that violence tag seems appropriate

Ayo, my favorite cooking manga's baaaack
this man made an entire essay, and I am reading ALL of it

Shiori definitely has my favourite design here. She’s so cool, I was looking forward to seeing her and she was not a let down. Love the coral eye horn things and her scale lol. The weird bit as that slit going down her stomach though, I thought it was hair or scales but it actually looks like just a hole? Weird, but cool? Agree with temp about ayame tbh.

last edited at Jan 3, 2023 7:18AM

Ah, what a fantastic chapter for this series to pop back up.
Loved every bit of it, now I want more. Thanks in advance, Knight Heron :D
The art has always been spectacular here, but Shiori's "full (?) mermaid form" really knocks it out of the park. Looks like something From Software would put in one of their games. Oh how would a Japanese gaming company ever come to use Japanese mythical beings for inspiration :D

Also wasn't there something about mermaid's blood making people immortal or is that just consuming a mermaid, as in eat their flesh?
I have not yet read ahead, but that tidbit might lessen one potential future twist's impact for some.

Shiori really is a truly horrifying beauty. o_o

Her body barnacles trigger my tropophobia so bad that it borderlines Junjo Ito's works. Makes my skin crawl and I fucking LOVE IT!!.

Also am I the only one who's amazed how well especially Ayame's lines flow? It's a joy to have an imagined inner voice read it out to you. The casual murder in her lines (and "voice") is fantastic.
Shiori's curt sentences at the end came out all shaky and stuff. Like, barely controlled.
So looking forward to the next one. Hope I'll eventually also find a point to re-read the entire thing.

last edited at Dec 17, 2022 8:55PM

Shiori's curt sentences at the end came out all shaky and stuff. Like, barely controlled.

Yeah, she was oddly serious after she defeated Ayame... Is she angry because Hinako now knows about the blood transfer? Or embarrassed because Hinako saw her true form?

@Temp banger

the credit page is pure gold

@Temp's at it again, and I'm here for it. The comparison between Soulsborne bosses and Shiori's true form is on point.

Huh, more translations to compare.
At least on this chapter I think they're comparable. I'd give Knight Heron the edge but neither is a wince-fest like others I've seen.

Shiori's curt sentences at the end came out all shaky and stuff. Like, barely controlled.

Yeah, she was oddly serious after she defeated Ayame... Is she angry because Hinako now knows about the blood transfer? Or embarrassed because Hinako saw her true form?

I think she's shaken up by a few things.
A) Hinako got hurt. She doesn't like that. At all. So she's really angry with herself for letting it happen.
B) Ayame got under her skin and revealed things that were yet to remain hidden. I can't recall an instance during what we've been shown where Shiori might have given Hinako some of her blood, so odds are it was when she saved Hinako from the accident way back when. (Which we also IIRC don't know happened, but there are enough hints for me to be pretty sure about that one.)
C) She revealed her true form, beautiful and terrible as the morning and the night, to Hinako, which she may very well be afraid would shock Hinako (who I'm sure is more awestruck than terrified). She also hasn't calmed down enough to fully regain her human form, the area around her left eye still looks Mermaid. (also please tell me you caught my LotR reference)
D) She'll have to explain to "the Fox" why Hinako got hurt on her watch and will definitely get an earful.

Mind you I still haven't read ahead and I've also not read Temp's post for fear of their "future knowledge" seeping in through the cracks unintentionally.

last edited at Dec 18, 2022 9:57AM

Also wasn't there something about mermaid's blood making people immortal or is that just consuming a mermaid, as in eat their flesh?

The latter, IIRC. So Hinako should still be safe from that, the blood was likely only enough to save her life.

Ah this story, I love it a lot actually, more than I expected at the beginning. Shiori's true form is breathtaking, can't wait for all these mysteries to piece together

Well it was obvious she is a monster. What im more concerned is what they were talking about Miko and Shiori the accident that Hinako survived with the scars, i just assume that the one who save her that day was Shiori and now she came back to eat her

Personally I think at least one of them is at fault. Either Miko is lying about this whole "I know just as much as you" (since supposedly she was in Hinako's family for generations in kitsune/whatever form) or Shiori is hiding that she caused it and kinda protects/wants to eat Hinako out of guilt and to finish what she started. Sort of "WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE?!"

How the turn tables

How are those berettes mouth-shaped?

We got our brain cells back but at what cost...

Ah, truly the question plaguing our generation.

Shiori wants to make hinako her wife confirmed?

Covering for the clueless monster is hard... :D

Beloved wife, eh?

Clueless monster doesn't know about pyjamas either... :D

How are those barrettes mouth-shaped?

Either just being open in the center, or even more likely, being somewhat shaped like the kanji for mouth (口).

Miko's bain cells...

The "sold your soul, huh" is the best line in a while.

It's rare for a japanese person to acknowledge characters in slice of life are made dumber on purpose for the setting to work, like yeah, they always are high school age but mentally act like they are younger than 10 unless a joke or punchline comes up they get their brain cells back, otherwise they don't even know what sex is.

I love Miko's first draft design. Omg. She looked somehow like Setsuna. Hahaha. I really like those with side ponytails.

last edited at Jan 3, 2023 11:32AM

Poor Miko who became the victim of the personality swap lol, but it's ok! Being fake dumb is the bigger iq move anyway xD

I like that it played out this way, I would've enjoyed a slice of life but having something slightly different for the palette is something I enjoy more. Sad thing that the first Miko had to be sacrificed for it though

Good thing they didn't go for that first draft lmao

XDDDD