We've said all along that Nakatani does an exceptional job of keeping a pretty wide range of potential narrative outcomes open, all of which would be consistent with past plot and character development. I don't think anybody really thought that a tragic end to this story was the most likely one, but, especially around the beginning of chapter 23, there were significant hints that it might be on the table. But the most recent chapters seem to be a decided turn away from anything like that.

Remember when there was some speculation that Sayaka might turn to the dark side when she discovered the depth of Yuu and Touko's relationship? Instead, she's turned out to be maybe the most stand-up bestie in all of yuri manga (the recent ones I can think of, anyway). Even at the time I really didn't think she would go that way, but it wouldn't have been totally out of the question for Sayaka's snippiness toward kouhai Yuu and her slight possessiveness about Touko to take a darker turn.

Stories heading toward closure always choose one outcome over all the possible others, but that doesn't mean those doors were never there to be opened in the first place.

(PS: As always, I really appreciate the thoughtful and reasonable responses on this board when a new chapter comes out.)

last edited at Feb 2, 2018 7:54AM

Well, I suspect that's a kiss happening in panel 4 of page 17. I don't see why you would cut her face out of the frame like that if you weren't implying that something lip related is going on off-panel, and Touko looks pretty stunned in the last panel.

Good point. That probably is a kiss... I suppose we'll see that scene from Touko's perspective in the next chapter and find out, eh?

The difference in tone/atmosphere between the chapter 23 "going into the light" scene and the new one is all I was really talking about. Also, Yuu looks adorable in her nurse outfit.

last edited at Feb 2, 2018 11:01AM

I always felt people were misreading that and overreacting. I never thought it was about suicide, but just the aimless malaise of someone who doesn't know who they want to be or what they want to do with their life.

This so much, I can't believe there were people speculating that Touko could try to kill herself or even consider doing it. And the whole train thing or those weird moments with Touko in chapter 23, I see them as a symbolism of her mental state and insecurities,not as symbolisms of a possible bad end. If anything, there are some hints (not so subtle now) that things will be fine.

(nods) At the very least, this whole series has set up Yuu as Touko's saving grace, so even if they had decided to go there, Yuu would've saved the day.

Well, I suspect that's a kiss happening in panel 4 of page 17. I don't see why you would cut her face out of the frame like that if you weren't implying that something lip related is going on off-panel, and Touko looks pretty stunned in the last panel.

I don't think they kissed, I think that Nakatani was trying to put emphasis on Yuu's hands in the first panel. It would be also out of character for Yuu to do that, in a moment like that and possibly in front of other people around there.

Yuu has a history of pulling out surprise comforting gestures when her bae is nervous, and she's been getting gradually more proactive recently.

It is ambiguous, but that's the point of a shot like that, to leave you wondering. If the purpose was just to show the hand, you would put Touko's face in panel and show her reacting to the hand, to draw extra emphasis to the gesture. The fact that they don't show us her face during the panel, but we see her stunned afterwards (is putting a hand on her shoulder really that surprising after all the hand-grabbing we've seen Yuu do?) indicates to me that we're at least meant to wonder if there was a kiss there.

and both are content with just loving her. Rivalry implies that both would aim for the same goal, such as Touko's reciprocation

I think it's inevitable that Yuu will deal with the feelings she has been repressing for a long time after the play is over, same with Sayaka.

I'm betting something comes out during the play, personally. ;p

Her hand-wringing when the talk of confession was going on a few chapters ago said a lot about what she wants out of their relationship.

Are you refering to chapter 24? Can't really remember anything like this recently.

I mean the scene with Akari in Chapter 27. When Doujima gets defensive about Akari's confession, ("Telling someone you love them is never wrong!") Yuu looks more more moved by it than Akari does. And I'm pretty confident that on page 19 of that chapter, Yuu's reaction to Akari's heartbreak is as much about her own worries about how Touko will react to her feelings as it is about empathy for her friend's sadness.

but we see her stunned afterwards (is putting a hand on her shoulder really that surprising after all the hand?
grabbing we've seen Yuu do?) indicates to me that we're at least meant to wonder if there was a kiss there.

I would say that is a determined look, not a stunned look, but for Yuu to initiate more 'intimate' contact is different from her normal behaviour. If she did initiate a kiss, I image the whole thing would be played very differently.

I'm betting something comes out during the play, personally. ;p

I actually don't think we will see the play at this stage, its been a highly practiced thing and only with having some distance in time from the performance will there be an affect. I would not be surprised for there to be flash backs in the next few episodes.

but we see her stunned afterwards (is putting a hand on her shoulder really that surprising after all the hand?
grabbing we've seen Yuu do?) indicates to me that we're at least meant to wonder if there was a kiss there.

I would say that is a determined look, not a stunned look, but for Yuu to initiate more 'intimate' contact is different from her normal behaviour. If she did initiate a kiss, I image the whole thing would be played very differently.

Page 17, last panel is definitely an expression of surprise. Could she be surprised that Yuu put her hands on her shoulders? Eh, maybe, but Yuu's done plenty of hand grabbing in the past, and this wouldn't be too different from that, so such an expression would seem like an overreaction. I think at the very least, the scene is intentionally ambiguous.

I'm betting something comes out during the play, personally. ;p

I actually don't think we will see the play at this stage, its been a highly practiced thing and only with having some distance in time from the performance will there be an affect. I would not be surprised for there to be flash backs in the next few episodes.

The play has been too built up to just skip it entirely. It's not like I expect them to show us the entire thing, but I'm betting at the very least we're going to get a major scene, and I bet somebody has an epiphany and improvs something in the middle of it. But we'll see soon enough, I suppose.

Hello to all
This chapter was good another tease, and keeping a suspense, but what I found of most interesting was Touko Dad coming to see the play in which his older daughter Mio could not complete, as some one mentioned before a feeling of Guilt,? did he push His Daughter Mio to far become that excellent student? or what is his hang up? bad memories from seven years ago? we have to go back to Chapter 19 "Mirage" . The night before the start of the summer camp when her dad ask her "You Don t need to push yourself" "I mean with this play. You don t have to do the same thing Mio did................." hmmmmmmmmm.

Another thing was the conversation between Yuu and Saeki quite interesting Yuu knowing that she loves Touko and going with the flow, this could get interesting .

Shakespeare "The lady doth protest to much me thinks......."

I would say that is a determined look, not a stunned look, but for Yuu to initiate more 'intimate' contact is different from her normal behaviour. If she did initiate a kiss, I image the whole thing would be played very differently.

Yeah, i don't think she kissed her either due to the same thing you're saying. I think Touko just wanted some little reassurance from Yuu that everything would be fine, but she got a little more than she was expecting.

I actually don't think we will see the play at this stage, its been a highly practiced thing and only with having some distance in time from the performance will there be an affect. I would not be surprised for there to be flash backs in the next few episodes.

I really hope thats not the case. This play has been hyped up since earlier chapters so it would a huge disappointment if we don't get to see at least some of it. I think we would see the whole play from Touko's POV and we'll get a more clear picture of her inner struggles.

Something else which stuck out to me was Touko saying she had made a selfish request publicly, to everyone involved. Another big change.

I expect to see the play happen. Because I expect that during the play, the "script" will change. Or even if nothing big like that happens, there must be meaning behind the premise for it to be worth spending time showing. Touko's parents being highlighted, and Nara-sensei being introduced likely bring together everyone connected to Mio.

The father I see as another character in need of healing/redemption from the past or (hopefully not) someone to find Yuu and Nanami kissing to provoke more typical yuri drama.

No offense but I think both of those scenarios are tropes that this story has never given any evidence to merit believing would happen. I take his statement that he's not upset at face value. The father's clearly worried about Touko. Chapter 19, he's the one telling her she doesn't need to follow Mio's footsteps. I feel there's an element of grief too, in this chapter, but it's sadness for Touko more than Mio. Like that sort of weird sadness where someone's doing something which might not be the best for them, and you understand why, though maybe not fully, and you get they think they have to do it, but you also don't want them to do it, and so you do what you can knowing it may be futile. And on top of that, what the other person is doing is a result of and tied to a painful memory. And it is your child this is happening too. A parent seeing their child react negatively to a new step-parent is the first example I think of. But the impetus isn't the new step-parent, so much as it is the child's pain underlying it. Seeing that, the parent may grieve too. And so Touko's father's grief is tied to the past and the present and centered on somebody who he has not been able to reach. It's a lot more logically laid out in my head but I don't want to bother spending more time organizing my thought process here.

Oh and back to Touko talking about making a selfish request, her ending statement on page 15 is one of the most honest and heartfelt things she's said to other people, as reflective of what she feels as well as indicative of her sense of community. Her abashed reaction to Sayaka's teasing supports that.

Well, I suspect that's a kiss happening in panel 4 of page 17.

I'd say it's highly unlikely. There's no way Yuu would do that in public, first of all, and second Touko wouldn't just go "right!" on the next page if that had happened.

Yuu has only ever initiated touching Touko when she feels the strongest and wants to impart that intensity to Touko. From what I can remember, chapter 22 is the first time she ever touches Touko (disregarding that time she tests Touko in chapter 3, during the election picture taking); she takes Touko's hand and moves closer. Touko's pretty surprised then too. Chapter 24, similar, Yuu leads her by the hand, and she's surprised. Chapter 28, my favorite one, Yuu clasping her hands as if she's the most precious thing there is. And now, this newest chapter, Yuu goes for the shoulders. :p The visible indicator of Yuu's growing care, willingness to act, and desire to be close.

The moment I read page 16, I thought about chapter 6 and Yuu sneakily asking Touko to come outside with her. What a vast difference there is, from then and now. From saying she did it because anybody would after seeing how fragile Touko was, to throwing all pretenses aside, naked concern in her words and her actions. The way she rushes towards Touko, the way she immediately says in quick succession, if she's okay, and then to calm down - that urge to comfort. I love it.

I guess my question being was Yuu telling her she isn't alone what she needed to hear at that moment or not.

I say it wasn't. But that didn't matter, because these were Yuu's selfish feelings. God I can't get over how much I love how worked up Yuu is. Everything she says on page 16 lacks all of the subtlety which might have been expected from her before, and for that reason, they are not what Touko needs to hear exactly, but they come from a place of love which Touko needs to realize exists. It's funny seeing how frantic she is. Maybe cause of how obvious she is.

If anybody random had said those things to Touko, she wouldn't have been convinced. But because it's Yuu, she believes her. Hence her "...Right!"

Then Touko runs off, Yuu watching her, and it is completely different from the last time something similar happened. First moment that comes to mind is chapter 5's last page. Very nice parallel. Yuu's head is practically tilted at the same angle.

I would sacrifice a kidney to have Nakatani's ability to write choices, actions, expressions of a character that are true to them and as unexpected as real humans' are. I still haven't figured out how she does it, but it's impossible to say, "I know what this person's going to do next." Some authors keep things moving by keeping things about a character hidden and slowly dribbling out information. The same uncertainty and feeling of suspense and surprise exists in those stories, but not on re-read in my opinion. But this story is different because these characters defy expectation over and over yet feel completely cohesive. We have everything we could ever need to know about them up to each present point, yet it's still not possible to know how they'll react in the future. Fan-worshipping!!!

Okay I'm done. This chapter is the definite turnaround point of upwards momentum. Like when v > 0 on a parabolic curve for speed. And chapter 28 was when a > 0. I'm satisfied with it.

WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILER.
READ PAST CH.17 BEFORE VIEWING!

Okay, kinda spoiler but not really, I just wanted to say that play sounds SUPER cool, like I want a manga that has that premise.

YOU HEAR THAT CREATOR OF THIS ANIME, MAKE A MANGA WITH THAT BEAUTIFUL PREMISE AND I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER... note: kinda already do just because of this anime... so yeah....

EDIT: READ PAST CH.18 BEFORE VIEWING!

OMG I love how the play sounds EVEN MORE!

EDIT 2: Okay, done with the series for now (chapter 29) now to wait... forever... for the next book.

last edited at Feb 3, 2018 10:54AM

Man I really love Sayaka, I hope she gets a happy ending

sayaka deserves so much tbh, i hope she finds someone that'll make her just as happy.

on the other hand!!! touko is opening up so much more, which is. such an improvement. this girl deserves the world

Finally.

I know this is a romance series, but the pacing is too slow for me concerning the play. I thought the most recent chapter would be about how the play turn out. Now we have to wait for another long month.

Just finished re-reading, and there was this exchange in Ch 19 between Yuu and her black haired friend that I found very interesting. Basically, it was about how Yuu works really hard to finish whatever she starts, but that at the same time, she never gets emotionally invested enough in it for the final outcome, be it good or bad, to cause a strong reaction in her, and how her relationship with Touko was the first time Yuu has been so absorbed by anything.

I think is foreshadowing of how Yuu's confesing her love to Touko, and I don't believe (Or at least, I'll find it more interesting) that she is going to lose that particular match. Whatever that implies.

Nara-sensei introduction is interesting. I wonder if she'll scout Touko after seeing her performance & that will give her a career path to work towards in the future instead of becoming her sister.

This so much, I can't believe there were people speculating that Touko could try to kill herself or even consider doing it. And the whole train thing or those weird moments with Touko in chapter 23, I see them as a symbolism of her mental state and insecurities,not as symbolisms of a possible bad end. If anything, there are some hints (not so subtle now) that things will be fine.

To be fair, the discussion on suicide was mostly on Touko harboring suicidal thoughts because of how increasingly unstable she has become up to that point (I still stand on ch 23 imageries symbolizing this, but you can disagree) & possible explicit depictions in the future rather than on the manga ending in suicide since many agree that suicide ending would go against the themes regarding Touko's identity. The only bad end that was of serious consideration was whether Touko and Yuu will end up together in the end, but from the recent developments as well as the recent interview with Nakatani, we won't have to worry about that anymore.

Nara-sensei introduction is interesting. I wonder if she'll scout Touko after seeing her performance & that will give her a career path to work towards in the future instead of becoming her sister.

Like, becoming an actress? I hope not, because it doesn't fit her character. Touko is shy and doesn't like being in front of people. Being an actress sounds more like something the sister wanted to do, considering Ichigaya is an actor/acting coach and was a member of the Student Council along with her. Many characters have mentioned how it doesn't make too much sense that the Student Council is doing a play, so there's that too.

last edited at Feb 7, 2018 9:13PM

Nara-sensei introduction is interesting. I wonder if she'll scout Touko after seeing her performance & that will give her a career path to work towards in the future instead of becoming her sister.

Very good call—I was wondering what the import of introducing an entirely new character at this late stage might be, and that’s an interesting possibility. Touko has been playing a role, of sorts, for a long time, so maybe a career in performance might suit her.

On the other hand, she doesn’t actually seem to have that chameleon-like affect that truly gifted actors can have—more like she’s shape-shifted into the one model she imprinted on. The major talents that she’s actually displayed—being highly organized and being able to get people to go along with what she wants without actually bullying or coercing them—suggests that she’s really cut out to be a director. :-)

Nara-sensei introduction is interesting. I wonder if she'll scout Touko after seeing her performance & that will give her a career path to work towards in the future instead of becoming her sister.

Like, becoming an actress? I hope not, because it doesn't fit her character. Touko is shy and doesn't like being in front of people. Being an actress sounds more like something the sister wanted to do, considering Ichigaya is an actor/acting coach and was a member of the Student Council along with her. Many characters have mentioned how it doesn't make too much sense that the Student Council is doing a play, so there's that too.

The student council play didn't start with Touko's sister though. It was the school's yearly custom until Mio's death. Ichigaya ending up being an actor doesn't particularly indicate anything about Mio's interest in acting either. Touko is shy, sure, but she's also the type who wants to do her best to put up the best performance possible in front of others. It is unhealthy the way she's applying it to her life, but I can see her channeling this mindset into an acting career. This got me curious, what kind of jobs do you guys see each of the main cast (aside from Koyomi & the adults, of course) doing in the future?

Nara-sensei introduction is interesting. I wonder if she'll scout Touko after seeing her performance & that will give her a career path to work towards in the future instead of becoming her sister.

Like, becoming an actress? I hope not, because it doesn't fit her character. Touko is shy and doesn't like being in front of people.

This got me curious, what kind of jobs do you guys see each of the main cast (aside from Koyomi & the adults, of course) doing in the future?

I would see Sayaka going into some form of professional career. Business woman, doctor, lawyer, etc. any job requiring professional detachment but allows for care too. Considering her usual role during the elections, manager could be appropriate.

It's pretty weird for me to imagine Touko being an actor. I did see Nara-sensei as somebody who symbolically provided the last piece of the puzzle Touko needed to move on, but maybe not that literally. It's possible Touko would take an offer like that while she has no idea of what to do with her life, but long-term, I don't think it fits her. The entire story has been about discarding her masks. I think she could be a leader. Despite how much of her actions was intended to follow Mio's footsteps, I think she could be a true leader. Her full-hearted drive and conviction in getting what she wants shouldn't be underestimated. Or she may fully step back and decide she wants to become less prominent.

Yuu belongs in a nurturing field. Nurse, teacher, veterinarian, marine scientist? I now want to see Yuu become a marine scientist; that would be awesome. Librarian...? Don't remember her feelings about books / family store, maybe, but think she has stronger interests than those.

I was going to come up with ones for Toujima, Akira, and Maki too, but I realized it's only possible to pinpoint skills people have, and explicit interests they've demonstrated, so the exact job they get is a wild guess otherwise.

Yuu will always be a marine scientist in my mind. Unless Nakatani shows something even more fitting.

Touko is shy and doesn't like being in front of people.

You’re quite right that we’ve seen Touko be nervous before her election speech. But as a general point, a lot of introverts actually prefer prepared performances (lectures, etc.) and can do quite well at them—it’s the spontaneous human interactions with people we don’t already know that we tend to dread.

Oops, did I say “we”? I meant “they”! Not “we”—“they”! Everyone stop looking at me . . .

last edited at Feb 8, 2018 9:33AM

Volume 5 ranked on Oricon at #21.
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-01-31/japanese-comic-ranking-january-22-28/.127187

Volume 5 ranked on Oricon also on it's second week.
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-02-07/japanese-comic-ranking-january-29-february-4/.127494

Aaaaaawwwww, this manga is just perfect! All of this could happen for real. Actually, I know someone who was in a similar situation as Touko (and who got out of it), and who finds this manga very realistic too.

Could someone edit the volume section? We're in volume 6 now.

A-Any reason why Kadokawa removed their Yagakimi PV on their Youtube channel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JohoCyOiT1A