Ten Count
Writer/Artist: Takarai Rihito
Genre: Mature, Psychological, Romance, Drama, Slice of Life, Smut
Number of volumes: 6
Available of Mangafox: Yes
What’s It About?
When the President got into an accident, Shirotani Tadaomi met Kurose. On their very first meeting, Kurose could tell right away that Shirotani is Mysophobic and said that it’s pretty bad while suggesting it would be better to consult a doctor about it. Shirotani was left perturbed by the encounter. Who is Kurose? And how was he able to tell Shirotani’s condition?
Strengths
Ten Count‘s main strength is of course its plot. Like any good story, it’s a slow burner in both the story and the smut (I will discuss the smut in great detail later). The way they’ve structured the plot makes it a lot more interesting. Usually the story begins with them as a child, we see what traumatized them and then we see them getting better (and falling in love of course). But with Ten Count it’s the other way around – the story begins with our main protagonist meeting Kurose, who straight away identifies his Mysophobia problem, then the story follows his struggle to get better and then, eventually, we find out as to where his Mysophobia began. The nonstandard format made the manga a lot more interesting to read and a lot less predictable than most yaoi mangas you’ll find. The storyline is evenly spread out but the plot isn’t too stretched that you’ll be bored between the action: there are enough twists and turns, as well as interesting storyline, to leave you wanting more.
There is also plenty of smut to keep a yaoi fan happy. Of course the story focuses more on the plot than the smut, but when a chapter contains smut or the two characters are taking their relationship to new levels, expect a copious amounts of it! It is a dominant/submissive relationship and sometimes our Seme seems… slightly controlling. However, everything is done tastefully. They stretch the smut out quite nicely too, everything building up slowly until us readers are begging for more! Even though you might start reading Ten Count for the naughty bits, you’ll stay for the plot. The smut doesn’t overshadow the plot and is actually one of the many strengths of this manga.
Weaknesses
I wouldn’t say Ten Count has many weaknesses (hardly any), but I do know that this manga is certainly not for everyone. If you’re easily triggered (the reason for Shirotani’s Mysphobia isn’t pleasant) then this might not be for you. The relationship might appear triggering for some as there is a strong sense of control over someone who is already broken. It also contains shota, which I didn’t know about until I read it and, like anyone, shota is certainly not my cup of tea, so that chapter was utterly unpleasant.
Give It a Chance/Leave It Be
I’ll be honest, when it comes to Ten Count it all depends on you as a person. I will obviously tell you to give it a chance since the story is great, the characters are beautifully drawn, and it’s a damn good read. It’s one of my favourites and I cannot recommend it enough, but it can be a triggering manga, so approach with care if your intrigued.
