in my opinion she is the biggest victim in the story.

In a story that didn’t have any victims at all until she came along and started creating them . . .

Yes, well, I think she's the biggest victim because she is by far the closest to the person creating victims, which is to say her. She's her own biggest victim.
It's not unrealistic, mind. Some people have really crappy instincts that just lead them to do self-destructive things.

My god if the manga actually runs with the aki being at fault thing imma be fuckin done.

The amount of people who think this chapter means the Shiho arc is over is honestly both baffling and hilarious to me. Have they never read a romance manga before? At this point it's pretty clear Aki and Shiho are probably gonna end up together now. In fact, far more of the manga's run time has been dedicated to their romantic troubles than the actual MCs. If you seriously think Shiho is gonna "peace out" from the story now you're incredibly naive.

The amount of people who think this chapter means the Shiho arc is over is honestly both baffling and hilarious to me. Have they never read a romance manga before? At this point it's pretty clear Aki and Shiho are probably gonna end up together now. In fact, far more of the manga's run time has been dedicated to their romantic troubles than the actual MCs. If you seriously think Shiho is gonna "peace out" from the story now you're incredibly naive.

This has been much discussed here already.

I believe many more people wish the Shiho arc were over than think it's actually over.

i think regardless of shiho's character and who's at fault for what, i just dont understand why she's been the main character of this series for at least half its volumes. we get like one chapter for the main couple every 4 shiho chapters and even then she regularly interferes with them anyway. it's just a bit tired at this point. one of the most drawn out "arcs" i've ever seen in a manga like this, and its not a good thing

i think regardless of shiho's character and who's at fault for what, i just dont understand why she's been the main character of this series for at least half its volumes. we get like one chapter for the main couple every 4 shiho chapters and even then she regularly interferes with them anyway. it's just a bit tired at this point. one of the most drawn out "arcs" i've ever seen in a manga like this, and its not a good thing

It's not an arc, the author wants to write about them. At this point they're just as much the main characters as anyone else and that seems intended.

last edited at Mar 18, 2023 4:10PM

I say the biggest problem with Shiho is simple: White noise. I legit forgot what chapter she first involved herself in the plot, and I thought it was much shorter up to the current point...and I was wrong. I can't remember much of what happened starting when she pushed her way into the plot, and of the latest chapter.

EDIT: For an idea, her first scene in the plot is in Chapter 18. It's Chapter 40 now.

last edited at Mar 18, 2023 4:20PM

i think regardless of shiho's character and who's at fault for what, i just dont understand why she's been the main character of this series for at least half its volumes.

Because, as I said here a couple of times, whether we like it or not (I certainly do), Shiho is the most important character in the story. And it's not even close. She's the main plot device driving the manga forward. If you think about it, even the fact that Himari was able to see Yori performing in the first chapter of the series was due to Shiho leaving the band. My point is that everything in this story is connected with her, one way or another.

And this is not an "Arc". Shiho was introduced in Chapter 15 (or even before if we take into consideration the extras from Volume 2), and we are currently in Chapter 40.

Yeah and it's her who help Yori writing the love song. Let's not re-write the story, she is the most important in the arc, not the story. Let's not pretend a character not even here for 15 chapters is the suposs driving force of the whole premise just because she leave the band.

Whispering you a "learning to blame myself for my own abuse," song. Thanks a lot Aki.

Because, as I said here a couple of times, whether we like it or not (I certainly do), Shiho is the most important character in the story. And it's not even close. She's the main plot device driving the manga forward. If you think about it, even the fact that Himari was able to see Yori performing in the first chapter of the series was due to Shiho leaving the band. My point is that everything in this story is connected with her, one way or another.

I agree. She's been the driving force. She's anti-fluff (and a purposefully abrasive character) so it's an uphill battle, but she's been affecting the story from the start and has been more involved in the plot and themes than any other character. She's not a sudden side character. This seems intended from the start as an ensemble of which she is a major core (her affect on the story starts very early in the series). She's definitely part of the main characters so if people don't like that (which is fine) it's just a preferential thing at this point and we have to just decide whether we're interested in a dramatic series with Shiho. Personally, I'm on board. It's just odd that its been nearly 25+ chapters out of 40 and we're still acting like this is a just an arc or a surprise.

last edited at Mar 18, 2023 5:59PM

Yeah and it's her who help Yori writing the love song. Let's not re-write the story, she is the most important in the arc, not the story. Let's not pretend a character not even here for 15 chapters is the suposs driving force of the whole premise just because she leave the band.

Yeah, it’s not uncommon for mangaka to come up with side characters that they just want to keep on writing about; they sometimes say as much in the afterword.

That doesn’t mean the rest of us need to think of it as good storytelling, though.

Hate that Aki blames herself, but I hope the author will flesh out her reaction more later on and not seriously portray it as Aki's fault.

I wouldn't necessarily say that Aki is blaming herself for everything that's happened. To me it looks more akin the scene in Bloom Into You where Yuu finally confesses to Nanami:

Realization (she's in love with me, that's why she put distance between us)
V
Reflection (she was purposefully antagonistic to drive me away bc me insisting on getting a reason was painful for her)
V
Determination (to do whatever she's gonna decide to do with this revelation going forward)

So it's less blame and more realizing how her own actions catalyzed Shiho's behavior (difference between "a reason for" and "to blame for" is important here imo)

last edited at Mar 18, 2023 7:04PM

So it's less blame and more realizing how her own actions catalyzed Shiho's behavior (difference between "a reason for" and "to blame for" is important here imo)

She is literally saying "the one at fault is me", I think that's pretty clear-cut.

Yeah and it's her who help Yori writing the love song. Let's not re-write the story, she is the most important in the arc, not the story. Let's not pretend a character not even here for 15 chapters is the suposs driving force of the whole premise just because she leave the band.

What do you think will happen once the band competition is over? It's not like Shiho is going to be erased into thin air or moving to another city. Although she is now at peace with the idea of leaving her unrequited love behind, that does not mean that their relationship will stop at this point.

Their struggle is the flame that keep this series alive at this point, and I believe that fixing their bond is this manga's endgame.

I just appreciate that those two (really just Shiho lol) are done dancing around the subject so that things can finally move forward.

Their struggle is the flame that keep this series alive at this point, and I believe that fixing their bond is this manga's endgame.

I will be dissapointed if it end with this because we got so little post confession fluff from Iori and Hima that's it's almost criminal.Hate that authors nowaday can only pile up dramas to keep the story going.

last edited at Mar 18, 2023 11:20PM

Fantastic chapter. Shiho’s story has been a great addition to this manga, and seeing how it evolves and progresses has been what makes this manga something I jump to immediately upon seeing a new chapter released.

If anything I worry how much time the manga has left in it once Shiho and Aki inevitably get together- them getting together and the bands doing a song together or something would probably be how the manga ends.

“We aren’t whispering our love song anymore, we’re shouting it for the world to hear!”

You know, this chapter kinda hurt ngl

Here's my issue with the Shiho arc in general is that it has totally eclipsed the couple that really matters, the main one.
It reminds me of the spin off series Girls' Union by Morishima Akiko it had a spin off series that basically focused on one couple instead of the main. These chapters are like that except they are in the damn side series and not just side content.
It just feels like the author had jack shit to write about after she go the couple together that she just contrived this rival character

I started reading this series because I like the main characters and I'm tired of them becoming extras in their own fucking thing.

last edited at Mar 19, 2023 2:11AM

Shiho might be the single most unlikeable and poorly written character in any series on this site. It’s honestly hilarious that the author really wants everyone to sympathize with her and root for her, but she’s just the worst. This chapter was fantastic, only because seeing Shiho in pain makes the time wasted on the last 22 chapters of this series worth it. Shiho has more fucking page time than yori at this point. Shiho doesn’t deserve a happy ending. Aki and Shiho ending up together would ruin whatever quality is left in the story for me and explain why:

Aki blaming herself is just horrible writing, how the actual hell is she in any way responsible for Shiho turning into a monster? She liked someone else. Shiho didn’t say ANYTHING to her, saw she liked Yori, and immediately turned into the worst person ever. If Shiho had actually said something to Aki earlier and they got together then, the entire second half of the series would have never happened. Aki and Shiho getting together in the end literally renders the past 22 chapters of conflict pointless.
(Edit to fix the amount of chapters wasted on Shiho drama)

last edited at Mar 19, 2023 3:49AM

In this house we protect shiho
/Kneel

My biggest worry is that the author wont ever adress how much of an asshat shiho has been. Like im ok with her getting a happy ending but i want her to realise how much of a toxic idiot shes been and how shes massively sabotaged both herself and the people around her. Without that, a good resolution would feel pretty undeserved.

Yeah and it's her who help Yori writing the love song. Let's not re-write the story, she is the most important in the arc, not the story. Let's not pretend a character not even here for 15 chapters is the suposs driving force of the whole premise just because she leave the band.

What do you think will happen once the band competition is over? It's not like Shiho is going to be erased into thin air or moving to another city. Although she is now at peace with the idea of leaving her unrequited love behind, that does not mean that their relationship will stop at this point.

Their struggle is the flame that keep this series alive at this point, and I believe that fixing their bond is this manga's endgame.

Yeah I've assumed that as well. Every player here was there from the beginning or near it, so I've assumed this conflict would be the end. It makes sense, they've gotten good feedback from their audience (I guess not on here) and sales have been good (wishing luck with the anime), but I can't imagine a sudden introduction of a character afterwards unless that character has something to do with Aki and Shiho--or the editors really want to continue the sales and are convincing. Since chapter 15 this has been Aki and Shiho's story so that seems to be endgame. There's no other issues or conflicts besides them and the author doesn't seem to care about in doing some of the typical fluff/slice-of-life stuff. I'm interested in how the Aki/Shiho stuff gets resolved though and how Himari and Yori will use their (currently healthier) relationship to help. Their relationship seems like something that will end in reconciliation as friends (at best), with anything more hinted at in an afterword or jump to the future. But we'll see.

last edited at Mar 19, 2023 8:19AM