My gripe with Hana to Hina is that the "world" in which they live is almost devoid of any relevant other character or environment. The shop owner is forgettable, the teachers are unknown, the friends at school are nondescript and I couldn't remember the name of one for the life of me. The parents are quasi-absent, there are no siblings or anyone that could, you know, provide an external point of view, that could put some spin to this story. There's only the "ex" who shows up randomly and we can only assume that she will eventually provoke some artificial tension between the two.

Hana and Hina are like two cute fishes in an aquarium, with some background accessories. We watch them turning around each other in the water and sometimes another fish comes and goes, but everyone knows these two are fated to be together so, whatever. Beside the shop and the school, there are no other relevant places in this story.

In contrast, Girl Friends had a whole cast of supporting characters (Tamamin, Sugi-san, the whole gang of friends, the homeroom teacher), they had parents, they had siblings. Morinaga had created stories inside the story, she had created a living world.

Part of the appeal of Girl Friends is that it was a very girly manga, in tune with its readership, a manga about fashion, about makeup, about purikura, about goukons, about life choices, about how changing your looks can change your life, interwoven with a love story between two girls in high school. It made Mari and Akko real and relatable.

Hana and Hina just feel two dimensional in comparison. They are not fleshed out enough to be interesting.

I will keep on reading, but it doesn't rate very high for the moment. This is only my opinion though. YMMV.

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 2:03PM

"A flower bloomed in my heart"?
Well I guess its time to deflower you...

@Nya

Nah, but really, I'm sort of on the opposite end of the spectrum. Hana and Hina is probably my favourite work by Morinaga, specifically because it's all fluffy and straight forward. I personally can't stand a bunch of drama and "realism" and stuff in stories, or worse yet, the adult life tag. I am an adult, and my life is pretty realistic. Bring on the cute, idealized, fluffy love stories, yo!!! x)

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 2:15PM

As I've said earlier. Hana to Hina while enjoyable, is pretty generic and simplistic. Akin to a fast food meal, it does its job and keeps you satisfied but is ultimately shallow and forgettable.

SOOO CUTE MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT XD

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 2:20PM

Ropponmatsu posted:

@Nya
(http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/71/71bf4186f2fd86fe7990f814bb956dd6d77d68ee46e6de9d981f02268d87422f.jpg)

Nah, but really, I'm sort of on the opposite end of the spectrum. Hana and Hina is probably my favourite work by Morinaga, specifically because it's all fluffy and straight forward. I personally can't stand a bunch of drama and "realism" and stuff in stories, or worse yet, the adult life tag. I am an adult, and my life is pretty realistic. Bring on the cute, idealized, fluffy love stories, yo!!! x)

Yeah, well, with too much sugar, you get diabetes. There's a middle-road between the pointless-drama filled Citrus and Hana to Hina where nothing notable happens.

But I already mentioned that it was just my opinion. No need to point it out again.

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 2:25PM

@Nya
I have yet to read anything too saccharine for my tastes, lmao. But I fully understand the criticism Hana and Hina is getting, even if I enjoy it a lot myself.

I agree with Ropponmatsu here. Sure, realistic stories with fleshed out characters and environments are always great things to read about, but reading one-dimensional stuff is great once in a while as well. If you start this series with the hopes of finding something profound and realistic, then its your own fault for being dissapointed if it doesn't have that since the basic premise of this is "Cute stuff happens between cute girls who have a part time job at a shop that sells cute shit."

I wouldn't call this akin to fast food either, to me its more akin to an extremely sweet cupcake. It lacks any nutrients and eating it would only make you feel fat afterwards, but you still find some enjoyment out of the whole thing and leaves you looking forward the next time you would eat another one, which is something i can't say about fast food.

Can't believe i used to like this.

Can't believe i used to like this.

Why feel the need to post in here if you no longer care about this?

Can't believe i used to like this.

Why feel the need to post in here if you no longer care about this?

I was going to actually read cuz i favorited it a long time ago on mangafox without knowing whose manga it was. Then you know now i read the author name.

But yeah my last post on this thread :P

^You are too pure for this world.

Can't believe i used to like this.

Why feel the need to post in here if you no longer care about this?

I was going to actually read cuz i favorited it a long time ago on mangafox without knowing whose manga it was. Then you know now i read the author name.

But yeah my last post on this thread :P

You just don't stop being an utter idiot, do you...? I'm not saying that I don't act like an idiot but at least I stop when people call me out on it.

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 3:13PM

Can't believe i used to like this.

Why feel the need to post in here if you no longer care about this?

I was going to actually read cuz i favorited it a long time ago on mangafox without knowing whose manga it was. Then you know now i read the author name.

But yeah my last post on this thread :P

Oh you're the one who went on a pointless rant the other day, aren't you? Well, whatever have a nice one.

Kal3d posted:

Can't believe i used to like this.

Why feel the need to post in here if you no longer care about this?

He is butthurt over this

EDIT/ Got heavy Shen'd

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 3:14PM

Kal3d posted:

Can't believe i used to like this.

Why feel the need to post in here if you no longer care about this?

He is butthurt over this

EDIT/ Got heavy Shen'd

And here we go again.

Kal3d posted:

Can't believe i used to like this.

Why feel the need to post in here if you no longer care about this?

He is butthurt over this

EDIT/ Got heavy Shen'd

Wow, this person really likes to behave like an idiot. I think he just craves the negative attention.

Kal3d posted:

Can't believe i used to like this.

Why feel the need to post in here if you no longer care about this?

He is butthurt over this

EDIT/ Got heavy Shen'd

Wow, this person really likes to behave like an idiot. I think he just craves the negative attention.

Hmm....seems like a nice guy who get attacked by rabid fangirls when said his piece of mind.

I'll ask you in the same, pleasant way you asked me the other day; can you please just stop posting here? <.<

You are hardly nice nor are the people who "attacked" you rabid fangirls. You are allowed to say whatever you want, but with the condition that people are allowed to call you out on it if it's stupid. If you don't like the people here, then just get the hell off this site.

Jeez, filthy MEN like this asshole ruin everything, even this place, don't they? (I think I'm allowed to say this since I'm male myself.)

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 3:28PM

UlquiorraSchiffer1, you probably should learn the valuable skill of just walking away, especially when you already said you were going to Leave And Never Come Back (LANCB, for future reference) from the thread already.

It's actually a tough skill to learn, but worth it.

Hmm....seems like a nice guy who get attacked by rabid fangirls when said his piece of mind.

Making a pointless rant over some hentai seems far from just saying a piece of your mind.

I seriously need to stop paying attention to him, its obvious that he's looking to start shit with some people in here for some odd reason. Have a nice day, friend.

Oh, is it time for this thread to get shit up by someone being stupid now?

No, it's time for both of you (not you, Alice - those involved know who they are so no need for names) to stop and I'm deleting that last exchange since it's just clogging up the forum.

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 5:17PM

All the drama aside, that is currently ongoing I really liked this chapter. Morinaga was literally the one who introduced me to the world of yuri or mainly Manga in general. I still can't sum up the feeling I had when I first read Girl Friends, I was immediately drawn into the world of Mari and Akko. I mean it may sound dumb, but it was magical,my heart was racing. I was astonished of the thought "Here I am, reading Yuri Manga.... and you know what? It's fcking great" And it still is 2 years later. Even today when I felt like utter shit and facing stressful 3exams per week schedules, manages Morinaga Milk to cheer me up, or rather the awesome translators who allow us to read such beautiful stories. Besides the cliche of girls confessing/falling in love at fireworks, for me this chapter had everything I wished for. I just love the idea of Love having no bounds, it just makes me happy. It makes me feel alive. If someone really declares to "leave Yuri" just because the Author who drew so heartwarming stories, wrote in her past a piece like "Mare", hasn't found his/her own reason why he/she even reads Yuri. (Okay, It was not like I enjoyed it, but I was still a good read in terms of being smith different) I want more underwear Hana and Hina :D

last edited at Nov 23, 2016 6:13PM