Forum › Lilies, Voice, Wear Wind discussion

Screenshot_2
joined Jun 15, 2021

It was a nice read as a little exercising the mind kind of reading. The story had less drama than I thought with how the story went on.
The ending lacked some closure for the other side characters and was rather abrupt. However, the author's notes were really nice to read about their thoughts on how they developed their characters though.

joined Feb 18, 2015

I think I'm the only one who doesn't care much about the ending (I don't find it surprising after the author explicitly dropped "asexual" in first chapter and then reinforced it in the character bios or whatever)...

... but the fact that the author just straight up demolished a house in the second to last chapter for no apparent reason other than moving the plot drives me nuts - did I miss something really obvious before, like did they mention somewhere that demolition is planned? Also, that wasn't even necessary for the plot to move, Yuriko could have just decided to move to Tokyo because she wanted to spend more time with Matoi.
I know it's kinda stupid to hyperfixate on a detail like that but it makes absolutely no sense to me. She didn't even sell the house, it just got fucking demolished, what the hell, why. They even alluded to moving back in the last chapter, well guess what, you could have done it but you demolished your house.
Did I mention yet the house got demolished? Yeah I'm out.

When they went on their "date" over Matoi's summer break from college, when Matoi drove, and Yuriko was afraid at the old, broken-down place that Matoi had taken her to when they went back there at night, Matoi commented on the fact that Yuriko is afraid of "Haunted House" like places, yet lives in THAT house? This kind of indicates that the house had one foot in the grave already. That's the closest I could come to foreshadowing for it.

joined Dec 18, 2021

Unsatisfied

1
joined May 1, 2015

I was baited at the beginning and then dissapointed at the end.
Oh well, it was a good read nonetheless.

ArtemisOnVtubers
1689895377338
joined Dec 16, 2021

Bah

Pocchi-avatar2
joined Jun 15, 2021

This is an extremely nice balance work. This is what plutonic relationship is all about. You love each other, yet sex is not part of the relationship at all. By having sex not being a factor at all, it is actually a stronger relationship because one has to be able to recite the reason of the relationship on their own ends. "She is one hot babe" cannot be a major reason anymore. By living as neighbors both managed to preserve the love between them, because they have the personal spaces they each seek. This sort of living arrange ship is very close to what a convent or a monastery is.
If you want to read some high drama romance, this one is absolutely 1000% not to be able to qualify. But if you "get" it and appreciate the very subtle difference between their love, this is one for you.

Dynasty%20profile%20v13
joined Apr 27, 2018

Hmmm, I'm not sure about this ending... It's kinda rather sudden...

last edited at Apr 29, 2022 6:54PM

joined Apr 17, 2022

The ending felt a bit rushed but I felt like what we got fit the characters as they were portrayed. As for them living as neighbors instead of roommates it could be a number of things. Maybe Yuriko or Matoi like to have a space to themselves however going by the hints given in the last chapter and the one before they seem to spend time together often and share things. This is kind of a cool look at another type of relationship then is normally shown.

Dynasty%20profile%20v13
joined Apr 27, 2018

Weretwo posted:

The ending felt a bit rushed but I felt like what we got fit the characters as they were portrayed. As for them living as neighbors instead of roommates it could be a number of things. Maybe Yuriko or Matoi like to have a space to themselves however going by the hints given in the last chapter and the one before they seem to spend time together often and share things. This is kind of a cool look at another type of relationship then is normally shown.

I agree. I do think the story could've done more with Rio though. It seems like she's gotten completely sidelined...

last edited at Apr 29, 2022 6:56PM

joined Sep 4, 2021

Wow so disapointed!
Building 20chapters, to end on 3 baits and NOTHING, this ending is ending nothing..
Not even Rio's situation
I'm pissed...

joined May 28, 2021

Okay but this isn't yuri.

DivineAlexandra
Ihstarresi
joined Jun 22, 2018

no way, they didn't even move in together?

Img_0215
joined Jul 29, 2017

I guess that at this point in terms of tags we have to face the fact that up until now yuri has been a "romanti-normative" (I just made that up) genre--protagonist pairs where neither character ever wants to be together with the other one romantically or sexually but who both consider themselves to be "together" as more than friends just don't fit any of the established romance categories.

This series poses the question of what stories built around such characters, something obviously desired by aro-ace readers, are likely to look like going forward. I would call this one, perhaps because there are few existing models of its type, a noble failure (I have no personal investment in aro-ace representation) because the author was obviously unwilling (for perhaps obvious reasons) to have Yuriko and Matoi clash over their differing desires for their relationship.

The avoidance of angst meant a fair amount of on-the-nose exposition about asexuality involving clunky dialogue and an overall low-key tone that was pleasant enough in itself but, once the MCs established and accepted how they felt about each other, did not lend itself to very interesting scenes because there inherently wasn't much dramatic tension to resolve.

So I felt like I met some nice imaginary people for whom I wish only the best going forward in their imaginary lives, but as a story it was only intermittently interesting. In fact, it felt like the aro-ace equivalent of stories from well over a generation ago that were intended to show that homosexuals were nice normal people too. (So maybe once the character types get established more firmly we'll get to see what an aro-ace yandere might look like.)

20220125_003513
joined Jan 30, 2013

I hate it here

OneEyedOthinus
Bikko
joined Feb 17, 2022

Overall, this was pretty good. Short, but sweet. I'm happy with how this ended up.

Madame_Firenze
76047650-352-k633682
joined Jul 17, 2015

eh

1590005349325
joined Apr 6, 2013

I mean I'm happy for Matoi and Yuriko

But what about my girl Rio, last we saw she looked like she swallowed nails, now we got no closure.

Prettygirlsmall
joined Jul 4, 2021

I’d be interested to hear from ace/aroace readers if they resonated with this story or were pleased with the ending. I can’t help but feel a little unsatisfied, but I’m pretty distinctly neither aro nor ace, so it might just be a disconnect along those lines

Yeah, I'm sorta in the same boat. I very unapologetically want "yuri" to be story of explicitly romantic and sexual relationships between women. Other stories about women's relationships, including this one, are definitely valid and deserve to be read and enjoyed by people, but it's not something I'd ever seek out on my own. So there's a strong "I can recognize how this is a good story, but it doesn't appeal to me at all" feel to this ending.

joined Apr 20, 2021

Honestly this type of ending is coming expected ,at least for me. There could've been more drama on the way but instead it focused on Matoi maturing as a person instead of showing struggle between two different people. Now the ending could've been changed to "ROOMMATES" but I don't think it is a big deal.

The evolution of characters was the best part of this manga.

Mari%20-%20gf
joined Apr 1, 2015

Not sure about that very last panel, but could only thing of a lonely Rio walking off into the sunset by herself

Eri
joined Aug 30, 2020

I'd been on the fence about this manga, whether I liked it or not, and I think with that ending it's ultimately just. Meh. I can't say I enjoy it, but I can't say it's bad. Just a resounding "meh."

Prettygirlsmall
joined Jul 4, 2021

the author was obviously unwilling (for perhaps obvious reasons) to have Yuriko and Matoi clash over their differing desires for their relationship.

Yeah, I think this is an important point. Something that kept occurring to me after seeing cast page and Yuriko being explicitly labelled as "aro/ace," while Matoi was just "ace," was wondering if there was going to be an issue there. Because Matoi isn't aromantic, which leaves me feeling that this nice ending of And They Were Neighbors is pretty damn unfair to her, if the implication is supposed to be that things continue like this for a long time. (Matoi asks Yuriko if she wants to move back home, implying that they plan to stay "together" for the foreseeable future)

Like, Yuriko gets her close relationship with someone she loves (platonically), while Matoi just kinda...gets to have an unrequited crush on her forever? If Yuriko's aromantic-ness is real and to be respected - and it is - then it seems like Matoi should also be allowed to have someone who reciprocates her romantic feelings. Right?

Like, I spent the last few pages if we were going to see that Matoi actually had a girlfriend now - someone who wasn't Yuriko, possibly even Rio, who just kind of disappears from the story - with the point being that she can still love and cherish Yuriko in her own way while also getting a romantic relationship. Instead it's just kind of implied that Matoi is satisfied with what they have now, which just feels very unsatisfying for anyone except Yuriko. But I may just think that because I'm not aro/ace? I dunno.

Img_20201116_114246_2-min_50-min%20(1)
joined Oct 14, 2014

A little disappointed that they live next door to each other. What the heck??? Isn't rent kind of expensive in Tokyo? This story was supposed to be about the characters maturing, yet they're not mature enough to prioritize practicality over comfortable distance? SMH.

Zigv3uyqlg0hih2ixcp8saivs99g-ehejzp51vcc89w
joined Feb 8, 2018

Justice for Rio :(

joined Oct 22, 2021

Hm. I'm glad this story exists, they remind me why most stories do end up in obvious stereotypical "they got together" "happy ever after" etc.

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