Oh man, that squeeze in the second-to-last panel.

I don't think this one is similar to yagakimi at all. The only similarity I see between the two is the train crossing scene, which seems to very obviously mirror that one scene in yagakimi. But even that's not as meaningful here as it is there (where the train cleverly hides Touko's kiss from the people around them).

But all of this is just my personal opinion, of course.

I honestly didn't even consider the crossing scene.

While the stories themselves are different enough indeed, they do have a lot of similar qualities though. I can't really explain it well, but everything about this, from the depth of characters and their motivations (including the minor characters) to the reactions it draws from its readers, has been for a while now made me think of this as the true successor to YagaKimi. Hopefully it can keep this up for the rest of the series.

Well, that's some fucking baggage to work out. At least Subaru is being very proactive about all l of this

last edited at Jan 26, 2020 9:48PM

ugh god i love this series so much! I hope it's a big hit

I don't think this one is similar to yagakimi at all. The only similarity I see between the two is the train crossing scene, which seems to very obviously mirror that one scene in yagakimi. But even that's not as meaningful here as it is there (where the train cleverly hides Touko's kiss from the people around them).

But all of this is just my personal opinion, of course.

I honestly didn't even consider the crossing scene.

While the stories themselves are different enough indeed, they do have a lot of similar qualities though. I can't really explain it well, but everything about this, from the depth of characters and their motivations (including the minor characters) to the reactions it draws from its readers, has been for a while now made me think of this as the true successor to YagaKimi. Hopefully it can keep this up for the rest of the series.

The crossing scene was the the first thing I noticed, just because, WTF is up with romance at railroad crossings, Japan?

I don’t think this and YagaKimi are especially similar, except:

• They’re both good.
• They take themselves and the issues they raise seriously without being portentous or melodramatic about it.
• They both (at least this one so far) are focused and methodical about what they’re up to and where they’re going.

And that ain’t nothing.

last edited at Jan 26, 2020 9:02PM

Ughhh this series needs to be licensed overseas. I'll buy it in a flash. Even though there are concepts in here similar to other series, it's just done in such a refreshing way. Ugh I love everything about this so far. Hoping it keeps up this quality!

The crossing scene was the the first thing I noticed, just because, WTF is up with romance at railroad crossings, Japan?

It's easily symbolic and memorable. My favorite usage of it was in 5 Centimeters Per Second. That being said, lord, do I love the pacing in this one.

last edited at Jan 26, 2020 9:11PM

I don't think this one is similar to yagakimi at all. The only similarity I see between the two is the train crossing scene, which seems to very obviously mirror that one scene in yagakimi. But even that's not as meaningful here as it is there (where the train cleverly hides Touko's kiss from the people around them).

But all of this is just my personal opinion, of course.

I honestly didn't even consider the crossing scene.

While the stories themselves are different enough indeed, they do have a lot of similar qualities though. I can't really explain it well, but everything about this, from the depth of characters and their motivations (including the minor characters) to the reactions it draws from its readers, has been for a while now made me think of this as the true successor to YagaKimi. Hopefully it can keep this up for the rest of the series.

That's exactly how I feel - the crossing is like, superficial similarity, the feel of them is like, incredibly similar.

I love this manga so much for some reason

The crossing scene was the the first thing I noticed, just because, WTF is up with romance at railroad crossings, Japan?

It's easily symbolic and memorable. My favorite usage of it was in 5 Centimeters Per Second.

Sure, the symbolism is beyond obvious, but on a practical level, for a makeout spot I’d think something a bit more secluded than a heavily traveled thoroughfare might be in order. Lol

I don't think this one is similar to yagakimi at all. The only similarity I see between the two is the train crossing scene, which seems to very obviously mirror that one scene in yagakimi. But even that's not as meaningful here as it is there (where the train cleverly hides Touko's kiss from the people around them).

and

I don’t think this and YagaKimi are especially similar, except:

• They’re both good.
• They take themselves and the issues they raise seriously without being portentous or melodramatic about it.
• They both (at least this one so far) are focused and methodical about what they’re up to and where they’re going.

I agree completely. Good and serious? There are cartloads of yuri manga like that. As for methodical and focused, it's not that common, but it's not really uncommon either. There are many that follow that narrative path.

This awesome manga is not imitating anything. There's no cause to question its originality.

I had lingering doubts about this series but this chapter has really sold me on it. I love how the author manages to use familiar story elements but executes it so well that it doesn’t really feel cliched, kinda reminds me of BNHA in that sense.

I don't think this one is similar to yagakimi at all. The only similarity I see between the two is the train crossing scene, which seems to very obviously mirror that one scene in yagakimi. But even that's not as meaningful here as it is there (where the train cleverly hides Touko's kiss from the people around them).

and

I don’t think this and YagaKimi are especially similar, except:

• They’re both good.
• They take themselves and the issues they raise seriously without being portentous or melodramatic about it.
• They both (at least this one so far) are focused and methodical about what they’re up to and where they’re going.

I agree completely. Good and serious? There are cartloads of yuri manga like that. As for methodical and focused, it's not that common, but it's not really uncommon either. There are many that follow that narrative path.

This awesome manga is not imitating anything. There's no cause to question its originality.

No one's questioning its originality, we're just saying that we really like it, and we think the manga feels similar to yagakimi.

Hmmm... This chapter had its cute moments, but it's left me with some trepidation. I found the "dramatic" scenes with the sister and even the crossroad scene off putting. I hope the next chapter delivers a bit more...

YagaKimi is good, but it didn't move me much. I enjoyed it more in its earlier stages. I like this one more...so far.

last edited at Jan 26, 2020 11:06PM

I have a bad feeling in order to be closer to Satō she will hook up with Subaru.

Plsdont

Gotta say, I didn't think this was the direction it was going to go, and I'm pleasantly surprised. Not only do we already have Hinako accepting that she might like a woman and not making a big deal of that, and her reactions to Satou-san in general, but we also have a very clear set up: Satou will have to learn that her sister wants her to be happy, but also that the 'end boss' for Hinako will have to get over her mother. This is really shaping up to be something special, maybe. Though I suppose that I don't think the art is anything special and could be 'better', subjectively.

Very interesting, I like the focus being paid attention to the main protag, I find myself in a similar predicament to her, just looking for comfort within yourself, excited to see more

Your objection doesn’t get any less bizarre to me the more often you rephrase it. To return to your original statement of the problem, you seem to think that it’s some kind of ideological problem with the story that Hinako, who is defined by a remarkable degree of emotional repression and commitment to a rigid degree of “normality” even by Japanese standards, doesn’t consciously think to herself, “Gee, these dates with men leave me strangely unmoved, perhaps I am a lesbian,” since this would constitute “confronting her sexuality.”

No, I think the story is a coming out story, and the author has confusingly chosen to make the "coming out" part of it implicit instead of explicit. I'm concerned this is because of norms among yuri readers that they prefer these things to be unspoken, even in a situation where it really grinds against the entire concept of the story.

Coming out IS THE WAY Hinako overcomes her issues with being normal and repressing herself. If she ends the story like, "Oh well, I like this one woman but I will absolutely not think about myself more generally than that," then that does not seem as if she's done a very good job overcoming her repression, which was, like, the whole arc of the story.

(although apparently she instantly came to terms with it and could openly admit her feelings to the sister, and now the arc of the story is about that one lady's sister complex, so I actually have no clue what the fuck is going on anymore)

The fact that multiple people here report parallel experiences to Hinako’s in far less repressive cultural milieu than Japan’s suggests to me that the mere uttering of the phrases “gay” or “lesbian” doesn’t have nearly the magical consequences you’re ascribing to them.

This is another one of those things I'm wondering how it can be a productive, practical addition, and how I can respond to it. No one said these things, and the hostility of "magical consequences" suggests you don't really want to hear an answer, so, like, seriously: what are you wanting me to say, here?

last edited at Jan 26, 2020 11:20PM

I don't know, frankly, why you think it's a coming out story. It's a story about finding yourself and reaching out to people, and being loved, the sexuality of it is secondary. It's a story about finding yourself. Coming out stories are stories about finding yourself, yes, but not the only type, and the fact that she is gay does not mean all her problems are magically fixed by her coming out. Literally in the chapter just posted she's beginning to come to terms with her feelings, the author isn't dancing around making it gay or something, they're writing a slow love story that isn't mostly about the love.

Ok I wasn't expecting that.
Satou doesn't want to have a lover or marry cuz she wants to dedicate her whole life to take care of her little sister?
That's like seven levels of baffling.
I mean, what if Subaru gets married one day — and goes to live with her hubby? Don't tell me Satou never reckoned that something like this could happen?

As far as reasons to swear off love go, this particular one seems incredibly flimsy.

I stand corrected. Loving the series so far.

Ok I wasn't expecting that.
Satou doesn't want to have a lover or marry cuz she wants to dedicate her whole life to take care of her little sister?
That's like seven levels of baffling.
I mean, what if Subaru gets married one day — and goes to live with her hubby? Don't tell me Satou never reckoned that something like this could happen?

As far as reasons to swear off love go, this particular one seems incredibly flimsy.

I think that's the problem, she doesn't think far ahead. since she lost her parents I think she probably already feels like a parent herself so she'd think she's betraying her little sister if she ever gives her attention to someone else. but I dunno, that's just what I'm thinking lol

I don't know, frankly, why you think it's a coming out story. It's a story about finding yourself and reaching out to people, and being loved, the sexuality of it is secondary. It's a story about finding yourself. Coming out stories are stories about finding yourself, yes, but not the only type, and the fact that she is gay does not mean all her problems are magically fixed by her coming out. Literally in the chapter just posted she's beginning to come to terms with her feelings, the author isn't dancing around making it gay or something, they're writing a slow love story that isn't mostly about the love.

Because of all the stuff about "being a traditional woman" and "having a normal life" and "oh if I make men like me I'll be happy." Her entire thing. It makes no sense if that isn't about being gay, because in what ways isn't she normal or "like a traditional woman?"

If it was just about reaching out to anyone, then why is there anything about that restrictive norm stuff? She feels out-of-place as a traditional woman, tries to force herself to like men and fails, has been pushed to avoid thinking about the ways she's unorthodox, AND is in love with a woman.... and this story isn't thematically about being gay?

Although this stupid thing with the sister might torpedo the notion that this story is thematically about ANYTHING.

To me it seems like the story is about mental illness. I'm interpreting her as autistic personally, the feelings of disconnect, the executive dysfunction, a lot of signs ring true to my experiences with autism. It's a story about not fitting in, ultimately, and being gay is part, but not all of that. I imagine her being gay will become a larger portion of it - we are only 6 chapters in, after all, and her feelings for her senpai just became a huge point in this latest chapter. It seems like you just hate this story, and are determined to do so and say it's bad, regardless of what anyone else says, so respectfully I'm gonna tap out here, and recommend you just stop clicking on it, if that's how you feel.

No, I think the story is a coming out story, and the author has confusingly chosen to make the "coming out" part of it implicit instead of explicit. I'm concerned this is because of norms among yuri readers that they prefer these things to be unspoken, even in a situation where it really grinds against the entire concept of the story.

Coming out IS THE WAY Hinako overcomes her issues with being normal and repressing herself. If she ends the story like, "Oh well, I like this one woman but I will absolutely not think about myself more generally than that," then that does not seem as if she's done a very good job overcoming her repression, which was, like, the whole arc of the story.

(although apparently she instantly came to terms with it and could openly admit her feelings to the sister, and now the arc of the story is about that one lady's sister complex, so I actually have no clue what the fuck is going on anymore)

It sounds to me like you've erroneously placed this story into a box that it doesn't belong in, and as it repeatedly shows that it doesn't belong in that box, you decide to blame the story for not doing things exactly the way you imagined it would, rather than admit that your preconceived notions were incorrect.

I think that's the problem, she doesn't think far ahead. since she lost her parents I think she probably already feels like a parent herself so she'd think she's betraying her little sister if she ever gives her attention to someone else. but I dunno, that's just what I'm thinking lol

Yeah, I agree with this. She's spent most of her life as a caretaker for her sister. She's been forced into this role for most of her life, so it's pretty much all she knows. Plus, Subaru is only 16 - Asahi's probably still got at least a decade of raising Subaru ahead of her. Sure, the more level-headed response might've been "Ask me again when Subaru is out of the house and married," but it's abundantly clear she's pushing the idea of love away from her. Planning to try and find love 5, 10 years down the line is incongruent with her current outlook.