Now that the dub is starting I have finally caved and started watching my first Gundam show. It's a bit of a daunting franchise to get into with like 20+ shows...

A lot of the shows are their own, stand alone, things, so you don't need to worry too much about the franchise's long history.

Anyways, check out this sequence. I kinda didn't notice at first (when the raws came out)

Thanks for calling out the details! I missed most of that myself, too.

I guess it starts with Uncle scratching at Mitsuki's door worrying about her, then hears Aya's knock?

He's scratching his head.

Guys, I think this chapter tells us that Mitsuki lives above the record shop, probably with her Uncle, or at least HE lives above the shop and Mitsuki has a bedroom for herself

Personally I think Koga lives in another house because of the "fever chapter"; could be Koga went to buy something outside of course, but if not, it's strange she got so caught in the storm if it isn't that she came from her house.
Another thing, when she already was sick, we saw a stairs, could be a two floor house or a back house? sorry dont know how to say it in english, basically that it could be in the back.
From this chapter if we take the hours like "it's happening now", the knock at the CD store was at 20:40 but Aya got in Koga room at 21:04, so they did travel if this was the case.
And final, the bagpack Koga carries at work and we saw that there she puts some clothes, and is the one we saw in the chapter 8 and 10. Can be for convenience to not go upstairs and downs each time or because this is what she brings from her house. Tho she has a restroom's shop there too.

Wish we could have a official info about this hahaha

I think this is the correct explanation. Aside from fitting the timeframe better (and explaining why so much emphasis was put on the exact time), it also fits some of the minor details better.

We see her knocking on the CD store's door on page three and the Uncle probably let her in, at that point, since he can be seen from the door and the next panel is him looking up. Then, on page 4 we get this sequence:

Somone calling Koga's name > A door slamming > Aya pulling off her boots while a car engine can be heard in the background> Aya stomping up the stairs > and finally Aya bursting into Koga's room.

This sequence is a little odd if we assume the first part is her uncle trying to get her attention or Aya calling her after she's already been let in. In either of those situations, I'd expect the boots to come off first or, at least, at about the same time as the uncle was calling out—assuming she bothers taking them off at all, while angry enough to slam internal doors with the uncle standing right next to her—Similarly, if she was let in, before calling out, I'd expect the first and only door that gets slammed to be Koga's.

On the other hand, if we assume it was Aya shouting for Koga from outside her window, things slot together much more cleanly.

Aya shows up at the CD store looking for Koga > Uncle tells her she's at home > Uncle drives Aya over > she starts shouting for Koga, while still outside, expecting Koga to respond > Koga fails to respond, so Uncle lets Aya and then turns to make a break for it > Aya slams the door shut, out of frustration > Aya pulls off her boots and we hear Uncle driving away > she then stomps up the stairs and things get pretty clear after that.

It's also worth noting that Mu is guaranteeing her apartment (iirc), so there is a somewhat problematic power dynamic there

Number one dumbest comment in all this thread, so congrats I guess.

Rude.

It's also worth noting that Mu is guaranteeing her apartment (iirc), so there is a somewhat problematic power dynamic there, in so much as Mu could mess with her housing, but given the other factors involved, that doesn't seem terribly likely.

She isn't guaranteeing her apartment, she told the landlady that she would just manage it, so like clean and maintain, do make ready after she leaves, that kind of thing. She wouldn't have any actual power over the rental, just making sure that everything is being taken care of properly.

I may be misremembering it, but I thought part of the issue was renting the property for such a short time (or without a guarantee of a longer stay) wouldn't be worth it. If it was just a matter of putting in the physical labor to get the place ready and clean it up after she moves out, then it's a non-factor.

You wouldn't happen to remember which chapter the conversation took place in?

Edit: The discussion took place in chapter 10. You were correct that it wasn't a financial issue, just not having the energy to manage a one-month rental.

That's why, for Xingyuan's sake, finding a community she can trust is more important than entering into a relationship. If Xiaoen can help her with that, I don't think the age difference will be a factor anymore.

It's noteworthy that putting together such a community seems to be part of Xiaoen's plan for the town. If that is the case, then it might be interesting to see Xingyuan's take on what she's accomplished and the people she's attracted.

last edited at Feb 2, 2023 7:45PM

It's also worth noting that Mu is guaranteeing her apartment (iirc), so there is a somewhat problematic power dynamic there, in so much as Mu could mess with her housing, but given the other factors involved, that doesn't seem terribly likely.

With that said, the poses continue to be amazing. Something about the way Xingyuan is holding her on page 3 is really striking.

Isn't Master Spark far from Yuka's strongest ability?

So, a highly flustered Yukari and a Flan that's the voice of reason and restraint? Truly this doujin was amazing in many ways.

Also, the art and story were top notch.

Huh. It's not often that the sickly little sister is also a genki girl.

No, that's pretty much what twins are to begin with, the ethics don't really change.

So what you're telling me is that we need a modern show where Kim calls Shego "mommy"?

I'd also make her a college student, rather than have their first encounter happen when Kim is 14.

Besides, I feel like we get a lot of teen superheroes and adult superheroes, but not many college age ones.

last edited at Jan 21, 2023 8:03PM

I realize because of the time and channel they were on, they could only give the vaguest of hints about Shego's attraction to Kim, but I can't help but think if the show was made today they would dig into that relationship a little more.

While it's a great ship, and one I'm fond of, as far as cannon is concerned there's actually a pretty large age gap between them.

Huh, come to think of it, this is one of the few pieces I've seen that does a good job of making Shego look older.

last edited at Jan 21, 2023 10:00AM

It seems like something is missing.

im guessing its kind of an age difference or smth cause she saw the paper and then yelled. anyways, Xingyuan :((((((

I'm pretty sure she just caught herself lusting over the ID photo and had a gay panic. You guys are overthinking it.

(If the author wanted to convey that this was over an age gap, they would have focused on the age or birthdate on the ID.)

I'd laugh and groan if it turns out one of them is like 25 and the other is 20, and we're supposed to take that as some scandalous situation.

I could see it being that kind of gap and Xiaoen getting overly flustered by it, without it being presented as truly scandalous. That is, Xiaoen has a tendency to overthink things and there's already a serious power difference between the two, so she might just be overreacting.

Personally, I think that would be a good way to handle this type of plot line, because it lets you get a lot of the same drama, without needing the actual moral issues that an adult dating a minor would entail.

Everyone has a gender identity. The fact that Takkun completely accepts her new gender -- with her main concern being that her girlfriend won't want to stay with her -- implies that she sees herself as a woman. That's not pretending, it's in the text. The speculation lies in whether her condition changed her gender identity too, or if she was comfortable with (or even preferred) being a woman from the beginning.

It's worth noting that some people have very flexible gender identities or don't see it as a core part of their identity. See: the concept of gender casual.

I also think it's fair to say that not all genderbending stories are necessarily focused on being trans, though they will certainly have undertones of it. Off the top of my head, they can also speak to curiosity and fantasies about seeing the world in a form other than your own, getting a fresh start with a new face, or a desire for anonymity.

However, in the case of this particular story, the focus on things like coming out and the less glamourous aspects of being a woman, I do think the trans aspect is the front and center focus. A story that's focused on the act of transforming, starting over, or anonymity would feature those things, but the actual transformation took up a grand total of 3 sentences and the other two haven't been a factor at all. Instead, the focus has been entirely on the experience of becoming a woman and the changes it has caused. (Also, a cute and fluffy romance, but that's beside the point.)

My fellow Americans, or anyone else living in a region where abortion is illegal, I fear this warning is necessary since the topic came up in this. DO NOT USE YOUR PHONE TO TRACK YOUR PERIOD. That data can and does end up in the hands of third parties including YOUR GOVERNMENT. Irregularities in your period can easily be used to prove an abortion or miscarriage.

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/10/1097482967/roe-v-wade-supreme-court-abortion-period-apps

I'm glad that stood out to someone else.

Well, that title was a lie.

Well, that title was a lie.

Why Mitsuki take off her glasses when reading on her phone？
presbyopia in her age？

They could be fashion glasses; she doesn't wear them at the music shop.

She could just be tall and goth.

I think it's supposed to be something like "Think about baseball" (i.e. think about something not sexy, to distract yourself and get the horny under control). ... I don't think it's working.

Huh. I feel like I missed something, because the story seemed fairly straightfoward to me.

The MC is an experienced assassin, who will happily kill men, but steadfastly refuses to kill women. Regardless of her reasoning, she seems blithely ignorant of the lives she destroys and harm she inflicts, beyond her direct targets.

After her last mission, her employer has gotten fed up with her BS and hired another assassin to go after her. This new assassin was related to at least one of her prior victims and got into the business for a chance at revenge.

She confronted the MC in the parking garage and only one because of the MCs refusal to kill women. However, rather than immediately kill her, she decided to humiliate her first, hence the rape. Somewhere along the way, she decided killing herself, and letting the MC deal with a dead woman on her conscience would be a better form of revenge, so that's what she did.

Finally, the MC hunts down and kills her old employer, but when confronted with his daughter crying over his body she aims her gun at the girl's head, rather than walk away.

Huh. I was just reading a God of War x Hades crossover where Calliope makes an appearance. I could see this happening there.

For some reason, chapter 8 really reminded me of GRS-'s comics.

Their names are Bella and Donna. Do fans actually need more of an excuse than that?

That is an ... interesting use of speed lines and choice of sound effect. ... Is she just violently thrusting at the MC?

Is it bad that I still want an actual Valkyrie manga? The art reminds me of Blame! and I do want a new Blame!