I'll be the odd one to say that I feel like this chapter was fairly straightforward...

I’m actually wondering if Michi might not just be some sort of vessel for some ritual, what with the star on her neck

Chapter 6. The star appearing on her (the first one's been under Aizawa's desk) gave Aizawa freedom to leave the classroom by following Michi around. Chapter 16. The increased range's been stretching lil Michi too thin (just keeping Aizawa in the class was already draining too). The star also works as a repellant for some things (like possessed Ange in the same chapter or Karasuma/the exorcist trying to enter the school in a conventional way in chapter 13). Chapter 17. Power transfer calligraphy. The transfer coincidentally shared with Michi Sayaka's power to whack (and kiss) ghosts.

Think I'd half written a post sometime (ended up getting eaten by a browser crash) wherein I theorized little Michi was a sentient guardian that real Michi poured her memories into intentionally (or accidentally while making it as strong as possible) to guard Aizawa while she wraps up her ghostly business of finishing out the school year, which normally would be a perilously long time for a ghost to linger without becoming twisted or coming to a bad fate. This made me think that more strongly.

That would be cute AND prevent scope bloat. I like it.

I'm still hoping that Aizawa's body is in some secret area 51 base because she's in danger.

Pls be a happy ending yuri godsss

What we have learned about Michi certainly doesnt add up yet, she seemed less shy in her flashback, she became a junior exorcist, and her dad confirmed that she did indeed attend that festival. But the Michi we have now is terrified of ghosts, doesn't remember several years of her life, heck it even seems others have trouble noticing her. She was apparently school friends with Aizawa who's very showy on her interactions but nobody on the class has made any comment on that supposed connection, not even resident Aizawa superfan.

There being two Michis seems almost like the obvious option at the moment, but that doesn't really add up either, there's too many loose ends.

Even sayaka suddenly seems like she should at least be acquainted with Michi but even she acts like they have just met recently

So I'm just gonna throw out a crazy shot in the dark, Michi is a ghost possessing an empty body or something like that

Thanks for the recap! Seeing all the foreshadowing and plot threads put together is making me much more excited about where this story is going.

Absolutely GOATed recap. A little detail I like a lot is that Michi is really good at soccer (ch. 8), which makes her quick refusal to join the soccer club stand out even more.

Love the recap lots, both in content and layout. I like the inclusion of the silly lil Honda Reona emotes from the volume 2 extras :)

So on the strength of the seal being inversely related to how much Michi can remember. This could be some sort of equivalent exchange type thing. Mini Michi might only have the power to maintain the seals through the sacrifice of Michi's memory.

After Sayaka performs the ritual to lend some of her power over, Michi is able to retain more of her memories involving Aizawa due to having more power to go around without the need of the sacrifice/exchange

THANKS FOR THE RECAP BUT
HUH LIAR SATSUKI IS ENDING SOON??? (i mean it makes sense but it feels like its happening so fast)

This recap made me feel a little bit better since it turns out I wasn't that much behind. Certain details did escape me, but I seemed to understand most of it.

Also, unless I missed it, was there no significance to how Aizawa seemed to not want to possess Kasumi? (chapter 15 pages 29-31)

Thanks for all the work it took to make it, it's appreciated!

Thanks for the recap. [Urge to re-read with QFG4 OST as BGM intensifies]
I have a feeling that Aizawa just miiiiiiiiight have something in common with the character whose name I'm using. Let's leave it at that.

last edited at Apr 4, 2024 8:08AM

I think the main significance of the "little kid missing eyeball ghost" flashback is that it might be the first time Michi realizes she can see dead people. Before that maybe she even saw them like Sayaka does, but those gaping eye sockets made ignoring their status as dead people impossible to not notice

Nice recap, I think I'll have to reread with all of this in mind. Also I second the Princess of Sylph advertising, go read it everyone!

That recap was better made than many official ones, I tip my hat to you.

This manga's a little dense as it turns out.

And volume 1 was mostly just character introductions, though ch6 raised all kinds of questions. Volume 2 used Kasumi's drama as a decoy to spring 3 twists on you at once in ch12. From there it's been nonstop laying heavily into the mysteries. Kind of a bait and switch but the setup was always there. While I don't blame anyone for getting lost in the months between chapters it's a real shame not to be appreciating all the layers to the story, so this recap felt a little necessary and was also just a fun exercise organizing it all together. I can't wait to see where it goes now.

On a reread, the 3 biggest details I'd missed were

• Sayaka remarking on the abnormal number of ghosts before Aizawa died
• Karasuma faintly recognizing the mark but definitely recognizing Little Michi
• The dark shadow over Aizawa reaching for Michi in the volume 2 extras spread

The first 2 require a reread regardless, the kind of thing where you get an overlooked answer to a question you don't even realize you should be asking yet. I like that in mysteries. From that we can extrapolate there was some really bizarre stuff happening with Aizawa already, or potentially Michi since Aizawa wasn't coming to school? I'll admit Karasuma isn't all that direct with her warnings. Point 2 tells us Little Michi has probably been around a lot longer than just this incident, maybe since whatever traumatized Michi originally.

Point 3 is something no one can make any sense of yet until we understand more of the threat, but it's interesting that it paints a target on Michi rather than leaving her an accessory to Aizawa. Like whatever it is that killed her also wants Michi dead, or was maybe even going through Aizawa to get to Michi in the first place.

I intentionally left out some questions about volume 1 because they're potentially early inconsistencies, but considering this is based off an older twitter manga and everything else seems consistent, I doubt Dorothy wouldn't have thought things through:

Aizawa kissing other girls at first would completely rule out she and Michi were a couple, probably that she wasn't in love love with Michi yet too. Though obviously she gives her special treatment from the start.

Also Aizawa acting as though Michi can't see her, despite me being unable to drop the theory she knows all about Michi's powers, or at least by all means should be aware Michi can feel her touch by now. Maybe Michi's powers were meant to be sealed too? Which is why Little Michi is picking up all the slack. Then Aizawa would think Michi's a completely normal girl at first. Though she did show shock right from the first chapter when Michi was reacting to her. Then there's the whole mystery of why Aizawa's so immature in ghost form that I didn't even want to touch on because it could just as easily be her inner self released from the pressure of idoling.

Whatever I'm rambling again because I really can't help myself.

Also, unless I missed it, was there no significance to how Aizawa seemed to not want to possess Kasumi? (chapter 15 pages 29-31)

I decided for now I could file that under Aizawa losing control of her powers. It's still weird and we don't really know the rules of possession, like why Aizawa got booted out seconds later, but whatever. Like maybe she intentionally left after getting unintentionally pulled in but still wanted to kiss Michi but then felt disgusted with herself? Who knows. There's so much I want to hear of Aizawa's perspective.

I didn't want to complicate things too much, just keep it simple yet thorough.

Odoro Dorothy really is such a good author :)

Like whatever it is that killed her also wants Michi dead, or was maybe even going through Aizawa to get to Michi in the first place.

I have a feeling that the "going through Aizawa to get Michi" part was not an accident

last edited at Apr 4, 2024 8:16AM

"nothing good's going to come from falling in love with a dead girl"

...oof that hurts

... Why do I get the feeling this story is going to be an allegory for dealing with the grief of a loved one lost? Like, Obviously it's hinting there was something going on between the two, and now the death has complicated things.

I wonder if balloons (especially red ones) are used as metaphor for death/dead people in Japanese literature 'cuz I've seen some uses of it in other media

"nothing good's going to come from falling in love with a dead girl"

...oof that hurts

You'll understand me disagreeing :-)

We're entering feeling realization territory, guys!

Important details this chapter:

• Ange is confirmed to have been possessed.
• Tear both understands something unnatural is happening and has had a closer encounter with it than we've seen. There's a brief panel of what could be blood she's standing in.
• Being Sayaka is suffering.
• Reona's gearing up for her subplot. I strongly suspect the girl she planned to meet is Non. There's the awkwardness surrounding the friend not being from another school, and whoever it was cancelled last second. Not to mention how much emphasis is put on sending them a picture of Michi. Non was at the festival but ran out, knows Michi and will react badly to seeing her right now, and she's vital to understanding Michi and Aizawa's past and therefore needs to get more involved soon. The plot threads are all in the right place, not to mention Reona and Non are the only girls without a pairing.

This manga's always refreshing with how readily it tackles yuri. Kasumi and Sayaka already being in a relationship, Kasumi not dodging the topic of being a lesbian, Michi's only internal struggle over loving Aizawa being the fear of falling for someone who's already gone. Understandable really. But too late.

I'm excited for where this takes their relationship now that Aizawa must be getting a sense of reciprocity. The wall between them is paper thin but still insurmountable, which is sure to lead to some interesting interactions. Michi likely still can't directly address Aizawa without tripping spookiness, but the important part is both parties admit they love the other, both recognize the other loves them, and this story's nowhere near done. Good place to be in a romance. Things might seem doomed right now, but with how lacking Michi's knowledge of ghosts is there's always hope for a more stable solution to her and Aizawa.

Reona is a megaflirt, making passes at just about any girl though never seeming quite serious. Aside from with Aizawa where she was absolutely crushing on her. I don't get the feeling her relationship with this "friend" is romantic yet. And if it is Non, maybe Reona doesn't even realize that? Maybe they met online as fellow Honamin fans and this would have been their first real meetup? That would explain the awkwardness over clarifying their relationship.
Whatever the case here, I'm confident it's leading to the next side couple.

Also while on the topic of relationships, on the platonic side of things, it's nice to see De:Lphinus do all care deeply about each other. From the brief glimpses the cracks used to look wider than they are. Tear has a heavy sense of responsibility for the others, Non comes to her for comfort even if they fight. Ange's characterization is a bit lacking but that's unavoidable when she literally hasn't been herself for 3 chapters.

Dorothy said next chapter should be a return to more everyday SoL, so I expect volume 4 to lay off the ghost drama a little while the new status quo settles in.

I wonder if balloons (especially red ones) are used as metaphor for death/dead people in Japanese literature 'cuz I've seen some uses of it in other media

I found it significant there's 2 balloons shown drifting away together at first. The lost balloons seem to represent something unattainable, but not as straightforward as simply Michi being unable to reach Aizawa. It could be both of them detached from the world together, caught in something beyond their understanding or control. And balloons don't fly for long. Balloons are associated with happiness and festivities, but a lost balloon becomes a much bleaker symbol of good times gone.

Mich finally realizes her own feelings.

I just want them to HUUUUUUGGGGG!!!!

Also, ghost lovin' isn't impossible. Aizawa is a poltergeist, so she could, theoretically, possess objects like a vibe....

I didn't think that Micchi would voice one of the bigger issues of this potential relationship just like that. Curious where we'll go from here.