I like the setting of this, and the art is good, but the story continues to be one of the most frustrating things I read on this site, and it's entirely because of Shion. She really is the worst, but hey, at least she realizes it?

The girl is naturally Emo, she can't help it

That donut exchange sure is exactly their relationship isn't it, "hey can I have that donut afterall?" "No sorry I already took a bite"

"Hey can I dance with Kiki afterall" "No sorry you already threw that chance away"

Anxiety is a hell of a drug

Holy shit what a fucking cunt move....

I like the setting of this, and the art is good, but the story continues to be one of the most frustrating things I read on this site, and it's entirely because of Shion. She really is the worst, but hey, at least she realizes it?

Don't you know? She's 'complex.'

The ol' 'if I can't have your cake as well as mine, I'll tell you your cake is poison' ploy.

So she was a PIECE OF SHIT after all

I like the setting of this, and the art is good, but the story continues to be one of the most frustrating things I read on this site, and it's entirely because of Shion. She really is the worst, but hey, at least she realizes it?

I think part of it is the bimonthly release. It's a long gap between chapters, so when each individual chapter brings up a conflict (in this case, Shion sabotaging Michiru out of jealousy), we've got a long wait to see any follow-up.

I somehow missed the last 2 volumes of story, so I just got up to speed. And yup, that's some drama alright.

The fact that Shion just dumped that on her basically unprovoked should be a clue for Michiru that the information is not reliable. I mean, she hasn't even thought about confessing, just barely admitted it to herself. I can only hope she asks for a second opinion... Mona knows about Shion's deal, or maybe Kiki's sister?

The fact that she realizes and regrets it right away but will most likely NOT apologize or fix the situation unless she's confronted or it gets even worse really makes me feel disgust.... You can't defend this, maybe someone would say "that's just youth" but there are shitty adults and shitty kids too, we're all aware and responsible.

The way Michiru's heightened self-consciousness and now newfound anxiety are contrasted by Kiki planning on surprising her for her birthday is... bizarrely adorable, in my eyes. Or rather, I feel that this is building up for what will be an amazing moment, and I'm already squeeing in anticipation. I don't think it'll be without turbulence, though. In any case, I am so, so happy the story isn't running away from its own developments, and I am really looking forward t what comes next.

To be honest, as much as throwing all of that shit on Michiru completely unprovoked and uncalled for is one hell of a shitty move, I cannot hate Shion for it. I can sympathize with her pain, with her confusion, and especially with the fact that the hell she's going through is of her own making. The way she immediately berates herself over it as well; she knows she's fucked up, but almost cannot stop herself from going through with it.

The fact that she realizes and regrets it right away but will most likely NOT apologize or fix the situation unless she's confronted or it gets even worse really makes me feel disgust.... You can't defend this, maybe someone would say "that's just youth" but there are shitty adults and shitty kids too, we're all aware and responsible.

I think that it's uncertain, especially with how she immediately berated herself. I'm not defending her, and this is definitely not a youth thing, but in her state and with what she's going through, I can see why she acted and reacted the way she did. I don't think this is what defines her character, though, but what she'll do from this point, which truthfully is something I'm surprisingly optimistic about. I can definitely see her taking responsibility and at the very least apologizing once the waters have calmed for a bit.

The fact that Shion just dumped that on her basically unprovoked should be a clue for Michiru that the information is not reliable...

Thing is that Michiru herself is not in a reliable state of mind, and it only took that... well, I can't call it a "little" push, but it sowed the seed of doubt pretty damn well. I don't think she'd be able to detach herself from that enough to actually put the pieces together in the same way unrelated parties or those who know more than the characters such as you or I could. Definitely think this would be a great time to really introduce Kiki's sister, though. I'm legit starting to actually think she's dead.

last edited at Aug 13, 2023 8:14PM

I see a lot of hate on Shion here, but honestly, she's right. In a real world situation (read: not a Yuri manga), if you confess to a partner and they don't feel the same, you risk ruining the partnership (which in this case means ruining Kiki's chance of being top pair in the quadrille). In a sense, Shion is looking out for Kiki and her dream. You can't fault her actions.

cecile posted:

I see a lot of hate on Shion here, but honestly, she's right. In a real world situation (read: not a Yuri manga), if you confess to a partner and they don't feel the same, you risk ruining the partnership (which in this case means ruining Kiki's chance of being top pair in the quadrille). In a sense, Shion is looking out for Kiki and her dream. You can't fault her actions.

Like she protected her dream when she abandoned her without a proper explanation at the start? leaving her in shambles? let's not pretend she say that because she wanted to protect her, she's just being a coward the first time and once again because if she can't then no one can, her heart is not in the right place.

last edited at Aug 13, 2023 11:36PM

cecile posted:

I see a lot of hate on Shion here, but honestly, she's right. In a real world situation (read: not a Yuri manga), if you confess to a partner and they don't feel the same, you risk ruining the partnership (which in this case means ruining Kiki's chance of being top pair in the quadrille). In a sense, Shion is looking out for Kiki and her dream. You can't fault her actions.

Like she protected her dream when she abandoned her without a proper explanation at the start? leaving her in shambles? let's not pretend she say that because she wanted to protect her, she's just being a coward the first time and once again because if she can't then no one can, her heart is not in the right place.

Both of those things can be true, i think. cecile is correct in that confessing and potentially messing up their relationship could very well destroy everything they've been working for up until now.
But it's also true that Shion clearly has less than pure ulterior motives telling Michiru about it like that, since she even admonishes herself and feels guilty over it.

The fact that her point is technically not wrong, is prob part justification what led her to do this in the first place, like telling herself "Oh i'm just saying it for their own good" but also immediately thinking "oh who am i kidding" after she does it

Mona can fix Shion ^_^

cecile posted:

I see a lot of hate on Shion here, but honestly, she's right. In a real world situation (read: not a Yuri manga), if you confess to a partner and they don't feel the same, you risk ruining the partnership (which in this case means ruining Kiki's chance of being top pair in the quadrille). In a sense, Shion is looking out for Kiki and her dream. You can't fault her actions.

Like she protected her dream when she abandoned her without a proper explanation at the start? leaving her in shambles? let's not pretend she say that because she wanted to protect her, she's just being a coward the first time and once again because if she can't then no one can, her heart is not in the right place.

Both of those things can be true, i think. cecile is correct in that confessing and potentially messing up their relationship could very well destroy everything they've been working for up until now.
But it's also true that Shion clearly has less than pure ulterior motives telling Michiru about it like that, since she even admonishes herself and feels guilty over it.

The fact that her point is technically not wrong, is prob part justification what led her to do this in the first place, like telling herself "Oh i'm just saying it for their own good" but also immediately thinking "oh who am i kidding" after she does it

The biggest difference here, I think, is that Shion's outburst was purely emotional and without actually justifying or reasoning until after the fact. It definitely didn't come from a place that actually worried for Michiru or even Kiki's dream, I'd say, but from panic after seeing the fire in Michiru's eyes, and what I'd assume is a mirror of what could have been for her. All this is my read more than anything, mind you, but I feel that the words Shion told Michiru are those she had told herself in the past.

Mona can fix Shion ^_^

I wouldn't say fix, but I unironically think this is true. If there's anyone who can see past the fractured facade and call her out on it, it'd be Mona.

last edited at Aug 14, 2023 7:13AM

cecile posted:

I see a lot of hate on Shion here, but honestly, she's right. In a real world situation (read: not a Yuri manga), if you confess to a partner and they don't feel the same, you risk ruining the partnership (which in this case means ruining Kiki's chance of being top pair in the quadrille). In a sense, Shion is looking out for Kiki and her dream. You can't fault her actions.

Like she protected her dream when she abandoned her without a proper explanation at the start? leaving her in shambles? let's not pretend she say that because she wanted to protect her, she's just being a coward the first time and once again because if she can't then no one can, her heart is not in the right place.

Yeah, the “truth attack” is a favorite weapon of a certain kind of (often passive-aggressive) person—what they say is true, in the abstract it’s “good advice,” so they can convince themselves that they’re “just being helpful,” but the underlying intent, and usually the effect, is . . . not helpful.

So was that donut scene between Michiru and Shion super-subtle-but-not-really-but-kind-of-subtle metaphor for the story? Or at least their relationship with Kiki?

And I won't lie I like Shion. Not as a person, but more as a character in the story. She seems to be conflicted and broken in just the right amounts to push the story forward, for things to feel natural and most importantly, she's situated in the plot just in the right place to maybe be fixed and/or redeemed.

I love how the donut scene makes sense when you only look at the panels presented, but when you think about how it must have gone down from their perspective... They're sitting right across from each other, like, how did she miss someone taking a bite out of the donut before asking for it? XD

Glad to see that people, including Shion herself, can understand that they're doing a bad. I came into this chapter worried that Shion and Kiki getting along like nothing had happened would mean the story was going to ignore what happened and leave the conflict unresolved. So in a narrative sense, at least, it's a good thing that Shion is keeping up the pressure.

... I feel like the author went too hard to have some symbolism on this one. A pair that was essentially slacking off getting first place in the qualis just because one of them decided to have fun feels too much to me like "the power of love" pulled straight out the ass. I feel bad for all these other pairs that worked hard but had to lose because they aren't secondary protagonists of the manga.

I wouldn't say they were slacking off since they were shown practicing regularly (about as much as Michiru and Kiki, I'd say), but I get you, it feels unearned. Shion and Mona were the better dancers because Shion decided not to hold back, which feels like it doesn't fit with all this talk we've been getting about communicating with your partner being the key to dancing in sync (i.e. well).

last edited at Sep 11, 2023 10:42PM

Cute. ^_^

Leaders being down bad the chapter

I'm starting to think that "other people's expectations of you based on appearance," is a major theme in this manga.

I love the dive into Mona's perspective of things, and it's actually pretty sweet how her rhythm gets completely thrown off by Shion.

Michiru is pure cute. I'm loving how closer and more openly affectionate the two are, Kiki especially.

OH IT WAS HER THE WHOLE TIME but like what is the point of that, it was a nice story even without this massive coincidence

Might be the first time i see that kind of reaction, or rather here lack of reaction, to a confession.