This chapter is a really good depiction of new years. Never seen the vibe captured quite like this before.

Poor Shou is going to disintegrate the first time Umi brings her home to a family event.

Poor Shou is going to disintegrate the first time Umi brings her home to a family event.

Social/sensory overload? Yeah.

Plus, big small-town family like that, with some really old members, I wonder how much homophobia would be uncovered. Not sure if the author plans to go there or not, beyond an early "gross!" from Ibu.

Yeah. I was feeling this last chapter, but I think I've fallen out of love with this manga. Oh well, it happens.

I was having a not-great day--nothing serious, just kind of jangly.

Reading this was really nice.

I haven't missed the reveal of what happened to her mother, did I? Except that she's a mermaid of course, although now I feel like it's more likely she drowned or something :P

I was having a not-great day--nothing serious, just kind of jangly.

Reading this was really nice.

I feel you!

Poor Shou is going to disintegrate the first time Umi brings her home to a family event.

Social/sensory overload? Yeah.

Plus, big small-town family like that, with some really old members, I wonder how much homophobia would be uncovered. Not sure if the author plans to go there or not, beyond an early "gross!" from Ibu.

Yeah, I’m really curious how that first official meeting will go. Her brother knows, from when Shou came for the festival, but from what we can gather he hasn’t told anyone (which, good on him, great little brother).

But given Shou’s current family situation, as overwhelming as it might be to suddenly have that much chaos around her, if Umi’s family is welcoming I can see Shou really enjoying herself.

this artist is crazy good at setting atmosphere. i got stressed out just reading about umi's family gathering lmao, you could feel the overwhelm! that contrasted against shou's "empty" evening alone is neat. i love this manga so much, it's such a treat to read. thanks as always to knight heron!

also... not to revive an ended argument (i'm just sharing my perspective), but when you grow up autistic etc, there are a lot of things that just don't click for you until years later. like, oh, that's what they meant! that's why that happened! like the distance and experience ties up the logical loose-ends. it's not about blame or "who's wrong" so much as what's healthier for shou right now. what's going to help her grow as a person? it's like a kind of closure. yeah, these people hurt you for reasons beyond your control, and that sucks. but you're a little older now, a little wiser, and you can handle things better than you could as a helpless child, so you take the bad parts and learn what you can from them. it's not redeeming or validating the bullies -- if anything, it's making them even more irrelevant in her life and future.

This chapter is a really good depiction of new years. Never seen the vibe captured quite like this before.

Yep, was super relatable. I could almost hear it while reading.

This chapter was pure, 100% distilled art.

I haven't missed the reveal of what happened to her mother, did I? Except that she's a mermaid of course, although now I feel like it's more likely she drowned or something :P

I don't recall a specific reveal, no. Missing narratively, but we don't know if divorced, disappeared, or known dead.

Chapter 4 brings it up. Baby Shou asks why she doesn't have a mom, dad says she was born from his butt. Later he says "she's a mermaid, that's why we can't live together. Right after you were born, she returned to the ocean."

So my best guess would be "died in/right after childbirth", but there's room for other stuff. I also wonder about Shou's grandparents...

last edited at Oct 6, 2025 8:30PM

also... not to revive an ended argument (i'm just sharing my perspective), but when you grow up autistic etc, there are a lot of things that just don't click for you until years later. like, oh, that's what they meant! that's why that happened! like the distance and experience ties up the logical loose-ends. it's not about blame or "who's wrong" so much as what's healthier for shou right now. what's going to help her grow as a person? it's like a kind of closure. yeah, these people hurt you for reasons beyond your control, and that sucks. but you're a little older now, a little wiser, and you can handle things better than you could as a helpless child, so you take the bad parts and learn what you can from them. it's not redeeming or validating the bullies -- if anything, it's making them even more irrelevant in her life and future.

Well to me, that equates to essentially victim blaming, and the equating of character growth with becoming more conventional and sociable is something I personally don't like at all. Though, it isn't really my only reason for falling out of love with the series. Just the general vibe doesn't do it for me anymore. Personal tastes or changes or whatever. Its not a big deal.