I agree with this conclusion. But the thing I find weird is that she would be trying to win Uta back for the wrong reasons. I don't think she loves Uta romantically, she is just emotionally dependent on her. I mean, could that be considered healthy? It would be best if she learns to stand on her own, and then, later on, decides on her own that she loves Uta, rather than out of desperation.

"Wrong reasons", and what is healthy can be rather context specific. Kaoru's needs aren't unreasonable - she isn't demanding constant attention/affirmation/compliments, or demanding Uta drop everything to attend to her, she just needs regular social contact & someone to "be there" when she is feeling low. She seems to be able to handle a day or two, it was long unexpected delays that seemed to be getting to her (and case-by-case relationship drama back when she was at school)... a lot of people "need" social contact at this level. The idea that everyone should be able to stand "alone against the world" is BS, humans are a social species (often it is just a storytelling technique - a way to "show" independence). But I do get the feeling if Kaoru left Reiichi her emotional support needs would actually decrease a lot, since his unreliability seems to cause a lot of her crises.

It is important to be aware of how you interact with others, and try to keep things healthy and balanced. Uta liked being there for Kaoru, her only problem was the pain/frustration of not being able to have more. Obviously Kaoru's initial attempt to get Uta to just deny her feelings was a selfish impulse, but longer term it is not unusual for people to re-evaluate their relationships when faced with change. Fear of loss can show us just how deeply we care about someone. She may come to the conclusion that her feelings aren't that far removed from romantic love.

I wouldn't put it past her to behave a little badly in the first instance if she is lonely/panicking (she already has, but maybe for a bit longer), but in the overall feelings are mutable and sometimes there isn't that much difference between "kinds" of love (in either direction). Cynically faking feelings to get Uta back, or trying to trap her back into the way things were would be bad, but pushing a bit trying to find a compromise, or re-framing her already intense love and "leaning in" to the romantic aspect instead of away from it could be healthy. Equally Uta may decide her platonic desire to care for Kaoru trumps her romantic feelings, and find a way to deal.

A plausible first conversion would be telling Uta how lonely she has been, how much she misses her and how much she means to her, with some apology and thanks thrown in... which could be seen as emotional blackmail, but on the other hand is basically the same as Uta did to her (dumping a load of inconvenient feelings).

I think the main reason for a break, leaving Reiichi some time before anything happens with Uta, is back to story telling again - it would make it clear that she left Reiichi for herself, because the marriage failed, not simply to "upgrade" (also avoid casting Uta as a homewrecker).

This is possible because kaoru until now was locked in its shell, unable to handle a personal situation.
By the force of things she realizes that her whole relationship was superficial, that reicchi didn't love her as much as she did, that risako wasn't a real friend...
Her desire to recall uta is a kind of SOS, his last hope, hes lifeline. She doesn't trust either reicchi or risako anymore and her anxiety attack in an empty room is like what she has left: nothing left

I agree with this conclusion. But the thing I find weird is that she would be trying to win Uta back for the wrong reasons. I don't think she loves Uta romantically, she is just emotionally dependent on her. I mean, could that be considered healthy? It would be best if she learns to stand on her own, and then, later on, decides on her own that she loves Uta, rather than out of desperation.

"Wrong reasons", and what is healthy can be rather context specific. Kaoru's needs aren't unreasonable - she isn't demanding constant attention/affirmation/compliments, or demanding Uta drop everything to attend to her, she just needs regular social contact & someone to "be there" when she is feeling low. She seems to be able to handle a day or two, it was long unexpected delays that seemed to be getting to her (and case-by-case relationship drama back when she was at school)... a lot of people "need" social contact at this level. The idea that everyone should be able to stand "alone against the world" is BS, humans are a social species (often it is just a storytelling technique - a way to "show" independence). But I do get the feeling if Kaoru left Reiichi her emotional support needs would actually decrease a lot, since his unreliability seems to cause a lot of her crises.

It is important to be aware of how you interact with others, and try to keep things healthy and balanced. Uta liked being there for Kaoru, her only problem was the pain/frustration of not being able to have more. Obviously Kaoru's initial attempt to get Uta to just deny her feelings was a selfish impulse, but longer term it is not unusual for people to re-evaluate their relationships when faced with change. Fear of loss can show us just how deeply we care about someone. She may come to the conclusion that her feelings aren't that far removed from romantic love.

I wouldn't put it past her to behave a little badly in the first instance if she is lonely/panicking (she already has, but maybe for a bit longer), but in the overall feelings are mutable and sometimes there isn't that much difference between "kinds" of love (in either direction). Cynically faking feelings to get Uta back, or trying to trap her back into the way things were would be bad, but pushing a bit trying to find a compromise, or re-framing her already intense love and "leaning in" to the romantic aspect instead of away from it could be healthy. Equally Uta may decide her platonic desire to care for Kaoru trumps her romantic feelings, and find a way to deal.

A plausible first conversion would be telling Uta how lonely she has been, how much she misses her and how much she means to her, with some apology and thanks thrown in... which could be seen as emotional blackmail, but on the other hand is basically the same as Uta did to her (dumping a load of inconvenient feelings).

I think the main reason for a break, leaving Reiichi some time before anything happens with Uta, is back to story telling again - it would make it clear that she left Reiichi for herself, because the marriage failed, not simply to "upgrade" (also avoid casting Uta as a homewrecker).

This is a brilliant analysis, kudos to you seriously

You know, when I first read this (way back when the Onsen arc was new), and then along with all the updates, I was kind of on Uta's side.

But I just re-read the whole manga, and man, she is such a selfish child.
Cutting someone you love out of your life completely (which is what I infer by the use of the black word balloon Ch. 25, Pg 27), someone who clearly loves you back, just not in the same way, someone whom you admit brings you joy and happiness because, what, because it hurts that you can't have more?

Which I understand this is the point. I just hope we'll see some actual growth out of her character arc, and soon.

Also interesting as a personal note that I didn't pick this up in an initial reading.

I am excited to see Kaoru's growth as well.

You know, when I first read this (way back when the Onsen arc was new), and then along with all the updates, I was kind of on Uta's side.

But I just re-read the whole manga, and man, she is such a selfish child.
Cutting someone you love out of your life completely (which is what I infer by the use of the black word balloon Ch. 25, Pg 27), someone who clearly loves you back, just not in the same way, someone whom you admit brings you joy and happiness because, what, because it hurts that you can't have more?

Which I understand this is the point. I just hope we'll see some actual growth out of her character arc, and soon.

Also interesting as a personal note that I didn't pick this up in an initial reading.

I am excited to see Kaoru's growth as well.

That’s one way to read that “goodbye” scene, I suppose, but remember, Kaoru wasn’t even going to come out and say goodbye at all—Uta intentionally went back to thank her and to say goodbye.

Sure, Uta is leaving because staying is too painful, so ultimately it’s about her own feelings rather than Kaoru’s, but I read that as a more mature choice than staying, hoping against hope that something will change in her favor.

More importantly: in what way has Kaoru grown since Uta left?

The last present-tense scene was her at one of those patented Kaoru “almost about to do something decisive but not quite doing it” moments, and then everything from the end of Chapter 27 has been flashback.

Kaoru needs to grow up. It is none of Uta's responsibility to be there for her because her husband won't.

We've seen her mom exhibiting the same behavioral pattern. She wouldn't tell Kaoru she was sick, even to the very last minutes. Kaoru is the same. She won't take action of the situations around her, even when it is very detrimental. Her main kickback is not her losing her mom (although yeah that was pretty serious) but her own personality of always having to cling on others to cover up her issues.

I rather believe that this is the opportunity for kaoru to confess a uta on the possible cheating of reicchi but also of risako ... to unpack his bag and to precisely evolve it positively.
Also for the story how do you want uta to come back if kaoru doesn't call her ?
Finally kaoru does not just make a crisis because it is all alone but that it remembers the vision of reicchi and risako on the way, it is different!
Especially since uta is not aware of the actions of her brother or of risako.

last edited at Jan 29, 2020 9:37PM

You know, when I first read this (way back when the Onsen arc was new), and then along with all the updates, I was kind of on Uta's side.

But I just re-read the whole manga, and man, she is such a selfish child.
Cutting someone you love out of your life completely (which is what I infer by the use of the black word balloon Ch. 25, Pg 27), someone who clearly loves you back, just not in the same way, someone whom you admit brings you joy and happiness because, what, because it hurts that you can't have more?

I really wouldn't attach too much blame to either of them. It is a difficult situation, Uta is fairly mature, but she is still young and inexperienced, still in school. She doesn't really have much choice about her mom taking her away, so to a great extent she is probably just trying to make the best of the situation - she didn't come up with a plan to move away, she just chose what she thought was the best path of action with the situation she found herself in.

Kaoru was being a "selfish child" too. Kaoru was stubbornly refusing to accept that things needed to change between them, refusing to acknowledge Uta's feelings and the pain her denial was causing Uta. It wasn't sustainable, so something had to give, Uta is trying to protect herself, but she is also trying to do the right thing. If Kaoru had engaged, Uta probably wouldn't have felt the need to cut off contact entirely. It is unlikely she realises how much Kaoru relied on her (Kaoru didn't either), so it isn't really fair to blame her for Kaoru's crisis (it wouldn't be a fair load to drop on a teenager anyway).

Conversely I don't think it was entirely wrong for Kaoru to accept the support Uta freely offered over the years, but she does need to be considerate of the cost for Uta (especially since Kaoru is the adult). Yet, when Uta reached out and tried to explain, she went into hard denial. If she is serious about being sisters, she needs to push down her own discomfort to help Uta. Ask Uta about her feelings, talk it out, and ask how she can make it easier (maybe lead the way by being honest about her own needs, and thanking Uta for what she has done up to now).

Interesting thought - if Kaoru and Uta reconcile and work out some sort of emotional support compromise, it may be an interesting symmetry with Reiichi and Risako. Both Kaoru and Reiichi finding what they want from marriage with someone outside of it.

You know, when I first read this (way back when the Onsen arc was new), and then along with all the updates, I was kind of on Uta's side.

But I just re-read the whole manga, and man, she is such a selfish child.
Cutting someone you love out of your life completely (which is what I infer by the use of the black word balloon Ch. 25, Pg 27), someone who clearly loves you back, just not in the same way, someone whom you admit brings you joy and happiness because, what, because it hurts that you can't have more?

Which I understand this is the point. I just hope we'll see some actual growth out of her character arc, and soon.

Also interesting as a personal note that I didn't pick this up in an initial reading.

I am excited to see Kaoru's growth as well.

So what you are saying is uta should have just let things fester in the worst way possible? That's normally how relationships like this end up

There's no new chapter this month.

There's no new chapter this month.

That's unfortunate. I was looking forward to finding more about Kaoru's mother's death, and how that affected her relationship with Reiichi and Uta's family (It's strange that the manga doesn't seem to mention anyone's surnames).

Raws for chapter 31
https://m.imgur.com/a/DXVYykQ
That hug at the end tho. Also can I just say how much I missed uta ◕︿◕

last edited at Mar 17, 2020 8:48PM by

Wait, Ch.30 has never been uploaded. Did ChaosTeam dropped it or they're just late ?

Kaoru is pretty desperate. I still don't believe she loves Uta in that way though...how could it ever turn sexual?

last edited at Mar 17, 2020 11:10PM

Wait, Ch.30 has never been uploaded. Did ChaosTeam dropped it or they're just late ?

They're late with it, but if you can read spanish, somewhere on facebook is the translation for that chapter, though I'm not sure if it's still there.

Kaoru is pretty desperate. I still don't believe she loves Uta in that way though...how could it ever turn sexual?

At this point I think Uta might want to keep Konatsu's story in mind. Even if Kaoru wants to sleep with Uta as a source of comfort at the moment since she's in a bad emotional state, lonely, and thinks Reiichi is cheating on her, she hasn't confirmed any romantic feelings for Uta. It would likely end in heartbreak if they hooked up now.

Despite Uta's feelings, she would be better of rejecting any advances Kaoru might make at the moment until Kaoru sorts herself out and decides what she really wants. She needs to confront Reiichi and Risako first.

Everything's going the way I planned! A little wink to those who said that the author didn't master his story ^^ I think kaoru will fall asleep when she comes in contact with uta maybe on the sofa or that uta brings her back to her room and kaoru asks her to sleep with her.
Obviously something emotional is going to happen between them, uta missed kaoru terribly and it's for sure that kaoru doesn't want uta to stay away from her. And uta might have some desires that will come up.
I hope kaoru will tell uta everything because on the one hand it would be good for her and on the other hand it would allow uta to understand what her brother and risako are doing.

nice to see Kaoru suffering

Everything's going the way I planned!

whoa calm down Yagami

Everything's going the way I planned!

whoa calm down Yagami

Lol but it's true ^^ read my old post there are 5 or 6 chapters!

When is the suffering going to end? It was getting so sad so I put this manga on hold for several months only for me to suffer again after checking the recent chapters.

I just want Utah and Kaoru to have a happy ending.

Wait, Ch.30 has never been uploaded. Did ChaosTeam dropped it or they're just late ?

They're late with it, but if you can read spanish, somewhere on facebook is the translation for that chapter, though I'm not sure if it's still there.

Just saw different group translated Chapter 30 and 31 tho

Chapter 31: "Remember that hard-won character development of Uta's where she finally decided to give up her love for Kaoru? Remember the highly problematic mom and the highly problematic dad and their highly problematic relationships with one another and each of them with Uta? Forget all that--feels are incoming."

It's also on Mangadex for what it's worth