Just for the (probably few) German speaking forum-ites: Volume 2 of Citrus just came out here.

It looks like some top secret, leaked file from the agency...

I remember a conversation between a guy and a girl I accidentally heard on the train:
Guy: "So, you're going to an all-girls school? What's it like there?"
Girl: "Lesbians wherever you look!"
Guy: "REALLY?"
Girl: "No, but that's what you wanted to hear, right?"
Guy: "... yes..."

Nope, that was indeed a time jump... and it shows that it goes exactly where I suspected it to go...
Yay for Shoujo Sect like ending!

Ugh, I don't know what to think about this...
First of all, Ruki is suuuper cool! How come they say she's not cool?! Okay Maasa might be the coolest one (-) but ugh, what?! Ruki was the second coolest... She might not look super cool in this chapter but everyone has a delicate side, if you hurt them that much they are not going to be able to take it!
And I just want to slap Saachan! She did what she did and she doesn't even show the slightest hint of guilt! And I don't understand her, she doesn't even seem to love Ruki, you wouldn't hurt someone you love and act so calm about it, she seriously seems totally disturbed!
I don't know, is this supposed to make people upset? Is this why it's called "the feelings we must all endure"?! =.=

Yup, Ruki is cool, basically because she is a good person. She always tries to do the right thing, even if it's not always the smartest thing (e.g. she should have slapped Remi imo, and perhaps Sacchan, too).
But what they mean in the story is that cliched "cool". Aloof, tough and so on. Also assertive, which she definitely wasn't in the last few chapters.

I'm not so sure about Sacchan, though. You're right, she doesn't "show" guilt, but I don't think she feels no remorse, perhaps just in a more complex, not easily put into words kind of way. What she said holds surprisingly deep insight. She learned about herself, I'm convinced about that.
Up until the cheating, she was always a person that let herself be controlled by others. Her ex, and then Ruki. Of course we, the readers, rationally know that's stupid. But she herself didn't see that (as we probably wouldn't see it if it was about ourselves). By acting egoistically for once, she realized that this suits her more, she says so herself. However, that doesn't mean she'll treat Ruki (again) badly in the future. I read it as her realizing that she has to take responsibility for her actions and that she can only do so if she decides what she wants herself.
Look at it this way: Ultimately her just casually letting Ruki have sex with her (i.e. without "wanting it for herself") resulted in Ruki being hurt in the first place (even before the cheating the relationship was "going nowhere", Ruki felt uneasy because she had the impression Sacchan was indifferent, which she was).
Now having learned that she can also want stuff for herself, Sacchan wants to start a relationship (or "restart" in this case) out of her own intention.

Of course you could disagree with Ruki's choice to go for it, but ultimately that's her matter. I've seen this stuff in real life and actually I think this is one of the few scenario where forgiving an affair and using the opportunity to start again on better terms, better understanding of oneself and the other, can be worth it.

Even with all the drama and rage-inducing decisions characters make, I like this series. I find the characters believable (some you can realistically despise, some you just love, and sometimes one turns into the other, just like with real people) and enjoy how new facets of them unfold over time. Plus I've made some stupid and not so stupid love-decisions myself so I can relate (and yes, decisions that after the fact make you go "why the HECK would I ever have done that???")

I think the "sour" on the last page can also be read a little different, but it's still depressing:
So far the "off talk" was always Suzu's thoughts I think and perhaps that's still the case. Then she'd basically consider herself as rotten, which would be really sad because she seemed really nice.
Of course the image showing the "new" student still indicates Sensei's an asshole. As a matter of fact the image got me more than the "sour" that way. That and Sensei glossing so easily over the episode "Forget the painful experience in your youth". That indicates she knows full well she's coercing and abusing her students and even though she thinks it hurts them she does it. What a bitch... "Hey, sorry I abused you, just get over it." Bah

I like the idea of the two young ones meeting and ditching Sensei for each other a lot, thanks for that idea. :)

Are there any plans for putting something under the top 6 most popular for the past 7 days? There is just so much white space under it that it feels like a such a waste for not putting anything there. Maybe make it top 10 (it looks like it can even fit 12) for the past week instead? Or maybe have the most popular/recent topic in the forums at the moment?

IIRC the site's design is Omnisciento's thing. Since they did it on the side it might take a while until they notice. I think technically you're right, there is enough place there. On the other hand it might have been a specific design decision not to overload it. Depending on the screen size (think mobile, too) you have to scroll anyways. Sure, you already have to for the release list, but from an information load POV it's easier if only "one column" goes much over the screen's bottom.

Let's wait and see what the staff and especially designers say. I can't give aesthetic advice anyways, since I have terrible taste. :)

Because welcome to different cultures, no offense. It might be uncomfortable if you happen to understand sexual relationships between cousins as incest in your culture, but that's not the case everywhere.
Where I live, for example, marriage between cousins is not illegal. Society may or may not look at you weirdly, but it's not understood as incest by everybody.

As expected, just skimming over the last few posts gave me the impression there's as much drama here as in the series itself, hehe. That's no critique of you guys, don't worry.

The following probably fits not just to Citrus but most longer yuri stories, but I might as well post it here:
I think part of the problem that leads to us chewing down our nails in frustration is the pace we can read it at. It seems a story consists of endless, always new sources of complications for the characters, so we get the impression it takes ages for them to develop and get to the point where we wish them to be (and where the sweet, sweet yuri-love is).
Was the same with Girl Friends back then.

In reality, an average manga chapter isn't that long, if you look at how much time you need to read it. That's just in the nature of sequential art. The story is in the dialogue, the pictures enforce it oh so well (especially in Citrus the artwork is very good imo) and we all love that. But it literally takes up more space than an equivalent section of text (yes, I mean even considering that the visuals need to be transcribed somehow; and before anyone complains: Yes, there are sure exceptions). And the author needs much time for creating it.

So in the end we get a drop of the story every few weeks or months and that makes us feel like it's going on forever.
When I go back to Girl Friends and read that now, it doesn't feel so torturously slow and long until the protagonists get together, the misunderstandings not so devastating.

So if you felt like me when reading how Yuzu pushes Mei away again and were close to grabbing something to poke your brain with in frustration (thank god the scissors were out of reach), keep in mind that once we have the full story and you can re-read it, you won't have to wait as long as now to get to see how she manages to recover from that.

I'm glad it didn't take the "traditional" turn of most mermaid stories and ended tragically.

As for the friends. Cut them some slack, folks. We hardly learn anything about them, so I wouldn't automatically say they're bad people. It's normal at this age to get kind of swept into a little romance frenzy. And their advice "get to know him if you don't hate him so far" isn't a bad one, actually. What are you supposed to do instead? Wait for love at first sight? You gotta meet people to find the one.

... how many people would try to imagine their friends naked and get a nosebleed from that?

Actually I guess nobody? :)

Of course I know what you mean, I just find the manga cliche of people getting nosebleeds from arousal like that just so hilarious every single time, hehe. If its girls even more, since, you know, considering the usual implication for guys.

What made me wonder this time, though: Look at how much gushes out of her nose, and that so suddenly. Wouldn't that tint the bath a soft rose color? And considering Kaede used it after her, is that some kind of "indirect kiss" again? (Well, Michi was in, too and it'd be one weird kiss similie, but wth...) Someone tell that to Akina and she'll go completely insane...

Hm... I am weirdly okay with this development... though I find it completely unrealistic that Yuzu "sees through Mei" in that she immediately gets she was listening to Matsui only for the kid's own sake...

Realizing Matsui set something up? Okay... but correctly deducting Mei's motivation for following through? No way... even with Yuzu by now understanding Mei a bit and Mei behaving a lot nicer...

There you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat

That's just the technical explanation, of course. The dynasty chat is on the rizon servers, info: http://dynasty-scans.com/irc (that's the small link in the form of a megaphone at the top, btw). You can use the web-based interface there, but should you decide to visit the channel more often I strongly recommend a dedicated client for whatever system you use.

Just for the record: That mother's pretty heartless... Considering that the girl is still surprisingly okay in regards to her competitive nature. She flipped a bit once, but immediately apologized. Seems like a resilient child.

"It's peanut butter leg-lick-time! Peanut butter leg-lick-time!" ...
That was a surprising and welcome mixture of cute and (mildly) weird. :)

In this specific case I agree. For me the point is less about Nanako loving Yuri enough to take her back, but actually for Yuri to love Nanako enough to come back. Keep in mind it's actually a pretty realistic, adult storyline. I think it can be very, very hard for a gay (or in this case bi) person to withstand the pressure society can put on them, especially in Japan with the (as I've been told) kind of archaic family models.
The story focuses on Nanako and her growth as a person, so we can't know for sure whether Yuri will stand her ground and stay with her beloved this time, but to me the ending was always a hopeful one. I think if somebody comes back under these circumstances they mean it, so I have no problem with Nanako taking her back. And I say that even though usually cheating is something pretty awful in my book.

Okay, for those like me who can't help but make up their own happy ends, how's this?

Five years after graduation, they meet again at a reunion. College and so forth have, until then, prevented any close contact, but perhaps they've exchanged a few mails/birthday cards and such. Yukari dated a bit in the meantime, but didn't feel like committing to a relationship. And Miki... well, her relationship didn't last that long after graduation, actually. Perhaps a year, if at all.
So, during the reunion they talk, chat and feel like "back then". And after a bit, Miki, perhaps been a tiny bit drunk, admits to Yukari that she had actually had a crush on her in school, but never acted on it due to her knowing Yukari had had boyfriends and, of course, due to "general customs", bablubb. Yukari is stunned, her feelings re-emerging...

and then let your imagination go from there.
I've always seen it like that, cause I'm a sucker for yuri fluff.

I hope someone will eventually scanlate the rest of this. Until now I didn't even know there was more Vega.
Here's hope. :)

Just as a side note for people in Germany:
I just learned that Tokyopop has licensed the manga and will probably start publishing it starting February next year. If you like it and want to support it (like I will), consider buying it.

First page, left two bottom panels: Gaijin 4koma... ^_^
Let's hope she does another like this where the four of them also show the second part of the meme... I can totally picture that!

Haa...it not like I don't like loli manga I love it but....why are kids ? Why they are not an elder and younger ? Or maybe they should a little bit older 'cause...you know they're just little kid it's no good for them to know about that stuff too soon. I'm talking about in real life here. I just say so.

That's an odd thing to say, imo. So pedophilia is loli that's okay, but loli that has, well, just lolis is not?
Especially if you're talking real life: Pedophilia is usually a crime (with good reason), because it's abuse. Two kids doing "dirty stuff" (for the record: real life means it's really unlikely they have access to a double dildo ^^) may alienate you personally, but that's a) not uncommon and b) not damaging to them per se.
And just "knowing that stuff" is not an issue, either. No offense, but I think you're talking out of cultural standards here. Most people tend to think kids should not know about sex before a certain age, but that has been proven wrong.

Could everyone please stop immediately freaking out over stuff like this?
Yes, the way it was presented was kind of shocking, but the actual backstory was intentionally left open. The husband thing could have been a joke for all we know. Or it could be one of the rather common scenarios where people only realize they're not straight after having married, de facto ending the romantic involvement with their spouse (and eventually find someone new) without getting a divorce for various reasons. Yes, could also be that they cheated, but we are not told. And, mind you, I think that was the entire point of the story: To make you think of these things. They definitely happen, heck, it could even be a criticism of the shitty discrimination that results in people finding it so hard to come out and not "accidentally" marry in the first place.

I understand the wish for happy yuri, I love that, too. But I think you can't have yuri without also now and then writing critical stories (critical about all the shit lesbians and the LGBT community in general) get. Please don't always assume the worst when something is not diabetic-level WAFF. :)

You know, I never understood how the student (in the present, that gets told the story) says it's a dull story. I mean, what is dull about it? Sure, it's not action packed, but it is not just a "hey, one time this girl asked me out and I said yes". that would be dull. there was an actual conflict there, what with the asshole boyfriend. And it was in a way useful to her situation as well: "Don't lose courage, I was once in love with a girl I assumed was straight, but it turned out alright" or "sometimes love from high school can last" or "lesbianism is not just a phase per se". What did she expect? A surefire way to get her girl? some "magic trick"? Weird... the story was neither dull nor unrelated. Nor was the nurse the wrong person to ask. She happened, by sheer luck, to be somebody who can relate.

Why do they get naked to begin with though.

Because sex often involves nudity? Seriously, I think it's a slowly escalating process, perhaps they didn't even plan to make a "memory porn tape" from the start, but just a "memory tape".

And on #14 what're they doing? Don't understand their facial expressions. Then on #15 the girl crying ...

I'd say that's a very sloppy wet kiss followed by, well, just sex? Their faces look to me like they're cracking up a bit, probably for various reasons. That they didn't do this sooner (assuming they didn't), that they're feeling good, that sex actually looks ridiculous if you think about it... who knows?
And on the next page I think she's crying because reality hits her hard. She remembers they'll have to part and how hard it will be in the future to be together with her girlfriend like this.

The very last panel looks like hope to me, though. If I see this correctly she's at a bus stop, so perhaps this already shows her at the start of a trip to her other half.

last edited at Jul 6, 2014 10:33AM

Lets decide who is the tallest. :-)
Anyone taller then 192cm?

I have a friend who's 206cm
im only 171cm though ;-;

and does your friend play a sport like basketball or volleyball? also, does it feel weird when you only come up to their armpits?

Well, I'm 193 cm and yes, hugs can be very weird with people you can literally tug under your arm... Especially in the summer you gotta be careful, because nobody wants to have their face plugged in a sweaty armpit.
Mostly, people try to counter this by raising their heads way too much, I've had some very pointy chins rammed into my shoulder.