Forum › 2DK, G-pen, Alarm clock discussion

-7xom-00_400x400
joined Feb 25, 2023

I think the idea of a character 'deserving' a certain ending is somewhat strange, since at the end of the day, they're not real. What I want from a story is a narratively satisfying ending, and that's what we got with Aoi.

Img_0215
joined Jul 29, 2017

I think the idea of a character 'deserving' a certain ending is somewhat strange, since at the end of the day, they're not real. What I want from a story is a narratively satisfying ending, and that's what we got with Aoi.

Totally agree. Aoi is yet another example of what I’ve called the Tomolo character (“The Other, More Overtly Lesbian One”). Typically the third wheel in a love triangle or otherwise an intrusive threat to the happiness of the OTP, she’s an out lesbian (at least to herself) when the main characters are often oblivious to or dithering about their feelings for each other or about the very possibility of same-sex romance.

And for many readers the Tomolo is absolute catnip. No matter how badly she behaves (and to be sure, she doesn’t always play a heavily negative role—she’s just more forthright about her same-sex attractions), readers will beg for her to get paired off with someone or otherwise receive a happy ending, or they may in fact ship her with one of the OTP. (Or even recently, with the rise of the “Everybody Must Get Poly!” movement, with both of them.)

And the author’s obvious intentions for the character or the story’s cues about what’s going to happen don’t seem to matter to those readers much at all.

last edited at Mar 18, 2023 7:04AM

Internet_lied
joined Jul 15, 2016

Totally agree. Aoi is yet another example of what I’ve called the Tomolo character (“The Other, More Overtly Lesbian One”).

Oh, that's a great find and a cool name for the archetype, which I am definitely using from now on. I myself have noticed that a lot of yuri mangas feature same-sex couples who are further along the relationship track than the MCs and thus can mentor them in a way, but they tend to be much less contentions because they are "safe", as far as love triangle drama is concerned. A Tomolo is more impactful on the MCs' relationship, and hence can get much more hate, but she is also, like you've said, pure catnip for some readers.

last edited at Mar 18, 2023 6:04AM

Vashu
joined Apr 2, 2017

Rereading this, Aoi def comes off as polyam/practitioner of polyamory, but burnt out by her failures w women/"tying" a woman down to a more serious relationship (lots of lovers, but no partners, if that makes sense), and she ultimately caves to heteronormative monogamy.

last edited at Mar 18, 2023 3:00PM

-7xom-00_400x400
joined Feb 25, 2023

Rereading this, Aoi def comes off as polyam/practitioner of polyamory, but burnt out by her failures w women/"tying" a woman down to a more serious relationship (lots of lovers, but no partners, if that makes sense), and she ultimately caves to heteronormative monogamy.

It seems to me that Aoi is someone who keeps caving in to normality every time she fails romantically. Like, after she gave up on pursuing Kaede, she gave up on acting and went to get a "normal" job, and then after she failed in pursuing Nanami- well, you saw that chapter. She went "oh well, I guess I'll get married." It was more an admission of defeat than an actual desire to get married. And that's why she couldn't answer when Nanami asked if she was happy before the wedding. I love it, it's so beautifully tragic to me.

joined Jan 17, 2019

Thank you, scanlation team! I can only assume that it was a very lot of work, so really appreciate it.

As for Aoi - for me she was very interesting character, don’t know if because of being well-written or her charisma / player traits, but I really think she adds a whole lot to the story, not only as mere plot device. I was interested in what will happen to her, what was her motivation and circumstances - similarly to being interested in both Kazuki and Kae. So for me putting her in more chapters was a good idea.

And it would be even better if Louko had more screentime! But still am grateful for what I got ;)

Screenshot%202024-01-18%20181127
joined Jun 21, 2021

I get why many ppl find Aoi polarizing but I personally really like her as a character. And she really didn't do anything actively bad, most of it was just things not working out for her either bc she got focused on the wrong thing or bc she self-sabotaged.
Her biggest and only "fuck up" to me was when she crossed the line kissing Nanami without her consent in that hotel after their date, that's all really.

1461894977557
joined Jun 12, 2015

Aoi was a favorite? Nope. From the pols on twitter it was always Louko.

Internet_lied
joined Jul 15, 2016

Aoi was a favorite? Nope. From the pols on twitter it was always Louko.

Aoi is a complex, flawed, and well-written character. Luoko is a living national treasure of Japan. I rest my case.

last edited at Mar 19, 2023 5:34AM

4f458f0ca382c3704f458f0ca382c370robocopfp1
joined Apr 11, 2022

AY YO???

They sexed

Fb_img_1479131434796
joined Oct 6, 2014

This was a really good story, but leaves a sour taste in my tongue because I don't like Kae as a character. I know she works hard but it also feels like she has massive mary sue energy. Still, pretty cute. Would never want to interact with a person like Kae irl tho

joined Jan 10, 2024

A plea to the translators, if you ever think of substituting a dialect with Scottish... don't. Just please, for the love of goddess, don't.

-7xom-00_400x400
joined Feb 25, 2023

What dialect do you think they should've used, then? Considering Nanami's dialect in the original, it makes perfect sense to render her dialogue in some similarly divergent dialect.

joined Apr 10, 2023

Just read this series, and I really enjoyed it. It's got a slow start but from the explosion of plot events at chapter 16 onwards it was great. Aoi's one of the best side characters ever, the extremely rare example of the "bisexual slut" character archetype portrayed positively with her proclivities practically being a superpower to open up plot threads and get shit moving. She even turns Hime-chan gay just from one overheard conversation! You have to give her credit for that efficiency lmao.
Speaking of Hime-chan, her (emotionally) smacking the shit out of Kaede was very satisfying, I didn't expect that comeuppance to happen but Kaede'd broken three different women's hearts by being a flaky childish coward and she absolutely needed to have somebody finally turn on her for it instead of letting her off easy. The "Is that how you saw my confession too!? Just another goddamn mess to clean up!?" scene might be my favorite in the whole series, even though my favorite character Aoi isn't part of it :P

joined Apr 2, 2023

What dialect do you think they should've used, then? Considering Nanami's dialect in the original, it makes perfect sense to render her dialogue in some similarly divergent dialect.

This is one of my favorite series, but I've had several friends hard bounce off when it I rec it because of the dialect choice being so jarring to them. I apparently put blinders on and got through it and I'm always surprised when they comment on it and I go look and well... I can't tell them they're wrong.

To me personally, a regional dialect would be more appropriate. I think typically they fall back to very light American southern with a note saying the Japanese dialect she was speaking in in case someone wanted to google it. Vs what comes off as a separate national dialect entirely and very heavy. A few y'alls would be enough for me along with the occasions other characters note it, but I'm not the one who worked on it. Dealer's choice. I hope if it ever gets licensed they go my preferred route tho so I can get other people to read it easier.

joined Apr 10, 2023

What dialect do you think they should've used, then? Considering Nanami's dialect in the original, it makes perfect sense to render her dialogue in some similarly divergent dialect.

This is one of my favorite series, but I've had several friends hard bounce off when it I rec it because of the dialect choice being so jarring to them. I apparently put blinders on and got through it and I'm always surprised when they comment on it and I go look and well... I can't tell them they're wrong.

To me personally, a regional dialect would be more appropriate. I think typically they fall back to very light American southern with a note saying the Japanese dialect she was speaking in in case someone wanted to google it. Vs what comes off as a separate national dialect entirely and very heavy. A few y'alls would be enough for me along with the occasions other characters note it, but I'm not the one who worked on it. Dealer's choice. I hope if it ever gets licensed they go my preferred route tho so I can get other people to read it easier.

the scanlator who made that choice was offering commissions priced in euro, so I'd imagine for them the scottish accent WAS a regional accent.

joined Apr 2, 2023

the scanlator who made that choice was offering commissions priced in euro, so I'd imagine for them the scottish accent WAS a regional accent.

Ah, I'm remembering that now. I still wish they hadn't done that, but not my time or money spent. I'll keep peppering the usual publishers for an official English release so I can get people to read it easier.

last edited at Jan 17, 2024 11:29PM

joined Jan 10, 2024

To me personally, a regional dialect would be more appropriate. I think typically they fall back to very light American southern with a note saying the Japanese dialect she was speaking in in case someone wanted to google it. Vs what comes off as a separate national dialect entirely and very heavy. A few y'alls would be enough for me along with the occasions other characters note it, but I'm not the one who worked on it. Dealer's choice. I hope if it ever gets licensed they go my preferred route tho so I can get other people to read it easier.

Pretty much this is what I would have preferred, even just a different font to indicate she's speaking in regional dialect with asterisk explaining it would've been better. I don't want to insult Scottish language but the version of it used here feels very un-formal, i imagine this is what Scottish drunk hurling insults at you at the pub would sound like. I just can't take a work with lines like "I dinnae give a rat's arse aboot that" seriously, sorry.

joined May 23, 2023

https://medium.com/@peter91916/singularity-escaping-the-control-of-relationship-2dk-g-pen-alarm-clock-explanation-6592dcfdefab

Here is the full review of the series. And here I used the interview with the author as the reference, it should be helpful to you

08f6612130a20845a480034c0567fbe1d8926209_hq
joined Apr 27, 2014

Oh my goodness, I am trying my best to read it with a Scottish accent, but I only got Gordom Ramsay as reference, so she kinda has that voice now xDDDD

I am done with the story now, I like Aoi!! I don't think she's poly, she just kinda "falls" for people quickly, I kinda wanted her with Nanami because they look awesome together, but I am satisfied with the ending :P

last edited at Mar 12, 2024 8:31PM

To reply you must either login or sign up.