Even if it turns out to be something else, the author is a good enough writer that there is likely some explanation other than Erika just sucking.

Erika is already suck as hell considering she can't give her approval towards her two best friends relationship. Not only that, she went fighting Aya for daring to accept Koto's confession while she did nothing to tell Koto her feeling, showing she's biggest jerk as their friend. Ofc, there would be explanations from the author telling us Erika is a normal human being thus making mistakes lol. I think l will not be surprised. Just hope one day Koto and Aya can cut off this selfish snake.

Because Erika has shitty self esteem and beats herself up for because every thought she has. From the very beginning of the Erika hate in this thread it's been driven by people reading Erika's negative self hating intrusive thoughts and assuming they're factual statements instead of distortions caused by her bad self esteem and depression.

You are pretty Koto hate to me in case you didn't know lol.

Ffs one of the things Erika feels guilty about, completely inappropriately, is her acting and modeling, because she's gotten that seven year "head start" on her former rival that the competition is over. Even though the alternative would be Erika completely shutting down and doing nothing for seven years, an absurd standard to judge yourself against.

Yeah. It just took her seven years to finally want Aya to come back. Ofc she feels she's gotten that seven year "head start" on her former rival.
LOL at competition is over.
Well, the competition really ever get to start?
Erika never thinks she can ever beat Aya at acting, which is true cause she nearly panic (lol) when she stands on the same stage as Aya (chapter 17).
Not to mention Koto doesn't even pay attention (or just doesn't care) for why her childhood friend never has a relationship in those seven years. Do you think there's a possibility Koto would choose Erika over Aya???

You know what? Erika obviously thought Koto would eventually love her back if not for Aya's existence. Just like people who would choose to fight their crush's lover. "uh but I liked them first ". Bah, who cares? Liked them first and did nothing. Only had magical thinking of "one day she will fall for me!". The truth is, she won't.

Here's a fun experiment: clear your mind, and reread the manga. Every time you get to Erika thinking to herself, skip it instead of reading. Just look at what other characters think and say about her, and her actions and expressions without paying attention to her thoughts. She still comes across as depressed but otherwise just a good friend, always down to help her friends even if she grumbles a bit while doing it. She looks a lot like Natsumi, Akari's girlfriend in Otherside Picnic.

You just got to admit the way Erika react towards Aya is really creepy (first third of chapter 13) even without knowing her internal thoughts and hidden agenda.

I'm not saying Aya would go to Erika's advice because of her crush on Koto. Aya would go to Erika for advice, as we've seen her do multiple times already, because they're friends.

Yeah.
The only time Aya went to Erika for advice was chapter 9 but which, merely because she thinks Erika has a lot of experience regarding this kind of affairs.
Who in the world would want to ask advice from a friend who is far more childish than you when you intended to run away from home???

Castles in the air never run out of construction materials—because they consist of nothing substantial.

Only because you lack this kind of abilities (detect obvious hints all over the ground etc) doesn't mean others have to give up their talent ┑(￣Д ￣)┍

When Aya returns, she thinks it’s the day before the Tanabata festival, but Erika seems to remember a conversation with Aya the night of the festival. And then Aya seems to get a flash of such a memory too. So one or both of the characters have incomplete or incorrect memories. That’s what we know.

LOL
As l said before, Aya returned with her uniform on because of the day she got spirited away is not Tanabata festival (Saturday).
There's two conversation for sure.
No.1: an unpleasant confrontation Erika had with Aya before Tanabata day due to they both having their uniform on (chapter 13, chapter 17).
No.2: the day of Tanabata day. But we don't even know that's real Aya or the Aya who has time traveled again.

From Erika's perspective, the No.2 conversation is the last time she saw Aya before the disappearance.

And it's pretty obvious Aya is the one who has incomplete memories due to her supernatural encounter (chapter 13).
@Gabinomicon
You can see Erika doesn't even want to face the reality she had that No.1 conversation with Aya lol.

And as to all this blather about Erika’s guilt: as has been pointed out many times before, it seems likely that Erika did have some kind of negative thoughts about Aya and/or such an encounter with Aya after Erika saw Koto kiss Aya.
Then Aya disappeared. For all anyone knew for seven years, the most likely explanation was that Aya had been abducted and murdered. So it’s completely natural that Erika would feel bad about how she and Aya parted ways. Asserting that the only explanation for Erika's feelings must be because she did or said something dire to Aya is, as usual with this person, entirely unsupported.

Then why she still feels guilt after Aya came back. It just doesn't make sense.

The request might be understandable, in a psychological sense, but it is completely unreasonable. Nearly abusive, even. "Give up your dreams and obvious desire to grow and be independent, to stay home and isolated so I feel safer about you."

It's not even particularly rational from a fear perspective; since they have literally no idea how Aya disappeared in the first place, they have no reason to think staying home will keep her safer from disappearing again than anything else she might do.

She apparently can't be rational due to her trauma lol.

last edited at Dec 23, 2024 7:28PM

1) we don't know the conversation was Erika yelling at Aya. An equally likely emotional conversation: Aya confessing about her desire to run away/disappear in spite of her relationship with Koto.

Yeah. The conversation Erika has regret past seven years. Very persuasive.

2) Japanese schools do have class on Saturday, and especially club activities. And we know Aya was in a club back then, they all were.

Can't believe l really have to explain this lol. Man. I don't want to sound like mean. But you should have taken lessons in logic. Koto was in same class, same club as Aya and Erika. Even if that's the case (they had class or club activities on the day of festival lol), why she didn't get to see Aya on that day. She thinks Aya got spirited away a day before Tanabata festival.

edit: to expand on 1, Koto said Aya promised to take her with if she ever ran away from home, but did Koto ever have or express a desire herself to run away? Was there anything about her life at 14 she disliked, other than the possibility of Aya leaving her behind? If what Koto was saying was "I'll throw away my good life to be a homeless child with you," I can imagine Aya feeling incredibly conflicted and probably guilty over it, and wanting advice. Who would she go to for that advice but Erika? And if Aya said to Erika "That girl you like wants me to take her away and be homeless together but like she only wants it to be with me I think, not because her home life is bad, so I'm really reluctant to do that, what do you think Erika?" how would she respond?

LOL
Aya doesn't even have a chance getting to know coward Erika's unrequited love. Cause Erika literally did nothing when Koto was chasing after Aya. It must be Erika confessing her feelings towards Koto to Aya (lol), no other way around.

Aya is her financially dependent and underage girlfriend living with her. Making a request like that is pretty creepy at least, which is why Aya left.

I can see Aya gets angry cause she doesn't feel like being treated equal. But considering she disappeared out of the blue seven years ago. Koto's fear and request are not unreasonable.

There is no evidence so far that Erika knowingly caused Aya to disappear. Even if she wrote down a Tanabata wish to that effect, it would reasonably have been emotional venting, not something she would expect to happen. Even if Erika turns out to have caused Aya's disappearance somehow, it is unlikely she is morally responsible for it.

Yeah. So what? Erika still suck as a friend. How many people in real life would go fight their friend for daring to accept their crush's confession?

It's hilarious that people think Erika did something horrible that night at the festival when she's the one who brought it up, with a tone suggestion she feels awkward or embarrassed, not guilty or ashamed.

She's obviously more curious about Aya's disappearance at that moment. And the reason she's not feeling guilty or ashamed is because the conversation they had on Tanabata festival was not the one (unpleasant confrontation) which result in Aya's disappearance.

If anyone has ever paid their attention, they would notice the day of Tanabata festival is Saturday, the day students don't need to go to school. Then why Aya shows up (chapter 1) with her uniform on and holding her schoolbag? Because she got spirited away a day before the festival. In chapter 17, sb's (aka fucking Erika) flashback, Aya also was wearing uniform while sb's on her PE uniform.

Don't even know the Aya Erika had talked with on Tanabata day is real Aya or the Aya who has time traveled again.

last edited at Dec 23, 2024 10:56AM

In the translated chapters, Erika has done nothing wrong, except maybe pick a fight with Aya 7 years ago, which cannot be rationally blamed for Aya's supernatural disappearance. The one who actually crossed a line was older Koto with her "just stay home and don't go anywhere".

Hope this helps.

LOL what's the big deal.
It's not like she really forced Aya to stay home. All Koto had done was beg, which she already apologized to Aya afterwards. Aya was her girlfriend. How can it be crossing a line when there's no threatening or force.

In Erika's case, however, she just proved how suck a friend can be. Koto was not her girlfriend, nor did she know Erika's feelings. Then you went fight with her girlfriend behind her back??? Who the hell does Erika think she is to have that right??? Admit it. She just DGAF of others having their own thoughts and feelings. Only her fucking unrequited love is a thing which everyone has the obligation to help her be reciprocated. Not to mention Erika isn't better as a fucking grown up ass woman. For those who still can't get it now, imagine someone you don't even have a little interest use you to masturbate all this time while faking a face of caring friend in front of you and your love. Not really give a hand or useful advice cause them want you to be theirs. Who in the world would want this kind of friend???

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Aya disappeared right after the conversation with Erika. Ofc it's just a coincidence.

last edited at Dec 22, 2024 10:42PM

I don't know you, didn't see your comment and certainly didn't say anything about you specifically. If you're unsure of whether I'm directly responding to you, just ask first. I didn't quote you and made general comments.

Ok.

It took me quite a while to come to the realization that, pushed beyond a basic and fairly benign level of responding to characters positively or negatively, “shipping” often tends to become toxic, and at the far end of the spectrum amounts to a form of self-inflicted cognitive impairment.

I believe that now more than ever.

It definitely ruins story analysis that's for sure. Creates a really strong and nonsensical bias in people. Hard to get around and really makes discussions annoyingly absurd.

Please Please tell me where my analysis of story is nonsensical bias. It's not like l accuse Erika for things she didn't do. Aya disappeared after that conversation with Erika. And Erika always feels guilt of something she had done towards Aya seven years ago (this part can be sure now).

If a fictional character is making you that angry, why not just stop reading ?

Are you kidding me? Why l have to stop reading because of Erika that fucking bitch??? Middle schooler Koto and Aya literally my fav yuri couple so far (and thanks to Erika that jealousy idiot ruined the most lovely couple in the world). Not to mention I'm expecting an ending of Erika being cut off by her two best friends┑(￣Д ￣)┍

I know my account might got banned if I post it on reddit. So l am gonna say what l want to say here. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika. I hate fucking Erika.

I also hate her fans who DGAF about Koto's suffering. There's no way in hell Erika deserves a happy ending if it turn out she wished Aya away seven years ago. ( It counts even if Aya wishes herself away. Cause Aya would never have to wish if Erika didn't have that conversation with her)

And I will never accept the shit "Oh, but Erika wishes Aya back too". LOL just like those year of Koto's suffering mean nothing. I can't even hope Erika would get through the same pain as Koto because it means Koto literally has to be dead to obtain that goal.

last edited at Dec 22, 2024 3:26AM

Assuming the only reason anyone could ever have for disagreeing with you is incompetence or malice, huh....

LOL
Calling my words utterly foolish.
Can't even use MTL serch the clue which l had already given.
If this is not incompetence or malice…

Wait are you self inserting as Aya and applying these same standards to Erika?? This feels like a major clue. We might just solve The Mystery of The Poster Who Insists Disagreement Is Literally Murder soon!

What standard???
Not lash out at people for daring dating my crush? For the life of me, l will never do such a low behavior towards anyone. Let alone my best friend. Only an incredible loser would blaming others for stealing their crush. And it's far more worse in Erika's case since she literally did nothing when Koto was chasing after Aya. Then still had goddamn logic blaming Aya, who supposed to be her best friend. Acting like Koto would eventually love her back if not for Aya's existence. Maybe the reason you think she is not that awful is because you would do the same thing under her condition? Well…

At this point, I'm not sure why you guys keep engaging with that person. They clearly won't change their mind about their unfounded assomption, won't admit this is just a personal view about the characters (which would be fine)

I know you won't reply (which is fine by me anyways). But if you do have read chapter 17, it's clearly not my personal assumption that Erika went lash out at Aya (flashback). Ofc your freedom wanting to ignore the fact, just don't expect others would be as blind.

and is clearly condensing about the fact that not everyone can read Japanese (congratulations btw, about trying to win an argument in an English forum while posting hints in Japanese, very fair and mature). There is no discussion possible.

I had already given them clue. Their inability of reading Japanese is not my problem. And it's pretty impossible for me to explain this in English when there's 漢字and ひらがなinvolved.

Blaming me for not being able to read my words. Classic.

... Would you happen to be reading this manga on some different website, where someone is trolling you by inserting their own fanfic between the pages or something? Do you perhaps read manga in bed at night after taking sleeping pills? Because these scenes don't exist. It's not even a matter of interpretation, you're referencing things the rest of us have not read, period.

It's in chapter 17, Erika recalled something happened between she and Aya in the past, which is the main reason she always doubts whether she even has the right to confess her feelings to Koto. And according to her flashback (picture), that's apparently a one side big fight.

LOL the girl who had everything written on her face is middle schooler Koto. Erika literally killed her personality by causing Aya's disappearance.

Erika not only doesn’t think to herself that “one day Koto will fall for me,” she rejects Koto’s offer for the two of them to date.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Did nothing before Koto fell for Aya. Did nothing when Koto was chasing after Aya. But had goddamn logic blaming Aya for daring to accept Koto's confession. Don't you even talk about Koto offering them to date in high school. Koto's mentality was so fuck up back then she would date anyone who can walk on two legs. It's not like she sincerely loved them lol.
Erika just didn't want to be Aya's replacement.

Who literally killed the girl who had everything written on her face?

What in the world are you talking about? Do you even know what the English word “literally” means?

Ofc l know.

If you want to come right and say, “Erika has magical powers which she intentionally used to make Aya disappear,” just go ahead and say it, and stop pretending to have some sophisticated reading of the text that others are too stupid to understand.

Usually, l love debates but still don't want to do it with a person who can't even read my words.

If there is anything real to glean from the Japanese names of those stars then just say it already, you can't expect your opinion to sway people when you refuse to state your evidence and try to lord it over them like a child instead.

Fine. Seems like you just can't search yourself even if l have already given you the clue.

Ochiai Koto (おちあいこと 落合琴)
こと座 the Vega star

Ushio Aya (うしおあや 牛尾あや)
わし(鷲尾)座 the Altair star

Karasuno Erika (からすのえりか 烏野永理香)
はくちょう座 the Deneb star
(はくちょう座ε星は元々からす座γ星と同じ呼び名で呼ばれていた)

Also still just cannot take seriously any claim so Erika broke up Koto and Aya, because that requires implicitly claiming that relationship would have continued fine without Erika's advice to Aya and lol no. That shit was doomed from the second Koto gave in to her worst impulses and tried to get Aya to quit her job and education and become a shut-in.

LOL
Yeah. Who went lash out at her best friend for daring to accept her childhood friend's confession and led the poor girl disappear? Who gave Koto a ton of trauma? Who literally killed the girl who had everything written on her face?

All because of the immaturity of Erika, everyone has to be suffering. Liked Koto first and did nothing. Only had magical thinking of "one day she will fall for me!". No, she won't. And if you really love someone, you want them to be happy. Erika only wants her own happiness.

Lol calling Erika "selfish" when she's constantly denying herself and beating herself up for wanting those things she's denying herself.

But in the end, she would still choose to do what she thinks is so wrong cause her unusual native selfishness just like other two's feelings are nothing to her.
Koto and Aya love each other.To think coward Erika literally did nothing when Koto was chasing after Aya. Somehow she still had goddamn logic fighting Aya for dating Koto ┑(￣Д ￣)┍

Also lol that Tanabata reference is useless because you're just assuming Erika is the third wheel star, but have you considered it could be Aya herself, swinging by to get in between Erika and Koto just when Koto finally seemed to be healing? I'm not saying this is the definitive intention but I am saying it's one valid interpretation. The myth doesn't fit 1:1 obviously (it would be a boring manga if it did) and so comparisons require casting aside one part or another of the story to make a given framing work. That's a subjective choice you make as a reader, not the objective text of the manga.

Has Koto ever loved Erika in one second lol.
Erika is definitely the third wheel star.
Can you even read Japanese? There's already a hint in their name which you can tell which star they represent.

Thanks for the useless lecture about the same familiar myth that gets referenced in nearly every Japanese manga/anime about doomed love/love triangles. It does absolutely nothing to make your assertions about the story that actually exists any less flimsy than they already are.

LOL
Who do you think you are??? Your perspectives mean nothing to me anyways.

The problem is some readers obviously couldn't understand Koto wouldn't be suffering (Aya wouldn't disappear) if Erika wasn't being that selfish or could just move the fuck on seven years ago.

God. Do you guys even remember the story behind Japan's Tanabata festival? About two star-crossed lovers, Orihime (こと座 the Vega star) and Hikoboshi (わし座 the Altair star). The third one (はくちょう座 the Deneb star), which can be connected to the other two stars to form the Summer Triangle, the start either help them to be together or tear them apart. I think there's already a hint in their name about which star they present.

Someone really needs to calm down. How could you enjoy the manga when you have so much hate on one of the protagonist (the story is about a triangle, after all). Erika is very complexed character who has her desire conflicted with her own moral standard. But she's definitely not a bad person. This whole spirit away nonsense is the last thing Erika can predict.

And I can somehow be sure now Aya's disappearance is completely due to her own wish. To her, Erika is a very important friend. Despite not loving her in romantic way, she is always nearly equal to Koto. If anyone has read the extra chapter (total 12 pages) included in volume.1 physical release, you would easily understand Aya cherishes both of them pretty much.

There's no way she could be with Koto if it means she has to lose Erika. So it must be her wish like "l hope there's a solution of this" (after the talk she had with Erika). It also can explain why she only comes back while Erika sincerely wants it to happen.

Even if that's the case, Erika is still the main cause leading Aya's disappearance. Koto and Aya love each other. Koto never loves Erika. She is so selfish for not being able to give her approving to the couple. Not to metion her blaming Aya for the heartbreak is ridiculous. Erika literally did nothing when Koto was chasing after Aya. Then my girl Koto, who had done everything she could do to pursue her love has to be suffering because of the immaturity of Erika. It's all fucking Erika's fault.

No I don't... That's exactly what I was saying about how some people are choosing to interpret characters in this manga.

There is nothing indicating that Erika did something bad. We know that we had a talk with Aya, and she seems to have some remorse about it (but it could be for a lot of reasons), but that's is. All the things you are saying about her is just fabulation based on very little evidence. If you chose to interpret that way, that's your choice, but don't force your interpretation on other people saying this is based on facts.

You have read chapter 17, right? That flashback Erika had already explain everything she did.

"I felt really ashamed of my own immaturity."
"自分の幼稚さをとても恥じていた"
"Do l have that right?"
"そんな権利(琴に告白)あたしにある?"
(Chapter 8)

"あたしは…誰の親友でもないわよ"

"告白する資格が自分にあるのかわからない"

She definitely went lash out at Aya that day, and it must be one side fight considering Aya's character.

Ofc if you want to ignore so many hints in the story, it's not like l can force you.

Citing specific evidence from the text rather than speculation or headcanon, please explain exactly what Erika did seven years ago.

No need to explain it to you.
@Aikosaurus knows what I'm talking about lol.

It's quite funny how in this manga, some people are very passionate about making some of its characters look like terrible people (to the point of saying they should have a painful death), while the author clearly didn't wrote any of those characters as inherently bad. But in "My girlfriend is not here today", people are defending with passion characters that have been written to be terrible people.

I know those two manga have very little in common, but it just makes me chuckle to think about that paradox.

LOL
Erika literally doesn't need me to make her look like terrible people. It's not like her selfish love for Koto can really last that long. She fucking knows what she had done seven years ago, which also traumatized her to the point she's also stuck in the past. One of the reasons Erika never can confess not just she's a coward, she feels guilt of what she did towards Aya when she knew those two started dating.

You think the people in "My girlfriend is not here today" are suck? Well, what Erika had done in the past literally ruined her two best friend (lol) life, especially Koto. The cutest girl in the world who always had everything written on her face had been killed all thanks to fucking Erika.

I'm a woman and simply didn't have anything to say earlier. You're weird.

Sorry. I edited my article.

@Genevieve
I can see Gabinomicon doesn't want to reply cause she actually knows Erika is suck as a human being and a friend. She couldn't admit her favorite character is such a scum.

To those Erika's defenders, let me ask you a question: Would you go lash out at your best friend if he/she starts dating your crush? Blaming them it's their fault that your crush doesn't love you back?
For the life of me, l would never do such a loser move towards anyone, let alone my best friend. I know Erika was only 14 yo back then. But so was Koto and Aya. They would never do that to Erika.

Poor Aya, still see this selfish snake as someone she can rely on.
Poor Koto, still believe in this selfish snake as her best friend.

And l hope Erika can just die painfully at the end of the manga.

last edited at Dec 16, 2024 4:35AM

Yeah, so Koto can lock up Aya in a room, steal all of Aya's future, and never get over her fears and recover.

I wish. But can you please stop acting like Koto had already locked Aya up?

And what guarantees that the spiriting away wasn't the result of Aya's own actions and desires, and Erika is merely blaming herself thinking it was her fault because of the possible argument they had on that fated day?

Come on. Do you seriously think the girl like Aya would ever join the fight lol. To think we have already seen how Aya would react when she feels angry (chapter 12). This must be Erika hysterically screaming at Aya kind of argument. Like "It's your fault thay my crush doesn't love me back". Maybe she also begged Aya to break up with Koto. How mature. Oh, l forget she's only 14 yo back then LOL. But still, she only goddamn cared about her own feelings. If she truly loves Koto, she would want Koto to be happy.

And l can be sure now if Erika didn't fight Aya that day, Aya wouldn't disappear. The hint is just so obvious.