They are NOT wrong though- anyone who thinks otherwise must be in denial imo.
That said, it's been a while and she doesn't seem to be the same person anymore and isn't up to her old tricks -
so while I won't ever trust her 100% or like her much, I like seeing her grow and move on and hope mask is good for her.
People can change - i'd rather she became a better person than not and she deserves a chance at least.
But I can also see why some people dont want anything to do with her - and I can't fault that.
My issue with Kaoru is that she was introduced as a very manipulative, self-centered character. Which is fine, not every character needs to be puppydogs and butterflies and rainbows.
But if the character is manipulative and deceitful and unable to give a shit about anybody but themselves, that's how I'm going to interpret her words and her actions. So, for example, when she told Honoka that she wished for Honoka to become a mangaka, I didn't believe it. I just figured it was more of the same lying manipulation. She was trying to make Honoka feel bad for treating her like a lying, manipulative bitch.
However, reading the thread, I saw many people hold that moment up as one of her positive moments. They clearly perceived that declaration as being sincere and honest. They were picking up on some signal I didn't see, and still don't. And in general, I could never figure out when Kaoru was being sincere this time, as opposed to all the other times when she wasn't.
When she started interacting with Mask, though, it became much more obvious when Kaoru was being sincere, because Mask wasn't giving her any other choice. Manipulative insincerity doesn't work on Mask, because Mask is just socially awkward enough to call Kaoru on her bullshit directly, in a way that doesn't leave Kaoru any wiggle room. So I am really enjoying their interactions.
There's also the fact that the comic overall has shifted in tone over the past 13 years. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, Chapter 1 Ayano was straight-up groping Miyoshi's tits in the middle of class without any hint of embarrassment, while Chapter 274 Ayano goes beet-red at the mere glimpse of Miyoshi's bra and cleavage. I think it's safe to say that whatever image Kishi has in his head for Kaoru's personality now, it's probably not quite the cold-hearted manipulative ice queen she was in the early chapters.
last edited at Jul 31, 2023 9:45AM