Blastaar posted:

This is the straightest gay romance I've ever read, damn.

What exactly does this mean?

That Mitsuki being a woman has become basically irrelevant.

Acting like (queer) women can't also be bad at communicating

i'm gonna slap mitsuki to get her to open up oh my godd i love her but tf girl ur wife is begging u to just talk!!

This is the straightest gay romance I've ever read, damn.

This is kinda weird ngl. Without explanation this sounds very bigoted. Not saying you are, but it sounds weird.
Also, maybe Aya said it and since Mitsuki did not start communicating Aya realized tonight would not be the night that they would talk.

You can do it, mangaka!! Follow the cliché line!! :v
:v

This is the straightest gay romance I've ever read, damn.

This is kinda weird ngl. Without explanation this sounds very bigoted. Not saying you are, but it sounds weird.
Also, maybe Aya said it and since Mitsuki did not start communicating Aya realized tonight would not be the night that they would talk.

right? calling a lesbian couple straight cause they think mitsuki acts like a man pisses me off

Even then don't just storm out of the room saying "I've had enough" the other person doesn't have mind reading skills. Just goddamn man, if you want the topic to be talked about then fucking talk about it, and if you're too frustrated then just tell it to the other person "I'm sorry, I don't have the right mindset rn" is that so hard to say?

Man, people just really hate characters being human beings nowadays don't they. If they aren't making 100% rational decisions, if they ever make poor choices (especially those influenced by their characterization), or if they don't act on meta knowledge we as the audience only know due to our omnipotent perspective on the story, you know people are going to whine about how "forced" the drama is or how the characters should just act like infallible robots that always make the optimal choices

It'll be interesting how they talk after this. I'm expecting something from Mitsuki's POV first; I'm sure she'll need to think about the avoidance that's led to this. Also sure that gig at the shop will be involved. Can't wait for that. I need her first time performing again to be singing something magical to Aya there. I imagine the friends will pick up on their uncomfortable atmosphere in some way and will also be of some help but the execution of that is a mystery as always.

I also hope the gig performance is involved! It would be nice to see Mitsuki think about what she actually wants to say/how she feels now that she's seen how Aya reacts to her avoidance, and maybe turn it into a song for Aya that leads to a proper discussion after the performance.

So people are ignoring that she was using sex to get out of talking about the issue every single time . Course aya would be upset .....

You can do it, mangaka!! Follow the cliché line!! :v
:v

What does this even mean? I can honestly say I have read very, very few manga that approach problems in a relationship with one character using sex to avoid talking about something.

last edited at May 17, 2026 10:41AM

You can do it, mangaka!! Follow the cliché line!! :v
:v

What does this even mean? I can honestly say I have read very, very few manga that approach problems in a relationship with one character using sex to avoid talking about something.

It's just the new "logical fallacy." Overused and misused for the same reasons as back then.

BTW, where is your PFP from?

last edited at May 17, 2026 10:51AM

It has become my belief that in the green world of Sumiko, homosexuality or heterosexuality don't really exist as concepts.

It has NEVER been mentioned that Mitsuki or Aya are lesbians, or that two girls being together is something odd or to feel guilty about. Aya has never been upset or conflicted that Mitsuki turned out to be a girl, only that she had lied to her.

Sumiko has carefully avoided dipping into the topic of homosexuality. Their classmates have been surprised when Aya and Mitsuki said they were dating, but weirdly, the taste in music was an heavier topic than homosexuality (!)

There was no real "gay panic", just "crush panic" that happens all the time in manga to characters attracted to each other.

Homosexuality is the elephant in the room for the readers, but it's like it doesn't exist in-universe.

So the relationship between Aya and Mitsuki, as written by Sumiko, isn't queer or straight.

It's a relationship, period. With its ups and downs as we can see in this arc.

You can do it, mangaka!! Follow the cliché line!! :v
:v

What does this even mean? I can honestly say I have read very, very few manga that approach problems in a relationship with one character using sex to avoid talking about something.

It's just the new "logical fallacy." Overused and misused for the same reasons as back then.

BTW, where is your PFP from?

Ahh yes, "philosophy 101", "cliche", "unrealistic", etc. all overused and misunderstood.

PFP is from Tower of God. One of the characters in it is Endorsi (or Androssi depending on translation). It's not yuri, but I use it pretty consistently online. She's kind of a psycho and in that scene had just finished talking about murdering a bunch of people (in a society that explicitly allows that) and I kind of love her for how unapologetic she is about it all. I'm underselling the scene a bit, I think the dialogue and characterization is really good in it. The line she uses in the uncropped image is "I ate them" with that grin. I like her style, and I think she's really cute.

It has become my belief that in the green world of Sumiko, homosexuality or heterosexuality don't really exist as concepts.

It has NEVER been mentioned that Mitsuki or Aya are lesbians, or that two girls being together is something odd or to feel guilty about. Aya has never been upset or conflicted that Mitsuki turned out to be a girl, only that she had lied to her.

Sumiko has carefully avoided dipping into the topic of homosexuality. Their classmates have been surprised when Aya and Mitsuki said they were dating, but weirdly, the taste in music was an heavier topic than homosexuality (!)

There was no real "gay panic", just "crush panic" that happens all the time in manga to characters attracted to each other.

Homosexuality is the elephant in the room for the readers, but it's like it doesn't exist in-universe.

So the relationship between Aya and Mitsuki, as written by Sumiko, isn't queer or straight.

It's a relationship, period. With its ups and downs as we can see in this arc.

I'm not sure I agree with this, but I do get what you're saying. I think it's noteworthy that most people assume heterosexuality still, like with Aya's mom and her friends. And the manga has tons of queer metaphor in the idea of not fitting in with others both in appearance and with music.

It's hard to tell Mitsuki's sexuality, but from their character bios in 9.1 it's a pretty strong implication that Aya is a lesbian.

And I would argue that normalizing being queer is in itself a queer story. And Sumiko herself identifies it as a queer story in interviews such as this one: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2025-06-04/rockin-out-with-sumiko-arai-the-guy-she-was-interested-in-wasnt-a-guy-at-all-manga-creator/.223419

There are also early parts of the manga that I feel are a little ambiguous as to whether Aya is dealing with the fact that she fell for a girl. Like in chapter 27 right after the first time Mitsuki plays a song for her, Aya is like "huh so we're just friends" and immediately gets flustered by Mitsuki which to me reads as "omg I'm so gay for her". And Mitsuki's mini arc of feeling jealous of "onii-chan" feels like a subtle way to approach the "you only liked me when you thought I was a boy" aspect to it.

I mean, I'll just say it's arguable. I'm not saying my perspective is true, just this is how I read the manga.

last edited at May 17, 2026 11:25AM

And I would argue that normalizing being queer is in itself a queer story. And Sumiko herself identifies it as a queer story in interviews such as this one: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2025-06-04/rockin-out-with-sumiko-arai-the-guy-she-was-interested-in-wasnt-a-guy-at-all-manga-creator/.223419

Were you already a fan of yuri stories before you started The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All? What do you think makes yuri manga special?

Sumiko Arai: So I like yuri, but I was always scouring the internet for any type of queer, women-loving-women series or movies, because there really isn't much to watch. I've always been searching for something that I can relate to; I was a fan. I definitely saw a lack [of options] in it, so I wanted to make something to contribute, maybe. But just women-loving-women [media] in general is unique and special as it is, and I think that's what I love about it.

Is there any importance to the specific songs that Aya and Mitsuki listen to together throughout the series? Do they represent a progression in their relationship?

Sumiko Arai: Yeah, I think some of them do. Some of them are just, you know, songs that they're listening to at that time and want to share with other people. But I think a lot of the time, I think about their headspace and what they're feeling at that moment, and try to find a song that fits them. Sometimes, stories come to me through listening to that song, and I think that's what's really special about this comic.

I either forgot about this interview or hasn't seen it. Wherever this idea that the series isn't sufficiently queer enough came from (guess that was coming eventually), I'm at least glad I got the interview out of it. The only one I'd remembered from her before was her early magazine interview in Japanese.

last edited at May 17, 2026 11:44AM

flowsthead posted:

It has become my belief that in the green world of Sumiko, homosexuality or heterosexuality don't really exist as concepts.

It has NEVER been mentioned that Mitsuki or Aya are lesbians, or that two girls being together is something odd or to feel guilty about. Aya has never been upset or conflicted that Mitsuki turned out to be a girl, only that she had lied to her.

Sumiko has carefully avoided dipping into the topic of homosexuality. Their classmates have been surprised when Aya and Mitsuki said they were dating, but weirdly, the taste in music was an heavier topic than homosexuality (!)

There was no real "gay panic", just "crush panic" that happens all the time in manga to characters attracted to each other.

Homosexuality is the elephant in the room for the readers, but it's like it doesn't exist in-universe.

So the relationship between Aya and Mitsuki, as written by Sumiko, isn't queer or straight.

It's a relationship, period. With its ups and downs as we can see in this arc.

I'm not sure I agree with this, but I do get what you're saying. I think it's noteworthy that most people assume heterosexuality still, like with Aya's mom and her friends. And the manga has tons of queer metaphor in the idea of not fitting in with others both in appearance and with music.

It's hard to tell Mitsuki's sexuality, but from their character bios in 9.1 it's a pretty strong implication that Aya is a lesbian.

And I would argue that normalizing being queer is in itself a queer story. And Sumiko herself identifies it as a queer story in interviews such as this one: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2025-06-04/rockin-out-with-sumiko-arai-the-guy-she-was-interested-in-wasnt-a-guy-at-all-manga-creator/.223419

There are also early parts of the manga that I feel are a little ambiguous as to whether Aya is dealing with the fact that she fell for a girl. Like in chapter 27 right after the first time Mitsuki plays a song for her, Aya is like "huh so we're just friends" and immediately gets flustered by Mitsuki which to me reads as "omg I'm so gay for her". And Mitsuki's mini arc of feeling jealous of "onii-chan" feels like a subtle way to approach the "you only liked me when you thought I was a boy" aspect to it.

I mean, I'll just say it's arguable. I'm not saying my perspective is true, just this is how I read the manga.

All the awkward moments can be slated to "teens having a crush". Gender has never been an issue in term of relationship. Just in term of misunderstanding.

True, the metaphors are there, of course. In first place is the music as a "I have different tastes than the other girls/I don't like mainstream music like I'm supposed to". But it stays at the level of metaphors. Homosexuality or homophobia are never really present. Only their ghosts.

As for the implication that Aya is a lesbian, it just mentions that she has never really been interested in boys. But it doesn't mean she has ever been interested in girls either.

Mitsuki is butch coded. Aya is femme coded. But they're not "lesbians" in the "real world" sense. Which is why so many people see them not as a lesbian couple, but as a typical straight couple with a twist.

Imagine Mitsuki comes out as trans. Then the yuri tag flies out the window. It was never yuri.

flowsthead posted:

It has become my belief that in the green world of Sumiko, homosexuality or heterosexuality don't really exist as concepts.

It has NEVER been mentioned that Mitsuki or Aya are lesbians, or that two girls being together is something odd or to feel guilty about. Aya has never been upset or conflicted that Mitsuki turned out to be a girl, only that she had lied to her.

Sumiko has carefully avoided dipping into the topic of homosexuality. Their classmates have been surprised when Aya and Mitsuki said they were dating, but weirdly, the taste in music was an heavier topic than homosexuality (!)

There was no real "gay panic", just "crush panic" that happens all the time in manga to characters attracted to each other.

Homosexuality is the elephant in the room for the readers, but it's like it doesn't exist in-universe.

So the relationship between Aya and Mitsuki, as written by Sumiko, isn't queer or straight.

It's a relationship, period. With its ups and downs as we can see in this arc.

I'm not sure I agree with this, but I do get what you're saying. I think it's noteworthy that most people assume heterosexuality still, like with Aya's mom and her friends. And the manga has tons of queer metaphor in the idea of not fitting in with others both in appearance and with music.

It's hard to tell Mitsuki's sexuality, but from their character bios in 9.1 it's a pretty strong implication that Aya is a lesbian.

And I would argue that normalizing being queer is in itself a queer story. And Sumiko herself identifies it as a queer story in interviews such as this one: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2025-06-04/rockin-out-with-sumiko-arai-the-guy-she-was-interested-in-wasnt-a-guy-at-all-manga-creator/.223419

There are also early parts of the manga that I feel are a little ambiguous as to whether Aya is dealing with the fact that she fell for a girl. Like in chapter 27 right after the first time Mitsuki plays a song for her, Aya is like "huh so we're just friends" and immediately gets flustered by Mitsuki which to me reads as "omg I'm so gay for her". And Mitsuki's mini arc of feeling jealous of "onii-chan" feels like a subtle way to approach the "you only liked me when you thought I was a boy" aspect to it.

I mean, I'll just say it's arguable. I'm not saying my perspective is true, just this is how I read the manga.

All the awkward moments can be slated to "teens having a crush". Gender has never been an issue in term of relationship. Just in term of misunderstanding.

True, the metaphors are there, of course. In first place is the music as a "I have different tastes than the other girls/I don't like mainstream music like I'm supposed to". But it stays at the level of metaphors. Homosexuality or homophobia are never really present. Only their ghosts.

As for the implication that Aya is a lesbian, it just mentions that she has never really been interested in boys. But it doesn't mean she has ever been interested in girls either.

Mitsuki is butch coded. Aya is femme coded. But they're not "lesbians" in the "real world" sense. Which is why so many people see them not as a lesbian couple, but as a typical straight couple with a twist.

Imagine Mitsuki comes out as trans. Then the yuri tag flies out the window. It was never yuri.

So your argument is, imagine if this was a different story then it's not yuri?

And who are these so many people that believe they're not lesbians, or for that matter why would that matter. "So many people" can still be wrong.

It's a sapphic story with two women who are in a relationship, by definition that is queer. It is also by definition homosexual. This part of the argument is a crazy take to me. You're saying a story can't be queer if there's no homophobia in it? If they don't explicitly use the term "lesbian" it can't be queer?

And yeah it mentions Aya has never been interested in boys, which in a heterosexual society that implies being a lesbian. The only time she was interested in someone masc-coded was with a woman. And hey, in this manga she is interested in a girl, the bio doesn't have to mention it because it's the literal story we are reading.

It's time to talk.

It has become my belief that in the green world of Sumiko, homosexuality or heterosexuality don't really exist as concepts.

It has NEVER been mentioned that Mitsuki or Aya are lesbians, or that two girls being together is something odd or to feel guilty about. Aya has never been upset or conflicted that Mitsuki turned out to be a girl, only that she had lied to her.

Sumiko has carefully avoided dipping into the topic of homosexuality. Their classmates have been surprised when Aya and Mitsuki said they were dating, but weirdly, the taste in music was an heavier topic than homosexuality (!)

There was no real "gay panic", just "crush panic" that happens all the time in manga to characters attracted to each other.

Homosexuality is the elephant in the room for the readers, but it's like it doesn't exist in-universe.

So the relationship between Aya and Mitsuki, as written by Sumiko, isn't queer or straight.

It's a relationship, period. With its ups and downs as we can see in this arc.

+

Mitsuki is butch coded. Aya is femme coded. But they're not "lesbians" in the "real world" sense. Which is why so many people see them not as a lesbian couple, but as a typical straight couple with a twist.

I think I can understand your frustration a little bit. Correct me if I'm wrong but I wanted to summarize: their homosexuality is "floaty", where every other element in the story has a sense of realism and friction - the drama, characters' ideals, how Sumiko depicts the indie music scene, etc, it's only their sexuality and the nature of their relationship that doesn't carry that "reality".

I think this is what makes the series have such widespread appeal. Because lesbian and butch are not said explicitly in the story except for a specific illustration where the words are there (correct me if I'm wrong on this - I don't feel like going through all 100 chapters), it's easy for people to project onto Mitsuki or Aya. (Or they even erase Mitsuki's masculinity.)

Honestly, it's a frustration I feel too. I do believe Sumiko's intention with this story through and through was to depict a wholesome butch/femme lesbian relationship without the difficulties of homophobia, I think it's a tad cynical to speculate otherwise. I think if every queer creative had to factor in bigotry to their work to make it realistic or serious that would be an unfair expectation and limitation.

But I also think an arc that explicitly depicts the realities of a butchfemme relationship in Japan would do wonders for this work especially because of the audience it has created. Maybe if we never went into an adult arc, it would be a critique I hand waved away because Green Yuri was just a wholesome schoolgirl romance, but it's clear Sumiko is fine with delving into more mature topics with these two. So I think it's a fair critique.

NGL, very inflammatory way to word what you said but I absolutely understand considering my own feelings.

last edited at May 17, 2026 12:54PM

flowsthead posted:

And yeah it mentions Aya has never been interested in boys, which in a heterosexual society that implies being a lesbian.

Do ace girls have the right to exist in your book?

okay so do i just implode now

All the awkward moments can be slated to "teens having a crush". Gender has never been an issue in term of relationship. Just in term of misunderstanding.

True, the metaphors are there, of course. In first place is the music as a "I have different tastes than the other girls/I don't like mainstream music like I'm supposed to". But it stays at the level of metaphors. Homosexuality or homophobia are never really present. Only their ghosts.

As for the implication that Aya is a lesbian, it just mentions that she has never really been interested in boys. But it doesn't mean she has ever been interested in girls either.

Mitsuki is butch coded. Aya is femme coded. But they're not "lesbians" in the "real world" sense. Which is why so many people see them not as a lesbian couple, but as a typical straight couple with a twist.

Imagine Mitsuki comes out as trans. Then the yuri tag flies out the window. It was never yuri.

Bait used to be believable

flowsthead posted:

And yeah it mentions Aya has never been interested in boys, which in a heterosexual society that implies being a lesbian.

Do ace girls have the right to exist in your book?

I feel like you're being argumentative on purpose. In a story with romance between two girls that is both emotional and physical, not being interested in boys implies lesbian. Nowhere did anything I say have anything to do with ace people.

It has become my belief that in the green world of Sumiko, homosexuality or heterosexuality don't really exist as concepts.

It has NEVER been mentioned that Mitsuki or Aya are lesbians, or that two girls being together is something odd or to feel guilty about. Aya has never been upset or conflicted that Mitsuki turned out to be a girl, only that she had lied to her.

Sumiko has carefully avoided dipping into the topic of homosexuality. Their classmates have been surprised when Aya and Mitsuki said they were dating, but weirdly, the taste in music was an heavier topic than homosexuality (!)

There was no real "gay panic", just "crush panic" that happens all the time in manga to characters attracted to each other.

Homosexuality is the elephant in the room for the readers, but it's like it doesn't exist in-universe.

So the relationship between Aya and Mitsuki, as written by Sumiko, isn't queer or straight.

It's a relationship, period. With its ups and downs as we can see in this arc.

+

Mitsuki is butch coded. Aya is femme coded. But they're not "lesbians" in the "real world" sense. Which is why so many people see them not as a lesbian couple, but as a typical straight couple with a twist.

I think I can understand your frustration a little bit. Correct me if I'm wrong but I wanted to summarize: their homosexuality is "floaty", where every other element in the story has a sense of realism and friction - the drama, characters' ideals, how Sumiko depicts the indie music scene, etc, it's only their sexuality and the nature of their relationship that doesn't carry that "reality".

I think this is what makes the series have such widespread appeal. Because lesbian and butch are not said explicitly in the story except for a specific illustration where the words are there (correct me if I'm wrong on this - I don't feel like going through all 100 chapters), it's easy for people to project onto Mitsuki or Aya. (Or they even erase Mitsuki's masculinity.)

Honestly, it's a frustration I feel too. I do believe Sumiko's intention with this story through and through was to depict a wholesome butch/femme lesbian relationship without the difficulties of homophobia, I think it's a tad cynical to speculate otherwise. I think if every queer creative had to factor in bigotry to their work to make it realistic or serious that would be an unfair expectation and limitation.

But I also think an arc that explicitly depicts the realities of a butchfemme relationship in Japan would do wonders for this work especially because of the audience it has created. Maybe if we never went into an adult arc, it would be a critique I hand waved away because Green Yuri was just a wholesome schoolgirl romance, but it's clear Sumiko is fine with delving into more mature topics with these two. So I think it's a fair critique.

NGL, very inflammatory way to word what you said but I absolutely understand considering my own feelings.

I kinda think this is going into "the work I wished it was" rather than a critique of "the work as it is". Which is fine, it's totally valid to look at a story and say "this disappointed me because it didn't delve deeply enough into the femme/masc dynamic in modern day Japan" (I think butch is a more specific term and doesn't necessarily apply to Mitsuki, but it absolutely can I just know that's controversial). That's a different conversation than "this is basically a straight couple except they're both girls".

flowsthead posted:

flowsthead posted:

And yeah it mentions Aya has never been interested in boys, which in a heterosexual society that implies being a lesbian.

Do ace girls have the right to exist in your book?

I feel like you're being argumentative on purpose. In a story with romance between two girls that is both emotional and physical, not being interested in boys implies lesbian. Nowhere did anything I say have anything to do with ace people.

The society in the manga is irrelevant: we have no idea what is their stance on homosexuality because the author deliberately avoided broaching the topic.

Also, it's interesting to say that Aya was "always a lesbian", when she thought at the start of the manga that Mitsuki was an older boy and was interested in HIM as a boy. That Mitsuki turned out to be a girl didn't play a role in her attraction. Just "ONII-SAN's cool and HE likes the music I like". She never doubted it was a guy before knowing the truth.

Reminder: Mitsuki was wearing a mask, obscuring her facial features, so it's a stretch to say that Aya has somehow subconsciously guessed that it was a girl with her innate lesbian 6th sense.

In the end, people in the green world may have preferences, but in-universe it's a non-issue, because the author avoided making it one. It's just vaguely alluded through metaphors that apply to OUR world.

Don't misunderstand: I don't think they're a hetero couple They're a same-sex couple, no doubt about it. It's just that the manga deliberately avoids confronting directly any sensitive topic, which is both very Japanese and very frustrating.

last edited at May 17, 2026 1:24PM

I kinda think this is going into "the work I wished it was" rather than a critique of "the work as it is". Which is fine, it's totally valid to look at a story and say "this disappointed me because it didn't delve deeply enough into the femme/masc dynamic in modern day Japan" (I think butch is a more specific term and doesn't necessarily apply to Mitsuki, but it absolutely can I just know that's controversial). That's a different conversation than "this is basically a straight couple except they're both girls".

First of all:

I think butch is a more specific term and doesn't necessarily apply to Mitsuki

This is not up for debate.

https://xcancel.com/agu_knzm/status/1956914456694227047 (ETA: changed the link so you don't need X to view it)

In case you can't view the image, it's official art from Sumiko's twitter that labels Mitsuki as Butch and Aya as Femme. Now that we can put that aside.

going into "the work I wished it was" rather than a critique of "the work as it is"

You'll have to specify what you mean by this, because to me when I see people say this about a critique it usually means the critique-er is expecting the work to completely change its tune or genre to fit their appeal. I only brought up my critique because I don't think it would be out of the ordinary at all for Sumiko Arai to do write it into the story especially when she clearly labels them as butchfemme - again, it is clear she's fine delving into mature topics (such as using sex to avoid communicating) while still fitting the vibe of the story she has created. But if you don't think this would be realistic within the bounds of the work, I'd be interested to hear why.

That's a different conversation than "this is basically a straight couple except they're both girls".

I don't agree 100% with the OP's (Nya-chan's) wording, but this is just not what was said at all.

last edited at May 17, 2026 1:33PM