superlovers

[superlovers]

Are you still here?

Always.

[superlovers]

Sometimes I feel not enough thought is given to Haru and Ren's sexuality, especially when they are so fascinating and complex representations.

One could argue Haru was perhaps demisexual in the sense he had never actually fallen in love until he met Ren and shared a deep emotional connection with him. The manga itself certainly alludes to him falling in love with Ren when they first met. After they bonded and he realised Ren could see past his "mask". He's certainly never been in love prior to Ren, at one point even admitting to himself that he only went out with girls because he did not care what they thought of him and they were expendable. There was no emotional connection there. Not even with the woman he slept with when he was in care - it was out of loneliness and he admitted that as well. He never tried to contact her after he was thrown out of the home and he never went looking for her either. Obviously there was that one moment when he was about to call her after being given her number, but that was because he was conflicted with his feelings towards Ren and was trying to force himself to be "normal", thinking Ren might not fully feel the same way. It's only after Ren tells him he should do what he really wants that he decides to pursue Ren. Of course, a misunderstanding takes place just as he does so, but it's all sorted out soon after.

Overall, I'm pretty sure Haru is demisexual. And before anyone points out he had sex with others so he can't be - that's not true. Some demisexuals can and do have casual sex for whatever reason (loneliness seems to be a factor in Haru's case), but there is just no real attraction there.

As for Ren? I'd say he is also demisexual. Some might perhaps claim he's asexual, but I would have to disagree. Ren has shown sexual attraction towards Haru on numerous occasions, too many to list! He does not show any attraction to anyone other than Haru, who he has a deep connection with. So I think it's safe to say he's likely demisexual as well. And personally, I think it's perfect that way.

[superlovers]

There's a popular website which mentions SUPER LOVERS in a roundup, but it has completely missed the point of the manga/anime. It outright stated Ren coerced Haru into sexual activity! What the hell?! Haru has never been coerced into anything! He's the one who instigated most of the physical intimacy, not Ren.

Haru kissed Ren first. He's the one who places him in his lap and uses tongue! When he was drunk, Haru literally "did what he really wanted to do" and came onto Ren. Even when Ren first starts to feel arousal and gets an erection in the middle of the night, he tries to distance himself from Haru and is actually ashamed/confused by such things. It's Haru who "helps" him masturbate for the first time, even though Ren never asked or coerced him to do so. It's obvious, later when they get back to bed, that Haru even has an erection himself from doing such a thing - which he lies to Ren about because he's holding himself back and trying to do what he feels is appropriate.

Of course, Ren eventually starts mentioning sex and doing the deed with Haru. But this is after Haru has been physically intimate with him in various sexual acts...none of which Ren instigated either. Yes, Ren brings this up on occasion, mostly because of something Haru has done or said - but he's not pestering him. Even when Ren decided to get the relevant experience elsewhere, it's because he thinks Haru only sees him as an inexperienced kid and he misunderstands the situation.

It is Haru who possessively marks him with hickeys, who put the idea in Ren's head that what they were currently doing wasn't the end goal and was just technically foreplay. Heck! He's the one who used his finger and outright asked if he could enter a certain place one day - and that was before Ren even knew about such an act or began to ask about it.

I'm not blaming Haru, but Ren shouldn't be accused of coercing him when he was the one leading Ren by the hand through such things in the first place. Although Ren is more than willing, he has no knowledge of this, so how could he possibly be the one to instigate it all?!

[superlovers]

I wanted to explore Haru's second episode of memory loss and what it revealed to the reader. We get a very insightful glimpse into what he was like post accident back when he was seventeen. He's obviously angry, he's feeling self-destructive and it's clear he's riddled with guilt even though he's really not to blame.

We already know Haru admitted he was cripplingly lonely at such a low point in his life and that this was the real reason he slept with the woman in the care home (or whatever it was translated as in other versions) was simply because he was lonely and seeking comfort.

But, the interesting thing is, is that 'seventeen year old' Haru feels like he's looking for someone, searching for comfort, the touch of a caring hand and the sound of a soothing voice. When he talks to Kiyoka about this, she wrongly assumes it is the woman he slept with back in his time in care. Obviously, that's not the case - he's searching for Ren.

If we take a moment to really think about this, 'seventeen year old' Haru did not remember Ren - not at this moment and not back then either. In his mind he's just went to live at the care home, so he's not even really met or struck up any form of relationship with the woman he later sleeps with. Yet he's searching for Ren regardless. To me, as with the rest of his current predicament reliving this lonely time in his life, he's re-enacting how he was back then. He felt like there was something missing, that there was someone missing. That there was someone out there who could make him whole again, give him the comfort he was looking for.

Seventeen year old Haru was desperately searching for Ren back when he couldn't even remember him and that is equally part sweet and heartbreaking. This would also explain why Haru felt so comfortable and fell in love with Ren when they met again. He already loved him and he just needed to remember him again.

[superlovers]

I have seen a few people talking about Haru having dacryphilia - where he gets a bit turned on by seeing Ren cry. Unfortunately some miss the point of him having such a kink...

He's not some sadist who gets a kick out of hurting Ren emotionally or physically. He simply gets turned on by seeing the 'real' Ren, the Ren he is only privy to. Ren does not emote much, other than when he's reacting to Haru. Haru loves to see this secret side of him that is his alone to admire. He loves that he can provoke such emotions in him and he feels excited by the special bond they share.

Just how Ren is the only one who truly sees the 'real' Haru, he is the only one who truly sees the 'real' Ren. It's all about the raw emotional bond they share and the fact Ren feels he can show that vulnerable side to Haru that gets his blood pumping in a certain area. It's the deep connection that fuels his desire.

[superlovers]

Since it seems the fandom is all but dead, I'm just going to start posting stuff in case anyone should come looking for it as I have.

So let's start with something I recently came across... I saw a post that claimed Haru was straight and did not have a sexual attraction toward Ren until later - all because he once said Ren had 'no sex appeal' with Ikuyoshi.

That line was not meant to be taken seriously at all. We can see Haru is covering up after saying too much about his feelings towards Ren. He downplays it after his initial confession because he's not ready to accept his feelings fully and he's worried how such a thing would look. Haru does this very often throughout the manga. He contradicts himself, he runs away from his feelings and covers them up with jokes and frivolous words.

Funnily enough when Haru loses his memories for the second time, his 'seventeen year old' self says something similar about Ren having apparently 'no sex appeal'... But he later contradicts himself numerous times when he thinks the exact opposite! He even says Ren has led him on by looking provocative and enticing him into having sex, when he was just being his usual self! You can't take what Haru says as gospel. He lies to himself and others as a coping mechanism.

Haru has always been attracted to Ren, he is the one who first instigated physical acts of a sexual nature. It may have taken them time to understand the nature of their strong feelings for each other, but they both had them since long ago.

[superlovers]

I know SUPER LOVERS is a controversial manga with questionable topics... But it really is so much more than just some smutty story about a taboo relationship like so many other mangas that explore these themes. There are layers of this story that fascinate me.

Whoever wrote this has some knowledge of psychology and trauma, that much is obvious to me. I myself have trauma and when I read of Haru's own, it was so well done my own trauma bubbled to the surface. Not particularly pleasant, but the fact it happened goes to show how well the author understands such things.

The characters have so much depth and realistic flaws, I find the whole manga fascinating.

[superlovers]

Reaching out to all the SUPER LOVERS fans out there. The fandom seems pretty dead, but if anyone wants to chat or discuss the manga (and I guess the anime) I'm here!