Forum › Stretch discussion

Tumblr_lhn2y5j5rz1qbc0x9
joined Jul 26, 2013

Aw that crying face broke my heart :(

Also I'm glad we finally get some info on how they became roommates lol

Utena%20rose%20white%20200x200
joined Mar 28, 2014

I apologize for the wall of text and over-analysis of characters I'm a fan of. Is this the feeling some nerds describe as "yuri hell"?

Thank you for this wonderful post, such a detailed and precise analysis. I wish there were more posts like that!
It's interesting how both lost their family members (in that or the other way) and were thus able to form such a heart-warming family bond between each other. But it's true that it appears to be very one-sided romantically. And I wonder if Keiko will ever change in that respect.
I somehow expect a lot of tension between the two. Ran seems to be getting more and more desperate to get Keiko's romantic attention, while Keiko's doing her best to stay away from it. I think I already mentioned earlier, that Ran will likely turn back to alcohol because of that. Of course it won't happen in an instant, and will likely be presented in a very soft, gradual, and subtext manner. Meanwhile, the theme for the next volume might be at all focused on Keiko's relationship with her parents. We hardly know she's in conflict with her mum, and that needs a resolution. We know nothing at all about her dad.

As for the endings... Depending on the moment the manga will be decided to get cancelled, we might get a yuri or a non-yuri end. And only assuming Akili has a chance to finish it without any forced cancellations, I'd expect 60% yuri vs 40% non-yuri end, as of today. Non-yuri doesn't necessarily mean het - the girls could simply grow out of their current relationship and stay friends. But I expect it to stay in the cloudy (yuri-wise) subtext way as long as the series goes. It's in fact what brings value to the series and makes it different from others.

Rsz_1rsz_1rsz_1girls_from_fate_stay_night
joined Aug 30, 2013

I'm still having a hard time to believe that this is not Yuri. I'm wondering how long this friendship will last?

joined Mar 25, 2013

As for the endings... Depending on the moment the manga will be decided to get cancelled, we might get a yuri or a non-yuri end. And only assuming Akili has a chance to finish it without any forced cancellations, I'd expect 60% yuri vs 40% non-yuri end, as of today. Non-yuri doesn't necessarily mean het - the girls could simply grow out of their current relationship and stay friends. But I expect it to stay in the cloudy (yuri-wise) subtext way as long as the series goes. It's in fact what brings value to the series and makes it different from others.

You don't need to worry about cancellations, it's a web manga. It's not tied to any one publishing company, he/she posts it on her/his site.

Roomie
joined Mar 9, 2014

^ It's actually on the publisher website, I don't really know about this stuff but I think he is tied to the publishing company one way or another (probably less than for a printed magazine).

Easypart
joined May 28, 2014

I'm still having a hard time to believe that this is not Yuri. I'm wondering how long this friendship will last?

Maybe time for a onesided or a gay crush tag, as yuri crush is reserved for school girls.

joined Mar 25, 2013

^ It's actually on the publisher website, I don't really know about this stuff but I think he is tied to the publishing company one way or another (probably less than for a printed magazine).

Huh. Well that goes to show you that I don't know jack shit about publishers and whatnot xD Though I still don't think we don't have to worry about cancellation. The last time someone posted about the popularity of Stretch it was in the top 3 if not at the top, so yeah.

A358eac338e2ef5b47aafda9b595bf39
joined Feb 8, 2013

As for the endings... Depending on the moment the manga will be decided to get cancelled, we might get a yuri or a non-yuri end. And only assuming Akili has a chance to finish it without any forced cancellations, I'd expect 60% yuri vs 40% non-yuri end, as of today. Non-yuri doesn't necessarily mean het - the girls could simply grow out of their current relationship and stay friends. But I expect it to stay in the cloudy (yuri-wise) subtext way as long as the series goes. It's in fact what brings value to the series and makes it different from others.

You don't need to worry about cancellations, it's a web manga. It's not tied to any one publishing company, he/she posts it on her/his site.

Well, they do printed books as well, which I've bought ;) just two volumes out now. Looking forward to more and yeah having it in web manga form is also nice.

Sj2
joined Nov 23, 2014

Classic Yuri ending would be:
Keiko meets boy>They go out>Ran puts on a happy face for Keiko, and cries her eyes out in silence.>Keiko on a date with boy can't get Ran out of her thoughts, comes up with some excuse and leaves> She finds Ran in tears, they confess their love and start making babies
Of course Stretch is not classic yuri. So everything is possible, but a end without yuri is unlikely.

I sorta pegged Ran as someone who's oblivious to most things... kinda like a clueless airhead. She may not even be aware of her own feelings for Keiko. But I can also see that scenario happening. I would especially love it if Keiko impregnates Ran and eventually have 10 babies. I get the feeling that we're gonna be left in the dark at the end as well. Shou might leave us with an ambiguous ending and the rest will be left to the readers' imagination. He might even give us a half-assed ending (like Sisterism, we don't know if those two even ended up together).

Roomie
joined Mar 9, 2014

Classic Yuri ending would be:
Keiko meets boy>They go out>Ran puts on a happy face for Keiko, and cries her eyes out in silence.>Keiko on a date with boy can't get Ran out of her thoughts, comes up with some excuse and leaves> She finds Ran in tears, they confess their love and start making babies
Of course Stretch is not classic yuri. So everything is possible, but a end without yuri is unlikely.

I sorta pegged Ran as someone who's oblivious to most things... kinda like a clueless airhead. She may not even be aware of her own feelings for Keiko. But I can also see that scenario happening. I would especially love it if Keiko impregnates Ran and eventually have 10 babies. I get the feeling that we're gonna be left in the dark at the end as well. Shou might leave us with an ambiguous ending and the rest will be left to the readers' imagination. He might even give us a half-assed ending (like Sisterism, we don't know if those two even ended up together).

To me Ran is more the smart kind kinda manipulative who knows everything but never say it out loud. Those same one who becomes incredibly clumsy and pessimistic when it comes to their own sentimental life. Nozomi came to my mind while writting this x)

if Shou give me this ending, I'll be terribly disappointed... this is so boring and unoriginal >.>
... apart from the babies of course

last edited at Feb 19, 2015 11:01AM

Utena%20rose%20white%20200x200
joined Mar 28, 2014

You don't need to worry about cancellations, it's a web manga. It's not tied to any one publishing company, he/she posts it on her/his site.

LOL, I don't worry at all actually. It's just a manga. A really good one, but still just a manga. And it may end up cancelled for multiple reasons, be it Akili's own unwillingness, another tracing incident, readers getting tired, web publisher's business death, third world war, you name it. And if it does get cancelled, i.e. if it does not have an originally planned ending, then I have no clue at all as to how it will end, because at some point the story starts telling itself and it will therefore force Akili to create such ending, that will suit the context of the storyline at that point in time when the show will have to be cancelled. And what I do believe is that Akili's likely to follow this approach and target the story consistency as opposed to following the fan service demands.

Pain
joined Jun 4, 2013

2000+ comments!

last edited at Feb 19, 2015 1:53PM

10930931_1572484072967796_9102248557687339195_n
joined Jan 4, 2014

2000+ comments!

yes now maybe 2006 comments. Everybody loves Stretch.
BTW, I love Shou, Prism seems to have a perfect ending so Stretch should be too.

10930931_1572484072967796_9102248557687339195_n
joined Jan 4, 2014

Aw, page 14, leg betweens tegs! here you go, a wanted scissors position.

Episode9-2
joined Mar 9, 2014

Is it me or does this get better as it goes? I like the way Shou is bulding up Ran and Keiko's relationship; it's been abundantly made clear it goes beyond simple friendship, still it's not exeactly a romantic one. I'd bee more than happy to see the author dig deeper and deeper, 'cause he's good at that.

Smollmboye
joined Sep 25, 2013

Ah, Ran, let Keiko comfort you upon her bosom.

Avatar_200px_moyashimon_aspergillus-oryzae
joined Mar 14, 2014

Is it me or does this get better as it goes? I like the way Shou is bulding up Ran and Keiko's relationship; it's been abundantly made clear it goes beyond simple friendship, still it's not exeactly a romantic one. I'd bee more than happy to see the author dig deeper and deeper, 'cause he's good at that.

I agree. I find that he's one of the few among manga artists who is very deliberate about what he shows in each panel/page. He seems to know how to get the right "shot" and dialogue to push the visual narrative, as a good storyteller should.

Romantic or not, the main focus is clearly the dynamic between Ran and Keiko. A series that can show how women relate to each other in a meaningful way has a huge plus in my book.

joined Jul 31, 2013

Is it me or does this get better as it goes? I like the way Shou is bulding up Ran and Keiko's relationship; it's been abundantly made clear it goes beyond simple friendship, still it's not exeactly a romantic one. I'd bee more than happy to see the author dig deeper and deeper, 'cause he's good at that.

I agree. I find that he's one of the few among manga artists who is very deliberate about what he shows in each panel/page. He seems to know how to get the right "shot" and dialogue to push the visual narrative, as a good storyteller should.

Romantic or not, the main focus is clearly the dynamic between Ran and Keiko. A series that can show how women relate to each other in a meaningful way has a huge plus in my book.

Agreed. Examples abound, but I've always liked the teacher's look and brief pause in speaking when she counts off the students on this page: http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/prism_ch3_5#9

Here too: http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/prism_ch02#3

last edited at Feb 20, 2015 3:09AM

joined Jan 8, 2014

sometimes there's nothing that turns you on like a crying woman....

Nezchan Moderator
Meiling%20bun%20150px
joined Jun 28, 2012

sometimes there's nothing that turns you on like a crying woman....

Can't say that's ever happened for me.

20240420_135750
joined Jan 19, 2015

Damn ittt get together alreaadyy

Alice Cheshire Moderator
Dynasty_misc015
joined Nov 7, 2014

sometimes there's nothing that turns you on like a crying woman....

Wouldn't the normal response be to want to hug her to death? (Or at least until she stops crying. I suppose the death part is optional.)

joined May 23, 2013

Might as well fudge me over with this friendship deal going on.....L-L why is it so hard to come into one term. Cheese. there will be nothing left of the relationship afterwards.

joined Jan 30, 2015

Is it me or does this get better as it goes? I like the way Shou is bulding up Ran and Keiko's relationship; it's been abundantly made clear it goes beyond simple friendship, still it's not exeactly a romantic one. I'd bee more than happy to see the author dig deeper and deeper, 'cause he's good at that.

I agree. I find that he's one of the few among manga artists who is very deliberate about what he shows in each panel/page. He seems to know how to get the right "shot" and dialogue to push the visual narrative, as a good storyteller should.

Romantic or not, the main focus is clearly the dynamic between Ran and Keiko. A series that can show how women relate to each other in a meaningful way has a huge plus in my book.

Agreed. Examples abound, but I've always liked the teacher's look and brief pause in speaking when she counts off the students on this page: http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/prism_ch3_5#9

Here too: http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/prism_ch02#3

Shou is so odd to me; he's a plagiarist, and he's drawn pedo-stuff according to the profile thing. I really like his works on here, but I can't feel "right" recommending them to people I know.

Sorta like recommending Woody Allen or Roman Polanski movies, but on a lesser scale of abhorrence. I wouldn't support an artist that is an unapologetic creep.

He has both a strong grip on visual composition (knowing what to focus on precisely), and a strong understanding of the complexities in relationships. The ambiguities, the unstated intents, the need to connect meaningfully to other people that can never be fully understood.

Like, he's a good manga author, but I couldn't tell my sister that this how-to comic on stretching exercises has an excellent slow-burn plot. I mean, there's the ridiculousness of that first sentence, and then there's the stuff I mentioned about Shou's past body of work, about what it makes me feel.

edited for a bit more clarity

last edited at Feb 20, 2015 6:00PM

Pain
joined Jun 4, 2013

Is it me or does this get better as it goes? I like the way Shou is bulding up Ran and Keiko's relationship; it's been abundantly made clear it goes beyond simple friendship, still it's not exeactly a romantic one. I'd bee more than happy to see the author dig deeper and deeper, 'cause he's good at that.

I agree. I find that he's one of the few among manga artists who is very deliberate about what he shows in each panel/page. He seems to know how to get the right "shot" and dialogue to push the visual narrative, as a good storyteller should.

Romantic or not, the main focus is clearly the dynamic between Ran and Keiko. A series that can show how women relate to each other in a meaningful way has a huge plus in my book.

Agreed. Examples abound, but I've always liked the teacher's look and brief pause in speaking when she counts off the students on this page: http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/prism_ch3_5#9

Here too: http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/prism_ch02#3

Shou is so odd to me; he's a plagiarist, and he's drawn pedo-stuff according to the profile thing. I really like his works on here, but I can't feel "right" recommending them to people I know.

Sorta like recommending Woody Allen or Roman Polanski movies, but on a lesser scale of abhorrence. I wouldn't support an artist that is an unapologetic creep.

He has both a strong grip on visual composition (knowing what to focus on precisely), and a strong understanding of the complexities in relationships. The ambiguities, the unstated intents, the need to connect meaningfully to other people that can never be fully understood.

Like, he's a good manga author, but I couldn't tell my sister that this how-to comic on stretching exercises has an excellent slow-burn plot. I mean, there's the ridiculousness of that first sentence, and then there's the stuff I mentioned about Shou's past body of work, about what it makes me feel.

edited for a bit more clarity

I would have no problems with telling someone that a how-to comic on stretching exercises has an excellent slow-burn plot. There have been weirder things that have gone mainstream.

As for his past body of work, you could just say you do not recommend anything else from the author. Or strongly discourage reading his past works due to what you just mentioned. Not open-minded enough to give Stretch a try? Oh well.

last edited at Feb 20, 2015 7:46PM

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