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joined Jul 26, 2016

I never wanted Kaoru and Shizuka to "make up". At this point I've even given up on the idea of Kaoru "learning her lesson" or improving as a person. But the sheer smugness that she exhibits in ch 143... Even though, fortunately, the rest of the volume was nice as usual, I'm pissed, and the fact that this subplot is delivered in tiny chunks over the course of dozens of chapters doesn't help.

Not sure how you're managing to read melancholy as "smugness"...

Mind you, the KaoShizuMio chapters tend to be such major mood whiplashes that neck braces may be necessary - particularly here where it's casually dropped between two very cute and fluffy chapters.

F4x-3lwx0aa0tcu31
joined Apr 20, 2013

Well, 2 new chapters of vol 12 were released in MD and (this probably doesn't count as spoiler but just in case black bars) showing the content preview (the name of the chapters included in the volume and which characters are in it) and seems that at the end, the last 2 chapters will be about Mio and Shizuka and only about them so we can expect a resolution to this long broken love... Or at least a significant change.

joined Jul 26, 2016

It's not that she's smug, but it annoys me that she gets to look "cool" in the chapter, given that she's far from blameless regarding Shizuka's inability to move on from her. So it's not really the character itself that annoys me, but the way the chapter makes her look "cooler" than Shizuka, because I don't think she has earned it.

...I don't think you can fairly blame Kaoru for Shizuka taking her... rather extreme and (in multiple senses) decidedly unhealthy reaction to their middle-school break-up and their subsequent weird, long-running lowkey cat-and-mouse game and making those an alarmingly central prop of her own self-image. ("Even though you can't live without me" as the lady herself puts it.)
What she's essentially if somewhat circuitously telling Shizuka is that she can no longer continue their old song and dance, her heart isn't in it anymore; and Shizuka too has to let go of it and build something new with someone who can give her that kind of affection (she actually has one anyway... or used to until now, ouch, but then neither of the older girls is aware Mio saw the whole episode).

I'd say Shizuka's getting the message loud and clear too, she's just having major trouble accepting it - just look at the way she gets increasingly frantic and desperate during the conversation and her utterly devastated expression afterwards. It's probably fairly telling that Kaoru seems to have a sadly sympathetic air about her for much of the exchange, ie. just about the entire latter half thereof - she ought to know (and be able to read) Shizuka well enough to have a pretty good idea what the latter is thinking from the get go.

And yeah, I'd probably not get hung up on it so much if it didn't stick out like a sore thumb from the volume, and if the subplot didn't move at a snail's pace due to being told in small chunks that are scattered over the series at large.

They all do, though. The whole Kaoru-Shizuka mess is just the sole storyline with genuine drama and stakes which duly makes it rather stand out from the altogether fluffier and more optimistic others. Personally I just find the contrast refreshing; "warts and all" as it were.

Speaking of the others, though, one overarching story thread I particularly like is Onoda's ongoing gradual loosening up and coming to accept her peers as they come without sweating the small stuff or their little quirks. It's one of the older ones in the book too.
thinking.jpg
...come think of it, thematically that one has more than few parallels with the Honoka-Elisha arc (which is also adorbs).

last edited at Sep 4, 2019 5:29PM

Mask
joined Jan 6, 2015

Onoda's new friend is really changing her for the better. She had been gradually loosening up on her own, but she's really breaking out of her shell now.

Utenaanthy01
joined Aug 4, 2018

Just read the 2 new chapters. Lots of squees were vocalized.

I'll refrain from comments until upload. For now, I'll just say one thing:

The one who wrote this...

There were hints before, but it's obvious now: Onibi-sempai and Mask-sempai are true soulmates. They share a deep bond unique to them. They are ideally suited to one another, and Kaoru should go find someone else.

... is a good judge of character.

joined Oct 5, 2016

Onoda's new friend is really changing her for the better. She had been gradually loosening up on her own, but she's really breaking out of her shell now.

Yeah, I really like her development. She's happier when they're together sure, but she's just nicer and more optimistic all the time now, without it feeling like that newfound happiness purely depends on Honoka's positive feedback.

And of course it's nice too because Onoda's always been lowkey one of the gayest of any of the girls, she just never had anyone to be gay with before.

joined Jul 26, 2016

Yeah, I really like her development. She's happier when they're together sure, but she's just nicer and more optimistic all the time now, without it feeling like that newfound happiness purely depends on Honoka's positive feedback.

...I think you mean Haruka. Honoka's the resident (gay and fujoshi) Sadako expy, remember? ;)
Onoda's character developement arc started very early actually, already back in the second volume. It's rather touching that A) Miyoshi & Co. go out of their way to invite her to such gatherings B) she accepts and C) the others are visibly happy she did.
She just didn't have the kind of, uh, intimate friend (wagging_eyebrows.gif) the others do before getting acquainted with Haruka much later...

And of course it's nice too because Onoda's always been lowkey one of the gayest of any of the girls, she just never had anyone to be gay with before.

Speaking of... and her very first appearance was engaging in some Is My Hobby Weird level shenanigans.

It's always the quiet ones, eh? :P

Tmp_bh7jrkjcyaakw52-1123006053
joined Apr 15, 2011

I have one question. Is Ian dressed up as Prancer or as Vixen?

Plus how can Ed get mad with the Santa comes theme? I'm thinking that'd make for a holly jolly ol' time ;)

Icon%20(4)
joined Jan 20, 2014

Aich, I love Yuu and Mari ♥ but I'm missing the BDSM plays :(

91
joined Jun 19, 2014

Onibi-Senpai went from like, a 4, to a 10 in a single page.

joined Jul 26, 2016

Just about anything involving the manga club is amazing tbh (also Onibi-sempai looks pretty fab with her hair down :o)

And the MahiMahi's unfailing ability to casually just wholly bypass Yuu's shell remains 10/10.

Yuu used ~TSUUUUN~ !
It's super effective!

F4x-3lwx0aa0tcu31
joined Apr 20, 2013

When I saw Onibi serious eyes (thinking about yaoi hahaha) I got the same electric shock that Kaoru had with Mask senpai walking pass her hahaha

Utenaanthy01
joined Aug 4, 2018

Speaking of... and her very first appearance was engaging in some Is My Hobby Weird level shenanigans.

Thanks for the reminder.
I had completely forgotten that she originally was that type of character.
Quiet ones, indeed.

joined Apr 6, 2019

Beautiful All Along is a trope.

Did you know that Beautiful All Along is a trope?

Well, it is.

Fetish%20notebook%20lsmol
joined May 20, 2013

Its amazing how much removing your glasses changes your facial structure

joined Jul 26, 2016

Mind, Onoda's look factor goes up by a fair bit too when her hair isn't in those goofy braids o3o

F4x-3lwx0aa0tcu31
joined Apr 20, 2013

morter posted:

Its amazing how much removing your glasses changes your facial structure

Her glasses were redirecting the light in the wrong places of her face so you only had the illusion of a bad structure.

joined Apr 6, 2019

There were hints before, but it's obvious now: Onibi-sempai and Mask-sempai are true soulmates. They share a deep bond unique to them. They are ideally suited to one another, and Kaoru should go find someone else.

Perhaps Nao-of-the-Interesting-Hobbies? (I mean, because of the grand reason that she is the only other unpaired girl in the cast, lol.)

It's an interesting speculation. If we assume that Shizuka and Mio will patch things up (the most likely development) then four girls in the cast remain with no firmly established pairing: Nao, Kaoru, Mask-sempai and Onibi-sempai.

Mask-sempai and Onibi-sempai are obviously very close. If we take them as a couple, then Kaoru and Nao must end up together... because there would be nobody else left, and that's the law of romcom, haha.

But if Mask-sempai and Onibi-sempai are to be taken as extremely close friends with no romantic feelings between them, then Kaoru might still have a chance with her Bou-chan. And, if that comes to be, it would leave Onibi and Nao as the last two single girls in the cast. What then? Will they (gasp) get together?

Actually... I'm starting to suspect that this is exactly what the author has in mind. Firstly because of this pic, and secondly because of chapter 150. As you see, "Nao's Fate" and Onibi seem to be connected. Then, Nao's fated one... is Onibi??? Heh. That's some food for thought.

432027e9-d7bf-4855-8947-d2e8c86accea
joined Jun 3, 2018

Mask-senpai and Onibi-senpai have to be the only catfishes you wouldn't be disappointed in landing.

F4x-3lwx0aa0tcu31
joined Apr 20, 2013

Indeed, I have like absolute no idea how can you pair an exhibitionist with a hardcore fujoshi and make them have something in common, I mean, I can't even think of a situation where they could talk but it's gonna happen and I'm looking forward to that!!
Ah... well, Nao is from the student council so maybe they have business with the art club, that's the only reason I can think

joined Apr 6, 2019

Indeed, I have like absolute no idea how can you pair an exhibitionist with a hardcore fujoshi and make them have something in common, I mean, I can't even think of a situation where they could talk but it's gonna happen and I'm looking forward to that!!
Ah... well, Nao is from the student council so maybe they have business with the art club, that's the only reason I can think

Misterioso, ¿no? Yo también soy incapaz de predecir cómo ocurrirá... pero la intuición me dice que el capítulo 150 tendrá todas las respuestas. >:D Jejejejeje, esto va a ser apasionante.

Yuu
joined Mar 28, 2015

Fujoshis are terrifying.

_20180228_203946
joined Jan 24, 2018

...... I knew shizuka was gonna be a total prick at some point, poor Mio.

Img_0053
joined Sep 19, 2017

Yuu omg such a Tsundere but it’s really cute when she said I love You to Mari inside her head hahaha

20220118_232511_50
joined Jun 3, 2015

Indeed, I have like absolute no idea how can you pair an exhibitionist with a hardcore fujoshi and make them have something in common, I mean, I can't even think of a situation where they could talk but it's gonna happen and I'm looking forward to that!!
Ah... well, Nao is from the student council so maybe they have business with the art club, that's the only reason I can think

Idk about them meeting, but I wouldn't say they have nothing in common. Onibi has a wild imagination and Nao seems pretty okay with doing wild things,I think they could definitely keep up with each other.

I could easily see them end up similar to the couple from: https://dynasty-scans.com/series/paradise_and_after

As a more general note re the previous batch of chapters: It looks like Chie and Ai have gotten way closer and much more comfortable with each other. It kind of feels like they've had a whole romance manga worth of progress off screen.

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