I just noticed this has a tag saying "non-moe art". While that is certainly technically true, this is a unique art style that doesn't use typical anime "moe" conventions . . . at the same time, oh my god they are so CUTE.

The beauty of Tracy Hu's art is breathtaking and absolutely unique. Just like you say, moeblob art doesn't have the monopoly of cuteness.

I enjoy how it really feels like they're "fumbling" through their relationship, while trying to figure out where it's going one day at a time. They're not really sure where the relationship is going to go, how they're going to get there, but they are gradually opening up to each other more and more.

But they do know! Xingyuan's father's threats are like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, and in a few weeks Xingyuan will have to leave and all that will remain of their time together is a bittersweet memory. So far, nobody has said anything about rebelling; they both admit that, if something happens between them, it'll be just a summer fling—and by the time the cicadas and the crickets are gone, it'll be gone too.

Mind you, a plot twist may still happen. Of course. ^_~

Hope the relationship ends with an assassination of the father. I think that’s a logical next step to take

Hope the relationship ends with an assassination of the father. I think that’s a logical next step to take

A bit extreme, but fuck it, I'm in! Launch the dad to the moon on a giant peach!!

She made a sick person cook for her. :‑< That's not sweet or lovely at all.
I'm sure her temperature went up after all that work.

"Made"--lol.

That's a new world record in the Dynasty-forum "imaginary toxic behavior" Olympics.

And that's this week's installment of metard theatre. Thank you, metard.

An “infinity mirror” post, with name-calling—nice work.

She made a sick person cook for her. :‑< That's not sweet or lovely at all.
I'm sure her temperature went up after all that work.

"Made"--lol.

That's a new world record in the Dynasty-forum "imaginary toxic behavior" Olympics.

And that's this week's installment of metard theatre. Thank you, metard.

An “infinity mirror” post, with name-calling—nice work.

You're getting a bit paranoid, aren't you, dear?
Girl was fine having a sick person cook for her while she watched. Nitpicking on words won't change that.
Denouncing vague forum-wide conspiracies and lapping up the victim role? All signs that you need to take a vacation.

She made a sick person cook for her. :‑< That's not sweet or lovely at all.
I'm sure her temperature went up after all that work.

"Made"--lol.

That's a new world record in the Dynasty-forum "imaginary toxic behavior" Olympics.

And that's this week's installment of metard theatre. Thank you, metard.

An “infinity mirror” post, with name-calling—nice work.

You're getting a bit paranoid, aren't you, dear?
Girl was fine having a sick person cook for her while she watched. Nitpicking on words won't change that.
Denouncing vague forum-wide conspiracies and lapping up the victim role? All signs that you need to take a vacation.

So a pair of garden-variety manga humor tropes: Sick Episode + Lethal Cook = "Woop-woop! Red flag! Toxic behavior!"

Right.

She made a sick person cook for her. :‑< That's not sweet or lovely at all.
I'm sure her temperature went up after all that work.

"Made"--lol.

That's a new world record in the Dynasty-forum "imaginary toxic behavior" Olympics.

And that's this week's installment of metard theatre. Thank you, metard.

An “infinity mirror” post, with name-calling—nice work.

You're getting a bit paranoid, aren't you, dear?
Girl was fine having a sick person cook for her while she watched. Nitpicking on words won't change that.
Denouncing vague forum-wide conspiracies and lapping up the victim role? All signs that you need to take a vacation.

Nope. We're not doing this shit again. I'm getting a mod in here, My Dear Lass is far too excellent of a story to let the comments deviate from it to petty insults on people who disagree with a viewpoint on a character.

Mu Xiaoen is a perfectly human character with human flaws, and her haphazard attempt to help the girl she likes was played for humor by the author. Imo, it was funny and cute, that's my opinion, and it's fine to disagree with it. I have life experience that allows me to laugh at someone utterly failing to nurse a girl (God knows it's happened to me several times since my siblings are flat out bad at taking care of others, and I, myself have accidentally slammed all three of them into walls, corners, etc. right after surgery/while in the ER from kidney stones while yelling out a panicked expletive each time), some of you may not. It's okay to disagree, it's not okay to call someone 'metard' or insinuate that they're not stable or gaslight them.

My Dear Lass fucking rocks, and Tracy Hu is a sexy, beautiful god-tier story giving Goddess, and we should be expressing our gratitude that this story even exists for us to talk and disagree about it.

I love you, Tracy Huuuuuuuu~!!!!

It's okay to disagree, it's not okay to call someone 'metard' or insinuate that they're not stable or gaslight them.

Let me tell you a few more things that are not okay.

A new member posts for the first time to tell us they didn't like some parts of a story. They immediately are jeered at, with mockery and contempt. That's not okay.

They are told that their short and polite message sets a world record in wrong thinking. That's not okay.

The word "toxic" is thrown around again and again by one poster. People who never used that word (not even once!!) are accused again and again by that poster of calling "toxic" this manga. That's not okay.

While others try to comment and discuss this beautiful manga, that one poster keeps derailing the discussion with messages about the perceived wrongs of other commenters. That's not okay.

The best way back to normalcy would be to stop the ad hominem arguments. And it's quite clear who started it and should be first to stop. Hopefully a mod will remedy this.

But they do know! Xingyuan's father's threats are like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, and in a few weeks Xingyuan will have to leave and all that will remain of their time together is a bittersweet memory. So far, nobody has said anything about rebelling; they both admit that, if something happens between them, it'll be just a summer fling—and by the time the cicadas and the crickets are gone, it'll be gone too.

NO!!!
I refuse to believe it!

Mind you, a plot twist may still happen. Of course. ^_~

YES!
The whole village will mobilize to fight Xingyuan's evil father!

So a pair of garden-variety manga humor tropes: Sick Episode + Lethal Cook = "Woop-woop! Red flag! Toxic behavior!"

Right.

Knock it off, you won't be warned again.

It's okay to disagree, it's not okay to call someone 'metard' or insinuate that they're not stable or gaslight them.

Let me tell you a few more things that are not okay.

You knew a mod was enroute and still felt the need to throw your two cents in because you have beef with one of the involved parties. Why can't you guys keep all your petty squabbles to Discord, you make this place so unfun—honestly I think I'm just going to drop DR and migrate elsewhere to express my enthusiasm.

Eight years here whether as lurker or account, but honestly fuck it, we can do better at this point. Long live Tracy Hu!!! Long live My Dear Lass!!!

last edited at Nov 17, 2023 6:46PM by

So a pair of garden-variety manga humor tropes: Sick Episode + Lethal Cook = "Woop-woop! Red flag! Toxic behavior!"

Right.

Knock it off, you won't be warned again.

I want to apologize to the original poster—I did overreact, and did overuse the word “toxic.” I should have kept the topic to the disagreement about how to understand the scene in the manga.

I also reacted negatively to being called names and to having my mental state questioned by third parties, and should have known better than to engage with those persons.

You make this place so unfun—honestly I think I'm just going to drop DR and migrate elsewhere to express my enthusiasm.

Buh-bye. Don't let the door bump you on your way out.

I also reacted negatively to being called names and to having my mental state questioned by third parties, and should have known better than to engage with those persons.

This is a forum, you dumdum, there are no third parties. Everyone can and will comment about everything you write.
If you want to bully a new member without anyone calling you out for your negative attitude, do it by private message.

last edited at Dec 12, 2023 10:05AM

Nobody's talking about the art anymore? I know there have been fewer outdoors scenes and fewer landscape depictions lately, but the art is still beautiful and cinematographic and feels great to the eyes. The creative line drawing, the sense of movement, the depth of space, the visual language akin to movie-filming and the watercolor palette make this story such a delicious treat that I want to marry it and have its babies! <3

And it's a funny thing to notice that Xingyuan and Xiaoen, even tho they have come a long way in their relationship, are still like this in their interactions:

last edited at Nov 18, 2023 4:14PM

I'm beginning to loathe the "being in the rain causes characters to fall deathly ill with a cold" trope. First of all, rain doesn't cause colds. Secondly, colds aren't all that bad. If you have a deathly fever, it isn't a cold.

Depends on your body and where you live, tbh. I'm over in Ohio (America, but a part where the seasons can be unpredictable and rough), and for me personally, a cold can knock me on my ass flat for nearly a week sometimes. Rain doesn't directly affect colds, no, but depending on your immune system, sudden shifts in the environment around you (going from a quick 80ish to high 60s with rain or high humidity as an example) can kick your ass if the germy-germs in your body see an opportunity. Nearly double that chance if you deal with allergies.

If that were true I wouldn't have survived my time in the army. Especially training in winter when it was -35 degrees Celsius out. My basic training it went from a balmy +10 degrees C to -15 degrees C during the final ex in a matter of hours.

If that were true, the northern countries around the arctic circle would be unpopulated wastelands.

last edited at Nov 19, 2023 8:25PM

AAAAAAH
The sheer beauty of these watercolors, I just can't.

And... I didn't want to believe it up to now, but I don't think I can deny it any longer: Yunduo is head over heels for Xiaoen. Those last panels with Yunduo who looks at Xiaoen playing with her kids (like the second mother she already is) only to then segue into a close-up of a burning fire? That's Tracy Hu's way of telling us that yes, Yunduo has the hots for Xiaoen and the romance of the two main characters is about to get more complicated.

The way she got on top of her to check her temperature, that shit was instinctual. Girl has subconscious game.

AAAAAAH
The sheer beauty of these watercolors, I just can't.

And... I didn't want to believe it up to now, but I don't think I can deny it any longer: Yunduo is head over heels for Xiaoen. Those last panels with Yunduo who looks at Xiaoen playing with her kids (like the second mother she already is) only to then segue into a close-up of a burning fire? That's Tracy Hu's way of telling us that yes, Yunduo has the hots for Xiaoen and the romance of the two main characters is about to get more complicated.

Also, the restrained frustration of Yundao when she's asking her dad hasn't she already done all the traditional female things in patriarchal culture (trying marriage, having kids, etc), sort of asking him if it's ok to actually do what she wants to do from now on and stop trying to hook her up with another guy, and her dad's silent confusion over it.

It's pretty sad, to say the least. Doesn't look like she's out to anyone either. If this story was set in some western country, I'd expect someone like Yundao blow up like a volcano at some point. In China though, it's very very hard for the kids to do that, they've been conditioned to stay down lest they want to be a nail that gets hammered down by everyone.

last edited at Nov 20, 2023 3:49AM

Ngl it’s kinda aggravating how Xiaoxen is such a great (if eccentric) person but pretty much everyone in her life has like…nothing good to say about her, even when she’s head of a farming company and is GOOD at her job almost everyone still thinks she’s a useless adult, her thick skin is impressive for not letting all that talk get to her

Ngl it’s kinda aggravating how Xiaoxen is such a great (if eccentric) person but pretty much everyone in her life has like…nothing good to say about her, even when she’s head of a farming company and is GOOD at her job almost everyone still thinks she’s a useless adult, her thick skin is impressive for not letting all that talk get to her

That connects to the comment above yours—she’s a woman who doesn’t give off that submissive, respectful vibe needed to qualify as a “good,” or rather “appropriately acting,” person. I think other people do have positive feelings towards her—they just want her to “act normal.” They’ve all (felt like) they’ve had to bow to convention—why does she get away with not doing it?

That connects to the comment above yours—she’s a woman who doesn’t give off that submissive, respectful vibe needed to qualify as a “good,” or rather “appropriately acting,” person. I think other people do have positive feelings towards her—they just want her to “act normal.” They’ve all (felt like) they’ve had to bow to convention—why does she get away with not doing it?

Agreed. Yunduo is currently one of those who appreciates Xioaen. Can't help but be sad for Yunduo's situation, even more so as she watches Xiaoen play with her kids in that picturesque way. After the conversation about her marriage, divorce and children, I can only wonder what's going through her mind. Does she like the idea of Xiaoen being with her kids? Is that the life she actually wants now or wishes she had? She's very interesting with less screen time needed. Her body language and visual cues do a lot; and her words nearly always contain more meaning than what's directly said.

Also, the restrained frustration of Yundao when she's asking her dad hasn't she already done all the traditional female things in patriarchal culture (trying marriage, having kids, etc), sort of asking him if it's ok to actually do what she wants to do from now on and stop trying to hook her up with another guy, and her dad's silent confusion over it.

Yeah that was a great scene. Does a lot with little, which is what you want.

last edited at Nov 20, 2023 8:15AM

I also wonder if some of what Yunduo feels toward Xiaoen is colored by...not jealousy, but envy maybe? Appreciation for how Xiaoen is so unselfconscious about bucking those aforementioned pressures of what women "should" be like, and how Yunduo herself has never had the courage to do the same.

Fever's going back up again.

I also wonder if some of what Yunduo feels toward Xiaoen is colored by...not jealousy, but envy maybe? Appreciation for how Xiaoen is so unselfconscious about bucking those aforementioned pressures of what women "should" be like, and how Yunduo herself has never had the courage to do the same.

It has to do a lot with early loss of her mother.
It's interesting that Yunduo and Xingyuan suffered early loss of their mothers, and both of them are showing same emotional insecurity, expressed very similarly but yet so differently.
Observe their reactions toward father figure (and keep in mind their age difference)
It's very similar, being under the pressure of expectations of father/society, etc. And possibly their upbringing is very similar.

While Xiaoen was spared from such hard blows in life.
And it's good.
She is a pillar for Yunduo and Xingyuan, a great contrast for their darkness caused by loss of mothers.

last edited at Nov 20, 2023 3:29PM

I still do not buy Yunduo x Xiaoen theory. Everything still makes sense if she's just an old friend (and as people said, maybe deep down envious about how Xiaoen seems very happy despite not playing by the rules), and you don't have to perform any divination by reading the flames in the campfire.

But I have been wrong about this kind of thing before :P

last edited at Nov 20, 2023 7:02PM