Ah this looks like it’s going to be good. To those mentioning timelines for chapter 1, maybe sometime in between the start of school and this convo? It was stated that a month has passed since school started.

Also, to go along with @OrangePekoe’s comment, Ticcy is amazing and I was sad that Kiss It Goodbye ended, but I’m super excited for her new work, I think its going to be fantasy based.

Lilies are gay, tangerines are gay... It seems like we're making a nice list of gay aromatics

I like how this conversation is directly going into the point instead of some unnecessary blah blahs.
Anyways, this looks pretty interesting and hope it delivers and not be a let off!

Lilies are gay, tangerines are gay... It seems like we're making a nice list of gay aromatics

There used to be a list of Yuri Iconography, back in the day. It used to include things like: lilies, handmade chocolates, umbrellas, yellow Volkswagen Beetles, and Walther P99's. ^_^

There used to be a list of Yuri Iconography, back in the day. It used to include things like: lilies, handmade chocolates, umbrellas, yellow Volkswagen Beetles, and Walther P99's. ^_^

I have so many questions now.

I'm bothered by the term "queen bee" as it's used in chapter 02. It doesn't sound like the right descriptor for Yanxing or that other badass girl at all.

My idea is that whatever they said in Chinese meant that they were like "banchō" of their schools, I mean something like the toughest ones among the students. That's what the attitude of the girl with red-brown hair seems to suggest, that she wants to rule the first-years with strength and sees Yanxing as a rival.

A "queen bee" as we understand it in English is more like the leader of the hotties clique who uses gossip and popularity with boys as her weapons. That doesn't look like Yanxing's style, and even less the way the badass redhead behaves.

Lilies are gay, tangerines are gay... It seems like we're making a nice list of gay aromatics

Violets are also gay!

My idea is that whatever they said in Chinese meant that they were like "banchō" of their schools, I mean something like the toughest ones among the students. That's what the attitude of the girl with red-brown hair seems to suggest, that she wants to rule the first-years with strength and sees Yanxing as a rival.

A "queen bee" as we understand it in English is more like the leader of the hotties clique who uses gossip and popularity with boys as her weapons. That doesn't look like Yanxing's style, and even less the way the badass redhead behaves.

The original Chinese term in here is dajietou - which means something like "female gang boss." Obviously the first-years are not a gang; she just perceives herself to be their leader. "Queen bee," as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is simply "the chief or dominant woman in an organization or social group," and so I stand by that (admittedly more idiomatic) translation.

While the person occupying the position of a "queen bee" may be perceived to be using gossip and popularity as their tools, those qualities are not a prerequisite to be one. I could/should have put this in the translator's notes.

Tangerines are symbol of yuri love in slang. Hmmm.

I'm bothered by the term "queen bee" as it's used in chapter 02. It doesn't sound like the right descriptor for Yanxing or that other badass girl at all.

My idea is that whatever they said in Chinese meant that they were like "banchō" of their schools, I mean something like the toughest ones among the students. That's what the attitude of the girl with red-brown hair seems to suggest, that she wants to rule the first-years with strength and sees Yanxing as a rival.

A "queen bee" as we understand it in English is more like the leader of the hotties clique who uses gossip and popularity with boys as her weapons. That doesn't look like Yanxing's style, and even less the way the badass redhead behaves.

I dunno. While that other girl has a bad attitude, it does not seem to me as if she plans to use actual violence or threat of same to lead. It seems like a socially based approach, if in a relatively negative or trash-talking style of social dominance (and for that matter, not very well thought through).

I tried to make a longer post but the forum software is calling me a spammer. So I'll just note that regardless of what the OED says, in a high school context, Mean Girls (and the parenting book Queen Bees and Wannabees that it's based on) has shifted many readers' understanding of "queen bee" to be "Regina George".

Nothing kenkyokitsune says is wrong, but that baggage is essentially attached to the term these days, especially in a high school.

last edited at Oct 14, 2021 9:31PM

And thankfully a overly humdrum, boring, run of the mill type manga is saved by lively and disgruntled forum wangling? :P

I tried to make a longer post but the forum software is calling me a spammer. So I'll just note that regardless of what the OED says, in a high school context, Mean Girls (and the parenting book Queen Bees and Wannabees that it's based on) has shifted many readers' understanding of "queen bee" to be "Regina George".

Nothing kenkyokitsune says is wrong, but that baggage is essentially attached to the term these days, especially in a high school.

“Many readers” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this set of assertions.

I think "queen bee" is broad enough to work in this context, and I think it works perfectly well.

margin posted:

I tried to make a longer post but the forum software is calling me a spammer.

Sorry about that, it's fixed now and won't happen again.

The last chapter was really good, Gugu is such a good girl!! I really like how she handled it. Also, Yangxing... you're definitely not sneaky at all lmao.

last edited at Oct 17, 2021 10:52PM

The last chapter was really good, Gugu is such a good girl!!

You said it. I was very surprised -- and perhaps a little culture shocked.

In a Western setting, helping your friend trick her pesky parents is like the most basic thing a girl will do to prove herself a useful pal. Say your friend wants to dress really skanky for a hot party but her parents will have none of it? No prob: she can just hide her party clothes at your place and get changed there before you two leave together for the party. Say your friend wants to spend the night with her boyfriend? Easy peasy: she just has to claim she's sleeping over at your place, which you will confirm if her parents call you, while in reality she'll be having fun with that boy. A zillion teen movies and tv series have this custom thoroughly established.

But Gugu, she seemed utterly distressed by the very idea of telling a lie! Even worse: telling a lie to the honorable progenitors of a friend of hers, a way of behaving that Lao Tzu and Confucius say is a sin against Heaven! (Probably. Maybe. I'm just making up stuff here. :P ). Seriously, I have trouble believing that she can be so exceedingly pure and innocent -- at least by my biased Western standards.

The queen bee is the one who gets all the drones. That's the point how to understand it. The male drones all want the queen bee and the other female bees (workers) get no action because all the males want to have sex with the queen bee. The metaphor is used in a context where there's a woman who monopolizes (or wants to monopolize) the attention of all the males around (chiefly the "best" most eligible ones) to be alpha female. Maru in Pink Rush is one example of this character.

The last chapter was really good, Gugu is such a good girl!!

You said it. I was very surprised -- and perhaps a little culture shocked.

In a Western setting, helping your friend trick her pesky parents is like the most basic thing a girl will do to prove herself a useful pal. Say your friend wants to dress really skanky for a hot party but her parents will have none of it? No prob: she can just hide her party clothes at your place and get changed there before you two leave together for the party. Say your friend wants to spend the night with her boyfriend? Easy peasy: she just has to claim she's sleeping over at your place, which you will confirm if her parents call you, while in reality she'll be having fun with that boy. A zillion teen movies and tv series have this custom thoroughly established.

American media sure love their rebellious teens, huh? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

But Gugu, she seemed utterly distressed by the very idea of telling a lie! Even worse: telling a lie to the honorable progenitors of a friend of hers, a way of behaving that Lao Tzu and Confucius say is a sin against Heaven! (Probably. Maybe. I'm just making up stuff here. :P ). Seriously, I have trouble believing that she can be so exceedingly pure and innocent -- at least by my biased Western standards.

I love it. To one used to the mainstream of Western culture, this completely different cultural take on things really is refreshing.

Come to think of it, this is the reason I got into manga & anime in the first place.

I love it. To one used to the mainstream of Western culture, this completely different cultural take on things really is refreshing.

Oh I wasn't complaining y'know.

I am amused at people discussing the term queen bee. Now, I am slightly lost and confused with the timeline but also engaged enough not to care, and also, can re-read it all and either work it out or just enjoy once more. I like this piece of work, it's fun and cute and sweet.

I love how the translator took the time to give an explanation about the timeline, it's always fun to interact (even if indirectly) with the people who are working on the series!

I can kinda see how the first chapter could fit here perhaps... But doesn't the school year in China start in September?? And the first chapter was set in June, which would mean that that incident happened towards the end of the year. Has almost a whole year passed since chapter 2? Cause I didn't really get that impression....

Whatever, I don't even know why I'm so hung up on this lol
I'll just have to wait for chapter 10 to see if it really continues from where chapter 1 left off, I guess...?

last edited at Oct 17, 2021 4:40PM

Now I'm shipping Gugu and auntie -_-

people keep worrying about where chapter 1 fits in but I feel like chapter 1 is more like a pilot that exists outside of the actual series with the sole purpose of introducing the characters. the other alternative is the series is an endless hell of them keeping each other at arms length.....which is probably the case but I'd rather not accept that reality.

Thanks for the timeline explanation! I’m glad Yanxing’s mom seemed pretty reasonable, a lot of these types of parents are uber-hardasses who never listen to reason (both in comics and real life) so it was refreshing to see a parent who was sorta receptive to the idea. Definitely helps that Gugu offered to personally tutor Yanxing the whole time, I think as long as she keeps her grades up that’s fine. Pursuing your passions are always more fulfilling than money.

I'm loving the development so far, and the body language is steadily getting better, but the faces...really look like they're masks from the same mould, you know?