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.

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.

So I think there are 2 ways the whole story of Citrus can be interpreted (well as much as it can, given it's a soap opera plot lol). In both ways the only characters that matter are Mei and Yuzu, especially Mei, and the others are there as support and that's all.

The first one is the whole "duty vs personal fulfillment". In this case the story is about Mei letting go of her strict/duty-bound ways and living more authentically, and Yuzu is the person helping her do that through her love. From what I read in previous posts this is the most common interpretation. If that's what the manga author also wants as the "moral of the story", then the solution to the engagement problem will most likely be Mei choosing to be with Yuzu out of her own will rather than Yuzu going after her (maybe with support from other characters). So, "carving her own path". Anything other than that would make no sense in the context of what the author is trying to send as a message.

The other one is that the story is about Mei overcoming her fear of being vulnerable and abandoned by people she loves, by turning Yuzu into the person who will always love her and be there for her. I say "turning Yuzu" because Mei was the one starting this whole thing and the story can very well be read as a sequence of shit tests from Mei towards Yuzu. As Yuzu "passes" the tests, matures and they become closer and closer, Mei drops her defenses and heals. In this 2nd interpretation, the letter is basically the ultimate shit test and the "correct solution" is actually for Yuzu to go after her one last time and show that she wants to be with Mei for the long run as adults, rather than as high school crush.

Remember when chapter 10 came out 3-4 years ago? I sure do. I wanted to cry because it was sooooo good but it only updates about every two months. Years later and now it's chapter 36 and I still want to cry cause I want more. I NEED MORE.

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 problem is, even if the manager backs out from the wedding. Mei's grandfather can easily find another marriage partner for her. the only way this could stop is if everyone in the Aihara family will finally found out Mei and Yuzu's relationship but the final decision would still come from Mei.

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

I actually want to see Mei get jealous of Yuzu and Harumin's bff relationship. Yuzu even spends most of her time with Harumin than with anyone else in the manga. Although, Yuzu has a habit of ditching Harumin when it comes to Mei.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic but if there's anyone who has gigantic balls on Citrus. it is Yuzu. She had the guts to confront Mei and her grandfather regarding the school rules, She announced to the whole school that Amemiya is forcing himself to a student which we all know is Mei and wasn't afraid to get a suspension out of it, She didn't back down to Harumin's sister (can't remember her name) to be honest, I don't think anyone can call Yuzu spineless because after all who can still stay in love with Mei and not give up on her when she's cold AF.

last edited at Mar 1, 2018 11:17PM

@Matsuri_wins : your second interpretation is too sarcastic and Mei already knows Yuzu was for the long run, that is why she broke drown. Being Mei defender doesn’t need to put everything on Yuzu’s shoulders once again. If it was a test, Mei would deserve to be forgotten by Yuzu. Let’s stay with the serious and most probable interpretation, the duty vs fulfillement.

Chapter 35 and Mei’s behavior (almost a full, third person chapter for once and not a pov Yuzu’s one) contradicts your second interpretation. And really, it really throw Mei under the bus with her being an ultimate toxic and abusive sadist.

last edited at Mar 2, 2018 12:10AM

And really, it really throw Mei under the bus with her being an ultimate toxic and abusive sadist.

Well, although I think your overall point is correct, it is worthwhile remembering how terrifying and borderline rapey Mei’s behavior toward Yuzu initially is. As we’ve gotten to know her and see her through Yuzu’s military-grade yuri goggles, she seems (to those of us who don’t just hate her) to be an emotionally fragile broken bird in need of, and fully deserving of, a large dose of Onee-san Yuzu’s Lovey-Dovey Rehab Sauce. But she starts out every bit as sexually inappropriate as the rapist fiancé (although not as maliciously motivated, to be sure).

A well-deserved smack in the chops from Yuzu seems to have permanently recalibrated her internal moral compass, and I have no doubt about the sincerity of her recent feelings (anguished and self-destructive though they be). But “toxic and abusive” comes pretty close to the mark in describing the Mei we see early on in the story.

Well, although I think your overall point is correct, it is worthwhile remembering how terrifying and borderline rapey Mei’s behavior toward Yuzu initially is. As we’ve gotten to know her and see her through Yuzu’s military-grade yuri goggles, she seems (to those of us who don’t just hate her) to be an emotionally fragile broken bird in need of, and fully deserving of, a large dose of Onee-san Yuzu’s Lovey-Dovey Rehab Sauce. But she starts out every bit as sexually inappropriate as the rapist fiancé (although not as maliciously motivated, to be sure).

A well-deserved smack in the chops from Yuzu seems to have permanently recalibrated her internal moral compass, and I have no doubt about the sincerity of her recent feelings (anguished and self-destructive though they be). But “toxic and abusive” comes pretty close to the mark in describing the Mei we see early on in the story.

Yes, I agree on the fact Mei was abusive in the first part, and as you said, Yuzu fixed her and her moral compass because Mei had for the first time someone who really cared no matter what were her flaws. And someone who didn't try to use her, but genuinely wanted her to be happy and safe.

After volume 4, when they became a couple, this side of Mei disappeared. Indeed, she wanted to test Yuzu's determination in the first volumes, but now, the letter and the last volumes show how much she doesn't need to be assured about Yuzu's level of love. She knows how much Yuzu loves her and already made projects for a shared future. And that's what ultimately broke her and decided her to cut Yuzu from her life, for Yuzu's safe (she thinks), and to convince herself that it was better for her familial goal. The brutal way she ended her story with Yuzu (for the moment) and her letter, plus all volume 8 and her conflicted faces showed how much it costed her to break-up. She doesn't try to test Yuzu, she doesn't need to, she already knows. She just assumed that Yuzu will recover sooner or later, but she's wrong. As some people said above, Mei hates herself and genuinely think she doesn't deserve Yuzu, Yuzu deserves better. More than a test, she wants to punish herself only but she failed because Yuzu didn't give up (she stills wears the ring, on the cover and in the chapter, she works hard, and the "I will always love you" is probably more her thought if we look at closely the way she stands) and Yuzu suffers a lot, even after 6/7/8 months hence Shiraho's look when she recognize the ring around Yuzu's neck.

But, she respects Mei's decision and probably wants to believe Mei will make her own definitive choice. We don't know when Yuzu had the letter, when she read it, if she tried to see Mei or not ...

Concerning this "shitty test" interpretation, the more we can think is that Mei's letter is an unconscious SOS call. She says four times she chose her goal with free will as if she tries to convince herself of that, but she debunks that by saying that if she sees Yuzu, her resolve will crumble. It's not a resolve if it's so weak.

Next chapter will probably show more insight into Mei's everyday life after the letter, and maybe some action will be taken by characters. But this time, Mei needs to make her final choice without any pressure or external influence, hence the reason Yuzu stepped back. To have our happy ending, Mei and Yuzu need to be on equal ground. If Yuzu was the one the pass "these test of determination", this relation would have really no reason to exist, because it would be still totally twisted, something Yuzu made sure to change by showing her constant support to Mei. That's why I totally disagree on matsuri-wins' second interpretation.

last edited at Mar 2, 2018 2:35AM

We can all agree its time for Mei to take a action and fix all of this. But... but what can kick Mei ass to start all of it?

We can all agree its time for Mei to take a action and fix all of this. But... but what can kick Mei ass to start all of it?

I think the more we try to make theories, the more the author will surprise us once again. Mei will need a trigger, the question is what trigger: her own self, after the same 6 months of suffering than Yuzu? Someone else like the manager, her father, Himeko? An unexpected meeting with Yuzu? Something more dramatic involving someone's health? Who knows. Or Ume will reveal her the real reasons why she married Shou.

I think the more we try to make theories, the more the author will surprise us once again.

or disappoint

last edited at Mar 2, 2018 3:20AM

Wait how old is Mei again? Why is she already getting married?!

17 perhaps now, and she is not married yet.

Ok so when I said "shit test", I didn't mean shitty test lol I meant an actual "shit test", meaning a group of contradicting actions with the (usually subconscious, as definitely is Mei's case) motivation to get a genuine and spontaneous emotional reaction out of the person being tested, in order to assess their character/intentions as a person in general and towards the tester. It has nothing to do with being a "bad person" and everything to do with feeling insecure. The more insecure the person, usually the more they tend to shit test their partners even if they don't mean to, because the more they need all sorts of reassurance.

An insecure teenager with abandonment issues like Mei would do that even more, since she isn't even very verbal in the first place about her feelings (because her family is all into repressing them) and has been known for acting out rather than consciously and calmly discussing about what she wants, needs or fears. As shown by the fact that she literally sexually assaulted Yuzu on the regular as (presumably) a way of venting her initial growing emotions towards her, or the whole push-pull behaviour to get Yuzu to decide whether she wanted to date her or be stepsisters only. She is an emotional train-wreck of a person who has been improving thanks to Yuzu...but pretty far from normal teen behaviour I think, nobody just heals quickly like that from a lifetime of problematic family history.

So yes, the letter is an SOS call in my opinion too, only of the shit test variety lol Because if this was all about being dutiful to her family, she wouldn't need to take off from Yuzu's life and declare her love so strongly at the same time. She isn't dumb, she could just downplay the whole thing as a high school crush or whatever, which by the way would help Yuzu to forget her faster. But because she fears being abandoned and expects abandonment from people she loves whenever sh*t hits the fan, she abandons Yuzu first instead. In other words: if Yuzu is ever to have a healthy relationship Mei is not the one for her.

The simplest solution I can think for the situation is for Yuzu to grow up as a character and have the confidence to ask Mei to marry her before time runs out. Its a selfish thing to do but we're talking about Robot Mei here. Apparently in order for her to have some purpose in life, she wants to be needed right. So who or what will Mei choose... what does she love more. She's gonna be forced to make a final decision. And Yuzu, Matsuri warned her in the beginning about how society would see their relationship, and to think about it realistically. Both are in doubt right now because they're afraid to be who they really are in fear that their friends, family and society will disown them and they don't want each other to be put in that position. If Mei can confront her grandfather and declare her love for Yuzu and yet still wants to take over the school without the arranged marriage, hands down, that would be the most beautiful thing ever. This is what Yuzu deserves.

So yes, the letter is an SOS call in my opinion too, only of the shit test variety lol Because if this was all about being dutiful to her family, she wouldn't need to take off from Yuzu's life and declare her love so strongly at the same time. She isn't dumb, she could just downplay the whole thing as a high school crush or whatever, which by the way would help Yuzu to forget her faster.

Disagree on both counts. This a classic case (common in Korean dramas) of "noble idiocy": breaking up because (at least in part) in the long run it's supposedly "better" for the other person. The absolute worst and most hurtful version is when, in a misguided attempt to help the other person move on, the noble idiot lies and disavows their previous relationship--it was just a fling, they were only playing around, their feelings have changed entirely, etc. Mei at least is trying to be honest about her feelings. You think Yuzu would be happier if Mei took away not only their future life together but their entire past as well?

if Yuzu is ever to have a healthy relationship Mei is not the one for her.

This slips from talking about the story as it exists into berating an imaginary person. We know these two clowns are going to be together eventually; we just don't how the story is going to get there. There are any number of yuri stories which end tragically with two people locked into a destructive relationship; if you think this is one of them, you've been reading a different manga than I have.

The simplest solution I can think for the situation is for Yuzu to grow up as a character and have the confidence to ask Mei to marry her before time runs out.

Nope. Yuzu done enough for this relationship. Its Mei turn.

The simplest solution I can think for the situation is for Yuzu to grow up as a character and have the confidence to ask Mei to marry her before time runs out.

Nope. Yuzu done enough for this relationship. Its Mei turn.

Indeed. Yuzu is perfectly in tune with her feelings and she keeps cherishing them while suffering. Mei has to grow now, emotionally speaking and let down her "noble idiocy" behavior as Blastaar perfectly worded it. Mei act out of chivalry, she seriously believed that it was better for Yuzu, but at the same time, she offers what Yuzu always wanted, her own love confession (even though a face to face one will be needed). Yuzu knows Mei didn't play with her, but she suffers nonetheless.
Let's see how the author will make Mei choose.

But yeah, one thing is certain, Mei has to fix things, to be at Yuzu's level. And after that, to allow these two to progress together.

if Yuzu is ever to have a healthy relationship Mei is not the one for her.

This slips from talking about the story as it exists into berating an imaginary person. We know these two clowns are going to be together eventually; we just don't how the story is going to get there. There are any number of yuri stories which end tragically with two people locked into a destructive relationship; if you think this is one of them, you've been reading a different manga than I have.

I'm not berating Mei, as a character she is what makes Citrus interesting after all :P I don't see her as neither angel nor devil. But she isn't a healthy character, never has been and in order to turn her into one this series would have to be many more volumes long lol And I'm not saying the relationship is destructive; but simply that unless the manga author transforms Mei's personality completely, there is no way people will get the equal, warm, ultimately satisfying relationship they are dreaming of as the end for this story.

They will be together sure, but I doubt the unequal dynamics would go away. I mean, as much as they are cute together, what I have been reading is a story in which Yuzu has been sexually assaulted at first, then given mixed signals, put down numerous times, told to shut up/silenced with kisses, and even saying "I love you" is a one-sided thing lol Heck the ring too, Mei didn't want to put it in Yuzu's finger. I hope it's obvious this is not what a healthy relationship looks like.

If Mei acts by herself without any wild pursuit from Yuzu it will be surprising and very cool. For me it will be this manga setting itself apart from the genre (and I'm including all romantic shoujo manga here). Still my bet is totally on Yuzu pursuing/rescuing her one last time and Mei just saying yes and tagging along, because the reassurance of "Yuzu will never leave me and will fight any obstacles to be with me" is what she presumably craves here.

As much as I want Mei to be the one to come clean and fix things, Yuzu has to confront her first and prompt her to let out her real feelings. Yuzu is the only one who can break Mei's "resolve" whatever that means... To take responsibility for her grandfather's school since she is capable of it, and has anyone ever thought that maybe she does give an actual damn about taking over it instead of letting it crumble down. I think she'd feel sad about it closing down or letting someone else take over. She wants to be proud of accomplishing what her father couldn't. If she's doing it out of her own will like she indeed states, that's something utterly different than her acting out of "noble idiocy."

And I'm not saying the relationship is destructive; but simply that unless the manga author transforms Mei's personality completely, there is no way people will get the equal, warm, ultimately satisfying relationship they are dreaming of as the end for this story.

Ah, I think I get what you're saying more clearly now (although I still largely disagree). I don't know how others have been reading the situation, but (and putting real-world psychological dynamics aside for a moment) my feeling has been that once Mei can shed (or at least shift) that giant pile of responsibility/expectations that have been crushing her for so long, she'll be able to return Yuzu's playfulness and affection. (Not that she'll ever be a genki girl, but if at some level she didn't want to break out of her shell, she never would have responded to Yuzu's sincerity and emotional candor in the first place.) I don't think such a development would be an arbitrary character transformation to fit the plot; I think it's what the story has been working toward the whole time.

If she's doing it out of her own will like she indeed states, that's something utterly different than her acting out of "noble idiocy."

Actually it's not. "Noble idiot" breakups happen for a lot of reasons (although duty coming into conflict with love is a very common one), and the reasons are often quite legitimate ("Give up your love or we'll have him/her killed" is one extreme example). The characters are "idiots" primarily because we know (because of the requirements of plot or genre) that they're going to end up getting back together, so in a lot of cases the story is basically marking time until they do. The trope can be done well, as when the two people develop while they're apart in ways that are necessary for them to be together in the long term. But sometimes it's just a pain in the ass.

last edited at Mar 2, 2018 1:23PM

And I'm not saying the relationship is destructive; but simply that unless the manga author transforms Mei's personality completely, there is no way people will get the equal, warm, ultimately satisfying relationship they are dreaming of as the end for this story.

Ah, I think I get what you're saying more clearly now (although I still largely disagree). I don't know how others have been reading the situation, but (and putting real-world psychological dynamics aside for a moment) my feeling has been that once Mei can shed (or at least shift) that giant pile of responsibility/expectations that have been crushing her for so long, she'll be able to return Yuzu's playfulness and affection. (Not that she'll ever be a genki girl, but if at some level she didn't want to break out of her shell, she never would have responded to Yuzu's sincerity and emotional candor in the first place.) I don't think such a development would be an arbitrary character transformation to fit the plot; I think it's what the story has been working toward the whole time.

Ok I get what you mean. The difference is in how we read Mei: I don't interpret Mei as a person being crushed by her responsibilities only; I would, if there hadn't been all the sexual assault/push-pull stuff in the beginning. But because of that initial stuff, combined with her improvement ever since the relationship started, I see her essentially as a non-sociopathic, more passive version of Hotaru from Netsuzou Trap. Someone affected by family abandonment. I guess the question is whether we can hand-wave all that uncomfortable stuff from before as, well who knows, maybe bait-and-switch that was never meant to be part of the story :P

I hesitate to say this in response to someone with your username, but, IMO, * cough * Matsuri was initially introduced as a much more overtly malevolent character than Mei ever was—she seemed to have messed with her friend’s love life just for giggles before setting Mei up for sexual degradation—and she got rehabbed as a character with lightning speed.

I think that at this point—in fact as of quite some time ago—we’re supposed to regard rapey Mei and witchy Matsuri as all-but-forgotten figures of the distant past. (Shirapon is another example of a character who has undergone that patented Citrus “scary person > cutie pie” makeover, and Harumin’s sister’s appears to be well underway.)

Hah, you are totally right of course. I guess I am able to conveniently forget Matsuri was the devil incarnated because it was so over the top it couldn't possibly be taken seriously. Heck, I can see how the series will end now: Gramps will turn into a cutie pie too and support the wedding no questions asked lmao