Until I read "Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu," I had never heard the word in-kya, which means someone with an introverted personality or someone uncool and considered to be at the bottom of the school caste. On the other hand, someone who is cheerful and popular is called yo-kya. (The kanji character for "in" means shadow while "yo" means sunlight).
In the past, nekura (fundamentally gloomy) or ne-aka (born cheerful) were used in a similar context, but the term in-kya has a horrifying connotation of one-sided labeling.
The story revolves around Kyotaro Ichikawa, a junior high school student and the personification of in-kya. Hiding one eye with his long, overhanging bangs, he is always "dangerously" fantasizing about murder. His daydream target is classmate Anna Yamada, a part-time fashion magazine model and a picture-perfect yo-kya in the classroom. "I'm insane," Kyotaro sneers to himself as he daydreams about the moment he thrusts a box cutter into Anna's heart.
I may have given you the wrong impression. This manga is not a psycho-suspense, but a proper and dead-on romantic comedy. One day, Kyotaro unexpectedly witnesses Anna happily and secretly eating sweets in the library, an act that is prohibited by school regulations. From then on, Kyotaro becomes unwillingly entangled in incidents brought about by what turns out to be Anna's considerably unique character. On all counts, they seem to be an incompatible couple, but will they become closer?
As a rom-com masterpiece that illustrates this delicately sweet period preceding first love, I once discussed "Karakai Jozu no Takagi-san" (Ms. Takagi is good at teasing) by Soichiro Yamamoto in this column. It created a masterstroke pattern of a vivacious heroine hiding her own feelings as she teases the guy she likes. In "Ms. Takagi," the thick-headedness of the guy being one-sidedly teased is at the core of the story, but "The Dangers …" depicts a higher level of psychological exchanges.
In contrast to Kyotaro's "yabai" (dangerous) delusions, he is actually quite docile and gentlemanly. Noticing this, Anna starts paying attention to him. Kyotaro, who has never been popular, has no idea what Anna is up to. In a series of short episodes, "The Dangers …" succeeds in skillfully illustrating the delicate subtlety of their feelings as they miss each other's signals.
The difference between "The Dangers ..." and "Ms. Takagi" can also be seen in how the female lead is portrayed. While Ms. Takagi is a flirtatious and sweet little demon that is idealized in boys' fantasy, Anna is pretty natural, simple and even clumsy in a strange sort of way. Although, the mangaka's given name Norio would ordinarily be considered a name for a man, things fell in place for me when I found out that Sakurai is actually a woman. "The Dangers ..." is a comedy from the viewpoint of a sexually fantasizing male, but on the flip side, it is also a girl's manga about a heroine who happens to fall in love with a dull and thick-headed boy. I feel that Japanese rom-com manga technique has evolved once again. The protagonists in "The Dangers ..." are not ideally beautiful or handsome to start with, but as you read on, they begin to appear to be endearing and even cute. Such is the "yabai" magic that this manga casts upon its readers.
-- Kanta Ishida, Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer
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