Content Warning: Dubious Consent, Sexually Explicit Content, Drugs, Trauma, Pedophilia, Violence
Synopsis
Saimon is married to Seijuro Hanabusa, the head of an affluent family and an elite alpha. However, Saimon isn’t the only one in his life—he’s one of three. And to make matters worse, he’s a “Megaera,” someone lower than an Omega, as well as a person others believe brings bad luck.
As a Megaera, Saimon is unable to have any children, and feels inadequate since Seijuro’s other wives have managed to have two each. As he’s on the brink of giving up on reclaiming his spot as his husband’s top wife, he’s summoned by the head of the family, Zenjiro Hanabusa. He’s told to find his illegitimate son so he can name him as successor.
Saimon finds him, but there’s just one problem—he’s an Omega. But that’s not enough to stop Saimon. Using his son Mamiya’s street smarts, and his own obsession, Saimon proposes a shocking plan. Saimon will pass Mamiya off as an Alpha and try to gain the headship of the Hanabusa family. Will they succeed, or will everything come crumbling down?
A Megaera World
The first thing that caught my attention about Omega Megaera was the worldview. I’ve read a multitude of omegaverse stories that have tweaked a few things here and there, but I’ve never heard of a Megaera. The title brings it to your attention immediately, and the author does a wonderful job of putting you in the mind of Saimon.
There are only three sexes: Alpha, Omega, and Beta, but a Megaera seems to be a derogatory phrase. Despite Shino and Saimon both being the same sex—Omega—nothing can be worse than being a Megaera. An Omega is still able to bear children, which means they can still fulfill their duty. A Megaera, on the other hand, is someone who can’t even fulfill their duties of giving birth, which then breeds discrimination.
This was fascinating to me, as it fuels an air of hypocrisy within the family. It also shows just how much of an effect this title weighs heavily on Saimon and twisted him into the person he is today. For instance, despite Saimon being unable to birth a child, the thought of being a mother to one is tempting to him. Whether that’s out of obligation for being an Omega or for parental affection, however, is up in the air.
Saimon’s Obsession
Saimon’s love for Seijuro is depicted as more than just romantic; it’s borderline obsessive. The one reason he seems so obsessed with reclaiming his top spot is because he believes they’re soulmates. And to Saimon’s benefit, it is shown in a flashback that Seijuro did, in fact, call Saimon his “other half” before everything became so complicated.
However, when taking into account that there’s now a 14-year-old boy he must mother, his intentions become unclear. Saimon will stop at nothing to become Seijuro’s first wife, even if the means of doing so go against Seijuro’s morals. This includes him engaging in non-consensual sex with the very man he loves, putting Mamiya in harm’s way by making him feign his sexuality as an Alpha, and ruining Reiko’s succession as head of the Hanabusa family due to Zenjiro’s sexism.
Even if his lie is discovered by Zenjiro, Saimon wouldn’t be bothered by it. Instead, he craves it, because then, and only then, would Seijuro become his dutiful husband. Saimon’s hypocrisy and the fragility he only shows in front of Seijuro throughout the story was conflicting to me.
Non-Con & Era Confusion
The main issue I have with omegaverse stories is non-consent. I’ve read a multitude of them, and I can say with confidence that not every one of them has this issue. Or even if it is brought up, it can be done tastefully, like in Hate Me, But Stay. Omega Megaera does it… untastefully.
It doesn’t take long to notice the pattern of using pedophilia as fodder for drama. Zenjiro, who’s set up to be the antagonist of the story, assaulted a 13-year-old girl and forced her into teenage pregnancy. On top of that, it’s shown that he also forced all but one of his son’s wives into non-consensual sex throughout the years. The reason for the former is never explained and feels as if it was just used to make him more evil.
To further Zenjiro’s despicable nature, Mamiya is also implied to be a victim. It isn’t explicitly stated, but it is implied that someone considerably older took advantage of him. And even if nothing did happen to him, Mamiya was still exposed to sexual trauma since he witnessed his mother having sex with multiple partners since he was a young child.
Zenjiro also states that times are changing, and it would be “frowned upon” if society knew he touched a minor. Comments like this made me constantly ask: What exactly is the time period? I wish the author had made it more apparent, or at least clarified, what year it was. This would have suspended the disbelief and confusion I had while reading.
The Verdict
Omega Megaera is an ambitious story that expands upon the already vast world of the omegaverse. By adding in the Megaera subset, it created a vibrant story that weaved an intricate worldview of family drama and political warfare. As a multi-volume story, I can see it becoming even more entertaining as it builds upon its own world.
However, it contains the same issues as other omegaverse stories and stumbles to find its footing. The abundance of pedophilic themes can be jarring, especially since none of it is implied from the cover or the synopsis. At times, it felt as if it was a cheap trick for shock value. As someone who read the author’s previous work, Pornographer, this is a common theme with them that can either be done beautifully or crash and burn.
However, as with Pornographer, it may take time for this story to develop. If you’re prepared for a long road ahead of you and don’t mind uncomfortable themes, I’d recommend Omega Megaera. And if you’re not, then it’s easier to just stop right here. Better safe than sorry.
Omega Megaera is available in print and digitally from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Books-A-Million, and Kinokuniya.
If you liked Omega Magaera, you might also like…
- Afterglow by Wagimoko Wagase
- Firefly Wedding by Oreco Tachibana
- Now No One Lurks Beneath The Snow by Aneido
Credits
Story and Art: Maki Marukido
Translation: Kevin Steinbach
Lettering: Madeleine Jose
Editing: Tiff Joshua TJ Feretini
Published by: Toshihiro Tsuchiya
Published in English by Kodansha
Thank you to Kodansha for providing a review copy. Receiving this copy had no effect on the reviewer’s opinions as expressed here.
Article edited by: Anne Estrada
The Good
- Interesting twist on the omegaverse
- Gorgeous artwork
- Unique supporting characters
The Bad
- Dub-con
- Ambiguous era
- Conflicting main character
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