It’s pretty clear to me that the trope that (some of) the fanfic folks call “dub-con” (“dubious consent”) is pretty common in Japanese popular culture, especially romance-type manga and anime, where it often appears in comedic contexts.

https://fanlore.org/wiki/Dub-con

(Please, all the arguments, and then some, about the relationship between real-life and fictional consent/coercion can be found at the above link; there’s no need to rehash them here.)

Speaking here only of fictional contexts, it makes a kind of sense that in certain situations, including ones where cultural norms and assumptions militate against the expression of forbidden desires, characters would unconsciously yearn to be (or at least accept being) “forced” or “coerced” into doing something that is ordinarily taboo.

The big difference between fiction and real-life, of course, is that authors can give us access to the thoughts, feelings, and desires of all the characters, establishing their motivations and reactions. That’s why (to me) the arguments that “if this were real life, such-and-such action would be [some version of Not OK/criminal/abusive, etc.],” while often quite true, are of limited use in analyzing fictional narratives.

(Again, see the link above for the discussion of why “dub-con” is not (repeat: not) a useful concept when applied to real-life).

I came to look at how sad everyone felt for landlady thinking the confession was fake, only to see a thread on politics and other serious shit.

Like guys, calm down, its just a manga and a cute one at that. Leave that shit for a reddit thread. Ya'll killing the whole vibe.

last edited at Aug 11, 2020 1:48PM

This chapter, angst. Aaaangst. AAAANGSTT

This manga is actually super exciting because of how... real, it feels, for lack of a better word. Like, so many of the developments and emotions feel very earned, and so I can 100% get on board with them. Which is making the sort of unexpected blossomings of romantic and sexual attraction out of what appeared to be a cozy chill yuri with a very basic, consistent conceit satisfying (and... pretty hot ngl). It feels like it's breaking genre expectations, and the moments where it stands out (that handholding scene, and now recently, MC pinning miss landlady and thinking "I want to mess her up) sort of break past my jaded yuri barrier so that I feel like a teenager first discovering there's manga with girls kissing (and maybe doing more?)

I completely understand how people might be squicked out by the real-world implications of this manga, and I think that's a totally legitimate reaction and criticism to draw toward this series, but the writing, the art, and how they set up the relationship and play with expectations is next level. This is some good shit.

The big difference between fiction and real-life, of course, is that authors can give us access to the thoughts, feelings, and desires of all the characters, establishing their motivations and reactions. That’s why (to me) the arguments that “if this were real life, such-and-such action would be [some version of Not OK/criminal/abusive, etc.],” while often quite true, are of limited use in analyzing fictional narratives.

Even in a real world setting, there are people who will tell you they don't feel coerced or violated even though their friends would say otherwise. Are their feelings less valid than what their friends think or are they supposed to feel what their friends think? Obviously we can't do the above quote in real life, we can only be that friend; and we'll never understand another person's mechanisms unless we are them.

A lot of words...this manga has created controversies since the beginning. I really like this manga and its a bit sad that landlady does not acknowledge Kozuka’s feelings

This is getting more spicy.....I LIKE IT

Love the latest chapter and how the story is progressing

yes yes yes to all of this

The chapter was cute and all, but I can't help but be baffled by this panel:

I know it's probably supposed to be someone's legs but I swear the more I look at it, the less sense it makes, it looks more like some sort of sleeping aquatic creature with a weird hat

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/even_if_it_was_just_once_i_regret_it_ch13#15

Scissor me timbers!

The chapter was cute and all, but I can't help but be baffled by this panel:

I know it's probably supposed to be someone's legs but I swear the more I look at it, the less sense it makes, it looks more like some sort of sleeping aquatic creature with a weird hat

Looks like an ant eater

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/even_if_it_was_just_once_i_regret_it_ch13#15

Scissor me timbers!

Scissor me timbers indeed lmao, I was wonderin why the author made Miss Landlady sit like that to hold down her feet, cuz usually you'd be faced the other way to sit on someone's feet to hold em down, it was all for the ecchi chefs kiss I hope we get to see them reenact that for real in a chapter sometime.

Just please, moreeeeee

The chapter was cute and all, but I can't help but be baffled by this panel:

I know it's probably supposed to be someone's legs but I swear the more I look at it, the less sense it makes, it looks more like some sort of sleeping aquatic creature with a weird hat

plushie?

That was just your normal safe for work exercising. Nothing sexual at all.

Ch. 13: Feet

Don't you hate it when you're just doing sit ups with your pal and you start accidentally scissoring?

Don't you hate it when you're just doing sit ups with your pal and you start accidentally scissoring?

Wait, you're supposed to make it look like an accident?

The chapter was cute and all, but I can't help but be baffled by this panel:

I know it's probably supposed to be someone's legs but I swear the more I look at it, the less sense it makes, it looks more like some sort of sleeping aquatic creature with a weird hat

plushie?

... oh yeah it is a plushie, I can see it in previous chapters now :P never mind then

Kozuka: too stupid to Twice Shy
Landlady: too stupid to not Twice Shy

useless lesbians at their finest

(Ch. 13) I hope we don’t get into a holding pattern of rom-com hijinx now. Or actually, maybe that would be a good thing: I think the author is trying to re-establish the new state of their relationship as familiar, but this time with a lot more sexual tension, so when the next Big Thing really does happen, we’ll get some really hot payoff again.

We can say this count as sex...right?

that trope where they somehow fall into a sex position but this time it's a lesbian one, now i've seen it all

that trope where they somehow fall into a sex position but this time it's a lesbian one, now i've seen it all

https://dynasty-scans.com/forum/topics/5407-two-girls-fall-and-land-in-an-awkward-posistion