Speaking for myself but if I was Fleur, I'd rather I never knew the truth.

Well, I hate to be that person, but y'know, there's a lot of back story that we can't see. Like, for example, what kind of person is Fleur? From this brief 28 page story, we can already tell that Fleur is the pining type. The type that really can't let go. What kind of person is the bride? She only had like 4 pages of actual dialogue, so I think it's safe to say we don't really know how she works. But it's pretty obvious that she wanted to help ease Fleur's pain and probably her own. I'm not saying that this wasn't sad and a bit teeth grating, but maybe for the two characters this was really the best scenario.

Like, what if she told Fleur before the wedding and somehow Fleur mustered the courage and balls to crash her wedding with an objection? I mean, I know it's hard for some of us to understand how important family traditions and what not are for some people, but we ought to respect their choices. It would be incredibly disrespectful and bigoted of us to ignore their weighed decisions and make their choices for them.

I dunno, I'd rather just complain about the ending and assume the bride is extremely cruel and ignore all logic and cultural context in the matter because I disagree with the cultural context that the entire story kinda relies on personally. Note before someone misses it: That was sarcasm. I think the whole being pressured into marriage thing is flat out moronic but it's still a part of the culture so whether I like it or not the story is still pretty realistic in that regard.

I dunno, I'd rather just complain about the ending and assume the bride is extremely cruel and ignore all logic and cultural context in the matter because I disagree with the cultural context that the entire story kinda relies on personally. Note before someone misses it: That was sarcasm. I think the whole being pressured into marriage thing is flat out moronic but it's still a part of the culture so whether I like it or not the story is still pretty realistic in that regard.

Right, ignoring all logic. Like the logic that she needed to wait until after she had her friend who she knows loves her come along shopping for the wedding and until right after the ceremony to reveal everything and tell her that she needs to move on? Because that's where people are getting the cruel adjective from. The cultural context of families making their children feel obligated to marry people they don't want to marry is where people are getting the tired and cliched adjectives from.

You maybe think that it's too melodramatic. But for some countries in Asia, it's something that actually happened in real life . For Eastern culture, family is very important and being gay is unacceptable so they have to hide their gender and pretend to be straight to save their family's pride. Luckily they start to be more open-minded in Thailand.

If you want to learn more about this I suggest to watch "SAVING FACE" movie.
It's a good movie.

Right, ignoring all logic. Like the logic that she needed to wait until after she had her friend who she knows loves her come along shopping for the wedding and until right after the ceremony to reveal everything and tell her that she needs to move on? Because that's where people are getting the cruel adjective from.

Someone already explained why this is wrong like last page.

The cultural context of families making their children feel obligated to marry people they don't want to marry is where people are getting the tired and cliched adjectives from.

And it's something that is still an issue there so why is that even relevant?

I don't know. I get the whole family obligation, gotta-do-it-hetero-style-or-the-parents-will-be-sad drama schtick, it's really frustrating that they actually love each other but can't be together because reasons. I hate that theme, but it's a real thing, so rather than saying "fuck you, story" I try to say "fuck you, culture". But this really felt like cowardice on the bride's part. Like, really? During the wedding reception? Not like, five years ago, when you realised you wouldn't be with a woman even if you loved her? Not, y'know, when this guy proposed to you, and you decided to accept him partially as a way of locking yourself away from your feelings? The wedding reception? When the both of you, but especially her, will just want to curl up in a ball and cry for four days but she can't because she's got to be the bridesmaid and show her happy supportive smiley face to all the people unknowingly celebrating her torn-out heart? Because, what, you still loved her and she's your bwest fwiend evar and you didn't want to risk splitting from each other because you like her so much? Motherfucker if you like her that much, fucking talk it out! You wanted her to plan your wedding with you, even if it hurts her this much? Suck it up, dirtbag! Maybe you shouldn't always get what you want! Maybe it IS gonna be tough to put some distance between you, but guess what? Letting your longest and dearest love fester and rot from the inside out kinda does feel bad sometimes! Goddamn.

Phew. Anyway. Good manga, (manhua? Dunno what the appropriate word is) very sincere. Really difficult situation for them, you can tell they're both struggling with this, but it does its best to put on a fresh face looking forward, when it could easily ended a lot more bitterly than it did. You really get the feeling that the author's very familiar with this kind of narrative. Thailand is relatively tolerant when it comes to the theoretical existence of same-sex attraction and relationships, but it's not really accepted as a real thing for responsible adults. Kinda twists the knife, since they probably would be able to stay together and get by if it was just the two of them, but the family stuff really is a big deal. I understand the decision the bride made to do things like this.

I mean, I'd still talk shit about her behind her back, but I get it. More or less.

last edited at Jun 5, 2015 1:20AM

Women are often pushed into dependent situations in Japan. Women do not make as much money as men do so many women are dependent on their family until they get married, and then they are dependent on their husbands. Given that coming out as a lesbian in Japan can mean being excommunicated from the family many are stuck in a rather difficult situation. Come out and lose my family and a place to sleep, or not say anything. To meet family obligations, expectations, and appearances I have read a number of times that lesbians in Japan get married, have children, and all the while have a secret relationship on the side with the woman they love.

In the US is can be quite difficult to come out as a member of the LGBT community. I remember when I came out and it was met with distrust, misunderstandings, stereotypes, and I think even to this day it hasn't fully been accepted. However I never really thought about the chances of getting kicked out for it. Things are changing in Japan though so seeing a story like this is interesting. I don't know the author, but this could be a more realistic commentary on what it can be like for lesbians. If it isn't this has a bit of a dangerous tone to it. Whereas we see many mange showing women working and living on their own, falling in love with other women, and then living together; we're suddenly tossed back to views and situations that people are desperately trying to get rid of.

As for the story I didn't really like it, and not just because of the ending. I think they showed Elle far too excited and happy about getting married, she needed some angst too. As it is it feels like she was getting married for other reasons than obligation to family. I think she was genuinely happy about getting married. I do think Elle was being selfish and a bit cruel , not for malicious reasons though. Elle is moving on from her feelings for Fleur while Fleur is still very attached to Elle. Elle understood this and wanted to make a clear break from Fleur.

Either way, if I were Fleur, I'd never want to see Elle again. Not necessarily being spiteful, but being around someone you're in love with, knowing they love you too, but you can't be with them and they essentially rejected you; that would be rough and if Elle expects Fleur to stick around then she's pretty horrible. In that light I don't mind Elle confessing because it puts both of them on the same level and gives both a clear chance to move on with their lives, and let their love become nothing more than a pleasant dream.

last edited at Jun 5, 2015 1:23AM

Right, ignoring all logic. Like the logic that she needed to wait until after she had her friend who she knows loves her come along shopping for the wedding and until right after the ceremony to reveal everything and tell her that she needs to move on? Because that's where people are getting the cruel adjective from.

Someone already explained why this is wrong like last page.

The cultural context of families making their children feel obligated to marry people they don't want to marry is where people are getting the tired and cliched adjectives from.

And it's something that is still an issue there so why is that even relevant?

I wasn't aware that someone offering an explanation meant that anyone who disagreed was wrong. That said, which explanation are we talking about: the one where the Bride didn't want Fleur ruining the wedding if she told her before (how selfless of her to make her friend suffer for the sake of her wedding, and how smart of her to not tell her well before so that such a thing wouldn't be a risk), or the one where the Bride somehow didn't think that watching the person you love get married (and taking part in the wedding preparations and being a bridesmaid) might be difficult?

And, of course, it's relevant because it still being a thing doesn't somehow make it less tired and cliched in a story.

last edited at Jun 5, 2015 1:32AM

My heart T____T

JESUS, PEOPLE. Are we seriously gonna start discussing Asian culture vs western culture around here?
Can you not see that the artist simply wanted to create this story simply because that is what she wanted to and not because of any LGBT propaganda?

The logic in this story is even more ridiculous than any NTR doujin in the world, combined. But the comments...dear god...this is just plain stupidity incarnate!

JESUS, PEOPLE. Are we seriously gonna start discussing Asian culture vs western culture around here?
Can you not see that the artist simply wanted to create this story simply because that is what she wanted to and not because of any LGBT propaganda?

I have to said I didn't expect this kind of comments xD I was prepared for more crying and hearbreaking things xD I wanted people to suffer as same as me... I still need a fluff after editing this ;^;

But I can say, you guys are thinkig too much at this :P and I agree that we shouldn't start asian vs western culture discussion because it's pointless xD

I was kind of expecting the whole "ilu but youre straight and getting married waa" but the whole 'i love you too, but we must never act on it after we leave this room' was just no. nooo. Thats waaaay not fair to the best friend, who will now continue to pine for her for goodness knows how long. grahh

"Fleur", "Elle"...
Seems like this author took a page out of Shiroi Heya no Futari's book by giving characters names that are just random French nouns. x)

For the record I also thought the bride was being pretty insensitive towards both the husband and the bridesmaid. Oppressive culture or not, the least you can do for the people you supposedly love so much is to communicate with them, and not go behind their backs / conceal your intentions and feelings / cheat on them...

Fleur is a masochist but i can relate T_T.

The lady who married for family obligation is going to regret her whole life if you love someone go for it.

geez!!!!

"I've always loved you, and I'll make sure to only tell you when I get married to someone else in front of you to make sure it really hurts."

I don't mind angsty stories or bad/sad endings, but this was needlessly cruel on the bride's part. Maybe that's just me though.
Even if it's the whole "I'll tell you so I won't have any regrets", there's better times to do that other than literally at the wedding cerimony...

I think it is more along the lines of "I'll tell you so you won't have any regrets." I mean, the Bride knows the Bridesmaid has been in love with her for a long time, and had been in love with her back too. And despite the Bridesmaid loving her she still came and were her Bridesmaid. So the best thing she could do - without leaving the groom and thus messing up everything regarding her family and traditions she worked so hard to maintain in the first place - is to give the Bridesmaid some closure. A "I know you love me. I love you too. But we both know it can't be. Here's a kiss for good luck." kinda deal. Now the Bridesmaid can go on with a broken heart but a fresh palette.

I mean after all, love isn't only to get someone but also to know when to let someone go. If you truly love someone you'll want what is best for them and not for yourself, no?

I really hate the fact the bride knows how the bridemaid feel but still do all the wedding stuff with her.

It's like having shattered dream for breakfast,lunch and dinner and as for the bridemaid why not tell her real feeling before the woman she loves get to the point of marriage?

If one of them took the step and their feeling is mutual there is always a way.

"I've always loved you, and I'll make sure to only tell you when I get married to someone else in front of you to make sure it really hurts."

I don't mind angsty stories or bad/sad endings, but this was needlessly cruel on the bride's part. Maybe that's just me though.
Even if it's the whole "I'll tell you so I won't have any regrets", there's better times to do that other than literally at the wedding cerimony...

I think it is more along the lines of "I'll tell you so you won't have any regrets." I mean, the Bride knows the Bridesmaid has been in love with her for a long time, and had been in love with her back too. And despite the Bridesmaid loving her she still came and were her Bridesmaid. So the best thing she could do - without leaving the groom and thus messing up everything regarding her family and traditions she worked so hard to maintain in the first place - is to give the Bridesmaid some closure. A "I know you love me. I love you too. But we both know it can't be. Here's a kiss for good luck." kinda deal. Now the Bridesmaid can go on with a broken heart but a fresh palette.

I mean after all, love isn't only to get someone but also to know when to let someone go. If you truly love someone you'll want what is best for them and not for yourself, no?

I really hate the fact the bride knows how the bridemaid feel but still do all the wedding stuff with her.

It's like having shattered dream for breakfast,lunch and dinner and as for the bridemaid why not tell her real feeling before the woman she loves get to the point of marriage?

If one of them took the step and their feeling is mutual there is always a way.

That was a horrible thing to do Elle!! You should not say anything at all, geez WTF?!... You know, if there's a confession like that surely can move on to something more ('cause they're in love), they're best friends and Elle didn't love the newly husband anyways, so... Every meeting with Fleur would be 'paradise' from now on, just go with the flow guys! wink wink xD

I thought Yuri had grown beyond this old typical bullshit of i love you but must marry because my family wants me to. I find the whole thing pathetic and a waste of time.

Yeah, maybe once the culture these stories come from abandons pressure and attitudes like this it might happen. Easy to say as a western fan, where we don't usually have such concerns.

In western culture those concerns are still present, why do you think gay marriage is not legal in all 50 states in the U.S and why people who are LGBTQ still are victims of hateful crimes or young ones killing themselves. All cultures deal with this issue. Therefor the statement makes it seem like everything is peachy in western countries which is NOT the case. Such concerns are very present here too; maybe not to you but very.

last edited at Jun 5, 2015 4:15AM

ahh i liked it. it's nice to have some bittersweet stories once in a while.

I thought Yuri had grown beyond this old typical bullshit of i love you but must marry because my family wants me to. I find the whole thing pathetic and a waste of time.

marrying for love is a pretty bourgeois western concept.

It's pretty recent even in the west, historically speaking.

Not really. People talk about the invention of romantic love in the middle ages and so forth, but that's at best a massive exaggeration. If you look closely, it generally turns out that people who say that are referring to "courtly love", a tradition created mostly by Eleanor of Aquitaine and spread from her court by troubadours. But "courtly love" is a particular, extreme, rather stylized game-ifying of love, which gave the bored courtiers something to do. Doesn't mean there wasn't any love before that. (And of course even that isn't a bourgeois tradition, it's an aristocratic tradition)

Even the ancient Greeks, a misogynistic bunch if ever there was one, had major league love stories all over the place. Orpheus braved Hades to get back Eurydice. Odysseus tried lots of tricks to stay at home with Penelope instead of going to the Trojan war, and then braved countless dangers for ten years to get back to her, while she, even though he was presumed dead, held out staunchly for all that time blocking all attempts by suitors to get her hand in marriage. Plenty of others. There's love stories in the Old Testament (OK, they tend to be on the twisted side, but there's definitely love going on).
And it's certainly not just a Western thing, either. Tanabata isn't a tradition of Western origin, and it's romantic as hell. Near as I can figure, even societies which traditionally emphasized arranged marriage always had a parallel tradition of romantic love which would show up in stories. There was always a desire to marry for love, it would just be overridden by other considerations much of the time.

So anyway. As for this story: Screw her family.

last edited at Jun 5, 2015 5:44AM

I don't usually say this, but I feel rather sorry for the guy she's marrying. He seems like a decent enough person, and he genuinely loves Elle. Unknowingly, he's become trapped in a loveless relationship because his bride couldn't be honest with him.

It's strange to sympathize with a male character in yuri, but this guy got fucked over and it wasn't his fault.

He didn't though?

The bride genuinely loves him

I won't say that can't be the case, but what basis would we have for thinking it? She doesn't tell bridesmaid "I love you, but I love him too," she says, "I love you, but I'm marrying him for the family".
I feel kinda sorry for the chump too. Actually, I feel sorry for everyone except the bride, who seems to be consistently taking the easy way out for her at the expense of others around her. I even feel sorry for the family she's doing it for, if only for being trapped in such benighted ignorant ideas.

Okay, this is my first post, and I'm going to attract hate, but what the hell, let's do it.
First of all: do not confuse infatuation and romantic love. The first it's biological and lasts one or two years. The second one it's the cultural construction that it's created on the basis of infatuation. So, you can marry for love, but this love (if understood as "oooooh, I'm so much in love") it's going to be a lie after two years. This does not meant that you don't love your couple after two years: you have lots of affection, biological too, for him or her, but you're not in love with that person, no more.
Second... what the fuck it's that of "maybe the bride loves her husband and Fleur at the same time"?: since infatuation serves to ensure offspring with someone with appropriate genes by making you concentrate in that person (homosexual love has the same basis, but not the same purpose: we don't know it's function) it's exclusive. In my country there is a song that says: "no pots amar a dues dones a la vegada", "you can't love two woman at the same time". Have you ever been in love? I have. And what's more, I am gay, so I have been in love with a man. It was not that intense, or colorful, or painful, but it was rather exclusive. I mean, it was not like: "I have had not enough, so I'm going to fall in love with five mens! and it's lovey dovey shitty doggey true love with every of them!. And what's more! I'm going to fall in love with a woman too! And marry her, and invite the five mens! And make them sit in the front! And send every of them photos of my kissing with her, even thought I'm in love with them and not with her because I'm gay"
At this point... what's up with the bride? Well, this one shot is pretty skeptical with gay love. Do not strange philosophies: she is being cruel. I have read thing like she is leaving things well established. She is not solving anything, she is torturing Fleur. Like "oh, I knew all the way you were in love with me, but I made you the bridesmaid to show you how happy I'm without you. And you know: I have been in love with you all this time! I'm in love with you right now! You must feel stupid, not confessing in all this time! And now, even thought I'm in love with you, a man has taken your place! But don't worry: now I have a penis with me, so everything is fine. Maybe you can find your own penis too!". Maybe she could have told her that she knows about her feelings, and comfort her, but this way it's only saying she does not care about Fleur. Read again, and imagine you're Fleur. If she wanted to do the best for the two she would have let Fleur follow her own way WITHOUT TOLD HER THAT IN THE END SHE WANTS TO BE WITH HER! What's supposed to think the poor girl? And yes, yes, japanese culture (what the hell, world wide culture) push woman to marry because they have not enough to survive for themselves or they become outcasts. But this manga it's not opposing! It's only going on with the flow! So, it's realistic? Well, not that much, but the realistic parts are just the wrong parts that we have to change, not only recognise and assume!
I think I'm going to put this on the list of: "stories about how you can't be happy being gay" that people have told me so much times.

last edited at Jun 5, 2015 6:36AM

Can't help but hope they'll go down the Mama Mama route, secretly kissing when the families are away and all that.

Meh... it's a classic angst ridden story of "I'm in love with my childhood friend who waits for the last moment to tell me it's mutual and goes off to get married because family".

Screw family. You should have played it "The Graduate"-like.

And it uses french names to boot. Why is the groom the only one with a thai name? Pknot? Peanut? Yeah.. he amounts to peanuts.

Good art, but sorry, this story has been written a hundred times and better than this.

last edited at Jun 5, 2015 6:55AM

Honestly I find both characters to be rather defeatist. They could be together, but they simply chose the easy way instead.