Finished
“Hatsumi is blackmailed by childhood bully Ryoki while her protector Azusa returns, sparking a tense love triangle.”
Hot Gimmick
ホットギミック
6.7
14,773 rank · 14,333 readers · 337 favorites
Shoujo
Comedy
Drama
Romance
Would You Love or Hate This?
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Hatsumi is blackmailed by childhood bully Ryoki while her protector Azusa returns, sparking a tense love triangle.
In company-owned rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else, and the apartment complex in which high-school girl Hatsumi Narita lives is ruled over by the rumor mongering, self-righteous Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes hell. When Hatsumi has to buy a pregnancy test because her popular sister Akane is late, Mrs. Tachibana's son, Ryoki, who used to bully Hatsumi as a kid, promises not to tell the world about Hatsumi's secret, only if she becomes his slave. Suddenly Azusa, Hatsumi's protector in their youth, reappears to save her again! He's moving back into the neighborhood! Despite the budding romance between Hatsumi and Azusa, Ryoki has control over her through the secret that could ruin the lives of everyone in Hatsumi's family, and he hasn't forgotten who his slave is! (Source: VIZ Media)
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 29 sampled reviews
4.7
/10
What 29 readers settled on.
30%
recommend
Score distribution
median 4
mode 3
σ 2.24
Agreement
Polarized
σ 2.24 · split reception
The polarity gap
5.1 pts
Recommenders 8.0 · others 2.9
Yes
No
Score over time
↓ 3.28
Running avg · Dec 2007 → Dec 2025
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 8 “This manga is incredibly addictive, as I found myself unable to put it down and managed to read twenty-two chapters in a single sitting. However, I was disappointed by the abrupt ending and the...”
- 7 “The story eventually evolves from a generic love triangle into a compelling narrative filled with intriguing mysteries and a perfectly fitting, surprising conclusion. However, the experience is...”
- 10 “I absolutely loved this series for its incredibly real male lead and one of the most interesting love stories I have encountered in a long time. While the art is merely decent and suffers from...”
Verbosity
Short · 41%
Medium · 41%
Long · 17%
Read Order & Related
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Cast
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A Manga Publication
- Format 54 × 12 ch × vol
- Total read 7h 12m approx
- Published Dec 2000 – Aug 2005
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M0616 catalog