So this came up on a random chapter and I'm re-reading it.. I really like this collection. Aroma hits both the scent fetish AND the Biting
and Thigh Art
But I was thinking about how well Takemiya Jin shows real relationships, and the ways people are interconnected. And these two couples are like the ultimate in subtle reversals. (Probably should be realistic reversals. The in-your-face kind are entertaining, but it's usually not so blatant I would think.)
Like, Ah-chan is the cool and collected teacher, even to Kimura, the cool and collected student. But the further into the relationship you get, the more you see that Ryouko is actually the sensible one about relationship stuff, and Ah-chan is all freaking out. Ah-chan's experience comes into play in the beginning, but by the end, even before the time-skip, she's the one all flustered with Ryouko comforting her.
Kimura, on the other hand, despite having a look and personality that nowadays would probably get her labeled as "delinquent" or "tomboy" (though I don't think she qualifies as either), shows that behind that facade she can blush like a pure maiden. Her personality means that she acknowledges it and then goes right back to being assertive, but she can't help her natural reaction. It's just a very realistic piece of work.
And don't even get me started on Miyano-sensei. Seriously, all "perfectly" shy and blushy, (even after they get together? They've already been sleeping together before Miyano-sensei puts her foot down about the hickey. It really looks like she was surprised and happy by the initial confession. And Kimura seems very in control yet, with Miyano-sensei being content to let her take the lead in most things, until she begins worrying about the age gap). It's only when that vulnerability shows that the inner Miyano-sensei comes out. That tongue-sticking-out smirk while drawing on your half-naked girlfriend's inner thigh.. Omg
And finally the friendship of Kimu and Ryouko. Even after the time-skip they have the same airhead/cool kid vibe, their positions they'd always held in their peer group.
Really, I think this just shows why Takemiya-sensei is one of the big names in yuri manga.