#Saezuru chapter covers

[crayonkant]

Saezuru Chapter Titles

Well, my archival obsession with the chapter covers continues. Here are all titles to date as of October 2023.

Legend, based on the illustration:

Yashiro - italics Doumeki - bold font Yashiro and Doumeki - blue font

[1] Defiant, or twisted, there's nothing else to do... but continue living.

[2] Unconsciously, love is born.

[3] Sentimental, irritating, suffocating.

[4] Quietly, secretly... passionately.

[5] Just staying by your side...

[6] So close, yet our hearts are afar.

[7] There are things I want to tell you, but I have no words to convey them...

[8] You don't know how important someone is to you until you're about to loose them...

[9] It's so cold, it gives people a lancinating kind of pain, yet, there is an unspeakable sense of comfort. (note: unusual color cover with Misumi and Yashiro's naked legs)

[10] Back then, when he was still a nobody...

[11] Those unseen wounds, hurting little by little.

[12] Something is about to change...

[13] Downtrodden, life continues -

[14] The past... begins to stir - (note: unusual color cover with a bird's pov and tiny unrecognizable figures)

[15] (no text)

[16] I want to protect... I want to be protected... this contradiction is - (note: unusual cover with story panel of Hirata on the ground and speech bubbles. One bubble could be read as continuation of the title : "[this contradiction is - ] ... pretty dangerous".)

[17] I don't want to vanish from your gaze. (note: unusual cover with story panel and speech bubbles. D: "You could say I'm no match for the force of this person." Y: "I don't want to vanish from your gaze".)

[18] Everyone goes on living with the weight of the past on their shoulders. (note: unusual Nanahara? cover)

[19] Even the smallest things can alter fate.

[20] Someone's hatred towards someone Someone's feelings towards someone - (note: unusual car chase cover)

[21] no cover

[22] The time for everything to change has come -

[23] Even though all I want is to love him it will only hurt him...

[24] I can't allow myself to be touched by those hands

[25] What is this The way this is Is not the way that I know (note: crazy double page cover that will get its own post)

[26] nothing

[27] When it's too late I always think... "Why..?"

[28] A past that can never be erased Memories that won't be forgotten

[29] The feelings that ensnare and the feelings that are real... In the end, will they be revealed as love, or...

[30] Little by little... Things start to go crazy.

[31] So many thoughts, So much anticipation, All blending together...

[32] There's something I've always wanted to know.

[33] I've never needed Anyone Or any thing

[34] nothing

[35] Endings and beginnings Beginnings and endings (note: could also be read "Beginnings and endings Endings and beginnings")

[36] nothing

[37] 4 years have passed... and time flew by in parallel lines

[38] Living under the same sky

[39] Finally, things are moving

[40] There is something in the memory that can't be erased.

[41] I never planned on meeting him again

[42] Feelings are aching

[43] Things that changed Things that haven't And some things that cannot be changed.

[44] Yashiro and Doumeki's On equal footing New relationship Begins! (note: strangest title, so different in style than all others)

[45] After being separated for 4 years, The thing Doumeki saw was...

[46] I thought I fully understood that guy...

[47] What is it you desire?

[48] Pretending as if nothing happened

[49] Even if our positions changed, The feelings are...

[50] Wanting to destroy everything (note: unusual cover, portrait of Yashiro with only Doumeki's gloved hand in the picture...)

[51] I didn't know. Was this what I wished for? (note: unusual cover showing only legs, assuming it's the both of them)

[52] nothing

[53] What I really wished for was...

[54] For us both, There are things we don't know

[transparentduckbird]

The new Saezuru cover 🤍🩶 enjoy fandom 😘

5月31日発売予定『ihr HertZ 2024年7月号』

https://bs-garden.com/product/ihr-hertz-202407/

[lustfulcat]

Chapter 55 spoilers have dropped!

Here is a quick n dirty clean of the cover page and a phone wallpaper so you can carry this sexy Doumeki with you everywhere!

My favorite part of the preview page is Doumeki refusing to believe that Yashiro is impotent and saying that Inami must be bad at sex askhaklhsaklsh. I HOPE HE GOES RIGHT TO YASHIRO AND ASKS HIM ABOUT IT.

[corfisers]

yes i am putting yashiro in water yet again

[saezurusteve]

Happy Birthday, Doumeki!!! I would give you a gift, but you already have the best one! I certainly hope you get some well-deserved sex for your birthday!

[ogata77]

First spoiler chapter 58

The first spoilers for chapter 58 are here and I want to leave you my quick thoughts. I'll start with the cover.

The last image is the new inside cover of chapter 58 and obviously I couldn't help but relate it to these other images. Yoneda usually plays a lot with connections and mirror chapters so I like to hypothesize what he wants to tell us. The first image of chapter 10: "At that time when I was a nobody", shows the moment when a teenage Yashiro is pressured by Misumi to formally join the yakuza. If we continue with the sequence, image 2 corresponds to chapter 31: "Feelings and ambitions intermingle", it is one of the climax moments of the story where they end up accusing Yashiro of the death of a member of the Gouda-gumi. There is a lot of talk about the sakazuki (official yakuza affiliation ceremony), loyalty and it is shown how yakuza groups protect their members in these situations of internal conflict. Finally we have the cover of the next chapter 58: "Emotions are left behind."

All of the above shows us narratively where we are heading in the story at the level of the yakuza (my favorite). Yashiro never wanted to join the yakuza out of necessity, he did it as a sacrifice to help Kageyama (I hope one day he finds out) and throughout his life he has shamelessly shown that he has never truly felt like a yakuza. When the first arc ends and Yashiro loses leadership as wakagashira of his group, "the" opportunity is created to distance himself from the yakuza. Misumi pressures him again and again to work directly with him again but so far he has dodged it with grace and elegance as only he knows how. Until that moment everything was working for Yashiro, he was still like a living dead, but he was half a body away from the yakuza until Doumeki enters the equation again. The cover of the new chapter says that emotions are left behind but will Yashiro be able to leave his emotions behind when it comes to protecting Doumeki? Precisely in the last chapters Yoneda has shown us how they have been gradually resolving their prejudices and emotions but now it is time to return to reality, we are at the beginning of another yakuza conflict.

On the other hand, I cannot fail to mention the visual narrative of the covers. Chapter 10 and 58 are a mirror, both Yashiros look at this little sparrow that represents the difficult decision to be in the yakuza, it is incredibly sublime. And the intermediate scene that has so much to say, Yashiro, unlike the other images, is standing, which means to me that he feels in a more empowered position, and let's add the details of the rain and the umbrella.

I couldn't leave aside the symbolism of these two elements. The rain has always been another character in saezuru, a symbol of pain, sadness, loss and its counterpoint the umbrella that protects me from everything. There are so many memorable scenes with these two elements to name a few: when Yashiro brings the umbrella to Aoi (Doumeki's sister) to protect her from her feelings for Doumeki because it reminds her of when he loved Kageyama, when Yashiro looks at a mother from the car protecting his son, a feeling that he had never felt (this is very sad, Yashiro is a survivor), the past and recent scenes where Doumeki protects Yashiro (for more information you can read aiaigasa). There is so much to remember and analyze that saezuru readers can, without exaggeration, read the story 100 times and find something new.

To finish, I think that for Yashiro and Doumeki it is time to decide whether or not they are going to officially be part of their groups with the advantages and risks that this entails. If you've read this far, I sincerely thank you for your interest in my ramblings and if there are problems in the text, you know, it's Google translator's fault hahahaha.

[danmeibrainrot]

Saezuru chapter 58 in May!! And apparently, Saezuru on the cover too🎉😭❤ We eating good Saezuru nation!! 🎉🎉❤

[swallowerofdharma]

Tales of separated lovers

A preview of the artwork for the cover of volume 9 of Saezuru has been posted. Looking at the horizontal format, my thoughts went to the dust jacket, the removable paper cover, and how we will have Yashiro on the front and Doumeki on the back cover, yet they will still be connected through their touching across the spine of the book. Doumeki is the one reaching, but he does so with a protective glove, while Yashiro doesn’t know how to interpret the touch and grab Doumeki’s wrist to stop or redirect him. He doesn’t understand Doumeki’s intentions. Once we close the volume, they will be on different sides, two separated lovers.

And so I thought, why not writing down at this point my interpretation of Doumeki’s tattoo? Many others have contributed their thoughts and theories and it was always interesting to read them. This isn’t a counter argument to any different explanation, only a contribution to the discussion, my personal interpretation and reasoning.

In this little exchange between Yashiro and Nanahara in chapter 53, Yoneda takes the opportunity to give us a big clue. Although it didn’t seem like Yashiro examined the tattoo that closely in his shock upon discovering it, he tells Nanahara: “He’s carrying around some celestial maiden or whatever on his back”.

While I was reading about Japanese festivals, I was captivated by the story behind the Tanabata or Star Festival, the tale of The Cowherd and The Weaver Girl.

In the original legend the two lovers are both celestial beings, but in other tales the cowherd is a human man who falls in love with a celestial maiden and marries her through deception. But the common point in all these stories is that the couple will become separated, the celestial maiden or spouse will go back to the sky and the man will be forbidden from seeing her and will have to go through some kind of trial to meet her again sporadically.

Now, I think Doumeki made a heavy choice. But one might as well think he was already pinkyless, why not tattooed as well? And the scars on his face aren’t hidden by clothes. He cut his finger off without even sharing sake and now that he has, that he is formally part of the Sakura family, why not celebrate his new status with a tattoo as well? The tattoo might show his resolve and commitment to do as it takes to see his celestial spouse once again.

Yashiro is horrified and it is a testament to how well these characters are written that we can understand his reaction on multiple and profound psychological levels. The men that Yashiro sought out and that used violence freely, the men who trapped him in the yakuza, the men who put his life in danger, they have their backs covered in tattoos. Yet Doumeki was supposed to be different in Yashiro’s point of view. Beginning with his impotence, and the way he used to treat him, without contempt, Doumeki from four years ago, before the Hirata incident, was in Yashiro’s eyes supposed to go back to a normal life, a safer life without the stigma. Because severed fingers and tattoos continue to be stigmatized in Japan. Yashiro knows what that means, because people had been treated him differently and regarded him in contempt even before he was formally introduced to the yakuza. Why bother with a tattoo when Yashiro’s stigma is even unrelated to that? But for Doumeki he had envisioned something better. I love how real this is, from the perspective of trauma, that feeling of separation from the experiences of others, from the experience of Yashiro’s internalized homophobia and the homophobia that is directed towards him, from the social aspect of being yakuza as opposed to be a “civilian”, the constant proximity with crime, corruption, power struggles and danger, in Yashiro’s eyes the ceremonies, the tattoos, all are a cover up, they are fictional, superficial things, he never belonged anyway. He is there because of Misumi’s capricious nature, on a whim. And Doumeki wasn’t supposed to be part of it. Yashiro had a little, modest dream, he could get him out, he could let him go free of it all. Free of any additional stigma. Can’t fingers be reattached?

On the other hand, Doumeki’s tattoo, Yoneda let us know is probably “some celestial maiden or whatever”, recalls stories of separated lovers who were bound to meet again, even if for a fleeting moment, one night a year, and maybe even less, because it is said that if it rains the lovers are prevented from traversing the heavenly river.

Sources:

Lafcadio Hearn, The romance of the Milky Way, 1905 : this is still the best retelling in English prose I have found, however I didn’t search wide and far, and it includes some of the common Japanese variations of the original Chinese tale.

Takagi Masafumi, シリーズ/比較民話](二)天人女房/白鳥処女 [Series: Comparative Studies of the Folktale (2) Tennin Nyoobo/The Swan Maiden] (In Japanese)

Hagoromo Tale (In Japanese) : this is the page with a most interesting depiction

Tanabata on Wikipedia

Swan Maiden on Wikipedia

[soupscans]

Saezuru Chapter 55 Spoilers ✨

Hoi fellow Soups!

We got our BS Garden Spoiler for the next Chapter!

Isn't Doumeki handsome on this cover??

The next page is Inami telling Doumeki that Yashiro can't get hard while having sex with him! Also Inami getting punched in the face again ✨

[chuele]

Saezuru: Why You Need to Read it Twice (2) Rain and the Echoes of Trauma

Anyone who reads Saezuru can feel the significance of rain, the way it appears at seemingly random moments that are actually meticulously chosen by Yoneda sensei.

The rain first appeared in chapter 2, and there are a few interesting things that Yoneda sensei intentionally included through the rain.

Before Doumeki's sister and Yashiro began talking, the panel showed them sharing the same frame under the rain. However, both under the rain but in two different states, one person held an umbrella, while the other did not.

Both are in the rain, implying that they were both abused since childhood, Doumeki's sister sat in the rain, accepting to get wet, accepting the pain because of Doumeki's protection, while Yashiro was covering himself with "an umbrella", use the cover of "lust" as a shield to cover the pain brought by the rain called "abuse".

What Yashiro easily confided in front of Doumeki's sister was also the extreme pain that Yashiro could not face.

And interestingly, the rain lasted endlessly, from the moment Yashiro and Doumeki's sister met until the night, when Doumeki and Yashiro talked. The moment Doumeki told the story of the past, the image of rain appeared.

That rain was also the source of Doumeki's pain, Yoneda sensei's brilliance shines through in such subtle details.,.

<to be continued>

[beigepillow]

With parallels being drawn between the covers between ch 10 and ch 58, I am starting to speculate on what can happen. Ch 57 ended on a note that made it difficult to make predictions for this upcoming ch. The only thing I could predict was that we were going back to the yakuza plot. Since the cover seems very closely related to ch 10 and we are seeing callbacks to previous chapters this volume, I want to take a look at what happened in ch 10 and see what can possibly happen in relation to that. This is purely speculative since Yoneda Kou is very good at throwing us curveballs. In ch 10, two major things pop out to me. It is the chapter where Yashiro is forced to join the yakuza because of the threat of Misumi going after Kage AND the story of the yakuza man and Yashiro. I bring up the yakuza man because his relationship and his looks are very reminiscent of Doumeki (which gives me complicated feelings. If the yakuza man meant little to Yashiro and he did the same thing to Doumeki, it doesn’t give me the greatest feeling). This chapter could be about Yashiro navigating in a way to outsmart Tsunakawa and Misumi to keep himself in Doumeki’s life. Tying that in with Misumi, maybe Yashiro can use this to show Misumi that he is still devoted to the yakuza and Misumi. The ultimate endgoal would be for Yashiro to be able to go after the things he wants but with saezuru’s pacing, it is not just going to directly to Yashiro being able to do that. I think a good first step for Yashiro to reach that endgoal is to use his smarts to at least stay around Doumeki to protect him.

[crayonkant]

Saezuru Chapter Covers 43-53

Check out the other posts for the rest of the chapters!

[lustfulcat]

SAEZURU CHAPTER 51 SPOILERS:

okay so from what I've been hearing:

-Doumeki brings Yashiro back to his place and there's that little toss around that we saw in the official spoilers.

-They start touching but then Doumeki is gentle and Yashiro winds his hands around Doumeki's back, pulling up his shirt

-AND DOUMEKI HAS A TATTOO.

-From the spoilers I've read and seen, the shirt is only pulled up to Doumeki's shoulder blades but you do see a lot of the tattoo. It covers his whole back, like all the way down to his waist. There is a snakeline thing at the bottom and other people say there's a lotus flower at the top but I see wings and a person? Maybe? The pic is very blurry.

-Yashiro is super angry about the tattoo. That's because a tattoo puts Doumeki even further into the yakuza world and Yashiro never wanted that for him.

-THEN THEY KISS. yes, you heard that right. And the kiss starts off gentle but becomes more passionate omfg

WE WON, SAEZURU FANDOM.

[kyrieren]

Umbrella vs. Rain: The Driving Forces of Saezuru (1)

Note: My analysis relies heavily on visual elements.

It's impossible to overlook the pivotal roles of rain and the umbrella in "Saezuru". Rain cascades indiscriminately, looms around in moments of predicament, jeopardy, and inner turmoil. It embodies the cruelty and suffering that life offers, taking on a tangible form. On the other side of the frontline, the umbrella acts as a shield against the rain. Despite appearing small and insignificant compared to the rain, the umbrella is the one that the characters need – the manifestation of care, understanding, empathy, and love. Ultimately, it is love that truly shields them from the onslaught of the rain.

I. Rain - the befallen suffering

They are the most vulnerable, being bareheaded.

Rain is a character that makes its debut in the oneshot and is officially introduced by Yashiro in chapter 2 as the pitfall that is hard to get out. As long as you are alive, it seems impossible to do so, for suffering is life itself. This is true for Yashiro, caught in childhood trauma, burdened with unrequited love, and the ordeal of the yakuza world.

Kageyama

The first time rain appears is in the oneshot with Kageyama, bareheaded under the downpour at his father's funeral, which emphasizes his profound loss.

2. Doumekia & Aoi

Followingly, rain ensnares Doumeki and his sister, Aoi in its claws. Each of them is besieged by personal turmoil, yet they both converge at the crossroads of guilt. Doumeki wrestles with self-reproach for abandoning his sister despite her pleas, leading to the rape, while Aoi blames herself for Doumeki's imprisonment and his descent into the unforgiving world of the yakuza, a path of no return.

In this scene, Doumeki presents bareheaded to Aoi, when Aoi, despite having received an umbrella from Yashiro, discards it in confrontation with her brother - a stark visualization of their mutual vulnerability in this emotional tug-of-war. Meanwhile, at the page bottom, Yashiro stands unscathed under a black umbrella, impervious to the rain, playing the role of an observer amidst their turmoil.

3. Doumeki & Yashiro - The first time they have sex

Rain is also an indication of psychological hang-ups, which climb to the climax when they have sex for the first time. In this scene, Doumeki is carrying Yashiro upstairs to his apartment, both are exposed to the rain without the protection of an umbrella. Under the rain, they are defenseless and vulnerable. A predicament unfolds.

The mental wrestling is palpable for each of them. Doumeki's tender love is evident as he tries his very best to treasure Yashiro, which is demonstrated in his attempt to shield Yashiro from the rain with his jacket, though it's all in vain eventually. Despite his efforts, both of them end up getting soaked. This is when past and present intertwine, when the rain of the present drags Yashiro back to the fait accompli he's trying desperately his whole life to decline—he is the victim, the rape does ruin him, and he can’t confront his own emotions. On this page cover, though Yashiro is under the roof with Doumeki beside him, the rain still hurts him deeply.

Ironically and tragically, Doumeki's love and gentle care, meant to comfort and protect, inadvertently break through Yashiro's defense mechanism, causing him pain. This sabotages Doumeki's feelings too.

4. Douemki & Yashiro - the end of the Hirata arc

Last but not least, Saezuru's powerful closure of the Hirata arc is not completed without the attendance of the rain.

They try to save each other. From Hirata, successfully. From the rain, yes and also no. The expression on Yashiro's face is complicated. In the moment of suicidal attempt, he clings to the deceptive desire to "sully the beautiful", to "hurt those I hold dear".

It is a blatant lie, for although he doesn't need his own life, he has done everything he could to save Doumeki, the man he deeply loves, even if he has to be cruel to get him away. Nevertheless, eventually Doumeki still comes for him. That soft look on Yashiro speaks volumes when he touches Doumeki's wound. It could be either relieved or helpless, or both. In the final panel, injured and exhausted, they collapse, allowing the rain to drench them. Yoneda sensei cleverly emphasizes the imagery of grass. Grass, akin to a fragile baby bird, and flower representing beauty and life, which are associated with Doumeki in Yashiro's mind. However, Yashiro doesn't ever realize it is him who is truly beautiful and resilient.

As a plane passes overhead, a fleeting respite from the rain spares the grass before it resumes its relentless task.

The presence of grass in the final scene can be interpreted in multiple ways. It can be Doumeki, or it can be Yashiro. Grass can also be taken as a metaphor for life. Are the lives spared? Literally, yes, for the notorious rain to keep harassing it. So is it a no? Not quite. Just as the grass needs rain to thrive, Yashiro must confront the pain of the truth and the pain of giving up his coping mechanism, which has been engraved in his bones, so that he can finally be liberated and "live" to the full meaning of the word, not just exists in torment. However, among many paths to death, there is only one path to life. The outcome remains uncertain, but there is a chance, indeed, it's upon Yashiro to take it or break it.

In hindsight, rain is not such a villain after all.

Read the next parts here:

Part 2:

Part 3:

[shippingwarveteran]

Saezuru 56 #andmore

I've read so many reactions to the latest chapter I feel like I need to share my own take on it, please excuse the vagueness.

Mama's storyline come to mind as a tattooed person myself. Only fresh tattoos can be felt on the skin so in chapter 51 when Yashiro notices something is up with Doumeki it's because the tattoo is fresh.

Maybe from a previous visit to Mama?

BL novels usually don't highlight relationships with females, of course this can be added for extra angst, but I hope it's not the case here as angst levels are over the top already.

When Inami reveals Yashiro's impotence in chapter 55, Doumeki reflects on their recent sexual encounter and looks terrified remembering that Yashiro seemed to be in pain.

The first time they have sex Yashiro asks Doumeki to "make it hurt more" but he refuses as Yashiro enjoys the sex without it being painful. (chapter 25). A few pages later Doumeki says something to Yashiro that's still unrevealed "you are my..."

When they have sex after the timejump and we see the stolen contact lens case, I think Yashiro discovers it as its placement is different in the first panel than in the second. I hope all dots are being connected soon (chapter 52)

There is also a hidden gem in this chapter, when Yashiro remembers he fainted and a recent memory pops up. It's their latest encounter as Doumeki's scar is visible and not covered with tape (as in chapter 25). Here Doumeki seemingly kisses Yashiro's hair/neck lovingly.

Doumeki might want revenge on Yashiro as he previously stated to Mr.chestnut in chapter 40 but he might just become good at being yakuza so he manipulates chestnut to get the information he needs (confirmation that he is about to meet Yashiro). The same could apply to Mama, Doumeki knows he is being watched by his own group and probably purposefully develops a connection (whatever type) with Mama.

Yashiro of course has no idea about love, with Kageyama he jokingly expressed some things but painted a very lewd and promiscuous picture of himself (maybe to get a reaction of jealousy but he only received some distaste and perceived pity). He is doing the same with Doumeki but in the last chapter he does let some intimacy between them when he shows his jealousy and expresses he felt mistreated. Similar to chapter 15 when he tries to get Doumeki admit something to verify his idea of Doumeki's actions.

Yashiro overall seems to have pretty low confidence when it comes to his lovability, I think that could be one of the reasons he threw Doumeki away he just does not understand/believes Doumeki's feelings for him and absolutely unsure what to do in such situation. I suspect Yashiro is not the type to step out of his comfort zone (yet). I also suspect Doumeki is aware of Yashiro's situation but he is not quite sure if it's the truth or just wishful thinking.

Either way I hope these lovely 2d characters can learn together what they need to feel comfortable with each other. 😳💓✨

[ogata77]

It's time for destruction

The spoilers of chapter 50 bring so many messages. I can't stop comparing this cover with chapter 24 when yashiro tells Doumeki in an almost pleading way: Don't break me.

One of the maxims of the saezuru manga is contradictions and Yashiro even though he doesn't want Doumeki to break it in any way if he needs to in order to move forward. At that time when they had their first close encounter of the third kind, the inexperienced Doumeki breaks it in many ways and Yashiro can never hide behind that mask so easily again.

Now in chapter 50 there is talk of destruction again but things have progressed a lot for both of them. Yashiro has already assumed that he was a victim of abuse and that he is gay, therefore the theme of destruction is key to him and Doumeki is no longer his watchdog. That's why I think the image shows a white background and flying raven feathers with a Yashiro satisfied with the destruction that is coming, being taken by the neck with the hand of the heart still wearing Doumeki gloves. If the change doesn't happen now then when? Doumeki has been preparing these 4 years for this moment --You chose me to do this-- Doumeki knows what Yashiro craves and this time he won't let it get away with ambiguities.

I fervently hope that in this chapter Doumeki will take off the gloves that have protected his feelings for so long and touch Yashiro with his bare hands.

If there are problems in the text, I apologize in advance. Google translator is to blame.