^^^^That certainly is different indeed...

last edited at May 4, 2019 6:19AM

YES!

Except Touko also states that she is doing the play for herself and because she wants to. This isn't just about Mio, but about Touko learning more about herself and about someone who was and is incredibly important to her. She even makes it a point to ask what her sister was like, not simply relying on what other's have already said and her own conclusions. In a way, the play and build up to the play functions as her grieving process, because she never really got to due to the expectations of others. She wanted to know more about her sister, and that's not a bad thing.

The whole point, or a main point, to the play was to accept that another person's view of you does not wholly define you. And to find yourself, to act on your own interests, even if what comes next is unknown and scary. Touko is still scared, still uncertain as her hand shakes while accepting and reciprocating Yuu's love, but her experiences lead her to discovering herself more and to gaining the ability to act or make the "choice".

You are quite right about this for the most part, but a lot of this are also changes that emerge long after she decides to do the play. You are absolutely right about the point of the play, but this from the standpoint of the story itself, not from Touko's. Touko does go into this with her original plan of simply accomplishing what her sister couldn't. The changes to how she views both the play and her sister come from Yuu's advice and from discovering that her sister was not as perfect as she always thought. The latter is also why she starts asking more about her sister, it would not have happened without being told how different they were.

Notice that there's almost nothing about the sister in the wake of the play, no return to the gravesite to tell Mio that her quest has finally been fulfilled or any other "putting the guilt to rest" scene, etc.--it's all about Touko going forward.

While this is true, it is hard to tell whether it's because there was no quest in the first place, or because of the change in Touko's way of thinking thanks to Yuu. And then there's the simple fact that the grave seems to be far enough away that she only really goes there when visiting the grandparents - we may still see her go there later, possibly with Yuu.

[...] and I don't think Rei was joking, at least not entirely.

Well, her reactions when Touko finally visits show that she did not really expect it to be true, but seeing how the two behave does remind her of her own words and make her suspicious. Even more so in the extra chapter where Touko's reactions pretty much confirm things for Rei, enough that she actually proceeds to send Touko a photo of Yuu sleeping. Would not put it past her to have been stealthily probing Yuu even with that initial comment, though, she's clearly well aware that this is a possibility as well.

I think Touko wanted to do the play because she felt it would bring her closer to understanding her sister. And through the play, she learned she herself likes acting. I call that a positive. I would assume their discussion to be about Touko, not her sister, again.

Well, yes, it is obviously about Touko, but nothing suggests it's specifically about her sexuality or whom she's dating, but rather talking about all the things they've kept to themselves, both Touko and her parents. While the play is what prompts this change, the words used by her parents ("We've said too little for too long...") show that it's not a talk about some sudden realizations based on her character's orientation, but rather about things left unsaid during the past years.

last edited at May 3, 2019 5:11AM

I think Touko's parents may already know, but not about Yuu of course. We didn't get to see it, but at the end of the play Touko's mother mentions to Touko's father about having a "family talk". And the play itself wasn't exactly subtle. Of course Koyomi wrote the script, but the script was uncanny with how accurate it was to Touko's character, and Touko's parents seemed to take the play as Touko's own words, prompting the need for a talk later.

You mean this? Seems more likely to be about her efforts to be like Mio than anything else.

I also agree that Yuu's mother will likely take the news hard, she may even reject Yuu and Touko at first. That said, if the story actually addresses familial/societal responses to homosexuality, in a well conducted way and to such an extent, I'll be surprised. With the other characters needed a conclusion and there being one final volume, I wonder if there will be room?

Well, Rei does think their mom might oppose it, but looking at the other times this has come up even jokingly, so far only Yuu's father has said anything at all about her possibly having a girlfriend, and even that was basically just admitting he wouldn't know what to do, while the rest of the family doesn't either seem to care either way or, in case of her sister, is clearly supportive.

Admittedly, we don't know all that much about what either family is like, though, especially when it comes to their attitude towards same sex relationships.

^Now, I agree with you on the Wataten doujin, but an aphrodisiac is a drug.

As for the story itself, it's a weird borderline case where both sides of the argument can be correct to an extent, seeing how Anne did indeed try to have Grea drink the love potion, but on the other hand her thoughts earlier show that she did not do so with the intent to take advantage of Grea, but rather just to test its effects, not really considering where it would logically lead from there.

Emphasis on her feet lifting off the ground, anyone?

I believe it implies that Yuu is finally the one who initiates the kiss

She initiated the kiss for the first time when she confessed, though.

Ah, Yuri is so adorable here. ^_^

Just in case I'll leave this here
(https://randomc.net/image/Koi%20wa%20Ameagari%20no%20You%20ni/Koi%20wa%20Ameagari%20no%20You%20ni%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2003.jpg)
Koi wa Ameagari no You ni

First thing I thought of when I saw the guy as well. :D

last edited at Apr 30, 2019 9:25AM

@BugDevil Well, 99%, there's also Mei Fon who really loves money. ;)

Reminds me of the people that said that Valkyrie Drive wasn't a yuri show. Seemingly women sexually pleasuring other women was something straight girls did wherever those people came from.

Dammit, you almost made me choke on my tea... How is that even possible? o_O

^Don't worry, while in reality it may be Rei, she's only just standing at the door... with a camera.

^We all do...

I really do want to see Kana's thoughts, yes. It certainly seems suspicious that we haven't had the chance yet, although every time I think this, her completely clueless face makes me doubt myself again. Well, only one way to find out...

At first, I read "this is the thing I gave you" as "this is the thing I gay you".

Not really wrong either. :P

They're just teasing the poor girl now...

So which perverted mind misspelled black hole as backhole in the tags?

Prettier than the fireworks. Yeah, Chiaki truly loves these boobs.

Actual bullying, yeah, she wouldn't stand for that.

But yes, it may be simply due to having re-read Tadokoro-san too many times, but that Nikaidou moment immediately came to mind, especially with Asuka on page 3 being an almost exact copy of that panel.

^Right after posting, I did remember this being mentioned before, yes. Although it's still interesting how it goes the other way in this, as I don't remember Asuka showing quite this harsh a stance against talking about someone behind their back in the original. :D

Asuka suddenly reminds me of Nikaidou. :D

The demons sure gets cute on the bottom. ^_^

I really don't see her waiting much longer for the more erotic stuff after this. :D

Yandere alert.