Breakdown : Round 2. Hopefully with more resolution.

Maybe I just don’t share y’alls sense of humor, but I really don’t see what’s funny about their faces. Ajiichi is amazing at drawing raw, unbridled emotion.

The funny thing is just how over the top insane Kuro is acting. Like she is acting like she witnessed someone brutally murdered instead of just being confessed to by her best friend. Her whole reasoning and reaction is so ungodly insane its funny. Like this girl straight up treating another person like shit for being a human instead of her ideal romcom character.

Over the top? This seems like average teen hormone-driven levels of emotion to me. Also Kurokawa’s been bottling up these feelings for a long time, convincing herself that her inferiority is the absolute undeniable truth, and when those feelings finally come out, she’s told that she’s the one in the wrong. That might be just a little confusing and upsetting for her?

I don't really see this as over the top personally. It's been shown before that her inferiority complex probably started back when she was a kid, and it's been festering and building for all this time. And then the girl she admires, the 'Princess' she resigned herself to watching from afar because she thinks she can never be equal to her, confesses to her? Hell, that's bound to cause some emotional damage. I'm just hoping she's able to learn to love herself for who she is, and I hope Nanaki can help her do that. Maybe Izumi and Miki can talk some sense into her

On the other hand Miki's expression worries me. Admittedly I've not been keeping up a lot recently so... has Miki ever shown any signs of homophobia or anything similar?

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

It hurts me so much to see a character who's incapable of being happy because her own problems. (And also i know the manga would be very short if such problems didn't exist)

Take a shot everytime a character shouts in this manga

Bro, my poor Nanaki doesn't deserve this. Kurokawa x Therapy became my OTP.

Agree.
And Izumi still the best girl.

I'm officially super f*** annoyed by Kurokawa, so it's okay for her to get a glow up and be more comfortable with herself but the second Nanaki does then it's "How dare she". Over. IT.

this girl is kinda nuts

Well, teens gonna teen. If you've been paying attention and can resist the urge to scoff from a detached pulpit, this all tracks perfectly as the sort of thing you go through as a teen. It's a part of growing up.

Though the sudden appearance of Miki is an interesting bit I can't believe I didn't see coming.

I’ve been getting used to pretty much any possible human behavior being described as “unhealthy” in the Dynasty forums, but “thinking about how the other person in a relationship feels” is a new one on me.

Maybe it’s just me, but someone with a crippling inferiority complex does not need to be told to consider someone else’s feelings during a breakdown like this. It was just the wrong thing to say at the moment. She threw gas onto a clearly open fire, hence Kurokawa’s reaction. She can’t tell up from down with how crazy her life has gotten, and as soon as she tries to regain some kind of control, Izumi chews her out for being selfish? Bad move.

I’m not arguing that Kurokawa did the right thing, but she’s clearly got some deep seated issues, of which the inferiority complex is only one of. And telling someone to think about the trouble they’re causing other people while they’re pretty openly self loathing is really really bad. Considering someone else’s feelings is not unhealthy. But someone telling you to prioritize someone else’s feelings over your own mental health? Yeah. Not good.

That was absolutely the wrong judgment call to make. Kurokawa's definitely going to need some recovery time from all of this. Whether or not Miki and the others choose to help her through it is probably what will make or break the rest of the series. Insofar as they see it now, Kurokawa's got problems, but it doesn't seem like any of them have recognized her inferiority complex.

This is so painfully realistic that it's hard to read, but...I can't stop reading it. I sincerely hope both Kurokawa and Fujishiro get the help they need - this is an incredibly tender topic, and not one to be taken lightly. The author may dig themselves into a hole if they aren't careful.

last edited at May 19, 2021 4:46PM

Miki's face in the last page is hilarious XD. Seriously though, will Miki be the MVP?!?

On the other hand Miki's expression worries me. Admittedly I've not been keeping up a lot recently so... has Miki ever shown any signs of homophobia or anything similar?

I think Miki's making that expression because she's pissed that Kurokawa is taking Nanaki for granted, not because of homophobia. Also, I think it's implied that Miki might've had a crush on Nanaki (though she could just admire her).

last edited at May 19, 2021 5:13PM

These characters would be a feast for a therapist.

True for so many series. I’m given to understand that mental-health counseling is not a big thing in Japan, although supposedly that’s changing.

But has psychological counseling/therapy ever been depicted in a yuri manga? Or in any manga at all?

I might be recalling a couple of allusions to some extremely troubled character having “seen specialists” or something like that, but I can’t think of any actual scene in a therapist’s or psychiatrist’s office. (The closest thing I can think of are heart-to-heart talks with a homeroom teacher.)

AFAIK there's a pretty strong cultural stigma against it in general, unsurprisingly related to the wider issues of obsessive conformity and major hang-ups about keeping up appearances.

I can swear if she doesnt go to therapy i will be pissed.... in other news Izumi is still best girl

I can swear if she doesnt go to therapy i will be pissed.... in other news Izumi is still best girl

For some reason, I kept waiting for Kurokawa to take one more step to the left during her rant and tumble down the stairs.

The best thing about school life manga: how the mcs will solve all their problems by themselves, no needing the help or intervention of any stupid smelly grown-up old fart.

The funniest thing about manga forums in Western countries: how everyone and their uncle will scream hysterically for a grown-up, any grown-up, teacher, copper, therapist, whatever, to come and solve the problems of these kids with a masterful display of adult authority!

This plot is just stupid. They can be the bestest friends for weeks, but now suddenly it's a heartwrenching problem. And of course they don't talk it out, they just wander off to sulk.

Sure, they're teens, but who wants to watch teens be extra stupid over a made up mental block. I'd rather read about the adorable or hilarious kind of useless.

last edited at May 19, 2021 6:58PM

The best thing about school life manga: how the mcs will solve all their problems by themselves, no needing the help or intervention of any stupid smelly grown-up old fart.

The funniest thing about manga forums in Western countries: how everyone and their uncle will scream hysterically for a grown-up, any grown-up, teacher, copper, therapist, whatever, to come and solve the problems of these kids with a masterful display of adult authority!

People aren't saying she needs "adult authority". They're saying she needs adult support. So you think it's best to just let teenagers solve their issues on their own, even when it is clearly going downhill??

(Edited this cause it felt a bit needlessly aggressive)

last edited at May 19, 2021 8:41PM

Not gonna lie I kinda hope she gets the shit slapped out of her by Miki. Good god. She needs ACTUAL THERAPY if she really feels like this on such a deep seated emotional level.

I'll never understand the whole, I'm not good enough to be with this person, crap. It's like just being me is an affront to people. WELL FUCK THAT SHIT!!!

last edited at May 19, 2021 8:23PM

I see a lot of people saying Kurokawa is acting like a normal teen or they understand how she feels

No, this is not normal it is not understandable

This is batshit insane, this is the exact same mentality that leads crazy fans to murder idols for not being "Pure" its fucking toxic, like not your usual Twitter BS actual toxic behaviour.

last edited at May 19, 2021 9:13PM

Izumi has a current relationship with Kurokawa and Nanaki, so I understand her sticking her nose into things (however tactless); but the Miki appearance seems kind of random. I do appreciate that someone overheard Kurokawa's yelling. I'm torn between wanting Kurokawa's dilemma to be solved quickly and wanting it to be resolved organically. But, with teens, who knows. Something random can lead to sudden transformation if she's open to the change. We shall see.

last edited at May 19, 2021 9:06PM

Okay, all aboard Miki x Nanaki ship now.
I just can't... with Kurokawa.