Is confirmed now, that teacher fails so fucking miserably at being a teacher. Shuri, on the other hand, I quite like her.

@Sarge688: The old anime, or Crystal? I mean, in the old anime dub, they just made them cousins.
The new Crystal anime (which is a faithful representation of the manga, unlike the 90's show), on the other hand, I actually can see why some would get confused. Haruka is drawn slightly differently when in civilian, like her eyelashes and such, and then gets more feminine when she transforms. Takeuchi originally did indeed draw her to be more masculine, however, she always stressed out Haruka is female (the only instance of characters having male bodies and then getting female ones when they transform are the Starlights in the old Stars season, and that was done in anime only, Takeuchi was pissed they made this change, in the manga the three of them merely disguised by crossdressing, beneath their civilian clothes their bodies were entirely female).

Also, in the Crystal anime Michiru specifically says "Uranus is both a man and a woman, possessing the strength of both", however, the actual wording in Japanese is an old phrase used for butch lesbians.

This was such a lovely story, great feels. Will definitely keep an eye on this author.
My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that the ending could have benefited from an additional page or two.

^Indeed.

What the fuck, this has such a drama heavy theme, why the fuck do we need StandardLoveTriangleNo759 all of a sudden?? Why do authors seem clinically unable to propel the story without these? Here, the author chose a theme which should be quite enough to generate the drama all by itself (especially since this work chose a more realistic approach to the subject matter), but apparently, that is not enough. If I wanted to read a love triangle story, I already have a metric ton of it here. Mother/daughter incest is exceedingly rare, mother/daughter incest done with a semblance of realism is basically unheard of. I. Am. Not. Here. To. Read. About. A. Fucking. Triangle. Go away, new character.

Also, of course, she shows up at the exact fucking time the main characters have their moment.

last edited at Jan 31, 2018 2:36PM

This was really sweet, top-notch cuteness.

@Minutoh: This is how she looks in the game itself. As you can see, she is actually sitting when equipped with her gear, which is highly unusual. My guess is that it has to do with the damage she sustained at Jutland, where she was hit over 150 times, and received heavy damage to propulsion and steering, in fact, that damage was never fully repaired, even after her refitting in the 30ties, she still had problems with both steering and propulsion (which in human terms would translate into difficulties with walking).
Also, throughout her career, she received a fair amount of damage, sometimes even to the point she was crippled and had to be towed away (like when she supported the landings in Italy in WWII). Remember, she is the ship with most battle honours in the Royal Navy, it is not without reason her nickname is the Grand Old Lady.

Edit: By the same artist, this time with Kongou.

last edited at Jan 29, 2018 2:08AM

^I know what you mean, but that sentence still sounds so hilariously wrong, lol.

^^Also, the name they chose for their group is Team White Pigeon.

I already said I am done with it, so I guess I am with you. It was a discussion on my part, until I read what he posted while I was typing, and I got livid. Apologies, should have controlled myself.

Uranus that just sounds even worse to me than what cannibal said the whole arrange marriage thing ^

Not when he unironically calls it high class prostitution, there is no way in hell I am going to take that as anything other than personal, it shows not only an otherwise comical level of ignorance, but it basically casts an entire class of people as nothing but disposable meat, fucking sold to the highest bidder. It is not all sunshine and rainbows, but it is also not the crap he is pushing, and I am sick of it.

Lol, no to your no, Cannibal, I actually spent a decent amount of time in Japan, courtesy of my aunt who lived there for 9 years, and I happen to move mostly in those circles. My opinion was formed on the basis of what I observed, but I guess that pales in comparison to your ability to google stuff (if you even did that much, because honestly, at this point it is obvious you are peddling what you think upper classes are like for facts). Adoption was common for the aristocracy, marrying into the wife's family is common now, in cases where a particular bloodline faces extinction.
This is a country that prides itself in the continuity of its bloodlines, how do you think they managed to keep the same family on the throne for over two and a half millennia? By pure male primogeniture? Look up basically any of their aristocratic families of old, even a cursory reading will tell you that what you are saying is bullshit. Modern business magnates are not much different, and often they also are the descendants of that same aristocracy.

Again, you have no idea what you are talking about, if the family is prestigious enough, potential male fiances would be more than available. Shocking, I know, but the upper classes do not work as often depicted in fiction.

And there is absolutely no indication that would happen here seeing the previous teacher plotting to steal everything away from Mei and run off with his mistress. Clearly showing that the husband isn't in it for the long run.

Actually, he was not plotting to steal and run off. He was just talking about having money and prestige befit of his new position (again, clear indication they intended to make him an Aihara, this is something you just flat out refuse to accept, some families would be fucking ecstatic about this, especially if they are trading in one of their younger sons). It would be somewhat difficult to maintain his new position in society if the first thing he would do was run off with a mistress.
If you actually bothered to read, you would have realised he was talking about being married into money and position, and he would maintain his mistress on the side. He expressly stated the best he would do for Mei is "treat her nicely". Basically, he envisioned a cold marriage, not a get-the-money-then-run scenario. The two years he is talking about ("play the love game for two years") is the facade he intended to maintain until the marriage took place, which would probably be after Mei graduated, hence the wait. After that, the "most I'll do is treat her nicely" would kick in, and the marriage would basically be a formality for him from that point onward.

Also, you are reading it as though the grandfather knew what kind of a bastard the teacher was. The teacher was putting up a facade, I have no doubt whatsoever that his behaviour was impeccable when in public, or in grandfather's presence.

How is he a piece of shit?

This chapter and the exchange at the hospital shows that he is a stern but reasonable man. And read his dialogue, he express regret over having to push the responsibility to Mei, he acknowledges that the school has grown beyond the Aihara family. He is not perfect by any means but he's doing his best.

You are wasting your breath, once Cannibal forms an opinion, it is beyond any discussion. Which is why almost no one bothers anymore.
What do we know about the grandfather? He values the family legacy. He values the continuous good running of the academy. He expects of his descendants to carry the torch. He is disappointed his son abandoned that duty. He expects of Mei to carry it instead. He is arranging prospective husbands for her to meet. Nothing out of the ordinary for an upper class family. He is not being a total controlling dick about it. Mei actually has more freedom than a typical heiress in her place would. Her social contacts are not monitored, her free time is for her to spend it however she chooses, and she actually has a surprising amount of free time, given her responsibilities. As these things go, she actually has a lot of freedom.

At the same time (and these are the things Cannibal wilfully ignores), Mei genuinely cares about the family legacy (that is the whole point, without that, her inner struggle would not fucking exist), she willingly goes along with grandfather's plans (even though her heart is not fully in it), she never objects, and she clearly loves the old man.
Fact is, upper classes do not live the same as lower classes, you can not judge them by the same standards, it is more than just obligation to some abstract idea, there are real, tangible responsibilities here. In this specific case, to the entire staff and student body of the academy.

Since Cannibal is all into reading things in the worst possible light, let us do that here as well. Mei chooses Yuzu, announces their relationship publicly, at which point, grandfather's opinion does not actually matter any more. For reasons I stated in one of my previous posts, Mei would not inherit the position. The academy goes, after the old man dies, to another family. They decide to drastically re-arrange the classes. Standards plummet, enrolment as well, the income dries up, and the whole thing is sold for scrap. Sorry, teaching staff, off to the job market with you. Sorry students, exemplary academic records we could have offered you here are unavailable. I know the upper classes are stereotypically viewed as useless leeches, and there are indeed many who genuinely are like that, but just as often, there is real responsibility attached to positions, and some (Mei obviously falls into this category) take that to heart.

My point is that Grandpa seems like he would rather let Mei take over with no need of a marriage but external factors like Mei's age and yes, her gender force their hand to find a suitor if only to validate Mei's claim over the school.

Those factors probably do play a role (especially the age, more so than the gender in this case, in my opinion, after all they are talking about CEO position, and Mei is not even out of high school yet), I agree, but I also maintain that the continuation of the line is probably a notable factor as well. After all, both Mei and the grandfather are always on about the Aihara legacy. In Japan, longevity of prestigious families is quite important, always has been. And in practical terms, it is the best way to ensure the academy continues to operate as exemplary as it did before.

There is also one more detail that supports the theory about grandfather actually being mindful of his granddaughter's eventual position at the head of the household, and that is the fact he specifically brings up the prospective fiance's calmness and gentleness, as well as experience in management, but also stresses the fact these will be helpful to Mei in her heavy responsibilities. If this would play out as it usually does in real life, he will be given one of the executive positions, but Mei would be the CEO, and their future son (preferably) would then one day take over.

Fuck, by the time I wrote this and had dinner, so much more crap was added, I just do not have the energy to address it all. Nor is there any point in doing so. "A rose by any other name"? "High class prostitution"?? Will you shut the fuck up, you fucking piece of shit, my family engaged in those for generations, and is still doing it now, DO YOU EVEN FUCKING KNOW ANYONE WHO ACTUALLY IS IN AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE????? Newsflash, the world does not fucking work like you fucking imagine it! All this crap about the grandfather, selling Mei as a piece of meat, high class prostitution, these are ALL just your fucking opinions on something you look at as a fucking outsider, and you are looking at it IN FUCKING FICTION AT THAT! I am not saying it is all fucking sunshine and rainbows, but it is also not the fucking things you are peddling here. It is the same fucking story with you every fucking time, Izetta, Yuzumori, now this. You selectively choose parts of the canon, interpret them in a cartoonishly simplistic way, disregard any piece of actual canon that contradicts your interpretation, form these strong opinions, which you then mistake for facts. You dislike the grandfather, I get it. I myself do not actually like him, but I can see where he is coming from. But you then make a mountain out of this dislike, and suddenly he is a cold-hearted bastard who is whoring away his granddaughter. Do you even fucking read what you write, like, ever?? And then your comically stereotypical views on the upper classes kick in, and it is suddenly a fucking high class prostitution. Fuck you. I am done with this crap. Gods, I am an idiot as well. I knew where discussing anything with you leads, and I allow myself to fall for it anyway.

I guess I should clarify a bit what I meant.

Is not that I believe that Grandpa (and by extension Mei) feel they need to continue the family line so the school is still owned by an Aihara.but rather, that they need a male figure so they can keep control of the school and keep things as they are now. That the responsibility isn't with the Aihara name but with the staff and the students, that the school has grown to be more than just a family business.

...they would keep control through Mei. They do not actually need a husband for this. If a groom is adopted into his wife's family, today, he is often given a position of responsibility within the business, but he usually does not take over the business as a whole, it is still viewed as the prerogative of the wife (not because Japanese upper classes are big on egalitarianism, but because they are big on bloodlines). Their children are the ones for whom all this is aimed at.

last edited at Jan 26, 2018 12:18AM

If Mei gets married it will no longer be an Aihara business anymore anyways.

In Japan (and in China, dunno where else), it's possible for the groom to take on the bride's name upon marrying if the wife has a more influential family.

That can happen in the West too but you rarely see it, you will most likely only see a hyphen. Fact is that there is no indication that that would happen here. If grandpa is so desperate for a deal that he is willing to whore out his only grandchild then he isn't going to have the advantage in the negotiations.

Lol, no. This is actually pretty common in Japan for the upper class families today. It was common even for the aristocracy back in the old days. If a family has only female heir(s), it is basically customary that the groom will take his wife's name, and be counted under her family tree. And there actually is a pretty strong indication this would happen here, if you know how these things are done, because the current prospective fiance is the second son of another family. First one inherits his family's name and business, the second one becomes an Aihara. You would be surprised how often this is done, it is actually far more common than in the west. Japanese are not fans of bloodlines going extinct.
If your family is prestigious enough, there would be plenty of families more than willing to trade in one of their sons to form a blood bond.

Also, lenne18, it is not that the groom has that option only if his bride's family outweighs his. It is actually an option available to everyone, Japanese family register law dictates only that the spouses are counted under one family, but does not specify which one.
Back in the old days of the aristocracy, before a formal family register law existed, this would have been done by the bride's family outright adopting the groom.

last edited at Jan 26, 2018 12:16AM

Something that people are glossing over is the fact that is not that Mei is afraid of her grandfather, she actually loves him and is going through all of this for his sake. The man is dying and for better or worse he was the only real family Mei had for years. The conflict right now comes from Mei having to choose the love of her life or her family (keep in mind how she emphasized Yuzu and her were just step sisters). Or what is the same -and it has been the entire theme of the series- she has to pick her wishes or her duty.

I agree, this very much fits her character. I just wished she told something to Yuzu, it is not fair, considering her decision will impact her as well. Then again, Mei keeping it all in is also typical for her, as others have pointed out, but it still makes me angry.

Reading the chapter again, I get the feeling that this isn't something Mei's grandfather is happy with either. But that is something they're forced to do if the family business will continue.

I would love to see how that could possibly be explained. What? If she doesn't have a husband before 25 she forfeits all assets to the highest bidder?

I think you misunderstood this, it is not that Tzitzimine was saying Mei needs to marry before a specific age, I think they meant continuing the family business in a more general sense, since the marriage would also produce children, who could then carry the torch later.

For many Japanese family-owned larger businesses this is seen as quite important. Some of them have managed to keep such companies within their families for centuries. I have no idea whether or not the Aihara family is one of the old guard, but they very well could be, considering that founding an elite academy is something that requires quite a bit of capital, which Mei's grandfather obviously had.

In that light, Mei's decision will have consequences beyond just her private life, and will impact many others as well. For all intents and purposes, the society in this series has not been established as much different than in real life, which means that a lesbian CEO who is dating her stepsister (something that would be heavily frowned upon even if it was het) is a no-no. Of course, there are many factors that will impact the final outcome, what will Mei actually choose; if she chooses Yuzu, will the grandfather accept this after the initial (and basically certain) rejection; will Mei try to combine the two, by leading the academy while maintaining her relationship with Yuzu (which will then have to be kept secret, for reasons already stated, a lesbian CEO who dates her stepsister at the head of a girls' academy would be the death sentence for the school, this is not "Strawberry Panic").
And if Mei is forced to choose by either/or principle, and she chooses Yuzu, that will effectively mean the academy will no longer be an Aihara business after the grandfather dies (unless Mei's father miraculously decides to take the role), which means new owners, new leadership. They could just continue with what the Aiharas have been doing, or they could choose to lead the school in completely new directions, which would impact both the teachers, and the students. People tend to forget, Mei's obligations are not something that impacts just her grandfather, there is the entire teaching staff and the student body of the school as well.

last edited at Jan 25, 2018 11:34AM

Nothing a good threesome would not fix.

Just leave that dumb bitch, she is not even a good friend

I thought she was a really good friend. She never ditched/ignored her friend even after getting a boyfriend. Her friend is just straight. Nothing can be done bout it, unless MC confesses to lay the feels on the table and then we can see where it goes from there.

Imo false hopes are worse than no hope at all. Better for her to tell MC straight up so that MC can start looking for someone else instead of clinging onto her with a broken heart.

Except, the friend has no idea the main character is in love with her. She does not even know Yutaka is gay. Like, if you are a straight person, how often do you suspect your friends of being gay and harbouring romantic feelings for you? Airi is not a mind reader, unless Yutaka confesses, she is completely in the dark about the subject.

People, not all yuri is fluffy or has to be. Everyone loves to get upset over the slightest of drama. Y'all need to grow up or something. It's the same with stories like Netsuzou Trap.

Yeah, because a story where they decide to kick the girls from the team for being gay, and by a system of voting merely on who they think are gay, and then the teacher having a brain infarction and going along with it, kicking the girls out, is totally the same thing as NT. Your argument is pure nonsense. I happen to like drama. I love angst. NT is one of my favourite series. This piece of crap is still garbage. People are complaining about crappy drama, not drama in general. Take your own advice, grow up, and learn that there are degrees of quality.

This shit was so over the top, it is not believable in any way, shape, or form. Even in a country as homophobic as Japan, girls being kicked out of a school swimming team because their team members voted them out, because they think they might be gay (and all this based on random rumours that some swimmers were gay), would open the school to so much liability, no teaching staff would allow it. Here, the teacher makes one meek attempt to stop this lunacy before basically capitulating and going along with it.

If you liked it, fine. Tastes differ. To each their own. But dismissing the opinions of everyone else by telling us to "grow up" because we "get upset over the slightest of drama" is not only stupid, and something I am growing weary of as an apparent trend by some users here, but in this case, it is a completely farcical claim.

Best pairing! With how teasing these two were in the show (with each other, that swimming scene, anyone?), is kind of weird there is not much more fanart out there...

The number of things that pissed me off, and I mean, FUCKING MASSIVELY PISSED ME OFF, is just too great, there is no sense in going into it point by point. This entire thing was made, deliberately, to piss people off, there is just no other explanation. Like, I usually like stories with horrible people, and cheating, but this was just so fucking infuriating. However, one thing does make it to the top of the hate list, their teacher. Their fucking TEACHER! You are presented with the brilliant plan of voting on who looks the most gay, and then subsequently kicking those people from the club! And after a one-sentence mild attempt to reject the idea, you then roll with it! LIKE, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!! Who the fuck gave you your teaching diploma?!! Idiotic students can vote on whatever crap they like, teaching staff are the ones who actually do the kicking out! Holy fuck!! How the fuck will you explain it to their parents, should they come to school demanding answers? "You know, we had students voting on who looks the most gay, and your daughters won. So sorry. Have a nice day." WHAT. THE. FUCK. IS. THIS. SHIT. EVEN.

Her enmity is largely understandable and justified, she could be a bit more forgiving

Her negative feelings for Mishio are indeed understandable, but understanding and justification are not synonyms. Only way Mishio can be held accountable for Rika's suicide is if she psychologically and/or physically bullied her into it. Like, what the hell, the bitch nurse purposefully used someone's suicide to make a student miserable, how in the world is that justified?? Also, "forgiving". What should she forgive? Granted, we do not know the details, but again, unless Mishio bullied the teacher into suicide (and let us be honest, does anyone see this as even remotely possible?), she is not responsible the latter offed herself, there is nothing to forgive.

The nurse's feelings are understandable, even nothing out of the ordinary with regards to the situation, but she still behaved like a massive cunt, and was not justified in doing so at any point. If you are an asshole towards someone because you have genuine emotional issues, you are still an asshole.

Also, Ena, what the fuck?! Where did that bravado from chapter 5 go?
"'Make-believe love. Make-believe!!' What an awful thing to say!! What's with her!?"
But now, suddenly, chapter 7 happens.

Oh, I just love it when a character starts over-analysing what someone obviously malicious said to them, and they get a sudden rush of shit to the brain. And of course, they do not talk about it with their lover, instead they start keeping distance, GUARANTEEING their lover will misinterpret them. Because Japanese people are emotional morons, with how often something like this crops up, this must be an actual quirk. "If presented with something troubling distance yourself, heavens forbid you try talking about it, oh, and if you are worried about someone and want to protect them, ignore them or behave like a total dick to them, BECAUSE OF COURSE, WHY THE FUCK WOULD THAT NOT WORK." (The last one is not applicable here, but I feel it is a part of the same package. A package I am sick of.)

I do not even mind the unrequited feelings, it is those two classmates that pissed me off.
"You gotta move! This is a date!" "We're a little iffy on that, too." NOBODY ASKED YOU, USELESS SIDE-GARBAGE!

last edited at Jan 23, 2018 5:24PM

AWWW YES!!!!! Onoda finally getting a girl of her own is a blessing~

Plus, Ayano and Miyoshi are the best, as always!

Yeah I don't get the hate for Mei, except that she made Yuzu suffer, or perhaps people don't like ice queen or whatever.

I just hate that she kept all this a secret for so long. Yuzu is building a future for the two of them inside her mind, and Mei is hiding this arranged marriage thing from her. Never mind her going along with it, I get that keeping family tradition is important to her, and represents an inner struggle for her character, that much I genuinely do understand. It is keeping her lover in the dark about it that I dislike. Like, privacy even in a relationship is something I value, but not when it is about something that can impact them both.

Blah, I tried reading your drivel, gunner, I really did, but it was just too stupid for me. I live surrounded by a fair amount of arranged marriages, even in my own family, but I guess I am just too young at three decades to see it for what it is. Thanks, you opened my eyes, gods bless the internet. Also, you seem to forget Mei's father exists. You know, the one who did the 'unrealistic' thing of turning his back to family obligations.