Gods, reading this series has been a roller coaster...it hurt a little, too. I really hope Mei does right by Yuzu but there's no guarantee. Yuri has a long, long history of tragic endings, especially in the older material.

Mei is hurting, but at the same time, she's tearing poor Yuzucchi up by acting like this. Some part of me actually hopes Yuzu gets sick of it and dumps her for someone else, as unfair as that may seem.

last edited at Feb 26, 2018 2:28AM

@Uranus: What's a ''mango-like approach''? Sorry I'm unfamiliar with this term.

@Uranus: What's a ''mango-like approach''? Sorry I'm unfamiliar with this term.

I meant how many manga take rather unrealistic approaches, in this specific case, how openly gay characters are often not met with any sort of animosity from their surroundings (which can vary from this aspect simply not being addressed at all, all the way to "waah, cuuuute" reactions from people around them), even when such works are set in Japan, or even worse (as is in this case), Japanese schools, which are notorious for bullying, and being openly gay is almost a guarantee societal rejection and bullying will happen. Parents and other family members are also most often simply not a factor in these scenarios.

Now, given how parents, social norms and expectations are fairly well depicted in this work, chances of Saburouta going for something like that are slim at best, but she could go for some sort of middle approach, where the biggest obstacle for the main couple is Mei's state of mind, and once that is resolved, all these other considerations are downplayed and treated as nothing an inspiring speech from Yuzu could not solve. Personally, I would not be a fan of this happening, but it is a possibility.

last edited at Feb 26, 2018 3:08AM

Reading through some of the newer chapters and realized, that there seemed to be many times where Mei had probably wanted to tell Yuzu the truth about how she felt, and about her marriage if only Yuzu had not disregarded what she had to say at times. So when it was time for her to leave, it was already too late. It seems like the only glimmer of hope we have left is for Yuzu to fight for Mei like she's always have in her own way. I think Mei wants to be saved even though she doesn't admit it.

@Uranus: What's a ''mango-like approach''? Sorry I'm unfamiliar with this term.

I meant how many manga take rather unrealistic approaches, in this specific case, how openly gay characters are often not met with any sort of animosity from their surroundings (which can vary from this aspect simply not being addressed at all, all the way to "waah, cuuuute" reactions from people around them), even when such works are set in Japan, or even worse (as is in this case), Japanese schools, which are notorious for bullying, and being openly gay is almost a guarantee societal rejection and bullying will happen. Parents and other family members are also most often simply not a factor in these scenarios.

Oh... thanks for explaining :-)

Now, given how parents, social norms and expectations are fairly well depicted in this work, chances of Saburouta going for something like that are slim at best, but she could go for some sort of middle approach, where the biggest obstacle for the main couple is Mei's state of mind, and once that is resolved, all these other considerations are downplayed and treated as nothing an inspiring speech from Yuzu could not solve. Personally, I would not be a fan of this happening, but it is a possibility.

Same. I will absolutely hate it if SU opts this kind of narrative. Please no. That would not fit this series.

[...] that there seemed to be many times where Mei had probably wanted to tell Yuzu the truth about how she felt, and about her marriage if only Yuzu had not disregarded what she had to say at times.

That's the problem when you're too considerate of somebody/have low self-confidence. Yuzu absolutely doesn't want to make Mei feel bad about anything, I guess given their history she had some reasons of wanting to avoid that.

At the first hint of trouble, Yuzu was always trying to defuse the situation by being comprehensive and kind, or just by goofying it out, and I do wonder if that discouraged Mei from saying anything bad to her. Either because she felt it would be okay since Yuzu is so comprehensive or she couldn't stand watch her step-sister being depressed after being her only sunshine; depending on her state of mind.

@ Yuri queen I guess I can see where you're coming from, even if I slightly disagree with how the first physical contact would be interpreted (before the end of vol2). My point being that Yuzu pushed for a relationship even when Mei was trying to distance herself.

There has been a lot of back and forth between the two, I guess I won't be able to agree with the fact that Mei was some kind of manipulative sadist without any consideration towards her step-sister; and that Yuzu was just a helpless victim.

But that's still going with the theory that Mei don't like herself very much, so what could be seen as a dick move on her part is, actually, a kind act for her. It all has to do with what the intentions are behind the acts.

last edited at Feb 26, 2018 9:10AM

From Mei's personality and actions she is the "low self-esteem but sensitive and crazy deep feelings" type, and throughout the series it's pretty clear to me that she thinks she is doing Yuzu a favour by not involving her in the mess of her family and responsibilities. Besides, that would be the typical Asian line of thought (not being a burden to others, etc). I would think Yuzu understands what's going on actually, rather than imagining Mei doesn't love her -- after all Mei confessed all her love in the letter. The question is more whether Yuzu herself has enough self-esteem and maturity to believe she would be more important to Mei than her career/family in order to go and try to convince her of it...or whether Mei can conclude on her own that she deserves to be happy and that Yuzu wants her THAT much. But for Mei to conclude that, it's likely she would need to see some bold moves on Yuzu's part that show Yuzu is in for the long haul and not only suffering from severe infatuation. TL;DR: either their love will turn into mature fully committed love or it will remain a forgettable crush, and they have a short time to decide before this marriage goes down, while most couples would have more time lol

@AozTkM: thanks! Luckily I don't need condolences, as my gf and I managed to be together. It was a long uphill battle but sharing life with her every day makes it all worth it. The "Dear Yuzu" letter and subsequent family-related circus happened a few years ago :-)

last edited at Feb 26, 2018 9:50AM

@Uranus: What's a ''mango-like approach''? Sorry I'm unfamiliar with this term.

I meant how many manga take rather unrealistic approaches, in this specific case, how openly gay characters are often not met with any sort of animosity from their surroundings

I'm a little unclear how dismissive you mean the term "mango" to be (if at all). I actually quite enjoy the wide range of relations to "reality" in yuri manga, even in the non-overtly supernatural or fantasy series.

Popular culture stories in general have been called "imaginary solutions to real problems," and while, depending on the premises of a given story, the "mango" approach can in fact amount to an artistic cop-out, sometimes it's great to just have a story where all that's at issue is how the people feel about each other (and themselves) rather than also making them grapple with how society feels about them.

tl,dr: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness or Kase-san: good yuri is good.

Completely changing topics: I mentioned that it seems Matsuri and Harumin will become a couple. My question is, is it possible they are already a couple but since the story is mostly under Yuzu's perspective, we don't know that yet? Reason being, Matsuri actually tells Nene pretty nonchalantly that Harumin only sees Yuzu as a friend, and that Harumin is her girlfriend in a very "no big deal" manner. Although Matsuri has pretty questionable behaviour, lying has never been one of them...in fact she has the opposite problem, "no filter" (to the point everything she has said is prophetic, like her evaluation of Mei as a "pawn being used by others" shortly after meeting her). Harumin is not seen protesting about Matsuri and her sharing rooms during the Summer trip either and is often worried about her. I vaguely remember also that Matsuri calls Yuzu from Harumin's phone? And now she is in the same school, which yes could be because of friendship reasons but pretty suspicious considering everything else.

Can Matsuri become Harumi girlfriend? Ofc she can. But i dont like this idea...

Why is it that you don't like it? I suppose Matsuri has manipulative tendencies, but so does Mei and yet people are OK with shipping a nice girl like Yuzu with her...I'd actually say Matsuri has evolved past her problematic behaviours much faster than Mei has, and she shows concern for her friends much more openly while Mei shows concern for...Yuzu I guess at times, and no one else? Anyways I'd say the possibility that the story would have even side characters get together faster than the MC's is hilarious and so sad at the same time...

@Uranus: What's a ''mango-like approach''? Sorry I'm unfamiliar with this term.

I meant how many manga take rather unrealistic approaches, in this specific case, how openly gay characters are often not met with any sort of animosity from their surroundings

I'm a little unclear how dismissive you mean the term "mango" to be (if at all). I actually quite enjoy the wide range of relations to "reality" in yuri manga, even in the non-overtly supernatural or fantasy series.

Not at all dismissive, I enjoy them too. I just call these traits such because of how often manga works go for that approach. Most of my favourite oneshots are in that range, so no, I did not mean it negatively. It is just that in the case of "Citrus" it would not fit, given how Saburouta depicted the society, and put special emphasis on Mei's social position. After all that, going for this approach would be kind of a cop-out.

It is just that in the case of "Citrus" it would not fit, given how Saburouta depicted the society, and put special emphasis on Mei's social position. After all that, going for this approach would be kind of a cop-out.

Agreed there. I do quite enjoy some “men not found” storyworlds (they often give young female characters room to confront romantic/sexual feelings as such rather than as simultaneously transgressing a social taboo). But when (in any kind of story) people/attitudes/circumstances that have functioned as major blocks to the protagonists throughout the story suddenly get waved away to create an otherwise unlikely happy ending, yeah, that’s bad/lazy writing.

On the other hand, I do find the trope of the (background character, fairly neutral) Mom who turns out to have had her own crushes/flirtations back in the day pretty adorable. And that’s not totally impossible here.

last edited at Feb 27, 2018 9:39AM

Why is it that you don't like it? I suppose Matsuri has manipulative tendencies, but so does Mei and yet people are OK with shipping a nice girl like Yuzu with her...I'd actually say Matsuri has evolved past her problematic behaviours much faster than Mei has, and she shows concern for her friends much more openly while Mei shows concern for...Yuzu I guess at times, and no one else? Anyways I'd say the possibility that the story would have even side characters get together faster than the MC's is hilarious and so sad at the same time...

Too many of these ships... YuzuxMei, MatsurixHarumi, HomekoxShiraho, MitsukoxMaruta ehhh

lol ok I agree with you here actually, I don't know where people got the other ships from. It's not because 2 characters interact that there's something other than friendship going on between them. But it seems to me MatsurixHarumin is being treated differently by the manga author and even in the anime OP. So I don't know...

If fans wants MatsurixHarumi they will get it

Saburota interview in Japanese

https://ddnavi.com/interview/421352/a/

last edited at Feb 27, 2018 5:34PM

I hope Citrus won't end in the next volume considering the anime might have a second season which I dream would happened.

On Matsuri and Harumin. Why would the realistic representation of our society in Citrus prevent Matsuri and Harumin from becoming a couple? if we're gonna base it on their personality. Matsuri would give zero f×cks about other people's opinion while Harumin is evidently cool with Yuzu's gayness. But I must say that Sabuoru Uta might just let the fans to interpret the real relationship of Harumin and Matsuri on their own instead of making them canon.

last edited at Mar 1, 2018 10:46PM

I think there would be nothing to prevent them from being a couple and it would likely be drama-less in comparison to YuzuMei. I mean, Harumin is the only down to earth person in the entire series, she deserves an award for tolerating all these crazy people around her xD If I was the manga author I'd just launch a parallel comedy series with Matsuri and Harumin as main characters and leave all the emo stuff behind.

^ I wish a spin-off with them happens at some point. They would be the perfect Yuri-comedy couple lol

At first let Citrus end.

OMG I THINK I KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN. SO, MEI IS GOING TO KEEP WEARING THE RING AROUND HER NECK (on the necklace) AND Then one day the Manager will see it and think that it looks familiar, and he's going to remember Yuzu telling him that the ring was for 'her lover', so he'll assume that Mei is Yuzu's lover! And then he's going to ask Mei about it, and Mei will confess and cry etc. AND THEN he'll let her go and cancel their marriage because he wants her to be happy and to be with Yuzu. So Mei will go back to Yuzu and then... I don't know what. But then I had this idea that maybe the Manager ends up inheriting Aihara academy?? Idk highly unlikely but those are my thoughts :)

The Manager can't inherit anything, as he is not from the same family unless he marries Mei. Actually after re-reading some key manga chapters, I confirmed Mei is really 100% head over heels over Yuzu, the girl can't even sleep when Yuzu is late to arrive home and is super possessive/jealous even towards friends like Harumin for no good reason. The possibility this series will end with her marrying some dude is slim...The "Dear Yuzu" letter amounts to a shit test from her to see if Yuzu has a backbone lol

Seriously, the "letter is a test" seems absurd. Mei wouldn't do that. She's indeed in love but convinced herself she made a good choice.
Seriously, why Yuzu should have to prove once again she has a backbone, the girl is broken after all she did? If it's that, Mei would be more pitiful than in volume 4 and 3 when she did test Yuzu and wanted her to pursue her. And I don't think it was intended like that. Mei's note is final for her, hence the sayonara ending it. Not a twisted way to call Yuzu back, especially seeing how she totally cut herself from school and from any chance to be meet by Yuzu before the wedding.

Nobody doubt she crazy is in love, but here, many expect that she does the job and choose by assuming this choice, whatever it is face to face with the persons involved.

last edited at Mar 1, 2018 10:25AM

OMG I THINK I KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN. SO, MEI IS GOING TO KEEP WEARING THE RING AROUND HER NECK (on the necklace) AND Then one day the Manager will see it and think that it looks familiar, and he's going to remember Yuzu telling him that the ring was for 'her lover', so he'll assume that Mei is Yuzu's lover! And then he's going to ask Mei about it, and Mei will confess and cry etc. AND THEN he'll let her go and cancel their marriage because he wants her to be happy and to be with Yuzu. So Mei will go back to Yuzu and then... I don't know what. But then I had this idea that maybe the Manager ends up inheriting Aihara academy?? Idk highly unlikely but those are my thoughts :)

Yes ofc. But this is the easiest way to fix all of this.