the story so far has framed shiho s struggles as stuff that´s completly out her control, as if the people around her were the ones at fault.
...Shiho's liberation feels completely undeserved because it appears to be at the expense of Aki? It feels like it's being portrayed as if she conquered her toxic ex.
Shiho's fight is with herself. Everything else are just projections of her own internal insecurities. She's someone who has always been burdened by expectations, pride, jealousy, and even guilt. I fully understand that many people believe the opposite, but in my opinion she is the biggest victim in the story. That's why the double page from the new chapter is so beatiful and important: She's smiling on the stage like we've never seen her before.
Is the story blaming Aki here at chapter 40? Are the flashback panels implying a revelation that it's her fault or is it saying Aki is blaming herself needlessly? Basically, are we supposed to buy that it's Aki's fault? Because I think that would be a tough sell for everyone here, regardless of where they stand on the whole narrative discussion.
It's obviously not Aki's fault in the slightest (by that logic, she could also blame Yori for not realizing her feelings until now). My point is that some people will use her misjudgment (probably caused in part by the shock of the revelation) to criticize Shiho.
last edited at Mar 18, 2023 12:27PM