Credit where it’s due—I’ve been critical of the pacing and structuring of events in this story, but this sequence felt pretty natural and straightforward. (When the pages are read in order, that is.)

If the next chapter immediately cuts to the Three Yuri Stooges or something, though, I’m going to be pissed. Lol

(I know it’s an ancient reference, but I suddenly realized that those three actually match up to the Stooges pretty well.)

(opens mouth)

(pause)

(close mouth)

...

...Dammit.

last edited at Feb 24, 2019 11:09AM

Uta is so bold! I like it!

volume 5 starting off strong!! lets hope is stays that way even though we all know it wont ;-;

I won't rule out a "yuri ending" for Uta and Kaoru. Or at least, an open ending where it's an option.

Because the author has been sowing small hints here and there with the brother, that imply he knows things.

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but honestly, a bland ending where Uta gets over Kaoru and they live happily ever after (with or without the brother and mother) would be boring.

...

When you throw cats like that, they usually claw people's faces off

shoulda just kissed her

I won't rule out a "yuri ending" for Uta and Kaoru. Or at least, an open ending where it's an option.

Because the author has been sowing small hints here and there with the brother, that imply he knows things.

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but honestly, a bland ending where Uta gets over Kaoru and they live happily ever after (with or without the brother and mother) would be boring.

I think a happy ending for Uta and Kaoru is very possible. I've suspected from the start that Kaoru views Reiichi and Uta as emotionally interchangable, even though she isn't conscious of it, and Reiichi has feelings for Risako that he seems unwilling or unable to give up on. This issue in particular seems to further the idea that Kaoru's feelings for Uta are more complicated than just "little sister whose feelings I don't want to hurt"

I feel like it could easily go either way, and it just depends on the details of how things shake out.

If nothing else, the love that "just won't reach" finally did. That's the title conflict resolved, at least for Uta, so it'll be interesting to see where things go from here.

last edited at Feb 24, 2019 1:32PM

Wtv posted:

She's in an unfortunate but believable position, and it's unclear how it will all end up. Maybe she'll just give up on her one-sided love some day, and the story will end.

It was asked to the author in an interview if they could hope for any development between Uta and Kaoru. She said that it wouldn't be a yuri manga otherwise

Seriously, though, people who ship the protagonist with a third party are delusional.

I will quote that from back in the past, for the sake of yuri.

This author just loves cliffhangers

I think a happy yuri ending is narratively possible (in manga, pretty much anything can be accomplished by authorial fiat), but in real-life terms . . .

I generally at least notionally root for any two MCs just because I want to grant a story its premises, but while I do buy Uta’s attraction, Kaoru herself is such a vague personality that it’s hard to not see Uta’s feelings as being mostly about the emotionally absent mother.

So while I have no inherent objection to the age gap or the familial relation, for me this story has some distance to close before a romantic relationship between the two of them looks like a good thing for the people involved.

What is this madness, a cliffhanger that delivered...?

That's good and it's a good day.

Wtv posted:

She's in an unfortunate but believable position, and it's unclear how it will all end up. Maybe she'll just give up on her one-sided love some day, and the story will end.

It was asked to the author in an interview if they could hope for any development between Uta and Kaoru. She said that it wouldn't be a yuri manga otherwise

Seriously, though, people who ship the protagonist with a third party are delusional.

I will quote that from back in the past, for the sake of yuri.

I don't deny the possibility of an Uta/Kaoru end. All hints are pointing in that direction and of course one would think that way for a yuri manga with them two as the protagonists. I know hoping they don't end up together is like going into Bloom Into You and hoping Touko will get together with Sayaka. I just really don't want Kaoru and Uta together because the manga literally has not sold me on their relationship in these 20 chapters.

Sure I'll see how they handle it from now on with the confession finally out of the way, but it's been so dragged out and sprinkled with so many useless side plots that I really don't care about them anymore. Like there just isn't the emotional investment in their relationship.

Kuzushiro's "Living with my Brother's Wife" blows this out of the water and tMnR needs to take a pointer or two from it on how to write an engaging relationship between Wife and Sister.

I don't deny the possibility of an Uta/Kaoru end. All hints are pointing in that direction and of course one would think that way for a yuri manga with them two as the protagonists. I know hoping they don't end up together is like going into Bloom Into You and hoping Touko will get together with Sayaka. I just really don't want Kaoru and Uta together because the manga literally has not sold me on their relationship in these 20 chapters.

Sure I'll see how they handle it from now on with the confession finally out of the way, but it's been so dragged out and sprinkled with so many useless side plots that I really don't care about them anymore. Like there just isn't the emotional investment in their relationship.

Kuzushiro's "Living with my Brother's Wife" blows this out of the water and tMnR needs to take a pointer or two from it on how to write an engaging relationship between Wife and Sister.

As I said, by default I’m on the side of a yuri end going into a story, but these circumstances would seem to require a passionate commitment to the relationship by both parties, and Kaoru has yet to show a passionate commitment to much of anything since her pursuit of Numbnuts-onii-san, unless you count “drifting along maintaining the status quo” as a “passionate commitment.”

As I said, by default I’m on the side of a yuri end going into a story, but these circumstances would seem to require a passionate commitment to the relationship by both parties, and Kaoru has yet to show a passionate commitment to much of anything since her pursuit of Numbnuts-onii-san, unless you count “drifting along maintaining the status quo” as a “passionate commitment.”

Yeah i think in the end what this manga really needs is more character development for Kaoru. So far she's only been portrayed as the "wife" and "love interest" but not much outside of that. We need to see her grow as a person before anything can realistically happen. I was gonna say this is a step in the right direction, but Kaoru didn't even finish what she wanted to do. It was Uta who ended up reconfirming things. If Uta didnt push on, I don't even know if Kaoru woulda said anything and just chicken out for another day.

So I just went though the first 15 chapters and I gotta mention something: Why does character's upper body mass keeps doubling in height? Now that I noticed once (And in a serious scene no less) I'm now just keeping a eye out for it.

People are saying Kaoru hasn't gotten development?

This is very strange to me. She's gotten more development than anyone else.

HURTS SO GOOD

People are saying Kaoru hasn't gotten development?

This is very strange to me. She's gotten more development than anyone else.

Seeing her do things is not the same as “development.” She has been consistently passive, obtuse (“So when you say you “like” me after building up to it by talking about your unrequited love, does that mean . . .?”), and conflict-avoidant (allowing her single attempt to confront Reiichi to be deflected by a weak excuse).

She’s finally talked to a friend about her problems, and now is talking to Uta, so those are encouraging signs, but there’s a long way to go before she’s plausibly someone who would throw over her entire life to be in a romantic relationship with her sister-in-law.

A very, very long way.

holy shit author-san that's cruel (to leave us hanging like that, that is)

I’m curious if the last boxed quote is Uta or Kaoru’s thoughts. The whole chapter is more focused on Kaoru and is in shown to be in her perspective, but it seems more like something Uta would be like thinking. Kaoru being happy about being confessed to by Uta would certainly be pretty neat, but I also imagine it would be like a weight coming off of Uta’s chest to have her feelings get through.

I just really don't want Kaoru and Uta together because the manga literally has not sold me on their relationship in these 20 chapters.

Sure I'll see how they handle it from now on with the confession finally out of the way, but it's been so dragged out and sprinkled with so many useless side plots that I really don't care about them anymore. Like there just isn't the emotional investment in their relationship.

I feel the exact same way and that's why I'm probably dropping this series.

whens next ch

Am I the only one who likes Kaoru x Uta? lol

Am I the only one who likes Kaoru x Uta? lol

probably

Ok, read the rest of this and I can say: I don't like any of the characters. Not all of them are written badly but hell if I can even remember their names.