Can we have a single chapter of this without people starting absurd arguments?

The only important thing I got from this whole unnecessary argument is that We need more sex to avoid communication !

last edited at May 17, 2026 1:38PM

^ truthnuke

Can we have a single chapter of this without people starting absurd arguments?

Not possible, it seems.

The only important thing I got from this whole unnecessary argument is that We need more sex to avoid communication!

Very true.

last edited at May 17, 2026 1:43PM

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.

I'm not talking about using sex as an evasion tactic. I’m talking about how most manga follow this exact same trope: A stays quiet and bottles everything up, B stays quiet to avoid drama, A keeps avoiding the conversation, and B inevitably gets pissed off. It's exactly what happened in this chapter, and everyone could see it coming from a mile away. That's why I threw in that stupid sarcastic 'follow the cliché line' comment.

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.

Hey, happy to be corrected. I hadn't seen that image, I'm not on twitter and just read the manga..

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.

It's not about realism or not, I generally don't think this manga is interested in social issues as much as it is interested in the relationship between Aya and Mitsuki. In so far as those two are dealing with something, whether that be as individuals or together, then the manga is interested in it. So Aya's anxiety and Mitsuki's bullying were both issues the manga explored, but the greater societal view of their relationship/anxiety/bullying isn't particularly relevant.

That said if they did face homophobia, the two of them specifically, I think it would be in line with the manga, so I'm also not saying that it's not within the bounds of the work. I've just never had that expectation while reading this. And especially after it didn't show up in the high school years, I'm not sure why it would be more likely to show up in the college years..

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.

If you go back to page 320 it's initially stated by someone else but Nya-chan backs that viewpoint up.

It's not about realism or not, I generally don't think this manga is interested in social issues as much as it is interested in the relationship between Aya and Mitsuki. In so far as those two are dealing with something, whether that be as individuals or together, then the manga is interested in it. So Aya's anxiety and Mitsuki's bullying were both issues the manga explored, but the greater societal view of their relationship/anxiety/bullying isn't particularly relevant.

That's a fair way to put it, I didn't mean to imply I wanted to see it in the greater context of society as a whole, but rather in how Aya and Mitsuki deal with it. Not everyone understands how butch/femmephobia manifests and how it affects people, so I think it would be really interesting for the mangaka to tackle in the context of their relationship and personal lives. But I'm scratching at the door for more butch and femme supporting characters too, my secret and evil agenda, ehehe

And especially after it didn't show up in the high school years, I'm not sure why it would be more likely to show up in the college years..

I mean, it's not so out of the ordinary. You meet all sorts of people when you enter college, or the workforce in Mitsuki's case.

I'm still stuck back at the starting point that it's somehow notable that a yuri story doesn't go into "homosexuality in Japanese society."

(Beyond "But we're both girls!")

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.

I'm not talking about using sex as an evasion tactic. I’m talking about how most manga follow this exact same trope: A stays quiet and bottles everything up, B stays quiet to avoid drama, A keeps avoiding the conversation, and B inevitably gets pissed off. It's exactly what happened in this chapter, and everyone could see it coming from a mile away. That's why I threw in that stupid sarcastic 'follow the cliché line' comment.

I didn’t read your comment but now that I saw where the sex to avoid communication come from, you are right, and I don’t know why she thought you mean sex

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.

I'm not talking about using sex as an evasion tactic. I’m talking about how most manga follow this exact same trope: A stays quiet and bottles everything up, B stays quiet to avoid drama, A keeps avoiding the conversation, and B inevitably gets pissed off. It's exactly what happened in this chapter, and everyone could see it coming from a mile away. That's why I threw in that stupid sarcastic 'follow the cliché line' comment.

I didn’t read your comment but now that I saw where the sex to avoid communication come from, you are right, and I don’t know why she thought you mean sex

I didn't think they meant sex, I was saying this feels not cliche to me because of the sex. As in I get how miscommunication in stories can be a cliche, but cliche things to me are also about context and surroundings and like details. So the details are different enough for me to not view it as cliche.

Sorry for the confusion.

My takeaway for this chapter:
Mitsuki is aimless and has been since the beginning. Sure she took steps towards reaching for her dream of playing music by working for a bar with a stage and band hopping, but nothing feels right. There’s no sign of joy she once felt when she was in high school. The fear of showing this side of her is stronger than being vulnerable to Aya because it’s the one thing that connects each other. She knows Aya can see right through her like the last concert she preformed at. If she comes to terms that she “lost” her passion for music/preforming, which she is just in a rut atm, she believes could lose that connection with Aya and even lose Aya herself.

Bringing up past chapters to help illustrate how both characters think and how it frames the recent chapters since I believe previous arcs go half resolved.
Chapter 6: “… even if we did talk… won’t she be disappointed to find out how boring I really am?” Chapter 9: “You tend to forget… what was all the rage for a bit.” She’s afraid of being boring, people leaving her, and being forgotten. All she has is music whom she most likely inherited from Joe. Chapter 20, she stops listening to music because it’s draining and “Music is all I have… so if I lose it.. it’s really scary.”
I think this is where sex to avoid talking about her problem comes in. In the same chapter, Joe says, “If your relationship can’t stay the same as before.. then you just need to change strategy.” Obviously he meant to help Mitsuki work through her problems by trying a different approach, but some advices could be used for quick fixes instead, hence, making out with Aya to avoid talking about it twice.
There is so much more about Mitsuki’s insecurities, but I don’t want to make my post too long.

Anyway, on Aya’s side, her problem with Mitsuki is that Mitsuki can freely tell her problems to other people and not to herself directly. Chapter 21: “Why can you tell it to that guy… and not to me?” She felt deceived when Mitsuki didn’t tell her upfront, but would’ve accepted her even if she initially lied. What she really was upset about is Mitsuki not having deeper/interpersonal conversations. In terms of the recent chapter, she’s fed up with Mitsuki constantly avoiding negative conversations. Chapter 22: “Koga-san, you’re running away, you coward!”
There’s more to Aya, but again, too long post.

I hope these chapters will finally help Mitsuki’s avoidance issues. She retreated to music when things got too hard as a child and now even that’s painful. So far, Mitsuki making up with Aya in early chapters fixed temporary problems, but not underlying issues. Imo, the whole manga is about a romantic relationship, but more about finding yourself and how that journey affects your loved ones.

Imo, the whole manga is about a romantic relationship, but more about finding yourself and how that journey affects your loved ones.

To clarify, I think liking music is an allegory for self expression of being queer, which I believe is also the general consensus. Reframing the post-timeskip in this light, Mitsuki and Aya found a queer space to express themselves, in the past, Aya was more open about being queer since she found kinship with Mitsuki. Now, they made a bar as a safe place for people like themselves. Things aren’t always that great as Mitsuki tries to find additional groups (bands) to be a part of, but she doesn’t fit in to those specific communities. With the last group, they’re superficial when Mitsuki craves depth of appreciation for what she loves and her identity. Drained and lost, she’s afraid of losing the one person that makes her feel seen when the world can’t match their wavelength. She can’t fool Aya, who sees that Mitsuki lost her true self.

last edited at May 17, 2026 5:44PM

man ts is so boring now lololol

Aya this chapter: "we need to talk about what's going on with you. But not right now, because we've both been up all night." Makes sense to me.

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.

There are yuri manga that explicitly bring up homosexuality, other labels, and issues of homophobia, but they're the minority. More common than not to just slide past any friction there, other than "but we're girls!", as someone said.

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 just read a bunch of "typical straight couples with a twist" in this month's yurihime release. They should probably change the name of the publication.

There are yuri manga that explicitly bring up homosexuality, other labels, and issues of homophobia, but they're the minority. More common than not to just slide past any friction there, other than "but we're girls!", as someone said.

Yeah, some authors have discussed this directly. They often choose to be more escapist for various reasons (not uncommon for a lot of manga, really). Some series and reasons for avoiding labels are suspect, though. This series, I think, is just hyper-focused on its characters and their connections to music. She's described that as her interest and what she wanted to focus on. Other series can do differently. There's some good variety out there.

I do think many more modern yuri series do bring up issues with homophobia at some point during their runs, in one form or another. It's just not a feature of the entire series, normally an incident or arc. It doesn't feel like this series wants to spend its 4 pages on things like that. Its focus is very tight.

Reminds me of the tension between Black writers' desire to write from personal interest, something like genre fiction (for example), and the expectations put on our stories to always be more than that, to use language the "way we should," or advocate "as we should," or else we're like a missed opportunity or something. I feel like it's fine if she doesn't want to use certain terms or depict things that don't interest her creatively.

last edited at May 18, 2026 8:08AM

I just read a bunch of "typical straight couples with a twist" in this month's yurihime release. They should probably change the name of the publication.

I am assuming you mean this month’s YH had masc women. Can you give me the name of the series please? edit: I hope this doesn’t sound sarcastic I am being serious!

I am not the type that want representation, visibility or relate in stories, and tend to find that type of thing boring. But I think when people mean being more open or straight forward it’s not that they expect yuri authors to advocate or put the job of representation in their shoulders but instead of “but we’re both girls” the story can start with “i want a gf”

last edited at May 17, 2026 11:53PM

I'ma be so sad if the next chapter isn't one of them trying to talk again

Mainly Aya. She's clearly the only one of the two who has communication skills. She can explain why she's upset, how Mitsuki keeping things from her makes her feel before asking Mitsuki to open up to her.

Either open up about the guitar or why she refuses to talk to her

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 just read a bunch of "typical straight couples with a twist" in this month's yurihime release. They should probably change the name of the publication.

Apparently there are "correct" ways to be queer now, got it. I'll double check with my local queerness office to see if my boyfriend and I's relationship qualifies or if we lose our Q cards

Past post on range of explicit 'gay' ness in yuri: https://dynasty-scans.com/forum/posts/981876

I think it’s good when stories with same sex couples go into more of the sexuality elements, difficulties, and acknowledgement. However I don’t think it’s required either, this series isn’t less queer than a series that focuses on that side of things, they’re a lesbian couple. The whole idea of this couple being “a straight couple with a twist” is super homophobic in a reductive and weird way.

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 just read a bunch of "typical straight couples with a twist" in this month's yurihime release. They should probably change the name of the publication.

Apparently there are "correct" ways to be queer now, got it. I'll double check with my local queerness office to see if my boyfriend and I's relationship qualifies or if we lose our Q cards

I was being sarcastic. The rest of my comment, I thought would make that clear. Unless I'm misunderstanding your comment and you're actually just adding to mine. Otherwise, your comment is funny and I agree with it.

Reminds me of the tension between Black writers' desire to write from personal interest, something like genre fiction (for example), and the expectations put on our stories to always be more than that, to use language the "way we should," or advocate "as we should," or else we're like a missed opportunity or something. I feel like it's fine if she doesn't want to use certain terms or depict things that don't interest her creatively.

I am not the type that want representation, visibility or relate in stories, and tend to find that type of thing boring. But I think when people mean being more open or straight forward it’s not that they expect yuri authors to advocate or put the job of representation in their shoulders but instead of “but we’re both girls” the story can start with “i want a gf”

This is more of the same, though you're presenting it as if it's not. But either way, she'll write what she wants. It's not lesser than anything else. It's just different. She has no burden to do what she's not interested in and her story is not any less queer because of it. Some of the critiques this specific series gets are becoming a little tiresome and exaggerated in my opinion. I'd only hope she's not getting these kinds of accusations made directly to her. Would be exhausting and surprising, I imagine (and relatable to me at least).

last edited at May 18, 2026 8:24AM

At no moment has any character explicitly raised any questions about liking someone of the same gender. Only about being different. Mitsuki not wanting to wear skirts in elementary and conform, Aya liking western music. Which are metaphors of gayness, but it's kept implied, not stated.

It can be something some people wish for ("who/what you love doesn't matter and society shouldn't notice or care") or something some people feel incensed about ("it's burying the gay/the difference").

In the end, whether Sumiko is burying the gay or normalizing it is up to the readers.

Also, Mitsuki presents as clearly masc, which explains the remarks about them being a "straight couple". not my take

guh oh, blue yuri incoming maybe if mitsuki dont lock the fuck back into her senses

This is more of the same, though you're presenting it as if it's not.

I'm only going to quote this because the rest of the comment is a response to an idea I didn't even present as an issue in my comment.
I don't think it's the same thing to have a story where the first arc is a woman trying to accept that she likes another woman vs a woman who since the beginning wants a girlfriend, finds women's bodies hot and fap to it, etc.

I never said that one is less than the other or that authors should bear this burden, my comment does not even have the word queer.
It's simply true that starting a story like that is different, in the same way that starting a story with an already established couple vs the journey of how a couple becomes one is different.
My comment was more along the lines of “this is lime and this is lemon,” when I say that those types of stories are different, not that one is more valuable than the other. I thought the first sentence of the second paragraph of my comment clarified it, so I'm doing it again so there are no misunderstandings.
And last response about this from me since I couldn’t care less about the discourse and just wanted to do a “I think this is what people mean” type of note

last edited at May 18, 2026 1:33PM

I sure do love those ambiguously queer stories Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Bloom Into You! I mean, I can never tell if they're queer because they never use the word lesbian. The original Mean Girls must be queer though cause they use the word lesbian on a girl that is straight, but well at least the language is right.