At the very least she didn't try to twist it like the guy was a piece of shit or the girl was like this supreme better option. She went into a worse relationship. Something unstable. Something that could easily snap.

I don't like the story written here but it's partially because it's also painfully realistic in many regards. Someone choosing essentially an emotionally abusive relationship over something stable and healthy because they can't see it for what it is. Heartbreaking.

I think this is the only way this manga makes sense, but I think it's poorly executed because we really don't see much of Hana's thoughts or internal monologue.. I mean all we know from the outside is that Hana is unstable and MC is obsessed with her and there's no way the idea of Hana in Hikaru's mind is going to mesh with reality.

At the very least she didn't try to twist it like the guy was a piece of shit or the girl was like this supreme better option. She went into a worse relationship. Something unstable. Something that could easily snap.

I don't like the story written here but it's partially because it's also painfully realistic in many regards. Someone choosing essentially an emotionally abusive relationship over something stable and healthy because they can't see it for what it is. Heartbreaking.

Your 2 sentences contradict each other out.
Hikaru chose the worse relationship while seeing it clearly for what it is, unstable and could easily snap, just like you said, just like what Hikaru admitted, this is what it's like to "follow your heart".

Not trying to advocate for abusive relationships in a way, I guess this is just a painfully raw sentiment the author wants to tell. What a life, huh!

I didnt. She followed her heart thinking in some small way she could fix Hana by being there. She does know it could end but she still blindly thinks she can keep it from happening just by being there. She's severely in denial in many regards. Those who are abused know it's likely going to happen again but it doesn't contradict her blinding herself from the truth that she can never actually fix Hana and be what she needs. Hikaru is ultimately going to end up alone and doesn't see what it's going to cause for her, becuase who in their right mind would ever give her a second chance. No one deserves what she's going through but she's going to be miserable while everyone else can move on and still be happy.

Damn, ain't that too far off?

How can you be so sure tho? It's Hana we are talking about, you and I barely know anything about her except her weird ass personality and the fact that she finds Hikaru different than anyone else in her life.

Even if Hana eventually does that and dumps Hikaru, it's not the end of the world lmao?
Realistically, it's simply just 2 failed relationships lol.

Furthermore, it's Hikaru, objectively, her dating pool is unlimited.
Even if no one else finds her attractive, what makes you think Hikaru would desperately crawl back to beg for a "second chance"? She's like the most free-spirited person ever, she dumps everything to start a new life without any hesitation, she finds joy in DOG POOPS lol. You make it seem like Hikaru has to either date Hana/Harutaka or die, damn.

I think this story is basically about that sentiment when someone chooses a trash person over a good person because it wants to portray how raw and cruel "follow your heart" can be SOMETIMES.

The story does not seem to want to criticize that sentiment and set up some "miserable all alone" consequences, considering the way it builds Hikaru's character as someone who is decisive, aware of her guilt, grateful, makes peace with her "lost", and would embrace the outcome.
The story does not seem to advocate for such sentiment, considering how much it makes the readers feel bad for Harutaka.
The story seems to just want to portray that sentiment, like those classic story depiction oil paintings.

I can be wrong, but till now, I think this is what the story gives off more.

At the very least she didn't try to twist it like the guy was a piece of shit or the girl was like this supreme better option. She went into a worse relationship. Something unstable. Something that could easily snap.

I don't like the story written here but it's partially because it's also painfully realistic in many regards. Someone choosing essentially an emotionally abusive relationship over something stable and healthy because they can't see it for what it is. Heartbreaking.

Your 2 sentences contradict each other out.
Hikaru chose the worse relationship while seeing it clearly for what it is, unstable and could easily snap, just like you said, just like what Hikaru admitted, this is what it's like to "follow your heart".

Not trying to advocate for abusive relationships in a way, I guess this is just a painfully raw sentiment the author wants to tell. What a life, huh!

I didnt. She followed her heart thinking in some small way she could fix Hana by being there. She does know it could end but she still blindly thinks she can keep it from happening just by being there. She's severely in denial in many regards. Those who are abused know it's likely going to happen again but it doesn't contradict her blinding herself from the truth that she can never actually fix Hana and be what she needs. Hikaru is ultimately going to end up alone and doesn't see what it's going to cause for her, becuase who in their right mind would ever give her a second chance. No one deserves what she's going through but she's going to be miserable while everyone else can move on and still be happy.

Damn, ain't that too far off?

How can you be so sure tho? It's Hana we are talking about, you and I barely know anything about her except her weird ass personality and the fact that she finds Hikaru different than anyone else in her life.

Even if Hana eventually does that and dumps Hikaru, it's not the end of the world lmao?
Realistically, it's simply just 2 failed relationships lol.

Furthermore, it's Hikaru, objectively, her dating pool is unlimited.
Even if no one else finds her attractive, what makes you think Hikaru would desperately crawl back to beg for a "second chance"? She's like the most free-spirited person ever, she dumps everything to start a new life without any hesitation, she finds joy in DOG POOPS lol. You make it seem like Hikaru has to either date Hana/Harutaka or die, damn.

I think this story is basically about that sentiment when someone chooses a trash person over a good person because it wants to portray how raw and cruel "follow your heart" can be SOMETIMES.

The story does not seem to want to criticize that sentiment and set up some "miserable all alone" consequences, considering the way it builds Hikaru's character as someone who is decisive, aware of her guilt, grateful, makes peace with her "lost", and would embrace the outcome.
The story does not seem to advocate for such sentiment, considering how much it makes the readers feel bad for Harutaka.
The story seems to just want to portray that sentiment, like those classic story depiction oil paintings.

I can be wrong, but till now, I think this is what the story gives off more.

Hikaru could still be happy if she lost Hana but the way it leaves things now feels very much like she'd be lost in life, lingering for a love that will likely never be truly reciprocated. So if she lost Hana, yeah she'd be miserable. And maybe able to move on, maybe not, she'd certainly never get Haruraka back and frankly he's too good for her. but the way they paint it to me reads very much like she would likely be depressed about this for a long time if not the rest of her life, maybe unable to find true happiness. The story lets you fill in the blank and make assumptions based on what you have read and this is how it reads to me. You don't have to agree but you could go without being snarky about it. They left it up to interpretation.

^^ Not quoting all that but yeah I think it's pretty obvious that if the person you were obsessed with since childhood, held onto that obsession through your marriage and then left that marriage in a pretty brutal way to persue then ended up getting dumped by that person you'd be pretty miserable. That's life destroying levels of emotional damage.

last edited at Mar 22, 2026 11:45AM

This is the first yuri manga I've read that focused on a sympathetic male protagonist while the yuri happened in a side plot.

last edited at Apr 1, 2026 4:19PM

That extra with the dogs was better than the entire main story.

This is the first yuri manga I've read that focused on a sympathetic male protagonist while the yuri happened in a side plot.

If it had been more obvious in the early chapters that Harutaka was the main character, I think it would have been more coherent as a story. Push the romance even more out of frame, and make Hana even more of a cipher, and let the whole manga be about Harutaka learning to let go so that his wife can pursue her own happiness.

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/after_the_rain_the_sun_the_flower_shines_ch10_5#12

"When you're deeply in love, things like your own happiness and misfortune wind up not mattering so much anymore".

Welp. That was the message, I guess.

The only decent characters in this whole manga is those two doggies

“Sticking until the end”? It’s already finished. I honestly thought it would go on for at least two more chapters. Anyway, this series was definitely a different take on what we usually see in yuri. It had its own charm, though at times it frustrated me because the main characters could be very irrational. But as Ohsawa Yayoi said in the afterword: “When you’re deeply in love, things like your happiness and misfortune don’t seem to matter as much anymore.”...
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/after_the_rain_the_sun_the_flower_shines_ch10_5#12

last edited at Apr 1, 2026 7:15PM

This is the first yuri manga I've read that focused on a sympathetic male protagonist while the yuri happened in a side plot.

I really like Hikaru and Hana relationship as their own, twisted, sick, and ridiculous, and their relationship delivers the message Ohsawa wants to say pretty neatly.

But if I look at the story as a whole, yeah, can't help but feel pretty weird and uneasy.
On the bright side, this brings a new aspect to the yuri manga industry.
On the honest side, I really don't want a sympathetic male protagonist as the center of a yuri story. Should have at least a few more chapters to bring the focus back to the girls, not to whitewash their twisted relationship, but to... man I don't really know.

i think we need chis sweet home but with saoshika

I also think the idea that people hate Harutaka is unfounded. If someone genuinely feels ire when he's on the page that's more likely them hating themselves LOLLLL

But yes, a 40 year old man hanging around a college grad is weird. Childhood acquaintances with a 6? year age gap reconnecting is also weird but it's less alarm bells (although slightly more opportunity for abuse). I also don't think ANYONE thinks a 6 year age gap when they're both at least late 20s is a big deal.

Finally, I do get the sentiment the manga is portraying, but it simply doesn't work out with the structure of the storytelling or genre. The grounding is to a concept, not to any characters, so it would have worked better as a vignette anthology or something.

last edited at Apr 2, 2026 12:21AM

Just checking if I got it right, he is moving forward but burned the divorce petition to wait for her if she comes back? Because of the I'm off/Goodbye thing?

Just checking if I got it right, he is moving forward but burned the divorce petition to wait for her if she comes back? Because of the I'm off/Goodbye thing?

bro has a habit of picking up strays and wants to be a place Hikaru can return to if she gets burned by Hana.

Why the hell does the last bonus chapter / epilouge have nothing to do with the main couple, and instead focuses on letting us know the side straight couple got together?

Did the author really think that was the big question left after the finale?

You know, it occurs to me that the title of this is pretty misleading. I haven't actually read the last few chapters because the tenor of the conversation here kind of warned me off. But what I'm saying is, the title would imply that first you get the Sturm und Drang, and then afterwards it gets happy. But as far as I can tell that, like, doesn't happen at all.

I'm a sucker for dangerous women and if you do not understand that, then you wouldn't understand the main character. The way she is chaotic yet still lingers is to make the reader feel unease, just like how the main character felt yet was drawn to her. I think the pacing after that panel where Hana shows her vulnerability was perfect because there is no need for a dramatic reaction, the decision is already made. When Hana shows her weakness, it was a moment where Hikaru decided to be there for Hana, be the only one there and that was her choice.

The annoyance was the last pages where things were both open ended by the husband and concluded by Hikaru. Yes, while both Hana and the husband were very flawed characters, I had an ick feeling more towards the husband who was overly acting like a nice guy while refusing to let go of Hikaru.

last edited at Apr 3, 2026 1:10AM

JavelinR posted:

Why the hell does the last bonus chapter / epilouge have nothing to do with the main couple, and instead focuses on letting us know the side straight couple got together?

Did the author really think that was the big question left after the finale?

Well I wanted more saoshika content

this is the weirdest yuri manga i've ever read, but i weirdly liked it. i didn't really feel bad for her husband cause he was too old and he can just find some other woman tbh. and yes Hana is a lil unstable but i still think they'll work out somehow, they're both obsessed with each other anyways

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/after_the_rain_the_sun_the_flower_shines_ch10_5#12

"When you're deeply in love, things like your own happiness and misfortune wind up not mattering so much anymore".

Welp. That was the message, I guess.

That's so funny, oh my god. I can't believe it.

I don't believe that Hikaru and Hana end up as actual lovers in the end. Hikaru seems to view Hana more as a child than the goddess she has been idolizing without truly knowing her.

The guy burned the papers because he might realize that Hana may not love Hikaru as much as she does, or that she might come back. When he looks at the letter, he sees that Hikaru erases “I’m off” first instead of “goodbye.” This might be a translation issue, but the letter also doesn’t really indicate that Hana is leaving for good. She says, "I don’t think I’ll be back," and she looks back at the sea where the ring is. It seems she is okay with leaving because she doesn’t want to be one of the people who abandon Hana after discovering that the person she has been stalking isn’t what she is. I mention "stalking " because I’m pretty sure Hana didn’t make the first move to seek out Hikaru.

As for Hana, I think she is supposed to be misinterpreted by everyone. People believe she is this manipulator/toxic GF, but honestly, she is just a kid who has no idea what she is doing or saying. Hikaru, after living with her; describes her as a child even. It looks like she can barely take care of herself.