I realize that the “mysterious and sexy but emotionally damaged broken bird” trope is central to this story, and we all must wait patiently for Liz to emerge from her shell/be healed by the warmth and down-to-earth kindness of our MC, etc. And a rather long wait I expect it will be.

But in real-life relationship terms, I can’t help but think of one of the best pieces of advice from a therapist: “Nobody is a mind reader”—if you don’t speak up and say what’s going on with you, you can’t blame other people for not knowing. (This is the antidote to those, “If you really loved me, I wouldn’t need to say it” emotional traps.)

I know, I know, if characters in almost any kind of story communicated like normal, healthy people ought to, we’d have a hell of lot fewer stories.

But it does put a limit on my sympathy for Liz, and until she opens up in some substantial way, on my interest in her as a character.

I have a really good online friend that I get advice from a lot, and the amount of times she's hammered in how important communication is in a relationship has made it the first thing that I think about any time I read a story like this.

Another option is that the author is gunning for the Forgotten Childhood Friend trope: Liz and the MC were childhood friends, except the MC couldn't recognize her again behind the rock star persona, even after Liz has shown her girly private self. She was really upset about the guitar-shaped earrings mainly because they showed that the MC is perceiving her as a distant rock star, rather than remembering her as a friend.

That said, I agree 100% that she should just open her mouth and tell whatever it is that bothers her rather than playing the mystery mind-reading game.

Another option is that the author is gunning for the Forgotten Childhood Friend trope: Liz and the MC were childhood friends, except the MC couldn't recognize her again behind the rock star persona, even after Liz has shown her girly private self. She was really upset about the guitar-shaped earrings mainly because they showed that the MC is perceiving her as a distant rock star, rather than remembering her as a friend.

But that wouldn't explain the first time Liz shoves her away, when MC touches her ear while they're making out after the show.

you guys are creating so many expectations.

you guys are creating so many expectations.

I’d say it’s Liz who is creating the expectations. (Well, that and the long lag time between releases.)

Her initial come-ons toward Honjo are just this side of assaultive, but she keeps breaking things off as her target starts responding. She uses several classic “tease” strategies, like starting apparent skinship only to claim she’s just looking for a pen, etc., and while there’s nothing inherently wrong with trying to pique the interest of someone you’re interested in, the normal course is to start letting the other person in when they give those advances a positive response.

Keeping repeating this “come hither/get out” dynamic with no further explanation and it starts to look simply manipulative (if not in fact abusive).

I hope this series continues i cant wait to see the next chapter

The dinner date at the apartment seemed like Liz trying to get Honjou to know her outside of her stage life.

I'm guessing Liz interpreted the music-themed gift as Honjou only liking her as a performer, and not being interested in getting to know the "real" Liz.

last edited at May 16, 2018 8:06PM

Welp, Liz is a horrible bitch and Honjo is a moron. Showed so much promise at the beginning but decided to blow it all away with melodrama.

last edited at May 22, 2018 2:10PM

I like the way the manga goes

Oh fucking grow up you giant pain in the ass.
"I will tell you nothing about me, make advances towards you, put you out in the open about your sexuality and then become offended when you don't act the way I fucking want you to"

Man its getting good

I love how everyone came up with all these genuinely interesting and novel ideas that could explain Liz's issues, but in the end, it's just because she had a somewhat unpleasant breakup. It wasn't even an especially awful breakup, it was just somewhat unexpected and upsetting in a completely ordinary way. Like, it's the one thing nobody guessed, because it was too normal. Oh well. I guess it's... Realistic? Maybe?

Well, while that explains the reaction for chapter 5, the doubling down on her bitchiness about it firmly put her into "fuck this cunt" territory of bitchdom. Slapping Honjo for something someone else did years ago that she just happened to remind her about? Yeah, no, fuck that.

This girl a real ass bitch, huh? Fuck her.

Oh fucking grow up you giant pain in the ass.
"I will tell you nothing about me, make advances towards you, put you out in the open about your sexuality and then become offended when you don't act the way I fucking want you to"

"I'm acting all mysterious by mistreating the girl I supposedly like, because I'm soooo hurt, basically scarred for life. Nobody hurts like I do!! Bitch please!"

I'm not saying the story is crap, but the drama is. :P

last edited at May 22, 2018 6:20PM

"Oh I'm hurting, so I've got the right to go around playing with people and stepping on other people's feelings'... That's all of Momono Moto's series lately. And I mean it, ALL OF THEM.

last edited at May 22, 2018 6:20PM

Relationships in general aren't meant to last forever, silly!

Yeah, even with the back story, Liz is a major jerk.
I'm sure the authors justify Honjou's fascination with Liz via her interests as a writer since, in fulfilling the stereotypes of a writer, she would be inexplicably drawn to such a seemingly layered individual. HOWEVER, given this fascination survives episodes of both emotional and physical abuse, it just weakens Hanjou as a character by imbuing her with weirdly low levels of self-respect not consistent with her interactions with other characters in the series.

last edited at May 22, 2018 9:23PM

I’m losing track a little bit—on these collaborative stories, does Momono Moto do just the art, or co-write and draw, or sometimes different things?

Because, although Momono isn’t always the greatest plotter, this “explanation” for the Great Liz Mystery seems extremely weak and ordinary.

last edited at Aug 5, 2018 12:11PM

Blastaar posted:

I’m losing track a little bit—on these collaborative stories, does Momono Moto do just the art, or co-write and draw, or sometimes different things?

Because, although Momomo isn’t always the greatest plotter, this “explanation” for the Great Liz Mystery seems extremely weak and ordinary.

Not 100% sure, but it seems normally Momono writes and draws, but this time she only draws and Kitta is writing the story?

MAL seems to say so too.

last edited at May 22, 2018 6:49PM

What an idiot! i get that she got hurt in the past but that dosent give her any right to do that to Honjou, how that hell would Honjou know about the meaning of the earrings if the bitch dosent tell her anything about her?! she acts like Honjou wanted to hurt her on purpose which it not the case at all! what a spoiled and stupid child.

last edited at May 22, 2018 7:09PM

Chapter 6 is really amazing. First part portrays Liz in a sympathetic light (although I agree with Blastaar on the explanation being weak), then flips it completely with her being a total and utter cunt towards Maki for no reason whatsoever. Her having past "trauma" does not give her a licence to be an asshole. First of all, Maki had no way of knowing what those earrings could mean to Liz, she is not a mind reader. Secondly, she apologised, despite not actually doing anything wrong. Thirdly, the "trauma" itself is beyond stupidly ridiculous, so the fact Liz not only failed to apologise for her previous outburst, but escalated things with physical violence speaks volumes of just how unhinged the girl is, and this while Maki was unnecessarily apologising herself.

Maki is also not really a satisfying character, she reacts to Liz's completely irrational outburst by blaming herself, apologises, gets slapped for her trouble, yet even then the moment she realises Liz is crying her reaction is to ask Liz is she alright. Just how much of a doormat can you be? This is probably why I am not as upset with Liz's behaviour as I could have been, the main character is also a moron, just of a different kind, and I find it almost impossible to empathise with this type of character.

Ok I was left with many questions after CH 5 but now I now I got more questions than answers with CH 6, but I still love this.

Yeah I'm not too enthused by this chapter I had hoped for a more tragic backstory instead of the cliched our love is phase shit. It really feels like the flashback is disconnected from the main story like it belongs in some other manga.

last edited at May 22, 2018 7:35PM

Not her fault in the first place. Let's slap her too.. c'mon -_-