, he's small, delicate, effeminate, cute, with huge Tareme Eyes, gentle, shy etc...
Homare Kuba
Homare Kuba
Kanou's Battle Butler and Misao's twin. Misao and he were once petty thieves and delinquents who tried to steal from Kanou before getting thoroughly beaten up by Kanou when he catches them redhanded. Seeing that both actually put quite a fight, instead of disposing of them, Kanou offered them to serve him and thus escaping certain jail.
Homare has been especially tasked with the protection of Ayase when Kanou isn't around. Ever since, Homare has gradually developed feelings for Yukiya and has shown being irrepressibly attracted to him, so much so that seeing him topless almost gives him a stroke. Despite all of this, Homare respects Ayase too much to actually try to do anything without his consent and often encourages him to be more assertive in front of the often abusive Kanou.
Kanous knows about his underling's attraction but still keeps him around because Homare is only more effective at his job because of his feelings.
- Almost Kiss: Stops himself short from kissing Ayase upon the Iida incident.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: In the side story I Can't Quit, Homare finally reveals his feelings to Ayase and also states that he knows that there's little chance for these feelings to be reciprocated. Thus far, Ayase didn't reject Homare's feelings but doesn't return them either.
- Battle Butler: Together with Misao
- Bodyguarding a Badass: Before being assigned as Ayase's bodyguard, he was Kanou's.
- Bodyguard Crush: He's violently attracted to Ayase, sometimes to the point of seizure.
- Chivalrous Pervert: Homare just can't help but stare in absolute lust whenever Ayase gets undressed and Kanou isn't around. However, he would never do anything that Ayase wouldn't approve of and breaking from his restraint is so exceptional that even Ayase is surprised the couple of times it happened.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Enforced and exploited. Kanou is fully aware of Homare's feelings for Ayase and still keeps him around, if only because he's more effective at his job as Ayase's personal bodyguard due to these feelings.
- Eating the Eye Candy: Whenever Ayase strips and Kanou isn't around, we're introduced to Homare's unutterable lust for Ayase as he details every inch of skin he can stare at and daydreams about just what he would be doing to Yukiya, were he to accept Homare's feelings and desire for him..
- Former Teen Rebel: His brother and he were once typical teenage Japanese Delinquents with the mandatory bleached hair and the attitude to match, up until Kanou got them to serve him.
- Green-Eyed Monster: A quite unusual case. While it is never made a secret that Homare wants Ayase to himself and is quite envious of his boss owning the young man, he's shown being in control of his feelings and remains mostly poised. But being Forced to Watch the one he loves in another man's clutches slowly but surely builds up his resentment and, in more recent chapters, it clearly looks like he's about to reach his breaking point.
- Heroic BSoD: Whenever he surprises Kanou and Ayase in an intimate moment.
- Hopeless Suitor: He knows deep down that there is but a smattering of chance that Ayase will ever leave Kanou for him.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy:
- Homare knows that Ayase loves Kanou and doesn't really get in the way of their relationship. Yet, if Kanou were to fuck up big time, Homare clearly stated that he would take Ayase for himself and wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
- Subverted in the most recent chapters as demonstrated in a housewarming party held by Yamato's father. While everyone is having fun drinking, Homare daydreams again about spending quality time alone with Ayase and protecting him from Kanou, so much indeed that he eventually puts it to action and stops Kanou from fondling Ayase in public, calling him a swine in the bargain. Turns out, Kanou liked that moment of honesty.
- Near-Rape Experience: Invoked. Even though he retches at the idea of hurting Ayase, Homare eventually confronts him about his relationship with Kanou. In volume 10, as Yukiya and him are stranded in an enemy clan's estate, Homare forcefully undresses Ayase and asks him dead on whether or not that would be the condition for Ayase to accept him as a lover instead of Kanou, adding that the way Kanou bullies and manhandles Ayase is plain abusive and unhealthy but that maybe this is what Ayase likes deep down.
- Romantic False Lead: Homare becomes this to Ayase somewhere in the third volume. Especially because of how he intends to treat him if he ever gets Ayase to love him back, since he highly disagrees of Kanou's possessiveness and his way of bullying his lover.
- Romantic Runner-Up: See Hopeless Suitor above.
- Single-Minded Twins: Averted. Him and Misao are very different from one another.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Second only to Kanou in that department.
- Troubled, but Cute: Homare is fairly attractive and his struggle to remain around Ayase without breaking his commitment as bodyguard and witnessing Kanou owning Ayase and Ayase liking Kanou makes Homare deeply troubled.
- You Monster!: He never voices it but he seethes with rage and jealousy at Kanou, often calling him just that or a swine in his mind whenever he sees him in an intimate moment with Ayase.
Misao Kuba
Misao Kuba
Homare's apathetic twin who doesn't seem to care about anyone or anything and just keeps on going about his business, barely affecting the story.
- Battle Butler: Together with Homare.
- Deadpan Snarker: Has a tendency to blurt out the truth without even realizing the consequences?.
- Empty Shell: Seems to have no interest in anything, especially not the couple's relationship.
- It's shown in the Volume 7 Extra that Misao seems to suffer from prosopagnosia
, making him unable to recognize faces. This may explain why he seems so detached from everything.
- It's shown in the Volume 7 Extra that Misao seems to suffer from prosopagnosia
- Flat Character: Apparently on purpose, he hardly ever does anything aside from following his brother around and helping Kanou in his day job.
- Former Teen Rebel: Same deal as Homare.
- Obsessed with Food: Constantly talks about food in his Q&A's, and it appears that his daily thoughts entail planning meals for the day and he becomes depressed if he can't eat the food he wants.
- Single-Minded Twins: Averted. Misao doesn't seem to even care about anything.
Toranosuke Gion
Toranosuke Gion
Kanou's younger and more upbeat friend who is also a cameraman who mostly films pornos.
Mostly a Comic Relief, with an almost perpetual smile on his face, his easy-going temper and incessant friendliness contrast with Kanou's gruff unpleasantness but both seem to be long time friends.
- Chivalrous Pervert: Loves making porn videos and, although Kanou asked him for one with Ayase in it, he refused since Ayase didn't seem comfortable with the idea. He also holds the idea that sex must be done with love, even in his movies.
- Delinquent Hair: Wears a permanent blond dye job, which is customary for juvenile delinquents and entertainers in Japanese culture.
- Hopeless Suitor: Played for Laughs. He's another guy charmed by Ayase, but knows that Kanou claimed him already so he's completely out of the market, so all he does is ogling and admire his cuteness, usually for comic relief.
- The Lancer: To Kanou, in a more definite way than the Kuba twins, since he's one of the two people (along with Kaoruko) that Kanou could possibly call "friends", even though he would never admit it.
- Mr. Fixit: Very good at mechanics and technical work in general.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: He always acts like a childish, buffoonish goon but he is actually much smarter than what he lets people on.
- Plucky Comic Relief: Despite his antics, he's actually very brave and strong enough to endure Kanou's continuous clouts.
Kaoruko Someya
Kaoruko ( Shinobu) Someya
A childhood friend and regular client of Kanou's, owner of a host club and full time transvestite. One (or maybe, only) of the people who can and will talk back to Kanou and isn't afraid to do it. While disagreeing of Kanou's treatment of Ayase, he's always ready to give his advice, since he can see Ayase is a good influence for the ruthless loan man.
- Agent Peacock: Yeah, seriously. Try him and you're in for a world of hurt.
- Aggressive Submissive: Actually, yes. Volume 16 reveals that he's a very pushy Uke in his relationship with Honda, to the point of punching him when he doesn't comply with what Someya demands.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Like you wouldn't believe...
- Brutal Honesty: Towards Kanou mostly, whom he doesn't seem to fear at all, despite not being exempt from one of Kanou's trademark head smash if he goes too far.
- Cool Big Sis: Openly friendly and nice, he's the first person of Kanou's little circle to whom Ayase opens up and feel comfortable with.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: No really. He doesn't seem that powerful but ask the guy who tried to bully his "girls" how Someya deals with troublemakers.
- Deadpan Snarker: Again, especially towards Kanou but no one is free from being on the receiving end of his sarcasms.
- Femme Fatalons: Often displays those.
- Hero of Another Story: Main character in Henshin Dekinai.
- Identical Stranger: Volume 16 reveals that when out of drag, he looks a lot like a grown-up and dark-haired Ayase, sharing the same body type if a bit more muscular.
- No Badass to His Valet: Owing perhaps to their childhood spent together, Someya is one of the only person of the series who can talk to Kanou the way he does. And certainly the only one that Kanou allows to do so.
- Relationship Reveal: Again, volume 16 reveals that he's in a Secret Relationship with the quite hunky and very masculine Honda, the mechanic who is an acquaintance of the Kuba twins.He even thinks that he can't tell Ayase that he's Honda's boyfriend because Ayase believes that a/ Honda is straight and b/ he must be in a relationship with a high-quality woman.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Kanou and Someya can't help but spew bile at each other but their close-knit friendship is undeniable.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Although he's often tactless, especially towards Kanou, Someya is mostly a well-meaning friend towards the main couple.
Yamato Takanohashi
Yamato Takanohashi
Kanou's protégé of sorts and his father's best friend's son.
- Bratty Half-Pint: He's pretty much a mini-Kanou, without the capacity for damage.
- First-Name Basis: One of the few people in the series to call Kanou by his first name, which is either a sign of kinship or disrespect in Japanese culture.
- Hero-Worshipper: Even though he would never admit it, he's deeply admirative of Kanou.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: For someone who is still a grade-schooler, he really acts way too mature and way too knowing. Even though his father isn't exactly a helicopter dad, there is still something unsettling about his education.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: See below.
- Younger Than They Look: He looks like (and acts) like he's sixteen... he's really 10 FREAKING YEARS OLD!!!. And apparently even he wants Ayase (and he is absolutely fully informed about sex and violence). Uh-huh.
Tokikawa Takaii
Tokikawa Takaii
Ayase's school acquaintance.
- Stalker with a Crush: You got the standard "plastered rooms with his photos, stole and treasured items he discarded" package here. Plus being the one to bug Ayase's room and record the... activities taking place therein.
- Yandere: He's delirious that Ayase is "really" in love with him and ends up tying him up and threatening him with scissors to "turn him back to the real Ayase". Oh, and additional craziness qualifier: he's willing to go against Kanou.
