^Ya didn't have to quote the pictures too.

^
I don't buy into that whole "Sakurako is masochistic" thing.

Let's just say that she is definitely not an S.

All of Sakurako's "fetishes" are just facettes of masochism. Something you may very well need to handle a relationship with Kasumi.

The main problem here is not the manga's structure, but people not getting said structure. If you go in with the assumption it will follow the "main pair" as the central driving plot you just misunderstand the point. Shiramine and Kurosawa are the framing device that holds the narrative together, but ultimately it is a story that follows relationships at the academy.

My problem with the manga's structure is that the manga's structure is like this:

(https://theawesomer.com/photos/2018/11/2001_discovery_replica_1.jpg)

It's understandable for something appearing in monthly installments to be shaped like that but it's not very satisfying when you look at the whole thing.

If you expect your story to be a functional spaceship then I certainly agree with you.

^Not really a joke in this case, but rather an indication of Kazuki's previous relationships where her girlfriends were treating her like a guy. Mizuki initially expected Hime to be like that as well, while Hime's reaction showed her that she did indeed see Kazuki as a girl like herself, leading to Mizuki's later approving comment to Kazuki.

Fair enough. I thought she reacted that way because she saw how invested Hime was, but you are right, that makes more sense.

As usual I think "top/bottom" dynamics are more of a joke. Real couples take turns and tend to switch it up (or do it at the same time). Hime's completely normal.

I have never, and will never top (unless my girlfriend is begging me to do it, in which case I would consider it). I also know people who would never let others top them (one said that the idea of being topped makes her as uncomfortable as the idea of having sex with a man).
While many people switch things up, others don't. It's not just "real couples do this, fictional couples do that"

We all have our little idiosyncrasies like that. Whatever makes you happy. I am just saying "tops" and "bottoms" are not neven needed. It's also a bit cold for one of the partners not to get off physically (even if its satisfying emotionally) imo.

I knew that ridiculous amount of detail in the artstyle could not be maintained. So instead the artist went for the stylish Jojo color scheme route!

H-her heart stopped just from the word "love", huh?

Seriously, it says who the artist is right next to the chapter title.

I am not sure that this girl chose the best stratagem to get her way. Constanlty talking to the one you hate to separate them doesn't really get you closer to the one you love. I get the playful asymmetry though.

Yes of course! Looking things up on the web is way scarier than asking your girlfriends sister directly. snorts

As usual I think "top/bottom" dynamics are more of a joke. Real couples take turns and tend to switch it up (or do it at the same time). Hime's completely normal.

I don't know what more you need for them to be a couple aside from verbal confirmation. Which as we just established, is pretty much not needed.

I agree though that they probably didn't have sex yet. That just doesn't seem to fit with their interactions and would be kind of a bigger deal.

I don't think it can really be argued that they aren't a couple or that their love is not mutual at this point especially after Kasumi's outright confession in these latest chapters. It wasn't really ambiguous before this but it's been spelled out now for any doubters.

Over the course of the series Kasumi has shut Sakurako down every single time she tries to take things past first base, often quit brutally. One of the big firsts a lot of people overlooked in this chapter was when Sakurako was drunk, Kasumi was way less firm about shutting her down than usual. Although she did outright stop her, she actually implied it might be ok if they were indoors in private rather than outside.

Moments like that are actually a pretty big development and we have been seeing more of them recently. Another big one was the chapter at the movie theater where Kasumi actually reached for and held Sakurako's hand without any prompting from her.

Well @themusicman500 just did question that they are in a romantic relationship. So I guess some can.

You know, people keep saying that, but where is an actual example of that? I don't remember Kasumi ever shutting down an attempt of Sakurako to take it further... because Saku never tries to take it further. The only times she did that was when Saku was drunk. I can't think of any other moments. Kasumi is brutal when Saku acts creepy or worships idols of her Kasumi religion, but that's it.

last edited at Mar 22, 2019 6:37AM

They definitely both like each other. However I don't think it's accurate, literally or figuratively, to say they're ALREADY in a romantic relationship, not yet anyway. They still have another step or two left to go, and since two couples have already gone official thus far, it's fairly safe to say they'll get there. What I don't buy is that Kasumi secretly thought they were going out the whole time, or that they're making out and having sex off-panel.

They:
-Love each other (confirmed by both now)
-Live together
-Support each other in all matters of life
-Casually kiss
-Go on dates
-Sleep in the same bed and cuddle (Saku even gives Kasumi hickeys)
-Their relatiopnship is acknolwedged by both families
-Decide to live together for the rest of their lives

I don't know what more you need for them to be a couple aside from verbal confirmation. Which as we just established, is pretty much not needed.

I agree though that they probably didn't have sex yet. That just doesn't seem to fit with their interactions and would be kind of a bigger deal.

last edited at Mar 22, 2019 4:06AM

I just can't enjoy relationship where one shows 90% of the love and the other seems bothered by it most of the times...

Tohru is certainly overcompensating, but the entire deal is that Kobayashi is not an overly social and outgoing person. She shows her appreciation in her own way. If you read the festival chapters you just know how Kobayashi really feels.

Anne & Grea contenders for best couple 2019?

I support this couple until the end of my days!

Someone posted a meme yesterday comparing Manaria with Maid dragon and I said "Kobayashi can go F itself" because Manaria has more yuri in 10 minutes than whatever Kobayashi and Tooru can do in 2 seasons and the whole friking manga... That anime was only saved by Kanna and Aikawa.

PS: Fuck SNK
PS2: sorry if I sound a little mad... The reason is, I'm mad.

How conflicting. I am glad to see someone else who adores Anne & Grea as much as I do, but at the same time I really like Dragon Maid and especially Tohru and Kobayashi too... I think especially in the manga they also share a unspoken relationship (well Tohru speaks it a lot actually) that is quite nice, because they really are like a family. Looking forward to season 2.

Well SNK has quite a few issues, especially in the recent arc. But at least it doesn't conform to anything lol

last edited at Mar 21, 2019 4:15PM

Good god man, please stop doing this to every thread BugDevil.

Ouch. It only happens to every three posts I make, I swear.

[...]and then I realize these two have been married since they met.

Pretty much. The slow and gradual growth of their relationship means that it's pointless to look for a specific moment where it crossed the line from friends to lovers. The only one moment you can find that made a difference in their relationship really was the moment they met.

I completely agree with your point, but I want to point out two more moments that seemed to (even if subtly) change their relationship.

Because of what happened in here:
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_room_for_two_ch29#3
Sakurako seemed to have have realized that she didn't have to hold back anymore.
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_room_for_two_ch32#9
Sakurako's confession here is the point where she started to more or less take their relationship as a given and acted it too.
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_room_for_two_ch32#13
And in the same chapter Kasumi (most likely) realized that they were already a couple for a while. Ever since that moment she has been much more proactive in their relationship (like supporting them with her jobs and seriously thinking what to do later and agreeing to live together). And things like this started to happen:
https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_room_for_two_ch34#4

So uh... yeah. I feel like chapter 32 was the second turning point.

last edited at Mar 21, 2019 3:20PM

Could people who haven't ever been in a poly relationship please stop talking about it as if it's set in stone that it can never work and trying it is stupid?
This idea is honestly really toxic and leads to people in those relationships just assuming from the start that it won't work which is not the case.

Do you know why you only see instances of Poly that don't work out in the open? Because that's the kind that gets the most drama and thus is more juicy to show.
This constant "oh it won't work out" or harassment from others on why the relationship is a mistake is so bullshit, I lost one of my two girlfriends to this garbage.

I've never fired a gun, yet I know what recoil is.

I didn't say it can't work. In fact I just gave the examples of how it does. It's just very unlikely and requires much more effort than normal one-way relationships.

last edited at Mar 21, 2019 3:31PM

Reading it again, yeah, Sakurako really does get more and more masochist tendency jokes recently. As we know every joke contains a grain of truth. I don't think the face sitting thing was about eating Kasumi out, but just another M joke too.

I really like this manga,I love the yuri side pairings, Saku clearly loves Kasumi..I still dont think it's mutual though...she just saying I love you cos she's asked to,but she's so lazy she just goes with it, that's what I think, she found someone that's comfortable to live with and appreciates her and that's it, which is also fine, but that's just my opinion of course.

I think that's a really unflattering opinion you have of Kasumi there. It's pretty easy to tell when she just humors or ignores Sakurako and when she actually means something. The constant verbal reminders are just lip service of course, but when she said that she didn't need to put it into words... why would she even say that? Do you really think she is manipulating Sakurako like that? That's too low. Their actions are far too honest anyway. We have seen when Kasumi rejects something and she is always direct about it.

Are they a couple or not!?
Whats next? Casual hand holding?

Ya know, they've been hand-holding far more than they kissed. They really got the order mixed up, huh?

last edited at Mar 21, 2019 12:53PM

Awawawawawa -short-circuits-
[Reboot]

Oh wow. Actual straight up confirmation. Right from the horses mouth. Quaint.

SAKURAKO initiated a KISS?

I am not hysterical, you are!

PS: I originally wanted to comment on the kimonos, but that sutff blew me away. Kasumi is wearing cherryblossom and pink (Sakurako) and Sakurako is wearing light blue (mist/Kasumi). To put it like a terrible fanfiction author: "They were stained in each other's colors."

last edited at Mar 21, 2019 7:34AM

Also, Marika is quite into making up with her """camouflage""" girlfriend. Is it that she wants to ask her questions about yuritopia!Marika? Or is the spaghetti getting wetter by the minute?

That seems to be kind of a stretch. If your friend avoided you, wouldn't you try to make up? This isn't very good evidence (unlike the date last time).

HAPPY END

Press X for doubt

I'm pretty sure yoga and positive thinking do not change human nature or the all-encompassing power of jealousy.

The most likely ways polyamory can work:
1. One side of the triangle has a weaker attraction that none of the involved take as seriously. That reduces friction. I'd hate that, because that makes them not equal, but some people are fine with that. The type that doesn't like clinging to each other or being too committed (actually that kinda sums up most real life polyamory situations well).
2. All three partners need to be the extremely easy-going type. You know the one, those who are always unreasonably understanding of everything and woiuld never hurt a fly. I have trouble seeing three people of that same nature getting into that kind of situation in the first place though.
3. Ideally - and this is the rarest of all - everyone in the triangle loves each other. Like actually love, not just tolerate. Even then, irrational jealousy can still occur. If two of the three have a fight and the third one is stuck between them, having to choose sides, that would be unbelievably taxing. Then they are questioned who they actually love "more" and at that point it all goes to Gehenna.

Polyamory has many issues beyond the emotional level of course, but I think if it fails at the foundation (emotions), the rest is shaky too.

last edited at Mar 21, 2019 7:41AM

That's not how "a day" works I'm pretty sure. What am I doing, questioning incredibly arbitrary hypnotism rules? lol

I do like how this implies (with neon signs) that Nozomi is the one who actually secretly loves Nico. What a fun reversal from the initial set-up.

The main problem here is not the manga's structure, but people not getting said structure. If you go in with the assumption it will follow the "main pair" as the central driving plot you just misunderstand the point. Shiramine and Kurosawa are the framing device that holds the narrative together, but ultimately it is a story that follows relationships at the academy.

Unsurprisingly every person has their own story. And those you perceive as the "main pair" are also just parts of their lives from their perspective. So they will appear and influence them, but not be the actual focus of those arcs.

In return the main pair's relationship developed realisitcally over two school years and as any person knows, change doesn't happen instantly. We got the important stages inbetween the other stories as an overarching progress bar of the manga, but that's not a bad thing in itself.

Lastly for people who say they kept forgetting characters, that's more due to reading chapters over big stretches. Reading it in one go makes it pretty easy. It's the same issue as when people say something is a slow burn because they have to wait one week for every short chapter, but when they read 20 in a row it doesnt feel stretched out at all.

last edited at Mar 21, 2019 7:45AM

Pretty mediocre manga to the end. With too many forgettable characters.

Never forget, just because you are so forgetful that you forgot the characters does not mean they are forgettable.

But Nagisa and Hikari really are pretty much a pain in the ass—they could use a common enemy to bring them together in shared antipathy.

That's why of all the pairings these two need a spin-off the most. I actually quite enjoy double tsundere pairings. And the sharing a house setting is extremely useful (only replicated by Haine and Aika, but the central conflict here was separation). I also really like their designs.

Bring it on Canno! I'll buy it!

Never have I been more glad that there is a computer screen and who knows how many hundred kilometers of electric wiring between us.

@BV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Girl_Lyrical_Nanoha_(series)
Wikipedia-sensei is your friend.