What I liked about this manga was the character development of Mei. Despite all the shit she constantly pulled off (some you could understand, some was just stupid), you could see her falling for Yuzu. I always hoped she would give something back to Yuzu, but all she ever did was take. With this bitter letter she confessed her feelings and is also running away from them. So it's 10000 steps backwards again (and a huge stab into Yuzu's heart). I understand that Mei is bound by her heritage, but that still doesn't give her the right to treat the one she supposedly loves like that. Then again, Mei is a 15 year old girl, so how grown up can you expect her to be. It's still a pity that all the character developement that could have been so good, was just destroyed.

last edited at Feb 18, 2018 6:04AM

So the only way a girl can inherit the family business is marrying a pedophile. And it seems to be the only prerequisite.

Every time a new chapter gets posted, people are always like “oh this chapter was so bad omg so overly dramatic with shit writing as always” but we all keep coming back. Like many other people, this manga has become more of a guilty pleasure for me. Even though the writing is all over the place, I still look forward to reading a new chapter every month. The first chapter was released back when I was 16 years old, and I’ve been keeping up ever since.

Maybe I want to keep up with Citrus because I started reading it so long ago and just want to see it through. Maybe it’s because the ridiculous plot actually entertains me despite my complaints about it. Probably both.

AnimexObsession posted:

It might be 'low quality' writing compared to other mangreasonable One Punch Man etc., but this is a drama manga about two 16 year old steph-sisters falling in love. With the base plot that is has, there isn't much to work with to make it an amazing well thought out deep emotional introspective manga.

It actually had potential to do it. The first few chapters were great and could be taken into different direction. But Saburouta did not capitalized on it and decided to write cheap soap opera instead.

I understand what you mean, but my take is that from the beginning it was this overly dramatic soap operesque manga. Apart from Mei her personal development (and thus also the development of her relationship with Yuzu) I wasn't expecting much of this series. And it's not supposed to be more than that. Like you said, Saburo Uta decided she wanted to write some soap opera, and so she did.

Tbh all this hate just reminds me of the Justin Bieber hate in the beginning of his career. Fair enough right now he isn't the most decent human being but in the beginning he did nothing wrong, yet received so much hate it was like WW III had started. It wasn't like his music was that god awful, though I understand why people wouldn't like it. But still, that's not a reason to go meta tier shit posting on it. There's just this sort of group-hate spewing power that just spreads like a wildfire and blows everything way beyond reasonable proportions. One person starts shouting, then the next joins in, then people who have hardly spoken a word before. And suddenly it's just a wild fury of hate and disgust. #1984

last edited at Feb 18, 2018 8:15AM

Every time a new chapter gets posted, people are always like “oh this chapter was so bad omg so overly dramatic with shit writing as always” but we all keep coming back. (...) The first chapter was released back when I was 16 years old, and I’ve been keeping up ever since.

Maybe I want to keep up with Citrus because I started reading it so long ago and just want to see it through. Maybe it’s because the ridiculous plot actually entertains me despite my complaints about it. Probably both.

Amen to that.

Basically, Mei couldn't see a real future with Yuzu since being a lesbian is totally taboo in Japan and that could some what compromise her future job at the school so she had chosen to marry instead cuz if she had chosen Yuzu, she'd be all she could think about all day every night even while you're working cause surely not marrying someone you're in love with and reciprocates it will surely not lead you to a path of a happiness instead of an arranged marriage with someone you're already going to accept as your spouse for the rest of your life and looking forward to a career you never wanted in the first place. When the hell is Mei going to stop setting herself up for unhappiness and stop following orders, and set herself up for own happiness? She's either a robot or a masochist.

Anyway we can all agree now its Mei time to move ass and do something with their relationship. Fix it, or tell Yuzu in face its over. I dont want someone to "save" her again, i look on Shou and Ugadawa. I dont want see Yuzu to chase Mei AGAIN! Mei wrote a letter and broke up relationship, so she must end this ALONE. Without any help from the others.

She's either a robot or a masochist.

I think she's a bit of both

Or she is impaired

Kinda regret buying 5 volumes of this now. GODDAMNIT MEI

Same I bought 6 volumes of this crap

Or she is impaired

Socially acepted impairment

I cant forgive what mei has done to yuzu and now this is the final blow. its like bruh if thats what you decided for yourself since you were a child why suddenly become a gay and start kissing and teasing yuzu..

The only explanation is that she actually LOVES YUZU A LOT, contrary to what people are assuming , its like are you people dumb ? if she didn't love yuzu she wouldn't even give her a look and kept progressing towards her dream just like how she always treated Himeko but Yuzu is different, She truly loved her.so the dream that she has always followed and her love for yuzu opposed each other.

What People Didn't Notice is that Mei HAD BEEN SUFFERING CONSTANTLY, and EVEN Yuzu can't do anything for her in this state. Actually what Mei has did is probably one of the most difficult decisions i have ever saw. She is truly strong not weak like how people are saying..I Really Respect Her decision and I think Yuzu should too,YES ITS HARD,I know, its really hard BUT just like how Mei decided this hard resolve Yuzu should too if she truly loved her , its never too late, both of them are still very young and could forget eventually.even if Mei threw all of her dreams aside and decided to stay beside Yuzu still, the ghosts from the past will come back to hunt her and will especially hunt Yuzu leading her to think it was better if she didn't fall in love with Mei and many of other hardships.Mei did this for her own good in the future and for Yuzu's good too, she actually did it out of her pure love for Yuzu so she won't get hurt in the end in the future, yes she will be hurt a lot in the beginning but she will get over it believe me. so Thinking this through is better than regretting it in the future.

i don't want to be this kind of person but what made me write this is that because i knew two women who always loved each other and i was their friend and respected their love, but once they faced the pressure of society and the difficulties of two women living alone with no men helping them with money or protecting them and with no children there to be by their side when they get old one of them has committed suicide and the other has followed her.

Im not saying you should believe my story but regardless what im trying to say is that you should think of these things properly and not take it lightly without giving in to your emotions so you won't be facing those kind of hardships in your real life,I'm saying this for your own good, If you wanna be gay then be prepared for it!!! don't drive your lover crazy in the future.
if you cant respect a manga ending or got depressed over it,then im sorry to tell you that being a gay is not for you, to be a gay is not for weak people and is not just a sexual preference it is a matter of being able to live a decent life or a depressing life.if you couldn't accept this manga ending then you won't be able to hold in or accept how the society will look at you in the future.

I had always thought Citrus was a dumb drama and only kept reading it because it was entertaing nonetheless , I didnt think it would get this dramatic towards the end and actually leads you to questioning your views about life

If Saburo Uta actually ended this manga like how I described then it is really one of the most mature endings i've ever read and this manga should be labled among people as "Aimed Towards Prudent and Mature people" though i know a lot of people will call it a bad ending.

I know my comment wont be liked by many and is not gonna get much attention but im writing this to rational and mature people who know what they are doing with their life.

last edited at Feb 18, 2018 11:34AM

Every time a new chapter gets posted, people are always like “oh this chapter was so bad omg so overly dramatic with shit writing as always” but we all keep coming back. Like many other people, this manga has become more of a guilty pleasure for me. Even though the writing is all over the place, I still look forward to reading a new chapter every month. The first chapter was released back when I was 16 years old, and I’ve been keeping up ever since.

Maybe I want to keep up with Citrus because I started reading it so long ago and just want to see it through. Maybe it’s because the ridiculous plot actually entertains me despite my complaints about it. Probably both.

It's because a lot of us enjoy it even if we're pointing out flaws or things that annoy us.

last edited at Feb 18, 2018 9:53AM

I felt insulted, I responded accordingly, that was more verbal jousting than anything else. I guess I shouldn't have.

Might as well say "I get offended at literally everything and I just cannot stand when people don't see things the way I see them" then. Ignore what you know you can't tolerate rather than making yourself look desperate 24/7. I have noticed this pattern in your posting, hence my aggressiveness. Nonetheless, I apologize for my language, I can't seem to think twice most times before posting.

Completely cutting off Yuzu is a dick move, but that doesn't make the story bad, just a melodrama. I'm glad we had an explanation from Mei though.

The entire manga was like this, though? There were maybe 4-5 chapters where they were dating where I could almost see Mei try to step out of her comfort bubble and open up to Yuzu, easing the pain she has put her through. Which was then officially undone by the outcome of the following chapters, of course. I am no stranger to broken characters with past traumas and irrational behaviors, but my tolerance has been wiped out throughout the course of almost 40 chapters with no closure for Yuzu. Isn't it sad, becoming aware that Yuzu's happy moments were her being blissfully ignorant and borderline delusional, because Mei claims she loves her but then contradicts herself by stating she is doing all of this for her own sake?

It's because a lot of us enjoy it even if we're pointing out flaws or things that annoy us.

Yeah that’s what I was getting at. Citrus is still likeable, and the people who keep complaining about it are the ones who’ve been reading it since the beginning. Just thought it was interesting.

If Saburo Uta actually ended this manga like how I described then it is really one of the most mature endings i've ever read and this manga should be labled among people as "Aimed Towards Prudent and Mature people" though i know a lot of people will call it a bad ending.

I know my comment wont be liked by many and is not gonna get much attention but im writing this to rational and mature people who know what they are doing with their life.

Citrus will have happy ending. So there is 2 options:
1. Just like you said.
2. Mei will fix all of this in some way.

last edited at Feb 18, 2018 10:24AM

And you still miss my point. At this point Mei's dream isn't inheriting the Academy or upholding the Family's tradition, her dream is to be with Yuzu but she can't forego that burden in the same way Shou or Yuzu could.

Mei lacks that courage to break from the traditions she was raised to believe. And she acknowledges her own cowardice in her letter.

I got your point

We can all tell how bad this latest chapter was, but one thing for sure...

We WILL come back to read more.

I thought there will be more closure in regards to their relationship post time skip. Either SU wanted to keep us on suspense or they're just lazy.
And I just found out that SU is a straight, married woman too. No wonder she's really bad at handling the characters.

Not all yuri artists have to be lesbians or bisexuals, tho a lot are, well some of the best.

We can all tell how bad this latest chapter was, but one thing for sure...

We WILL come back to read more.

^Of course, because we can read it for free here. Easy access. No money loss.

Yes, because humans never have conflicting feelings and motivations. Humans never want multiple, different things that are sometimes diagonally opposed to each other. Humans are simple, uncomplicated creatures that only ever operate with one single motivation in mind. And obviously, love is the most important motivation of all. Therefore, if you are not prepared to drop your own family (whom you love) and all other dreams you might have (like running the academy) like hot potatoes the moment love enters the picture, then the only possible explanation is that it was not love in the first place. You nailed it. As usual.

Remind me, at what point in the manga does it explain that Mei has to get married to inherit the school? Oh, wait it never did, not once did it ever explain how the two are connected.

Also, remind me where Mei explained that inheriting the school has always been her dream? Never mind, it actually explains that she was anticipating for her father to return and take over the school instead. Her "dream" to inherit the school is actually relatively new to her and completely lacks any actual presented motivations that Shou didn't easily shut down.

The school is just an excuse because there is no actual love there at all. If there was then Mei would have taken a page from her own father and pursued what she actually wanted. But since she doesn't actually love Yuzu her new dream to become headmaster wins out easily.

We can all tell how bad this latest chapter was, but one thing for sure...

We WILL come back to read more.

^Of course, because we can read it for free here. Easy access. No money loss.

Yeah. But im referring mostly to people whose talking how bad this story is turning out. I, too, want to drop Citrus, but heck got emotionally invested with it. I want to see the ending no matter how it would be deliver.

On Cannibal's commentary

In my perspective, Mei does love Yuzu, but their love for each other is not equal. She just doesn't have the courage to go against traditions or her feelings are not deep enough to make her fight for Yuzu.

last edited at Feb 18, 2018 11:26AM

I cant forgive what mei has done to yuzu and now this is the final blow. its like bruh if thats what you decided for yourself since you were a child why suddenly become a gay and start kissing and teasing yuzu..

The only explanation is that she actually LOVES YUZU A LOT, contrary to what people are assuming , its like are you people dumb ? if she didn't love yuzu she wouldn't even give her a look and kept progressing towards her dream just like how she always treated Himeko but Yuzu is different, She truly loved her.so the dream that she has always followed and her love for yuzu opposed each other.

What People Didn't Notice is that Mei HAD BEEN SUFFERING CONSTANTLY, and EVEN Yuzu can't do anything for her in this state. Actually what Mei has did is probably one of the most difficult decisions i have ever saw. She is truly strong not weak like how people are saying..I Really Respect Her decision and I think Yuzu should too,YES ITS HARD,I know, its really hard BUT just like how Mei decided this hard resolve Yuzu should too if she truly loved her , its never too late, both of them are still very young and could forget eventually.even if Mei threw all of her dreams aside and decided to stay beside Yuzu still, the ghosts from the past will come back to hunt her and will especially hunt Yuzu leading her to think it was better if she didn't fall in love with Mei and many of other hardships.Mei did this for her own good in the future and for Yuzu's good too, she actually did it out of her pure love for Yuzu so she won't get hurt in the end in the future, yes she will be hurt a lot in the beginning but she will get over it believe me. so Thinking this through is better than regretting it in the future.

i don't want to be this kind of person but what made me write this is that because i knew two women who always loved each other and i was their friend and respected their love, but once they faced the pressure of society and the difficulties of two women living alone with no men helping them with money or protecting them and with no children there to be by their side when they get old one of them has committed suicide and the other has followed her.

Im not saying you should believe my story but regardless what im trying to say is that you should think of these things properly and not take it lightly without giving in to your emotions so you won't be facing those kind of hardships in your real life,I'm saying this for your own good, If you wanna be gay then be prepared for it!!! don't drive your lover crazy in the future.
if you cant respect a manga ending or got depressed over it,then im sorry to tell you that being a gay is not for you, to be a gay is not for weak people and is not just a sexual preference it is a matter of being able to live a decent life or a depressing life.

I had always thought Citrus was a dumb drama and only kept reading it because it was entertaing nonetheless , I didnt think it would get this dramatic towards the end and actually leads you to questioning your views about life

If Saburo Uta actually ended this manga like how I described then it is really one of the most mature endings i've ever read and this manga should be labled among people as "Aimed Towards Prudent and Mature people" though i know a lot of people will call it a bad ending.

I know my comment wont be liked by many and is not gonna get much attention but im writing this to rational and mature people who know what they are doing with their life.

I can see that you are an intelligent person who thinks about the world rationally, but there's still some things that tick me off in your comment. (no offence)

1. People say she is weak because she made Yuzu fall for her really hard, even though she knew that what she wanted (taking over the academy) didn't work with the relationship. Also she didn't have the guts to tell her personally. I agree though, if Mei wanted to run the academy truly, she needed to break the relationship off. But I also think it is past the point where Yuzu can just laugh it off. She scarred her for life. Will Yuzu ever love someone like that again out of fear if the person just up and disappears without seeing her again?

2. So, are you implying that it is better for a lesbian to marry a guy and live a loveless life with children? Because you can't really chose to be gay, you know? And what if her marriage falls apart, because she can't give the man the sex he wants, because she just doesn't like penis?

3. It's not mature to just accept that society is fucked up. Where would we be if everyone had always ever accepted it?

4. I think Citrus will not meet your standards of a well written ending.

The entire manga was like this, though? There were maybe 4-5 chapters where they were dating where I could almost see Mei try to step out of her comfort bubble and open up to Yuzu, easing the pain she has put her through. Which was then officially undone by the outcome of the following chapters, of course. I am no stranger to broken characters with past traumas and irrational behaviors, but my tolerance has been wiped out throughout the course of almost 40 chapters with no closure for Yuzu. Isn't it sad, becoming aware that Yuzu's happy moments were her being blissfully ignorant and borderline delusional, because Mei claims she loves her but then contradicts herself by stating she is doing all of this for her own sake?

I agree with you. It seems that everytime Mei gets some sort of character development, the author decides to undo that in just the next chapter. I mean, just last chapter i thought that maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't go the usual cliched route of "I have to marry this schmuck cuz my family needs it, so goodbye forever" type of storyline we always see in romance stories, but we went there and the way this would unfold would be exactly like every other story we've seen with the same plot device. Yuzu would be the knight in shining armor that would save the helpless Mei from the clutches of bad marriage and all shitty actions would be forgiven cuz "I love you" and everyone would live happily ever after.

Oh well.

Japan, man. For all the time I've known the country, duty is the backbone of their society. Just a few months ago the Tsukuba train company issued an official apology for one train of theirs who left 20 FRIKKIN SECONDS earlier (the next train was ONLY 4 minutes later). Take another example, say, how difficult it is to explain the concept of the super famous kanji "makoto," which some westerners translate as "truth" or "honesty," but I believe the closest equivalent will be "loyalty," i.e. "duty." (There are quite a number Japanese books written on the concept of "makoto" ALONE).

Long story short, what we see as SU's falling short on story telling might give an insight, if only a little, into the sense of "duty" that Japan and us non-Japanese don't share. Kinda telling, I think, when we compare the reaction of Japanese and non-Japanese fans towards the latest chapter.

Still. I'm kinda hoping that this latest update is merely the "ten" part of the classic kishotenketsu method of story telling. Chance's slim, but girls can hope.