This is probably the most frustrating series Takemiya Jin has created.
It feels nothing was resolved at all.

FYI these are the two mysterious older women that are in a lot of this series. They even say that one physically attacked and scarred the other, who slept with her boyfriend. Etc. And it's a mystery to the main character how they can be so close, whether they're in a relationship or not, etc. Since that's much later in time, effectively that's how the series ends for them.

:D I can't wait for the other extras to get translated!!

At least they're "together" in the present even if they haven't linked up yet, it'd be sad to leave it where she just moved away forever.

Well I missed out on not reading this.

I feel simultaneous satisfaction and dissatisfcation from Love and Piece. It hurts a bit.

Honestly, I'm just glad that Love and Piece didn't end in some super dark place. I don't mind some ambiguity, because I feel like everybody is headed in a positive direction. Plus, there's still the volume 3 extras to look forward to.

And all thanks be to the folks at Lililicious for sticking with it for so long.

It took me some time to remember what the plot was after so long, but thanks so much for the translation! Those two were my favorite characters from the manga, it's a bit shocking that they have such a strange story. We'll see how it all ends when the last extra chapters appear ^^

Jesus, Takemiya, how are you this terrible at endings...? I've read all of Takemiya Jin's works and I swear to god there are only like two endings that I don't absolutely hate. And don't even get me started on the stupidity of the characters...So is this the final chapter? Is this seriously how it ends? I know there are Extras but do they actually add to the story at all or are they ACTUAL extras?

last edited at Sep 21, 2015 7:23PM

Jesus, Takemiya, how are you this terrible at endings...? I've read all of Takemiya Jin's works and I swear to god there are only like two endings that I don't absolutely hate. And don't even get me started on the stupidity of the characters...So is this the final chapter? Is this seriously how it ends? I know there are Extras but do they actually add to the story at all or are they ACTUAL extras?

Maybe stop reading Takemiya's work entirely? Since you really don't seem to be enjoying it, I'm surprised you didn't stop ages ago.

It feel so bad that she lose her virginity with that thing, boo-boo-boo

I wouldn't call the story over just yet. The "extras" include one more chapter in vol 2 and close to a third of vol 3 (several chapters). They all focus in the present time, and while I haven't actually read them, I'm willing to bet they'll include some hints on some of the directions things are likely to go. Edit: Like "Looking to Tomorrow" (the final chapter in vol 3) contains the hint that Mika finally gets a girlfriend.

It feel so bad that she lose her virginity with that thing, boo-boo-boo

I agree; that's a horrible way to lose your virginity. If it were me, I'd probably feel almost as though I was raped. Though I've done some really stupid things, thankfully I've never been quite that stupid.

Edit: Calling that (I'm at a loss for words) a thing... It's insulting to all the perfectly good things out there.

last edited at Sep 21, 2015 8:24PM

Jesus, Takemiya, how are you this terrible at endings...? I've read all of Takemiya Jin's works and I swear to god there are only like two endings that I don't absolutely hate. And don't even get me started on the stupidity of the characters...So is this the final chapter? Is this seriously how it ends? I know there are Extras but do they actually add to the story at all or are they ACTUAL extras?

What would constitute a terrible ending? Because if it is a 'happy ending' that you seek, there are plenty of those in Takemiya's works. Love Flicker, for example, is just happy endings piled on top of each other.

That being said, this particular work is somewhat unsatisfying in its endings, at least for me personally. Not because of the rejection scenario, but because the rejection (on Miku's part) came pretty much out of nowhere, from my point of view, that is. The story seemed to be building towards Miku developing feelings for Mayu, and then...

As for the extras, this latest addition was somewhat frustrating. So, Takako saved (with great personal sacrifice on her part) Yui from an obvious (painfully so) jerk, and yet, the only thing Yui can think of is "she has taken away the only place blablabla". And then proceeds straight to attempted murder?! I mean, what the bloody hell? The bit with her reexamining her own feelings later was an excellent ending (for me, at least), but the part that preceded it...

last edited at Sep 21, 2015 8:31PM

For me fragments love is about the journey a character takes to realise their feeling and to admit to them. It's another story if those feeling come into fulfilment. The main plot of Miku getting over the hurt of her first love is what the story of fragment of love is about. The person that helps her with those feelings is of course Mayu. But doesn't mean we will get a relationship out of that because the story isn't about that.

This side storyline of Yui is about coming to a realisation of her feelings. There has to be conflict for that to happen, so Takako losing her virginity to Yui boyfriend to show Yui that he is an asshole. Plus, it also shows that Takako has always been there for her. Her going bat shit crazy and stabbing Takako can only be explained that the author wants to create a more melodramatic conflict in order for there to be a forced separation for the pair. Honestly, the ending was excepted because as the title says fragments of love. There is no healthy loving relationship in this manga and I don't expect there to be one.

I might have to re-read this later on, its been so long...this ch was good, tho "unfamiliar" since I hadnt read this in a long while...that sneer she drew was super creepy I knew it was gonna go bad from there...

I love this series. I keep coming back to it every few months to read it again.

After stepping back from the punch in the gut that Love and Piece was and examining the series as a whole, I still love it. They obviously moved past this to form a friendship at least. I can live with it.

I love Takemiya Jin's work. I agree with how awful this story is, which makes it very funny in context: the two women pretty much refused to go into the details of their past relationship to the main character, right? And now, we, the readers, know EXACTLY why. It's out of kindness :) "let's not traumatize her so badly she gives up on relationships forever" "agreed."

i don't get it. who ended up together? who was at the door mika greeted? was it the woman from this page?

last edited at Sep 23, 2015 6:33AM

i don't get it. who ended up together? who was at the door mika greeted? was it the woman from this page?

It's a new girl. And they didn't end up together (yet), rather it's a new beginning for her.

Yui and Takako are somewhat together; Takako just needs to cross that small distance between them.

This is probably the most frustrating series Takemiya Jin has created.
It feels nothing was resolved at all.

Which is why I love it !!!

A box cutter?!?! Haha. Ah well.

Just read all of this for the first time. Mika has to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time. Real, and blunt, and actually SOLVES problems by using her head, all while still slowly showing us that she has her own flaws too, that she's human.

I'm still processing a lot of it, so I'm sure I can't do it justice right now, but wow. Definitely going on my favorites list.

Jesus, Takemiya, how are you this terrible at endings...? I've read all of Takemiya Jin's works and I swear to god there are only like two endings that I don't absolutely hate. And don't even get me started on the stupidity of the characters...So is this the final chapter? Is this seriously how it ends? I know there are Extras but do they actually add to the story at all or are they ACTUAL extras?

Maybe stop reading Takemiya's work entirely? Since you really don't seem to be enjoying it, I'm surprised you didn't stop ages ago.

To be blunt, they are all together in present time.
Mika found a new chick. Her "normal relationship" is how Mayu would put it. I'm going to assume this is all hinted like the story is told by Mayu dreaming of the past in Looking to Tomorrow. And I don't speak for the author so I'm just going to assume that the author just gives hints here and there so if you don't/want to figure out stuff then that's just too bad. Just give the story another thorough read through from start to finish. It's not hard to draw up your own conclusions.

Love and piece