Yeah you all need to remember that Shizuka was the one to actually cut off with Kaoru even when she was blackmailing her. She said to herself she will never go back to her. It's just that she's really confused and disillusioned.

I feel like a lot of people forget this. Shizuka tried to cut her off completely before but Kaoru practically made Shizuka believe that she'd kill herself if she's not around her. And before meeting Mask/Tokino, whenever she didn't have Shizuka's undivided attention, she'd either try to seduce her and/or hurt herself and guilt Shizuka into feeling like it's her fault.

Dont get me wrong, I like Kaoru. But that's because I like charming yet terribly manipulative characters.

I'm ultimately into Tokino x Kaoru more, but Shizuka x Tokino could be a pretty fun disaster!

I'd love to see that. It'd be hilarious. Kaoru would either be terribly depressed about it or be so into it that she'll try to make herself their third.

Things we learned in this chapter: Shizuka is a mess.

Oh, no, wait: we knew that already. ( ͡ಠ ʖ̯ ͡ಠ)

Even if in the worst case shizuka wants to go back to kaoru, it will not be possible because kaoru is not the kind of person who wants to go back. Despite her exuberant style, kaoru is perfectly honest with others and says what she thinks.
And I think shizuka is sincere when she says she only wants to love mio except that people have to realize that drawing a line on a hyper passionate and fusional love is very difficult. She'll get there, time and Mio do the rest.

Yeah and Kishi doesn't seem the type to make them crush again.

Mask-chan's eyes are amazing. It seems she could bore into your soul with them.

Which pairings are people most excited for, by the way?

I enjoy pretty much everyone, but I'm champing at the bit for Yumimi x Nononon to happen.

i choose tall, dark and gaysome with clueless american.
though, I really enjoy manga club, so pretty much any of their interactions is good.

last edited at Feb 18, 2020 9:59AM

Mask chan with a long or half-long haircut would be one of the most beautiful ^^
It's really fun to see kaoru chasing after her and trying to understand her, to coax her while knowing that Bouchan is not (yet) interested ...

I'm worried about Mio.

She said so many times she loved Shizuka's long hair... and then, next thing she knows, Shizuka cut most of it. What kind of signal is that?

And the worst thing, leaving aside the fact that Shizuka hacked something Mio loved, is this: cutting your hair after a heartbreak is such a big cliché that there's no way Mio won't suspect the truth! Poor sweet cinnamon roll, it will really hit her hard. She's gonna start angsting all over again.

Just japanese girls?

I assumed this was just a recurring theme in manga. Are there girls actually doing this in real life?

A major appearance change is not an uncommon way for people to move on to a new chapter in their life A girl cutting her hair as a way to close the door on an unhappy relationship isn't unusual in the US either.

I'm worried about Mio.

She said so many times she loved Shizuka's long hair... and then, next thing she knows, Shizuka cut most of it. What kind of signal is that?

And the worst thing, leaving aside the fact that Shizuka hacked something Mio loved, is this: cutting your hair after a heartbreak is such a big cliché that there's no way Mio won't suspect the truth! Poor sweet cinnamon roll, it will really hit her hard. She's gonna start angsting all over again.

Implying Shizuka won't explain it. If Shizuka explain truthfully why she cut her hair then i think Mio will understand.

Outspeeded

last edited at Feb 18, 2020 10:15AM

I'm ultimately into Tokino x Kaoru more, but Shizuka x Tokino could be a pretty fun disaster!

Ahhahaha, Tokino x Shizuka and Mio x Kaoru just for the lols

For some reason I feel like Mio x Kaoru would have some powerful top vs top energy to it. Two spurned lovers taking out their frustrations on each other lol

I'm ultimately into Tokino x Kaoru more, but Shizuka x Tokino could be a pretty fun disaster!

Ahhahaha, Tokino x Shizuka and Mio x Kaoru just for the lols

For some reason I feel like Mio x Kaoru would have some powerful top vs top energy to it. Two spurned lovers taking out their frustrations on each other lol

I feel the same but everybody knows Mio can eventually top anyone in the end

Yeah but it'd be the raging lesbian equivalent of pirates fighting ninjas Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla - fight of the century! :d

I'm ultimately into Tokino x Kaoru more, but Shizuka x Tokino could be a pretty fun disaster!

Ahhahaha, Tokino x Shizuka and Mio x Kaoru just for the lols

For some reason I feel like Mio x Kaoru would have some powerful top vs top energy to it. Two spurned lovers taking out their frustrations on each other lol

I feel the same but everybody knows Mio can eventually top anyone in the end

I would very earnestly love a spin off where Mio just tops every other character

last edited at Feb 18, 2020 1:40PM

I'm starting to really hate Shizuka. Everything she said in chapter 154 is starting to feel more and more of a lie. Of course she fibbed about 'messing around', but I believed she really loved Mio. They were my favorite couple in the beginning but Mio deserves better :(

Oh you’re approaching me? - > I can’t praise the shit out of you without getting closer

I'm starting to really hate Shizuka. Everything she said in chapter 154 is starting to feel more and more of a lie. Of course she fibbed about 'messing around', but I believed she really loved Mio.

Oh she does. This is an entirely different poison from the witches' brew that for a long time was her relationship with Kaoru - validation. That bizarre, obsessive game of cat and mouse had become the cornerstone of Shizuka's self-image and now that it's gone she feels... insecure. Anxious. Adrift. Cue painfully obvious and petty bouts of jealousy regarding The Artist Formerly Known As Bou-chan.

Kaoru is clearly well aware of this continuing emotional dependence - while the conclusions she draws can be... suspect... she's good at reading people in general and Shizuka in particular - and willing to be fairly harsh to put an end to it. If memory serves that line about "cute underclassman" she keeps giving Shizuka is directly and doubtless deliberately paraphrasing something the latter told her way back whenever in regards to Hibiki and it visibly hits a nerve.

I'm ultimately into Tokino x Kaoru more, but Shizuka x Tokino could be a pretty fun disaster!

Ahhahaha, Tokino x Shizuka and Mio x Kaoru just for the lols

For some reason I feel like Mio x Kaoru would have some powerful top vs top energy to it. Two spurned lovers taking out their frustrations on each other lol

Mio's top energy is staggering she just doesn't feel the need to flaunt it.

majere posted:

I'm ultimately into Tokino x Kaoru more, but Shizuka x Tokino could be a pretty fun disaster!

Ahhahaha, Tokino x Shizuka and Mio x Kaoru just for the lols

For some reason I feel like Mio x Kaoru would have some powerful top vs top energy to it. Two spurned lovers taking out their frustrations on each other lol

Mio's top energy is staggering she just doesn't feel the need to flaunt it.

PLAIN TRUTH

About bloody time!!
I mean, it was obious some tension remined between them, hell, some still remains.
But, this was a first step.

I can tell this is an unpopular opinion, but while Chie x Ai is my favorite couple in this series, Shizuka is my favorite character. She's complicated, and at times not a good person, but that's what makes her so interesting. In my opinion, a character isn't truly human until they do something that makes you hate them.

Despite how hard she's trying to be a good person and a good partner for Mio, she's still struggling to get over someone she loved so dearly in the past. This isn't easy for everyone, and it's clearly taking a huge emotional toll on her and, possibly soon, Mio as well. As much as I want to say she doesn't deserve Mio and that they should break up, I also want to see her talk to Mio about her problems so they can figure out how to work through them together. Given how much they love each other, I feel like they'd both be up to the challenge.

I can tell this is an unpopular opinion, but while Chie x Ai is my favorite couple in this series, Shizuka is my favorite character. She's complicated, and at times not a good person, but that's what makes her so interesting. In my opinion, a character isn't truly human until they do something that makes you hate them.

Despite how hard she's trying to be a good person and a good partner for Mio, she's still struggling to get over someone she loved so dearly in the past. This isn't easy for everyone, and it's clearly taking a huge emotional toll on her and, possibly soon, Mio as well. As much as I want to say she doesn't deserve Mio and that they should break up, I also want to see her talk to Mio about her problems so they can figure out how to work through them together. Given how much they love each other, I feel like they'd both be up to the challenge.

She's really well grounded! It's easy for her to remember the good times with Kaoru, who still clearly likes her. That's always going to be tempting when it feels like a safe fallback. And it's less scary than uncharted territory with Mio, which has already had a rocky start.

That's some hard shit to figure out in high school. Especially when she's gotten herself in a situation where there's no one to talk to about it that isn't one the involved parties.

I can tell this is an unpopular opinion, but while Chie x Ai is my favorite couple in this series, Shizuka is my favorite character. She's complicated, and at times not a good person, but that's what makes her so interesting. In my opinion, a character isn't truly human until they do something that makes you hate them.

Despite how hard she's trying to be a good person and a good partner for Mio, she's still struggling to get over someone she loved so dearly in the past. This isn't easy for everyone, and it's clearly taking a huge emotional toll on her and, possibly soon, Mio as well. As much as I want to say she doesn't deserve Mio and that they should break up, I also want to see her talk to Mio about her problems so they can figure out how to work through them together. Given how much they love each other, I feel like they'd both be up to the challenge.

She's really well grounded! It's easy for her to remember the good times with Kaoru, who still clearly likes her. That's always going to be tempting when it feels like a safe fallback. And it's less scary than uncharted territory with Mio, which has already had a rocky start.

That's some hard shit to figure out in high school. Especially when she's gotten herself in a situation where there's no one to talk to about it that isn't one the involved parties.

That is a very perceptive and spot on observation. It is now obvious that Shizuka cannot move on from Koaru and cutting her hair is not going to do it. Every time she spends any time with Koaru, all the past resurfaces. Shizuka needs a good friend she can talk to about the situation, as you suggest.

last edited at Feb 18, 2020 2:44PM

I love characters like kaoru, shizuka, mask senpai or nao because they make the story much less smooth as in reality. Not everything is love love and the author would be bored to tell the same relationship patterns...
Shizuka was madly in love with kaoru and the fact that she is still jealous doesn't mean that she doesn't love mio, it's much more complex than her... we don't forget how deep her love is, especially if this person stays around. Wanting so much to shizuka for that just shows a lack of objectivity, what does she do in front of her true feelings? She doesn't go out with anyone else for the rest of her life? no as I said before time and the moments spent with Mio will do their job.

last edited at Feb 20, 2020 1:46AM

Man I love this series. Unlike most people here I'm not supporting any one ship(except MahiMahi), so I'm just here for the wild ride.

Having said that, looking at the characters in an objective manner, Shizuka, Kaoru and Mio(Mask is more of an unwilling participant) would be better off not getting with one another and would instead benefit from the respite that High School graduation brings, so that they each separate and stay apart for a few years to clear their heads(and hearts), and if the Gods see it fit for them to meet again then they'll be able to think things through clearly next time, because fams, this is a clusterfuck.

last edited at Feb 18, 2020 3:25PM

because fams, this is a clusterfuck.

It's rather less of an one than it was before Kaoru got fixated on Tokino, though. Two parallel relationships, of varying degrees of complicated, is a distinct improvement over that previous triangle(-ish, depending on how you count Kaoru's habitual womanising on the side..) which was bursting at the seams with all kinds of unhealthy.