Yeah, this got an update on MD recently, though it still isn't the last part.

Overall, I think it's an amazing, intense story of broken ideals and twisted desires (how fitting), showing us how brutal and manipulative the politics of Miko's time were. You know it's gonna be a dark story when Seiga freaking Kaku isn't clearly the most morally bankrupt character in the cast. I'd never been much of a Tojiko fan, but this story really made me feel for her and all the bullshit she's put through by a binding culture imposed by power-hungry hypocrites. And I like the decision to make Futo smarter and more tragic, because before reading this, I'd never seen her as anything beyond an anachronistic airhead. The art lends the manga a dark, claustrophobic sense of beauty, with immense attention given to contorting, aching bodies and rigid, morbid expressions, creating brilliant contrasts between the beauty of every character's face and the ugliness of their expressions. From philosophical intrigue to psychological depth, and from historical detail to emotional investment, this is a tale that excels in every regard. Once again, I'm reminded of just how special Touhou is a series and a fandom to forge such unique narratives.

A Room for Two is actually just one of those scenarios where you can't leave a room until you confess your feelings for each other. The room is warm, comfy and fun to sleep in, which is why the two have elected not to leave.

And damn that lots of hugging. I duuno why but that looked really erotic.

Because eroticism is all about intimate contact, particularly in unusual configurations. E.g. on page 20, Kozuka presses the Landlady's shoulder into her chest -- because it's not something you ever do with strangers, the unusualness of the position enhances the feeling of intimacy (speaking from personal experience). Same goes for the ear-rubbing later on, while on page 24, they actually lock eyes at an extremely close distance -- which is one of the most intimate kinds of contact you can make with another person, even though they're not physically touching.

All-in-all, this chapter is an amazingly elaborate depiction of intense non-sexual intimacy.

You know you've got a good thing going when the sex is just foreplay for C U D D L I N G.

This is random but since everyone is on the comments can anyone suggest any good Yuri Visual novels on Steam?

Bit late to the discussion here, but I'd recommend SeaBed, which is leagues ahead of pretty much every yuri VN I've ever read except for maybe Flowers. I must say that it's very different from your traditional yuri VN- for starters, all the characters are adults and there are no routes. It's also immensely psychological and mind-screwy, but has the best take on psychology, loss, coping and memory that I've seen in any story, ever. The yuri is delivered less in the form of adorable fluff and more in the form of a subtle, mature, nuanced and often bittersweet relationship. I haven't come across anything like it before or since, and it honestly rocked my world, though the complex subject matter coupled with a general lack of pandering or high-grade advertising has rendered it virtually unknown. I've barely seen any discussion about it even in niche circles, which is sad, because SeaBed is one of the few works, yuri or otherwise, that I would wholeheartedly describe as a masterpiece.

I liked the last few panels when she tries to hold in a massive grin. There's nothing more satisfying then when an artist just devotes a whole-ass page to a tiny movement. Weaponized cuteness.

Sorry if that sounds condescending or insulting, but I was trying to explain my stance as best as I could, but I do feel like we're talking past each other.

It's cool. I get the points that you're making, and I guess it just boils down to our subjective ideas of what constitutes a choice. My basic point was that Ano (and Hina, to some extent) feel underdeveloped and that the game ideally ought to have given them further depth and exploration, regardless of whether it was in the form of a route, or more scenes from their perspective, or simply Yuna having more conversations with them. That's my fundamental complaint- everything else is just me speculating about how it might have been addressed. Regardless of that, I do like the game very much, and I'm glad we could have such a detailed discussion about it.

@Nevri- I think we have the same point, though? Kindred Spirits only did the bare minimum to explore multiple perspectives, but in order to unlock some of the extra sections, you had to replay the game and pick different dialogue options. There's even a button on the interface that automatically fast-forwards you to the next/previous dialogue choice so you can pick a different option. You don't make the choice, you don't get the content- ergo, interactivity matters.

Is it anywhere near as complex as what others VNs do? Not by a long shot. But you also couldn't recreate the effect in a book or a movie unless you devoted fifteen pages or half-an-hour of runtime to psychological, hypothetical what-if sections that stem from one character saying something different and then leap into the mind of another character to explore the ripple effects, and do this four times for each week of a nine-month calendar without getting immensely confusing. It's not impossible, but it's the kind of thing that'd look ridiculously awkward in anything but a VN or videogame. Routes also aren't unique to VNs or games- there have been examples of books or movies being created based on what-if scenarios that follow from a previous instalment. VNs just polished the narrative device of a story route to a level unmatched in any other medium, but the existence of routes is still a VN tradition and not a feature.

I should say that I'm talking about the Final Chorus Edition of the game, so the whole replay the game and pick different dialogues for extra content might not have existed in older versions. Basically, I do think we agree on the fundamental point that Kindred Spirits could have done more with the choice system, but chose not to for various reasons, which led to various pros and cons. I guess I should've been more specific about the fact that KSOTR used the choice and branching system in principle, but not to an innovative degree.

Then again, that's probably also my bias towards domestication in localisation. I have softened my stance on that in the last year and a half, though, so please don't go too hard on me now.

I don't mind a bit of "domestication in localisation" in my manga. I don't know if you've read Amano Shuninta's latest work I Wouldn't Mind Being Loved, but that's exactly what the translators have been trying to do since the beginning: capture the feelings and the flavors, and make every voice distinctive, rather than doing a word-by-word translation. I think the result is great and they did a wonderful job... but not everyone shares my opinion. Some replies have been like: "I have long been and continue to be not a fan of your overly loose and self-indulgent localization style. Please tone down the attempts at glib phraseology and just write what they say." Guess it's just impossible to please everyone and their uncle... :/

I think SAD are some of the best translators in the (figurative) business, simply because of how hilarious and unique they make pretty much everyone sound, but as much as their translations make me chortle, I always feel like I'm being amused more by their specific choices in phraseology and words than I am by the actual content of the manga. From a purely entertainment-based standpoint, SAD are golden, but since my fundamental stance whilst reading and analyzing manga is to ask "What did the author want to express?", there's a small part of me that's irked by the liberties they take. I know that there's already a huge barrier to my understanding of a manga author's mindset because they write in a different language and come from a different culture, but that's exactly why it feels so gratifying to predict a plot point or relate to a character, since it feels like I've crossed a massive geo-cultural chasm. Translators occupy an ambiguous position, because they could both exacerbate or mitigate the linguistic disconnect, and as much as SAD's translations make manga characters look like they've stepped out of the familiar Western sitcoms I grew up watching, I also feel like there's a certain amount of uniquely Japanese context and nuance that's lost when they toss in terms like muff seminar and don't make a pig's ear out of it. They're pretty much phrases that no one would use in real life, and even if they're accurate to what a character is saying, they feel unrealistic, because they stand out so much from almost every other manga translation in existence. While it's possible that SAD are in fact pioneers who've grasped the realities of entertaining translation and are decades ahead of their contemporaries, Occam's Razor (as used by someone who can't actually read Japanese) would suggest that every other group is more dedicated to getting across a subtle, professional conversion of text, while SAD just has their fun with translation, nuance be damned.

Essentially, I'd argue that an SAD scanlation is like Project Mouthwash's Fate: Unlimited Blade Works- Abridged. It's clever, hilarious, and probably more fun than the original series ever was, but you'd still need to know about the original series to fully appreciate it. I kinda wish they'd do the thing that certain anime subbers do, and release an 'official' translation that's accurate to the source in every way, and an 'Akiba' translation that expresses the dialogue in all their quirky, rib-tickling glory. But I understand that this would probably be too much work, and so I'm largely satisfied with what we get, especially since there's no alternatives.

^ That's an interesting take, and one that I hadn't thought about before. But my arguments for YunaAno aren't based on the fact that they're inherently better than YunaHina, so much as the fact that they had the potential to be. Certainly, they've both got issues that would hinder a possible relationship, but so does every other character in the cast, and Kindred Spirits is a story about overcoming those anxieties and having to courage to hope for something better instead of settling for the status quo. Ano's penchant for observation and non-participation is an obstacle to relationships in the same way as Miki's savior complex, Aki's devotion to the rules, or Tsukuyo's position as a teacher is- without those obstacles, you wouldn't get the emotional payoff of characters growing, developing, and finding new happiness.

It'd be different if Ano was written as ace, or if the story explicitly engaged with her anxieties and views despite her not being in a relationship- Nena, for instance, despite staying single, has a clear arc where she learns to quit counting on other people to read the room and actively clarifies her feelings. Ano, at least as far as I could see, has no such moments whatsoever- it feels like the writers planned to make her important, gave her 'main trio' billing, and forgot about her halfway through the story. I'm not salty about what we have, so much as the wasted potential, hence my arguments for an Ano route as opposed to a pure, YunaAno-exclusive canon. If the writers went the other way, I'd make the same arguments about why Hina was underused and wasted as a character, because I just want the same standards of writing to hold true for everyone, and they almost do.

One of the greatest strengths of VNs as a medium, in my opinion, is to capture multiple perspectives and scenarios instead of adopting the absolute linearity of a paperback novel. Kindred Spirits actively uses this system, since we do get to inspect the same events from different perspectives in Calendar mode, so it's not like the writers were opposed to using the medium to lend the story depth. Ano's the only one who gets screwed out of this, and no matter how hard I strive to think that the writers intended for her to be a minor, detached character, it just doesn't fit with every other aspect of the novel. I'd get it if Kindred Spirits was a manga or a tv series, but definitely not if it was a VN.

To give you a less subjective and philosophical example, I'd use the Flowers series of yuri VNs. Like Kindred Spirits, the VNs have one canon romance, but also include a route for one or more non-canon characters that lets us see how the relationships pan out. One of my favourite examples is from the first instalment, wherein our protagonist has to choose between a somewhat distant, but supportive girl who she admires, and a more controlling, obsessive girl who's closer to her. The first is the more healthy relationship, and is represented by a flower on the interface blooming as our protagonist gets over her social anxiety and learns to be more expressive and confident, which factors into a long-term character arc. With the second route, the flowers wilts, representing how our protagonist's individuality is suppressed as she's suffocated by co-dependency and emotional manipulation. I love how the writers didn't just say, "The main relationship is better, just take our word for it,", but actually put in the effort to demonstrate why the non-canon relationship would be problematic and unfeasible. They used the medium to brilliantly express the message they were going for, and created a story that was truly unique and did justice to everyone involved. Obviously, Kindred Spirits had its own circumstances, and presumably a much smaller budget than Flowers ever did, but that's exactly why I'm a lot more inclined to think that they ran out of the time and resources required to write an Ano route instead of just planning for her to be a walking plot device all along.

Still, I'm grateful for the post you made, because it expanded my perspective and made me think my arguments through instead of taking certain assumptions for granted. Thanks.

I got the same vibe, but then decided to assume that Shizuru wasn't the short-haired person on the first page, simply because Kei's attitude seems somewhat different on both pages, even considering that the circumstances are different. Ultimately, I figured that it was just the obligatory male who gets shot down to establish that a character is lesbian.

Your take does not fit, though. It was the guy who broke up with Kei, not the other way around. He felt miserable and worthless, and Kei was "perfect at everything", "like you don't need anyone else", driving him to feel even more worthless by comparison. This was not about his gender, it was about Kei's personality, or rather, how other people perceive her.

Since the subject of sexuality was never actually brought up, I would sooner assume Kei is bi. She even says to the guy that she liked him after he states he felt she did not, and she seemed genuinely surprised he would think that way - this is Kei's main problem, she appears to others as indifferent and distant.

This is why she asks Shizuru if being with her feels draining.

Also, the guy's thoughts about Kei being "perfect" and self-sufficient are mirrored, in a way, by Shizuru saying in the end how Kei will be "fine" and will easily find someone new. Kei's thoughts indicate this is at least a partially true prediction, noting that she will not really stay alone, but it also shows she will be anything but fine. Her main problem seems to be the way others perceive her, as being self-sufficient to the point of appearing indifferent.

Yes, I agree. It's possibly more a story about emotions and self-perception than one strictly about gender or sexuality.

"Privyet, comrade," said Satou-san, as she sauntered into the factory and laid her tools down beside me. Her uniform was a slimmer fit than my budget for rations and her lips (and political affiliations) were redder than the leftover borscht in my fridge. Though she'd transferred in from a shabby rural town, she had the distant, beautiful air of a Tsarina, and her smile was enough to warm us all against the relentless winter. She had more curves than the all the sickles I'd grown up using, and eyes that gleamed with life throughout our designated work hours. Three hours into our first shift, I already knew that I wished to enter a domestic union with her and contribute more citizens to the Socialist Sapphic State of Lesbos.

last edited at Nov 8, 2020 1:27AM

^ Now that's a good story. I'm glad the beetle was alright. Hate it when the little fellas accidentally die.

Reminds me of this one time I dreamed about inhaling a mosquito. It was super late at night, at that time when you're half-drowsy and can't even tell if you're asleep or awake, so you end up doing weird shit in real life based on dream logic. I was snorting like a madman trying to get that bastard out, and every time my nose tingled or itched, I thought it was still rooting around in there. Then my head started feeling funny, the way it does when you wake up very suddenly, but I thought the bug had climbed into my brain and was sucking blood right out of my cerebrum. I was afraid it would settle down and lay eggs in there, and then a ton of mosquitoes would just live in my head and feed off my brain until my skull was completely empty. I realized how ludicrous the whole thing was when I properly woke up in the morning, but it still makes me nervous every time I inhale cold air or feel like sneezing.

I'm probably reading too much into it and I agree the work could definitely use being a bit longer and flesh out some details, but from the way Shizuru is presented on first page, short hair, face obscured, dressed rather manly, I feel like she's transgender and that's the reason for her depression, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts. On page 2 we see her assumingly after hormone therapy/operation, where she's in much better place in life and visibly more happy (we can finally see her face), hence why Kei asks if she still wants to die. And as was already pointed out, suicidal thoughts don't just go away like that.

I got the same vibe, but then decided to assume that Shizuru wasn't the short-haired person on the first page, simply because Kei's attitude seems somewhat different on both pages, even considering that the circumstances are different. Ultimately, I figured that it was just the obligatory male who gets shot down to establish that a character is lesbian. Also, I don't think trans issues are that well-known in Japan, so authors tend to be more obvious while signalling that a particular character is trans, not to mention the potential for samefacing in art, which has led to more 'actually, these are characters might be related' theories then I'd care to list here.

I do feel like your interpretation adds a significant amount of depth and possible context to the events of this story, though, and I'm glad you took the time to type it out.

Kindhearted rural busybodies striving to rehabilitate depressed butch edgelords is a good combination. I love how different the two leads look in every sense, right down to facial and eye shapes. Really drives in the contrast.

Princess: This is my medieval lesbian. There are not too many like her, but this one is mine.

Pop Team Epic just went from widget series to straight kino.

There's such a casual stylishness to their aesthetic. Love it.

Nitori: She says Goddess of Misfortune, I hear Disaster Lesbian.

Diana- How did you get your powers?
Akko- I was bitten by a gay radioactive spider.
Diana- Spiders can make you gay?
Akko- No, you made me gay. The spider was just around.

Byakuren: So you're a witch, huh? I heard that they get up to a lot of shady stuff.
Marisa: To quote- "Most books on witchcraft will tell you that all witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft are written by men."
Hecatia: I wish all witches worked naked~
Byakuren: Well, it'd be better than dressing up like you.

Mahou Miko Marisa, aishiteru~
Majo Miko Reimu, nani shiteru~

I know nothing about Genshin Impact beyond memes, but these two are still excellent.

"I don't want to have sex with them, it's just maternal instinct."
Laughs in Taiyaki

Biiiiiiig exposition dump. Not that I mind, since it shows that the author's put some decent thought into the mechanics of the magic in the series, all of which shall presumably be put into practice as the adventure continues. So many series that revolve around supposed geniuses fail to explain why a particular character is smart, and just make everyone else dumb in comparison. The fact that this series establishes its lead as a scholar in a particular field and actually lays out the fundamentals of her study instead of having her conveniently know the solution to future problems is commendable. It also lends the isekai element some legitimate weight and consequence rather than just shoving it in as a token trope. Good show, I say. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Wow, they're already at the couple tries out increasingly kinkier shit to rekindle the sparks of their relationship stage, and they haven't even started dating.