I scrolled through some of the most recent chapters after just having finished the anime and man…I’m surprised so much focus is STILL being placed on Kanoko. The shift from the main couple to her craziness for the entire second half of the series (save for the last episode) was what really killed the anime both for myself and, judging from comments on CR, for most viewers as well. I thought the author would’ve gotten some input by now and shifted gears, but either she really likes Kanoko as a character or she’s getting some obscure feedback, because it just felt like a doubling down on Kanoko for the rest of the manga as well? I have no idea what Sumika sees in her, and am still hoping they won’t actually end up together. But either way, likely won’t stick around to find out.

I'm confused. Did you at least read Volumes 5, 6, 7 and 8? Because that's Hime and Yano's Arc.

last edited at Sep 12, 2023 11:01PM

Ch 63
If that ending means that Sumika is going to try to get over Kanoko I think I will cheer. But it's ambiguous enough that it's not clear it means anything yet.

Ch 64
Oh fuck yes. Sumika doing what's necessary. God I hope they're not endgame and get back together later because this is the best decision Sumika has made lately. Kanoko still sucks of course and has learned nothing. Big surprise.

Chapter 64: Great, great chapter. I especially want to emphasize how much I liked the way the author handled Youko's assault through Mai and Nene's actions.

Chapter 67: After the somewhat ambiguous ending of the last chapter, I'm glad that we now know for sure that we're about to reach one of the most important moments in the series. I can't wait to see Hime's reaction to the confession and see how she will handle the situation afterwards.

I also wonder what will happen to Yano and what her role will be in everything to come.

Hopefully this volume is gonna be the resolution to a lot of things, I feel like this arc has gone too long now, despite me somewhat enjoying it, I miss the other characters focus.

I think Yano and Hime need to make progress first before Kanoko can confess her love to Hime. There's no need for them to become a couple or anything, just make Kanoko realize that Hime has changed too.

I think Yano and Hime need to make progress first before Kanoko can confess her love to Hime. There's no need for them to become a couple or anything, just make Kanoko realize that Hime has changed too.

I personally predicted that Hime and Mitsuki would get together first so we could see Kanoko's reaction. Then again, if Kanoko gets together with Sumika first and then becomes willing to support Hime and Mitsuki getting together, that would make sense, too.

Volume 12(Chapter 57-61) is out in English. There's a nice extra chapter in which Hime talks with Mitsuki about not knowing what's going on with Kanoko.

Volume 12(Chapter 57-61) is out in English. There's a nice extra chapter in which Hime talks with Mitsuki about not knowing what's going on with Kanoko.

The extra chapters are also being fan translated. I'm just telling you in case you didn't know, because Chapter 61.5 has been available in English for months.

I was skimming through Volume 10 and this part of Chapter 51 caught my attention, when Kanoko asks Sumika to start dating:

Fan translation: "Please go out with me. Please become my lover, and end your hate for romance."

Official: "Please go out with me. Please be my girlfriend... So I can stop hating romance."

I noticed that, too. That seems to be another pronoun-based mistranslation.

Kodansha already fixed this mistake, by the way. The new version of Volume 10 is out and has the correct translation of that dialogue ("Please be my girlfriend... So you can stop hating romance").

last edited at Apr 24, 2024 10:06PM

Ch 68
This just feels so unearned. Like, am I supposed to root for this?

Chapter 68: I've never liked Kanoko, but I have to admit that she's starting to grow on me. She has been through a lot during this long Arc, and I can't wait to reread it once it's finished, as her character development has been remarkable.

I can't deny I'm biased towards this series, but I genuinely think it's the most underrated Yuri manga ever.

Chapter 68: I've never liked Kanoko, but I have to admit that she's starting to grow on me. She has been through a lot during this long Arc, and I can't wait to reread it once it's finished, as her character development has been remarkable.

I can't deny I'm biased towards this series, but I genuinely think it's the most underrated Yuri manga ever.

Agreed. I really enjoy the interplay between it's characters. Not an easy direction to pull off.

last edited at May 7, 2024 7:52PM

Foremostly, I have a penchant for such stories; to some, a series where every girl is crushing on each other, supressing feelings and having outbursts might be as tiresome as it is ridiculous. But I find melodrama to be quite enjoyable—which is the reason I sought this piece out in the first place. This isn't to disparage the quality of this manga in particular: Of its like it stands quite tall, with very crisp art and a mostly well woven web of conflicting interests, with a very clever setting that allows for much control of interaction without departing from realism.

Of course, even though I think its quite good, it's not without its shortcomings. It's crudely formulaic: part of this is a flaw generated by my prior praise—its setting—as character often have touble distancing from one another. The story jumps between the conflicts between two characters very acutely and in a way that "shelves" the other characters quite extremely. While there is logic to this, giving different characters and dynamics the sole light, it is also jarring to have the focus so jerked and what was so oppressive in the story now so peripheral. It's hard to gague how big of an issue this is, or if it's truly an issue at all. It's quite common in story telling to jump to different angles, but with everyone in such proximity it's difficult to not to feel at odds. We're not even touching the formulas in the arcs themselves of misunderstandings, conflicts, truth and then growth repeat. But if they didn't follow this it would make how the stories are so segregated become quite intolerable as issues won't resolve until the spotlight swings back around.

There's also much to say on the character's flaws. All of them seem some level of mental but if they weren't this would be a very boring story. Their retarded actions and its consequences is what I'm here to read. Somtims its surprising how little these charcts undstand thmslves but its enjyable to read these realisations occur.

After chapter 69, I think I'm just really tired of this storyline. I want to go back to Hime. Kanoko has drained all of the love I felt for this manga.

After chapter 69, I think I'm just really tired of this storyline. I want to go back to Hime. Kanoko has drained all of the love I felt for this manga.

Well, everything suggests that we are about to start a new Arc (I would say focused on Hime). The only problem is that it's going to be a while before we get a new chapter, since the author took this month to rest and apparently the next one as well (and it's not because a new volume is going to be released).

I am of the school of "everyone picks on Hime." They made a point of Yano doing a very simple tea offering and ordering one tea, then Hime had to deal with 7 different German-named foods and got yelled at for not doing it perfectly. Kanoko adapted to that because she think Hime would be dependent on her, but she was adapting to a bad system. Screaming at people and never telling them anything is no way to train. I think they were nicer to Kanoko because her tie is Hime, not some dishonest guilt trip or threat of public embarrassment like with Hime. I actually like Hime and consider her the MC and sort of a plucky heroine.

Sad news: The series is going on an indefinite hiatus due to the author's health.