It frankly strikes me as bizarre that we go entire volumes where different characters are focused on,

Citation needed. Which "entire volumes" are not substantially concerned with Uta or with Kaoru and her relationship with Uta?

I just (quickly) re-read through this entire series, and except for the most recent two chapters (27 & 28) every single chapter is significantly concerned with Uta and her feelings for Kaoru, with Uta and her friends, with Uta's friends by themselves, or with Kaoru's feelings for/about Uta. (For the sake of argument, let's leave aside the chapter "specials," although they tend to prove rather than disprove the point.)

This is the reason for my attitude of incredulity about statements like the above: the literal level of the text itself simply does not support the premise that "entire volumes"--or even more than a couple of chapters in row--focus on other characters or concerns. That is, unless "focus" is somehow redefined into unrecognizability.

Nobody's been discussing whether this series is worth reading.

^ I know that I'm internally conflicted as to whether this series is worth reading, and I cherrypick which posts are worth reading in this thread based on how short they are, lol.

last edited at Jan 10, 2020 6:45AM

^ I know that I'm internally conflicted as to whether this series is worth reading, and I cherrypick which posts are worth reading in this thread based on how short they are, lol.

Thanks for that enlightening revelation BV. I think I'll start cherrypicking which posts to read based on how much BV is in them.

last edited at Jan 10, 2020 6:01PM

To me it doesn't seem like Risako loves Kaoru, at least not yet, but rather she just sees her as a close friend that she didn't want to see get hurt over an indecisive and lazy guy look Reiichi. She could also be proving a point. Reiichi might've done (and is currently doing the same thing) to Kaoru. He doesn't love her but he has no reason to reject Kaoru and that's why they're married. Maybe Risako was trying to prove a point to Kaoru about how Reiichi really feels for her and protecting her. Kaoru's last line about lying about being in love could be applied to Reiichi's relationship with her.

I would agree with you but the fact that she is still cheating with Reiichi after their marriage is only hurting Kaoro physically (broken leg) and mentally. Risako is supposed to be smart and logical but there is little logic in how she's going about this "protecting".

I guess that's what happens when you're in love.

Bro what is happening. Like I can't believe the best part of the series actually going further might not be uploaded for a long time

Yeah, i feel ya. At this point I really want to drop the series, it's really become a shit show and the yuri is all but gone now (even if they go with Risato being in love with Kaoru, it's an unnecessary yuri trope no one really likes).

Speak for yourself.

You seem to maintain that if I think your argument is flimsy and unconvincing that I’m somehow “blind” to the truth.

The Uta thing is a case in point: in fact, my “opinion” about whether Uta is (or has been positioned as) the protagonist of this series is completely irrelevant, but when you say that readers are “misunderstanding” the series as being about Uta, that’s at best, condescending. It’s hardly my “opinion” or “interpretation” that the vast bulk of the actual content of series has been (mostly directly but also indirectly) concerned with Uta and her friends, and close to 100% of the marketing of the series has depicted it as Uta’s story, so if poor benighted readers are “bizarrely misinterpreting” the story, they’ve had plenty of assistance in that regard from the series itself.

Obviously, what you see as “different characters being focused on” I see as a story “wandering around without revealing a whole hell of a lot that we didn’t already know or could infer.”

I'm actually really confused. You agree the story is focusing on different things at different times, but you disagree with the interpretation that it doesn't just center on Uta? Volume 1 focused mostly on Uta and to a lesser extent Kaoru, volume 2 focused mostly on Kaoru and pigtail-girl, volume 3 focused mostly on Kaoru and to a lesser extent Uta, volume 4 focused mostly on Uta and pigtail girl (and random girl whose name I don't remember), volume 5 was Uta and Kaoru pretty much equally, and volume 5 looks to be all Kaoru and Risako. So if any character is most central, it's Kaoru. You could argue the drama or the tension is centered on Uta's feelings (I disagree; I think it's Kaoru's marriage), but it's not true that Uta is the center of everything and thus all this Risako stuff is some sort of distraction. Glancing through, she's not even POV character as much as Kaoru is.

Look, all I'm saying is, if people want to get together in these comments and talk about their various interpretations and speculate on what might happen, that's hard if people act like their own subjective responses are somehow more objective than other people's.

And that “misreading” remark was at least as “productive” as the person speciously claiming to know that I “hated” the series and must “suffer” when I read it. Not a high “productivity” bar, to be sure.

But two wrongs don't make a right?

And like... your tone does a little bit communicate a lot of negativity. Maybe "suffer" and "hate" are overwrought and you're not meaning to seem that way, and I don't know how I come across, but I do see Warlock and expect something awfully negative.

I'm actually really confused. You agree the story is focusing on different things at different times, but you disagree with the interpretation that it doesn't just center on Uta?

As I expected, the definition of “focus” is to be put upon the rack until it screams.

And like... your tone does a little bit communicate a lot of negativity. Maybe "suffer" and "hate" are overwrought and you're not meaning to seem that way, and I don't know how I come across, but I do see Warlock and expect something awfully negative.

Lol. Seriously? Did you actually ever read the comics that image derives from?

last edited at Jan 10, 2020 6:07PM

Risako being a lesbian and in love with Kaoru this whole time may not be very realistic but it's the only thing that could keep me interested at this point lol, love my mean angsty lesbian characters

Risako being a lesbian and in love with Kaoru this whole time may not be very realistic but it's the only thing that could keep me interested at this point lol, love my mean angsty lesbian characters

I wouldn't call it unrealistic. We don't even know if the cheating happened. She only showed up very few times before this one now, and the back story so far tights it together even more.
Tbh since I gave up on anything turning yuri here (besides Uta's friend, which I find that story really boring and without any chemistry), Risako being in an unrequited love would spice it up. And since she doesn't seem to be the character who would sulk about it like Uta, it would be an interesting reading. But I hope the author doesn't ruin it by making Risako too unlikable.

^ As long as I'm concerned, thhis isn't a battlefield, but is a building filled with baige-colour-walled rooms. Currently 99 rooms large, and growing.

UTA COME BACK THIS ENTIRE MANGA IS A SHITFEST WITHOUT YOU

I'm actually really confused. You agree the story is focusing on different things at different times, but you disagree with the interpretation that it doesn't just center on Uta?

As I expected, the definition of “focus” is to be put upon the rack until it screams.

Like, POV character? "screen"time? Lines? How abstract do you think I'm being about it? How was this supposed to be a productive comment? What am I supposed to say back to have a productive discussion? What are you asking from me (or anyone) with this? I feel like I'm at a loss for how to take this anywhere good.

And like... your tone does a little bit communicate a lot of negativity. Maybe "suffer" and "hate" are overwrought and you're not meaning to seem that way, and I don't know how I come across, but I do see Warlock and expect something awfully negative.

Lol. Seriously? Did you actually ever read the comics that image derives from?

Yes I did, and I have no clue what your point is here?

last edited at Jan 12, 2020 4:48PM

karp, it’s very clear that we do not share enough of a frame of reference to discuss this series. I have never been asking anything from you, or from anyone else. You have a point of view on the story that I disagree with and that I think is unsupported by the text. You think the same of mine. Let’s just leave it at that.

EDIT: As I have said several times, it’s theoretically possible that events will show that you (or other sympathetic readers with different readings than yours) are right about where this story is going and I am wrong. If I find that to be the case, I will say so.

As to that silly “I see the Warlock image and expect something negative” business, I think you’re basically being delusional. The image is from the character’s earliest appearances in The New Mutants, where Warlock is described as:

“His arrival to Earth was initially regarded as a threat but Warlock's innocent and inquisitive nature soon won over the X-Men.” https://comicvine.gamespot.com/warlock/4005-7223/

I would never claim those characteristics for myself—I just think it’s a fun and striking image in artist Bill Sienkiewicz’s awesome style. But if for some strange reason you’re going to assume that my avatar image is somehow the speaker or tone-setter of my post, you might want to know what you’re talking about.

last edited at Jan 12, 2020 7:01PM

Do yall have to start an argument here :/ It ruins the experience for everyone. Works are made so that people can think for themselves. There is no right or wrong answer so let’s move on.

Do yall have to start an argument here :/ It ruins the experience for everyone. Works are made so that people can think for themselves. There is no right or wrong answer so let’s move on.

You mean “move on” from the discussion that ended 4 days ago? Lol

Chapter 29 is up on CT Facebook page. Will be posted here shortly

Kaoru is such a dim bulb.

For some reason I am cheering now for a Kaoru/Risako ending, even though I know it's impossible. Kaoru/Uta is too awk at this point.

Oh god I saw ch 30. Kaoru has an emotional dependence on Uta. Run, Uta, run

Oh god I saw ch 30. Kaoru has an emotional dependence on Uta. Run, Uta, run

Didn't she always had it since Reiichi barely confort Kaoru most of the time and Kaoru end up get confort to Uta much to Uta's demise who feel treated just as her brother's substitue.

For some reason I am cheering now for a Kaoru/Risako ending, even though I know it's impossible. Kaoru/Uta is too awk at this point.

That's cool.

But afaic, hooking them up together is just a pitiful cop-out (if I may be so bold as to project my real-life angst and ministrations).

I'd say Kaoru would be better off divorced and single for a time-being, venture into business just to have her own money (self-reliance), then go fuck any dude or dudette she deems hot. You know, just to get a semblance of self-ownership. Just to get her back to her feet.

Risako can just stop this fake hyper-almost sociopathic-rationality and try to feel by going to extremes: go overseas where weed/marijuana is legal or any psychedelic shit, join some decent sex orgy in some European city, become a nudist environmentalist. I dunno, maybe write a song or fucking do some art, do some bungee jumping or parkour. Feeling something is her problem, right? Then try some extremes. \

Reiichi can still go to hell for all I care. Or spend his time becoming a UN volunteer in refugee camps. Find some worth, dude. He's basically useless now.

Except for Kuro and Miyabi the rest should stay single.

Oh god I saw ch 30. Kaoru has an emotional dependence on Uta. Run, Uta, run

Didn't she always had it since Reiichi barely confort Kaoru most of the time and Kaoru end up get confort to Uta much to Uta's demise who feel treated just as her brother's substitue.

Except that kaoru seems to have become aware of the true relational objectives of risako and reicchi. Her dream is not trivial because we feel that reicchi will comfort kaoru out of pity and that risako pretends to make fun that reichi leaves her for her ... at the end during her anxiety attack she seems to say that there is no one else to help her and that's when uta's phone rings ... I have the impression that we are getting closer to a sort of outcome for kaoru even if its remains fragile. Basically there is only uta to help her.

w0w what a twist....
i guess that fits the title..
they wont all end up being a loner/solo would they OMG.

sigh another flash back.... kouru finally finishes flash back
kouru looks at apple
flashback of apples life from the seed the tree it grew from sprouted

last edited at Jan 18, 2020 7:30AM