Just realizing Shungiku Nakamura was 21 years old when she first released Junjou Romantica! 😳
If you’ve kept up with the manga, you’d know the art & story has evolved so much since its debut. Nakamura is in her 40’s now, so it makes sense the characters she created two decades ago would mature too. 🐰🧸 (Especially Usagi-san!)
Tbh, I have a hard time recommending the series today because of the problematic behavior in the beginning. Yaoi in general has issues and JR is definitely guilty, portraying the culture of its time.
But I have mixed feelings, because believe it or not, as the series progresses, Misaki and Usagi’s relationship becomes so beautiful and more human in recent years. The series has always nailed comedy and emotional depth, and that’s the reason I fell in love with it when I was 15.
The most recent arcs are the strongest, but I’m afraid without a season 4 & 5 anime adaptation, most fans will remain unaware of the series’ shift.
(Just look at the difference between these two manga covers. Their body language speaks volumes!)
Yes I’m biased because I love Junjou Romantica.
But I’m now viewing the outdated themes through the lens of an author who was quite young when she started this series. I’m a little more forgiving because of how far she has come.