Slow clap for zensunni. Excellent insights there, friend. Despite the standard issue setting, this is definitely one of the more "non-traditional" yuri mangas I've come across. Incredibly refreshing in a lot of ways, and as someone who has to regularly beat the analytical side of their brain into submission before indulging in most manga, it is nice to be able to go at one from a critical angle and come away with something positive to say.

I really would like someone to ask her, "If that is what anyone would do, is it what you would do for anyone? If it were someone other than Nanami-sempai, would you go so far to support/protect them?" I really would like to know the answer to that myself! I don't know if she would say yes or no...

I just realized that, even after maki said, "after all, you love nanami-senpai, right?" when yuu is like "i only meant her as friends". But, it is a matter of perspective.

Yuu is like "normal" in her own view, like "it is normal to help someone and do something to someone", until maki said to yuu like "it s the act of someone love someone."

well, after all yuu have read romance manga and songs, their content must be all dramatic heartbeat and make "legs floating from the ground", that s why she think her treat to touko is "normal" to her. But love varies all kinds too, like building up the feeling slowly bit by bit, like this plot.

I love this manga. No dramatic, normal paced and no angsty, it is truly normal school activity, so the love scene is like "spring in the desert."

Having just binge read this from the beginning to the latest chapter I'm truly impressed at the quality of writing, nakatani has created a believable coming-of-age story that seems quite well paced, particularly the development of Yuu and Touko's relationship (apart from the spontaneous confession of chapter 1...I suppose it's necessary to establish plot and expectations)
Regarding the discussion on sexuality and romantic preference, I'm assuming that perhaps views culturally differ ( the act of labelling and defining romantic/sexual persuasion may be less prominent in Japan opposed to the progressively meticulous western attitude) in addition to the coming-of-age aspect where the characters are still discovering their identity-attitudes and perceptions are dynamic and may easily change which suggests that labelling may not accurately apply to this narrative and our efforts to analyze and define are less relevant. These are just some personal opinions with little evidence so I'm may just be rambling nonsense.
Either way, extremely excited to see where Nakatani-sensei decides take this it's definitely brimming with potential.

last edited at Feb 4, 2016 9:48AM

So in other words, Maki is a shipper.
*profuse thumbs up.

For people who are calling Maki creepy: you are reading this manga, and therefore you are Maki.

Maki is just a shipper like the rest of us.

You see, there's doing this kind of thing while watching or reading a work of fiction, and then there's doing that to IRL people too, like how he's doing. That's why he feels like a creepy voyeur.

Yeah, that guy is creepy. He may resort to blackmail at any given time. I don't trust him. In case he doesn't, I guess he at least is doing a good job pushing Koito's feelings.

It's a fundamental practice to never trust a guy in a yuri manga.

First I thought he was a creep. Then I remembered the kind of personalities the characters of this manga had, an thought he might perhaps be someone who doesn't feel love, but likes seeing it unfold. And I was kind of right! But still... he's a creep.

It's kind of ironic how people are calling Maki creepy...

^^^^^ This people.

In my opinon Maki isn't creepy. What would be creepy is if he starts jerking off watching people's love. I would vomit if that happens. He uses words like "fascinating", which to me indicates he gets enjoyment out of watching love. Its like watching a documentary drama about people's life or watching your friend create drama from the sidelines and being entertained by it. That's not creepy.

I personally think Maki is not creepy at all, it's just that maybe he wants to understand what love means, and what does it feel, so I hope he can support them from now on...

Good Guy Maki. Also incoming realization of her deep love for the prez.

Maki is an interesting one, but I'm on the side of him coming across as a bit creepy. In particular, despite his insistence on not wanting to get involved in "the play", he still decides to interfere by confronting Yuu. I expect further mischief from him in the future.

I do not think Maki is only a spectator. He is used to give advice to girls who are in love. Giving advice means that he is interfering with "the play". He directs "the plot" for romance ... then he watches from afar the development

I think he acted on impulse (or by force of habit) when confronting Yuu.

this manga is getting really interesting

I don't see how Maki is creepy. It's not like he's stalking them or came across the relationship on purpose. He was there purely by chance. I don't think it's necessarily about two girls either for him, he is just a romantic person in general. His imagination may get ahead of him at times, but otherwise I think he's harmless. If anything, he'll try to help Yuu and Senpai develop their relationship. I could

As for Yuu, I think she's waiting for that perfect spark or fluttering feeling she's so often read about. That's fine, but I think that she's looking for it so much that she's missing that the change is already happening.

last edited at Feb 4, 2016 2:42PM by

The thing with Maki is that anything he does is not because he has the couple best interests in mind, is because he wants to the show going as much as he can.

This forum really seems to have gotten hooked on whether Maki is "creepy" or not. Imo it's really neither here nor there. He's voyeuristic, sure, but at least he's not outing anyone. Yet. I'm all for yuri manga that ~breaks the mold~ of excluding male characters that have any real substance, but this one just doesn't seem like one of those. Maki really reads like nothing but a plot device, as most male characters tend to be in school life yuri stories. Unless his singular plot device was to get Yuu thinking about whether her actions constitute as romantic feelings, I just wouldn't trust him based on previous track records of men in yuri.

last edited at Feb 4, 2016 9:28PM

Maki is quite interesting.

We've found another comrade.

Maki is the first outsider who tell yuu "after all, you love nanami-senpai, right?" meaning he is the one who helped yuu to change her feelings toward touko slowly. I like maki because he made yuu said 'i see nanami-senpai as...friends" in doubtful about her own feeling.

I was thought yuu is simply caring and kind when she is panic imagining maki will expose the relationship. but her hestitate words in last page showing her feelings are changing, thanks to maki's words. Otherwise, yuu will just saying immediately below 1 second.

Wow this has become a favorite of mine. The build up! Now that's good yuri. Thank you scanlators!

Fist time I see a guy who is an advid supporter hopefully it stays that way. Nothing about joining them or anything of that sort. I'm ok with guys supporting me and my girl but not to see us having inteminte moments that's kept between a couple. He might even be gay which will be even better.

last edited at Feb 5, 2016 9:26PM

Quite the voyeur, no? Interesting. This getting better.

Having just binge read this from the beginning to the latest chapter I'm truly impressed at the quality of writing, nakatani has created a believable coming-of-age story that seems quite well paced, particularly the development of Yuu and Touko's relationship (apart from the spontaneous confession of chapter 1...I suppose it's necessary to establish plot and expectations)

in nakatani's doujin work in touhou, the romantic plot are barely 1-2 chapters in few pages. The rest are normal without any feeling at all. So that is why in this real work, many readers like it because it's real work.

Regarding the discussion on sexuality and romantic preference, I'm assuming that perhaps views culturally differ ( the act of labelling and defining romantic/sexual persuasion may be less prominent in Japan opposed to the progressively meticulous western attitude) in addition to the coming-of-age aspect where the characters are still discovering their identity-attitudes and perceptions are dynamic and may easily change which suggests that labelling may not accurately apply to this narrative and our efforts to analyze and define are less relevant. These are just some personal opinions with little evidence so I'm may just be rambling nonsense.

Japan is the most moral rule besides china and korea. They cant show any content above 17 except night show or video. Manga, too, is the only way to show above 17.

The reason why I personally find Maki to be a bit creepy isn't exactly because he's a 'spectator of romance', but because he's an "active" spectator of romance. Don't really know how to explain it exactly, but the way he consider romance to be something that seems to be made for him to watch and enjoy kind of put me off. Like he consider that people love lives are just there for the sake of him watching them. To the point that when people tries to get him involved, he seemingly gets angry or disappointed. The way he talked with Yuu about her situation, like he's not just observing but stydying her is kinda weird.

Not that I hate the character or anything, but there's that little something about the way he treat other people's romance that doesn't sit too well with me. Gives the feeling he might decide to intervene in some way to make the "show" more interesting for his taste.

I'm trying to give him credit for not being a asshole and blackmail Yuu or anything, but I agree that his intentions for watching those romances unfold are pretty selfish.

last edited at Feb 7, 2016 7:33AM

I just decided to reread the ones here on Dynasty and I have to agree that the "I just did what anyone would have done" line stands out quite strongly.

It is interesting because, from very early on in the story, it appears that Yuu thinks of Nanami-sempai in a special way. In the first chapter, when she is seeking advice about the love confession, she decides to ask her because of the fact that she sees a similarity between them based on Nanami's statement that she has never gotten exited about being confessed to by someone.

Then, as the story continues, she repeatedly notices Nanami's true feelings that she is able to hide behind a mask of competence and bravado from even her closest friends. She simply understands her better than anyone else. I don't see any indication that she has this kind of insight into other people's thoughts or feelings.

She also tends to bend over backward to help Nanami and protect her from, among other things, herself. She is baffled by why a person who is as fragile as she knows Nanami is would put herself in positions time and again where she has to perform in the public eye, with the price of failure being the dissolution of her carefully designed persona that she has built atop the frightened, shy little girl who couldn't make friends and hid behind others. Yuu, who is the only person who knows the real Nanami-sempai, seems dedicated to protecting the public face that Nanami has built. When Nanami, and now Maki, notice how special Nanami seems to be to her, from other people's perspectives, she consistently responds with a variation on the theme of "That is what anyone would do." She doesn't recognize her special treatment of Nanami as being special. (I wonder if her opposition to the play isn't at least partially motivated by the fact that she knows it will be nerve wracking for Nanami?)

I really would like someone to ask her, "If that is what anyone would do, is it what you would do for anyone? If it were someone other than Nanami-sempai, would you go so far to support/protect them?" I really would like to know the answer to that myself! I don't know if she would say yes or no... (My gut says that the real answer is no, that she wouldn't go that far to protect someone else.)

In a lot of ways, it seems like, if you were not privy to Yuu's inner thoughts, you would think that she was in love with her fairly early on. Her behavior patterns certainly make it seem that way. In fact, you might think that she was in love, but either too shy or unsure of herself to show it openly.

In any event, the line at the end of chapter 5 speaks volumes: "I couldn't just simply give up. But I didn't realize it at that time."

I really do love this story! It is very well written.

these! These are my feelings!

I can't quite articulate what it is but this story is just so good. Even if they put a crappy love triangle in this story I will likely stick around.

I'm trying to reserve judgement but Maki is ever so slightly leaning towards creepy in my opinion. What he's given us could easily not be the whole picture. The only boy among many sister's thing is interesting. They say women can tell when a man grew up around a lot of women.

Wlfking

I can't quite articulate what it is but this story is just so good. Even if they put a crappy love triangle in this story I will likely stick around.

I agree. I like it really much but I just can't find the words to explain why it's so good.
I think how Yuu's rationalize everything is what interested me in the first place. How she tried yet couldn't feel it.. yet.
The author executed everything else in the story quite smoothly too. As a whole it's a perfect mix between the art, the plot, and the characters.