Being chronically online gives you some really weird perspectives on things, especially with regard to kinks/fetishes. I don't think there's a single thing you could name that would surprise me. Shock and alarm, maybe, but not surprise. It's always amusing when some "normal" space starts talking about some "crazy" kink in hushed tones...and it turns out to be something I'd consider reasonably moderate.

Back on the comic, I'm somewhat amused had how far the envelope keeps getting pushed. I feel like, at first, it was a lot of innuendo and winking jokes, and Kokeshi was a pervert but most people didn't humor her...and now we've got flat-out vore/||unbirthing|| going on on-panel. Wild.

Honestly, owning a nice apartment outright is probably one of the best investments she could have made. And I'm not terribly surprised she ran through all her money. It was shown that she wasn't paying a huge amount of attention to it. I do like the role reversal with Tenma wanting to be her sugar mommy now.

I didn't read the raws, but what strikes me, as a translator, is the usage of "He/him/that guy" by the uncle and Satsuki.

I'm pretty sure that beside "Rika-kun", there's no language in the original referring to Rika as a guy.

It's purely something added by the translator. Neither the uncle nor Satsuki call Rika by masculine pronouns in Japanese, because they don't have to: in Japanese there's no need to use pronouns at all when referring to someone. When Satsuki says "that guy", it's probably actually "koitsu/aitsu" which is gender neutral.

I don't have anything against the characters using the right pronouns for Rika. It's just that it's something invented by the translator for the western readers.

It's a tough call. No matter what choice you make, it sends a message. I'd probably have gone with they/them, at least at first, but I understand why the translator would just go with the linguistically and contextually correct option. I suppose it'll only be an issue if one or both of the characters end up not being as supporting as they seem now.

If this turns out to be an actor thing... that feels like SUCH a common trope in manhua. Famous actors being all about that Gay.

Manhua : actors :: manga : schoolgirls :: manhwa : office ladies

Obviously, all three do all three, but that's my anecdotal experience as to what the go-to setting is.

This looks interesting! I like how we got the meta bit to add some sweetness to the bitter of the teaser. Can't wait to find out what's really going on. (Also, the neck-kissing was super hot)

Little tired of the "Dynasty readers are so misandrist!" take. Comes up every time there's any criticism of male characters, especially if it's in the context a character being called out for acting misogynistic.

Narita was introduced as being a self-centered jerk who felt entitled to manipulate girls, and the instant it failed him he began verbal abuse. People are allowed to not like him, and if his gender is a part of that? Well, I'd say it's because "guy who thinks girls are just there to be of use to him" is a pretty common thing in real life.

It's nice that he's turned out to be not so bad, but it doesn't vindicate or erase his previous behavior. The people who disliked him then aren't wrong because he's been shown to have more layers or be capable of growth. A negative impression was alright then, and a positive impression is alright now. Both can be true.

last edited at Oct 13, 2022 5:22PM

Did you read Hourou Musuko?

Yoshino was all about being a boy.

Then she wasn't.

I haven't read that one. But given the tenor and grounding of this one so far, I would be utterly shocked at a swerve like that. I'm not saying it won't happen, stupider "twists" have, but it'd be on the level of Satuski's secret being that he's actually estranged from his parents...because they live on Mars.

last edited at Oct 11, 2022 6:05PM

It's already geared toward him falling for Rika.

And Rika is already cooking for him.

And the uncle is already like "Ohoho... nature will take its course..."

I'm afraid it'll turn into het.

The entire story is about how Rika is a boy. If they end up in a relationship, it'll be a gay one.

"it’s quite possible Evie would remember"

curious

Yeah. Remember what? What does Elsa know about Evie that even Evie herself doesn't??

I don't have time to find it right now, but it's strongly implied that Yvonne and Elsa met when they were young children, and that interaction forms the basis of Elsa's conviction that Evie is her "destined person." I know there's at least one flashback to Elsa's childhood where she's with a girl with long blond hair, and it was brought up in the context of Elsa and her belief in destined love. So a childhood marriage promise or something? The question is, did this happen before the point where Evie became her isekai'd self, or is it something from the "original" Yvonne's memories that "our" Evie has forgotten?

I swear I see that cliche of a bunch of guys hitting on a girl (waiting for somebody) way too often...

Roving packs of feral boys is one of Japan's most underreported environmental issues. Citizens and visitors are advised to avoid spots where these undomesticated young men like to congregate:

• Arcades and video stores while hanging out with your cute childhood friend;
• The sidewalk outside of a convenience store when your cool girlfriend is stopping off to buy something after school;
• A popular shopping area after you finally work up the courage to ask your pretty senpai out on a "date," but maybe she thought you meant friend-date and now you're really nervous;
• When you're walking home after a drinking party where your coworker had a little too much and all the trains have stopped running, so the only polite thing to do is invite her to stay the night at your place.

If you are approached by any loud and oblivious boys who attempt to hit on you or your companion despite your obvious discomfort and uninterest, please use these strategies to safely and quickly extricate yourself from the situation:

• Politely yet firmly say, "She's with me" while taking her hand in yours and glaring directly at the offending guys while thinking about how you've never liked being so much taller than other girls, but now you're glad you are, especially when it lets you rest your chin on her head while you're sitting together;
• Take your companion's hand and start running in a random direction; even if the feral boys attempt to pursue, their primary diet of convenience store snacks and years of loafing behind school buildings leave them ill-prepared for sudden chases;
• Unfurl your brightly colored neck-frill and begin screeching and spitting acid.

Keep these warnings in mind, and you can ensure that you and your female friend that inspires feelings that you can't quite name, but are equal parts exhilarating and heart-rending will be able to enjoy your time together, whether it takes numerous volumes of incremental development and longing or has a promising start, but then is suddenly canceled, requiring a rushed ending that's decent and not quite unsatisfying, but you definitely would have preferred having a little more space to develop things naturally.

last edited at Oct 8, 2022 3:29PM

Not that I dislike stories where homophobia is a non-issue of course, but both can serve as good ground for different types of stories.

I think it's good to have both! It's nice to have stories about struggles we can relate to, and it's also nice to sometimes get away from the realities of being in a queerphobic society and just enjoy cuteness.

I think this story is doing a great job so far of showing the wonderful, bright feeling of a crush just starting to bloom, as well as the harsh reminder that those feelings aren't accepted by everyone. I'm hoping that our leading ladies can find some solace and comfort with each other; the reactions of the other farm employees, Sixi aside, at least seem to indicate that they are alright? (the seemed to find Mu Xiaoen's gay panic cute)

I don't get it, what is Onee's fault?

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_scummy_gap_student_with_a_hard_life_calls_upon_a_lady_of_the_night_ch31#3

On this page, their mother implies she'd have pushed Onee into this job if Onee hadn't settled on her own dream. Because our scummy MC doesn't have her own stated dream, mother is now feeling OK pushing it onto her.

It's obviously neither of their faults, just the mother's, but it seems none of them are great about standing up to her.

My standard reality check: "Imagine if the boss were a guy, how would I feel about this development?" In this case, very uncomfortable.

I'm sure there's works like that out there, and there's people who would like that sort of thing.

But you don't have to feel guilty for enjoying this one just because it's between two women. It's not real, and it's clearly written to be more lighthearted and fun than a sober look at employer/employee relationship power dynamics. Enjoying a trope in fiction isn't the same as condoning it in real life. :)

Plus, if it's any consolation, I've read the chapters on MangaDex, and not only is Shiramizu pretty damn into it once she realizes what the boss meant by "going out," but the boss herself is pretty hands-off and reserved when it comes to their "dating."

Yep, has been on Dex for a couple months. The series currently has 20 episodes in raw but has been on hiatus since August due to poor health of the author :c Hope Suzuki-sensei gets better soon

Oh no! I saw the hiatus tag, but I didn't know it was health-related. Hope they get better soon! :<

So yeah, now that she asked, I was also wondering what was up with the "what a shame". I assumed in the chapter that it was a reaction to when she stopped playing with the Lass's hair, but now I'm uncertain.

I think she was saying "what a shame you'll be gone so soon." There's this line, where the manager says that it's a shame she'll be leaving:

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dear_lass_ch03#4

At the time, Mu Xioen brushes it off, but I think in response to their mutual flirting here:

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dear_lass_ch04#4

She suddenly "gets" that it'd be a shame for Shi Xingyuan to leave, though she likely doesn't understand why she feels that way. Hence the sudden retreat, since that sort of feeling is very unusual for her. Mu Xioen doesn't seem to be very good at dealing with new, sudden situations or feelings (see: when Shi Xingyuan shows up suddenly at the farm, and she acts stiffly).

This one is an old favorite of mine. I think what's nice about the main story is that they they are tsundere, but it's clear they do care about each other. And they do get straightforward and affectionate when they need to. The extra chapters turn up the slap-slap-kiss a lot, so I don't like them as much, as fun as they are.

Yeah that face is almost heartbreaking, I love it.

I love these two idiots.

Hinoka's expressions this chapter are those of pure fucking suffering in a way that had I not known better, I'd have been legit heartbroken. In contrast, Tsukushi's utter uselessness is infinitely amusing, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing her completely fall apart in front of her "best friend forever".

I feel like the main difference between a love comedy and a love drama is the dramatic irony of already knowing the characters are in love with each other. A drama would make it more ambiguous for one side or the other, thus making the misunderstandings less harmless and amusing (because we know they'll find happiness eventually) and more heartbreaking and frustrating (because there's just the suffering).

Oh gosh, thank you so much for these! It was really nice to check in on these two again, and see them being cute as ever. Really miss them!

I think an anti-climax after a Big Moment is so 100% on-brand for this manga, it's actually hilarious. Of course we weren't going to get a big response and immediate progress, hehe. Interested to see things progress slowly, as usual~

Neither of them are particularly subtle showing their interest in the other, but I’m curious how long it will take for feelings to take hold, it’s exciting

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see whether things stay subtle for awhile or they actually start dating before the story ends. I feel like Xingyuan planning to leave after a certain time is our "countdown," with the question being whether their relationship advances enough to make her stick around. I could see that being a sticking point; both of them seem to have story beats centered around ephemeralness and time.

"Take what comes to you and don't go after what leaves."

I'm not blaming you, Gellydog.

I know, no worries! I meant, like, in general.

So excited to see this return! I really love these two. Especially since Komada is clearly into her teasing kouhai, she just doesn't realize it.

Sorry, I probably shouldn't have responded again. I was just very frustrated and upset because it seemed like people were going to continue arguing based off a reading of my initial argument that I felt is 100% wrong.

My point was that people should be allowed to define themselves in ways that make sense to them and improve their understanding of themselves and others like them. And that seeing fictional characters that remind them of themselves is a totally natural thing, as is speculating that those characters might share certain circumstances or struggles as them, the reader. Like how a queer reader might "read" a character as a lesbian, even if the text itself never uses that word.

I have no idea how we got from that to what we're talking about now, but it's pretty uncomfortable and upsetting.

last edited at Sep 12, 2022 3:57PM

Um...I don't know if this is the right place to take this, but I'm feeling pretty weirded out by a response to a post I made: https://dynasty-scans.com/forum/topics/20263-lass-discussion?page=4 (it's the one responding with a photo from the Holocaust...)

Disagreeing with me is fine, but this feels very uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it breaks any rules, though. Am I being too sensitive here? (sorry if this is something I should have done privately)

Maybe it's cause I'm old, but the current obsession with labeling everyone to death turns me off. She is who she is. Can't someone just be a little unique without getting categorized?

Putting a name to something can help people understand and deal with stuff. Especially when you've spent your life being dismissed by other people as being weird, wrong or otherwise broken. Being able to say, "Oh, this is actually a thing" is a powerful way to regain some perspective and sense of control.

Add in the natural inclination for people to like seeing characters that are like themselves, and it's no wonder that some folks are happy at seeing what could be representation - and relatively positive representation at that.