Oh, I think Shimamura was definitely looking out to make sure she didn't run into Adachi's mother again, which is why she also faltered and repeated about the saunas, like she had about the gym in general etc. There's no question Adachikaasan would remember her, and it would be "what a pain" for Shimamura to have to deal with.

I think she was also looking out for her own mother a little too, with what was clearly good cause. (Also on that note, I'm sorry I didn't make that event with Shima's mom sneaking up in the pool clearer for everyone, somehow I understood the intent with how it was worded and didn't catch it should probably be clarified better.)

I knew it was her mother. I guess I can see why some might not have realized it was. It's been a while since the chapter where she did somethig similar. Shima even had a similar line. Telling her to act her age, if im remembering right.

I figured it out, but it did feel like I'd missed a paragraph somewhere. I had to reread it a it to make sure I hadn't missed something.

I think we all agree the hand there was clearly a metaphor for something less SFW.

Do you mean that what "really" happened under the blanket was Yuu fingering Mari? I definitely don't agree. I think she did exactly what was depicted on page, which was fondling Mari's hand in a suggestive way and letting her sub mind do the rest.

Eh, the reactions seemed way too extreme for that. Contrary to the running gag on these forums, holding hands is not the same thing as sex.

yuu x mari are so cute when they aren't doing kinky stuff.
That cliffhanger is killing me tho

They sure are but I definitely miss their kinky stuff

Yuu sure has tonedown sinceshe hang out with the MahiMahi.

I dunno, the movie theater wasn't that long ago in the grand scheme, and I think we all agree the hand there was clearly a metaphor for something less SFW. But also Mari's been bringing out Yuu's dere side more often lately.

oh also that Shimamura was self-conscious enough about changing with Adachi that she wore her swimsuit under her clothes to the mall, back from the mall, and then to the pool. Way back in volume 2 when she first went swimming at the pool she brought her swimsuit with her in her bag.

Is it self-conciousness, or is she just trolling? I feel like a lot of her behavior in this chapter makes a lot of sense if she realized -exactly- what Adachi said and meant during her outburst, and she's been turning it over in her head and has decided to tease out the details by hook or by crook.This definitely feels like she's aware of her reactions and is enjoying provoking them.

Also, I laughed so goddamn hard at the changing scene. Shimamura's little "ooh" and Adachi's mind exploding, and then nope, sorry kiddo, she's just enjoying the fan, she isn't even looking.

I literally am on the spectrum. I'm also finishing up the classes needed for a Psy minor (debating on going for a dual major for it starting this summer)

Being on the spectrum is valuable insight, but it isn't a qualification for diagnosis, and if you were actually seeking a career in psychology you should know that diagnosis is done by a -doctor-, so unless you have a few years of medical school in your back pocket, you can cool it with your umbrage at my suggestion that you aren't qualified to diagnose, because you're literally -not-.

Alright, let's play it your way. If it's a specialist's diagnosis you want, it's a specialist's diagnosis I'll get.

I feel like you're not understanding me. I'm probably not illustrating my point clearly enough.

I don't care about getting a specialist's diagnosis. I'm not arguing that she -isn't- on the spectrum, she might well be. When I made the point that no one here is qualified to give a diagnosis, that is the full breadth of my point.

Nobody reading and commenting has the training and qualification to give a diagnosis. Full stop, end of point. I wasn't trying to suggest that "therefore, your suggestion that she is autistic is wrong" I said what I meant and I didn't mean anything beyond what I said. At least as far as autism is concerned. I meant it when I said "She might be neurodivergent".

The claim I was explicitly trying to address, and I have clarified this twice now, is that she doesn't have multiple freaking personality disorder. That isn't just "on the spectrum", that's a serious psychosis, and she has exhibited no symptoms of it.

She is, however, a gay teen who is in both the closet and denial, who doesn't know how to deal with these feelings of wanting to look at the butt of the girl she likes, and it is perfectly normal for a person in that situation to lose their shit once or twice while trying to understand everything. It's not healthy to look at a child that doesn't know how to handle being in love for the first time and go "Well this kid CLEARLY needs psychological help!" It's like throwing a cast on someone's foot because they stubbed their toe.

Animate, what do you mean animate

Seconding this comment

"animate" is the name of a major anime/manga retail chain in japan. They sell DVDs, manga volumes, and all kinds of merch. If I was gonna guess, this is probably an exclusive insert that came with the tankoubon there.

(edit: Sorry to dash your hopes. ;p )

It's a combination of Anime and Mate

¬_¬

(not sure if serious)

Hey...
If memory doesn't fail me, last time we got a Haruka x Kanae chapter, Haruka gave Kanae a love letter where she fecking confessed to her.

What the hell happened after that?!? The obvious continuation should have been a chapter where Kanae sorts out her feelings, goes to meet Haruka and gives her a proper answer. Why are we suddenly back to gay-subtexty status quo?

Don't tell me the whole love letter development fell through a plothole... >:(

You're making some assumptions here. First, you're assuming the note was a confession, and not just an expression of affection. You're also assuming that Kanae took it as a confession, that she doesn't already know how she feels about it. I get that manga puts a lot of weight on confessions. They're very dramatic. But not all love stories have a confession. Sometimes two people just evolve from being close friends to being a couple, and there isn't really a "I like you do you like me" moment.

I took the note as more of a gesture of affection than an actual confession, personally. She didn't give a proper answer because it isn't seeking one.

Just japanese girls?

I assumed this was just a recurring theme in manga. Are there girls actually doing this in real life?

A major appearance change is not an uncommon way for people to move on to a new chapter in their life A girl cutting her hair as a way to close the door on an unhappy relationship isn't unusual in the US either.

Animate, what do you mean animate

Seconding this comment

"animate" is the name of a major anime/manga retail chain in japan. They sell DVDs, manga volumes, and all kinds of merch. If I was gonna guess, this is probably an exclusive insert that came with the tankoubon there.

(edit: Sorry to dash your hopes. ;p )

last edited at Feb 17, 2020 6:41PM

I'm just waiting for the joke to be that she's so happy after their wedding night sex that she loses her memories again.

It would be a joke in any case, but I once thought this might be a real possibility. We know that Arisa's original amnesia was triggered because she was so extremely happy (was it a marriage proposal?), so the spectre of a infinite-regress loop of [amnesia > recovery of memories > overwhelming happiness > amnesia] was certainly not out of the (wacky) question.

At this point I'm so invested in the happiness of these two darling uber-dorks that such an outcome now would be pretty horrifying. But the logic of the story's form of amnesia does imply the possibility.

Ah, but what if Mari realizes that it's her tears that brought back Arisa's memories, and the last panel is a "who are you?" "...I'll get the onions" joke? ;p

This looks a lot like a last chapter....
(Pls don't be it >.<)

Doesn't seem to be. As somebody mentioned already, the characters on the last page つづく mean "to be continued" For an ending, typically you'll see "Owari" おわり which is "The End"

"Don't you need to know how it works?"

Wait....Does...does mom have insight in this area????

Guys, Haru was introduced at the end of novel 2, and it was specifically mentioned that she reminded Sayaka of Yuu, so it make sense that there's a resemblence, It's not the author being sloppy or making all their characters look alike, it's an intentional coincidence.

And the dark skinned girl is only in the childhood part of the novels. most people don't end up with their childhood crush, contrary to the expectations engendered in us by romance manga.

Oh for fuck's sake--if a character is shown to have recently gotten a surprise short-hair makeover that completely changed the way she looks, then in a subsequent scene she is shown back looking the way she did before without any explanation (not even a short-hair wig lying on the floor) it's beyond fatuous to say "It's a manga--it's not supposed to be hyper-realistic."

Well, I don't see anyone else having problems understanding what was going on, so....

No, this is actually a narrative problem. Until she looked at her phone and the text from Maki, I legit thought the sex scene was a flashback. Ditching the wig with no visual cues actively confused my read of it. I don't think it's as big a deal as Blastaar does, but I do think it's a flawed choice.

"I'm the worst"

Me: Well, you're not wrong...

This is the next time we get her internal monologue, and, yeah, she starts with "you just got lucky, I'm the real talent", but "That was what I believed" makes it pretty clear she's admitting that she was -wrong-, and that's the turning point at which she changes the way she treats Maekawa for the rest of the story.

She admits she was wrong about thinking she was the best because she lost, not because she regretted her attitude. And so what if Maekawa won without trying as much? That's still being envious.
That's why she treats Maekawa this way now. Her ego has been hurt, it's not because of the deadline.
Let's agree to disagree lol. I still don't like her.

Nnnnnah, not agreeing to disagree. You're objectively wrong in your reading of the text. That page is clearly her admitting she was wrong about Maekawa's character. It has nothing to do with her loss back at the contest. "You got lucky, I'm the real talent" is her previous attitude, "That was what I believed" is her acknowledging Maekawa as the real deal, and from that moment, she changes her behavior.

I didn't say her ego wasn't ever hurt, or that she wasn't bitter about her loss. She clearly was envious. The point I am making is that this scene explicitly shows her growing -past- that and coming to respect Maekawa. It's literally the entire point of the scene.

I don't really care if you dislike her, you can dislike anyone you want for whatever reason. (I'm sure I'm doing myself no favors in that respect) But you should at least make sure you have read the scene correctly before coming to your conclusion.

All the people throwing around psychological conditions need to cool it, because it isn't productive to point at a teenager being a teenager and suggest that they're mentally ill. Especially when she isn't exhibiting any of the symptoms of that extremely specific and controversial mental illness.

Your honor, I'd like to show the court exhibit A:

the more i read, the more it seems that adachi is on the spectrum. so many little things that seem to fit. rocking when excited, difficulty understanding the nuances of jokes, etc. cute!

I could go back through the story and point out some examples on my own, but I haven't got to the point of ire yet that I want to. I'm getting close though.

If you actually look at the full context of my post, I am talking specifically to someone who is suggesting that Adachi has multiple personality disorder. Numerous people have suggested she needs a therapist. If this was just about "I feel like she might be on the spectrum" I wouldn't have said anything. People are suggesting that she has a severe psychosis because a gay fourteen year old lost her shit over a girl she likes.

Adachi -might- be neurodivergent, I seriously doubt anyone here is qualified to say so, but it is perfectly normal for a teenager, especially a queer teen, to have feelings for somebody, not know how to handle them on literally the first try, and have an irrational outburst over it. Moreso if their parents are distant.

I literally am on the spectrum. I'm also finishing up the classes needed for a Psy minor (debating on going for a dual major for it starting this summer)

Being on the spectrum is valuable insight, but it isn't a qualification for diagnosis, and if you were actually seeking a career in psychology you should know that diagnosis is done by a -doctor-, so unless you have a few years of medical school in your back pocket, you can cool it with your umbrage at my suggestion that you aren't qualified to diagnose, because you're literally -not-.

Adachi has no perspective, and weak communication tools. That's what this outburst was.

That's part of what being autistic is!

It's also part of what being a -child- is.

I don't think that Hinako is gay, she is most likely bi.

Considering her reaction to the mere thought of being loved by a man, even one she considers pretty much perfect, I highly doubt that.

Agreed, she's as gay as can be, she just doesn't know it yet.

I'm not convinced she doesn't know. I mean, it's possible she didn't know, but she definitely is aware that she has romantic feelings for Satou. She barely paused when Subaru suggested it, and is definitely checking Satou for interest the next day.

Stories about otherwise smart people who are clueless that they’re in love with each other are becoming my newest addiction.

(They’re very different stories, but I’m getting an Ebisu-san and Hotei-san hit off this one. Which to me is praise.)

I love Ebisu-san and Hotei-san so much. I've read it like 20 times. And yes, this series does carry a lot of that energy.

I think it’s possible Adachi has multiple personality disorder. In the beginning of the novel she was calm towards Adachi. It seems as time has gone on Adachi has became more attached to Shimamira. I’m guessing Adachi seeing Shimamira with that girl at the festival caused some sort of psychotic break.

No.

Look, I appreciate the need for awareness of mental health issues. But this is not multiple personality disorder. All the people throwing around psychological conditions need to cool it, because it isn't productive to point at a teenager being a teenager and suggest that they're mentally ill. Especially when she isn't exhibiting any of the symptoms of that extremely specific and controversial mental illness.

Adachi -might- be neurodivergent, I seriously doubt anyone here is qualified to say so, but it is perfectly normal for a teenager, especially a queer teen, to have feelings for somebody, not know how to handle them on literally the first try, and have an irrational outburst over it. Moreso if their parents are distant.

If a baby is hungry, it cries and wails, because the hunger is literally the worst thing the kid has ever felt, and crying is the only way it knows how to communicate. Adachi has no perspective, and weak communication tools. That's what this outburst was.

If this came from a 20 year old, then yeah, that girl needs therapy. But Adachi is a child. She needs guidance and advice so she can learn the right lessons.

For as well written as I find Uno-san - and I really do think she's incredibly well realized as a character, especially for a manga with a fairly cliche premise - I'm still not sold on Satou. She doesn't feel nearly as well written or realized or developed. I know we're only 5 chapters in so there's presumably still a lot of room for her to grow, but whether Satou is gay, or dense, or knows more than she lets on, if she likes Uno-san (she does), if she knows she likes Uno-san, etc. etc. I really hope she grows as a character soon.

Her sister, on the other hand? Great so far.

I think Satou is gay, and out to her sister, but resigned herself to the single life. Why? I don't know.

I dunno, the way she says "Hinako-san" here really feels to me like someone who has just caught on to something juicy. I'm open to being proved wrong, but right now I feel like that was the moment she realized the "Uno-san" her sister was so into was a woman.

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/crescent_moon_and_doughnuts_ch03#10

And jesus I continue to adore the best little sister in all of manga. "Alright, let's go wreck it!"

(Edit: It helps, when referencing a scene, if you remember to post the link. -_-; )

last edited at Jan 23, 2020 9:16AM

Yumeno is a pos.

Eh, she's in the middle of a deadline crunch, she's dealing with a block, she's frustrated, and she already didn't like Maekawa much. I think we're proably meeting her at her worst, and her worst really isn't that bad.

I would excuse her if this was the deadline, but in her inner dialogue she kept saying how she was the best of them all, and how she was annoyed that Maekawa won instead of her.
She's envious and jealous, but the author will redeem her too. There's not a single bad person in this manga.

I think you're misreading some of it? I think she was pretty much "redeemed" in this story. I mean, here:

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/still_sick_ch19#9

Leaving aside for now the "I'm a thoroughly worthless human being except for my manga", (she's definitely not a egotistical person overall, this is just the only thing she's got)

She's more upset at the way Maekawa downplayed the effort involved in winning? She's submitted repeatedly and kept striving to improve, and then here comes Maekawa with "Gee whiz I heard there was this contest thing so I figured I'd give it a shot." It's about first impressions. Maekawa came across as making light of something she'd worked really hard and strove for.

Then she only gets her shot because Maekawa (from her perspective) flaked out. That's not gonna make her look any better, and for somebody with already low self esteem, it's gotta be a bit of a bitter pill.

Later we get this:

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/still_sick_ch19#19

This is the next time we get her internal monologue, and, yeah, she starts with "you just got lucky, I'm the real talent", but "That was what I believed" makes it pretty clear she's admitting that she was -wrong-, and that's the turning point at which she changes the way she treats Maekawa for the rest of the story.

... I feel like I'm the only here who still comprehends that the obvious comedic nature of the plot seriously undermines any "the misunderstanding going on for so long is unrealistic" criticisms. Honestly, there have been manga where such a misunderstanding went on for much longer without that being a major complaint.

It isn't really about realism. It's about not liking the schtick for more than a brief gag. And at this point, Kanda has gone from awkwardly unsure how to reply to outright lying. It isn't fun reading about somebody that's lying to a girl in order to keep a relationship. Most of the time, when you have a plot like this, and it's meant to be funny, there's some other reason that the person can't reveal their secret: They're trapped in some larger web of lies. But here the only reason she's lying is to keep her girlfriend, and it isn't even clear that lying is necessary to keep her girlfriend. So instead of feeling sympathy for the girl that's trapped in a deception created by an accident, we feel frustrated at the girl who is using and lying to somebody to make herself feel good.

If there had been indications that the parents were opposed to a gay relationship, or if something was stoking her fears, it'd go a long way to building sympathy.

last edited at Jan 18, 2020 4:28PM

I feel this. It's already one of those stories for which I'll have to check in with myself before I read. (And I really appreciate that you said "some parts of the illness". We can't really diagnose, especially not with so little exposure.)

Temporary or not, the MC seems to me to be depressed in many of the moments the author chose to capture in chapter three, alone and with others present. To me she's suffering anxiety around her to identity and purpose that has rendered her vulnerable to depressive episodes.

It would be cool (albeit more painful) if "falling (mutually) in love" didn't serve as a magic bullet to resolve whatever is leading her to feeling low and troubled, but I do want to see a happy ending for her. (It would lift my spirits, ha-ha.)

It looks to me less like falling in love is a magic bullet so much as having someone accept and encourage her will be therapeutic.

Part of her problem seems to be a lack of people accepting her for who she is.