I assumed it was the Santa costume and if there's drama coming it will be from Keiko. Ran doesn't have the slightest interest in men.

Yeah, I also thought the costume was a reasonable option, but somehow still doubted.

And when Keiko finds out Ran's got a present at work, she might become jealous/possessive. So now that Ran "knows" about Keiko's past again from the guys at work, this might as well somehow trigger a painful conversation between the two. You see, it's three sides (Ran, Keiko, guys at the bar) getting connected with each other twice (christmas present, Keiko's recent past). Makes you think something can blurt out of that. But this is pure speculation of course.

The drama might as well come from Ran's past (http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/stretch_ch08#7) - someone close to her family likely died there. Probably due-to the 2011 Touhoku Earthquake.

And I also keep thinking that what Saki really meant in this last chapter was that Keiko needs Ran to care for instead of her lost baby. She wanted it so badly after all. So it's like they both care for each other because they both have lost something dear and precious recently. Not because they love each other romantically. Ugh, so complicated... but that's why I really like this manga.

I'm curious about the present, that Saeki received at work. It's from the same guy, right? I sense drama approaching from that direction. And I'm afraid that "The End" marks the end of the peaceful, cheerful, yuri-teasing events, and the comeback of the main storyline in the next episode. May be I'm wrong though.

I guess "pesudointellectual" is a term people use to make themselves look smarter. All I'm seeing is pretty straightforward character development, like any good writer does.

True. But hate to admit that it is still a breath of fresh air in the industry. His characters are very realistic, which makes it easier to relate to them. Ran reminds me of one girl so much that sometimes I feel like Saeki was written from her.

Wonder why Keiko never wears skirts at work.

Is it over? Or is this going to be updated? I got really confused by the end

it's not over, next chapter is on 25th of September

last edited at Sep 7, 2014 1:23PM

So the anime for this series is confirmed! Can't believe to watch Morishima's art animated!
http://yurikuma.jp/

Not to wind on your parade, but, aren't your goggles a little too tight?

may be they are, but they are my goggles, and I'm the one to wear them, right? I'm not forcing them on anyone. Just sharing thoughts on the manga that I like. And of course I feel excited that I'm not the only one to notice something about Ran's parents. Because I like to speculate. Whether speculations come true or not - I don't even care as much. I enjoy the process, sort of. Just like I don't care much whether there will be canon yuri or not in this manga. I don't even mind het if the end is overall satisfying. It's a josei manga after all.
Feel free to break the goggles though. As I said I really enjoy speculation, but I expect at least some proof references. They don't have to be 100% failsafe, mines are not either. But at least they should help to express the grounding of your position, to understand your reasoning.

last edited at Aug 17, 2014 1:54PM

Really? I don't notice that. Maybe i should reread again. Thanks for the hint

it's probably because of these:
http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/stretch_ch06#8
http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/stretch_ch06#9
http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/stretch_ch10#17
http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/stretch_ch13#7

So one may interpret this as:
she went to see her parents for the golden week, was at the sea wearing all black, the picture of her parents has her dad's face hidden in highlights, and she said her mom's much better now, and... you get the point.
At least that's how I also read it at first, but after I realised that because of the earthquake she was calling Keiko in ch.6, not her mom (she said "Good night, mom" to the bar owner, not to her actual mom on the phone), I came to read the story line in a somewhat different light:
Ran went to see her parents for golden week, went to the sea and remembered Keiko's graduation, how they parted ways in the past but eventually got back to live together.
I think Saeki's genuinely happy and actually has conscious feelings for senpai. She totally missed Keiko over the holidays. That's why Ran remembered senpai while watching at the sea. It made her feel lonely. And it seems she finds herself safe and secure enough to fall asleep with a smile on Keiko's laps. To the point that her home is now here, not at her parent's place
As for her dad... well, there's still a possibility that he did die, or her granddad, or her mother was sick. There must be a reason for that dialogue in ch.13. But what exactly happen, we'll only find out later, hopefully soon. Whatever the case is, it certainly lands on the family-parents-living-together-home theme.

Sorry for the long post, I'm terrible at pexressing my thoughts in short phrases ^_^"

now, I'm probably just overthinking this, but could this ch.0 flashback have a similar meaning as ch.14 dream? Keiko's hitting on Ran! LOL, imagine, what a possible teasing foreshadowing! xDDD

And overall I'm really happy with the manga. It's probably one of the best reads for me. Though my list's certainly very poor. But I really enjoy this family-like relationship with a somewhat teasing yuri subtext. Hope it stays like this till the very end. They are so cute together!

3rd chapter in Chinese:
http://www.0055.net/manhua/10465/list_120842.htm
it's ubercute again... and you can try reading it in Engrish with google translate and a camera on your mobile phone

well, if anyone's interested, here's the 2nd chapter in Chinese... too sad not even Japanese raws are available anywhere...
http://www.0055.net/manhua/10465/list_118470.htm

there's a Japanese summary for it here:
http://yuuki101percent.hatenablog.com/entry/2014/03/29/195615

In fact, if you understand Japanese, you can find summaries for the first 4 chapters. Ubfortunately my Japanese is too poor to translate it to something readable... so... we can only wait and hope...

but the 2nd chapter is SO cute

still no new chapter T__T

A lot of that looks reasonable, but I think it's a bit early yet to have any kind of certainty about these things

Of course, this is nothing but my personal speculation. And even though it's based on quite the analysis of Ikuhara's earlier works, it's still only one chapter that we have read. True. Besides, as far as I can tell we don't even have all characters introduced yet. So all I wrote above should be taken with a grain of salt, naturally.

Also, there's the issue of it having some connection to Penguindrum, which had a different take on some of those concepts

There's no issue with connection to Penguindrum - it has never been announced to exist anywhere in the first case. The only "connection" we have now is Ikuhara's picture blog at http://penguinbear.com, where he up till now has only been uploading production news relevant to both mangas - Penguindrum and Yuri Kuma Arashi Storm. And both are published in the same magazine.

Well, there's another notable similarity, which is the use of the "transparency" symbol, that was introduced in Mawaru Penguindrum (or at least I don't remember it being used in Utena). And this definitely makes sense as both series seem to share the same theme ruled by that "transparent" metaphor - being unneeded, being rejected by society. However, unlike MP, that focused more on family and parents sin aspects (should entire family be held responsible/punished for the sin of a single family member), YKA brings homosexuality to the front. That's one reason why I think the family aspect may rise in YKA too - not all parents are willing to accept deviant sexuality of their children. But well, this really is speculation of higher order than everything I wrote above.

BTW, here's the Japanese summary for ch.2:
http://yuuki101percent.hatenablog.com/entry/2014/03/29/195615

UPD:
Now that I keep thinking about it... MP also had bears in it... There were two huge ones (dark and white) in the PotC world. The white one represented the end of the world, since this is where PotC kept appearing from. The dark one most likely represented the beginning of the world - this is where the guys appeared every time. There were as well tiny versions of those, which were used in the last episodes by Sanetoshi. And there was at least one in the shop where Himari looked for threads (ep.17) - san-chan knitted a bear and a penguin. But then again, it pretty much points to the fact that PotC, Sanetoshi, and the guys were from the outside of the world from the very start.

last edited at Apr 1, 2014 8:09PM

WOAH! Ikuhara, you rock as always!
Here's the metaphoric alphabet I captured from the first chapter. It should help you decipher the meaning behind the lines.

arche = beginning, origin
telos = end, purpose, intention, goal

be transparent = to be not needed = to have no telos (purpose) in life, no reason to live = to be normal = to not stand out

bear = someone outstanding, out of norm, deviant = gay/lesbian = someone extraordinary = someone special
bear = beginning and end of the world = outside the world's shell (watch Utena for the reference) = outside the boundaries of the world as the person perceives it = outside the norms set by a society

to be eaten by a bear = to have the world's shell broken/to break the world's shell = to see the boundaries of the current world, step outside, discover a new world for oneself = coming out = accepting yourself for who you are

to find someone = to find someone despite them being transparent = to find someone special = to make someone needed = to create a reason for living for someone = to become a soul mate for someone = to see someone standing out, not normal, someone from the end of the world = to love someone

last edited at Mar 28, 2014 10:00PM