I'm also shipping Tianlii and Yunduo

I'm also shipping Tianlii and Yunduo

Not me. I get why, Yunduo's pain is super relatable and I'd love to see her happy, but there just isn't anything there at this stage, and I'm not a fan of "pair the spares."

Gay baby Xingyuan is so fucking cute OMG. Tracy Hu's art is always great but it especially favors an adorable subject like this.
We got some interesting hints at the story here: in the present Xingyuan is under a lot of homophobic pressure from her family, especially her father, but here she talks about being openly gay to her mom and her mom is chill. And Xingyuan and her mom spent so much time living abroad that her English is better than her Chinese, and not with that father, who stayed in the city the chapter is set in "the whole time for work". It's entirely possible that father was basically a stranger to her when she moved back to China at the start of this flashback. I can't remember Xingyuan's mom coming up before this point, either. Did some tragedy leave her without her mom and isolated with a conservative family from her father's side? Did Tianli play some role in that side of family learning Xingyuan is gay?

Edit: in the last chapter, when Xingyuan is thinking about her past regrets and saying "I wish I hadn't taken things for granted at the time and been so naive," the scene behind that is the same scene from this chapter where Xingyuan first tells Tianli she's gay. This could ether been and regrets getting Tianli, or regrets not realizing Tianli's feelings. Considering Xingyuan has claimed she had no love before the present, that makes the former more likely so far.

last edited at Feb 12, 2024 5:16AM

I'm also shipping Tianlii and Yunduo

Not me. I get why, Yunduo's pain is super relatable and I'd love to see her happy, but there just isn't anything there at this stage, and I'm not a fan of "pair the spares."

Oh, yes, I see now. When you say "pair the spare" it really sounds just...pitiful.
At least at this point of the story it would be as you say.
But this is slow burn romance, and I don't think appearance of Tianli serves only to resolve history between Xingyuan and her.
Indeed, I see her as potential partner of Yunduo (observe "the hint", Yunduo came to pick up Xiaoen, but Xingyuan refused to let her go. And Tianli is the one sitting in the car with Yunduo).

If Tianli and Yunduo have some future, it should develop slowly, not as "pair the spare" (at this moment, as you noticed).
If I get the story right, Tianli is here now because of business related thing? (please correct me if I got it wrong)
If I'm right, there's possibility that she will become regular citizen of Peachtown, and true future partner-prospect for Yunduo.
Maybe my shipping came too early at this point of the story, but I hope my explanation answers why (and I did not have in mind "pair the spare")

last edited at Feb 12, 2024 12:50PM

Some preforeshadowing
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dear_lass_ch08#5
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dear_lass_ch31#3

Some preforeshadowing
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dear_lass_ch08#5
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dear_lass_ch31#3

Thanks for this, I'd forgotten some of the details. Man I despise her dad. Such a despicable piece of shit. I hate parents like this.

I'm also shipping Tianlii and Yunduo

Not me. I get why, Yunduo's pain is super relatable and I'd love to see her happy, but there just isn't anything there at this stage, and I'm not a fan of "pair the spares."

Oh, yes, I see now. When you say "pair the spare" it really sounds just...pitiful.
At least at this point of the story it would be as you say.
But this is slow burn romance, and I don't think appearance of Tianli serves only to resolve history between Xingyuan and her.
Indeed, I see her as potential partner of Yunduo (observe "the hint", Yunduo came to pick up Xiaoen, but Xingyuan refused to let her go. And Tianli is the one sitting in the car with Yunduo).

If Tianli and Yunduo have some future, it should develop slowly, not as "pair the spare" (at this moment, as you noticed).
If I get the story right, Tianli is here now because of business related thing? (please correct me if I got it wrong)
If I'm right, there's possibility that she will become regular citizen of Peachtown, and true future partner-prospect for Yunduo.
Maybe my shipping came too early at this point of the story, but I hope my explanation answers why (and I did not have in mind "pair the spare")

Yeah, I'm open to the idea that they could develop Tianli/Yunduo in a natural way if the story has enough time to do it. It's a common trope in fandoms to pair up characters in stories that are unattached, since they're already characters that the readers are interested in. I've seen stories that did that well, but I've also seen stories where characters that aren't really compatible are kinda shoehorned into an awkward pairing because they're "the ones that are left over."

(Sidelong glance at the Ranma fandom)

I don't think this author would do that carelessly, though. They seem like they've got a pretty deft touch.

last edited at Feb 12, 2024 2:35PM

I'm also shipping Tianlii and Yunduo

Not me. I get why, Yunduo's pain is super relatable and I'd love to see her happy, but there just isn't anything there at this stage, and I'm not a fan of "pair the spares."

Oh, yes, I see now. When you say "pair the spare" it really sounds just...pitiful.
At least at this point of the story it would be as you say.
But this is slow burn romance, and I don't think appearance of Tianli serves only to resolve history between Xingyuan and her.
Indeed, I see her as potential partner of Yunduo (observe "the hint", Yunduo came to pick up Xiaoen, but Xingyuan refused to let her go. And Tianli is the one sitting in the car with Yunduo).

If Tianli and Yunduo have some future, it should develop slowly, not as "pair the spare" (at this moment, as you noticed).
If I get the story right, Tianli is here now because of business related thing? (please correct me if I got it wrong)
If I'm right, there's possibility that she will become regular citizen of Peachtown, and true future partner-prospect for Yunduo.
Maybe my shipping came too early at this point of the story, but I hope my explanation answers why (and I did not have in mind "pair the spare")

Yeah, I'm open to the idea that they could develop Tianli/Yunduo in a natural way if the story has enough time to do it. It's a common trope in fandoms to pair up characters in stories that are unattached, since they're already characters that the readers are interested in. I've seen stories that did that well, but I've also seen stories where characters that aren't really compatible are kinda shoehorned into an awkward pairing because they're "the ones that are left over."

(Sidelong glance at the Ranma fandom)

I don't think this author would do that carelessly, though. They seem like they've got a pretty deft touch.

I'm really all in in natural development between Tianli and Yunduo.
I'm sorry that my shipping appeared as the lightning strike, that I did not give more explanation from where it comes and made you conclude how I am about paring "pitiful leftovers". It's the last thing I would wish to happen here.

Anyway you are right that we often have "leftover" cases paired just to satisfy interests of fandom and it often gone bad spoiling original idea of the story.
But I think this story is highly and skillfully planned and crafted from the beginning to the end (from what we see through development, and from the recent preforshadowing since the chapter 8 in comments above! One of the girls looks just like Tianli, and maybe it is her, it's not so clear because of shadows. I would not be surprised that the author planned it all in advance, if it is really her)

I have no doubts that the author will make it fairly and properly, if their original idea is to make Tianly and Yunduo ship happen (not just because fandom says it, or as "leftovers").

I think that your high expectations for this story are legitimate, and pitiful pairing here has no place. Again, I apologize for being unclear from where my ship comes and how far I've gone observing in my mind possible development of the story.
I might be wrong, but for now nobody else comes in the picture as potential partner for Yunduo. And she really deserves to finally find happiness.

Some preforeshadowing
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dear_lass_ch08#5
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dear_lass_ch31#3

Oh right I forgot they did pretty much directly say her mom died, that's so tragic. In the flashbacks to the bullying the uniforms are different, so it seems like that happened in high school. At least she might have gotten to live out a few years of middle school peacefully, then?

(Sidelong glance at the Ranma fandom)

The what fandom?

The what fandom?

Old-timey lame-ass manga. Not important.

Ranma 1/2 is historically important! It created so many non-binary weebs!

Melding those together is funny on many levels.

I was reading the latest chapter on bilibili and at the end Tracy announced that vol 9 will be the last and that the story is shifting to wrap up mode.

While that's a few volumes ahead of where they are on bilibili and even further away for the scanlation, she was also asking for support and even doing some signed illustration give aways for incentive so if anyone has been thinking about throwing some support her way now would be the time. The app isn't too difficult to navigate imo. Hopefully that's not necessary to get to vol 9, but you never know.

That's some funny competition there. :D

Doesn't consider her as a rival, my butt.

Tianli really made my day with this remark.

^Immediately remembered your post at this point, yes. :D

"I'm . . . not serious enough about her." Not my favorite line.

I know that Xiaoen is often gleefully full of crap (much of the dialogue this time either is about that or demonstrates that), but I'm not sure what minimizing her interest in Xingyuan accomplishes here. And I know that the MCs have been doing a dance around the matter of how "serious" their relationship is, or should be.

Maybe I just expected Xiaoen to send a "hands off my girl!" message, and instead this felt like she was selling out her own feelings. But a bit of a disappointment to me.

"I'm . . . not serious enough about her." Not my favorite line.

I know that Xiaoen is often gleefully full of crap (much of the dialogue this time either is about that or demonstrates that), but I'm not sure what minimizing her interest in Xingyuan accomplishes here.

She's lying to herself because she's afraid of getting hurt if/when Xingyuan leaves the village. Methinks.

"I'm . . . not serious enough about her." Not my favorite line.

I know that Xiaoen is often gleefully full of crap (much of the dialogue this time either is about that or demonstrates that), but I'm not sure what minimizing her interest in Xingyuan accomplishes here.

She's lying to herself because she's afraid of getting hurt if/when Xingyuan leaves the village. Methinks.

That's plausible--there's certainly denial all over the place in this one. It just seemed a bit odd for her to be saying that to Tianlii, who she was treating as a rival.

I'm wondering if an alternative meaning to the not serious could be that they're not serious in that way. As in, they're not even really together right now, they're not dating with any kind of intention at the moment. It's like the difference between a situationship and a relationship. What they both want is a relationship, but because of circumstances they have to settle for a situationship at the moment, so they can't exactly call it serious, even if the feelings are serious.

"not serious enough" eh? Even he friend saw through your bullshit Xiaoen....
Could just be to protect herself. Maybe just to "act mature".
Or there might be some hidden meaning to it but... I sure didn't enjoy that.
Thanks for the chapter!

(Sidelong glance at the Ranma fandom)

Surely just 1/2 of the Ranma fandom. ;)