This series just finished the anime and already has doujinshi. And this doujinshi's art looks so familiar

What level sadist are you when you're physically incapable of believing you're not a bad person?

that felt like it could have been an actual chapter lol

"Do you behold, King Baiser, the continuation of your dream?"

...

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

This is super wholesome

that felt like it could have been an actual chapter lol

It would fit right in.

last edited at Apr 10, 2024 6:23AM

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

If it really needs to be one or the other, then yes, I also want Kiwi to win.

Buuut..... just saying, Utena has two hands.

Damn it wasn't really bad but the pacing was all over the place really jumpy.
Than again Alice is only like what 9 years old so it actually makes sense that her story doesn't make sense.

Ah what a nice dream, but of course there would be a twist. Poor Utena, tricked by Vena and Alice...

I just can't imagine Utena ever confessing that firmly. It was very cute, though.

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

Personally I think the manga has been entirely unambiguous with this. Sayo and Utena just have compatible kinks. There's not much in the way of actual romance between them. Utena and Kiwi, on the other hand, have had several chapters specifically about their feelings. The relationship dynamics in the manga seem extremely obvious to me. Hell, Kiwi has even started playing with Azur/Sayo in her own way to bond with Utena.

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

Personally I think the manga has been entirely unambiguous with this. Sayo and Utena just have compatible kinks. There's not much in the way of actual romance between them. Utena and Kiwi, on the other hand, have had several chapters specifically about their feelings. The relationship dynamics in the manga seem extremely obvious to me. Hell, Kiwi has even started playing with Azur/Sayo in her own way to bond with Utena.

You're 100% right, there's no debate there. I think they must have meant shipping wars by fans? As you say, the canon material is extremely clear.

last edited at Apr 12, 2024 6:47AM

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

Personally I think the manga has been entirely unambiguous with this. Sayo and Utena just have compatible kinks. There's not much in the way of actual romance between them. Utena and Kiwi, on the other hand, have had several chapters specifically about their feelings. The relationship dynamics in the manga seem extremely obvious to me. Hell, Kiwi has even started playing with Azur/Sayo in her own way to bond with Utena.

Personally I feel romantic tension in the shared kinks that Sayo and Utena have. The story probably doesn't though, sadly.
Still, poly is the correct ship

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

Personally I think the manga has been entirely unambiguous with this. Sayo and Utena just have compatible kinks. There's not much in the way of actual romance between them. Utena and Kiwi, on the other hand, have had several chapters specifically about their feelings. The relationship dynamics in the manga seem extremely obvious to me. Hell, Kiwi has even started playing with Azur/Sayo in her own way to bond with Utena.

You're 100% right, there's no debate there. I think they must have meant shipping wars by fans? As you say, the canon material is extremely clear.

"Shipping" typically only refers to fan activity, as do "shipping wars", so yeah, that's what I meant. :-) Back around chapter 24, Kiwi had not made her move yet, Azul had just unlocked her La Verita, and the chemistry between her and Utena was great, so she had looked like a serious contender. But that was seven volumes ago, and the author seems to have made up their mind on Baiser x Leopolt endgame since then.

last edited at Apr 12, 2024 7:02AM

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

Personally I think the manga has been entirely unambiguous with this. Sayo and Utena just have compatible kinks. There's not much in the way of actual romance between them. Utena and Kiwi, on the other hand, have had several chapters specifically about their feelings. The relationship dynamics in the manga seem extremely obvious to me. Hell, Kiwi has even started playing with Azur/Sayo in her own way to bond with Utena.

You're 100% right, there's no debate there. I think they must have meant shipping wars by fans? As you say, the canon material is extremely clear.

"Shipping" typically only refers to fan activity, as do "shipping wars", so yeah, that's what I meant. :-) Back around chapter 24, Kiwi had not made her move yet, Azul had just unlocked her La Verita, and the chemistry between her and Utena was great, so she had looked like a serious contender. But that was seven volumes ago, and the author seems to have made up their mind on Baiser x Leopolt endgame since then.

Yeah. That's what I figured you meant. I think we've discussed this before, as well? Anyway, thanks for further clarifying, even though I think your meaning was clear the first time.

Personally I feel romantic tension in the shared kinks that Sayo and Utena have. The story probably doesn't though, sadly.

Yes, it definitely doesn't and Utena has said that a few times, including the very meta chapter 43. Still fun to ship if you want though. Doesn't (have to) hurt anyone.

last edited at Apr 12, 2024 7:33AM

Well, anyway, my earlier thesis that Kiwi has won the shipping war still stands, and I am very okay with that. :-)

Personally I think the manga has been entirely unambiguous with this. Sayo and Utena just have compatible kinks. There's not much in the way of actual romance between them. Utena and Kiwi, on the other hand, have had several chapters specifically about their feelings. The relationship dynamics in the manga seem extremely obvious to me. Hell, Kiwi has even started playing with Azur/Sayo in her own way to bond with Utena.

You're 100% right, there's no debate there. I think they must have meant shipping wars by fans? As you say, the canon material is extremely clear.

"Shipping" typically only refers to fan activity, as do "shipping wars", so yeah, that's what I meant. :-) Back around chapter 24, Kiwi had not made her move yet, Azul had just unlocked her La Verita, and the chemistry between her and Utena was great, so she had looked like a serious contender. But that was seven volumes ago, and the author seems to have made up their mind on Baiser x Leopolt endgame since then.

I still don't get why people thought Azul was a serious contender. Utena rejected both the idea of getting close with the magical girls and even more so she rejected Azul submitting to her. Meanwhile Kiwis very introduction was setting up their compatibility and they grew close already by the end of the first arc. Azul was clearly just meant to be the rival imo

I still don't get why people thought Azul was a serious contender. Utena rejected both the idea of getting close with the magical girls and even more so she rejected Azul submitting to her. Meanwhile Kiwis very introduction was setting up their compatibility and they grew close already by the end of the first arc. Azul was clearly just meant to be the rival imo

It's mostly because of this exchange (in the context of the whole chapter) for me. As I said, it was a brief moment in the manga run where Azul and Baiser have temporarily established a sense of parity, and which has long since been eclipsed by subsequent events.

Also, don't underestimate some folks' love for the rivals-to-romance arcs. :P

last edited at Apr 15, 2024 4:54AM

Meanwhile Kiwis very introduction was setting up their compatibility [...]

Kiwi's very introduction set her up as an insane stalker constantly making Utena very, very uncomfortable. Looking for anyone else to pair Utena with has little to do with love for rivals-to-romance or anything like that, it's just Kiwi being the absolute worst.

Meanwhile Kiwis very introduction was setting up their compatibility [...]

Kiwi's very introduction set her up as an insane stalker constantly making Utena very, very uncomfortable. Looking for anyone else to pair Utena with has little to do with love for rivals-to-romance or anything like that, it's just Kiwi being the absolute worst.

Utena wasn't ever uncomfortable. It was a gag (and a common one in manga) but that was never real and has continued not to be real. She's always liked Kiwi, right from the start. Kiwi is the worst in a manga about "villains" who sexually dominate their rivals? I don't see it. You might dislike Kiwi (and that's fine) but Utena never shared those negative feelings. Those two truths have to be separated.

last edited at Apr 15, 2024 9:11AM

She's always liked Kiwi, right from the start.

But certainly not to the extent Kiwi likes her. There's a reason nothing happened in the hotel in the end.

She's always liked Kiwi, right from the start.

But certainly not to the extent Kiwi likes her. There's a reason nothing happened in the hotel in the end.

That wasn't because she didn't like her enough. It was a pretty typical plot device. I won't get into it much further since that's years old by this point and their relationship has long since progressed. Anyway it's spun, that situation (and their "fight" which we also haven't mentioned) was not a rejection of Kiwi but a stepping stone for and promise between them. Utena was never genuinely uncomfortable with Kiwi. They were positioned as 1a/1b right from the jump and only got closer as the series went on. Pretty normal romantic progression.

last edited at Apr 15, 2024 12:54PM

There was certainly enough there for it to go either way, or both ways really considering that neat lil interaction between Kiwi and Sayo in chapter 40. Not that I'll expect much to come from it, but the potential for them to be metamour playmates is enough for me and my goggles ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

last edited at Apr 15, 2024 4:38PM

this is basically official