The story introduced essentially a witch-anarchist faction, along with mentioning "oni" in Japan causing trouble. Now they are in Japan; there's a witch causing/amplifying chaos. ... is this really that hard to read? Seems like perfectly ordinary setup and payoff.

Also, this is Sadako effectively becoming the monster Hanako was always accused of, so that's also just going full circle as well.

last edited at May 23, 2026 5:58AM

The story introduced essentially a witch-anarchist faction, along with mentioning "oni" in Japan causing trouble. Now they are in Japan; there's a witch causing/amplifying chaos. ... is this really that hard to read? Seems like perfectly ordinary setup and payoff.

Also, this is Sadako effectively becoming the monster Hanako was always accused of, so that's also just going full circle as well.

I figure also that we might learn more about Hanako's powers when she is able to calm Sadako down, that's my theory anyhow. Behold a woman that can tame even a fearsome oni! If I'm correct I feel I'm going to enjoy the couple dynamic.

Yeah, it looks like some people have reading comprehension problems when a story isn't all about lesbians making out or going "but we're both girls".

True, the release pacing isn't great, but the storyline is pretty clear. It's an action manga. Not a romance manga.

We just got introduced the main baddy witch.

I don't think the "I don't know what's happening anymore" comments mean they don't understand the plot, what’s happening now is not hard to understand, same with all previous chapters, most comments (mine included) are not talking about how confusing or complicated the plot it is. Maybe it wasn't with that intention so I apologize in advance if it isn't, but to question a story, how the author is handling the manga or saying that there are aspects that they don't like doesn't mean that people don't understand what's going on with the plot.
(or that people don’t have reading comprehension lol)

last edited at May 23, 2026 9:08AM

Yeah, it looks like some people have reading comprehension problems when a story isn't all about lesbians making out or going "but we're both girls".

True, the release pacing isn't great, but the storyline is pretty clear. It's an action manga. Not a romance manga.

We just got introduced the main baddy witch.

I mean I don’t think it’s too crazy that when you set up two characters in the first volume that have unresolved conflict and an interesting dynamic and then spend most of the second volume on completely different things that people’s expectations are gonna be different. If the plot didn’t try to introduce so many things at once this volume maybe it wouldn’t feel as jarring, but most of the first volume was just setting up the main characters and them getting up to some antics with small drops of lore and like one action scene. Most of this volume was setting up a larger cast of characters and them also getting up to antics and honestly lots of flirting with some lore, it’s only the last couple chapters that really go full action so idr think I’d go into this thinking it’s an action manga yknow, maybe comedy with deeper lore, but action eh

This whole arc was a setup for them to grow and have their relationship evolve into a more healthy one. How they are right now is not healthy for either of them. I am surprised this manga has maturity to express it, many romance works queer or not struggle with this concept. Romance evolving while affected by other aspects of your life is normal. It's unhealthy to think about romance as this thing on a pedestal that should happen completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Maybe the series will let me down yet, but so far this has been very refreshing romance story, true story isn't completely focused on the romance but I think that's what makes the romance better in this case, how your potential romantic interest is interacting with new or old friends is also part of the romance, very often completely absent from romance stories. Also it's not cute to have an obssessive partner, it's something they either have to work on or you should dump their asses.

This whole arc was a setup for them to grow and have their relationship evolve into a more healthy one. How they are right now is not healthy for either of them. I am surprised this manga has maturity to express it, many romance works queer or not struggle with this concept. Romance evolving while affected by other aspects of your life is normal. It's unhealthy to think about romance as this thing on a pedestal that should happen completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Maybe the series will let me down yet, but so far this has been very refreshing romance story, true story isn't completely focused on the romance but I think that's what makes the romance better in this case, how your potential romantic interest is interacting with new or old friends is also part of the romance, very often completely absent from romance stories. Also it's not cute to have an obssessive partner, it's something they either have to work on or you should dump their asses.

Yeah it's been chill. Taking it's time and having fun along the way. It's not a romance series.

I mean I don’t think it’s too crazy that when you set up two characters in the first volume that have unresolved conflict and an interesting dynamic and then spend most of the second volume on completely different things that people’s expectations are gonna be different

Everything in this volume has been about those characters and their issues. They've continued to be developed and have continued to be the center of the narrative, while the broader story has expanded. I'm not sure what this means.

last edited at May 23, 2026 10:09AM

she must be having some ADHD hyperfocus problems...

this is an unusual genre for me, im enjoying so far, but definitely not my fave, and it is okay, it can stay like that.
for example, green yuri cant be my fave because i dont like that kind of pace in a book, so im not buying the books, but did buy the merchandise, it still has its own charms for me
yall demanding that stories shouldnt be about this or that can go create their own.

Yeah, it looks like some people have reading comprehension problems when a story isn't all about lesbians making out or going "but we're both girls".

True, the release pacing isn't great, but the storyline is pretty clear. It's an action manga. Not a romance manga.

We just got introduced the main baddy witch.

"It's action, not romance" is not an excuse for anything. This clearly falls short for either genre.

And I don't think the release pacing is necessarily detrimental. When you get around to it, try reading this all in one go and experience the whiplash first hand. We're barely 200 pages in and already in our third(?) major arc, it seems.

Like, Haru only received her first notice at this point. Freaky russian waterbenders just kidnapped Asuka's friend. Anis and Euphie just learned about the Dragon. Sorawo and Toriko are still hanging around at the station, whilst Menou and Akari barely left theirs (yes, LN adaptions are kinda unfair). Non-yuri? Clare just arrived in the Holy City. Tatsumi just begun his first mission with Night Raid. Heck, I just discovered Triage X is on here which barely finished naming all the boobies at this point...

Sal Jiang is clearly juggling to many plot threads at once, tripping all over them. If every chapter is the suspenseful climax of some greater development conjured out of thin air without buildup, then there is neither suspense. nor opportunity to grow attached to characters (except twin-tail shortie, my beloved).

Neither can I see any greater goal the narrative could develop towards (and frankly, I think Sal Jiang is J.J. Abramsing here). This is giving of bad "Writing by the Seat of Your Pants" vibes despite ever other chapter or so being clearly just filler.

Sal Jiang is clearly juggling to many plot threads at once, tripping all over them

I think she's doing fine, so I don't know that, that's "clear."

The series has it's issues but I'm enjoying it a lot, and I enjoy seeing Sal Jiang tackle something entirely different for her. So I'm still fully engaged and looking forward to new chapters.

Sal Jiang is clearly juggling to many plot threads at once, tripping all over them

I think she's doing fine, so I don't know that, that's "clear."

I mean, yeah, you can always pretend not to understand the point the other party is making if smug ignorance makes you feel superior... Also takes less time than reading and contemplating the entire post, I presume.

But in case you actually want to engage, let's take inventory of Vol. 2 so far::

• Ch. 6: Send with essentially no information to catch "MMM", the protagonists are conveniently approached by nobody but their quarry.
• Ch. 7: Tae-wol hits on Hana, Sadako dances with Marina, jealousy ensues which is resolved instantly by having them somehow stay over. Mone immediately figures them out.
• Ch. 8: More Ship tease with newly introduced characters.
• Ch. 9: Hana wakes up at night and just happens to stumble into Tae-wol, outing her. Oh hey, turns out somehow everything was part of Queen Bee witch's plan all along.
• Ch. 10: They beat each other up for no reason than the previous cliffhanger before spontaneously deciding to talk it through instead.
• Ch. 11: Nevermind, Mone decided violence is the answer after all. Also something something Blood Chalice.
• Ch. 12: MMM's back at Sabbath. Just in time for the reverse-witch hunt.
• Ch. 13: Hana points out that everything so far has been pretty bs. She spends some quality time with Tae-wol and randomly bumps into Yoshi. With the former's oversight, she jilts the latter.
• Ch. 14: Sadako searches for Hanako and just happens to bump into a new mysterious baddie.

Ever since Vol. 2 (perhaps even earlier), Hana and Sadako barely got any agency on their own. Sadako breaking lose because she wants to see Hanako this chapter is actually the best thing so far; before, they just happened to stumble into plot like Miss Marple into murders. Even the rather inelegant "resolution" of the Yoshi plotline depended on convenient coincidence and having Tae-wol more or less tell her what to do.

And it's not that Pinball Protagonism can't be executed well, it's just that it can't move at the breakneck pace of 15-20 pages between compulsive cliffhangers. This is basically a GM railroading a clueless and super passive party through a multi-session adventure over the space of a single afternoon.

I mean, yeah, you can always pretend not to understand the point the other party is making if smug ignorance makes you feel superior..

I don't know what you're saying here. Who is pretending not to understand what? Are you saying I can't disagree unless I simply don't understand that you're right? Also, not sure what's smug about my comment. I disagree with the point you made about the issues being "clear." Don't think she's juggling too much and certainly don't think she's stumbling. I'm not interested in exchanging in a longer back and forth besides that. Your comment just had a definitive quality to it that I wanted to make note of and share an alternative impression of the story. Not sure where all the venom came from otherwise or the idea that I don't understand something. I understand your point and I disagree with it.

The series has it's issues but I'm enjoying it a lot, and I enjoy seeing Sal Jiang tackle something entirely different for her. So I'm still fully engaged and looking forward to new chapters.

Yeah, I'm wondering whether this will be a longer series or not. It feels like it's setting up to something more expansive but I can't get a good feel for it yet.

last edited at May 23, 2026 4:09PM

Everything in this volume has been about those characters and their issues. They've continued to be developed and have continued to be the center of the narrative, while the broader story has expanded. I'm not sure what this means.

It’s partially to comments clarifying its action not romance when people bring up the main characters relationship developing as if character relationships with one another weren’t a big focus of the narrative before. That’s why people are talking about their relationship, platonically romantically, in either context. So I don’t get why some comments are getting uppity about people mentioning it. And it’s still categorized as yuri too, talking about yuri isn’t unfounded for a yuri action comedy etc work. I get this has action, but that’s not really the issue

I partially agree with what you said, they do develop, but instead of having a couple smaller conflicts that could develop alongside one main focus, now it’s like dumping all the plot lines and focusing on them all at once.
You could say the broader narrative is being developed along with them and I could also say it’s trying to juggle so much and introduce so much that it feels like everything gets cut short to move on to the next thing. It’d probably be better reading it all in one sitting, cuz to me with the fast pacing and monthly schedule the plot just doesn’t flow as well reading it as it comes out. If you think everything is developing fine then that’s good, I just don’t think I do, but I said it before, with this new development I’ll be hopeful

last edited at May 23, 2026 6:19PM

I partially agree with what you said, they do develop, but instead of having a couple smaller conflicts that could develop alongside one main focus, now it’s like dumping all the plot lines and focusing on them all at once.

Yeah, I've heard this sentiment here and there. From my perspective, the series has been building the smaller multiple angles you mentioned, with the relationship of MCs being their only (sometimes unwanted) anchor. Smaller conflicts are developing while the central one itself is still taking shape slowly. Most importantly, our MCs are being forcefully introduced to a world that has many unknown rules, and was already in motion before they got there; they are being overwhelmed and pulled in many directions (meeting new people, learning new things, being used).

Meanwhile, there are new mysteries popping up while their relationship is simultaneously strained and forced by the chaos. They don't know enough or have enough power to make strong decisions yet, though they've made more than enough small character moment-to-moment decisions to reveal personality, goals, and intentions. That feels deliberate to me, not messy. I don't get the sense that this setup is not intended, and I like the frantic energy as they've been thrown about. I see it as the opening stages, so things aren't being moved onto the next thing but are still part of the narrative that's building. One of them started to catch some of her footing this chapter (slowing down and making a decision), so as always, we'll see. If the series ends in four chapters, we can come back to this for sure, and I'd agree with you.

last edited at May 23, 2026 7:36PM

Sal Jiang just announced on Twitter chapter 16 will be the last.

https://x.com/JiangSal/status/2058448261418291684

Looks like it didn't find its public in Japan.

last edited at May 24, 2026 3:44AM

Sal Jiang just announced on Twitter chapter 166 will be the last.

https://x.com/JiangSal/status/2058448261418291684

Looks like it didn't find its public in Japan.

I got excited when I first read you say 166, but then felt sad when I saw you meant 16.

Sal Jiang just announced on Twitter chapter 166 will be the last.

https://x.com/JiangSal/status/2058448261418291684

Looks like it didn't find its public in Japan.

I got excited when I first read you say 166, but then felt sad when I saw you meant 16.

Sorry, typo.

Sal Jiang just announced on Twitter chapter 166 will be the last.

https://x.com/JiangSal/status/2058448261418291684

Looks like it didn't find its public in Japan.

I got excited when I first read you say 166, but then felt sad when I saw you meant 16.

Sorry, typo.

No worries, I'm just sad she didn't get to make the series she wanted to make...and all the other Yuri cancellations that keep happening. I'm heartbroken and frustrated once again...

Sal Jiang just announced on Twitter chapter 166 will be the last.

https://x.com/JiangSal/status/2058448261418291684

Looks like it didn't find its public in Japan.

I got excited when I first read you say 166, but then felt sad when I saw you meant 16.

Sorry, typo.

No worries, I'm just sad she didn't get to make the series she wanted to make...and all the other Yuri cancellations that keep happening. I'm heartbroken and frustrated once again...

She said she had a lot of things planned and tons of settings she wanted to get to. Definitely sounds like what I thought and this was planned as a much longer series. Unfortunate but happens sometimes to unconventional yuri series, especially with less romance focus. Japan isn't as interested in those it seems and they often have more sizable overseas audiences.

However this never got released overseas (first volume is just about to come out in US and France), so didn't get the chance to succeed, especially when her series are very popular overseas. I guess those purchase don't matter to them, since they didn't wait to see how those releases do. She even made the announcement in english as well. Weird decisions since you'd assume the publisher would know that beforehand but that's how it goes. Still very traditional.

Reminds me of what happened to my favorite series "The Flower Princess of Sylph." Same situation but went the self publishing route and even got an official English translation on her own so the western fans could continue supporting. That's been going well. I doubt Sal will go the self publishing route though like that one did. From how she's talking it looks like she needed help spreading the word about the series, but it sounds more like she needed it to release to more regions earlier. I wonder how she'll try and wrap this one up in two chapters.

last edited at May 24, 2026 8:08AM

It's the first time in a long time that someone says that a yuri was canceled and was, in fact, canceled (and not just speculation)
I’m going to assume readers really didn’t like it since the magazine has 5 ongoing works, and 3 of them are yuri. Even the only finished work from the magazine is very yuri-like (it’s by a yuri author)
In cases with new magazines, they usually give one series a little more longer run, while the others are short. I assume the magazine it’s going to bet on the k-pop idol one.

last edited at May 24, 2026 8:59AM

Very, very sad to see this one was axed before it could even get the official US release :( I definitely saw a lot more excitement towards this series from my USAmerican yuri friends. Would have loved to see how all these plot threads and characters were eventually expanded on, even if the pacing was unfavorable. I loved what little I saw of the witches' council. Oh well... I just hope Sal Jiang continues to make extraordinary yuri. She was trying something different here, and is a standout of an author. Damn. Bummer!

I am so mad at her publishing house though, I will say it. She has had a lot of success with other series even doing live actions, so why didn't they give her time to see if the English release would hit before calling it quits? Damn it all. Well I hope this is a lesson for her that only becomes part of her arsenal, I think she has the heart to do more supernatural and action stuff, it might not have been with this series, but it could happen in the future. I also wish some mangakas also tried their hand at writing novel versions of their works, it might save some stories? Ah so sad. Its still gonna be one of my favorite works of hers.

last edited at May 24, 2026 1:12PM

I am so mad at her publishing house though, I will say it. She has had a lot of success with other series even doing live actions, so why didn't they give her time to see if the English release would hit before calling it quits?

I feel like it's just universally acknowledged that most of these companies are headed by old farts who are stubborn in their ways. The international audience in recent years has become stronger and stronger, but Japanese companies would rather shoot themselves in both feet multiple times than adapt. Like, being a fan of any live service JP game as an international fan is making the active choice to drag nails on chalkboard. So fucking annoying.

No worries, I'm just sad she didn't get to make the series she wanted to make...and all the other Yuri cancellations that keep happening. I'm heartbroken and frustrated once again...

She said she had a lot of things planned and tons of settings she wanted to get to. Definitely sounds like what I thought and this was planned as a much longer series. Unfortunate but happens sometimes to unconventional yuri series, especially with less romance focus. Japan isn't as interested in those it seems and they often have more sizable overseas audiences.

However this never got released overseas (first volume is just about to come out in US and France), so didn't get the chance to succeed, especially when her series are very popular overseas. I guess those purchase don't matter to them, since they didn't wait to see how those releases do. She even made the announcement in english as well. Weird decisions since you'd assume the publisher would know that beforehand but that's how it goes. Still very traditional.

Reminds me of what happened to my favorite series "The Flower Princess of Sylph." Same situation but went the self publishing route and even got an official English translation on her own so the western fans could continue supporting. That's been going well. I doubt Sal will go the self publishing route though like that one did. From how she's talking it looks like she needed help spreading the word about the series, but it sounds more like she needed it to release to more regions earlier. I wonder how she'll try and wrap this one up in two chapters.

Yeah I got the impression from her posts that she is frustrated and sad, understandably so. Also happy that some enjoyed her work, but it sounds like it couldn't reach the audience she wanted to because of restrictions, and so she couldn't tell the story she wanted to tell.

I could be wrong but I also think some of the issues with pacing and so forth are very possibly because she was told to wrap it up in a single volume after volume 1 didn't hit the numbers it needed to. I genuinely think volume 1 is great, and I believe if she got to make the series she wanted to make it would have been incredible.

I also thought of "The Flower Princess of Sylph", and that's another series I wish got all the love and support in the world. It's frustrating and sad all around.