Yuzu and Mei getting to a point where they act like a normal, functioning couple would be enough for me TBH.

Thing is, we have gotten chapters of them like that, plenty in fact. It just seems we’ve gotten an equal amount of chapters of them… not like that. How comfortable they are around each other seems to change from chapter to chapter.

last edited at Nov 21, 2021 6:58PM

Saburouta is never, ever going to give her or us what we want.

Oh I’m sure we will. Saburouta’s just going to wait until she’s on her death bed to finally give it to us.

It’ll be the equivalent of “The Castle of aaauuuggghh…” from Monty Python and the Holy Grail xD

Let us then continue to hope . . .

I’ve come too far in this series to lose hope now. Maybe, like all the best things in life, it’ll happen when we least expect it.

(All jokes aside, I may be a diehard advocate for this series and its many divisive plot points, but even I’m starting to feel enough waiting is enough. Especially after how the last arc ended)

At this point I’m really not so goal-oriented (the optimal moment for Mei-Yuzu intimacy is long past—now if it happens, it happens). It’s still frustrating that Saburouta is such a habitually slack storyteller, even for a manga in slice-of-life mode. There are almost always multiple panels or even pages where there’s just not very much going on.

I literally said years ago that this should have time-skipped ahead to become a wacky 4-koma with Mei as the strict academy headmistress and Yuzu as the fun-loving school nurse (or maybe dance teacher), with infirmary hijinx to ensue.

And sure, Nene is Saburouta making fun of one segment of the Citrus readership (Haruyuzu shippers), but I was only 3/4th joking that the character may be trolling most of the rest of us too.

last edited at Nov 21, 2021 7:05PM

Good chapter even if it was a bit short.

I like the way Matsuri has mellowed out and is actually treating Nene as a close friend and not just someone she likes to mess up with. Yuzu's decision to become a teacher is pretty fitting to her character although is not really surprising but it does set some interesting possibilities for hypothetical future storylines. I'd love to see people reacting at Aihara Academy's chairman not only being married to a woman but her wife being a teacher in the academy.

Matsuri wants Harumin to address the kiss so bad, hopefully, this chapter's cliffhanger leads to the HaruMatsu situation progressing further.

(the optimal moment for Mei-Yuzu intimacy is long past—now if it happens, it happens)

What would’ve been said “optimal moment” in your opinion?

I literally said years ago that this should have time-skipped ahead to become a wacky 4-koma with Mei as the strict academy headmistress and Yuzu as the fun-loving school nurse (or maybe dance teacher), with infirmary hijinx to ensue.

Ngl I’d read that in a heartbeat xD, it’d be fun to see them butting heads on things in that setting, like how harshly a student should be disciplined for breaking the rules, or what they should do for the upcoming school festival.

(the optimal moment for Mei-Yuzu intimacy is long past—now if it happens, it happens)

What would’ve been said “optimal moment” in your opinion?

What I mean is that at this point Mei and Yuzu’s relationship seems to have regressed to a point where it’s very unclear what exactly would be a reasonable turning point that would move them toward a comfortable physical relationship.

We need to recall that in the original series at the point Mei broke things off with Yuzu in favor of the new arranged marriage, the two of them were pretty passionately physical with each other, with Mei fending off Yuzu primarily because of the general social stigma (lesbian stepsisters) as well as (we assume) her guilt about the supposedly inevitable het marriage. They were literally starting a much-anticipated make-out session when that arranged-marriage bombshell dropped.

But now their parents know, the school knows, and they’re literally engaged to be married. I can imagine a different Citrus + that began with Mei instituting a modified version of her present “start over again from scratch” protocol that involved, say, the two of them actually holding hands as they walked home that first day Mei rejoined the family, and then a series of chapters (interspersed with some focus on the other characters, to be sure) that depicted them coming to terms with what had happened and how they would be with each other going forward.

I certainly did not expect that almost two dozen chapters into the second series that they would still be communicating through Mr. Bearzy-Wearzy, and that the maturing of their relationship would be indicated by the fact that Yuzu could be very understanding when Mei basically ignored her on her birthday in order to do school paperwork.

last edited at Nov 21, 2021 8:31PM

I can imagine a different Citrus + that began with Mei instituting a modified version of her present “start over again from scratch” protocol that involved, say, the two of them actually holding hands as they walked home that first day Mei rejoined the family, and then a series of chapters (interspersed with some focus on the other characters, to be sure) that depicted them coming to terms with what had happened and how they would be with each other going forward.

Aight, I like how the series is going now (in spite of its flaws), but I can’t deny that’s sounds a lot better. I think the closest we’ve gotten to that is Mei “losing” her ring and fearing Yuzu would be upset at her for it.

I certainly did not expect that almost two dozen chapters into the second series that they would still be communicating through Mr. Bearzy-Wearzy,

Say what you will but I still find myself doki-dokiing whenever Mei cuddles Kumagoro xD

and that the maturing of their relationship would be indicated by the fact that Yuzu could be very understanding when Mei basically ignored her on her birthday in order to do school paperwork.

Yeahhh… that’s where I have to agree. I was in denial for a week or so after that chapter came out because I didn’t want to admit that I was disappointed with it. Now, not even Housewife Yuzu can absolve that chapter of robbing us of a wholesome birthday celebration.

I certainly did not expect that almost two dozen chapters into the second series that they would still be communicating through Mr. Bearzy-Wearzy,

Say what you will but I still find myself doki-dokiing whenever Mei cuddles Kumagoro xD

Sure, the little guy has been part of the Mei-Yuzu journey almost from the beginning. But by this time he could be more like their mutual adopted mascot rather than still serving as Mei's emotional security blanket.

I mean, he's literally right in the way when Yuzu goes in for her birthday cuddle--hey furry dude, Yuzu wants a shot at that lap!

I certainly did not expect that almost two dozen chapters into the second series that they would still be communicating through Mr. Bearzy-Wearzy,

Say what you will but I still find myself doki-dokiing whenever Mei cuddles Kumagoro xD

Sure, the little guy has been part of the Mei-Yuzu journey almost from the beginning. But by this time he could be more like their mutual adopted mascot rather than still serving as Mei's emotional security blanket.

I mean, he's literally right in the way when Yuzu goes in for her birthday cuddle--hey furry dude, Yuzu wants a shot at that lap!

The Citrus fandom has developed a bit of a theory that Kumagoro is indeed sentient and Yuzu’s “final love rival” to Mei. Hence why he has been getting in Yuzu’s way of Mei cuddles.

The Citrus fandom has developed a bit of a theory that Kumagoro is indeed sentient and Yuzu’s “final love rival” to Mei. Hence why he has been getting in Yuzu’s way of Mei cuddles.

Ah, so perhaps he's been draining Mei's sexual life force to fuel his own base desires--that would explain a lot, actually.

last edited at Nov 21, 2021 10:01PM

Matsuri wants Harumin to address the kiss so bad, hopefully, this chapter's cliffhanger leads to the HaruMatsu situation progressing further.

May I ask but what chapter is that?

"Do you remember early 2022? When Citrus veered to uncovering and stopping an invasion of aliens in the form of teddy bears? Talk about one of the great genre shifts of yuri manga!"

I think it is worth comparing this sequel series with Kase and Yamada

Bless this artist

https://twitter.com/anpsart/status/1462569257607303170

May I ask but what chapter is that?

It happened a year ago in the Chapter July 1st Part 2

I literally said years ago that this should have time-skipped ahead to become a wacky 4-koma with Mei as the strict academy headmistress and Yuzu as the fun-loving school nurse (or maybe dance teacher), with infirmary hijinx to ensue.

And sure, Nene is Saburouta making fun of one segment of the Citrus readership (Haruyuzu shippers), but I was >only 3/4th joking that the character may be trolling most of the rest of us too.

Well I guess we BOTH saw this coming (nurse is one of two that I thought of...)
A time skip after they are married will solve a lot of problems. First we are stuck with only the characters from the original series due to the wedding (we can count who is who in the wedding) that means we are missing Sayaka.
So a time skip must happen after the wedding. Once you have that time skip, you can do whatever you like for as long as you like as a storyteller. Imagine you can now put out a story with Hinmeko and finacee-husband, same thing for Suzuran
Both of them do not need need to go to College.

There is always a comic relief, but I am tired of all those Haruyuzu of Nene. It is however, understandable, as Nene is one of the top students, and she is bored, so she just day dream to waste time away. You can read it in the chapter where she and Suzuran met again and she told Suzuran why the HaruYuzu.

last edited at Nov 22, 2021 1:42AM

It happened a year ago in the Chapter July 1st Part 2

A year ago... ouch.

Matsuri wants Harumin to address the kiss so bad, hopefully, this chapter's cliffhanger leads to the HaruMatsu situation progressing further.

Yep & Saburo Uta has been giving loads of hints that she been planning on having Harumi & Matsuri end up as a couple.

Yesss finally more HaruMatsu content!

ngl for quite some time now I've been reading this mainly for the supporting cast; they at least are amusing

Leave for a year cuz of the toxicity, come back and it’s still toxic lol. The previous pages were a riot but I’m not going to even bother to address it.

I’ve pretty much fallen into the category of ‘still reading for HaruMatsu development, ignoring and skipping through YuzuMei chapter’.

This is purely assumption but I’m starting to wonder if HaruMatsu were the hidden couple in the background the whole time. (Besides MaruMitsu) It wasn’t until the previous chapter where Matsuri says she’s actually been hiding the fact that she’s dating someone the whole time, that I started to really wonder. Cuz it would explain some of their interactions. Just hear me out.

1.Harumin not getting upset at the sudden kiss Matsuri just planted on her, only just mumbling “Idiot. That’s totally not it at all” after Matsuri kissed and ran.

1. The way Matsuri is just able to randomly follow her to her house out of the blue and borrow her shower without prior notice. (Unless you’re very close, this is a fauxpas in Japan even if the rain counts as an emergency situation). Well I guess you can argue that grandma would recognise Matsuri as one of Harumin’s friends and let her in after seeing her drenched in the rain, and it seems slightly implied that Matsuri does show up unannounced often.

2. Why Matsuri got SO upset with Harumin (enough to raise her voice) for constantly arguing against her everything she says but always being so accepting of Yuzu’s opinions. Enough for Harumin to show a slight guilty expression.

3. Why Harumin would think it was her fault Matsuri stopped going to school, enough to trigger memories from what Matsuri said to her two years ago. And she was the first to realise Matsuri’s absence enough to bring it to the attention of the others.

4. That (4) is enough to propel Harumin to be spontaneous enough to butt herself into someone else’s private business (which is completely OOC for her as she prefers to remain a bystander), to the point of showing up unannounced to Matsuri’s house with an Omiyage as an apology present. (This is society fauxpas in Japan, especially with the dark palette of Harumin’s clothing and how flashy and revealing her clothing is. I get that this is Harumin’s style, but she had just shown in the previous chapter that she does own clothings that are more muted in style. For those of you who argue that she might not know about the clothing thing since she’s just a student, I will remind you that her family is prestigious enough to enroll Mitsuko and then Harumi into a school of mainly high society ojou-sama and reijos from powerful families, those schools AREN’T cheap and is mainly governed by an escalator system)

5. The specific way Matsuri confronted her in her room “is it because senpai wanted to do so, or was it for the sake of ‘EVERYONE’ that distance between their faces goes way beyond ‘friends’. And Harumi FROZE, where she would normally push the other party away.

6. Latest chapter, Matsuri getting irritated, almost to the point of pissed with the incessant bombardment of Nene’s HaruYuzu daydreams. (There were quite a few panels that showed her with an emotionless expression.) usually she’s get annoyed but still slightly indulge Nene, this time she almost completely shuts off after releasing the floodgates of Nene.

7. That one scene (latest chapter also) where Harumi silently lets Matsuri sit beside her and the full panel of them all too slightly leaning on each other in the touching-not-touching situation with a similar expression on their faces. Harumi could’ve easily leaned on her other arm and avoided any contact with Matsuri at all if she were still pissed with Matsuri’s earlier shenanigans.

8. The infamous scene of Harumi face planting Matsuri into her boobs in the original Citrus vol…8? 9? Though they might have still been just friends then? But friends don’t faceplant other friends into their boobs even while trying to comfort them.

I mean, it’s purely assumption of course, but after a while you realise that Saburouta only really shows scenes where Matsuri and Harumin interact in the presence of others, until that scene where Harumi made an unannounced visit to Matsuri’s condo. From the moment of Matsuri’s greeting you could see and hear the sarcasm every time she addressed Harumi as ‘Senpai’ throughout both chapters. (Is it because senpai wanted to do so? Or for the sake of “Everyone”)

When Matsuri mentions that she’s “been in a relationship for a long while now”. And you re-read July 1st with that context, it brings out a whole new subtext to the interactions in those two chapters and the few chapters earlier in Vol.2 when they ‘fought’

If they really had been dating the entire time (since, who knows when), I think it’s a relationship, or not-relationship based on understanding each other in a way no one else does. Matsuri understanding Harumi’s Flight over Fight response in uncomfortable situations, which is why she was surprised it was Harumi who had made the move to visit and apologise, and Harumi understands Matsuri’s thought process in a way no one else has, (just as Mei mentioned). They probably aren’t overly affectionate in words, and fight waaay more often than not, arguing over the smallest things. But like in the latest chapter they’d also have moments where they silently acknowledge each other and be able to just be together comfortably even if neither says a word.

Probably initiated by Matsuri’s one-sided confession, and Harumi accepting grudgingly cuz she was worried Matsuri might cause trouble for Yuzu otherwise… I highly doubt their relationship started out mutual. High chance that THAT scene was their first kiss as well. But even if it was mostly one sided, they’d both probably take it seriously. Birthdays, anniversaries, giving gifts to the other in that Tsundere way of theirs… and if anyone asks, no, they’re “not dating”, at least probably not until that kiss…

OR Of course I could have just been talking through my ass the whole time and Matsuri is either lying with a straight face to Mei about the whole dating thing and I’m just reading too much into it, or it’s the truth and she’s dating someone else entirely… THAT would bring a whole new drama to Citrus+ and HaruMatsu…

Leave for a year cuz of the toxicity, come back and it’s still toxic lol. The previous pages were a riot but I’m not going to even bother to address it.

I’ve pretty much fallen into the category of ‘still reading for HaruMatsu development, ignoring and skipping through YuzuMei chapter’.

This is purely assumption but I’m starting to wonder if HaruMatsu were the hidden couple in the background the whole time. (Besides MaruMitsu) It wasn’t until the previous chapter where Matsuri says she’s actually been hiding the fact that she’s dating someone the whole time, that I started to really wonder. Cuz it would explain some of their interactions. Just hear me out.

1.Harumin not getting upset at the sudden kiss Matsuri just planted on her, only just mumbling “Idiot. That’s totally not it at all” after Matsuri kissed and ran.

1. The way Matsuri is just able to randomly follow her to her house out of the blue and borrow her shower without prior notice. (Unless you’re very close, this is a fauxpas in Japan even if the rain counts as an emergency situation). Well I guess you can argue that grandma would recognise Matsuri as one of Harumin’s friends and let her in after seeing her drenched in the rain, and it seems slightly implied that Matsuri does show up unannounced often.

2. Why Matsuri got SO upset with Harumin (enough to raise her voice) for constantly arguing against her everything she says but always being so accepting of Yuzu’s opinions. Enough for Harumin to show a slight guilty expression.

3. Why Harumin would think it was her fault Matsuri stopped going to school, enough to trigger memories from what Matsuri said to her two years ago. And she was the first to realise Matsuri’s absence enough to bring it to the attention of the others.

4. That (4) is enough to propel Harumin to be spontaneous enough to butt herself into someone else’s private business (which is completely OOC for her as she prefers to remain a bystander), to the point of showing up unannounced to Matsuri’s house with an Omiyage as an apology present. (This is society fauxpas in Japan, especially with the dark palette of Harumin’s clothing and how flashy and revealing her clothing is. I get that this is Harumin’s style, but she had just shown in the previous chapter that she does own clothings that are more muted in style. For those of you who argue that she might not know about the clothing thing since she’s just a student, I will remind you that her family is prestigious enough to enroll Mitsuko and then Harumi into a school of mainly high society ojou-sama and reijos from powerful families, those schools AREN’T cheap and is mainly governed by an escalator system)

5. The specific way Matsuri confronted her in her room “is it because senpai wanted to do so, or was it for the sake of ‘EVERYONE’ that distance between their faces goes way beyond ‘friends’. And Harumi FROZE, where she would normally push the other party away.

6. Latest chapter, Matsuri getting irritated, almost to the point of pissed with the incessant bombardment of Nene’s HaruYuzu daydreams. (There were quite a few panels that showed her with an emotionless expression.) usually she’s get annoyed but still slightly indulge Nene, this time she almost completely shuts off after releasing the floodgates of Nene.

7. That one scene (latest chapter also) where Harumi silently lets Matsuri sit beside her and the full panel of them all too slightly leaning on each other in the touching-not-touching situation with a similar expression on their faces. Harumi could’ve easily leaned on her other arm and avoided any contact with Matsuri at all if she were still pissed with Matsuri’s earlier shenanigans.

8. The infamous scene of Harumi face planting Matsuri into her boobs in the original Citrus vol…8? 9? Though they might have still been just friends then? But friends don’t faceplant other friends into their boobs even while trying to comfort them.

I mean, it’s purely assumption of course, but after a while you realise that Saburouta only really shows scenes where Matsuri and Harumin interact in the presence of others, until that scene where Harumi made an unannounced visit to Matsuri’s condo. From the moment of Matsuri’s greeting you could see and hear the sarcasm every time she addressed Harumi as ‘Senpai’ throughout both chapters. (Is it because senpai wanted to do so? Or for the sake of “Everyone”)

When Matsuri mentions that she’s “been in a relationship for a long while now”. And you re-read July 1st with that context, it brings out a whole new subtext to the interactions in those two chapters and the few chapters earlier in Vol.2 when they ‘fought’

If they really had been dating the entire time (since, who knows when), I think it’s a relationship, or not-relationship based on understanding each other in a way no one else does. Matsuri understanding Harumi’s Flight over Fight response in uncomfortable situations, which is why she was surprised it was Harumi who had made the move to visit and apologise, and Harumi understands Matsuri’s thought process in a way no one else has, (just as Mei mentioned). They probably aren’t overly affectionate in words, and fight waaay more often than not, arguing over the smallest things. But like in the latest chapter they’d also have moments where they silently acknowledge each other and be able to just be together comfortably even if neither says a word.

Probably initiated by Matsuri’s one-sided confession, and Harumi accepting grudgingly cuz she was worried Matsuri might cause trouble for Yuzu otherwise… I highly doubt their relationship started out mutual. High chance that THAT scene was their first kiss as well. But even if it was mostly one sided, they’d both probably take it seriously. Birthdays, anniversaries, giving gifts to the other in that Tsundere way of theirs… and if anyone asks, no, they’re “not dating”, at least probably not until that kiss…

OR Of course I could have just been talking through my ass the whole time and Matsuri is either lying with a straight face to Mei about the whole dating thing and I’m just reading too much into it, or it’s the truth and she’s dating someone else entirely… THAT would bring a whole new drama to Citrus+ and HaruMatsu…

If they were dating the whole dating, it's the best secret i ever seen because there is almost no period of time where the confession could have happen. And also, they would have talk about it during Harumin's visit to Matsuri. Think about it, why would they hide the fact they're going out to each other when they're alone ? It doesn't really make sense.

Think about it, why would they hide the fact they're going out to each other when they're alone ? It doesn't really make sense.

If this forum proves anything, it’s that headcanon is a hell of a drug.

Think about it, why would they hide the fact they're going out to each other when they're alone ? It doesn't really make sense.

If this forum proves anything, it’s that headcanon is a hell of a drug.

"Harumi and Matsuri are dating. But they keep it a secret from each other."

last edited at Nov 24, 2021 5:45AM

Think about it, why would they hide the fact they're going out to each other when they're alone ? It doesn't really make sense.

If this forum proves anything, it’s that headcanon is a hell of a drug.

"Harumi and Matsuri are dating. But they keep it a secret from each other."

Truly, 'tis a secret from everybody.

If they were dating the whole dating, it's the best secret i ever seen because there is almost no period of time where the confession could have happen.

There’s ALOT of off-screen time and time skips each . I’m saying it’s a POSSIBILITY, Not that it’s a fact. I mean there are chapters that are days even a week apart. And even then most of those include little to no screen time of either Harumi and Matsuri more often than not. On top of it all, they’re all in the same school, Matsuri shows up unannounced at Harumin’s place often enough for her use the word ‘always’. It literally could have happened ANY time in Citrus or Citrus+ if it were so.

And also, they would have talk about it during Harumin's visit to Matsuri. Think about it, why would they hide the fact they're going out to each other when they're alone ?

Umm sorry, I don’t understand the argument here… Why or what would they need to talk about? IF they are together then they are together, what is there to talk about? I don’t get what you’re trying to say here???

Are you talking about the way Matsuri address her formally, despite them being alone? If that’s what you’re referring to then the answer is simple. They’re technically fighting, Matsuri is upset with Harumi still. And to Show Harumi she’s STILL angry, she speaks to her in a condescending formal tone. Polite speech in Japanese can be used to convey sarcasm. It’s called Taningyougi. 他人行儀。Using this with someone whom you’re close with is considered the ultimate insult to your relationship, and it’s a public show of how upset you are with them, especially if you were close enough to call them with by their name or nickname. It’s like, “imagine IF Harumi got upset enough with Yuzu to revert to calling her “Aihara-san”. That’s why I said that “IF” they were, that it brings the whole situation under a whole new light. Also seems like they text and meet often enough that getting stood up on and radio silence for a week is enough to bring it to Harumi’s attention. And judging from everyone else’s reactions, they weren’t invited, otherwise Yuzu would be the first to bring it up.

I’m just saying by inferring from their expressions and their words that the POSSIBILITY exists.
I’m not denying the fact that Matsuri COULD be lying to Mei about being in a relationship, or have actually been dating someone else the whole time, but then kissed Harumi to “shut her up”? The later seems the least likely.

But as you all LOVE to point out, without cannon confirmation it’s all headcannon at this point.