I go back and forth on her character, but this top panel about had Subaru stealing my heart. Pretty nicely-paced story, also looks like it will carry on a while longer, even with the new series launching alongside it.

last edited at Nov 30, 2020 11:38AM

is it just me or anybody think that hinako san maybe have sum haphephobia?u know phobia of being touch by anyone or anybody

That's quite possible. It doesn't seem to be a crippling issue that's persisted from childhood, but her interactions with her friends seems to suggest that she's been pushed into the dating scene against her will on multiple occasions. Drunk guys in bars can get pretty handsy, and even fleeting touches or contact can be very traumatic if you're not prepared for them or if you're dreading the very idea of touch from a virtual stranger. Obviously, this is a largely wholesome story about love, friendship and healing, so Shio isn't gonna give us some lurid, rapey backstory, but Hinako definitely seems to have some hidden trauma. I'd say it's an unholy combination of anxiety, a general distaste for contact with men, and the pressure of being forced to act 'normal' even when she's uncomfortable, all of which reinforce each other to the point where even an accidental touch could drive her off the edge, especially if she's in a stuffy little pub surrounded by guys hitting on her.

On top of this, there's the whole backstory with her mother, which suggests that she's desperate for some kind of contact or support, but also afraid of being hurt when she comes out of her shell. I'd say that Hinako sees touch as something that would ideally be healing and comforting, which is why she's repulsed by the idea of someone touching her with sexual intentions, and also has trouble imagining herself doing the same. She doesn't seem entirely asexual (demisexual or graysexual, perhaps), but definitely seems like she'd need a very strong emotional foundation of trust before she gets to the touchy-feely part. Also of note is the scene where she impulsively touches Asahi and is horrified when she recoils, reflecting that she might have been behaving in the same way as all those intrusive guys she despised, even though Asahi was reacting in a completely different context- in this case, she identifies with Asahi to such a degree that she sees loving Asahi as a way to love herself, but also fears that hurting or offending her would be tantamount to destroying her own hopes, reflecting a simultaneous drive to project and to protect.

This post ended up a lot longer than I thought it'd be, but the point is that Hinako is a brilliantly-written, highly complex character, and Shio excels at integrating intricate details into the minutiae of her artwork and character interactions.

I go back and forth on her character, but this top panel about had Subaru stealing my heart.

If and when those two ever have sex Subaru's going to do ALL the things to Fuuka just to watch her reactions, mark my words.

On the one hand there are some obvious reservations from being touched, on the other hand there was this scene from chapter 8:
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/crescent_moon_and_doughnuts_ch08#14
... so I'm not that convinced this aversion to touch is going to last.

If there was a donut tag, life would be good.

Seconded. I took a punt on this manga just now, after reading Shimeji Simulation. It seemed the logical next step; this, or something else with mosasaurs in it, and they're hard to find given the absence of a Mosasaur tag. At least this one has "doughnuts" in the title. Well, it turned out they don't have that much in common apart from that, and the mosasaurs haven't made an appearance yet, but still, I'm rather enjoying it.

I'm sorry if this post is a little weird; I've been reading Shimeji Simulation.

last edited at Dec 1, 2020 5:20PM

Asahi is totally my type. (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)

...And her new series gets Bread straight off the bat! Where's the Doughnut love?

I vote for a donut tag as well.

is it just me or anybody think that hinako san maybe have sum haphephobia?u know phobia of being touch by anyone or anybody

I think Hinako is asexual! She loves Asahi but is still uncomfortable with the thought of kissing and touching more than holding hands. I got that feeling early on but I'm really certain now! She seemed to accept that she was in love with a woman pretty easily, so this might be why she felt like she was "defective," which is common with ace folks. It would be so awesome to see that representation in a Yuri series about adults!

Edit: Oh I just went back in this forum and see this is already a conversation. For the record, asexuality is a wide spectrum (there's also aromantic which is separate but not relevant to this discussion). You can like sex, or hate sex, or be disgusted by sex, or only sometimes like sex, or not like kissing, or not like certain touches, or not like any intimate contact at all, or etc etc etc. It's not just "Physical Attraction: Y/N?"

Hinako has definitely shown strong signs of being ace. She could also be demi, meaning she needs a stronger bond with someone before even considering any physical intimacy. As of Chapter 11, I think she's absolutely an ace lesbian (asexual/homoromantic).

last edited at Jan 2, 2021 12:19AM

Not gonna lie I love how there's a character named Subaru here that ships them

Still find Subaru annoying.

Honestly I feel pretty bad for Fuuka. Asahi really is dense lol.

"I keep getting hurt today"

what a mood

Honestly I feel pretty bad for Fuuka. Asahi really is dense lol.

If Asahi were going to have become interested in Fuuka, it would have happened a long time ago. Fuuka missed her moment (either because she didn't make a move or because Asahi just wasn't emotionally available) and now Asahi is relying on her as what she is – a close friend of the family. We know about Fuuka's frustration with the state of their relationship because she's open about it with Hinako and Subaru, but she keeps herself on guard around Asahi. I don't think Asahi is dense – if anything, she's allowing herself to not see what Fuuka is not sharing with her because it's simpler for her. It's simpler for both of them, even if it's painful for Fuuka.

Part of what makes this story interesting is that Hinako and Asahi are both ambivalent about romantic relationships for very different reasons – Hinako because she has a very fraught relationship with desire (or is just asexual), Asahi because she has sublimated so much of herself into her work as a way of coping with grief and because she feels responsible to Subaru. Subaru and Fuuka are relatively straightforward by comparison, which is why it's not entirely unrealistic for Subaru to have a thing for Fuuka (kinda hoping the story doesn't pair them off, because that feels a little too convenient). Fuuka has to understand after being friends with Asahi for so long that just kind of hanging around and waiting for her moment was never going to get her what she wants.

Also, Fuuka is the childhood friend. Sorry, Fuuka.

At this point, the kind of story this is would lead me to believe that Hinako and Asahi are going to get together, but with the two of them being the way they are, I really don't know how it's going to end. I think that's one of the most interesting things about this story. I also really like that this is the complicated, dark shadow to "Trying Out Marriage With My Childhood Friend", which has some similar dynamics but isn't nearly as heavy. I really like Usui Shio's work.

What happened to their parents again?

Is it just me or has the quality of this manga gone down? The art, Paneling, something just seems off

Subaru, with her taunting cat face, is so damn cute.

On the ace topic I would like people to keep in mind she could also just be deeply repressed. A lot of lesbians (myself included) struggle(d) sexually and often considered ourselves possibly asexual or ambivalent to sexual things because we have little to no framework about sexuality and the lesbian experience outside of pornography that's made to titillate men and isn't anywhere near our experiences in reality.

I'm on the "I love the main ship and we don't need a triangle but damn, Fuuka had it really bad today" team!

Oh shit it's the doughnuts and crescent moon things are about to get real.

On the ace topic I would like people to keep in mind she could also just be deeply repressed. A lot of lesbians (myself included) struggle(d) sexually and often considered ourselves possibly asexual or ambivalent to sexual things because we have little to no framework about sexuality and the lesbian experience outside of pornography that's made to titillate men and isn't anywhere near our experiences in reality.

I relate a lot to Hinako idk why,i'm not lesbian i'm bi but the pressure of society to a woman to like men it's so relatableee

Being Fuuka truly is suffering

Also, Subaru is still a big S lmao

Is it just me or has the quality of this manga gone down? The art, Paneling, something just seems off

I think so, too. Maybe it's because the author has another series to draw now.
Ganbare, author-san. The art is still pretty great in my opinion and the story telling maintain its great flow. 10/10 again.

last edited at Feb 6, 2021 1:01AM

On the ace topic I would like people to keep in mind she could also just be deeply repressed. A lot of lesbians (myself included) struggle(d) sexually and often considered ourselves possibly asexual or ambivalent to sexual things because we have little to no framework about sexuality and the lesbian experience outside of pornography that's made to titillate men and isn't anywhere near our experiences in reality.

It seems likely repression, self-loathing, and maybe even some internalized homophobia are all things Hinako is sorting through. Her reactions to dating at the beginning of the story were portrayed as so extreme as to be aversion rather than simple disinterest. But since then, she's calmed down a lot and is pretty obviously feeling something more than just friendship for Asahi, and wants to spend all or most of her free time with her. Even so, she's still not sure if she wants to kiss Asahi or do other things with her, and it's not like she's avoiding thinking about it, seeing how she talked to a near-stranger about it (also, ouch, sorry Fuuka). She genuinely doesn't seem to know what she wants. Compare her to Shimizu in Still Sick, who wasn't interested in physical intimacy until the first time she gets up close and personal with another woman.

I'm guessing we're going to find out what Hinako's actual deal is very soon (woo! sleepover! I don't think Asahi's intentions in "running away" to Hinako's place were entirely pure!), but based on what the story has shown, it seems equally likely to me that Hinako is ace, demi, or working through a wicked comp het hangover.

To be honest i was really hyped that the amazon of my country have certain selection of yuri series licensed from Seven Seas (i already bought "Our teachers are dating" Vol. 1 and 2 but i have to wait more for the second one tho) and more because this one is in that selection...the sad part is that i have wait for 23° and three more days (to be delivered) of this month to get one
Pd. HInako.go for it girl
Fuuka, sorry but you already lose this one jsjsjs

last edited at Feb 6, 2021 1:36AM