There were basically two issues with the previous "ending", the ambiguity and the lack of context as to how we got there (them being a couple). Someone just pointed out to me, and it is a good observation and a plausible scenario, that the author probably tried addressing both of these issues with this chapter. If so, it was a bad idea. Addressing one point could have been done relatively well, that point being the ambiguity.
For example, when Risako asked if they were dating, Uta could have started panicking ("oh no, she figured it out, what do I say???") and then a drunk Kaoru kisses her or blurts something out, basically proving that the two are together. That way the implication of the previous chapter would have been confirmed and any uncertainty over whether or not they are together would have been removed.
The other point, the complete lack of context, is basically unsolvable in the format of a single chapter. It is something that would require either a rewrite of significant portions of the manga, or numerous additional chapters. As such, it was better left alone. But the author seems to have chosen to tackle this as well and not only confirm the status of the main couple, but also show us how they got together, and it is just... contrived and out-of-nowhere. For all intents and purposes, this epilogue could have been a stand-alone doujin and you would hardly feel like there was context missing, that is how much bearing the previous 37 chapters have on this ending.
Edit: Oof! Well, I did say the idea was not mine... you were just slower on the draw, Nev.
last edited at Feb 16, 2021 4:56PM