Oh jeez, this is what happens when a chapter comes out and there is 4 pages of comments to read. My 2 cents: Yuu's reaction was very normal, Touko was kinda unrealistic. How can she not know, Yuu is hurt and that she needs to clarify what she meant? Ugh

So I've seen this sentiment on Touko going around quite a bit, and although it has been addressed in previous comments by someone else, I want to share some of my opinions on the subject:

Touko really didn't have much to say at that moment. You can tell by her initial reaction to the confession in Chapter 34 that she has noticed how much she's hurt Yuu and immediately apologized for it. And as she herself points out in this chapter, clarifying anything wouldn't actually help, it'll be more like rubbing salt on the wound.

"Hey,you know, I didn't actually mean to reject you, but I'm going to reject you again now"

That doesn't seem like a good idea. Touko is obviously still in love with Yuu, but much like Yuu, she's really not that sharp on her own emotions. I feel like people still retain the image of the perfect and mature sister-Touko, and a large part of that is how it managed to still stick with her after her major epiphany. Her understanding in emotions seems to be only about a tiny bit above Yuu, but a lot more selfish.

Their relationship has never been healthy, and Touko entered it assuming that Yuu would never fall for anyone, something that Yuu actually said, without expecting her to change. Her "I love you"s are small attempts that she thought would ensure this one-way relationship to continue. The "terms and conditions" of this relationship of theirs have been established as early as chapter 10, and it does make sense for Touko to consider this in the logical way as written in her "contract", while still showing uncertainties about her current situations and decisions. IMO the following "I miss her" means way more than what she thinks Yuu should THEORETICALLY mean to her now, but it didn't seem to connect the same way with some people.

TL;DR: Come on she can finally stop being her dead sister let her have some time to learn. It isn't a very fun process but it'll eventually work out.

Not a fan of this series, but watched the anime because yuri is yuri. And yuri is always better than het nonesense. The background art is gorgeous, but their faces are kinda strange. Maybe it’s the giant eyes, small nose and pointy chin idk

This last chapter reminded why I liked this manga so much in the first place (the previous two or three chapters were kinda "meh" for me), so much so that I cried reading the very last page.
After a period of self-found (self-imposed really) balance, Yuu breaks under the pressure of her unreasonable promises and she's back to facing one of the very first themes of the comics: am I able to love? Can I really be part of this game not just as a spectator but as an active member? Does what I feel even count as real love? And so on.
Like, who hasn't felt that way at least once? And this will be particularly true for queer people, but who hasn't held themself back or straight-up repressed their feelings for the sake of peace and quiet? Who hasn't shrugged off their emotions with a "whatever" whenever things turned out just the way you feared? This is the thing that I think makes this comics so much more relatable, and it's by far the theme I want to see explored the most. I really look forward to seeing how Yuu will climb out of this ravine. Keep it together, girl

last edited at Oct 6, 2018 3:20AM

Episode 1 was good. Aside from some questionable POV shots, the whole thing was really beauitful and well done. I especially liked some of the eye-transitions and subtle motions they put in.
Still have to get used to Yuu's voice though. Her voice actress is great, but she sounds too cute/innocent to be honest. I always imagined Yuu with more of an edge or slightly deeper voice.

I think they made good choices with voice actresses for Yuu, Touko, and Sayaka.

I find that Yuu is rather innocent with her view of love that starts as reliant on shojo-manga. And in how she is timid with her emotions and a bit submissive to others. Sayak's voice has just a touch of mostly controlled ego with the subtle "Hime" voice. And Touko's matches her use of pleasantries.

I'm not sure which questionable POV shots you mean

Hm, that is a bit superficial I'd say. Yuu is actually rather sarcastic and exasperated with Touko's shenanigans a lot of the time, so she really needs to have a more blunt vocal approach once she snaps out of her "adoring kohai" phase from the first chapter. Thus far it worked, but I'm thinking of the bigger picture here.

Did you not notice these out of place Point-of-view shots? They felt stiff, almost like you were looking through a camera. As you should be keenly aware, humans actually don't see things like that. Our eyes don't move that statically.

We always knew this relationship was messed up. The only reason it worked more or less was because Yuu is someone who lets herself get taken advantage of easily. If she was even a tiny bit more selfish this would have broken apart around chapter 3. lol

Messed up has such a negative and "crazy" connotation to it so i disagree there and that Yuu is letting herself be taken advantage of. Touko certainly is taking advantage of Yuu's feelings and kindness, at least to start though not maliciously, but Yuu has also been a willing and enabling participant. I see it as more that both are not certain of their emotions, uncertain how to interact healthfully with each other, and are having to take the time to learn of each other and of themselves before being able to move forward properly. Certainly they are having their troubles, their relationships hasn't been the best, but they have helped each other.

I do agree that Yuu is a bit selfless, but if she had a better understanding of love then I don't think she would have enabled Touko for so long. The stories theme, blooming, is an act of coming into one's full self. I used to think that "Bloom into You" meant the buildup of the relationships, but I think now that "Bloom into You" means possibly that mostly it is Touko and Yuu talking to themselves. They are blooming into their own full selves.

It's not the best relationship ever, but when are they ever? They do genuinely love each other, even if mistaken, and are not trying not wanting to hurt one another.

It is negative. The way Yuu suffered for the second half of the manga was anything but healthy and good. And Touko most certainly was messed up from the start, the way she hated herself and wanted to be someone else. The way she wanted to love someone who couldn't love her back, because she hates herself. Those are all far from healthy relationship conditions.
Look at this from an objective perspective. What is Touko actually doing? She is using a girl that she thinks cannot and will not ever love her - that she actually forces to promise not to love her - , asking her to be together with her, let herself be kissed and touched. To stay with her in a way that couples do, to relief her frustrations on her. That is the pinnacle of taking advantage of someone's kindness/sense of duty. That is most definitely a "crazy" situation.

You didn't really refute me though... Yuu does let herself get taken advantage of. You still admitted it.

We have to accept that their relationship wasn't healthy until now, but that doesn't mean it was bad overall. After all both acted out of love. And Yuu did manage to fix Touko, only because they were so close. Though it may have been a shackled kind of relationship, they did enjoy the time they spent with each other. Touko never intended to hurt Yuu, even if she was callous without realizing. It's an attest to good writing that something so twisted can feel so genuine, really.

last edited at Oct 6, 2018 5:42AM

Anime Yuu looks like she's got bags under her eyes and with the bedhead appears chronically tired. A nice touch if it's intentional.

Not a fan of this series, but watched the anime because yuri is yuri. And yuri is always better than het nonesense. The background art is gorgeous, but their faces are kinda strange. Maybe it’s the giant eyes, small nose and pointy chin idk

Yeah, there's something off with faces.

The faces are fine. They look like they would if they were animated. Very good emulation of the original art style. As for the change of POV, it could convey some pretty strong stuff if they use it correctly, after all, this is all told through Yuu's eyes so it's fitting that every now and then we see through her eyes. Literally.

Do keep in mind though, that the first couple of episodes (and last 2-3) are generally of the highest quality.

I really do love how the episode ended though. Made me chuckle.

last edited at Oct 6, 2018 4:33PM

Do keep in mind though, that the first couple of episodes (and last 2-3) are generally of the highest quality.

Well, that's disappointing. I figure in a drama series the background/atmosphere would play a major role. I loved the background scenes in this anime. They made the anime.

Funny, how this also is true in western comics. First and last couple of pages are the best art.

But, I've noticed in this manga, the art is good throughout. It's the character placement and page composition that I admire.

This last chapter reminded why I liked this manga so much in the first place (the previous two or three chapters were kinda "meh" for me), so much so that I cried reading the very last page.
After a period of self-found (self-imposed really) balance, Yuu breaks under the pressure of her unreasonable promises and she's back to facing one of the very first themes of the comics: am I able to love? Can I really be part of this game not just as a spectator but as an active member? Does what I feel even count as real love? And so on.
Like, who hasn't felt that way at least once? And this will be particularly true for queer people, but who hasn't held themself back or straight-up repressed their feelings for the sake of peace and quiet? Who hasn't shrugged off their emotions with a "whatever" whenever things turned out just the way you feared? This is the thing that I think makes this comics so much more relatable, and it's by far the theme I want to see explored the most. I really look forward to seeing how Yuu will climb out of this ravine. Keep it together, girl

First of all, thank you for being honest about the tears.

I agree that if you're human you should have questioned love at some point. For me, it's yet to be answered, and I've been around the block a few times. (Let's just say I'm not a Millennial. hehe) I would never trust Touko or love, so I'd move on. Thus, in my mind their whole relationship is fubar. (In this acronym, the "r" stands for repair.) I'm very eager to see how the rest of the story unfolds. I would say that this is the part in story telling that's called the dark moment, or the point where Captain Picard is out of options to save the Enterprise. Meaning, the epiphany has yet to come. I'm interested in how the author will shed some light for me on how these two will finally understand what love is, because anything is better than what I've experienced.

The faces are fine. They look like they would if they were animated. Very good emulation of the original art style. As for the change of POV, it could convey some pretty strong stuff if they use it correctly, after all, this is all told through Yuu's eyes so it's fitting that every now and then we see through her eyes. Literally.

Do keep in mind though, that the first couple of episodes (and last 2-3) are generally of the highest quality.

I really do love how the episode ended though. Made me chuckle.

Sometimes we see things from Touko or Sayaka's perspective as well, don't forget. The POV is just very gimmicky. Or artsy if we wanna be really snobbish.

Well the first few and the final one usually. With some extra budget on the most pivotal moments in between. Drama series usually know how to stretch the money just right.

I have yet to see the first episode, but I read that they covered just one chapter in the first episode? Does that mean that the anime will only cover about 15 chapters? (Since it will be 13 episodes long) That would be a real bummer..

It goes a few pages into chapter 2, actually... up to the point where Nanami-sempai asks Yuu to be her campaign manager. One of the few differences between the anime and the manga is that some of the thoughts about what happened with Nanami that Yuu has in the bath at home in the manga are at the student council room in the anime instead. (Skipping a chance at fan service is a positive sign...)

Well the first few and the final one usually. With some extra budget on the most pivotal moments in between. Drama series usually know how to stretch the money just right.

Well, it's not like YagaKimi is the kind of series that requires a huge animation budget. It's the direction and composition that will make or break it, and so far it seems to have that down.

I have yet to see the first episode, but I read that they covered just one chapter in the first episode? Does that mean that the anime will only cover about 15 chapters? (Since it will be 13 episodes long) That would be a real bummer...

Don't forget that the first chapter of a series is much longer than the others. And a lot of YagaKimi chapters are pretty short.

last edited at Oct 7, 2018 5:01AM

I found it here

Make your own opinion. It's still an interesting read IMO.

That was kind of, I dunno . . . cute.

“I’ve got it in a soft place” is a great hentai line.

I liked the first episode, although I am not too happy with the voice actor choices, especially for Touko. But other than that a very well done animation. Ok, maybe the eyes could be a tad bit livelier in some scenes, but I'm really nitpicking here.

If they keep the pacing and don't make any cuts, we'll end up about 2/3 of the story, right before the stage performance. This doesn't make a lot of sense, so I think they will increase the pacing a bit after another 1 or 2 eps, and will likely introduce some cuts.

If they cut on side characters, including Sayaka rivalry (to the extent that the story still works), we might see the happy ending in episode 13. Otherwise they might stop right after the play. Not sure what I'd prefer personally, but probably the former. Unless Nakatani-sensei has enough content for the 2nd cour which doesn't seem to be the case right now, at least to me. So yeah I'd prefer a simultaneous ending in manga and the anime for Christmas.

But let's see, the show has a very good series composer, so I trust he will make the best choice for the viewers given the limitations.

Overall, it left a very warm feeling in my heart and I want to rewatch the episode again and again.

last edited at Oct 8, 2018 9:40AM

Well written and perfectly paced, in my opinion this is quickly turning out to be one of the best yuri manga ever. The characters and their relationships are likable and believable, the story is thematic and intriguing, and the art is pleasant and warm. I can't wait until the next chapter, I am so hype.

Episode 2 is out and I see absolutely no decrease in quality. It might actually be a better executed episode than the first one. I was really looking forward to Yuu's death stare of betrayal and it was just glorious haha

Good to see there are some of you enjoying the anime so much. I'm not convinced yet...

Good to see there are some of you enjoying the anime so much. I'm not convinced yet...

What does it take to make you respect an adaptation then? Because it's 100% faithful to the manga, has decent animation and pacing and a very nice score (I love the opening so much). They added a lot of background and mood setting imagery too, which is a nice plus.

I just don't see the downsides right now? (except maybe for getting used to some voice actresses)

Good to see there are some of you enjoying the anime so much. I'm not convinced yet...

At least you're still on the fence so you might enjoy it down the line. I already gave up on the production quality for the most part. Just watching to see how wild this director can get with important scenes and how the sakuga for them will turn out.

Good to see there are some of you enjoying the anime so much. I'm not convinced yet...

What does it take to make you respect an adaptation then? Because it's 100% faithful to the manga, has decent animation and pacing and a very nice score (I love the opening so much). They added a lot of background and mood setting imagery too, which is a nice plus.

I just don't see the downsides right now? (except maybe for getting used to some voice actresses)

I previously said that, as a comics person, I don’t see anime as being inherently superior to manga, but that adaptations sometimes can add new elements or highlight existing ones such that the adaptation is as good as (in a different way) or even better than the original.

I also said that YagaKimi, since it uses the elements of static visual/verbal sequential storytelling (i.e., manga/comics) so extremely well, did not seem to be a series that would obviously be improved by an anime version. Though the anime is fine so far, at this point I still think that.

It’s inevitable that some plot points that were developed subtly and in a nuanced way in the manga are more blunt and on-the-nose in the streamlined plot of an anime, so that aspect is not really a problem.

But my reactions (and I emphasize that these are my reactions—if other people think these things are great, well, great):

• The voice actresses themselves seem very good, as far as I can tell without understanding Japanese, but the timbre for both of the leads seems too high for the characters as I imagined them (and as compared to female voices in some other anime) and also too similar-sounding—the voices don’t reflect the height/affect difference between Touko and Yuu that’s so visually evident in the manga.

• The color palette for many of the daily scenes isn’t very appealing to me—the colors often seem light and tending towards undersaturated pastels, so I keep wanting to increase the contrast on my screen. Conversely, at other times, as in the “ambush kiss” at the train crossing, dramatic lighting effects like the sunset/approaching darkness are distracting from what’s happening in the scenes and basically unnecessary, since, for example, the train itself made that original scene tense and dramatic.

• The music, which in itself is fine, inherently pumps up the romance-y atmosphere, so passages where the thematic point is that Yuu doesn’t feel like she’s in a romance manga or anime are depicted as—Yuu in a romance anime.

So overall, while I think I’d say that it’s a pretty well-made anime, the original manga is notable for establishing a cool and even visual tone and atmosphere as a background for subtle emotional action and development, so that the scenes that are visually heightened (Touko’s memories of her younger self before her sister’s death, for example) really stand out as exceptional.

Again, it’s a good-enough anime. I’m glad it got made. And I’ve only seen the two episodes. But I still like the manga much better.

I previously said that, as a comics person, I don’t see anime as being inherently superior to manga, but that adaptations sometimes can add new elements or highlight existing ones such that the adaptation is as good as (in a different way) or even better than the original.

I also said that YagaKimi, since it uses the elements of static visual/verbal sequential storytelling (i.e., manga/comics) so extremely well, did not seem to be a series that would obviously be improved by an anime version. Though the anime is fine so far, at this point I still think that.

It’s inevitable that some plot points that were developed subtly and in a nuanced way in the manga are more blunt and on-the-nose in the streamlined plot of an anime, so that aspect is not really a problem.

But my reactions (and I emphasize that these are my reactions—if other people think these things are great, well, great):

• The voice actresses themselves seem very good, as far as I can tell without understanding Japanese, but the timbre for both of the leads seems too high for the characters as I imagined them (and as compared to female voices in some other anime) and also too similar-sounding—the voices don’t reflect the height/affect difference between Touko and Yuu that’s so visually evident in the manga.

• The color palette for many of the daily scenes isn’t very appealing to me—the colors often seem light and tending towards undersaturated pastels, so I keep wanting to increase the contrast on my screen. Conversely, at other times, as in the “ambush kiss” at the train crossing, dramatic lighting effects like the sunset/approaching darkness are distracting from what’s happening in the scenes and basically unnecessary, since, for example, the train itself made that original scene tense and dramatic.

• The music, which in itself is fine, inherently pumps up the romance-y atmosphere, so passages where the thematic point is that Yuu doesn’t feel like she’s in a romance manga or anime are depicted as—Yuu in a romance anime.

So overall, while I think I’d say that it’s a pretty well-made anime, the original manga is notable for establishing a cool and even visual tone and atmosphere as a background for subtle emotional action and development, so that the scenes that are visually heightened (Touko’s memories of her younger self before her sister’s death, for example) really stand out as exceptional.

Again, it’s a good-enough anime. I’m glad it got made. And I’ve only seen the two episodes. But I still like the manga much better.

Alright, I wasn't especially addressing you, but having a conversation about this can't harm.

In my opinion, as long as the exact same basic requirements are fulfilled (same story, same artstyle, same pacing), the anime will (almost) always be better by default, due to the advantages of the medium. That is if the additional factors that come with anime are not dragging it down. Prime example: My Hero Academia. I honestly can't find any fault with the anime. It's the manga, but at its best at all times.
This doesn't even account for the things you mentioned like changes that improve the original or making an adaptation very different to find a new appeal.

I don't think there is a single manga that wouldn't be improved by color, sound, music and voice acting (if those things are done right), no matter how static or perfectly apt in using the medium it is. YagaKimi is no exception.

I haven't seen any of the streamlining you speak of yet in this anime at least, so I won't accept that as an argument until it happens, even if you actually had seen it as a negative.

Well to be frank, I think Yuu is the only one lacking (not for her seiyuu's lack of talent of course) as she just sounds too soft and meek. A deeper voice really would have helped there. But that is not really a fair assessment. The voices we used in our heads are probably completely different from each other as well. It's impossible to find a voice that pleases everyone. I don't think there is an issue inherently with it and size difference means absolutely nothing in context of voices (in anime). I completely disagree that Touko and Yuu sound similar either, so that point confuses me more than anything. If anybody told me that Yuuki Takada and Minako Kotobuki sounded similar I'd have laughed at them.
Their differences are still visually evident in the anime too btw, so you have that regardless of voice acting.

I'm no coloring specialist, but I have not felt much of what you describe at all. I thought the train scene was handled quite brilliantly. Maybe they held the shot of the kiss a tad too long, but that's about it. What you liked about it in the manga is still here, just with additional factors that make it "prettier". If you get distracted so easily that is probably not the directions fault, sorry.

The music has been rather subtle throughout the first two episodes, except for the scenes that were emotionally heavy. The scene where Yuu felt betrayed or unable to comprehend why she doesn't feel anything from kissing or the like sounded far from romantic. This difference in perception is seriously odd to me. Not everything with strings or a whistful piano is inherently romantic.

If you truly appreciated the more calm and modest part of the artstyle the most, then I suppose it being fancier on screen is counter-productive to you. But subtle actions, reactions and emotions are still there as they were in the manga. I know people who can't deal with the transition from static to animated well, because of many factors, like them not being able to hold a shot as long as they want (if they usually stared at something for quite a while), or them imagining a rather different line of action etc. I'm not surprised to see someone react that way for that reason.

But c'mon. All these subtle motions that the manga could merely imply, all the eye-shifting and transitions, those are things that only enhanced what was already there. I wish I was one of those fancy analysing Youtubers who made breakdowns of scenes, but sadly I lack that acuteness. All I can do is refer to the conversation between Touko and Sayaka during the volleyball match. I think it exemplifies where the subtlety and motions of the anime excell.

Phew... this sure sounds like I'm being contrarian, but your opinion isn't inherently wrong to me either. Percpetion may vary greatly and we don't all focus on the same things. No hard feelings, alright?

In my opinion, as long as the exact same basic requirements are fulfilled (same story, same artstyle, same pacing), the anime will (almost) always be better by default, due to the advantages of the medium.

I know a lot of people think that, but I don't. I do understand that many people find anime to be inherently more immersive, and I'd never try to argue anyone out of their preference.

But comics (including manga, of course) and animation are different mediums, and there are fundamental differences between the two--they certainly both do many similar things (which is why adaptations can be so close), but each one does things the other one cannot. The reader-determined pace of reception and the presence of verbal text (along with some other elements) are specific to comics, as motion and sound are to animation.

I haven't seen any of the streamlining you speak of yet in this anime at least, so I won't accept that as an argument until it happens, even if you actually had seen it as a negative.

I'm not going to do a page-by-page comparison (I don't care enough about the anime to do that) but obviously the contents of every single panel in the manga are not reproduced in the anime (just off the top of my head, Sayaka's thoughts after Touko apologizes and explains her reasoning for picking Yuu as campaign manager are omitted). Again, not a criticism--space is just at a premium in anime/film compared to comics/film.

Or put another way--in anime space becomes time (for instance, a wide landscape requires a shot held for a longer time) and in comics time becomes space (the more panels a given action is broken down into, the "longer" it takes).

Phew... this sure sounds like I'm being contrarian, but your opinion isn't inherently wrong to me either. Percpetion may vary greatly and we don't all focus on the same things. No hard feelings, alright?

Of course, and I tried as hard as I possibly could to communicate that I'm talking about my own personal preferences. I only replied because I'm someone who prefers the manga to the anime, not because I think the anime is poorly done, but because I don't think comics are just animation that lack movement and sound.

I've been positively surprised so far. It's not overdone or cheesified. The one thing I don't like is cheap-looking 3D texture backgrounds.

Sayaka came across as angrier than I expected.

I know a lot of people think that, but I don't. I do understand that many people find anime to be inherently more immersive, and I'd never try to argue anyone out of their preference.

But comics (including manga, of course) and animation are different mediums, and there are fundamental differences between the two--they certainly both do many similar things (which is why adaptations can be so close), but each one does things the other one cannot. The reader-determined pace of reception and the presence of verbal text (along with some other elements) are specific to comics, as motion and sound are to animation.

I'm not going to do a page-by-page comparison (I don't care enough about the anime to do that) but obviously the contents of every single panel in the manga are not reproduced in the anime (just off the top of my head, Sayaka's thoughts after Touko apologizes and explains her reasoning for picking Yuu as campaign manager are omitted). Again, not a criticism--space is just at a premium in anime/film compared to comics/film.

Or put another way--in anime space becomes time (for instance, a wide landscape requires a shot held for a longer time) and in comics time becomes space (the more panels a given action is broken down into, the "longer" it takes).

Of course, and I tried as hard as I possibly could to communicate that I'm talking about my own personal preferences. I only replied because I'm someone who prefers the manga to the anime, not because I think the anime is poorly done, but because I don't think comics are just animation that lack movement and sound.

Yeah I did mention that the pacing thing is a common argument I hear. The text part however can be easily dismissed in my opinion. Sure, sometimes fancy things can be done with it, but it's a pretty easy trade-in for better things animation offers.

Hmm... I didn't think you were that nitpicky. Alright if it has to be panel by panel, then I guess you can't be pleased easily. Usually streamlining would mean condensed plot and interactions, especially the more meaningful parts. I didn't see that happening yet, but I also didn't realize your standard was that high. Whoops.

I'm aware it's your preferences. Doesn't mean I can't question them. Also doesn't mean that you can't question them either. We always should have a lot of questions to keep our minds occupied~

I do notice that you tend to reply a lot more curtly and ignore points I make too, but I suppose my replies are overly long haha (inb4 you say anything, it doesn't really bother me and you probably just don't have anything to say to those points)

yknow i was really happy when yuu finally fell inlove with her, but also saddened because i knew how nanami was gonna take it. a wise person once said, 'well shit, misunderstandings could have never happened if the right words were said sooner'.

but in this case it would have been harder to say those words after everything that's happened.

like yagakimi, citrus was sour pun intended but things get better as the plot thickens (i hope)

+also amazing anime adaptation 10lesbians/10