Bitter Virgin

Bitter Virgin
Cover of the fourth volume of Bitter Virgin as published by Square Enix
ビター バージン (Bitā Bājin)
Genre	Drama, Romance, Slice of life story
Manga
Written by	Kei Kusunoki
Published by	Square Enix
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Young Gangan
Original run	2006 – 2008
Volumes	4

Bitter Virgin (Japanese: ビター バージン, Hepburn: Bitā Bājin) was a seinen manga presented by Kei Kusunoki and serialized in Young Gangan. Prior to producing this manga, Kusunoki had stopped writing for a period in order to cope with a miscarriage.

Bitter Virgin is the story of high school student Daisuke Suwa and his classmate, a girl named Hinako Aikawa, as well as the relationship that develops between them soon after Daisuke discovers a tragic – and very personal – secret that Hinako has been forced to bear on her own.

Plot

Daisuke Suwa is a high school student living with his widowed mother in a small Japanese community. Unwilling to spend the rest of his life working at their family-owned restaurant, his ambitions are to leave the town he grew up in by gaining acceptance at a city university and to enjoy the life of a bachelor.

Daisuke is also a bit of a ladies' man. In a discussion with a classmate about which of the girls in class he would choose to date, he declares that while he makes no distinction, he would pass on only one: Hinako Aikawa, a beautiful but shy girl who displays an unusual degree of aversion to men. Daisuke is put off by what he calls her "sweet virgin" act and is annoyed by her extreme reactions to physical contact from men.

Working after school one day, Daisuke takes refuge in a "haunted" church building to avoid a pair of girls who ask to join him on his food-delivery run. Just as he is about to head back to work, he hears someone entering the building. Believing it to be one of the girls he was trying to avoid earlier, he hides inside a nearby confessional booth. To his surprise, the newcomer turns out to be Hinako.

To avoid an awkward moment, Daisuke remains inside the confessional and pretends to be a priest. He tells Hinako that mass has ended and asks her to go home unless she wants to confess, believing this will make her leave. He is startled when, instead of leaving, Hinako asks him to hear her confession. Believing her confession will be about a trivial matter, Daisuke agrees. She proceeds to tell him a story that completely changes his view of her.

As a junior high school student, Hinako was sexually abused by her stepfather and became pregnant. Her mother learned of the pregnancy when Hinako miscarried, but did nothing. As a result, the abuse continued and Hinako soon became pregnant again. She was told that the pregnancy may make her incapable of bearing children again, but since the doctors felt an abortion at that point would be dangerous, she carried the baby to term and her mother had it put up for adoption immediately after birth without Hinako ever seeing the child.

Hinako ends by saying that although she never wanted the child and was relieved to have it adopted and had never seen him, she wonders whether it would be all right if she at least celebrated his birthday, which is today. As she breaks down in tears, a stunned Daisuke, desperate for a proper answer, assures her that she has the support of God. This manages to calm Hinako down and she thanks him and leaves.

At first, Daisuke cannot believe Hinako's story. However, the next day a baby carriage's brakes slip and it begins to roll down on its own. While Daisuke instinctively jumps to protect Hinako and manages to stop the carriage, both of them are knocked to the ground. In the process, Hinako's skirt gets hitched up, revealing a scar on her stomach which Daisuke recognizes as a Caesarean-section scar, similar to one he saw on his mother's stomach as a child.

With Hinako's story proven true, Daisuke realizes that her ordeal was the cause of her aversion to men. Unable to get her out of his mind and worried for her well-being, he resolves to keep her secret safe and to help her in any way he can and soon finds himself falling in love with her.

Characters

Daisuke Suwa (諏訪大介, Suwa Daisuke): The main character of the story, Daisuke is quiet, but has an eye for the ladies, but doesn't really like any of them to the point of asking them out. Hinako Aikawa is the only girl he can't stand because of her shyness towards him and all other men, which agitates him. But when he accidentally hears her confess to the priest (him hiding) that she's been raped, pregnant and a mother, he begins to soften towards her until he comes to love her. They become friends and he continues not to tell her that he knows of her past, which he is constantly haunted by, thinking that she is completely off-limits to him and that as a man, he can never draw her attention. He has caught Kazuki, his "girlfriend," trying to harm Hinako a couple times and puts up with the girl and her jealousy to protect Hinako. He is not aware that Hinako has grown to love him back, but he finds himself blessed as the only man she can stand to be around. As time progresses and Hinako's past tragedy influences him, Daisuke quickly changes from a typical teenager into a strong, mature, as well as emotionally sensitive if conflicted young man who places Hinako's welfare at top priority and even nearly killing a rapist who tried to attack her. When he was woken up by Hinako and still believed he was dreaming, he accidentally confessed to Hinako, where she quickly ran off after hearing but the next day she returns his feelings. However, after he tells her that he has always knew, being the 'preacher' when she confessed, she is horrified that he learned her secret she didn't want anyone to know and runs home. There he finds out Kazuki was listening in and is blackmailed to go on a birthday date with her to keep her quiet. After Kazuki gives up on him, Daisuke wonders he could do for Hinako. Hinako is scared of Daisuke for a little while, because he knows all her secrets. Soon, Hinako realizes that her feelings for him are too strong and makes up with him. Daisuke says "I'm sorry, you can hate me for this," and then kisses her and the two make out. Daisuke thinks that one day the two will part, because he thinks he's not suitable to take care of her, but until then, he will stay with her.

Hinako Aikawa (藍川雛子, Aikawa Hinako): The main female character of the story who has developed extreme trauma towards men caused by her stepfather sexually abusing her when she was younger, making her pregnant twice. As the story begins she is only 16 years old, indicating she was actually much younger than that when the abuse began. A year before the story takes places, Hinako actually gave birth to a boy. Her mother never stopped the violence because Hinako tried to protect her mother's happiness and not say anything about it. When she had her first pregnancy, her mother believed her to be lying to cover up the real father when she said her mother's husband had gotten her pregnant. When she had her second pregnancy (she was already too far along to have an abortion), the doctor told Hinako's mother that Hinako was covered with bruises and he did not believe she'd chosen her partner. Her mother soon threw the man out by threatening him. Hinako then went to a far away school, not telling anyone but her mother and that's where the story takes place. Hinako does not know that Daisuke is aware of her past but overcomes her androphobia from including Daisuke and becomes a close friend as Daisuke's gentle nature is displayed towards her. Daisuke is seen by Hinako as unique as she admitted to never knowing any man like him before and living proof not all men are as bad as Nagashima was. As the story progresses after Daisuke saves Hinako from a molester, she comes to realize that she is in love with Daisuke and now believes that he could never be hers because of her past and his clingy "girlfriend" Kazuki. Later, Hinako revealed to Izumi she gave birth to a boy a year before (unaware that Yuzu was eves dropping). When Daisuke was woken up by Hinako and still believed he was dreaming, he accidentally confessed to Aikawa, where she quickly ran off after hearing but the next day she returns his feelings. Feeling so happy that Daisuke loves her but is worried about the fact that he might hate her if she discovers her secret. Planning on telling him herself, she arrives just in time to hear Yuzu yell it to Daisuke. She runs crying to the nurses office, prompting Daisuke to bring her book bag she left in the classroom. There he pretends that he doesn't know and states that Yuzu was just under a lot of stress. However she then confirms to him that what Yuzu said was true and wants to end what they had, believing Daisuke will hate her after telling him this. He then tells her that he knows everything as he was the preacher that she confessed to. This statement horrifies her as she didn't want anyone to know that she was raped and flees home. Later she gets a call from her mother, causing Hinako to break down in tears and speak of returning to her mother. Afterwards, Hinako enters the abandoned church only to find Izumi weeping inside. Izumi tells Hinako that she will always love her hometown and no matter what, she will have people that love her here. Hinako is still scared of Daisuke the following day and then is harassed by a boy that had try to ask her out before. The boy yells that Hinako doesn't think about the feelings of the people she turns down and Hinako realizes that this is true. When Daisuke arrives and the boy leaves, she tells Daisuke not to move, no matter what and hugs him. Daisuke says "I'm sorry, you can hate me for this," and kisses her. The two get together afterwards, Hinako thinks that one day they will have to part, because she thinks he'll find a better girl than her, but until then she will stay with him.

Kazuki Ibuse (井伏香月, Ibuse Kazuki): She is Daisuke and Hinako's classmate. She is quite flashy and would love to have Daisuke as a boyfriend and is quite friendly with him. She seems to dress in the ganguro girl style, but lacks the artificial tanned skin to prove it. She latches herself onto Daisuke as his girlfriend and obsesses about him, growing bitter towards Hinako when her feelings towards Daisuke seem to be largely unrequited. She goes so far as intending to stab Hinako with scissors, before Daisuke intervenes. She has also, however, shown signs of being a good person. When Daisuke's sister pretended to be in pain, she showed signs of concern and offered to call an ambulance, but she soon forgets the good deed and when Izumi's baby is stillborn, she believes that it served Izumi right for tricking her. Daisuke is presently going out with her to protect Hinako. He recently tried to break up with her, but went crazy at the thought and isn't willing to back down, citing that Daisuke may eventually grow to love her if they are together long enough. She later eavesdrops upon Hinako and Daisuke's chat in the nurses station and uses this to blackmail Daisuke into going out with her on a birthday date. The date was actually a ploy to prolong the farce of a relationship and Kazuki tells Daisuke she would let him go to Hinako yet still loves him. She says that she will wait for him, when Daisuke and Hinako part. In part of the manga it is shown she used to be a rather 'geeky' person in middle school, wearing her hair in two braids and having a pair of non-stylish eyeglasses. She claims that she wears all her makeup and dresses the way she does because she wants Daisuke's attention and for him to love her, saying 'he'll come to love me in time' Yuzu also believed this at once and tells Kazuki that it will never happen.

Yuzu Yamamoto (山本柚, Yamamoto Yuzu): She is Daisuke's classmate and supportive childhood friend who also works at his inn. However, after hearing Hinako's secret, she confronted Daisuke as Aikawa walk in. When Hinako ran away from that and Daisuke coldly rebuked Yuzu for being insensitive, she broke down in tears. It is revealed that end that Yuzu is also in love with him when tells Kazuki there no point in waiting for his love.

Izumi Suwa (諏訪和泉, Suwa Izumi): Daisuke Suwa's sister is 37 weeks pregnant as the result of an affair with a work colleague. She is a strong-willed woman who has resolved to take care of the child as a single mother and returns from Tokyo to have the baby at her mother's home. Even with her baby's birth imminent, she constantly teases her younger brother, but sometimes her teasing can be all too accurate. She was able to figure out that Hinako has been pregnant before, but apparently, she was only kidding around with her brother, not knowing that what she said was true and instead believing Hinako to have had a pregnant relative. But when she gives birth, it's a boy and is stillborn, having been strangled by his umbilical cord. Her grief almost overwhelms her but she tries to stay strong. At the end of the third book, she becomes angry at Hinako for saying that she understands the pain of coming to the hospital for tests without a baby and Hinako ends up telling her that she gave birth the year before and ends up helping her through her depression with her story as they are both woman that had babies but never got to hold them. After her one-month check up she is planning to move back into the city, then stating to Daisuke (under the impression that he doesn't know of Hinako's secret) that he needs to be stronger if he wants to love Hinako. However, Izumi gains a higher opinion of her brother when Daisuke admits to always knowing Hinako's secret. Izumi would later enter the abandoned church crying. In the end she goes back to Tokyo to find a husband that will accept the fact that she had a stillborn and if she does she will come back home.

Mrs. Suwa: She is a caring mother who struggles to run the family shop. A widow, she constantly badgers Daisuke to impregnate some girl, settle in town and take over the family business. She also doesn't act her age from time to time which frustrates her son who usually refers to her as Baba (Japanese for old woman).

Yamamoto (山本, Yamamoto): A bespectacled boy and classmate of Hinako, who tried to ask her out. She ran out on him without responding, which infuriated him and he later cornered and confronted her, making her realize she was being insensitive for others' feelings. Although he shares the same family name as Yuzu, the two are not related.

Nagashima (長嶋, Nagashima): Hinako's stepfather, whom her mother married after her real father died. At first, Nagashima seemed like a friendly and trustworthy man, wanting to be closer with his stepdaughter. However, one evening, when his wife was not home, he got drunk and raped Hinako, who fearfully did not tell her mother for the sake of the Mrs. Aikawa's happiness. This resulted in Nagashima continuously raping Hinako, until she got pregnant. After Mrs. Aikawa did not believe Hinako's claim of being raped by Nagashima, the abuse continued and Hinako was pregnant again. At that point, Hinako's mother was told that her daughter was covered in bruises, which finally led her to acknowledge that her second husband was indeed the rapist. In response, she threatened him with a knife, forcing him out of their household.

Release

The manga series was first serialized in Young Gangan, and comprises four volumes that were released in Japan from April 25, 2006 to June 25, 2008 Abroad, the series was licensed in France by Ki-oon. It was also licensed in Taiwan by Chingwin Publishing, which published the manga's four tankōbon volumes between June and November 2008 and in Hong Kong by Jade Dynasty.

Reception

Manga Sanctuary describes Kei Kusunoki's first love story as masterful stroke, Bitter Virgin being a deeply moving title covering dire subjects. It also praises how the author delivers the heroine's secrets without stylistic excess and the acuteness in the depiction of Daisuke's reaction and behavior. Nicolas Penedo feels that the first volume does not focus on misery and writes with intelligence about the emotional turmoil of Daisuke, describing it as having a shoujo atmosphere, but that it will be enjoyed by both sexes. He felt that the second volume was better written than the first one and that it was by turns touching and passionate. The reviewer for Manga-News feels that while the manga starts out as a typical romance manga but with a protagonist with an annoying attitude, the revelation of Hinako's secret changes the manga completely into a unique story. Nicholas Demay felt that the subject matter was well-treated with modesty and relative realism, but felt that Daisuke's transition from an opportunistic womaniser to a bashful lover was not well-handled. He noted that although the first volume sometimes felt staged, the writing in the second volume was better, noting that Hinako was less insipid than other heroines, reacting in a more realistic way to Daisuke's changed behaviour.

External links

• Bitter Virgin (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• ActuaBD vol. 1 (French)
• ActuaBD vol. 3 (French)
• Animeland vol 3 review (French)
• Animeland vol 4 review (French)
• BDGest vol 2 review (French)
• Manga-News.com vol. 2 review (French)
• Manga-News.com vol. 3 review (French)
• Manga-News.com vol. 4 review (French)
• Manga Sanctuary vol. 1–4 review (French)
• Planete BD vol. 3 review (French)
• Planete BD vol. 4 review (French)
• Official magazine site