I feel validated that there are still so many fellow Akirabros here, after the last couple pages of discussion had been dominated by SatsuKoma shippers. :-)

And yeah, the ending definitely feels rushed, like the series got axed on short notice. I really hope Satsuki gets to call out her old man in the bonus chapters, because that's a major dangling thread here.

last edited at Apr 19, 2024 5:44AM

Welp, the manga has just ended at chapter 83. Kind of abrupt, to be honest, I hoped for more denouement with Satsuki and Komachi, but I guess that's what the extra chapters in May-June are for? I dunno, the ending was kind of anticlimactic, after all the action and the drama of the first half.

last edited at Apr 17, 2024 3:40PM

I still don't get why people thought Azul was a serious contender. Utena rejected both the idea of getting close with the magical girls and even more so she rejected Azul submitting to her. Meanwhile Kiwis very introduction was setting up their compatibility and they grew close already by the end of the first arc. Azul was clearly just meant to be the rival imo

It's mostly because of this exchange (in the context of the whole chapter) for me. As I said, it was a brief moment in the manga run where Azul and Baiser have temporarily established a sense of parity, and which has long since been eclipsed by subsequent events.

Also, don't underestimate some folks' love for the rivals-to-romance arcs. :P

last edited at Apr 15, 2024 4:54AM

I always feel terrible when fictional characters say "I tried my best, but..." earnestly. It's just too relatable.

Norwegian krone ToT

Thanks for pointing that out, I've missed the small print and the subsequent big laugh. XD

The turnaround on Aya going from negative self-talk to fangirling over Mitsuki was blissfully fast. "I am holding everyone back"? Gosh, I dunno, maybe you are the only one who's there for the first time, and everyone is giddy about initiating a new member into their group? But that's not what your depressive brain is telling you, I bet.

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

Personally I think the manga has been entirely unambiguous with this. Sayo and Utena just have compatible kinks. There's not much in the way of actual romance between them. Utena and Kiwi, on the other hand, have had several chapters specifically about their feelings. The relationship dynamics in the manga seem extremely obvious to me. Hell, Kiwi has even started playing with Azur/Sayo in her own way to bond with Utena.

You're 100% right, there's no debate there. I think they must have meant shipping wars by fans? As you say, the canon material is extremely clear.

"Shipping" typically only refers to fan activity, as do "shipping wars", so yeah, that's what I meant. :-) Back around chapter 24, Kiwi had not made her move yet, Azul had just unlocked her La Verita, and the chemistry between her and Utena was great, so she had looked like a serious contender. But that was seven volumes ago, and the author seems to have made up their mind on Baiser x Leopolt endgame since then.

last edited at Apr 12, 2024 7:02AM

So like did they just not talk about it and just kinda chilled out and immediately go to bed? Lol

They didn't immediately go to bed. She took care of her, calmed her down and is giving her space. It's not always best to jump right into those discussions, especially after your loved one is breaking down crying and clearly in distress. She's more focused on comforting her for now.

This. While emotional decompression before bed can improve sleep quality, there is also a high potential to spiral if you talk about heavy stuff while you are tired. If you can fall asleep, it's much more productive to do damage control once you're well-rested, and Asako's actions were on point.

"Do you behold, King Baiser, the continuation of your dream?"

...

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

Hmm, this king seems like a smart dude. If a single high school girl managed to outsmart your entire secret service, then that's exactly where she belongs, before she gets any more seditious thoughts, like starting a revolution, or something.

Sad to see Misha written out, but she gets to be with Yu this way, so I am happy about that, at least. TBH I have never really cared about any of the royal kid trio, but their sibling interactions are adorable.

Unprotected hand holding? Lady Claire, what are you THINKING, allowing Lilly THAT?

My thoughts exactly. My only guess is that Claire is much too innocent for her own good, and has no idea what she is permitting there.

last edited at Apr 9, 2024 10:57AM

I am strangely happy about how casual Tang Chao and Li Zhixu's relationship is at this point. Maybe it's just an ABO thing, but it's refreshing to see two single adults who spend a lot of time with and don't dislike each other just consensually bonk -- without front-loading the act with every last shred of emotional baggage, insecurity, and unrealistic expectations first.

last edited at Apr 7, 2024 8:12AM

Interesting development. The fact is, the Dowager needs the Emperor to remain in power, since it's the latter who officially sits on the throne (not to mention having the backing of at least one general), whereas the Dowager is only a successful concubine of a dead emperor. She can ride the high horse and act intimidating, but other than the flimsy gender-reveal blackmail, childhood trauma triggers, and the filial piety angle, she does not have a lot of levers over the Emperor (at least that we know of).

an aspiring emperor is supposed to be physically perfect, according to Chinese tradition

You might be thinking of the Byzantines.

Yea, I seem to have mixed them up somehow. Nevertheless, I still don't think that the empress slammed a kitten into her daughter's face.

last edited at Apr 5, 2024 9:46AM

satsuki isn't immune to komachi's power, or at least it wouldn't make sense for her to be. this doesn't really work as a solution bc satsuki can't really save herself unless it's an accident or something like that. if she gets cancer or some other disease, it's joever.

I really don't think Komachi actually causes people to die. There's nothing about her story that strains a plausible non supernatural string of unfortunate experiences. It's easy to imagine her ability is predictive, not a cause, just like Satsuki and Prez. This relatively peaceful ending further implies that I think.

Yeah, I've got the same impression. The problem with Komachi's precognition is that she doesn't see how or when people are going to die, only that they will, at some point. Her precognition isn't actionable, unlike Satsuki and the late Prez's, which is part of what caused her to feel so hopeless. Also, her powers awakened much earlier in life than Satsuki's, so she has been conditioned by her experiences as a child (i.e. a helpless individual) to be passive about and to go along with them, unlike Satsuki, who was an outgoing teenager before that and was subsequently brutally conditioned by the asshole father of hers to ignore her own safety to save others.

last edited at Apr 5, 2024 6:14AM

Man, this chapter packed an emotional punch. Not quite Enies Lobby levels, but still a wallop. "Don't you know I can't lie?" is such a perfect line.

rip akira :(

I am shocked by how much the Satsuki/Komako ship has grown on me. Like, I thought for sure that Komako was just going to be a bait love interest, but the past couple of chapters have shown that they actually compliment each other really well. Satsuki rizzing the hell out of Komako doesn't help things either.

TBH despite all the hand-holding in this chapter, I still don't see Satsuki/Komachi as a ship. The two of them are now bonded extremely tight, maybe even stronger than Satsuki and Akira (thanks to supernatural shenanigans), but I don't really see a romantic spark there yet. It's the difference between, respectively, a found family and an old married couple, as far as I can tell.

last edited at Apr 4, 2024 4:52AM

She's like a little pitbull Song Li can carry around for protection.

once you've dealt with internet comments, assholes like him are nothing for her!

Couples with complementary life skills are my cryptonite.

Very cathartic chapter. "Power couple" is the only way to describe them. :-)

Also, I no longer think that the Witch is future!Elsa. She has shown her face to Evie and she didn't recognize her, so it must be someone else. My bet is on Olivia, based solely on the shape of her hair (even if the color doesn't match).

We were shown her face too :P
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/please_bully_me_miss_villainess_ch61#6

Yea, she sure looks like Elsa, but it throws me off that Evie wouldn't recognize the love of her life from up close.

Very cathartic chapter. "Power couple" is the only way to describe them. :-)

Also, I no longer think that the Witch is future!Elsa. She has shown her face to Evie and she didn't recognize her, so it must be someone else. My bet is on Olivia, based solely on the shape of her hair (even if the color doesn't match).

The series does so much right, it's amazing.

Yeah, "pussy" would be an awful safe word.

Ah, that's what it was about. :D On the down side, we've never learned what Asumi's safeword is...

Hopefully this is where she meets Mai so we can have some real drama.

Who was this Mai, again?..

I can't believe we deserved such quality shitposting.

We did not. The fact that we still got it made my day. :-)

Every H artist ever lmao

I mean, we've all been there.

...right?

where?

I also want to know. For a friend who does science. >__>

A palate cleanser after Throw Away the Suit Together. >__>

I haven’t read it yet, but what do you mean by “palate cleanser?”

Throw... is another manga by keyyan, whose ending was quite depressing, at least to me. This is the first new keyyan manga I have read after that one, and since it is so wholesome and sweet, it has somewhat restored my good spirits. :-)

last edited at Mar 30, 2024 4:29AM

A palate cleanser after Throw Away the Suit Together. >__>

last edited at Mar 29, 2024 7:23PM

I swear if by "a little more time" she means more than a chapter, imma flip some tables.

Like so many inexperienced people, Liao seems to think that dating is an all-or-nothing proposition: you are either friends, or you spend every second with each other having kinky BDSM sex in furry costumes 24/7. It does not occur to her that a romantic relationships between adults involve highly non-linear negotiations of boundaries, just like every other relationship with adults she has navigated thus far in her life...

I think she's more worried that a relationship breakup could be scarring enough to make returning as friends impossible. That's a reasonable and pretty common worry. It's just a bit overused in these types of stories but I guess for good reason.

Yeah, breakups can be real bad, but my point is that if you two are adults with functioning frontal lobes, ease into the relationship little by little to see how much you're comfortable with, and understand that if one doesn't feel comfortable, you pull back a step and stay at that level of intimacy. Again, Liao's problem is that she sees dating and breaking up as 0s and 1s, whereas it's really a continuum. In fact, I think that Pei Yu actually understands that, so it's really all on Liao's insecurities in this case.

I swear if by "a little more time" she means more than a chapter, imma flip some tables.

Like so many inexperienced people, Liao seems to think that dating is an all-or-nothing proposition: you are either friends, or you spend every second with each other having kinky BDSM sex in furry costumes 24/7. It does not occur to her that a romantic relationships between adults involve highly non-linear negotiations of boundaries, just like every other relationship with adults she has navigated thus far in her life...

Horniness grants you superpowers to defy laws of physics, like that of universal gravitation. Noted.