Forum › My Unrequited Love discussion

Megu
joined Mar 22, 2014

Rather than dismissing criticism, I was trying to challenge the people that have been wanting the story to progress in an unrealistic fashion and betraying what the story has built up so far. There were also comments here that suggested the story wasn't realistic at all, since Uta is boring, or that Kaoru has amnesia (which we've seen isn't actually amnesia, but a card she's pretending to dish out to avoid confrontation), or that Reiichi supposedly showed no signs of cheating, or that Reiichi deserves some sort of divine punishment for cheating, or that Kaoru should straight up slap that grade A bitch and dump him for Uta right away, etc.

I personally am enjoying the story despite its slow pace and build-up. People are expressing lots of frustration towards it, and there's nothing wrong with it (why would there be, lol). There are plenty of reasons to dislike the story, the characters, the setting - everything, and I'm not trying to discredit others by pointing out its realistic. I'm trying to argue against the people that are expecting unrealistic things to come, and those that don't think this is realistic just because Uta can't get over her feelings quick enough, or that Kaoru hasn't suddenly turned gay for her.

last edited at Jan 29, 2018 2:33AM

Images%20(18)
joined Oct 18, 2017

I stick with this. What is real to me, maybe a writer's fiction. Or vice versa what is fiction to me, maybe a writer's reality. Thus, realistic/realism is relative.

Kururi
joined Aug 25, 2015

Rather than dismissing criticism, I was trying to challenge the people that have been wanting the story to progress in an unrealistic fashion and betraying what the story has built up so far. There were also comments here that suggested the story wasn't realistic at all, since Uta is boring, or that Kaoru has amnesia (which we've seen isn't actually amnesia, but a card she's pretending to dish out to avoid confrontation), or that Reiichi supposedly showed no signs of cheating, or that Reiichi deserves some sort of divine punishment for cheating, or that Kaoru should straight up slap that grade A bitch and dump him for Uta right away, etc.

I personally am enjoying the story despite its slow pace and build-up. People are expressing lots of frustration towards it, and there's nothing wrong with it (why would there be, lol). There are plenty of reasons to dislike the story, the characters, the setting - everything, and I'm not trying to discredit others by pointing out its realistic. I'm trying to argue against the people that are expecting unrealistic things to come, and those that don't think this is realistic just because Uta can't get over her feelings quick enough, or that Kaoru hasn't suddenly turned gay for her.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. Reiichi cheating on Kaoru is too convenient to ignore in this kind of storyline. It could happen in real life? Maybe. But we can't dismiss the fact that the author put it there as a way to solve Uta's unrequited feelings eventually, what would hardly happens in real life. I mean, this is a yuri manga on a yuri magazine, so we know Kaoru will end up falling for Uta eventually, but that's pretty unlikely to happen outside fiction. Finding out that your husband is cheating on you and falling in love with your sister in law who happens to be years younger than you and also of your same gender isn't the kind of story you can find everyday. And that's why it's interesting, and I won't judge the author to make it, but it's taking too long to get to something we know will happen.

An actually realistic story would be Uta giving up on Kaoru completely and ended up with another girl. Maybe helping her sister in law with her bad marriage in the process. But we know that's not how it's gonna be, the story has been pretty predicable so far. And that's the problem. It's not really realistic, it's just slow. You might think the pacing is realistic, sure, but even if something take days to happen, we don't need to see all of the process, even less when the story start to repeat itself, what I should say, is considered a writing flaw.

So, in short, what I mean is, maybe rushing the development is bad, but the author should have a grasp to show us just what need to be shown, and keeping the sense that the time is passing, instead of showing every uneventful day of their lifes.

This was the most popular new manga in YH. On a recent poll made by a japanese yuri site, it ranked behind Watashi no Yuri wa Oshigoto Desu. So I guess like with NTR, people just lose interest when the story starts to repeat itself.

Megu
joined Mar 22, 2014

Rather than dismissing criticism, I was trying to challenge the people that have been wanting the story to progress in an unrealistic fashion and betraying what the story has built up so far. There were also comments here that suggested the story wasn't realistic at all, since Uta is boring, or that Kaoru has amnesia (which we've seen isn't actually amnesia, but a card she's pretending to dish out to avoid confrontation), or that Reiichi supposedly showed no signs of cheating, or that Reiichi deserves some sort of divine punishment for cheating, or that Kaoru should straight up slap that grade A bitch and dump him for Uta right away, etc.

I personally am enjoying the story despite its slow pace and build-up. People are expressing lots of frustration towards it, and there's nothing wrong with it (why would there be, lol). There are plenty of reasons to dislike the story, the characters, the setting - everything, and I'm not trying to discredit others by pointing out its realistic. I'm trying to argue against the people that are expecting unrealistic things to come, and those that don't think this is realistic just because Uta can't get over her feelings quick enough, or that Kaoru hasn't suddenly turned gay for her.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. Reiichi cheating on Kaoru is too convenient to ignore in this kind of storyline. It could happen in real life? Maybe. But we can't dismiss the fact that the author put it there as a way to solve Uta's unrequited feelings eventually, what would hardly happens in real life. I mean, this is a yuri manga on a yuri magazine, so we know Kaoru will end up falling for Uta eventually, but that's pretty unlikely to happen outside fiction. Finding out that your husband is cheating on you and falling in love with your sister in law who happens to be years younger than you and also of your same gender isn't the kind of story you can find everyday. And that's why it's interesting, and I won't judge the author to make it, but it's taking too long to get to something we know will happen.

An actually realistic story would be Uta giving up on Kaoru completely and ended up with another girl. Maybe helping her sister in law with her bad marriage in the process. But we know that's not how it's gonna be, the story has been pretty predicable so far. And that's the problem. It's not really realistic, it's just slow. You might think the pacing is realistic, sure, but even if something take days to happen, we don't need to see all of the process, even less when the story start to repeat itself, what I should say, is considered a writing flaw.

So, in short, what I mean is, maybe rushing the development is bad, but the author should have a grasp to show us just what need to be shown, and keeping the sense that the time is passing, instead of showing every uneventful day of their lifes.

This was the most popular new manga in YH. On a recent poll made by a japanese yuri site, it ranked behind Watashi no Yuri wa Oshigoto Desu. So I guess like with NTR, people just lose interest when the story starts to repeat itself.

Ah, I'm inclined to agree with you there, but that's assuming Kaoru does ends up with Uta. There's probably a "logical" (not to be confused with justifiable) reason why Reiichi cheated on Kaoru, whether that's him feeling dissatisfied with her or him not loving her the same way she loves him, and it didn't come out of nowhere either, which is why I think it's realistic. But yes, it is unrealistically convenient for it to happen if it's solely for the sake of getting Kaoru and Uta together. I don't disagree with you whatsoever there.

However, I think unlike many readers, I've been reading the story with the idea of them not ending up together. It's a yuri story, yes, but Uta could still end up with anyone else. I agree that Kaoru x Uta is the most expected and probable pairing, but it's not the one that was on my mind when I was reading the story. I understand my opinion is probably an uncommon case and not shared by many other readers, lol.

Sorry for not sharing that thought earlier. I hadn't considered that I'd been reading the story with different expectations in mind, so that was an oversight by me.

Images%20(18)
joined Oct 18, 2017

If the husband did cheat (I kinda hope he didn't), I honestly would rather see the couple reconcile than her going to the sister. I think the sister's ending in this should be moving on and finding someone else.

+1.... On a side note, I was smiling with the a.k.a.'s in the credits... :)

I +1 to leanne123's comment since I am one of those who likes the idea of Kaoru sticking it with Reiichi if and only if Reiichi's absentmindedness is due to bulk of work or sexual frustration. Since, cheating, for me, could never be justified. As in the same line of thought with Seira, logical but NOT justifiable. That is why I held my accusation of Reiichi cheating on Kaoru. It is a serious accusation. For what I got is merely assumptions and circumstantial. His guilt in the hospital and anxiety over a phone are nonconclusive of cheating. Lying maybe but not cheating. But did I suspect an intention to cheat? Yes. I can't get over with his neatly combed hair when he was with Risako. :D

A Reiichi and Risako's past relationship has a story to tell as well.

Kaoru's depression has something to do of what she discovered about the "cheating" that lead to divorces, depression and death. On who among the four parents, I leave it to your imagination. :)

The fun of a non-linear and realistic fiction narratives always lie on the relativeness of the subject. Different and massive views are inevitable. :)

Nezchan Moderator
Meiling%20bun%20150px
joined Jun 28, 2012

Take Aoi Hana for example. I respect the work, there are things I like about it, and I know that it's special to a lot of people. So this is not about whether it's good or not as a whole. But I think the story at large has a pretty bad pacing (i.e. it flows too slow and too fast in some places), which makes it a less engaging experience for me. And this is an aspect that I've often seen defended for being "realistic". The idea that it drags in some places (or that the story may have been poorly planned out) is conveniently dismissed because "real life isn't always exciting either lol".

i think you'll find that there is no writing, or art, or even subject matter so bad that you're not going to get people coming to its defense. Often because it's connected to a genre (or fetish) that they like.

1461894977557
joined Jun 12, 2015

Body proportions in chapter 10 and 11 went to hell. Probably due health problems, author couldn't make it right?
Also, Kuro a shit. Reichi a shit. Kaoru a shit.

last edited at Jan 31, 2018 4:25PM

1461894977557
joined Jun 12, 2015

^Not reveled yet.

Img_0215
joined Jul 29, 2017

Has it still not been revealed what happened with Uta (I think five years ago) that is still making Kaoru guilty, or did I just miss it?

Realism/plausibility/real-life ethical implications aside, I’m mostly interested in the signals the story is sending, and the entire set-up of this situation depends on what happened in the past, events about which we have only gotten oblique hints (and very little recently)—the parents got divorced, Kaoru feels responsible for hurting Uta, Reiichi reversed his attitude toward Kaoru, etc.

But I think it’s a flaw in the story construction that we can forget about all that stuff for long stretches, so the focus of interest gets reduced to who loves/would be an appropriate partner for who. In other words, by now we have a very good idea of what these characters are currently like, but the story initially made (what seemed to be) an implicit promise to reveal how they got that way, and it shows few signs of making good on that promise. At least not anytime soon.

joined Feb 12, 2018

I genuinely like this manga; probably even my favourite so far.
Uta's internal conflict felt relatable therefore I could see myself in her shoes and found this manga as something personal to me. Her struggles are understandable and I can't blame her for not getting over her feeling quick enough - I even thought of her likely ending up with someone else other than Kaoru.

Reichi possibly cheating was a surprise but I can see a reason or two behind why he might have done it so it's not impossible. Whether or not he might have cheated, I'm still aggravated over the fact that he lied to her. What he did was wrong and I wanna see him suffer for that afsf

I don't expect Kaoru to just fall in love with Uta straight away. I'm not even sure if she will fall in love with her in the first place.
I doubt Kaoru would just drop her feelings for her husband like that, and we can't just drop how she sees Uta: a little sister.
Her falling in love with Uta is a farfetched prospect and will be a agonisingly long process through Kaoru healing and Uta's inward conflicts.

A lot would have to be done.

Personally, I'd love for Uta and Kaoru to end up together, but there's also a chance for Uta to be with someone else entirely.
Either way, I just want them both to be happy tbh

Idk maybe I'm just gonna be a masochist and want the most painful way possible

joined Feb 13, 2018

I'm totally into this manga. I don't really have any issue with the pacing of it; I'm expecting a medium-ish run, in which case there's still plenty more chapters left for the story to continue on, and I don't mind slow stories. It's also one of the only ongoing series where I actually have complete faith that the mangaka knows what she's doing, even if/when she plays for tricks. As one example, I felt cheesed as hell when "amnesia" got brought up and wondered if I was actually wrong and it would end up devolving into fake drama after all, but then it got resolved in the next chapter (as it should have been) and I was like "yep I feel bad for doubting her". I'm assuming a Kaoru-Uta end but I doubt it'll come easily, especially thanks to this faith in the mangaka (as that would be a really cheap development and would sorta ruin a lot of what the story's set up for so far).

It seems to me this last Christmas chapter marked the beginning of the end of their current situation, so to speak. I also think Kaoru most likely chased after and married Reiichi out of a subconscious desire to be near Uta, but she's not aware of it yet. Now watch as the next chapter proves me totally wrong lol.

2017-06-09-10-36-16-
joined Mar 29, 2017

Fact: all criticism is automatically rendered invalid, if you just claim the work is

REALISTIC.

Works every time!

But if an element of a work accurately reflects real life, what's the basis for that element being called "bad" or faulty writing?

Once upon a time there was a man with an enormous penis who scoured the land for small children and dogs to rape he was then shot and killed. The end. R E A L I S T I C

Non-messed%20up%20face
joined Jan 18, 2016

Once upon a time there was a man with an enormous penis who scoured the land for small children and dogs to rape he was then shot and killed. The end. R E A L I S T I C

That could be a black mirror plot. Just add smart phones gone wrong.

Jokes aside, people were defending the manga's realism because they thought the manga was being unjustly criticized for lacking realism.

last edited at Feb 21, 2018 5:47PM

joined Apr 25, 2017

What is this story smh. The stuff doesn't even link up anymore and I am getting pissed at the lack of progress. How many chapters of nothingness have there been. Is the dude cheating or not? Is the young girl done with the wife or does she still wanna fuck? We get a chapter a month and to top it off, there is no new information, nor are the questions answered.

joined Mar 15, 2017

^ There's multiple points of new things we learned in the chapter.

It's not even slow, just a medium paced drama manga.

Rsz_1465926231839
joined Jun 24, 2015

A trip? A TRIP?! We all know what happens on trips ;p....Spa, facial massages, the beach, fine dining and uhhhhh sleeping? This'll probably just be an uneventful trip. Nothing weird at all. Nope. Just two friends on a trip. Nothing out of the ordinary there

Tumblr_inline_oxf1gj0pl71rjsbp5_400
joined Jun 23, 2017

I'm still loving it, a bit too slow for a month paced manga, I wish I could wait 2-3 months to read 2-3 chapters at the same time, but otherwise I love it. Like, the pain I'm getting seeing things slowly playing out, it's like I'm experiencing Uta's slow agony of seeing her love interest every day without anything really going on.

I took a liking for the characters, I can wait the time it will take. I think a second reading when it's all over will be good.

Is the young girl done with the wife or does she still wanna fuck?

Judging that she used her fake smile once again, I think she still wanna love. I wonder if Kaoru will catch up on this one as well.

last edited at Feb 25, 2018 10:20AM

Rsz_tumblr_m8ybh0fbrb1r43rfao1_500
joined Jan 26, 2017

What is this story smh. The stuff doesn't even link up anymore and I am getting pissed at the lack of progress. How many chapters of nothingness have there been. Is the dude cheating or not? Is the young girl done with the wife or does she still wanna fuck? We get a chapter a month and to top it off, there is no new information, nor are the questions answered.

I agree. I'm dying of curiosity here. But I guess the husband lied about visiting his stepfather, he's probably going to his mistress.

Let's there's some character development during the trip, but I don't have my hopes up. The wife doesn't seem one bit attracted to Uta, maybe this will change if Uta finally decides to leave that house.

joined Mar 15, 2017

But I guess the husband lied about visiting his stepfather, he's probably going to his mistress.

And I think it's much more likely he was telling the truth.

Oh, and stepfather is a mistranslation. To Kaoru he's her father-in-law.

last edited at Feb 25, 2018 8:32AM

Zigv3uyqlg0hih2ixcp8saivs99g-ehejzp51vcc89w
joined Feb 8, 2018

Too slow for me, I'll wait until it ends and re-read it in one sitting.

Z7geahm
joined Sep 7, 2016

so slow ;-;

Ivan's%20words%20of%20wisdom
joined Jun 22, 2013

In a perfect world they would make sweet love during this trip, but I don't think it is going to happen.

Normally I would agree woth you but there's so much drama going on that I feel like that would just make things worse at this point.

last edited at Feb 25, 2018 10:02AM

Fb99a412e56031b0a8f5568f284d39f1435bb314_hq
joined Nov 19, 2017

Please make out during the trip , also Rei-kun is 'bout to catch this hand if he keeps doing the shit he does

Img_0215
joined Jul 29, 2017

Yellow flag in a relationship: “We need to talk.”
Red flag in relationship: “I’m tired and going to bed” instead of resuming important conversation.

(Yeah, I know—if Kaoru really has something to say, ultimately it’s her responsibility to spit it out. But when your partner clearly needs to say something but is having trouble saying it, blatant avoidance in response is not a good sign. At all.)

Yuu
joined Mar 28, 2015

How much do you bet that during this trip, they are going to cross path with Rei-kun and his mistress?

To reply you must either login or sign up.