I love the dive into Mona's perspective of things, and it's actually pretty sweet how her rhythm gets completely thrown off by Shion.

Michiru is pure cute. I'm loving how closer and more openly affectionate the two are, Kiki especially.

Great chapter. The little sister and cheek poke thing fucking melted me. Also Chiheerow. This isn't related to anything, but I'll also share that for some reason I really, really like the name Chihiro.

last edited at Dec 15, 2023 9:57AM

Stumbled across this now and breezed through the chapters, and I am fucking loving it. I doubt it'll happen, but I dearly hope they go big rather than home with the horny.

Oh my god they're...Italians!

I'm not 100% sure what this means but for some reason, this gave me the biggest laugh.

My neurons are slacking today, and honestly, I did not 100% understand what Hirose was saying and what she was referring to on a sentence-to-sentence basis, but I'm glad she got some closure, and I love how it panned out. Specifically, Takamine telling her she's sorry she didn't take that thing Hirose liked seriously before I feel is an incredible moment between the two of them and an incredible display of Takamine's growth.

...Angst-nullification seems to be her superpower.

I also just love this.

last edited at Dec 15, 2023 9:37AM

This is so fucking adorable. I really like seeing the two ease into the friends-with-benefits situation, especially Nanao who is constantly learning new things both about the dynamic and herself. I love how the two being actively horny isn't making a mess of their relationship either. Also I love the tension between them.. Regardless of how the series moves on, I hope their relationship keeps developing. Page 11 was precious, dude.

I'll be honest, I get where many of the folks commenting that it might suck for Nanao are coming from, but it absolutely doesn't seem like it to me. I think it's actually relatively healthy, and regardless the involved parties are venturing in willingly. If anything, Nanao has made a huge springboard for herself just in general, really. Also, for better or worse, Asumi definitely has become attached to Nanao, not to mention she's absolutely attracted to her.

last edited at Dec 2, 2023 6:39AM

To paraphrase and emphasize a comment I made some time ago - big fucking oof to our girl right there. As have been commented before several times, I'll also reiterate that I'm a big fan of how "mature", for lack of a better word, she is, and how grounded the approach to her arc and development has been. I'm very much hoping she gets to fully understand what she feels and how it might affect her going forward, and I am very much hoping she gets full closure. Specifically, the idea that Sakura catches up to her and they have a heart-to-heart sounds incredible to me, and I'd absolutely love that.

I'm shipping Hinata x Hirose for no apparent reason

I've been actually shipping Hatori and Hirose for no apparent reason, but I do not hate this idea either.

Oh my god, this is so, so cute. And I love how even the framing puts an emphasis on the hairpin, almost like it's a clue for us the readers to find out what is going on. I'm actually inclined to assume it is, either case I love that detail. I also love that I'm not even sure I'd have caught that if not for the explaining note, but it doesn't take anything away from the chapter itself. It's still a cute moment and development between the two.

Oh fuck...

Good lord, the first few pages are fire! The entire chapter is fire! I'm not 100% certain what caused Lapis to change gear to such a degree, but I'm all for it. Natori reading this as her being treated as a spoiled pet was amusing, but I'm also dying for her to connect the dots, or better yet, Lapis being even more assertive than she's now being and making it clear in no uncertain terms. Like, I just want Lapis to kiss her or something. Like she should've done in those few panels at the start.

Oooh. That possessiveness. Sweet, but in a creepy and confining way. Hope they can get through this phase unharmed.

I'm not seeing this as creepy, but definitely confining and maybe suffocating. I do wonder where this is going to lead, and definitely hope (and expect, really) they'll get through this.

I'll have you know that it is of the utmost importance that my gay pseudo-incest age-gap manga only ever contains statistically probable numbers of teen sex.

I have nothing of value to add, but this is a quote for the ages. Also 100% true.

last edited at Oct 12, 2023 9:46AM

Such a lovely chapter. I'm a huge fan of the way Usui Shio does fluff; it hits just perfectly for me.

While I really would have wanted this to keep going for at least 300 chapters, at the same time, I feel that ending with a "proper" wedding ceremony for the two is as perfect as could be. I feel that it's going to be fantastic and incredibly satisfying, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

...The only thing they didn't do is get very physical...

I don't know, dude, that butt smack was very physical.

last edited at Oct 12, 2023 9:28AM

I'm writing this thought only based on chapter 70 - motherfucker this is subtext in the same way 9/11 was a mild annoyance. And now having read a few other chapters I missed, this sentiment's strength has increased a thousandfold.

I really like the dynamic between, man, their names escape me now. Hebimori and... Mai? Let's go with that. I really like their dynamic. I feel that it builds toward something and I'm looking forward to seeing what that is. I also will flat-out say I ship them.

And obviously the dynamic between Komichi and Erika is electrifying, good lord. As another comment mentions, somehow their dynamic is enrapturing and mesmerizing, on a level far beyond some other established canon couples.

I cannot believe Takamine is going to fucking die so soon into the story, such a bummer, man.

Seriously, though, such a cute goddamn chapter, oh my god. I love how subtly Takamine shows that she's disappointed not seeing Sakura in casual clothes. With the cover and how Sakura reacted, I'm actually thinking that she got scared or way too self-conscious and decided to "play it safe" with the familiar uniform, and I'm really hoping that's the case and that it'll be brought up. Though Sakura coming with her uniform gave us the absolute killer of a move by Takamine. To which I say goddamn the girl's smooth.

I love how their interaction developed in the chapter, starting with Sakura awkwardly trying to start a conversation and really start to get to know Takamine, Takamine picking up on the cues and stumbling on her own insecurities a bit, and this emphasis on those mundane conversations and getting to know one another, just as mentioned in the chapter, even if the contents of those conversations will be forgotten by the following day, there's so much meaning in them nonetheless, and I love seeing their relationship develop like that.

Biggest highlight of the chapter for me was Takamine's expression when she told her mother she had fun. Especially for one who has said multiple times that she feels her life is empty, showing this sincere and, for lack of a better word, content expression, to me means the world and is incredibly satisfying.

And with the cute thing about forgetting the sweater, while sadly condemning Takamine to an excruciating and inevitable death, may also mean that there'll be some really nice stuff in the next chapters, and I cannot wait. This shit is good for the soul. I'm just sitting here and grinning, dude.

When Sakura showed up in her uniform and then held back from going to the arcade because of it, I was somewhat expecting Takamine to impulse buy her the cute dress in the window...

I was hoping that'd happen so much lol.

A lovely surprise. So goddamn adorable, dude. Love it.

This hurts. I really enjoy the mix of "Oh shit a new chapter is out, I'm going to feel sad" and "This is such a good manga" when I see the upload.

Same. There's this feeling that's between dread and excited expectation that is haunting.

In any case, a fantastic chapter. The detailed story behind Shizuku's past was incredibly touching and far too close for comfort. I also love the explicit distinction between a happy ending and one in which the characters are content and can move on. I'm hoping and somewhat expecting that this entails a proper confession. Please.

...I'm inclined to believe she might have feelings for Hirose...

Hinata and Hatori read as straight for me, although it's early enough that it's possible one of them will have feelings for Hirose for extra "drama".

Yeah, my line there was in large part conjecture based on my knowledge of genre tropes and my read of potential flows of the story. When looking at both characters, I also read them as straight. That said, something about Hatori in particular screams at me that there's more than meets the eye, which is why I think she'll be important as well.

In any case, I love the extra being a peek into their backgrounds and into the other party's inner workings. Gives extra substance, weight, and context to what we've seen thus far, in my opinion, and I'm a big fan.

last edited at Sep 27, 2023 3:58PM

She figured out how to make a space for Ruri to "come home" to. Very important that she understands her value to Ruri and what she can do for her that others cannot. Ruri can handle her own stress and Hato can be part of that, no matter what form their relationship takes. Very cosy vibe to this chapter (and the series in general).

Agreed on all points. Specifically, Hato making a space that is "for Ruri" was a simple and adorable development that I'm a huge fan of.

They need to do a memory wipe or something or the girls who have been kissing girls are. . . Are . . . Gonna . . . Well if they want to continue kissing I wouldn’t mind.

One of the couples in page 19 continued kissing even after the curse was broken...

I'm dearly hoping that one of the next chapters mentions something along the lines of "a substantial increase in the number of known couples" in their school.

Also, I may or may not have a thing for teachers, but I am ecstatic about the prospect of the teacher now being actively part of Kanon's harem.

I'm also very interested in the reveal about Lucifer. I'm reading it as her being close with Kanon at some point in their lives, and the cruel twist of fate is that now she's on the "opposite team", or something like that.

All the kissing aside, which really is more than enough in my book, I actually like that there's at least some semblance of a plotline. Looking forward to seeing where this goes. Also the inevitable kissing duel between Kanon and Lucifer.

Put off on reading the finale for as long as I could; I just don't like finales, really. But it was a very sweet ending to what has been one of the silliest, most earnestly entertaining series I've ever read. It will be sorely missed.

Also Akira absolutely should have hadmet Hana's mother.

A short, sweet, and fun read. I love Hachiko's works and style for those reasons. But also this:

Yeah, end. Now I want an extra with a lewd kiss

Please.

Hirose sustained some significant damage, and she's in denial. Big fucking oof for our girl here. Man, the way she just fucking died on page 10; painfully relatable. She will obviously play an important role, but I don't think I've seen the way this sort of "role" she'll have is built before, and I like it. I also think the other friend, I believe her name is Hatori, who I now promote over Hirose to be the perceptive one of the trio, will play an important role. I'm inclined to believe she might have feelings for Hirose.

But more importantly, I'm excited like a little kid before Christmas or something for the movie date. As Serenata's comment above very accurately describes, I've been grinning on and off and giggling like a gremlin. Page 17 was the fucking cutest with the "see you tomorrow" transition. So, so good. I'm loving it. This is definitely one of my most anticipated series right now, and I'm very, very much looking forward to the next chapters and seeing how things shape out.

last edited at Sep 5, 2023 11:08AM

Lapis is her own judge, jury, and executioner. The pain in her expressions, the venom in her inner thoughts that is turned against herself, and her inner conflict specifically regarding Natori, are all incredibly visceral and get more pronounced the more light is shed on Lapis' inner workings. It's hard to read at times, but at the same time, the building and fleshing out of her character are incredibly satisfying.

Especially her inner conflict about Natori, and especially after the "reveal" that Natori has known all along. It's clear that Natori's words and kindness and other feelings reach Lapis, and I'd say are so, so close to breaking through her facade, but Lapis does everything in her power to reject it all, as well as her own feelings because in her mind there's no point. She's already doomed, there is no way back. Makes the romantic tension between the two so much more palpable and delicious.

...I do feel her and Gran will eventually help Natori...

Almost definitely, I believe. I read Diana as one who may have a competitive streak, but when all is said and done, when it matters, she puts even this aside. And as you said, she sincerely cares for Lapis as well, so I don't really think she'll get in the way of anything.

As an aside, the art in this series has been incredible from the beginning, but chapter 11's designs were phenomenal.

Chapter 18 - Nice.

Chapters 19-20 - Some fun fluff. Mei is starting to learn and apply what she's learned from those around her and I'm a big fan. Also girl's a living, breathing aphrodisiac and I cannot get enough of that.

Chapter 21 - New girl's really intense; not sure how I feel about her, to be honest. Loving the sensei stuff as well. Most importantly, though, actual story elements are introduced, the girl has a face and a name now, as well as a solid confirmation that Mei still has feelings for her. This is conjecture and maybe projection, but I'd assume that even more than "just because", I'm inclined to believe this is the primary reason she couldn't set her head straight and really commit to anything. Kinda feel that something should have happened here, though. Maybe an extra? Also the fact that Kaoru doesn't maul Mei is really impressive at this point.

Chapter 22 - Lots of kisses. Good lord. I legit like the play's plot, it's an amusing idea. I'm also 100% certain that this is a not-at-all-subtle message to girls all around the globe that they should shoot their shot, or something along those lines. I also feel like there's a little bit of a sensei arc going on now and I'm all for it. The new girl mellowed out a bit, too. I'll die laughing if she somehow falls for Mei as well.

Chapter 23 - I really like that Mei is open about the fact that she still has feelings for someone else, and I really like that Karin does not fucking care. Do it, Mei! Just! Do it! And then immediately after that bomb, Jesus fucking christ, another bombshell. Page 213 is some neuron activation type shit, dude. The entire thing is just so hot. Once again, Do it, Mei! Just! Do it! I'm pretty certain Teach will kill herself once she comes to her senses, so it's now or never!

Overall a huge fan of the developments and the fluff and just seeing Mei melt all these girls by simply existing in their general vicinity. Looking forward to seeing where this goes. I'll be real, I primarily want Mei to do it, like, make sex part of the equation is what I want to happen. It'll make subsequent interactions, particularly with Riri, so incredibly amusing.

This was such a sweet and satisfying chapter. I have so many things I want to comment about and I can't find the words for any of them.

I love how tangible the character-building and growth are. Takamine going from saying she "...just kind of existed" to admitting that she always wanted to shine like those she looked up to was so incredibly satisfying, especially since those feelings she was describing are incredibly relatable. I don't think I've ever seen the notion that trying something one might not be interested in (or comfortable with) is incredible in and of itself brought up like this, and this is absolutely some level of projection on my end, but how this new perspective gave Takamine the legitimacy or context to come to the conclusion that she wants to have that "something" as well felt incredibly satisfying and organic. Like, I intended initially to start with a joke about how Takamine was going in the span of four pages a whole process that it took me 6 and still counting years of therapy to achieve, but no joke, this is exactly that, pretty much verbatim, too.

"The whole reason we're here today is because there's something you're looking for, isn't it?". I also love this. Both as a sentence in the context of the chapter's events and as an idea, a notion similar to the one about going out of your comfort zone. I don't think I've seen this used to "contrast" the idea that one's life is empty, definitely not in such a grounded and relatable manner. I feel that contrast isn't a fitting word, it wasn't there to go against what Takamine said she feels but rather to offer a different perspective to the one Takamine has.

I also just adore Sakura. I love how clumsily she started when she shared her perspective, and how once she got over the first hurdle she spoke openly and sincerely. You see that kind of reversed at the end, too, when she openly says how much she enjoyed herself and how she wanted to get closer to Takamine, but then got all clumsy when she tried saying they should do it again. I also love how it is contrasted by the straight and to-the-point response by Takamine. Also just page 25 with the beaming, excited smile. So cute.

I don't know if it makes sense, and I can't explain it, but those two feel like much more whole characters than in other stories to me. I'm guessing what I'm saying is that I agree with the comment above, this is high-quality character drama. I love this so much.

last edited at Aug 19, 2023 10:33AM

cecile posted:

I see a lot of hate on Shion here, but honestly, she's right. In a real world situation (read: not a Yuri manga), if you confess to a partner and they don't feel the same, you risk ruining the partnership (which in this case means ruining Kiki's chance of being top pair in the quadrille). In a sense, Shion is looking out for Kiki and her dream. You can't fault her actions.

Like she protected her dream when she abandoned her without a proper explanation at the start? leaving her in shambles? let's not pretend she say that because she wanted to protect her, she's just being a coward the first time and once again because if she can't then no one can, her heart is not in the right place.

Both of those things can be true, i think. cecile is correct in that confessing and potentially messing up their relationship could very well destroy everything they've been working for up until now.
But it's also true that Shion clearly has less than pure ulterior motives telling Michiru about it like that, since she even admonishes herself and feels guilty over it.

The fact that her point is technically not wrong, is prob part justification what led her to do this in the first place, like telling herself "Oh i'm just saying it for their own good" but also immediately thinking "oh who am i kidding" after she does it

The biggest difference here, I think, is that Shion's outburst was purely emotional and without actually justifying or reasoning until after the fact. It definitely didn't come from a place that actually worried for Michiru or even Kiki's dream, I'd say, but from panic after seeing the fire in Michiru's eyes, and what I'd assume is a mirror of what could have been for her. All this is my read more than anything, mind you, but I feel that the words Shion told Michiru are those she had told herself in the past.

Mona can fix Shion ^_^

I wouldn't say fix, but I unironically think this is true. If there's anyone who can see past the fractured facade and call her out on it, it'd be Mona.

last edited at Aug 14, 2023 7:13AM