I feel like the momentum of the story is going back to the starting chapters, especially around the festival, where As the reader we were able to see how deeply Konatsu feels about Koyuki. Maybe next chapter we get to see explicitly how Koyuki feels about Konatsu.

Volumes 5, 6 and half of 7 were a tour-de-force in terms of giving the characters a deeper emotional understanding of their own issues and due to how long it took them to be released, I've seen several readers feel fatigued, but now should be the time to really start paying all that build-up and development off with the interactions between the two. Koyuki would certainly be able to give a more proper answer to Konatsu's question from the previous year's summer festival. Actually I wonder if there will be a chapter where they go to the festival again since summer break is coming up and Koyuki's father suggested she take a break from cram school and go have fun once in a while.

I’d love to see a reiteration if the summer festival. I really think the next chapter can go two ways: it’s the long awaited confession chapter, or it’s that start of a new conflict chapter. Honestly I think and hope it will go the second way, mostly because we just got past major development, and I think that it would be a littler jarring to go straight into a relationship given how the pace has been going, and so we can see that realization of feelings ourselves. Neither character has said to themselves how they feel about the other, it was mostly us the reader deducting their feelings. I think the payoff would be great to see that character growth of acknowledgment of feelings. Also more conflict means the story isn’t over yet, really hoping this isn’t the final arc, although the journey has been very satisfying so far.

Also more conflict means the story isn’t over yet, really hoping this isn’t the final arc, although the journey has been very satisfying so far.

https://twitter.com/haginomakoto/status/1276176640054198276

The author said here that this isn't the end yet and to keep following the series.

Also more conflict means the story isn’t over yet, really hoping this isn’t the final arc, although the journey has been very satisfying so far.

https://twitter.com/haginomakoto/status/1276176640054198276

The author said here that this isn't the end yet and to keep following the series.

Yeah I was wondering what her tweet meant, google translate isn’t always the most clear. But yeah we need to know more about Konatsu’s family, Kaede and her sisters, this mysterious boy whose face we’ve seen every chapter, and this budding romance between Konatsu and Koyuki （＾ν＾）cheers to a long run of this art

Can't you two become officially canon already?

juanelric posted:

Can't you two become officially canon already?

Maybe Kaede's friend will show up and be like "I'm glad you made up with your girlfriend, Kaede and I always talk about how you two make the cutest couple in the school" and then Kaede will be like ".......?!!!?!" again

sTOP IT!!!

Wow, this got lewd very suddenly.

Oh from my understanding of Japanese.. isnt saying that the moon is beautiful pretty much a confession?

The volume 7 cover is so good.

Though for some reason Amazon has it in this weird quality where the artwork is low-res but the text is super clear.

last edited at Jun 27, 2020 8:03PM

The "Moon is beautiful" phrase is always a confession in my book. I've seen it used soo many times in yuri subtext works that I'm sure it's just authors code for "they gay"

Natsume Soseki.

Thanks, didn't know that. I must say the author is raising my expectations then.

From what I understand, at that time the Japanese could not use a classic "I love you", and "the moon is beautiful" sounds more poetic and romantic anyway. Maybe those who can't show their feelings directly are still using it?
Someone said above that how it would be like in the next ch. seeing Konatsu go outside and realize it is cloudy. That would be funny.

The "Moon is beautiful" phrase is always a confession in my book. I've seen it used soo many times in yuri subtext works that I'm sure it's just authors code for "they gay"

Natsume Soseki.

Thanks, didn't know that. I must say the author is raising my expectations then.

From what I understand, at that time the Japanese could not use a classic "I love you", and "the moon is beautiful" sounds more poetic and romantic anyway. Maybe those who can't show their feelings directly are still using it?

Rather than "could not", it's just truly not japanese, in the sense that saying such a plain and direct phrase such as 私は君を愛する (which is roughly what some english students translated "I love you" as) will:

A - out you as a non-native speaker faster than not knowing how to use chopsticks,

B - sound super tense, forward and robotic, not really conveying the feelings behind those words,

C - make you sound a bit stupid. If you're talking to someone and it's just the two of you, it's super weird to clarify "I" and "you". In japnaese those details are usually tacit, context-deriven.

Couple this with the fact that japanese is a very poetic language, and you arive at the conclusion that subtle phrases such as "The moon is beautiful" are actually better translations of "I love you", despite sounding completely random in english. I think that phrase and anecdote are an excellent way of showing the idiosyncrasies of japanese as a language.

Japanese is very minimalistic as well, so nowadays simply saying 好きだ (verb for liking + verb "to be") is more than good enough. I think the language is also moving away from the flowery language and poetics, much like english has for the past half a century... But personally, I really like when that type of language is used for yuri stories. Doesn't it seem appropiate for the genre named after a flower? :B

Doesn't it seem appropiate for the genre named after a flower? :B

I challenge you to sustain this line of thought with the bara genre. :U

Doesn't it seem appropiate for the genre named after a flower? :B

I challenge you to sustain this line of thought with the bara genre. :U

Absolutely, flowers are completely approiate for both the cute bodies of yuri girls and the muscly, huge bodies of bara men! I'd actually love a series of illustrations with bara men in composition with different flowers

.....

suddenly realizes on a re-read that Koyuki doesn't drop that "The moon is so beautiful" line until AFTER Konatsu comes to the window so Koyuki can see her

tHATS GAY

KOYUKI WITH THE CHEESY ROMEO AND JULIET SHIT

last edited at Jul 1, 2020 3:08PM

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_doujin_where_shikinami_became_the_secretary_ship_ch04#22
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_doujin_where_shikinami_became_the_secretary_ship_ch04#23
I was taking a look at the author's other works, and it turns out she's pulled "the moon is beautiful" line before! I really hope that this time won't just be for comedic purposes though.

^
Nice catch! With how many yuri doujins she wrote, I kinda have to wonder if she's struggling to hold back with Nettaigyo, heh.

IT'S GAY THIS US GAY THE FULL MOON IS BEAUTIFUL IDC ABOUT SUBTEXT THAT WAS A PRETTY DIRECT LOVE CONFESSION LESGOOO GAYS

Well it's reassuring to know that mangaka san can't play the "I didn't know lol" card and even if they continue with the subtext, I guess it's solid now even if it is reading between lines.

Now even if at the bare minimum they promise to meet again after graduation in Tokyo I would be satisfied, any more would just make it go from 8.5 to a 9 or 10.

It would require something very forced to ruin it at this point... I must say, I'm happy but so so sooooo anxious and scared of the next chapter lo/ feels like I'm reading Ani no yome

last edited at Jul 1, 2020 8:34PM

^
Nice catch! With how many yuri doujins she wrote, I kinda have to wonder if she's struggling to hold back with Nettaigyo, heh.

You know, I've been wondering that too. I don't think she's trying to make them not go into a relationship, it's more like it would be out of character for our main girls to develop in any other way than they have now. I was re-reading the earlier chapters, and it was obvious that Koyuki was very infatuated with Konatsu from the start, though even through the festival, we see that she never took time to understand her own feelings and whether or not she wanted to be friends or more than friends with Konatsu. Whereas with Konatsu, she just didn't want to be lonely, and needed to find someone to trap in her cave of loneliness, which is what she did with Koyuki. It was originally Koyuki's choice to open up and deepen the friendship with Konatsu, we see this when after Konatsu says she already knows Honami, Koyuki replies by telling her her first name (this was like chapter one, I think).

Granted the nature of their relationship, it feels entirely natural that Koyuki would be the one to confess, but Konatsu may not be able to completely understand the nature of her feelings. Neither characters put a label on their feelings, so it's in the nature of the story for the two of them (or at least Konatsu) to truly figure out what they feel. Personally, I think it will take the work of a third party, maybe that nameless boy we see at the club to confess, or be like the Maki from YagaKimi of this manga. It might even be Kaede, who would be the designated wingman (I mean seeing the two follow each other out the classroom may be interpreted as a confession rather than a confrontation in ch 26). But I think that the pacing of the story really makes sense once reading it all the way through: These two girls form a relationship with one another, confront their individual problems, confront the problems that had with one another, and now we can see them possibly grow into a healthy romance.

Sorry for such a long post, but this series is for sure my favorite ongoing, there are so many subtleties that I could go on for forever.

I doubt the new boy will wind up being that important, tbh.I feel like we would have at least gotten a name for him by now if we were meant to pay too much attention to him. It's been several chapters since he was first introduced after all.

Hmm, maybe not directly, but indirectly at least? He might serve as someone for Konatsu to project on to, as she does when he sees him sucking the aquarium water. Maybe he ends up confessing to Koyuki or something, and Konatsu can see how his feelings for her parallels her own. Kinda like how that girl from the sports festival didn't do anything for the plot, or even had a name, but she sparked Konatsu's interest to learn more about Koyuki, and also let Konatsu know that the version of Koyuki she sees is different than everyone else's. Tbh, I wouldn't think that he would be as important if it weren't for his appearance in ch 24, around page 25. There are the signature fish appearing in their interaction, and Konatsu stares at him after he leaves. He's also the person who pulls her out of her depressed daydream about being lonely. I mean, there HAS to be some kind of role he plays after that.

@Palmfire: I'll write this post under the assumption there is no veto on actual yuri from the editor or magazine and that Hagino has written the series thus far entirely on her own accord. I personally feel that the decision not to make the relationship between Konatsu and Koyuki overtly romantic so far made the bond between them stronger since their attraction to each other is based entirely on an emotional connection without the physical/lustful side of it playing a part. Of course, you have to roll with the idea that two lonely teenagers could become so close to each other without wanting to bone and I understand how some people wouldn't, but I disagree with those who called all the issues the characters went through forced or pointless drama. I think everything stemmed naturally from their insecurities and flaws and it never came down to actual forced drama, i.e. misunderstandings. They had a lot of genuine problems to work through, and they did.

As for what comes next, I'm not gonna lie and thus I'll say the latest chapter has got my hopes back up in terms of the possibility of a romantic development. It doesn't need to happen for the rest of the story to work, but I think that now that Konatsu and Koyuki have established such a deep connection through their shared loneliness and got to the point where they can be open to each other about it, it would make sense for the two of them to try and fill that void with something more than mere friendship. At the very least the author has always taken great care not even to imply that either of them could be potentially interested in someone else while there have been instances of the opposite, for example with Koyuki's mother comparing their relationship to that between her and her own husband. And while stuff like that is still within the realm of plausible deniability as to the author's intent, Koyuki's line in the latest chapter is harder to justify and it would honestly feel a bit baity if it turns out not to have a deeper meaning at all.

I totally agree with you. I think the author has really taken care of the characters emotions, and that there isn’t really a need for romance, but I can’t help but wonder what this next arc will be. Granted with that line drop we got last chapter, I think it was the authors way of telling the reader what’s next. Understanding the structure of the literary allusions in the story so far, it is easier to assume that Konatsu wouldn’t immeasurably understand Koyuki’s message. Honestly it would be too jarring for them to go straight into dating right now for me, I would enjoy it if we really get to see the process of their feelings. From the beginning it is implied that Koyuki liked Konatsu more than a friend (if were looking at their interactions through a romantic lens) : “If you gave me your number, I’d call you all the time!” “There’s something wrong with me, ever since I met Konatsu I’ve been so...” and of course, taking a pic of her bae’s sleeping face. Koyuki appears to understand her feelings, which can lead to the reader coming to the conclusion of “I want to always be together” as “I want to spend the rest of my life with you and no one else” Koyuki saying “The moon is so beautiful” If we are implying that this ain’t just a gag from the author, is probably her way of saying that the only person she’d want to spend the rest of her life with is Konatsu. This scene actually parallels one form chapter 25, where Honami walks to Konatsu’s place and we can see the Konatsu is looking out the window with the curtain shut. Symbolical this would be that communication rift that they had between them, as neither of them had admitted that “I’m lonely without you” yet. The author actually has a knack for these parallels: we can see that Koyuki shares a drink with Konatsu during in “Koyuki can’t concentrate” a parallel to the indirect kiss she got so worked up over. Every single time Koyuki has done something that opens herself up, it was always as a result of Konatsu setting it for her. The same thing can be seen when Koyuki takes hours to reply in one chapter, and a few chapters later she’s neglecting club duties to talk to her friend.

Based off of her interactions, we can see that Honami is sure of herself. She knows what she wants to do and how she feels about others: her issue is just doing these things. So upon that conclusion, I’m sure that this line is something she’s been meaning to say for a while, but she was too afraid to put her words into action, or be that person she wants to be. I’m just speculating, but I’m the sports festival chapter, Kondou talks to Konatsu about Honami and says “she’s smart, she’s pretty, and then there’s...” I’m sure that Koyuki’s story is still being withheld to the reader a little. If we get a little more of her backstory besides her isolation and dorkiness, it would even more solidify what it is she feels for Konatsu

That being said, this is Konatsu’s chapter. She won’t be deferred. But defferred from what? Getting into a a relationship with her senpai, despite knowing that she’ll be clinging on to a person who will leave in a year, or deferred from rejecting Koyuki’s feelings, despite knowing that it would be painful for both of them? Konatsu is full of unknowns. What happened to her mom? Her dad says the first time he can around “I’m so glad you’ve found something you’re engrossed in here too” What are her interests? Does she even like salamanders? Lol. She apparently has always been lonely and has placed a bar between herself and others, I wonder why. We know now that she understands that she can no longer have an unhealthy dependence on people, which is why she may end up rejecting Koyuki, or hiding her feelings.

A user posted a very interesting analysis of the salamander and frog story a while back. It Wen along the lines of “the salamander’s cave is their shyness, the frog enters the cave of the salamander, satisfying the unapproachable salamanders loneliness. The frog starving itself to death is an analogy for it starving for something more in their relationship” if Koyuki is the frog and Konatsu is the salamander, then maybe she will get rejected (initially) and we will enter an arc where the emotional love turns into one that is non-platonic. Idk I might be looking too deeply into things, but knowing the author, we are definitely going to get a display of explicit feelings. If this goes the yuri route. If it doesn’t, then i wouldn’t know how to justify this previous interaction. Sorry if I’m not making any sense, but do you understand my analysis?

This scene actually parallels one form chapter 25, where Honami walks to Konatsu’s place and we can see the Konatsu is looking out the window with the curtain shut.

Oh darn, I hadn't noticed. Posting for everyone to see:
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/nettaigyo_wa_yuki_ni_kogareru_ch25#4
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/nettaigyo_wa_yuki_ni_kogareru_ch25#5
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/nettaigyo_wa_yuki_ni_kogareru_ch25#6

Konatsu was at the curtain but it was shut and it was raining on top of it, so the "beautiful moon" couldn't be seen in two ways, plus Koyuki went there without communicating anything first and writing a text that didn't invite discussion afterwards as opposed to how she would call her first in the latest chapter. The line "I'm such a terrible senpai..." itself was also a callback to a previous chapter when she thought she was imposing herself on Konatsu. If you really look into it there's a crazy amount of stuff like this.

I'm not sure we'll get more about Koyuki's and Konatsu's past, I think it will depend on how relevant showing specific episodes from it would be to the current situation. For instance, I don't think it's necessary to explicitly show what happened to Konatsu's mother, it can be pretty much surmised from what little we've seen and it's clear how it affected both her and her father. As for Koyuki, I don't think there was any single noteworthy event that made her into who she is, it sounds like she gradually distanced herself from others due to the pressure of being a model student (as opposed to, say, the reason why Touko in YagaKimi became one). Of course I would love to see how she came to love aquatic life and take over the aquarium club.

The frog starving itself to death is an analogy for it starving for something more in their relationship” if Koyuki is the frog and Konatsu is the salamander, then maybe she will get rejected (initially) and we will enter an arc where the emotional love turns into one that is non-platonic.

Although the series flipped the perspective of who the salamander and the frog are in the analogy with the short story when Konatsu tried to hold Koyuki back from going out with her classmates, I'd still say the roles align more to Koyuki being the salamander and Konatsu being the frog. When they finally had their heart to heart in chapter 26, Konatsu thought that she always wanted to be a frog so she could be with the salamander, that she thought that was all that connected them, but then implies there will be more to their connection from now on. The salamander is shown swimming away together with the frog at this point. I took this image and this entire scene to mean that the analogy with the short story has now been resolved with the animals finally opening up to each other, the salamander managing to leave its cave thanks to the frog and them setting off together to unknown waters.

That's why I think Konatsu wouldn't reject Koyuki's feelings at this point if she were to confess. Her dependance on Koyuki is no longer one-sided, they both expressed how they need one another. To this end, there's been a lot of set-up about the time when Koyuki will have to leave for Tokyo to start university. In the chapters where Konatsu's dad returned, she came to the realization that even though she'll feel lonely without his physical presence, distance will not break their bond and she can face her loneliness with that knowledge. Koyuki's father tells the same thing to Konatsu's in regards to their daughters' relationship once Koyuki has to leave. And Konatsu herself wrote "frog" as her career choice in this chapter. I wouldn't take that as a simple joke, she's saying she wants to be by Koyuki's side even after graduating. Maybe this could be what they'll talk about next chapter since Koyuki seemingly wants to have a proper talk about her leaving for Tokyo after graduation, and Konatsu "won't be deterred" from expressing her intention of catching up to her once she also graduates.