Sorry for the double post I got lag
Also even two mangas that paved the way is still in better standing cause the characters expressed themselves better. Girlfriends by Milk Morinagi and Whispered Words/Sasameki koto. No offense at all, but those were more of a fluffy and light high school stories with realistic teenage reactions. First, yuri mangas I ever read in high school about 10 years ago. While this manga was two idiotic and thick headed adults finally getting their feelings sorted out. And it also felt rush because we didn't get to see Ruriko's tension or worries addressed more. She was stressed and slapped Kurumi and I'm still kind not into how that was handled

last edited at Nov 11, 2023 8:30AM

Both the repetition of the rules and the lack of intimacy make for a strange ending though. What is the conclusion ? That being married is the same as living together with a friend except you also promise to stay together ? The question isn't so much about us knowing they are in love (we know that) and more about why their love takes that particular shape.

Also, there is a pretty thin line, maybe even just a matter of point of view, between intimacy being unnecessary to show your characters are in love, and having to show your characters are in love within the constraint of not showing intimacy. Which I guess is why this kind of resolution reminds people of works from 30 years ago.

In the end, we know they are married, in love with each other, and they don't mind kissing - their relationship is not just for show and there is nothing inconclusive. I don't think there is an argument that the story didn't go all to way to its conclusion, or that their relationship isn't as genuine as any other you could think of. At the same time the last chapter, in which they make their wedding "official" in front of others, emphasizes physical distance (repeat of separate bedrooms and wedding without a kiss), which is a deliberate choice which, at least to me, feels a bit off-putting.

I agree with this overall. I would've liked a kiss and the "vows" seemed odd.

Cause it should've been or could've been, "The two of us started as friends who wanted to try living together and pretend to be a couple. Yet I failed to realize (Kurumi speaking alone) that she offered that proposal because she had feelings for me. In the end, I agreed since then I got to see different sides of her and I liked learning more about her. I started to realize I had feelings for her too. From someone who didn't have any experience with romantic relationships that was a huge revelation for me and especially since part of me thought I'd never fall for anyone. But Ruriko isn't just anyone: She's my friend, and now she'll also be my wife." [Then she would turn to Ruriko to kiss her on the cheek and whisper I love you. Thank you for being with me. queue big smile from Kurumi and Ruriko blushing]

Now that's a speech. I think wedding vows is the wrong term. It should've been "the couple would like to do a reading of some revised rules they started with in the beginning of their cohabitation."

I guess not saying love or not displaying a kiss of any kind is otherwise strange to us since when most people think weddings we think kiss to seal the vow. Plus no other traditions like throwing flower petals or idk someone saying something for or about the couple. Like that friend with the kid Kurumi visited for advice. I feel like it would've been better to have someone else say something the couple (obviously) couldn't say themselves or they didn't notice. This friend was patient with Kurumi, and offered a safe space I think it would have been nice to see her say something and for the couple to look at each and have a final revelation.
Yeah, it felt rushed in some ways but slow in others.
But overall guess I should be happy it was a "good end" compared to the other stories out there. If we want kisses or better communication guess there's always the Webtoon "Mage & the demon queen". That's more on par with what a lot of us wanted or like to be written. Or "Greenhouse" also a webtoon. I love Greenhouse so no spoliers I haven't been able to catch up. And I'm not caught up on Mage & demon queen either but know about the conclusion cause the author's Instagram gave it away with celebratory art.

Guess most/enough Japanese person is ace or not good/typical at what people outside of Japan call romance. This reminds me of platonic relationship memes/jokes. Which is fine and I'm glad they'll be in an overall healthy relationship even if it's not what we'd call usual.
Or some of them are in it for the legal benefit which is also a thing or common occurrence. Even pirates would have contracts among the same sex incase of death the other would get the treasures (not romantically though just to maximize their ability to get stuff since they lived a dangerous life).
Same thing in modern-day some people get together for benefits you can only get as domestic partners cause the government will recognize your partnership.

But this wasn't that. It was love? For love? It takes a lot of courage to stand before your friends and family, they got that part but the vows were disappointing cause if they were going that route they should've mentioned the other rule about: if one of us falls in love with someone else then we break up but "we fell for each other", so now it's we'll work things out together and communicate with good intentions. Like goddangit if ya gonna say the rules that was one of them. A main one they often stressed about or mentioned so either way ya look at it the last chapter was a bust and there was no real momentum for the marriage or excitement on our end cause we barely got a kiss in the previous chapter. Just not organic or paced better. This started as a slow burn then it's like steps were skipped and I've read every chapter since release. shrug overall I liked the characters but the writing and pace were lacking.

Edited: for spelling mistake

last edited at Nov 11, 2023 8:19AM

Tags should just be gone. What people want is full on spoiler summaries for complete series anyway, and tags don't actually serve as in their function as cataloguing content anymore, so better ditch them before further devolvement. People need to be untrained from checklist reading. ^^

Well people still want to know if they read a yuri series, a hetero romance, a yaoi gore drama...

What up? My fellow OG fan. Yeah tags help people know what they're reading. It's almost like a genre section at the library. That way people can find what they like faster.

I like the story as is. But I'm not gonna be happy if that 59 and 60 were just to tease the audience.
I'm cool with slow burns and even sad stories but I don't really see this series taking the sad route. Slow burn maybe. But honestly if they could effectively communicate later on I'd call that a win. If we get a kiss it'd be a jackpot and if they date you can just dip me in butter cause I'm done and ready to be served lol

P.S. (edit to add this) And This comes from someone who has re-read Sasameki Koto (Whispered Words) more than 10 times cause it was one of the first yuri mangas I ever read and liked. It still holds a special place in my heart. So does Girlfriends by Milk Morinagi (can't spell the last name).
Sasameki Koto was a SLOW burn but the main character was in love from the very first chapter. That was the difference. Not ambiguous or oblivious. They knew and were okay with not saying anything cause they didn't wanna ruin their friendship. And guess what their friend was a gay woman too and crushed openly on cute girls. XD I love that manga so much. Y'all don't even know.

last edited at Oct 4, 2023 10:52PM

Shen Aoqing slowly but surely rising through the ranks gives me butterflies thinking about the steady effort she put in.

I know. That's quite homosexual of her. Lol
But it is very cute and plus her mother got her tutors too. Mommy supports her gay-be (gay baby)

Oh wow, the Spanish scanslator of this lovely manhua has just bulk-released all chapters from chapter 11 to chapter 29. Those who understand Spanish are in for a treat.

https://lectortmo.com/library/manhua/75694/mi-querida-enemiga

I only know enough Spanish to skate by in conversations about simple things like food or drink. But fluent I am NOT. I can listen to Spanish music but half the time I have no idea what they're saying cause it goes by so fast. But I'm so tempted to write the Spanish down to read the chapters faster by putting it into Google Translate

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/my_dearest_nemesis_ch11#10

Ma'am, that is what we call "A useless lesbian" XD Rather chase someone and say it's for a challenge or rival XD but is hiding what it really is LMAO

I would have been fine if they kissed this chapter. It's just that it shouldn't have been turned into a joke because it's trying to offset the dramatic or trying to offset the talk they just had a heart-to-heart. a
And then they turned it into a joke this wasn't exactly a romantic comedy to begin with anyway so why the hell was their First Kiss turned into a joke?? I just do not like any of that.

last edited at Sep 13, 2023 11:26PM

OK well I kind of hated everything about this new chapter. From the reason why she slapped her to her apologizing about slapping her and to the joke first kiss. Nah, fam this ain't it

Ya know what? This really could've been told in about 3 chapters. Even as a oneshot it would be more bearable. Goddamn if this isn't the stupidest most unreasonably simple yet convoluted shit that I've ever seen. And you could have completely taken out the chapter where she met Chinatsu-senpai. That was ridiculous! .... The lesbian bar coincidence was passable. But that BS was just a complete waste of time, paper, money, etc because it didn't add anything to the story other then including the old senpai in current events. Literally any other character could've said "Go for it." The bar lady said as much to Ayaka. And I'll stick around or maybe I won't just to tear it a new one cause I can't believe this is what we as lgbt+ get after years and years. Hell that souless kiss was just a knife to the heart. I thought this was supposed to be funny?! Is anyone actually laughing? I saw a my cat try and fail at jumping onto the coffee table and that shit was funnier than anything in here. Seeing Ayaka pine for so long in vain was painful (in a bad way) it was like super uncomfortable and same for Risa (but the Risa side was more understandable cause lol gurl been there before). My God, I never thought I'd say this but this would've been better if the characters dropped dead. Honestly, fuck all of them. Except bar lady. She's cool. And Yuuya, and Kumi too. Side characters for the win cause they're actually decent people. Not flawless, but decent.

This is soooo stupid. I kinda hate it. Not even funny man. They're better AT fucked up shit. And that's just sad

last edited at Aug 16, 2023 3:25AM

Btw if you dont mind imperfect translation, this series is already translated up to ch28 on some sites, with some very fun developments ahead

Where man? Tell me please!!

Not my thing. Not really hatesex. But more like pedophile shit. Gross. Molestation is more accurate. And yeah the younger girl approached but for God's sake this was disappointing and disgusting.

I wanted to see the sister out on her date!!!!! AHHHHH

Because it is shit behaviour, to put it simply. I think I wrote that it would only be ok if they were in a band and had that established style. To go into a bit more detail: She invited someone to play a song together, which is supposed to be a collaborative effort, then did not adjust to her partner, but actively tried to overshadow her. That would be like me invinting you to a chess game, then proceed to flip the board over, throw the pieces at you and then boast of my physical prowess and call you a looser for not flipping the board before me, when you were rightly assuming that a normal game of chess was supposed to be happening.

You've correctly identified that she was being a jerk to the protagonist. I'm just confused why you're so righteously railing against her for it when it's (a) not a big deal and (b) funny.

Funny to who? I didn't like any of that. The protag was trying to be friendly and encourage the other girl. And I'm just dropping this shit and not gonna argue about it cause it's a waste of goddamn time.

Another yuri story based on lies...And pretending to date gross

I honestly don't get why these one shot stories, about unfulfilled love, are so popular. I just find them frustrating. To me, it's like waiting for an action movie villain to get their comeuppance only for them to get away with their crimes, in the end. The artwork is really cute though.

Totally. I wondered briefly if there was a sequel but it said "one-shot" so probably not. I hated that. I was hoping she'd confess.

I also get the impression that the author is under a lot of stress because this chapter looked really simple. Not much in the background. Hardly any toner or textures. It isn't rushed but it seems barren in a way. Simple. Perhaps that was on purpose so the chapter would be more impactful? Either way. I was surprised with the lack of backgrounds and details.
don't listen to me I'm full of shit LOL
But yeah it just seemed off somehow?

last edited at Jul 20, 2023 12:28AM

Actually, the easiest explanation would be that Ruriko didn't want to seem into it, or that by denying it for so long she was like "No this isn't real" or "I can't let this happen because she's drunk or can't let it happen cause she doesn't mean it". But yeah the slap was harsh in a way. But in a way I'm glad cause usually when drunk kisses happen they're on the lips. And two they're accepted. So I'm just glad it wasn't the usual route of "oh I kissed you drunk? I don't remember (but they secretly do remember)" I freakin' HATE that trope. I hate it. I HATE IT. SOOOOO much! So I'm glad it was like a twist even if right now it seems illogical. Cause I never slapped anyone for hugging me. Not even when I had bullies in my face did I strike them. But slapping a friend and your crush?? Does seem weird... and it was a kiss on the cheek. Like bruh what is that gonna do to you?? Nothing man. It should've been handled like "Hey, enough. Drink this water and go to bed." Or maybe the shock was just too much for Ruriko cause she thinks that Kurumi with never like her back. She is more of the depressed side even though she likes her cause she thinks she's the only one. And depressed people they tend to lash out so they won't get hurt, or when they're caught off guard. Ruriko because she's trying to hold herself back, she's in the closet, she's in denial, she's scared of what life would be like if they stopped living together, and she thinks one day Kurumi will leave her. So I mean yeah I can see how it could've been different. But Kurumi lately has been pushing the envelope a bit. More affection. The gifts. She keeps saying "I love you" even in like a public place. And since Kurumi didn't elaborate which kind of love.. that left Ruriko confused and she assumed it was as a friend since either of them have stated they're in a 'real' relationship. I'm just again glad it was a kiss on the cheek. Thank God for that.

Goddamnit! We're so blessed this is amazing! I'm glad they got more stories. I enjoy re-reading the original oneshot so when I was scrolling through the site, and saw the name on the top 5 most popular of freaking course I tapped on it. And I'm so glad I did. This was just so wholesome.
And using her first name to get her attention was so adorable.

last edited at Jul 5, 2023 1:35AM

Uncle! You have GOOD taste! Yes, I approve!
Heck ya!

last edited at Jun 20, 2023 4:25PM

Aya, you fool. Just move with her. You can get married in California, you know? It's the state least likely to strike same sex marriage from the Book. Unlike Japan having ONE district that gives civil union licenses smh

That's kinda rad. I DIDN'T KNOW they even gave licenses in Japan yet. DANG. How much of a flex would that be? "Oh me and my wife? We married in Japan to show our support."

last edited at Jun 20, 2023 4:23PM

I for one would have no interest in moving to Los Angeles. I often feel like the Japanese have an inferiority complex about the US--like the way so often when someone has an apparently incurable disease in a manga, and then when the risky treatment comes up, it's from America--either they have to go there to get the treatment (and it never mentions the previously well off family now being on the run from Yakuza loansharks) or some brilliant young surgeon learned about it in America and has come back with it. Really I don't think Japanese medical technology is behind North American medical technology, but it's never just some hotshot from the University of Tokyo, the American mystique demands it.

Of course, if your thing is rock music, I guess the US is genuinely the place. Not to, like, make it big because nobody does any more, but at least to experience ambience, go to cool clubs or what. LA might be a good place for that, I guess? I don't know what cities are happening these days. Austin?

I know. I feel like going to Canada would've been better, or Germany. Or somewhere else. I'm American and I would never step foot in the disaster known as California. Hell, no.

last edited at Jun 20, 2023 4:20PM

so Ruriko did fall first!

Um, yeah, Ruriko has been in love with Kurumi for the longest time.

Remember, she was the one who, right before leaving for Europe, said to Kurumi: "In 5 years, when I return, if we're both still single, let's get married!"

That's a whole damn mood! XD "I gay, but too scared to tell ya I gay for you. So marry me without marrying me." Haha

That shock was possibly a bit of an overreaction to Ruriko buying the book so they could read it at the same time...

Actually no. I think it's more of "Oh she went out of her way to buy something I like, (so she can enjoy it too)." Like she doesn't seem to get that Riko (yep can't spell so I shortened it anyway) she doesn't get that Riko likes her but noticed the effort or gesture as sweet. I mean for example when you and someone like your siblings play the same video games it's fun to talk about the game. It's another way to bond. And going out of her way to buy it on the way home is just sweet, and Kurumi is developing feelings so it's extra sweet.

last edited at Jun 17, 2023 11:25PM