Whooosh, what can I say, took me a while to gather my thoughts as there's so much I want to write... so I'll probably just start.. Sorry it's gonna be a long read. Wish I could join back all the discussions here last year while the translation was ongoing. Reading all of your comments after every chapter/volume was entertaining and interesting.
About the last chapters:
While I do relate to Adachi A LOT, her relationship with her mom is something completely beyond my understanding. Was I lucky enough to have my mom more of a Shimamama type, I wonder? Which is why the 2nd chapter of Volume 10 hit me almost as hard as the last chapter of the anime special. It's just too cruel and brutal. I hope with time they will find a way to make piece. I'm glad that at least Adachi's mom now has Shimamura's mom as her friend, so she can get to know how well her daughter's doing. Gees, that last part of the chapter was very.. VERY hard to read. I might skip it next time I reread it.
And honestly, I hope the tone of the coming chapters becomes a bit less depressing and dramatic, and instead a tad bit brighter and romantic. I don't know what sensei was/is going through while writing these, but it feels like the reality might have been harsh on him. And one thing I most definitely DON'T want to read about is either Gon's death or anyone else's death...
On the positive side, the 2nd chapter is basically like the night before Adachi and Shimamura are getting married)) Shimamama's words to Adachi over the phone shows just how much she loves her daughter. That was really sweet to read. Now Shima's all yours Adachi, hehe.
About anime special chapters:
After I read it the first time, I was crying for two weeks straight. After all the fluff, especially in the first volumes, chapter 4 of the specials has completely knocked me out. Partly because I kinda relate to Shimamura's fears of staying alone - those seeds were carefully planted back in Gon's chapters of Volume 6, developed in the mist chapters of Volume 8, and here they pierced through my very heart and soul.
But at the same time it was very sweet to realise to which extent Shimamura ended up loving Adachi - she literally confessed that had she been given another chance, she'd have gone for it again and again, in fact she asked Yashiro to make sure it happens so. That was a truly proper closure to her love. Shimamura: more Adachi please in my next life.
And yet, despite this bittersweet message, reading chapter 4 is too hard for me. Every time I do it, the only way out of the heavy feelings and emotions I experience is to rewatch the anime. It's actually kinda funny to think what if the whole intention behind writing the anime special chapters was to force you to rewatch the anime))
About Yashiro:
Her name and the way she is introduced in the anime seems to imply that rather than an alien, she's a deity, a kami perhaps. I never really understood what kind of deity thought. A deity of Adachi and Shimamura's love/universe? A deity of Shimamura's relaxing attitude? Yashiro's name's kinda funny if you attempt to literary translate the kanjis. Something like a shrine (yashiro) of weed of a wise oneself (chikama) lol. And she kinda proves her name with actions throughout the story. She's there to calm everyone down, especially Shimamura, every time Adachi's gay weirdness comes into play. I keep asking myself, would Shimamura really make it without Yashiro. And maybe there also was a previous AdaShima occurrence too?
About Nagafuji and Hino:
Damn, I really want some closure to these two. It's fine even if they don't end up together, although I'd prefer them to of course. But I need at least some kind of closure. Almost as badly as I wanna read about AdaShima's first kiss and first time)) Ok, ok, I'm exaggerating here but you get my point.
About Shou:
I wonder what was it about her last years - why were they hectic? And what was her whole life about? Did she end up being single? And no kids were mentioned either, right? That's really a pity that Shimamura's line ends with her. Actually this whole kids/children topic is also brought in volume 6 I think for the first time. It's really, really sad the nature doesn't have an answer to this problem for humans. And I guess that's what partly also hurts when reading the anime specials. The moment I start thinking how Shima's mom would want to have grandchildren makes me cry. Yashiro SURE is needed there for all of the Shimamura girls...
About Shimamura:
Her character. Is it just me, or is she really different in anime and in the novels? She is so deeeeep in the novels and yet so light and casual in the anime. Is it translation specifics - I hear her so differently in my head when I read the novel! Or is it wrong voice casting or even a director's mistake in character depicting? Or is it how Shimamura really is - so light on the outside and at the same time so deep on the inside?
Also, when I think about Shimamura's deeper inner side, Saeki Ran from Stretch comes to mind for some reason. I could even imagine Shimamura getting addicted to alcohol if she could handle it AND if she lost her Adachi.
And probably the craziest association, Shimamura somewhat resembles me of Agnetha from ABBA. Oh well, not that it matters in any way, just a fun fact of my weird perception.
Anything else left on my mind:
I kinda hope we get Tarumi closure in this Volume 10. I absolutely adore how Shima's love for Adachi is developed and well-written, Shimamura getting gradually invested more and more, step by step, with every chapter. And we sure know how deep the investment goes at the end. So delaying Tarumi's rejection any further makes no sense.
Also, I'd love to read AdaShima coming out to family and friends. I guess they are quite obvious to everyone around, but I really wanna read about the reactions, how does each one of them take it in.
And maybe it'd be interesting to read a bit about Adachi's dad.
It's a bit sad that we're now jumping back and forth on the time line though. I wish the story would get back a bit of time lineraity as it did in the first volumes. But that could be quite a challenge, especially in the light novel business when you never know when they will get cut.
