this drama is thick and juicy can't stop slurping it up

I am surprised at how many people hate Erika. I know her actions are wrong, but the way she handles the situations is very interesting to me. And like some said. She is a well layered character with gray morality.

Which actions are wrong, even? She's done all the right things, AFAICT. It's just that she also has selfish thoughts. Which I can't blame her for.

I am surprised at how many people hate Erika. I know her actions are wrong, but the way she handles the situations is very interesting to me. And like some said. She is a well layered character with gray morality.

Which actions are wrong, even? She's done all the right things, AFAICT. It's just that she also has selfish thoughts. Which I can't blame her for.

Agreed, the heart wants what it wants and Erika’s doing her best

Erika is best girl, ever since chapter 1. She is the most interesting character out of the three (probably because we have gotten the most insight to her as a person) and I really hope she gets her happy ending (not with Koto).

Oh my god Erika, I want you instead. Will die for you TT

Koto having rebounds here and there are such asshole moves. Not telling her real feelings to those who confess to her lacks honesty and respect to them. Erika knew that and will not letting her worth get dirtied for just being a rebound. She knew she have her own identity.

I am surprised at how many people hate Erika. I know her actions are wrong, but the way she handles the situations is very interesting to me. And like some said. She is a well layered character with gray morality.

Which actions are wrong, even? She's done all the right things, AFAICT. It's just that she also has selfish thoughts. Which I can't blame her for.

This. Erika is in a really complicated situation, morally and emotionally, but so far, she has aced it. She may have an expectation of Koto and Aya breaking up, but at no point has she done anything to accelerate that. Instead, she is playing the long game, like she has for the past 7 years. At first, she waited for Koto to get over Aya on her own, but when that proved impossible for her, she wished for Aya to come back, so she and Koto could break up explicitly, and thus give Koto the closure she needs in order to start a healthy new relationship.

To Erika, it is obvious that the breakup is inevitable, so she does not have to do anything to bring that about and is instead laying down the groundwork to catch Koto when she just as inevitably spirals afterwards. It's not the fairy tale romance some readers are accustomed to, but it is the best that Erika can do as Koto and Aya's friend in this situation, and that makes her actions very much right, as far as I am concerned.

last edited at Feb 11, 2024 6:31AM

It's still unfair though. Because Aya's situation isn't from any fault of her own.

Meaning, Erika has now an unfair advantage (the age gap) which shouldn't exist. Without this, she would have zero chance, since Aya and Koto are/were in a requited love.

So, it's a bit hypocritical to say that she wants a level field and compete with Aya fairly, when Aya got a magical seven-year handicap strapped on her out of the blue.

So what exactly should Erika do? Just disappear?

I am surprised at how many people hate Erika. I know her actions are wrong, but the way she handles the situations is very interesting to me. And like some said. She is a well layered character with gray morality.

Which actions are wrong, even? She's done all the right things, AFAICT. It's just that she also has selfish thoughts. Which I can't blame her for.

This. Erika is in a really complicated situation, morally and emotionally, but so far, she has aced it. She may have an expectation of Koto and Aya breaking up, but at no point has she done anything to accelerate that. Instead, she is playing the long game, like she has for the past 7 years. At first, she waited for Koto to get over Aya on her own, but when that proved impossible for her, she wished for Aya to come back, so she and Koto could break up explicitly, and thus give Koto the closure she needs in order to start a healthy new relationship.

To Erika, it is obvious that the breakup is inevitable, so she does not have to do anything to bring that about and is instead laying down the groundwork to catch Koto when she just as inevitably spirals afterwards. It's not the fairy tale romance some readers are accustomed to, but it is the best that Erika can do as Koto and Aya's friend in this situation, and that makes her actions very much right, as far as I am concerned.

Agreed, I think Erika has done pretty much everything correctly. Maybe further chapters will make me eat my own words but so far she's been doing good.

As always thank you to the scanlation team for their hard work!

Meaning, Erika has now an unfair advantage (the age gap) which shouldn't exist. Without this, she would have zero chance, since Aya and Koto are/were in a requited love.

I think this is the main reason author gave Erika seven years alone with Koto. Just to make her chance with Koto not being zero. I wouldn't be surprised if Koto end up choosing Erika over Aya because of this. Despite Erika's love being ridiculous to me, she might be a good match for Koto.
And for my beloved Aya, she would have her own happiness with or without Koto.

So, it's a bit hypocritical to say that she wants a level field and compete with Aya fairly, when Aya got a magical seven-year handicap strapped on her out of the blue.

It's unfair and Erika acknowledged that completely.
She even tried to convince herself this is a fair game in chapter 4 since she did help the two to get back together.
However, it really doesn't work well deep down in her heart. That's why she feels hatred towards herself whenever she hopes their relationship wouldn't work.

last edited at Feb 28, 2024 11:35PM

So what exactly should Erika do? Just disappear?

Yes :)

This is a joke, of course, but I do believe that Erika is being a hypocrite. I really hope she won't be endgame, regardless of whether the other two stay together or not.

So what exactly should Erika do? Just disappear?

Yes :)

This is a joke, of course, but I do believe that Erika is being a hypocrite. I really hope she won't be endgame, regardless of whether the other two stay together or not.

I guess technically it’s “hypocrisy” whenever you profess some publicly approved or benign attitude that you don’t really believe, but a lot of times that just amounts to being a participating member of society, like when an athlete says, “good luck!” to a rival before a competition, or you say, “Have a good day” to someone when you don’t particularly care what kind of day they have. The important thing about a possible charge of “hypocrisy” is that you don’t then do anything to make that person’s day worse.

Whatever her interior feelings, at this point Erika is not actively (or even passively) doing anything to hinder the Aya/Koto relationship. As the above question implies, there’s literally nothing she can do in order to be a “better person.”

Ch 8 tries to promote Erika as some kind of antagonist, but all it did for me was cement my opinion that Koto is the worst. Trying to fill the void that Aya left with literally anyone, to the point where she tries asking out her own friend just as an idea. I just wish Erika said yes to Koto, just so their relationship could've fallen apart and Erika could move on.

I was kind of hoping for Erika x Aya, early on. Cause, it would be the most unexpected and would be the most different from where their feelings start (Erika likes Koto, Koto likes Aya, and Aya might like Koto back). But, it seems like at this point that's not going to be a plausible route. So, I just hope Erika ends up happy, with someone that's not Koto. Now, I'm kind of rooting for the "No one gets together" route. All the pairings seem like bad ideas at this point.

Erika wanted to win Koto's heart in a fair way, beating Aya in a proper competition. She's the kind of person who hates cheap tricks and sneakiness. She was already competing with Aya in middle school, trying to make a place for herself in Koto's heart, hoping that one day Koto would look her way and choose her over Aya. When Aya vanished without a trace, competing against her became impossible. Years went by, and it looked like nothing would ever dislodge Aya's ghost fom Koto's heart. Erika wished for Aya's return, yes, but as an adult, a grown-up woman who could give a reasonable explanation for her disappearance and then either start things anew with Koto or give her proper emotional closure. The last thing Erika expected was this time travel crap, hahaha.

This. Aya's disappearing was prolly the worst thing that could happen to Koto - and to Erika.

If Aya had died or broken up with Koto, there would've been a period of verklempt feelings and then Koto would've moved on.

If no disappearance had ever happened and everyone's life continued normally, then Erika could have fought Aya for Koto fair and square.

But since Aya disappeared mysteriously and nobody knew what had happened, Koto kept thinking that Aya could return one day - and was unable to move on. This was just terrible. Erika had the right idea wishing for Aya to come back and sort things out with Koto!

Who could have predicted that the wish would be granted in a Monkey's Paw way... >_<;;

Haven't read such a good yuri drama for ages. I really love how human the main trio is. Really looking forward to next development.

I think it's pretty obvious Koto had assumed Aya was dead. Aya was missing for X years when being a 14 yo girl. You would be fooling yourself to believe she's still alive.
Actually, Erika (in this chapter) and the
president from the drama club also believed Aya already dead.
That's why Koto was so devastated back then.
"That tomorrow with Aya-chan never came" Koto knew there's no way Aya would come back, so she just did what she thought needed to be done → buried old memories and tried to move on.
I can't really blame her for trying to fill the void (except that shitty move towards her best friend, ofc).

Ch 8 tries to promote Erika as some kind of antagonist, but all it did for me was cement my opinion that Koto is the worst. ... .

Koto is definitely damaged goods. From Aya's perspective, she's grown up a lot, but Erika sees her as someone who failed to grow up. She's caught in a liminal state by grief and heartbreak.

I was kind of hoping for Erika x Aya, early on. Cause, it would be the most unexpected and would be the most different from where their feelings start... . Now, I'm kind of rooting for the "No one gets together" route. All the pairings seem like bad ideas at this point.

You're probably right, though Erika/Aya sounds interesting! Or all three lol jk ...but maybe? (⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ᴥ⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ⁠ʋ⁠)

last edited at Feb 11, 2024 8:27PM

Erika remains the most interesting character in the series. She reminds me of Saeki Sayaka in many ways but less repressed, probably due to being an adult. So far she's doing everything right, and incredibly enough her wish on the tanabata seems to have created the story as we're seeing it today.

People are trying to find a villain to blame here, but neither Erika or Koto are really bad people. The title "how to break a triangle" is extremely apt here, because that's exactly what Aya's disappearance did to both of them. Koto was in love with Aya, and recieved a positive response from Aya too, and then she disappeared. What should have been a typical high school romance stagnated and froze in place.

There's no way of knowing if Aya and Koto would have even been happy together, for all we know they would have broken up within a couple months. But because Aya disappeared that those feelings sat and stagnated for 7 years, and became very twisted as a result. I don't think it's really accurate to say that Koto loves Aya, more like she loved Aya, and without any outlet for those feelings this entire time, it's become more of an obsession or dependency issue.

I don't know if it was really correct but I do think Aya coming back is kinda the best way to force Koto to process and get over those stagnant feelings, although it will likely be at the cost of Aya being really miserable due to her unavoidable circumstances. Compared to Koto I think Erika has done a much better job processing her feelings towards Aya and Koto, although her love for Koto has been in stasis, I don't think it's necessarily gone sour in the same way Koto's feelings seem to have gone.

Awwwww yeahhhhh that's the angst I'm here for mmmmm delicious

When Koto asks Erika to go out with her and Erika has not choice but to reject her because it just ain't right, my angstmeter exploded.

this drama is thick and juicy can't stop slurping it up

We're all hos for a good drama.

Erika is best girl, ever since chapter 1.

That's right. Koto is an idiot for not realizing it.

Oh my god Erika, I want you instead.

No! You can't have my Erika! I'll fight you for her!

There's all this romance discussion, but more deeply, Aya is in this hellish situation. A legal 21 year old who didn't finish middle school and looks and acts 14, in a society that's oh-so-friendly to not meeting expectations.

Like really, she should go back to school, and suck up starting over her social life as a mysterious transfer student. Maybe Koto and Erika can be her guardians, if the government stepped in to fudge her paperwork. (Probably better for Erika to be her guardian, given everything...)

oh please give me a break! Erika is mature? BRO! in this situation she is sooo god damn selfish she ONLY thinking of when will you two break up so that Aya can SUFFER SOME MORE for my plan is to FINALY get in the pantys of Koto!

how’s that NOT A VILLIAN!?? she is UNHELPFUL! and only stay on the side lines thinking ONLY for herself and NOT EVEN KOTO! cuz she has to deal with Aya! that is an level of selfishness you can’t joke about! she only wanna see Aya suffer cuz what in hell do you think Aya will feel? did Erika EVER not once care about how she will feel? in this CHAPTER we finaly got Erika advising Koto and how to deal with Aya!

Erika confimed she wanted to do only one thing!
Watch Aya and Koto break up so that Erika can open her legs for Koto! that is the only thing she cared about! and she is making it CLEARLY by this chapter, so yeah! i really hate Erika immaturity!

放你娘的屁

This manga is legitimately incredible, the author is absolutely nailing her unique premise and the character dynamics are both believable and extremely compelling. I love pretty much everything about it.

To add my stick to the Erika discussion: are we sure her motives are even that selfish? Whenever a character constantly claims in internal dialogue they're totally self-interested, I get suspicious (see one Sorawo Kamikoshi). While Erika might tell herself that she only cares about cheering up Koto, she has been unfailingly helpful and kind to Aya ever since the latter reappeared; she hasn't even really had a negative word to say about her, even in internal narration. As much as Aya's disappearance caused Koto to remain stuck in place for 7 years, the same thing I think happened to Erika; she's been chasing Aya's shadow this entire time, and only after meeting her again did Erika really internalize Aya was just an ordinary girl like her. Her focus on Koto masks it but I think Aya's reappearance is causing her world to shift just like it's making Koto's world shift.

Anyway though Aya is my personal favorite character right now. While she may put on the face of the bold, confident girl she used to be, in reality she is a complete mess who is (very understandably!) overwhelmed by the massive struggles she's facing and is barely holding herself together. The past her wanted to escape, and she got her wish, but as a result she's completely lost her place in the world and any obvious way to gain meaning in her life. Due to her anomalous state as a 14-year-old who is legally 21 without living relatives, she is completely dependent on Erika and Koto, neither of whom are really considering what's in her best interest (Koto due to her massive and still unaddressed trauma from Aya's disappearance, Erika because she's still prioritizing Koto and also likely is still unconsciously putting Aya on a pedestal). Hopefully she can find some real support at her new part-time job, but realistically I think the only person with both the knowledge and emotional capability to help Aya find a meaningful life path again is Erika -- but Erika would have to give up on Koto in order to essentially be Aya's surrogate mother, and that's not something she's remotely willing to do at the present time.

It's such an interesting confluence of realistically flawed characters that feels like it can only be headed for disaster, but I don't get a tragic feel from this manga, more bittersweet leaning hopeful if anything. I have no idea what the romantic endgame will be, I kinda feel like we're heading toward none of the three protagonists ending up with each other, but I think they'll all find their own happiness by the end. It'll just be a long struggle to get there.

Erika remains the most interesting character in the series. She reminds me of Saeki Sayaka in many ways but less repressed, probably due to being an adult. So far she's doing everything right, and incredibly enough her wish on the tanabata seems to have created the story as we're seeing it today.

A comparison with Sayaka is very apt, if slightly foreboding for her love prospects. Both are very much in love with a very flawed person, both know that the latter is flawed, and both are mature enough to put the more immediate needs of their loved one before their own feelings. While such a relationship can go toxic in a myriad of ways, Sayaka managed to navigate it very well (and bowed out once she realized she had no romantic future with Touko), and Erika has been doing the same so far.

It needs to be mentioned that the editor in charge of "How To Break a Triangle", Kusunoki Tatsuya, was also in charge of "Bloom Into You".

If you see similarities in some developments, it may not be an accident.