It's a yuri slice-of-life. Focusing on the side characters and taking a while to end a narrative arc is a staple of the genre.

I don't mind the side story of yaoi but at the moment the audience has no resolution of what happens after the rejection between the two main girls. The bus scene indicates that they silently agreed to ignore the confession that Sun Jing has said and are putting it aside and focusing on being friends. As there was humour in that scene but we don't really know for sure as it happened off screen maybe. This story frustrates me as the pacing is all over the place. They are building the side story up in the middle of the "conflict" between Qiu Tong and Sun Jing when they should have done that in the beginning of the story. Now we get 1 chapter main couple and then the next week the side couple get their time. But they made me invested in the main couple and then started drip feeding the main couples progress by using side couple as the buffer.

Basically, what I’m saying is that they get you addicted to drugs by giving you a large dose and cut back the dose. I’m having withdrawal symptoms as I want to know what happens but I can't because the side characters are getting in the way and I am not emotionally invested in them at all. If they started the side character progression at the beginning then I would care a lot more but because they didn't, I am more frustrated by it.

I don't think I've related so much to character as I just did with the glasses guy this episode

Love this series. I don't mind a few side stories and these side character are interesting. The new girl seems fun. Her exchange with Qi Fang really made me laugh.

I wouldn't mind a yaoi side story if there was one.

What happened to the other side character the big scary guy who is in love with the smaller dude? They just vanished into thin air. Then we have glasses guy who has the most cliché personality in history, He looks like a nerd acts like a nerd and gets bullied because "all nerds get bullied" (sarcasm) These side characters are one dimensional. I know this is meant to be a comedy manga but it’s way too simple.

last edited at Mar 5, 2016 8:23PM

What happened to the other side character the big scary guy who is in love with the smaller dude? They just vanished into thin air. Then we have glasses guy who has the most cliché personality in history, He looks like a nerd acts like a nerd and gets bullied because "all nerds get bullied" (sarcasm) These side characters are one dimensional. I know this is meant to be a comedy manga but it’s way too simple.

I think Tattletale escaped that a bit by being super prideful, and the whole thing with the flag.

What happened to the other side character the big scary guy who is in love with the smaller dude? They just vanished into thin air. Then we have glasses guy who has the most cliché personality in history, He looks like a nerd acts like a nerd and gets bullied because "all nerds get bullied" (sarcasm) These side characters are one dimensional. I know this is meant to be a comedy manga but it’s way too simple.

they didnt "disappear", they just arent the focus right now. what i like about the this story is how relatable the characters are and how we see their lives bit by bit even if theyre just side characters/stories. i just think everyone needs to be a little patient and enjoy all the characters and relationships,yuri yaoi and whatever the hell qi fang is

These side characters are one dimensional. I know this is meant to be a comedy manga but it’s way too simple.

Uh did you only skim this or...?
I feel like you overlooked a LOT of things

Aaaah dang.F*ck this guy that just take the seat xD also, Qi fang - why the flippydi Flip u just sayed YES?! I'm kinda mad though -__- "thought u DIDN'T want a girlfriend because ur so 'bad' >n<
IF YOU GAY AND YOU KNOW IT CLAP YOUR HANDS.

Faust posted:

Uh did you only skim this or...?
I feel like you overlooked a LOT of things

This is Dynasty and the side characters aren't yuri couples so probably.

I don't mind the side story of yaoi but at the moment the audience has no resolution of what happens after the rejection between the two main girls.

Wasn't this addressed when they got caught in the rain straight after?

I don't mind the side story of yaoi but at the moment the audience has no resolution of what happens after the rejection between the two main girls. The bus scene indicates that they silently agreed to ignore the confession that Sun Jing has said and are putting it aside and focusing on being friends. As there was humour in that scene but we don't really know for sure as it happened off screen maybe. This story frustrates me as the pacing is all over the place. They are building the side story up in the middle of the "conflict" between Qiu Tong and Sun Jing when they should have done that in the beginning of the story. Now we get 1 chapter main couple and then the next week the side couple get their time. But they made me invested in the main couple and then started drip feeding the main couples progress by using side couple as the buffer.

Basically, what I’m saying is that they get you addicted to drugs by giving you a large dose and cut back the dose. I’m having withdrawal symptoms as I want to know what happens but I can't because the side characters are getting in the way and I am not emotionally invested in them at all. If they started the side character progression at the beginning then I would care a lot more but because they didn't, I am more frustrated by it.

You are so right! I think there are waaay too many side stories also apparently now we have one about the little boy in the bus -.- It is NOT right to do this because in a story you need to establish the premise at first. The premise was 'one girl has a crush on another girl and tried to talk to her'. Not 'the love lives on the people of x high school/neighborhood'. The plot needs to be established from the beginning! If next chapters are side stories as well I'm going to be seriously mad... 'cause just when it cuts back to the bus scene and you think it's going to be about them they suddenly start talking about the boy -.- Also I'd seriously like to know whose story is this? 'Their Story'? -.- pretty ironic if it means Sun Jing's and Qi Tong's... -.-

last edited at Mar 11, 2016 1:23PM

The premise was 'one girl has a crush on another girl and tried to talk to her'. Not 'the love lives on the people of x high school/neighborhood'.

Well yes, that's the premise you want. Not sure it's certain that's the premise the author is working from.

The premise was 'one girl has a crush on another girl and tried to talk to her'. Not 'the love lives on the people of x high school/neighborhood'.

Well yes, that's the premise you want. Not sure it's certain that's the premise the author is working from.

Yes, my point is that the premise must be established in the beginning so that the audience knows what they're reading/watching. It's way too late to establish the premise right now. At first we always have exposition where we get to know the characters and their motivations and then we go into the narrative. You can't just go into the narrative and then decide to focus more on the other side characters without having given any hint in the first place whatsoever.

Gone Girl and Fight Club must have been a nightmare to sit through for you

Gone Girl and Fight Club must have been a nightmare to sit through for you

what happens in those? o_o

Gone Girl and Fight Club must have been a nightmare to sit through for you

what happens in those? o_o

You should watch them and make your own reasoning, they're both really good movies. David Fincher (the director) it's really into doing what you said previously and imo they're good exactly because of that.

I agree in the "wth happened between both girls they're acting pretty neutral I wanna know what they're thinking" thing.

Gone Girl and Fight Club must have been a nightmare to sit through for you

As much as I respect David Fincher as a director and as much as I enjoyed Fight Club, but Gone Girl? No way is it a comparable movie. And I don't see waht it has to do with Their Story at all, which is just poor story-telling.

Anyway, the new chapters switch focus back to the girls!

last edited at Mar 13, 2016 7:46AM

Gone Girl and Fight Club must have been a nightmare to sit through for you

As much as I respect David Fincher as a director and as much as I enjoyed Fight Club, but Gone Girl? No way is it a comparable movie. And I don't see waht it has to do with Their Story at all, which is just poor story-telling.

Anyway, the new chapters switch focus back to the girls!

I am not comparing it to Their Story but the idea that premises have to be established from the beginning is laughable since the beginning half is ambigious at best and then it twists into something else entirely.

last edited at Mar 13, 2016 7:56AM

takachi posted:
Their Story, which is just poor story-telling.

Couldn't disagree with you more. Tan Jiu writes a great slice of life story with a yuri couple as main characters, but that doesn't mean she has to limit herself to pleasing the yuri loving crowd. I will not be happy before even Tattletale finds love. (preferably with our yuri loving shopkeeper) If this takes a decade, so be it.

Anyway, the new chapters switch focus back to the girls!

Yeah!

last edited at Mar 13, 2016 9:41AM

I have to disagree with your assessment craptree. I personally don't think Tan Jiu writes a great slice of life story. My reasoning is because the characters don't have depth and are not memorable. In order for those characters to have depth they need at least a few chapters and not just 4 pages devoted to them; then, switching to another character which makes the audience have less connection with the characters. Slice of life generally doesn’t need a heavy plot but what make slice of life manga/anime good is the depth and how memorable the characters are.

I can't even remember glasses guy's name or the big heavy guy's name.(I have seen other people refer to glasses guy as glasses guy) They are not memorable characters unlike the characters from Nana such as Ren, Yasu, Nobu, Shin and Takumu. I remember these characters because they had a back story and the author devoted time to make the audience have a connection with these guys. I know Nana and Their story are slightly different genera’s with Nana being abit more serious tone and Their story a comedy but I don't know anything about these side characters. The only person who looks like getting a bit more time put into the story is Qui Fang. This is a good thing if the author could now devote time and focus on Qui Fang, instead of jumping to different characters all the time it won't be as off putting for me. Plus, narrative wise it would be stronger and the audience can actually form a bond.

I know that Their story has more chapters to go and hopefully it can devote time and effort to these characters and flesh them out. Plus, not switch characters after 4 pages all the time. Of course, the author should expand on the universe and not just focus on yuri. However, the author should stop switching between the characters all the time. It’s like a baby that has short attention span that plays with one toy and immediately switches to another because it’s bored. It’s frustrating as an audience keeping up.

I have to disagree with your assessment craptree. I personally don't think Tan Jiu writes a great slice of life story. My reasoning is because the characters don't have depth and are not memorable. In order for those characters to have depth they need at least a few chapters and not just 4 pages devoted to them; then, switching to another character which makes the audience have less connection with the characters. Slice of life generally doesn’t need a heavy plot but what make slice of life manga/anime good is the depth and how memorable the characters are.

I can't even remember glasses guy's name or the big heavy guy's name.(I have seen other people refer to glasses guy as glasses guy) They are not memorable characters unlike the characters from Nana such as Ren, Yasu, Nobu, Shin and Takumu. I remember these characters because they had a back story and the author devoted time to make the audience have a connection with these guys. I know Nana and Their story are slightly different genera’s with Nana being abit more serious tone and Their story a comedy but I don't know anything about these side characters. The only person who looks like getting a bit more time put into the story is Qui Fang. This is a good thing if the author could now devote time and focus on Qui Fang, instead of jumping to different characters all the time it won't be as off putting for me. Plus, narrative wise it would be stronger and the audience can actually form a bond.

I know that Their story has more chapters to go and hopefully it can devote time and effort to these characters and flesh them out. Plus, not switch characters after 4 pages all the time. Of course, the author should expand on the universe and not just focus on yuri. However, the author should stop switching between the characters all the time. It’s like a baby that has short attention span that plays with one toy and immediately switches to another because it’s bored. It’s frustrating as an audience keeping up.

You're comparing a josei released chapter per chapter with complex plot and characterization to a manhua closer to a 4koma style released stirp per strip... Of course you would be disappointed.

last edited at Mar 13, 2016 3:08PM

I have to disagree with your assessment craptree. I personally don't think Tan Jiu writes a great slice of life story. My reasoning is because the characters don't have depth and are not memorable. In order for those characters to have depth they need at least a few chapters and not just 4 pages devoted to them; then, switching to another character which makes the audience have less connection with the characters. Slice of life generally doesn’t need a heavy plot but what make slice of life manga/anime good is the depth and how memorable the characters are.

I can't even remember glasses guy's name or the big heavy guy's name.(I have seen other people refer to glasses guy as glasses guy) They are not memorable characters unlike the characters from Nana such as Ren, Yasu, Nobu, Shin and Takumu. I remember these characters because they had a back story and the author devoted time to make the audience have a connection with these guys. I know Nana and Their story are slightly different genera’s with Nana being abit more serious tone and Their story a comedy but I don't know anything about these side characters. The only person who looks like getting a bit more time put into the story is Qui Fang. This is a good thing if the author could now devote time and focus on Qui Fang, instead of jumping to different characters all the time it won't be as off putting for me. Plus, narrative wise it would be stronger and the audience can actually form a bond.

I know that Their story has more chapters to go and hopefully it can devote time and effort to these characters and flesh them out. Plus, not switch characters after 4 pages all the time. Of course, the author should expand on the universe and not just focus on yuri. However, the author should stop switching between the characters all the time. It’s like a baby that has short attention span that plays with one toy and immediately switches to another because it’s bored. It’s frustrating as an audience keeping up.

You're comparing a josei released chapter per chapter with complex plot and characterization to a manhua closer to a 4koma style released stirp per strip... Of course you would be disappointed.

Apples to oranges comparison indeed. Their Story doesn't have dramatic story arcs. It doesn't introduce drama for the sake of drama and then spend an entire volume trying to resolve said drama. Tanjiu chose instead to introduce small details of side characters one strip at a time. Brief glimpses into their daily lives interspersed into the interactions of the two main girls. I would call that SLICE of LIFE more so than Nana.

I also think it's refreshing that not every interaction between the two main girls is for the sake of introducing tension in order to force their relationship forward. That's not how real life works. Sometimes you get on a bus with your crush and some random boy interrupts your trip. What appears to be a mundane distraction is still an interesting way to frame how the characters respond to day to day events, not to mention ample opportunity for comedy.

You're comparing a josei released chapter per chapter with complex plot and characterization to a manhua closer to a 4koma style released stirp per strip... Of course you would be disappointed.

It’s my bad for not getting my point across well. I was not trying to compare Nana to Their story. I was using Nana as an example. It’s my fault for using the word "like" as it means to compare. I should have used the words "for example" instead. It’s hard to put my thoughts into words. My main point is that Their story has terrible pacing, the author needs to focus on a characters arc for at least 2 or 3 weeks because of how short the "chapters" are. That way the audience can build a connection with them. What makes slice of life genera enjoyable is that as audience you get to see characters do every day activities. If your characters are not memorable and don't stand out then that is a terrible slice of life manga. Because slice of life doesn't necessarily have a plot so it needs its characters to stand out. The characters are what hold slice of life entertaining for me. Their story has potential with its characters but for me it needs to be more focused narrative wise so its characters can shine and stand out.