Ok so, is Mei asexual or something? I am serious, being asexual is ok and all that, but I start to wonder if that is the case here, they have very little intimacy, hugs, kisses, etc, is she aromantic? What is going on??

Ace? Probably not, at least not full on, judging from that time... I forgot which chapter of the original Citrus and I'm not gonna bother searching for it. Somewhere mid-way-ish through the anime? When she tried seducing Yuzu that one night and Yuzu seemed like she wanted it but still refused for some reason?

Aro? I kinda doubt it too, though it is certainly more plausible

There could be an arguement for like some sort of aspec/arospec, but a microlabel or few might be better than just aro and/or ace.

I'm pretty sure Yuzu would be happy with any form of physical intimacy as reassurance at this point. Just being held in Mei's arms for a while would probably do wonders for her insecurities.

"do you have so little faith in me"
Woman what exactly do you expect when you leave her alone on her birthday despite being in the fucking same room and always acts as if yuzu were a nuisance. Like yeah at this point the jealousy trope is been long overdue but it's not like is unjustified, Mei hasn't really give yuzu a lot of reassurance or barely show that she is in fact in love with yuzu

This is legit one of the few if not the only manga that treats itself seriously and isn't a comedy where head pats would solve an ongoing "drama" inside its own plot. And that makes this the saddest and funniest thing.

I'm pretty sure Yuzu would be happy with any form of physical intimacy as reassurance at this point. Just being held in Mei's arms for a while would probably do wonders for her insecurities.

True, if this moment and this moment aren't enough to settle her down, Mei might need to do more. It's just that Mei is also going through a lot work wise and is normally reserved so I don't see this settling for a bit. Mei might cuddle Yuzu then have a dinner meeting with Arata and suddenly Yuzu will become insecure again. They need some extended discussions about insecurities and work/life balance.

Although part of Mei's current work is an attempt to free herself up for Yuzu.

last edited at Jul 22, 2023 8:17PM

Y’all may or may not know me as the diehard Citrus fan and defender who comes in here to say something positive about the new chapters now and then cuz I hate seeing people dunk on mah gurls.

And even I gotta say…… yeah this chapter wasn’t it :(

Not only are we back in forced drama territory straight out of Volume 1-3, but Yuzu forcing herself on Mei, aka the thing that gave her trauma and skewed her perception of relationships and intimacy in the first place, didn’t sit right with me at all.

I really hope this arc is amounting to something good, otherwise I just want it to be over at this point.

I really enjoyed this chapter, even if Mei is too blunt for her own good, the fact she actually talked things with Yuzu and then she asked Himeko for advice speaks volumes of her growth as a character. It is pretty interesting that this is the second time Yuzu has felt threatened by a romantic rival and this is mainly due to the fact that Arata can offer Mei things that Yuzu doesn't believe she can. Matsuri and Harumin banter is cute and it was hilarious that Nene offered to take care of Yuzu's metaphorical sadness mushrooms.

Oh mangazinho chato ein

After a careful re-read of this chapter, I think it’s all pretty clear—Mei is cheating on Yuzu with Kumagorō.

i like, dont know whats going on with this manga anymore. the author seems to absolutely refuse development between the main pair at all costs. it often feels like the events of the first part didnt even happen. at this point i just don't get why yuzu even wants to stay with mei? she straight up treats her like trash more often than anything else. yuzu's obviously incredibly distressed and needs some reassurance from her partner (who has historically been.. not very trustworthy, being engaged now doesnt change that) and mei's response is "you better not cause any more problems for me" like holy shit. this is awful lmfao

i like, dont know whats going on with this manga anymore. the author seems to absolutely refuse development between the main pair at all costs. it often feels like the events of the first part didnt even happen. at this point i just don't get why yuzu even wants to stay with mei? she straight up treats her like trash more often than anything else. yuzu's obviously incredibly distressed and needs some reassurance from her partner (who has historically been.. not very trustworthy, being engaged now doesnt change that) and mei's response is "you better not cause any more problems for me" like holy shit. this is awful lmfao

I suspect this all setup for some eventual reveal (although who knows how godawful long it will take to get there) that this academy collaboration/merger/whatever is all for their future together and Mei has been doing everything for Yuzu all along, yadda yadda yadda big romantic handwave all is hearts and roses. Because that’s how this one rolls.

I wouldn’t quite say that Mei treats Yuzu “like trash,” exactly, although I’m hard-pressed to find the proper analogy. “Trusted intimate partner” certainly isn’t it, though.

True, if this moment and this moment aren't enough to settle her down, Mei might need to do more. It's just that Mei is also going through a lot work wise and is normally reserved so I don't see this settling for a bit. Mei might cuddle Yuzu then have a dinner meeting with Arata and suddenly Yuzu will become insecure again. They need some extended discussions about insecurities and work/life balance. Although part of Mei's current work is an attempt to free herself up for Yuzu.

Like, words are fine and all, but if your partner keeps giving you the cold shoulder almost every time you meet I'd be hard press to call it reasurring, as much as Mei claims that she enjoys her time with yuzu her actions and attitude say otherwise

mei is quite the character this chapter, aint she?

she starts off by calling yuzu her fiance and questioning her lack of faith within her, as if she hadnt done everything in her power to be most undeserving of it?

then, when yuzu opens up to her by attempting to explain her insecurity, she not only fails to comfort her so called fiance, she chooses to coldly inform her that arata the source of her insecurity being involved in her plans is unchangeable, and on top of that asserts that she is being a nuisance who is going to cause her trouble if she keeps this up.

and finally, she asks for advice from a friend which was actually just her telling said friend what happened, to then double down on her convictions implying that the insecurities of her fiancee are worth less than the academies future, and she wont stop at any cost for currently unexplained reasons at the moment.

this chapter is hands down some of the most contrived forced drama ive seen in quite a while, which is a fun little way of saying a couple of minutes ago, since most stories are pulling this sort of shit these days.

Mei to Yuzu: I don't care about your feelings
Mei to others: I really care about Yuzu's feelings

Like,I wish this would become a healthy relationship instead of an unhealthy one.

I have to add, because I only thought about it after I had walked away: that the problem with the depiction of the relationship in this manga is that they never have actual full conversations, they never spend time together. These two go to the same school, sleep in the same room, but have a distance between one another in every scene. You can feel like you're actually in a relationship with someone else when they're working from home, but Citrus won't do it. Who hasn't seen cozy little yuri moments when one partner is working hard on a novel or manga or whatever, and the second brings them over a coffee, puts a hand on their shoulder and they actually touch, give each other a glance, continue to do work. There's no reason that Mei literally doesn't have a minute to spare whenever she's working. The times they talk don't have to be when they're on their way home from school and Yuzu follows Mei to whatever meeting she's on her way to.

Like, the writer don't care about those little in-between moments, it's like they don't exist (they can exist even if we don't see them depicted, but they literally don't in this manga). Every serious conversation they have is cut off straight after the dramatic burn, or the big "I care about you" speech, but there is never any aftermath. Like, logically, this first scene here would not have ended right after Mei got all huffy something had to happen to end the conversation. It can't just end at "I know". And that's a legit storytelling technique in some instances, but for Citrus, it's every single one of their scenes together, and it just doesn't work. This is why they don't feel like a couple at all, their relationship is just a string of dramatic scenes with nothing in between.

I feel like I didn't get all my thoughts out coherently, but realistically what I'm saying is that this relationship is a writing issue, and that makes me sad. Going from one big drama moment to the next is never going to show a relationship in a good light.

last edited at Jul 22, 2023 10:03PM

This is why they don't feel like a couple at all, their relationship is just a string of dramatic scenes with nothing in between.

There’s been plenty of scenes throughout the series where they feel like a genuine couple. All of Volume 5 and 6 especially, Mei trying to convey her feelings to Yuzu in Volume 7, the moments where they were alone together during the trip in Volume 8, the intense and tragic buildup to their breakup in Volume 9, and of course their reunion and Mei’s declaration of love in Volume 10.

Then in Citrus+, we have Mei boldly declaring her relationship with Yuzu to the school board, her trying desperately to say “I love you” again and settling for a kiss goodnight, her crying over losing her couples ring and their subsequent intimacy in that chapter, Mei fussing over Yuzu’s birthday (as poorly as the payoff was handled).

The problem isn’t that they don’t feel like a couple in my opinion. The problem is that, in recent arcs at least, their dynamic as a couple has been so inconsistent that it’s hard to tell how they feel about each other, aside from Yuzu’s seemingly undying and unconditional love for Mei.

I believe that, if Saburouta is truly as busy as she’s claimed to be, then it hasn’t given her much time to plan out most of her latest entries in the series (especially this arc) and she’s kinda just been phoning it in. I’m hoping and praying this will change soon and we can get more lovey-dovey YuzuMei like we saw in the original series and glimpses of in C+.

last edited at Jul 22, 2023 10:17PM

To me is so funny that this couple just don't have real development in years; everything feels so forced like EVERYTHING: all interactions between Mei and Yuzu in the past are worthless and Mei is just so self focused. Yuzu look around, there's Harumin waiting for you just ask.

Also Saburo Uta thinks that people having a crush on Yuzu over Mei is crazy.

last edited at Jul 23, 2023 1:27AM

To me is so funny that this couple just don't have real development in years; everything feels so forced like EVERYTHING

Fr citrus + is suck a fucking snooze fest

last edited at Jul 23, 2023 1:43AM

I feel like I didn't get all my thoughts out coherently, but realistically what I'm saying is that this relationship is a writing issue, and that makes me sad. Going from one big drama moment to the next is never going to show a relationship in a good light.

No, you did a good job making your point. The scenes are often incomplete, and the writing actively avoids those little moments that tell us “these two are OK,” or that a big drama scene has a positive influence on their daily relationship going forward.

More of those little touches would make it seem less of a “wtf?” moment when Yuzu comes to Mei desperate for emotional reassurance only to get a double smack in the face.

More of those little touches would make it seem less of a “wtf?” moment when Yuzu comes to Mei desperate for emotional reassurance only to get a double smack in the face.

The last time Yuzu did that, Mei actually sat her down, gave her realistic advice on what they might have to face going forward (“There is no right or wrong answer. We only do what we want to do.”), and reassured her that it’s okay for them to love each other.

This all feels like a retread of those chapters, but much less well-put together.

I'm really missing some actions from Mei that shows her love. She speaks boldly at times, but without actions to follow it up it isn't really worth anything.

She was right in saying that Yuzu should trust her, but shower her with some love. Make her feel like she is the only one who matters. I see that the birthday party was mentioned. That was one of the least romantic things I have ever seen in a manga ever.

What we need is a story arc where another girl tries to steal Yuzu from Mei. Let Mei feel some jealousy for once.

typical problem when you try to lengthen a story unnecessarily and fall into unnecessary drama, especially when the reader already knows how it will end. Having said this, I am very afraid that this will end with a bad message. Yuzu does not need to be pushed or pampered, it is time for her to face her insecurities head-on with MEI, and realize that she has value on her own, I want to see a strong yuzu and not so emotionally dependent on MEI, and from MEI I want to see a MEI who values ​​yuzu and her needs, and who understands that a relationship is not just thinking about a future together , Relationships must be taken care of day by day and what is most important is a need to have good communication between the members of the couple, which is lacking in Yuzu and MEI concluded what I want to see is a relationship of equals between yuzu and MEI and not as now "boss" "secretary", what they need is a deep conversation between the two of equals, but I am very afraid that this will be resolved in the dumbest way greetings

last edited at Jul 23, 2023 6:06AM

Ok let's go:
* Almost rape your partner because you're feeling insecure/jealous (second or third time)
* A third party wants to date Mei and asks for Yuzu's help (third time, maybe?)
* Mei and Yuzu talk about it and the drama gets solved as esasily as it began (a million times, it´s Citrus' plot)
* Mei being a kuudere doesn't talk about her troubles, Yuzu misunderstands and starts a drama (a million times, again, it´s Citrus' plot)
* Unnecessary drama of Yuzu and her unscurities about Mei's feelings (i lost count, looks like it's Citrus' plot too)
* Comments argueing if Mei's a toxic or a psyco, when she's just a failure as a kuudere character that never develops (over and over again)

well that´s Citrus for ya! The story that never progresses!
I starting to feel scammed, like i feel that the next arc' plot gonna be something that i already saw, but with new third parties.

last edited at Jul 23, 2023 7:04AM

This is why they don't feel like a couple at all, their relationship is just a string of dramatic scenes with nothing in between.

There’s been plenty of scenes throughout the series where they feel like a genuine couple. All of Volume 5 and 6 especially, Mei trying to convey her feelings to Yuzu in Volume 7, the moments where they were alone together during the trip in Volume 8, the intense and tragic buildup to their breakup in Volume 9, and of course their reunion and Mei’s declaration of love in Volume 10.

Then in Citrus+, we have Mei boldly declaring her relationship with Yuzu to the school board, her trying desperately to say “I love you” again and settling for a kiss goodnight, her crying over losing her couples ring and their subsequent intimacy in that chapter, Mei fussing over Yuzu’s birthday (as poorly as the payoff was handled).

This is literally exactly what I said: a string of dramatic moments, so I dunno why you're treating it like it's an argument against what you quoted.

typical problem when you try to lengthen a story unnecessarily and fall into unnecessary drama, especially when the reader already knows how it will end.

Yes, but if this was an unnecessary lengthening of the plot with actual living as a couple/romance in it, then that would be okay. The trainwreck is really that - as people have said a lot in this thread - that it's just the same plot points as were in the main Citrus story, but they are "a couple" (I say that in quotation marks because I really haven't seen them as a couple in anything but words) and don't seem to have grown as people from the events of the first Citrus at all.

last edited at Jul 23, 2023 8:36AM

This is why they don't feel like a couple at all, their relationship is just a string of dramatic scenes with nothing in between.

There’s been plenty of scenes throughout the series where they feel like a genuine couple. All of Volume 5 and 6 especially, Mei trying to convey her feelings to Yuzu in Volume 7, the moments where they were alone together during the trip in Volume 8, the intense and tragic buildup to their breakup in Volume 9, and of course their reunion and Mei’s declaration of love in Volume 10.

Then in Citrus+, we have Mei boldly declaring her relationship with Yuzu to the school board, her trying desperately to say “I love you” again and settling for a kiss goodnight, her crying over losing her couples ring and their subsequent intimacy in that chapter, Mei fussing over Yuzu’s birthday (as poorly as the payoff was handled).

This is literally exactly what I said: a string of dramatic moments, so I dunno why you're treating it like it's an argument against what you quoted.

Those moments had drama surrounding them, yes. That’s just how Citrus rolls. It’s a J-Drama in manga form. Bearing that in mind, they felt like genuine moments of connection and romantic development. To me at least, clearly it’s just not your thing.