Only 8 chapters left now. How sad. Wish this had went on for longer

Please let her be with all of them.

I like how this is one of those series where the forum discussion is arguably more entertaining and certainly had more thought put into it than the actual manga.

Lol
This is so true

Just as much unnecessary drama, though.

I'd say the forum has more

Here's where we disagree. A story establishes certain facts as true (Mei and Yuzu are stepsisters; they will get married, etc.). Until such time as a story literally changes our understanding of those facts, they are canonical.

The same is true, albeit perhaps arguably a bit more obliquely, of characterization. Certainly, as I said before, the story can subsequently supplement or transform explanations for a character's behavior or personality, but until it does, anything besides the text itself is rank speculation--Mei might be autistic, or a rape victim, or have suffered brain damage in a fall while staying at fiancé #2's house, or have undergone hypnosis to remove her previous lustful impulses, or be planning yet another arranged marriage to a man. But all of those possibilities amount to projection by readers and are beyond the text.

Okay, I actually agree with you here for the most part. I've been misunderstanding your points up to now.

When I say "there is no canon" what I mean is that readings that can be found within a text and are not contradictory to facts already established within the canon are themselves equal to canon

I believe that Mei can be read as autistic and that this reading doesn't contradict any facts already established within the canon. So, I see the reading of Mei as autistic equal to the reading of her as not autistic. And thus, neither position is canonical. Hence "there is no canon" (or the other way I phrased it "both are canon")

The only part where I seem to disagree is that I don't see these interpretations being "beyond the text" like you do. I see interpretations as a requirement to analysing a text hence why I think that, as long as your reading is based within the text, any given interpretation can be textual.

(and just to clarify, I'm not saying "Mei is autistic" I'm saying "Mei can be read as autistic")

As I said, as a free human being you can headcanon anything you like, and you can dismiss or ignore the explanations for Mei’s character presented in the text itself to your heart’s content.

Not once did I mention headcanons. In my opinion Mei can be read as autistic based on what happens in the story without that interpretation requiring one to ignore/dismiss anything. If you disagree please point out why, don't just dismiss other interpretations as headcanon

EDIT: And your point is a valid one—“can be read as” and “canonically is” are two very different things.

Personally I don't see a difference. Or to be more precise, I don't think that Mei has a canonical reading. As long as a story presents the possibility of multiple readings then either 1. all are equally canon or 2. there is no canon (both boil down to the same point although I prefer phrasing it like 2)

Mei’s personality has been explained canonically in the text, as I said—a rigid, repressive traditional upbringing and a traumatic abandonment by her father. You didn’t “mention” a headcanon, you enacted one.

Mei’s behavior might be “read as consistent” with any number of psychological or cognitive syndromes. The story has explicitly presented the “family upbringing” explanation for Mei’s behavior. Pending further actual evidence from the text, anything else is headcanon.

Once again, I don't see anything contradictory with "Mei is autistic" and "a rigid, repressive traditional upbringing and a traumatic abandonment by her father", in fact, I think it can work in the favour of the autistic reading. All the actual evidence for it is subtext that is up to interpretation, but that doesn't dismiss the quality of said argument. Nor does the existence of additional factors that lead to Mei acting the way she does

As I said, there is no "canon"

(and just to clarify, I'm not saying "Mei is autistic" I'm saying "Mei can be read as autistic")

As I said, as a free human being you can headcanon anything you like, and you can dismiss or ignore the explanations for Mei’s character presented in the text itself to your heart’s content.

Not once did I mention headcanons. In my opinion Mei can be read as autistic based on what happens in the story without that interpretation requiring one to ignore/dismiss anything. If you disagree please point out why, don't just dismiss other interpretations as headcanon

EDIT: And your point is a valid one—“can be read as” and “canonically is” are two very different things.

Personally I don't see a difference. Or to be more precise, I don't think that Mei has a canonical reading. As long as a story presents the possibility of multiple readings then either 1. all are equally canon or 2. there is no canon (both boil down to the same point although I prefer phrasing it like 2)

last edited at Sep 20, 2021 7:47AM

While it isn’t explicitly stated that her first Ex Fiancé raped her I think people have a right to assume that it wasn’t the first time he’s assaulted her.

No, they don’t. To do so is a violation of the basic premise in literary analysis that interpretations need to be based on the totality of evidence actually presented within the text, not on headcanon or on desperate attempts to make a characterization fit a preconceived set of premises.

So I guess subtext just doesn't exist?
Mei saying that "This is what a real kiss is like" combined with the things anim8tur pointed out while not explicitly stating "Mei's been assaulted before" does still imply it. It's up to interpretation

Granted, in the end, people have the “right” to believe anything they want to about the story. They can believe that Mei is autistic, or an alien, or a killer android from the future. They can’t pretend that’s based on a conscientious and internally consistent reading of the text, however.

But it is though. I very recently reread the series and I could easily read her as autistic from the beginning and nothing throughout the series ever really conflicted with that while many things (her impulsive behaviour in general, her difficulty in reading people's emotions, her inability to express herself, the entirety of chapter 22, etc) ended up affirming it.
"Mei is autistic" is 100% internally consistent even though almost certainly not intended.

(and just to clarify, I'm not saying "Mei is autistic" I'm saying "Mei can be read as autistic")

And the third shows her saying "okay" to Yuzu's desire to live like newlyweds again. Meaning she might just want to do it too.

Mei might want to act like newlyweds again? Have you forgotten (as Mei apparently has) that these two are already engaged to be married, (and canonically they do actually get married)?

What an amazing emotional breakthrough--to consider the possibility that you **might* want to act like a newlywed someday with the person to whom you are already engaged.

guess the tone wasn't carried through. The "might" was meant to be sarcastic

You know, as much as I want the scenes we all want; it's really nice to see Mei loving Yuzu in her own way. She may not show it much, but she does very much love Yuzu and I think that's pretty nice.

Assumes facts not in evidence.

Mei has become the absent workaholic manga parent while sleeping in the same bed as Yuzu.

oh yeah, "assumes facts" not in evidence

Are you sure we read the same thing?

We absolutely are not reading the same thing-- most of those supposed "examples" of "Mei loving Yuzu in her own way" show Yuzu going all out to elicit some kind of response from Mei and getting absolutely NOTHING in return except a cryptic statement at the end about a "weight being lifted from her heart" that Yuzu doesn't even hear because she's asleep.

Actually, you're right--Mei saying "Thank you, Yuzu--because of your care and consideration I was able to ignore you completely all day" is the quintessential lovey-dovey Mei-bot in a nutshell.

The first two show Mei talking to Yuzu about how she still has work to do (which she has already ignored for Yuzu's sake) and feeling guilty about it. After which she feels thankful that Yuzu understands her. Also it shows that they have developed better communication skills and mutual understanding
The second two show Mei apologising for taking too long followed by her, once again, being very thankful that Yuzu understands and supports her. How do you not read at least this scene as romantic?
And the third shows her saying "okay" to Yuzu's desire to live like newlyweds again. Meaning she might just want to do it too.

You know, as much as I want the scenes we all want; it's really nice to see Mei loving Yuzu in her own way. She may not show it much, but she does very much love Yuzu and I think that's pretty nice.

Assumes facts not in evidence.

Mei has become the absent workaholic manga parent while sleeping in the same bed as Yuzu.

oh yeah, "assumes facts" not in evidence

Are you sure we read the same thing?

This was a very cute chapter

And once again I seem to have a completely different view on Mei from everyone else xd. For me she felt very affectionate and happy and just in general very loving towards Yuzu

Yeah, but at least it's something. Here's to hoping that the final two volumes have some more

last edited at Sep 18, 2021 8:55AM

^Volume 11, especially the beginning, was pretty good on the Hifumi front (you could even interpret it to be softcore confirming that Hifumi has a crush on Aoba)

Hazuki says "If you want to be someone special to Suzukaze-kun maybe you should strive for that" and Hifumi responded "that almost sounds like romantic advice" after which Hazuki said "yuri is unfolding before my eyes"

last edited at Sep 17, 2021 10:41PM

Thought it was two Kekes
This is great too

Noooooo
But also yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees

This pic was already on here

Sumire is as much a bottom as Keke though

Wait, they’ve kissed and held hands—what more is there?

It is two girls, after all. . .

kissing a lot while holding hands... in bed...?

Wholesome to hentai is another kind of switch that I don't mind being flipped. Let us have it Sensei!

wholesome hentai is the best kind of hentai

So Mirai's gonna be Mei's Maki?
Probably not, but it'd be fun I think

last edited at Sep 11, 2021 4:06PM

Ah yes.. the Fujoshi shipping wars, definitely something they do and not something I do with Yuru Yuri, I'm not enraged when someone "mis-ships" my ships, nope NOT AL ALL! lmao.

Yui x Kyouko otp, right? Ayano can go kiss a duck!

And Sakurako better fall off a cliff, so Himawari can find someone better!

NO WAY
Kyoko x Ayano is the real OTP ,Yui needs to back off

Yui x Ayano shall prevail, Kyoko can go whistle

Akari harem

So what I'm getting from this is that certain fandoms don't think it's possible for people to have an equal relationship. Healthy!

top/bottom dynamics are not unequal.

Opinions on this? I mean the chapter, the decision that Chisato made.. I don't know, it didn't seem plausible for me. Leaving the music course so she can be a school idol, like it was the dream of her life (it wasn't at all as far as I know), but she only wanted to follow Kanon. I don't know, I didn't like it

Personally I liked it. Kind of wish she was more independent from Kanon, but it still worked pretty nicely.

very nice o///o

last edited at Sep 10, 2021 10:11PM

They're too horny for their own good.

Define "their own good".

If they don't tone it down they're gonna make the school catch fire from all the heat. Either that or water damage