It’s time to roll some dudes.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Higashide Irodori
What They Say:
This cutie keeps reeling in all the wrong guys…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Originally serialized in Comic Shitsurakuten from the December 2020 installment,I Shine For You Alone is a twenty-four-page story from creator Higashide Irodori, who has just under ten stories total on the service. I had checked out a couple of their stories a few months ago that were created a year apart or so and it was interesting to see how they had changed in storytelling a bit over that period. So with new chapters now starting to come down, it’s easy to get back into their artwork and storytelling, both of which are things that feel just askew enough that it’s not the norm while still playing in familiar areas.
The premise here introduces to Hikaru and Kaito as she’s come over to his place to hang out as she often does after a fight or a breakup with a boyfriend. She’s frustrated with her current guy since he tried to hit her – which sets Kaito off on wanting to hurt him – but he’s just the latest in a long line of losers that she’s dated. Her mindset is to not say no to someone who asks because they may really like her and she craves to be liked as it’s a big part of her identity. The two have an interesting conversation about this and how she doesn’t look for the right people, but she just kind of laughs it off. And really laughs when he suggests after a silence that hey may be an ideal boyfriend for her. Oh does she laugh and laugh.
But Kaito makes it clear he’s interested and begins to get close to her, which she lets him do even though they both know she’s still sorta with the guy she’s with. She makes the claim of never having climaxed with anyone to make it clear what to expect but it simply becomes a part of his mission to make her realize she can have so much better. The two are ideal here in how they connect as Kaito treats her in ways that she hasn’t expected before, being the focus of his attentions, and his making it clear he’s incredibly drawn to her. Their experience together is beautifully illustrated here as there’s a great intensity to it at times, a playfulness at first, but something that just feels like it’s meaningful with Kaito finally making a move and Hikaru discovering that she can be loved and not just used.
In Summary
While the story is familiar and a vanilla one overall, Irodori adds some strong elements to it so that it has a greater feeling about it as a whole. Hikaru’s tale of boyfriends and what sets this off alone isn’t the usual that we get and it casts a darker look on it. But we also get to see the start of a really good and passionate relationship here that has a lot of potential. Irodori’s artwork is the biggest draw as I really love the way he handles both male and female characters here with facial and hair designs as it’s not just a carbon copy of basic and familiar things. His characters feel lived in. And that, in turn, makes the time of intimacy between them feel all the more real, especially with great settings and a lot of details scattered throughout. This is a really great installment.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 18+
Released By: FAKKU
Release Date: December 2020
MSRP: FAKKU Subscription
