I think it's because of the cultural difference, but in our country, no one hates Shiho like this. Everyone wants Shiho to be happy with Aki. So this chapter (43) is one of the most appreciated chapters in the whole series

Yeah I've tried to discuss that reality before but to middling effect. Yeah they're very popular. There's a reason they've had the focus for so long.

My take on this chapter:

I liked this resolution. They're starting over and now have the ability to build a romance if they want to over time, since Aki's realized that she no longer is hung up on her past romance and is therefore open to a new one (she realized this a couple chapters ago). Aki's deciding to be open to a relationship again with someone she never wanted to lose in the first place and whatever form that winds up taking over time, is whatever. It'll likely end up romantic though, especially since Shiho still likes her and the only real impediment back then had been Aki's old crush.

This is how I wanted it to end, not really a confession of love but a rekindling of something unnecessarily lost. They both apologized but most importantly, finally got all their feelings and emotions out. Now they're free to work together and start a new relationship again, free of unrequited loves and unnecessary pressures

last edited at Jul 21, 2023 8:19AM

This dynamic of seemingly outwardly cold, but that being a misread of the person's internal monologue contrasted with a person frustratedly obsessed with the love they share to a degree that is unhealthy to both parties... It hits too close to home, and I'm glad it was written

Agreed! Their dynamic is very interesting here and in the novels.

last edited at Jul 20, 2023 7:14AM

This manga feels like it has potential but at the same time feels so empty/rushed, with a lot of ideas but none of them actually developed or executed right, I don't know man

Well it's passed 100 chapters and going, so it's developing it's story with some purpose. What ideas feel undeveloped so far? I feel like their dynamic is pretty clear, there's a lot not said but what's not said seems intentional so far.

This is apparently so popular on Line Manga. Can't wait to see more of it over time, hopefully with this situation explained more. Looking at the chapter count, its gonna be a burn for sure (at least for the central romance).

last edited at Jul 19, 2023 6:45PM

It's a shame that actual good stories don't translate as fast as this...

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Plenty of people love Kyoukano (including me, or I wouldn't translate it so fast).

Sure... But A LOT also hate her work... and I see a lot of criticism about the author writting skills in here and at 4chan.

Damn. I bet Iwami Kiyoko would be devastated to hear that channers hate her work. Heartbroken, even.

4-Chan and Dynasty (or forums in general) have a lock on literary quality, masses be damned. Making a popular series like this is easy, any writer could do it, so they say. Yet, somehow, "any writer" doesn't do it.

But anyway, this series could go in any direction and that makes each chapter drop so interesting. I'm really looking forward to re-reading this series once it's done, so I can pick its brains a bit. So many decisions from the author that make it work, but it's hard to analyze them all while in motion.

last edited at Jul 19, 2023 2:00PM

That's either how you meet some version of a best friend, a love or an enemy--they chose, frenemy. No wonder she loves to have a laugh at Hiroko's expense lol.

last edited at Jul 19, 2023 1:01PM

Nan Zhi has a really scientific mindset. She has formulated a falsifiable hypothesis ("sex and intimacy feel boring and empty") and dedicated herself to falsifying it. How would you know whether it is truly false unless you have sex with your best friend's little sister at least 10 times? It's for science!

If anything is for science, it's certainly this!

This bunch of idiots... :D

And obvious couple confirmed to be a couple.

.....i swear to god i had no idea they were a couple

They were so obvious that it wrapped back around into "maybe I'm seeing things" territory.

I really just saw them as a "friendship through one of them not liking how the other is being treated" deal

Yeah fair. Kasumi was always major crushing though. I just assumed they were getting together a bit later. This is a cooler result.

last edited at Jul 17, 2023 7:00PM

This bunch of idiots... :D

And obvious couple confirmed to be a couple.

.....i swear to god i had no idea they were a couple

They were so obvious that it wrapped back around into "maybe I'm seeing things" territory.

I also feel that her not speaking can be the into of a route in which Aizawa is not actually dead, and while terribly cliche, I'm a huge sucker for this shit, so I'm also kinda hoping for that to happen. I've commented something along those lines before, but if shenanigans were to happen and Aizawa woke up alive and then spoke her first words to Michi, I'd absolutely love it.

Some YuYu Hakusho trials before getting back to her body? I'd be down for that.

I think it ends at chapter 78, based on what someone else said. Then we'll likely get volume extras.

I mean, there's possibly that, but by some of their comments, especially the "most bland, irrelevant, waste of time" comment, I'd say it's less about yuri or not and more just NeoCervantes really not getting along with iyashikei.

I thought so too but they focused on the physical intimacy so that seems to be their central issue. They also seemed to define yuri based around whether it has physical intimacy/clear romantic labels. It feels like they're fine with slice of life/healing stuff as long as there is kissing or someone declares the other their girlfriend etc., as though the lack of physical intimacy or labeling of their relationship made this series "irrelevant," but who knows. Maybe they'll clarify.

last edited at Jul 16, 2023 5:25PM

@NeoCervantes... And then there's ones like this that is totally full of the love between 2 girls- and just because it isn't portrayed in a specific way, you dismiss it.

It's funny that they're missing the whole point of the series, but as you said, that's their right. I'm shocked someone could say this is a series not about romance, but I guess it presents too differently for them. That or they're confusing romance with sexual intimacy.

last edited at Jul 16, 2023 3:04PM

Author did a wonderful job creating a series that challenges the need (or purpose) of labels. They're relationship is so effortless and comfy and Kasumi especially has always been so confident and assured of their future together that labels never really mattered, actions did. Their actions have always been "official" whether they label it that or not. Will be sad when it's finished.

"trust me dress up like the woman who broke her heart it will be hilarious"

Yeah, that's got me wondering whether any of the women at the bar are actually her friends...

They probably just don't really know what happened with that relationship and how its affected Hiroko. She keeps things close to the chest. I think they know she had a break up at work but not too many specifics. They always say stuff like "she had a bad break up at work" but not anything more direct than that.

last edited at Jul 15, 2023 10:58AM

Well that was something of a departure from previous chapters, I guess I don't mind but not much happened :P except some fuel for the Hatomori x Ruri ship

I imagine that aside from feeding the fans of that pair, it is also a good way to segway into explaining why Miyako quit being an idol and such.

That and: it formally introduced the 3 other group members, as real characters moving forward; it hinted at a potential complication between Ruri and Miyako's departure/relationship; it also implied some issues with Ruri's overworking herself or feeling some kind of pressure; finally, it reintroduced and progressed Ruri and Hato's relationship, and more. I'd say a lot of setting up was done here (especially for such a relaxed manga) and with some context for earlier things like the manager's weird look from the end of that previous chapter.

last edited at Jul 14, 2023 5:23PM

Not only does Ruri keep visiting Hato-san, she's also noticing her interests and making sure to get exactly the cookies she was agonizing over... As much as she may protest, Hato-san will sooner or later find herself in a relationship as well.

They definitely are getting closer. She's there so often, she might leave a toothbrush soon.

That's right. The three people in front all need drums, and get a larger hi-hat for the guitarist.

What the fuck is Ren cooking?

She's wingwomaning and getting her girl, so she's cooking up relationships.

Which of those bar women thought it was a good idea to have Ayaka dress up as Hiroko’s first love? That’s some horror movie shit right there.

Lol "tell her to dress like Senpai, give her the wig. No, don't worry...it'll be hilarious!"

Those bar friends are hilarious. Even they called out how wild it was for her to shout that in the office. They did sort of set up Ayaka, here but they probably didn't know how traumatic that experience was for Hiroko (she hides a lot of her feelings, after all). It's nice to know that the system didn't completely chew up Senpai. She landed on her feet and made something of herself. Plus: based on her experiences, she gives some solid advice, something no one else around Ayaka could give obviously.

last edited at Jul 13, 2023 2:24PM

Subtext my ass, she missed her hot girlfriend.

Haha yeah, not really subtext. I guess because she didn't verbalize it outright.

last edited at Jul 10, 2023 8:20AM

I don’t dislike this story, but I don’t understand its message! Is the character mourning over the loss of a beloved one? I know that I am not hungry when depressed! Is she feeling great loss too?

She couldn't eat and didn't understand why her appetite had dried up. She met who was likely her crush for lunch, after having not seen her for a bit. It seems they'd had a habit of eating together but couldn't for a while. Afterwards, she realized that she'd eaten her entire plate of food while talking with that crush (who seemed to be flirting with her as well). It ends with her planning a meetup (or date) with that crush and she's now feeling better. The idea is that her loss of appetite was either caused by not seeing her loved one or cured by reconnecting with her loved one. Simply being with her crush allowed her to eat an entire meal, without even realizing it, like time passing with someone you care about.

There's other touches: such as her talking about how "eating your favorite food should make you feel better", which implies she had been feeling down; the two panels where she has dog ears and wags her tail sadly, after seeing her crush from afar, then happily, when her crush is there; her friend noticing that she's now "back to normal" after the cafeteria, etc. Her crush also seems to have an inkling of the affect she has, and teases her with it--hence the title (kind of dual meanings). Seems pretty wholesome on first read.

last edited at Jul 9, 2023 8:42PM

Sometimes it really is like that.

...And I feel like you really do need to assess what kind of yuri you're reading sometimes in order to be able to read it with the correct lens, differentiating between Class-S, Old-School Yuri, and Modern Yuri.

You're 100% right, in a way; although, I'm honestly a little uncomfortable classifying things by "old school yuri" and "new school yuri," even though I understand your point, generally agree with it and am not criticizing you at all! The reality is that there are still many people going through this very thing everyday all across the world. There will likely never be a time where there aren't people questioning their place in the world, based on societal expectations and norms. Then, as a result, making confused, capricious choices. It's not really an outdated or old concept; and this story in particular has done a lot, I think, to show that neither Eri, Kyou or Fuyuki are really "bad people" or intending any harm. They're all confused and trying to muddle through complex emotions but still all genuinely love each other and mean well for each other. So, seeing a character(s) struggling with these issues and classifying them as a bitch (etc., etc.) just always seems odd to me.

eri is the poster child for comphet.

She really might be. Also agree about the writing!

last edited at Jul 9, 2023 8:29AM

People will really see a girl who due to growing up in a heteronormative environment doesn't realise there's really an option beyond having a boyfriend or not having a boyfriend and think to themselves wow what a bitch.

Like yeah she's not being a good friend or partner right now, and yes she is stringing him along but like Eri herself is saying "I'll fall fall in love eventually please just wait until then" like she genuinely believes this is it, that this is what she is meant to do and like yes that means she's a bad partner but no it does not mean she's being bad partner on purpose.

100%. Fully agreed. It's hard to discuss, so I normally avoid it but it's always interesting seeing so much of what I'd describe as lacking empathy about issues I'd have thought people would be more sensitive to. But I agree, she seems to be unaware that her entire focus is locked to Fuyuki. Even her reason for trying with Kyou is "maybe this will keep Fuyuki with me now." Kyou clearly picks up on it (and is jealous), and Fuyuki, as well; but, Eri does not understand herself very well. She has a dependence on Fuyuki that she's likely rationalized as simply "best friend/saviour" dependence but might be more than that. This could be why a crossroads set by Fuyuki's getting a girlfriend (and seemingly trying to move on) might serve as a catalyst for a change, whether good or bad.

I could also piggyback off something Cogito mentioned. This chapter again hints at Fuyuki's over protection of Eri and possibly Fuyuki's wrong reading of Eri. I couldn't help but think of that earlier comment, when Kyou mentioned how much Fuyuki protects Eri, and how upset Eri was that Fuyuki wasn't honest about her discomfort with the new "boyfriend." I don't know that Fuyuki has as good a grasp on Eri and what she needs, as much as she wants to believe she does. Which leads into what happens in chapter 5 and 6, with the "keeping feelings from her" idea.

last edited at Jul 9, 2023 9:04AM

On another subject, I can't recall if this was discussed before: I was just today rereading some older works by Sal Jiang and I was surprised to find that this one is like a oneshot version of Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko! Even the name of the main character is Ayaka, and she's an obvious prototype of the blonde we know and love. The senpai she likes is not really Hiroko, though. (She's much better.)

Oh right, had forgotten that one. Yeah that was a precursor one shot. I don't know if that was discussed in this thread though. I liked that one too, when I read it a while ago! It summarizes all the shenanigans that happens in this manga.

That version of Ayaka also talks about all her attempts to get her senpai to realize her flirting. The oneshot's events seem like her last straw (guess that version of Ayaka never busted down the office doors and declared her love). She even mentions the off the shoulder dress, which got mentioned in this recent newer chapter! Senpai still caring but not picking up on it. So, same two people but really cool to see Sal blow that up into a piece with more going on. You can see the intended natures of the characters there.

Forgot to mention this one is also about them (or early versions of them). Same dynamics: I Drew Some Yuri

last edited at Jul 8, 2023 3:57PM