Is Mitsuki consciously or unconsciously gay about this musical apology? She's making a traditionally romantic gesture towards Aya who she already charmed before, and Mitsuki should know that.

The less Mitsuki thought this through, the funnier.

last edited at Oct 27, 2022 5:37PM

By the last panel Xiaoen is sympathetically crying. I love the little touches in this story. The rereading bonus for this chapter is the peach magnet from chapter 8 losing the black magnet (pit) on its back when it fell during Xingyuan's intrusive negative thoughts (pg 4-5).

ChikyuuNeko posted:
Xingyuan feels hurt by seeing Xiaoen not just because of her repressed sexuality, but also (and I'd argue primarily) because seeing her move so smoothly through her own world makes Xingyuan feel all the more removed from it, she's awkward and uncomfortable with this world, she doesn't know or trust it and yet she still desires the person seemingly at its core, making her feel guilty and inadequate, further increasing the sense of distance to a person she wants to be close to.

Great catch. Xiaoen isn't running from her past in the same way, but given what we've now seen her reasons for losing motivation will likely reveal another set of contrasts. "Take what comes to you and don't go after what leaves" is a mantra that Xiaoen has used, and the antithesis of Xingyuan being unwilling to hold onto what she finds and unable to let go of what she left .

last edited at Oct 19, 2022 10:06PM

On one level it was a mellow breather chapter where Yurika seemed warm and happy but... I felt like we finally got to meet Chihomi as a person and she turned out to be jealous of a boyfriend. Together because you're similar, huh?

And then there's Chihomi...now that's a suspicious line at the end there lol. Unfortunately for her, Sango seems very straight. I looked over the character sheet for a potential pairing for her, and Minamo's classmate Chirua stood out; they're both minor characters, would have a fun "nice girl x mean girl" dynamic, and their names both start with "Chi." What more do you need?

I think the love triangle attraction polygon is huge but not necessarily all romantic so much as lonely and possessive. As that character list says, "This is a story of girls who long to be "alike" to someone else", with alike already in quotes. Chihomi is jealous of Yui because she wants more from Sango. Sango always wants more from Yurika, especially compared to her boyfriend, so I think she seemed very gay since the beginning. Chihomi has brief relationships with boys she gets disinterested in and Sango's relationship with Yui is surely doomed. We've never seen either girl romantic towards boys and they both want stronger connections with a girl. I can't be sure either feels gay, bi, or aromantic. It's a bit like Tsubame's feelings towards Tsukie, where even if Tsubame is truly gay it probably won't change much about the arc.

Chirua could definitely be part of the sapphic tangle, but her character hasn't been developed yet and her blush and cheer seems like natural shyness. If she turns out to be into girls then her interest in Minamo early on could be seen in an additional light. I doubt her gentleness is compatible with Chihomi's energy.

Did people really feel that the art style was that weird? I personally felt that it was quite charming, a simple art style that made room for both light-hearted and emotionally defining moments in the story.

Some people have, I get it, and they're wrong. The lines are clean, personalities are clear, and, I repeatedly mention Hikizan Tautology's choice of shots. - Cheers to your first comment (as) Wujuice.

last edited at Oct 15, 2022 11:40PM

The progress is nice and steady. Now Miyako can keep this power dynamic going for a bit longer unless her guilt gets too powerful. The next step should be to get comfortable simply being called Miyako by Oneesan. Pakee the cactus has Miyako beat.

Ruri and Hato were in sync! Every bit of their chemistry was great.

I had to look up "a friend in need is a friend indeed" but the idea seems to be that Ruri is calling Hato (and herself) a good friend for helping when Miyako (and Suga) need it, even when Hato earlier said she isn't friends with Suga and would rather stay out of it. The modern English phrase has unclear grammar and I hate it. Ruri appreciates Hato so I hope for more of this pairing!

last edited at Oct 15, 2022 7:42PM

The complex love/hate relationship between Makio and her sis is probably my favorite part of this series. Minori is truly a tragic character and it just really pains me that they weren't able to come to this place of understanding each other while she was alive.

You gotta love how even at this stage she's just straight up "a do-over? Naw, it'd just end the same way".

Yeah I also believe in things staying the same during do-overs if you went back in time without hindsight. The catalyst to their problems was mainly their mother, so if she never changed, they wouldn't change either. I also think since the fallout was mostly Minori's fault for being so vicious to Makio so it'd have to be Minori that starts changing.

Makio was always just doing her own thing, even if it was extreme, such as never realizing how frail her sister was until well in her late teens, but it's just who she is. If Makio did go back in time with current memories I dunno what she would do different. Maybe offer more support? But support how? She wouldn't change who she was and start conforming when her freedom was what her sister was always jealous of. A 5 year age difference at that age is also really big and the power difference does come into play so Minori might not even be willing to listen to Makio.

The whole family is also really stubborn since we see Minori does change her mind about what she thought of Makio and kept up with her books, probably as a way to understand her little sister more. But even with all that she never reached out to apologize.

I think even if she were alive, it probably won't change much unless something big happened in their family that forces them together again (like this death). Heck Makino didn't see her niece for probably over 10 years. But having died just automatically cuts off the chance (even if is small) and it's sad to think about.

When the mother / grandmother said "Even if everyone around her is making her lonely, she doesn't get lonely at all", Minori's reaction was surprise and realization. Minori apparently hadn't yet recognized that she and her mother treated Makio lightly, or that Minori's attitude was cruel, and that cruelty didn't develop and sustain itself in a vacuum. She was as unobservant of Makio's mind as Makio was of her frailty. Makio may have been insulated from her sister's condition and individualistic, and Makio was even more shut off out of defensiveness. We know how serious Minori was about keeping up appearances back then, and Minori also had her mother and anxieties distorting her facade in front of Makio. Both sisters were nutured in understandable directions. Great writing, great tragedy.

Even as adults, Minori probably couldn't close the distance even if she took the initiative to apologize or limited her effort to ask Makio to interact as an aunt for Asa's sake. Makio still isn't forgiving her. In any case, Asa is the one who wants both in her life, but it's only through a sad coincidence that she has Makio as a mentor / guardian. Asa's ideal childhood was impossible.

It seems like Minori gave up on changing her own circumstances, and her condition would make employment more difficult, so I wonder how she was planning to be at the age she would give Asa the diary.

last edited at Oct 15, 2022 1:54AM

I liked the ambiguity when Yundou stared at Xiaoen being awkward for a bit and said "I hear you", then agreed to her request. Did Yundou mean she's just going along with a reasonable request or that she can also "hear" Xiaoen's unspoken intentions to pursue someone she's interested in? It's unclear at first if Yundou is referencing or being comfortable with Xiaoen's intentions. But unlike Sixi, Yundou figured out what's going on. I think Yundou is probably surprised and not sure it will turn out well for Xiaoen, but is passively supportive.

So far the town hasn't showed a hint of homophobia; it's only Xingyuan's family. Bigotry is part of the plot but it's not connected with the social atmosphere of this aspiring tourist-town or its repeated love (peaches) festival. Regardless of whether Xiao Bai the nail artist without a partner is gay, Xiaoen's staff had no anxiety about her. Hopefully the town doesn't give off any bad vibes for a while, Xingyuan clearly could use a safe and stable place while coping with the trauma and alienation from her family.

And like others have said, that beautiful cinematographic art... It creates a kind of kinetic language and sense of space that feels great to read. Together with the watercolor palette and the often-playful lineart, this story is an eye massage.

last edited at Oct 14, 2022 6:09PM

Rika and the art capture the moods of coming-out, without dwelling in angst a lot. It's so wholesome! This looks like it's going to be amazing, accessible, and hopeful.

Down the track it might go the yaoi route.

I expect representation, for sure. But though Satsuki seems to be attracted to Rika, I don't think we're headed towards a roommates-to-couple plotline. I'm guessing Rika is het and Satsuki is cisgender.

last edited at Oct 11, 2022 11:26PM

Like watching a car crash you can't look away from.

This was more like looking at debris than the actual crash because everyone was wrecked from the start. The romance ending just cements Mea and Aise's screwed-up dynamic and changes what they're at risk from. If anything Aise is more willing to live and Mea gets a sense of being needed so it's a wash.

Predictably, the cat-ear / horned head-band girl is dangerous and will continue to be.

last edited at Oct 3, 2022 8:00PM

Overalls and hoop earings, in different styles? These two look great together. The author is spoiling us with this art and I don't mean spoiling the plot. It's very sweet to see these two act so naturally toward one-another in a way we're probably nowhere near seeing in the story.

Wow. The expressions and choice of shots conveyed the pain perfectly.

Maybe I should feel down after reading about damaged people, but this was weirdly relaxing to see in a one-shot. The heavy codependent relationships gave the impression the women had deep and plausible issues that weren't limited to one or two unhealthy traits. People who go to school counseling in a way implied to be a trend instead of just one-offs was also a kind of setting we don't usually see. This felt more plausible than creepy, compared to other painful one-shots.

I think the mom probably returned to remission from her alcohol dependency. Hopefully the girls get better as well. What an empathy generator. Definitely favoriting this one.

last edited at Oct 3, 2022 3:56PM

Yvonne Has Leveled Up!

Density Neutron Star → Brick

Can I appeal a tag suggestion? Is this the wrong place? I'd really want others to have warning about a chapter or even full series. With the rejection, at minimum I really want that chapter 8 clearly tagged drugs and rape (and maybe revenge).

Like, what is the rape tag in a drama when most characters forgive it? Or constantly give justifications? The scene using drugs for revenge was triggering, similar to what I prevented from happening to a date-rape-drugged friend. Maybe my tag suggestion was too technical and looked rambling. Maybe what would be tagged drugs and rape in another story was too subtle an increase in problems for this one to get the tag...

I was kinda tolerating how severely problematic a character and story was before that point, when her actions were implied to be the same manipulating people using drugs (shown later if not implied earlier) and alcohol (including on the main cast) but always forgiven by all major on-screen characters and in the severe case treated as justified because it was an antagonist. There's a difference between a player doing pickups and a supposed player often getting people so inebriated they cannot process what's happening, so the conscious perp / 'player' can use them however then leave them to blame themself and piece things together afterwords. So it was uncritically a major story element, which I was too stupid to recognize until nearing the end. I figured the issue was constantly forgiven and untagged so it wouldn't get worse, but it got worse. And I guess people who enjoy the series have to just let this go.

If there's no appeal, I get it. Just checking. It seemed too severe to just let the suggestion die and I don't know if I should resubmit and for just the textually 100% a date-rape-drug chapter or the whole series.

On tag suggestions:

Certain tags, like Rape and Violence are meant to warn readers of story elements they do not wish to see. These ought to be tagged even if a story contains only small amounts of them, given that seeing them may be sufficiently unpleasant for many readers.

last edited at Sep 29, 2022 5:53PM

Honestly I'm just glad for a large change of status quo after 7 chapters, leaving time for the ending. Something often feels off when I read this sort of fantasy wish-fulfillment with very light drama and very light romance. At the same time this isn't Dragon Maid banality, and it's not bait. The leads feel so differently about the other, albeit strongly, that I can't tell if the fluff conflict will go anywhere other than direct to "we lived together so we're basically girlfriends now".

Did the manga have Evie going over how she was a loner in her past life as well? It's been awhile so I can't recall.

Nene posted:

Incandescent can actually mean "displaying intense emotion," though I don't think I've heard it used that way very often at all.

“Incandescent with rage” is something I’ve heard often enough to have just assumed that’s what was meant there. I think it’s more common in IE/UK English than other dialects though.

And

The sky was still cloudy and grey. / Yet for some reason, Yvonne felt that Elsa was radiant.

People with magic power in this universe must be light sources. Light sourceresses.

TBH I like brightness and temperature metaphors a lot because it's simple to visualize the emotion. Weather is good too. Comparing someone to an animal or a flower or something is fine but open to interpretation.

last edited at Sep 28, 2022 10:28PM

I wonder if Aya would be this mad if her crush turned out to be an awkward boy sitting beside her at school (and Aya being het) instead of an awkward girl. I mean, god knows having your sexuality thrown into disarray can hurt, but it's difficult to tell how much that matters compared to the rest of the feeling of betrayal.

Also it's great to see Mitsuki's wear and tear from battling guitar strings.

last edited at Sep 25, 2022 11:17PM

That's right, keep those interlocked fingers below the window sill. How perverse. Don't show the children outside.

We got lewd hand holding.. Do we think that were going to get an almost kiss at the festival before the system pops up and demands she do something awful to her? I'm going with YEP.

My guess is the festival will end up going well instead of getting too grim. So...

System options: SUFFOCATE ELSA
Other-Elsa option: Make Elsa unable to breathe
Evie: She can't breathe if I seal her lips with mine long enough.

...Or some other thing that in a more roundabout way leads to a kiss

last edited at Sep 25, 2022 5:35PM

Obviously it feels like they like each other, we've had a bunch of badumps from Minamo which is the manga equivalent a big arrow pointing to feelings, but I do think it's interesting that Yurika has spent this entire time denying that she likes Minamo to everyone that knows she's gay.

I mean, Yurika sometimes flirts with Minamo hoping to make her blush, so I don't think she's holding back so much as affectionately making moves and hoping Minamo falls for her. What she knows or doesn't know after this chapter comes down to manga logic and Yurika sometimes being an airhead. My own guess is that Yurika isn't sure if Minamo is forming romantic love, but the affection and some of Minamo's huge reactions as far back as their first conversation have made her seem potentially gay. Minamo is letting things flow naturally out of pure trust, and I think she will recognize her feelings soon.

Also, with the way the story has been going so far, no way Yurika and/or Minamo isn't outed in some way at school.

That makes sense! Plus the rumors in the background are practically a character in itself, and must somehow get even worse later. Someone being outed is perfect for the tone of the story, considering the other threads. I'd add Takuto to that list or as a predecessor, because even if his sexuality isn't what is outed he is self-isolating from boys and keeping some secrets.

last edited at Sep 24, 2022 2:22AM

The execution of this chapter cements this series as my favorite ongoing manga. Minamo's assertive compassion and the most delicate side of Yurika were cathartic to read. Other emotions were heartwrenching, and I'm glad to be done with the Reika flashback. The way Masatsuka-sensei draws expressions and posture is, as always, very moving.

The literal and metaphorical situation with the earrings was so bittersweet! Yurika wanted pierced ears, it was a good thing that came about in empty relationship, and now Yurika will wear earrings from Minamo there instead. Mood. Sometimes good things build upon how we changed in earlier bad situations.

….also that was like, definitely a love confession right???

Yeah. The confession clarified their close relationship, even if the label may stay ambiguous. Minamo offered long-term support and Yurika happily accepted and may think of her every day. Add that to them both signalling attraction to the other.

last edited at Sep 23, 2022 1:54PM

Oh right it was confirmed in ch23 that a mare misled OG Yvonne, though not explicitly confirmed in the manga yet. It's not surprising, I'm just glad it's in the canon and gives a hint how the Villainess System formed even if it only appeared when Evie first saw Elsa at school. Evie probably recognizes the connection... but she's proven extremely dense when it's convenient for herself.

last edited at Sep 22, 2022 10:54PM

Geez, the Vol 5 extras sure make Komachi look sketchy. It's good to see her original facade slowly disappear but this is quite a difference, to the point that this looks like spoilers for just how far Komachi could go. Well it's already well-established that she's wired without concern for life, and Ryouko-sensei has proven she can make that complex and compelling. The question now isn't if Komachi is dangerous but what kind of dangerous Komachi is.

last edited at Sep 22, 2022 12:23AM

As far as I care, Mitsuki being mildly athletic for a single scene can be justified by having a job stocking products as one of two people for a whole store. All she has is her usual attitude when she gets a bit serious, a little muscle, a thin build, and enough coordination to dribble. She's no mary sue.

And Mitsuki missed the shot so "Oh wow, she's really athletic!" seemed more like the guy pointing out Aya looks at Mitsuki like she's a dreamy hunk than Mitsuki actually being like an athlete.

I had to take a short break from my marathon first binge-through of the novels because this arc was exhausting... now I get to wait months for it to finish but at least I'm immunized against what bothered me.

Thank you translators for this privilege! Large projects kinda suck when mood is uncooperative, and even movement can become draining. I know the feeling all too well. Thanks for putting time and energy into this. I didn't know what to say before but I want to say that much.

When reading the book this was a great arc to practice predicting later events based only on what is in that text and trope knowledge. I think the books revealed a very important aspect of Manaria's personality and past by this point, which the manga hasn't conveyed well or maybe at all. She still comes off twisted, especially in this version and the Rei-POV novels, but she's more than just a bully. The manga does have the clues (just demonstrated clues so far, not explanation, but spoilered anyhow because it's probably enough for a small thing even if not the big thing): she's lesbian + exiled + a support character + flirty + competing + got that callous calculating nobility vibe you see a lot in this story.

Basically the internal logic and the bones of the storytelling work here, but the execution is underwhelming in this and even the original book / web version of this story. I again (again) recommend reading the parallel side-novel chapters after this arc for much-needed Rei POV and Claire POV scenes. I love this series to death; the tone, the representation, how it's sometimes it's off the rails in amazing ways. But some parts are annoying - the logic here was neat though.

last edited at Sep 16, 2022 9:14PM

This is ten times better than the idiotic manhua version.

Why? It's pretty much exactly the same.

I'm thinking it's because there's none of the horribly artificial conflict between mcs—Evie gone hysterical, hurting Elsa, kicking her out, crying, repenting, going after her next day, trying to pretend all's okay... all that bs.

Isn't that just because we haven't gotten there, yet? I went to compare this chapter and the previous with the manhua and it seems note for note the same.

The manhua felt fairly rocky to me at the start. Maybe most of that was overflow from annoyance for the outfits not making sense. I wasn't sure if parts were flashbacks because the famous academy apparently shares a uniform design with the new school ... a uniform which Elsa needed to buy with her savings (when though?). Yvonne wearing different clothes some days was also a bit odd for a non-noble trying to pass the year. I questioned the chronology in ways I didn't have to in the novel.

The novel is more detailed but otherwise the same plot. I'm not sure which I prefer for recent chapters, but it'll probably be the novel in the long run because I want better justification for any plot-convenient reveals about Evie. And emotional turmoil is usually better expressed by text, so the novel shines in that in exchange for losing most of the visual impact (of romantic and lewd moments in this case).

last edited at Sep 14, 2022 10:23PM

I really hope they include some parts of the She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner.

Same. It expands parts and adds non-trivial sideplots so well I'm surprised it's not in the manga. Maybe an anime would fare better. Claire's POV during this arc was great, and Manaria got a lot more depth.

So Mu, as the farm director, has good relationships with people across the town. I think this chapter is evidence she deserves her job, whether or not she's unreliable for a lot of office-work.