So, I've enjoyed Arioto/100 days and I've just gotten into the light novel version of Buying a Classmate. They seem to have similar premises, but are also pretty different, and I wanted to blather about it without filling the Buying manga thread with tons of spoiler bars.

So if you clicked here by mistake, shoo. Spoilers for at least the first few chapters of Classmate.

Right. So Arioto seems pretty straightforward. You see how the deal starts, and the motivations make sense: Mari wants more money and was already flirting with the idea of selling her companionship; a 'bet' over not falling for a girl seems like easy money. Meanwhile Aya is a rich predatory lesbian out to corrupt and seduce her for fun. (What's actually going on might be different, but that's where it starts.) And, going on, Aya's enjoying herself, while Mari wants the money... and is maybe also enjoying herself more than she wants to admit.

While with Classmate... we start in media res, though the start of the arrangement gets flashbacked in short order. But even with Miyagi's POV the motivations seem obscure. Like even to herself, it's just something she did on a whim. The girl getting paid doesn't actually need the money. And neither one seems to actually enjoy the interactions that much, unless both girls are overly competent at lying to themselves.

We do start getting glimpses, though. Miyagi seems to have real friends at school, though they don't come up much outside of it, but her home life is dead and lonely: mother 'gone', father working all the time. While Sendai does have a family life but doesn't like it, toxic parents who keep comparing her to her older sister. So despite having nothing in common (except a growing taste for ero manga), nothing to talk about, and annoying each other a lot, Sendai provides Miyagi with something like companionship and gets a safe-ish space to hang out in return.

It kind of makes sense. But the energy is very different from Arioto...

I saw someone compare Shuukura with Adashima in the manga thread and I can probably only agree with maybe half of it. They might both be slow burns and the both switch POVs but their styles and focus are completely different.

Adashima has two people who go about their daily lives while growing to like each other's company and eventually realizing that it's more than just that. A slow burn between awkward people who are learning more about themselves and deciding things based on their conclusions.

Shuukura on the otherhand might seem similar up front but it's more about two somewhat beoken people finding solace in each other. What started out as a simple act brought upon by chance turned into a messy knot. Both girls try and figure out what they want for themselves and from each other all the while testing their boundaries.

They're both frustrating to read but in completely different ways but it's one of the things I can't help but love about 'em.

(I didn't want to talk about this in the manga thread since it's touching spoiler territory. Ehe)

last edited at Jun 21, 2024 4:06AM

That's fine! Thanks for the comments.

I saw someone compare Shuukura with Adashima in the manga thread and I can probably only agree with maybe half of it. They might both be slow burns and the both switch POVs but their styles and focus are completely different.

I'm the one who made the comparison, and it was at the request of someone looking to be sold on Shuukura and was not intended to be literary analysis.
My point was they are alike insofar as they both focus on the somewhat dysfunctional relationship of two seemingly neurodivergent leads.
AdaShima has more SoL with emotional/dramatic moments here and there. Shuukura pretty much reverses that equation with less SoL and a focus on more emotional/dramatic content. (I called this angst in my comment).

Yes if you want to get in the weeds, our Shuukura leads have deeply seeded issues that are the driving force for much of their behavior. Adachi from AdaShima also shares this trait, but the story puts Adachi on the road to recovery much faster than Miyagi and Sendai. The Shuukura girls hide their trauma and avoid prying into each other's so it continues to fester and cause issues between them. I didn't touch on this because it was requested I avoid spoilers.

For why I chose AdaShima as a point of comparison instead of Arioto:

1. AdaShima and Shuukura are both much better written than Arioto (Watanare is the superior Teren Mikami work). As someone trying to "sell" Shuukura, it's better to compare it with the superior work.

2. Arioto is primarily a comedy, which is even further removed from Shuukura's drama focus than the SoL of AdaShima. I do recall Sexual Assault-chan from Arioto having some issues in her past, but they weren't too severe and didn't guide her behavior like what we see with Miyagi, Sendai, and Adachi.

2b. I recall the MC and SA-chan from Arioto both being relatively neurotypical, unlike the leads from Shuukura or AdaShima.

last edited at Jun 21, 2024 10:22AM

So, I've enjoyed Arioto/100 days and I've just gotten into the light novel version of Buying a Classmate. They seem to have similar premises, but are also pretty different, and I wanted to blather about it without filling the Buying manga thread with tons of spoiler bars.

So if you clicked here by mistake, shoo. Spoilers for at least the first few chapters of Classmate.

Right. So Arioto seems pretty straightforward. You see how the deal starts, and the motivations make sense: Mari wants more money and was already flirting with the idea of selling her companionship; a 'bet' over not falling for a girl seems like easy money. Meanwhile Aya is a rich predatory lesbian out to corrupt and seduce her for fun. (What's actually going on might be different, but that's where it starts.) And, going on, Aya's enjoying herself, while Mari wants the money... and is maybe also enjoying herself more than she wants to admit.

While with Classmate... we start in media res, though the start of the arrangement gets flashbacked in short order. But even with Miyagi's POV the motivations seem obscure. Like even to herself, it's just something she did on a whim. The girl getting paid doesn't actually need the money. And neither one seems to actually enjoy the interactions that much, unless both girls are overly competent at lying to themselves.

We do start getting glimpses, though. Miyagi seems to have real friends at school, though they don't come up much outside of it, but her home life is dead and lonely: mother 'gone', father working all the time. While Sendai does have a family life but doesn't like it, toxic parents who keep comparing her to her older sister. So despite having nothing in common (except a growing taste for ero manga), nothing to talk about, and annoying each other a lot, Sendai provides Miyagi with something like companionship and gets a safe-ish space to hang out in return.

It kind of makes sense. But the energy is very different from Arioto...

An interesting point regarding their friends: Miyagi's friend Maika remains a character as the story goes on, while Sendai makes new friends in college and her high school friends are pretty much never mentioned again.

I haven't really read anything of Arioto beyond what was adapted in the manga, but I think the only thing they really have in common is the power exchange dynamic they have going on. Even then though, those dynamics play out very differently. In Arioto, the exchange is mainly an excuse for Mari to explore homosexuality without feeling ashamed. In ShuuKura, the 5000yen makes their relationship transactional, which frees them from typical social inhibitions and gives them a space to be their authentic selves and cultivate a real connection with each other, something neither of them have really had before. Sure, Miyagi has Maika, but there's clearly boundaries in their friendship that don't exist with Sendai. Miyagi likes and trusts Maika, but you can tell she's never truly been emotionally vulnerable with her and doesn't want to be.

I'd also say Arioto is more interested in exploring things like queer identity and community, and learning to embrace that and overcome internalized homophobia. I have yet to see any character talk about their sexuality in ShuuKura, even internally to themselves, which I guess is pretty common for yuri. Most works seem to intentionally avoid putting LGBTQ identity labels on their characters. ShuuKura is exclusively focused on the relationship between Miyagi and Sendai and the personal hangups that prevent them from actualizing their relationship into something permanent and truly intimate.

Speaking of hangups from making their relationship defined, intimate and romantic in nature, I'm on ch 136 now and they don't seem anywhere near that point. Do they get there eventually or are they literally gonna bang without having a single honest conversation?

If they have a talk and start formally dating (or at least kissing and holding hands without it being a major event), about what chapter does that happen? How much longer do I need to hold out? Please help, they're killing me

last edited at Jun 23, 2024 4:31PM

Hey, is that Kiki in your profile picture?

Speaking of hangups from making their relationship defined, intimate and romantic in nature, I'm on ch 136 now and they don't seem anywhere near that point. Do they get there eventually or are they literally gonna bang without having a single honest conversation?

If they have a talk and start formally dating (or at least kissing and holding hands without it being a major event), about what chapter does that happen? How much longer do I need to hold out? Please help, they're killing me

I've read up to the paywall on Story Seedling's uploads and they're currently in a 'Roommates that Fuck' situation. They're essentially in a LTR and act like a married couple but because Miyagi cannot be normal about boundaries or intimacy ever it's moving at a snail's pace, although she has at least finally admitted they're more than roommates (not dating though! hahahahaahhh I hate it here). Sendai has worked out her own feelings and knows what she wants but she's terrified of communicating that directly because she knows it's going to freak out Miyagi and cause her to run away. So we're essentially just waiting around for Miyagi to get over herself and realize the obsession is mutual while Sendai tries to cope and find compromises.

I'm genuinely amazed the author has managed to drag it out this long. I did not think a Twilight-saga-length slow burn would be possible but here we are. They've fingerbanged at least 3-4 times and no one has said "I love you" yet lmao. The side characters are about to get a lot more involved though so I think that's going to help move things along.

Speaking of hangups from making their relationship defined, intimate and romantic in nature, I'm on ch 136 now and they don't seem anywhere near that point. Do they get there eventually or are they literally gonna bang without having a single honest conversation?

If they have a talk and start formally dating (or at least kissing and holding hands without it being a major event), about what chapter does that happen? How much longer do I need to hold out? Please help, they're killing me

A whole lot of things happen starting from the end of the highschool ark all the way up to the present. Without giving out too much detail... let's just say their bodies are far more honest than their mouths are. Another thing to take note is that, between the two girls, Sendai is the one who is more aware of what exactly is going on between them.

Speaking of hangups from making their relationship defined, intimate and romantic in nature, I'm on ch 136 now and they don't seem anywhere near that point. Do they get there eventually or are they literally gonna bang without having a single honest conversation?

If they have a talk and start formally dating (or at least kissing and holding hands without it being a major event), about what chapter does that happen? How much longer do I need to hold out? Please help, they're killing me

I've read up to the paywall on Story Seedling's uploads and they're currently in a 'Roommates that Fuck' situation. They're essentially in a LTR and act like a married couple but because Miyagi cannot be normal about boundaries or intimacy ever it's moving at a snail's pace, although she has at least finally admitted they're more than roommates (not dating though! hahahahaahhh I hate it here). Sendai has worked out her own feelings and knows what she wants but she's terrified of communicating that directly because she knows it's going to freak out Miyagi and cause her to run away. So we're essentially just waiting around for Miyagi to get over herself and realize the obsession is mutual while Sendai tries to cope and find compromises.

I'm genuinely amazed the author has managed to drag it out this long. I did not think a Twilight-saga-length slow burn would be possible but here we are. They've fingerbanged at least 3-4 times and no one has said "I love you" yet lmao. The side characters are about to get a lot more involved though so I think that's going to help move things along.

Then you'll love the most recent developments over at Kakuyomu. Not a fan of Story Seedling's TLs so I read it directly from the source.
Miyagi might not have fully understood or acknowledged what her feelings are yet but I'd be damned if she ever goes back and says that she doesn't think Sendai ever feels lonely during those days. Our stray cat is finally recongnizing that she has a warm home to stay in and an even warmer extra bed in the house to sleep on.

This is sounding like A Room For Two but more explicit sex and less emotional warmth.

last edited at Jun 24, 2024 1:43AM

Gotcha. So basically nothing like A Room for Two.

Well if we're going with silly comparisons, it's pretty much Attack On Titan but with no titans, fighting, or genocide.

Hey, is that Kiki in your profile picture?

It is! Loved her character and snow white with red hair in general!

Thanks everyone for the answers! I think it's gonna be one of those things I set aside for my sanity right now and when it's done or when I can have hope I'll pick it up and binge again.

My girlfriend laughs at me for reading so many slow burns when I don't actually have the patience for them haha.

last edited at Jun 25, 2024 8:59AM

Gotcha. So basically nothing like A Room for Two.

Well if we're going with silly comparisons, it's pretty much Attack On Titan but with no titans, fighting, or genocide.

There's the "roommates with an unusual relationship they don't talk about" commonality with Room For Two.

Here is my piece about it. Not comparing it to Arioto though. I don't think the comparaison is that interesting, but I do enjoy talking about the novel though.

I started reading the light novel when volume 1 was released in Japan, like a year and half ago and I was really into it (I even talked about it in a thread a year ago). Then, when I finally catched up with the web novel, I really started to lose interest in it. Still do read the weekly release though.

I don't mind the slow burn but here I feel like it's dragged out to the point of stupidity. The relationship is also a bit too unbalanced for my taste, and I started to pity Sendai a while ago, as she has to bottle up her feelings constantly. Miyagi is only conceding the smallest amount of thing just to keep their relationship afloat, to the point where it's becoming ridiculous. Is it kind of toxic in a way. When she finally admitted that they weren't just roommate, it was just to have the stupidest advancement in a relationship ever...

The thing is I understand that she has to come out of her shell and process/address her abandonnement issues. But they never talk about it, and it doesn't even seem the author is planning on having Miyagi process that one way or another. Not really surprising knowing how therapy is almost non existent in Japan, but it's really frustrating. I wish they were also communicating on a deeper level. Most of their interactions are very limited, it's a lot of guessing and stuff not being said, but it's part of the issue Miyagi is having. But after years of knowing each other, I'd wish to see more advancement on that part.

The sexy scenes are well written and I do enjoy (re)reading them, but are so spaced in time that is looks like they aren't at all on the same libido level at all. Not that I want to have more sexy scenes written up, I just would like to see them on the same level. Sendai is always waiting for Miyagi to catch up. She honestly deserves for Miyagi to better herself.

I'm complaining a lot, but I used to be really into it. My reading speed in Japanese is pretty slow and it took me about 7/8 months to catch up on the WN and I felt like my life was really rhythmed by those two characters, it was really enjoyable. I started to lose interest after seeing very little progress, which become even more apparent when I catched up with the WB and started reading the weekly release.

While before I really enjoyed seeing the character evolving and understanding their motivation and each other, now I feel like I'm seeing the author writing the character more than I can feel the characters being real (at least, since around chapter 200). I see them dragging the narrative more than necessary. The reason I feel that way, is because at the beginning, maybe up to around chapter 200, their progression was organic and felt natural. Not it feels like it's being slow down just to drag the slow burn.

I know that with the last chapters we are waiting for Miyagi to do something soon, but depending on what/how it happens, I'll probably stop reading the WN for a while. Maybe reading multiple chapters at the same time will help to feel a better sense of progression.

Wow, I'm so glad to see so many people talking about and taking interest in ShuuKura. Literally made an account just to post in this thread, since I'm usually just posting comments on MangaDex.

I agree with a lot of the posts here. It's definitely a frustrating read based on how much of a slow burn it can be, but I think it isn't so bad until the later chapters (mid-200s) where things just seem to stagnate completely and sometimes it seems like the author is more interested in writing little vignettes than progressing the story. Reading week to week is just difficult given how little happens in each chapter. I think we're picking up in terms of pacing now with the second date at the aquarium kind of showing us to what level their relationship has progressed at this point, and with the side characters seeming to get an idea of what is going on.

I think comparisons to AdaShima make more sense than comparisons to AriOto. While, on the surface, the relationship seems to be Pay For Gay, it really isn't in the same way that AriOto explicitly was, and the pay goes away as we start ramping up the gay. The pacing is definitely AdaShima-esque. I actually stopped reading the AdaShima light novels after volume 4 because I just had a hard time with the dense prose and the fact that pretty much nothing actually happens. I'd really like to go back to it at some point but damn does it hurt my brain. I'm a little into vol 2 of AriOto and meaning to read it more.

All in all, ShuuKura is probably my favorite yuri story right now. And that's saying something because 95% of what I read is yuri/GL. There may be a point in which I have to step back from reading the weekly releases and wait a while for more chapters to drop to pick it back up, but I think for now I'm in for the weekly ride. I'm really hoping the manga pulls more readers in. I'm also hoping in vain for more multimedia and an official English LN, although I know that probably won't happen. I hate that we can't seem to get any yuri LN with sexual content licensed for English release, but I guess the industry still sees otaku media as geared toward young audiences. How unfortunate.

Also, I find the point about pitying Sendai in the previous post interesting. Honestly, I go through times of frustration with both characters as I read. At this point, though, I think I pity Miyagi far more than Sendai. Sendai has been much too scared about actually defining what she wants their relationship to be to Miyagi, leaving things all on Miyagi, who doesn't know and/or is in denial about how serious she wants the relationship to be. (And even if she did know, she has her self-esteem and abandonment issues to reckon with.) Sendai justifies being cowardly by making assumptions about how Miyagi is going to react, which is just kind of shitty (and maybe even a little manipulative) in my opinion. It warms my heart to see Miyagi building some self-confidence in the most recent chapters, and I think we might be in for something big from Miyagi when she buys the necklace for Sendai. Maybe even a confession? A girl can only dream.

last edited at Jul 2, 2024 7:12PM

any yuri LN with sexual content licensed for English release,

MagiRevo and WataOshi have sex, though I forget if it's as sensual as the early shenanigans of ShuuKara.

As for the story, I'm holding out for the human translator to resume work, I hope they do.

any yuri LN with sexual content licensed for English release,

MagiRevo and WataOshi have sex, though I forget if it's as sensual as the early shenanigans of ShuuKara.

Neither have detailed sex scenes like Shuukura. It's implied and/or fade to black.
Shuukura on the other hand does get detailed but I don't think that's the reason it hasn't been licensed. Look no further than Otherside Picnic and the trippy, steamy sex they have in volume 8. Although I did see a couple of comments in JNovel's forum asking if that upcoming part could be published as is. Though it could've been tongue in cheek.

I think we might be in for something big from Miyagi when she buys the necklace for Sendai. Maybe even a confession? A girl can only dream

Well it's said you should dream big and that's definitely dreaming big! I'll eat my shoe if we get a confession along with the necklace. My bet is on a conversation where they firmly nail down how they are exclusive to each other(no lovers label for them unfortunately) and possibly another steamy scene.

All in all, ShuuKura is probably my favorite yuri story right now. And that's saying something because 95% of what I read is yuri/GL.

I've never met anyone that was only reading yuri (I would guess there are other readers like that here though). It's also the case for me, and it's also the reason I got a decent level of Japanese. It was the only thing that motivated enough to get myself to learn how to read. There are other stuff I'd like to read, but there are so many yuri novel/manga I haven't read yet that I don't feel like starting anything not yuri related.

Also, I find the point about pitying Sendai in the previous post interesting. Honestly, I go through times of frustration with both characters as I read. At this point, though, I think I pity Miyagi far more than Sendai. Sendai has been much too scared about actually defining what she wants their relationship to be to Miyagi, leaving things all on Miyagi, who doesn't know and/or is in denial about how serious she wants the relationship to be. (And even if she did know, she has her self-esteem and abandonment issues to reckon with.) Sendai justifies being cowardly by making assumptions about how Miyagi is going to react, which is just kind of shitty (and maybe even a little manipulative) in my opinion.

That's a a valid point, I never thought of this this way. I guess because Sendai have been more active in the relationship, I was mostly seeing her side, but she does act a bit cowardly in that regard indeed. But it is understandable to an extend.

I would prefer to see Sendai confess though. I think it will be the final blow that makes Miyagi realize her own feeling. I wish she would come to term on her own, but I really think she needs the extra push, and a confession from Sendai could be that (after running away for a few days though, it's Miyagi after all). Maybe the present will make Sendai emotional enough so she will confess out of the blue!

Something I do regret is that they are not talking more honestly with their friends, though. The extra characters, while not being uninteresting, are just there as device plot and doesn't feel real enough to me compare to the main characters. I understand it's not the focus of the story, but that would be nice to have a little extra on that side.

Btw, I wonder how many people noticed that all family names in shuukura are region, prefecture or city of Japan. Miyagi is a prefecture, which capital is Sendai. Utsunomiya is a city. Noto is a region (Noto peninsula, where the big earthquake happened this year …). We don't know the family name of Mio though (or I don't remember), but I bet it will be the same.

last edited at Jul 3, 2024 8:48AM

Something I do regret is that they are not talking more honestly with their friends, though. The extra characters, while not being uninteresting, are just there as device plot and doesn't feel real enough to me compare to the main characters. I understand it's not the focus of the story, but that would be nice to have a little extra on that side.

I've basically given up on the side characters having any meaningful presence in the story. There's been several times in the latest WN chapter discussion where I or someone else have left a comment along the lines of "oh she totally knows about them and will help progress the relationship", only for nothing to happen with that side character.

It's a minor gripe though. I'm currently letting a few chapters build up so I can read through where Miyagi gets Sendai the necklace all in one go.

Very good points! I do think my comment about getting spicier LNs published in English was a bit off base. I think it more likely just puts the series in a bit of a corner, making it more niche. I'm pretty sure we have gotten some yuri/GL official manga releases with sex scenes, but I'm pretty sure no official LNs.

I think the relationships with the side characters really just show even more how secretive Miyagi and Sendai both are. I think that opening up to their friends will be a big part of them finally coming out of their shells, but I doubt that will happen prior to any relationship progress unless they are confronted in a way that makes them give it up.

It's still up in the air for me who will confess, but I'm actually leaning toward Miyagi with the way things are going now. Or we might see a kind of scene where Miyagi confronts Sendai with the question, straight up asking "Do you want us to be lovers?" and then Sendai will have to answer honestly. I could definitely see a scene where Miyagi asks this, and Sendai returns the question with a "What do you want, Miyagi?" and that causing a big fight.

I just don't see the current Sendai being the one to confess. Even if she did, I don't think Miyagi would run away. I know she did that in the past, but there was a lot of story emphasis on her growing past that and not running away when facing uncomfortable situations afterward. I think that was a big part of her character development.

Also, I did not notice that all the character names are region, prefecture or cities in Japan, and I love that I now know this. Thanks!

I'm pretty sure we have gotten some yuri/GL official manga releases with sex scenes, but I'm pretty sure no official LNs.

Which seems weird because it's usually easier to get away with things in print. AIUI, US YA (young adult) novels have included fairly explicit stuff for a while, while a sex comic with teens feels like it would call down the Moral Police.

I'm pretty sure we have gotten some yuri/GL official manga releases with sex scenes, but I'm pretty sure no official LNs.

Which seems weird because it's usually easier to get away with things in print. AIUI, US YA (young adult) novels have included fairly explicit stuff for a while, while a sex comic with teens feels like it would call down the Moral Police.

Yeah, my point was that explicit sex scenes are just another barrier to publication. When light novels are probably not super popular to begin with, publishing one overseas that is so niche and also has explicit content is probably a tall hurdle. In terms of LNs with a similar theme, modern-day yuri romance with no other reader-catching themes like adventure/fantasy/isekai, I can only think of three that we've gotten official English LN releases. Those would be AdaShima, the Bloom Into You novels, and Watanare. And you could even argue that AdaShima doesn't fit because it has some fantasy elements if you want to be pedantic. (I've only read four volumes so I'm just guessing that there's no explanation for the alien girl later on.) Bloom Into You and AdaShima both have big name recognition from their anime/manga. I don't know about Watanare. It would be really cool if the manga adaptation of ShuuKura blows up somewhat and we get some demand for an official English release.

If any publishers are reading this, I'll buy five copies! Promise!

Man, I already knew that Arioto made faster progress than ShuuKara, but I'm on the 4th Arioto novel now and man, it's still so true.

ShuuKara: apparently (spoiler glimpses) in college? or beyond? and still not talking about things

Arioto: nearly engaged to be married 6 months in. Also, total sex addicts.

OTOH it feels that both works swap the initial "paid companionship" premise for a BDSM premise, though this is still a work in apparent progress for the ShuuKara I've read (chapter 62 or so), while Arioto is definitely 50% BDSM erotica after novel volume 1.

last edited at Jul 8, 2024 11:33PM