Simple but beautiful.
Also one of the best "Farewell, I'm over you" moments
I didn't like the look in Kaoru's face one bit.
I hope she doesn't take this as a challenge and targets Shizuka again.
Same. I really can't stand the amount of hate Shizuka gets here, but how conveniently everyone seems to forget that it was Kaoru who was the original 'big bad' (as bad as you can get in a series like this, anyway) just because they like how she interacts with Mask. Like...sure, you might think it's cute, but that doesn't erase her past treatment (and manipulation- remember how she stopped eating when Shizuka tried to ((rightfully)) cut her out of her life? TEXTBOOK manipulator stuff right there) of Shizuka. And it's ALWAYS bothered me how Kaoru got a thing for mask and then started acting like Shizuka was being some needy, clingy, jealous ex despite having spent the entirety of the manga prior actively trying to woo/tempt Shizuka away from Mio.
Shizuka is no saint, but let's not forget (any more than we apparently already have) that it's Kaoru who started all the toxicity.
And that look on her face, like you said...that REALLY pisses me off. Like, don't act like she's an annoying, clingy ex one second and then get shocked when she finally manages to move on from you. And I REALLY hope it was just shock- but the look in her eye in the previous panel (I believe it's a memory recall) looks a bit too calculating for my taste.
The ONLY chapters I even REMOTELY like/tolerate Kaoru, as someone who's been in a very toxic and emotionally/verbally abusive relationship in the past (and yes, someone did use that whole 'I'll hurt myself if you leave me' trick on me), are the chapters with her and Honoka.
She's a really good older sister.
But she's a shitty girlfriend and an even worse friend.
IMO, the best ending (though hopefully it won't come for a long time) would be Kaoru ending up alone. And not even because I don't like her, but because she's not the kind of person (at least not right now) who can have relationships without hurting their partner in SOME way. And that's just unbiased facts. I'm the same way- can't trust anyone- but I recognize this and take responsibility for it. Kaoru needs to stick to like, one-night-stands, or at LEAST be up front with the girls she dates (who SOMEHOW don't already know about her reputation). Hibiki's reaction made it pretty clear she doesn't warn them ahead of time. If not that, then I hope she AT LEAST keeps her attention on Mask, who is more than aware of her true nature (and has more than a few issues herself), and no more innocent, unwary girls. Not that Shizuka fits that category at all- again, she's no saint by a long shot- but just from who Kaoru's been shown to target outside of Shizuka in the past.
last edited at Nov 16, 2022 12:46PM