Also, coincidence?

That’s why that one is my favorite in the anthology, despite the fact that the figures and faces aren’t especially close to Nakatani’s style. A number of the other stories were pretty fun, but the last one feels like an organic extension of the main story in a slightly different register.

That's good attention to detail.

“Attention to detail” without being heavy-handed or fussy about it * has been this one’s signature all along.

• Although some readers no doubt disagree.

Sayaka deserves a hot big tiddy gf good going through all this

Sayaka is easily my favorite character, but II don't wish for anything romantic for her at the moment. "Pair the spares" or "sudden girlfriend" would just make me feel profoundly unsatisfied.

IRest of the chapters should focus on Yuu and Touko, this time in a way that we actually learn the rest of who Yuu actually is by following her hopefully unrestrained self-discovery and how Touko actually ticks once she is free from her emotional bondage - Without the veil of uncertainty and OCD circular thinking.

IIf Sayaka is to meet someone else at some point, she needs a story of her own with that person and that love interest needs her own robust character development to match hers. Getting over someone you really like isn't something that can be done on a drop of a hat, even if you are well prepared. Sayaka wasn't just crushing on Touko, she definitely loves the heck out of her.

last edited at Jan 31, 2019 2:32AM

Sayaka is easily my favorite character, but II don't wish for anything romantic for her at the moment. "Pair the spares" or "sudden girlfriend" would just make me feel profoundly unsatisfied.

IRest of the chapters should focus on Yuu and Touko, this time in a way that we actually learn the rest of who Yuu actually is by following her hopefully unrestrained self-discovery and how Touko actually ticks once she is free from her emotional bondage - Without the veil of uncertainty and OCD circular thinking.

IIf Sayaka is to meet someone else at some point, she needs a story of her own with that person and that love interest needs her own robust character development to match hers. Getting over someone you really like isn't something that can be done on a drop of a hat, even if you are well prepared. Sayaka wasn't just crushing on Touko, she definitely loves the heck out of her.

Just wanted to say that I agree with all of this. I understand all the love for Sayaka, but at this point a sudden pivot to a new girlfriend just to supply reader-feels would be basically disrespectful to the character and the care with which she has been developed in the story. The very thing that has made Sayaka so appealing to the audience stands in the way of any quick-feels-fix with a new partner. I’d say that best case is that eventually we get a hint or two that she may be looking in a new direction.

I’ve also been saying for a long time that Yuu, adorable and grounded as she is, still seems a bit underdeveloped as a character compared to Touko (and now Sayaka, to a certain extent), and there’s a good bit of room to explore her past and future character development.

Someone on TVTropes pointed out something interesting…

Here's a fun thing: those ducks, assuming they're the same species, have been used as a metaphor for eternal love (since they mate for life) since the Heian Period. Including, as I wrote a paper on once, in correspondence and love poems between women - namely Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon (though not with each other because they kind of hated each other, as far as we can tell). In particular, Sei exchanged poems with her Lady, Empress Teishi, that used the ducks being lonely without their mates to express how sad Sei and Teishi were to be apart from each other.

Touko, being an outstanding student, would of course know that.

The more you know…

Just wanted to say that I agree with all of this. I understand all the love for Sayaka, but at this point a sudden pivot to a new girlfriend just to supply reader-feels would be basically disrespectful to the character and the care with which she has been developed in the story. The very thing that has made Sayaka so appealing to the audience stands in the way of any quick-feels-fix with a new partner. I’d say that best case is that eventually we get a hint or two that she may be looking in a new direction.

I’ve also been saying for a long time that Yuu, adorable and grounded as she is, still seems a bit underdeveloped as a character compared to Touko (and now Sayaka, to a certain extent), and there’s a good bit of room to explore her past and future character development.

This has got to get released on this website. The forum is starting to look like a redacted CIA conspiracy document.

I think Sayaka's spinoff novels are the most likely place for her to get a new girlfriend. In the original manga, unless it carries on for a lot longer past Yuu and Touko repairing their relationship, I also agree it would seem uncharacteristic to jump her straight into a relationship with someone else. I think we'll probably get a hint, like you mention.

Since we didn't see the content of Touko's text, I feel like we're going to see it when Yuu does, either at the beginning or the end of the next chapter.

last edited at Jan 31, 2019 4:25PM

I’ve also been saying for a long time that Yuu, adorable and grounded as she is, still seems a bit underdeveloped as a character compared to Touko (and now Sayaka, to a certain extent), and there’s a good bit of room to explore her past and future character development.

What do you mean underdeveloped? As in her developments have yet to come together? Cuz as the protagonist, her getting to that point would be the end of the series if anything.

I’ve also been saying for a long time that Yuu, adorable and grounded as she is, still seems a bit underdeveloped as a character compared to Touko (and now Sayaka, to a certain extent), and there’s a good bit of room to explore her past and future character development.

What do you mean underdeveloped? As in her developments have yet to come together? Cuz as the protagonist, her getting to that point would be the end of the series if anything.

She's better developed than Touko thought at least.
>_>
<_<
...I'll see myself out.

She's better developed than Touko thought at least.

& Touko will help her develop some more in the future.

She's better developed than Touko thought at least.

& Touko will help her develop some more in the future.

Har-dee-har-har. No, not her darling little figure, but maybe, for example, a bit more insight into the origins of her initial ideas about romance. I mean, I suspect most pre-teens and adolescents see how romance is portrayed in pop music, romance stories, etc. and try to figure out how much of that corresponds to reality. Yuu seems like a rather extreme case, though, so is there more of an explanation for it than an assigned character trait? And in general, I’m saying there’s more room to see aspects of her that aren’t directly reactive to Touko.

Also, as we’ve been saying, Yuu has regressed a bit in her attitudes towards her own emotions. It should take a good deal more than a “Hey Yuu, sweetie, my bad—let’s get back together!” text from Touko to get their relationship on a more stable footing.

Are we still talking about a chapter that hasn't been translated or posted on Dynasty yet? It's a forest of black bars in here.

Are we still talking about a chapter that hasn't been translated or posted on Dynasty yet? It's a forest of black bars in here.

We're trying to be good, since a translation is up elsewhere--when the chapter finally gets to Dynasty we'll really get down to some serious analysis. lol

Yaay! 4s finished their version!

Someone must put it here already. Lol. People are itching to talk and analyze it seriously.

last edited at Feb 1, 2019 10:57PM

Wow, I am late to the party this time. Did Sayaka bang Touko or?

https://twitter.com/kusunoki_AMW/status/1091364155578146816
https://twitter.com/kusunoki_AMW/status/1091364156823859200

So Kusunoki tweeted about how the English title came to be. They wanted it to reflect the idea of growth specifically in relations to flowers, so at first they came up with "Blossom out into Yourself." Then Nakatani reached out to an American friend for help and that person suggested "Bloom into You." That's how we got our title. Thank you, American friend.

This pretty much confirms the "Eventually, (You) will Become You(rself)" interpretation of the Japanese title.

Okay. No spoilers here, just wanted to say that the new chapter made me very happy and satisfied.
The themes in this story are so heavy and satisfying, I feel physically stronger after reading every chapter.
It's like going weightlifting where each chapter is a single rep. It's satisfying to see that one finish, but you want to hurry on to the next one and make them gains.
Weird comparison?

Wow, I am late to the party this time. Did Sayaka bang Touko or?

Well, what I can say is that she certainly made her wet. Like, a lot.

last edited at Feb 2, 2019 7:53AM

And by wet I am sure you mean tears. Friendzone, is that you?

At this point I feel like chapter 38 is everywhere but here, should be even in Spanish and everything

How long has she waited to make this decision? I would absolutely laugh hard if she came around and Yuu was like, "sorry, I got over you."

The main character's romance in Kindred Spirits was the same way. "Ah yeah, Imma keep her waiting for like a month, don't worry, she loves me, she totally won't get disgusted with how indecisive I am!" That, at least, had the main character say she wanted time to think about it. Here it looked to Yuu like touko turned her down.

Still wanting that true polyamory ending with Sayaka/Touko and Touko/You even though that's not what this narrative is leaning or has ever leaned toward, but still just ... wow this was a turning point for both Sayaka and Touko that breathes life to the name of the manga. Also I relate to Touko hard enough that I'm an emotional mess lmao

Love it. I love it to bits. This is one of the first love triangles that I’ve ever really been invested in.

We’ve gotten so much time to know Touko and her conflicting emotions that you want to see her make a choice that’s all her own, ignoring “I want her to be with x, not y”.

And all of these characters are LIKABLE, the plot manages to move forward, constantly changing the status quo, and hasn’t disappointed me yet.

This is a top 3 series of all time.

How long has she waited to make this decision? I would absolutely laugh hard if she came around and Yuu was like, "sorry, I got over you."

That was one of the last plot points of Girl Friends, funnily enough. Akko got worried that since she took so long to respond, Mari wouldn’t like her anymore.

It’s like poetry.