this is gonna hurt...

Um, she seems pretty gay to me — that face on page 15... I keep coming back to this one ‘cause I like the way they interact. Reminds me a little of It Would be Great if you Didn’t Exist which seems to be on hiatus between seasons. I miss it.

last edited at May 24, 2018 5:52PM

Arisa will drink during the reception and then just dom Mari with all she’s got

I feel unsettled. I mean, they do this as a sort of play so pick your poison. But I’m a little mad... I think.

This would be more romatic if the OL wasn't groping and pushing her face into the breasts. xD but totally cute, still.

"Romantic" and "three sheets to the wind" tend not occur simultaneously. ʅ ( • ε • ) ʃ
But the meaning was properly communicated... ( ͡¬ ͜ʖ ͡¬)

At least it makes sense how she ended up in there this time and Momoi did hold her there so... But yes, conveniently mutual.

last edited at May 1, 2018 3:09PM

Well, it worked out I guess, but still... Don't kiss sleeping people.

I would too.

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/bloom_into_you_ch31#37 The bottom of this page is so telling on so many levels. On one hand, obviously, there's the subtext that she hadn't even thought about what comes after the play. On the other, that outburst? That's something she would NEVER have let slip when she had her front up.

Ah, that's what it was. I was wondering why that panel stood out to me so much, when in context it seemed to fit in perfectly as comedic Touko.

Must point out that pages 39 and 40 Yuu is holding onto the crutches, the remnants of Touko's weakness in the play. Just more symbolism of how she's afraid of being left behind.

I found the play an odd mixture of satisfying and unsettling. Satisfying because the play by itself, if it were to be performed in reality, is satisfying and hits all of its themes well. Unsettling because, of course, real life is not a story and neither Touko nor Yuu have resolved anything, despite the play's conclusion. I think the play is actually not the climax, none of it, at least not in the way we'd usually think of a climax. It's reading like a subversion of that idea. Hospital-girl couldn't just choose a side of her to live the rest of her life as, and neither can Touko finish the play and perform that part forever, no matter what it was. She needs to choose who she becomes, not have it scripted for her.

Best of all, and I mean that non-sarcastically, nothing is resolved yet change still occurs. Touko's parents come to the realization they could be more supportive, the play director learns an unknown something about the situation, there's the sense of finality and passing with Touko crying, and a reminder that life continues, with Yuu's very understandable fears of losing Touko.

I think I just love that very real feeling of a performance, event, ritual, milestone completed, and knowing it doesn't mean a thing yet knowing it's also endlessly significant.

I fully agree with your assesment that the play is not the climax, but a moment of realization for everyone yet for Yuu she believes that this is the end of her part. Not just fear of losing Touko, Yuu believes she already has. And from here the story will mostly focus on Yuu.

I don't want to speculate as I think there are many viable directions the story can take here, but I do not think Touko and Sayaka will end up together. Right now I'm just sad due for Yuu and her assumption while hoping that we don't get different romance endings for the anime and manga.

when I read those "bruh stop going after girlz" lines my reaction was "stop being such a shitty person to the gay girl, creepy bastard!" then the older girl went and "yo hands off ma gerl dud" and me be like "oh, that works too! Way to go, older lady!"

ikr, it was too much even for a joke. I was like, the Heck dude! mind ur own business

when I read those "bruh stop going after girlz" lines my reaction was "stop being such a shitty person to the gay girl, creepy bastard!" then the older girl went and "yo hands off ma gerl dud" and me be like "oh, that works too! Way to go, older lady!"

i'm so descriptive

Oh come on, guys like that are the real best friend. They will insult you (and your ancestors) when ever they have a chance, but in the hard time, they are the one who support you the most.
In this case, the guy was just an air head and teases the black hair girl. Like my friends teasing each other "Bro you will never get a wife, become a gay already"

No, there is a big difference between having a "brutally" honest friend and knowing someone who is insensitive and disrespectful. Teasing is one thing, but his attitude and hands-on approach was controlling and forceful -- that's no friend and the story calls out his wrongful behavior. The girl's male "friend" may have good intentions, but he basically tells her to change her interests, of which he doesn't take seriously, and just date men as otherwise she won't find her own happiness.

As for your friend's comment, he's marginalizing homosexuality as if it is some consolation prize. I understand your argument and offcolor comments between friends can certainly be just a quirk in the friendship. However, most people really don't like jerks. I don't and have always found guys like that obnoxious. I especially dislike guys who feel they have some right to just touch you whenever they want to.

last edited at Apr 27, 2018 4:08AM

I love this author hope hope he draws some lewd stuff in the future

Tamamusi is female.

So cute, but what does the term gap moe mean? :3

Gap Moe is when a character severely contradicts their usual or expected personality and or appearance. Shuninta Amano's Behind Thick Frames part of "The Structural Formula of First Love" is a great example of appearance gap moe.

last edited at Mar 30, 2018 10:46PM

So their relationship was saved, by a work call? I give them another three months tops.

I call it a difference between loving and being in love. Even in long term healthy relationships, those involved won't always be in love with each other. However, one little spark, new perspective, piece of information or so on reignites the passion that defines being in love as opposed to simply loving a partner. Breakups happen too where one still loves the other, but that in love element is gone. And sometimes relationships go on for too long, because the differences in love are not recognized or one does not want to recognize that their love has changed.

That or much more simply, she was being playful with her words.

last edited at Mar 30, 2018 12:18AM

Player character with no emotions is bad. First one was bad, this is bad too. At least she said yes to other girl.

It's not that she has no emotions, just the expression of love to a single person, or even simply romantic love doesn't process with her. If there is a wrong, then could it not be those that project their feelings, desires, and expectations onto her?

This reminds me a little bit of Even When a Stray Lamb is Weary without the depression and social disconnect.

All I want is for Touma-kun to end up falling in love for real with the most plain looking and apathetic girl in school

I'm thinking Touma-kun is going to get lonely real quick.

last edited at Mar 24, 2018 8:50PM

Agreed, I don't think she's a player, just very much unwitting to her situation.

I dunno, I'd feel put out if the girl I asked out only accepted me immediately after the girl she really loved rejected her. Then again, she gives up at the slightest problem so more infatuation than love.

Happened to be listening to Mozart's Requiem while reading this... Introitus...
Forgive me for I have sinned.

last edited at Mar 15, 2018 10:32PM

At this point, this is just me trying to deny the fact that Tsubasa might like guys, or might have gone out with a guy.

Your mind is just tainted by all the manga and doujins you read. These Japanese comic books do often overexaggerate whenever one of their girls is revealed to have an ex, usually by either making the ex an NTR villain or continuously emphasizing that said girl is stained. This causes weebs like us to believe that if a girl have an ex lover (especially if she's not a virgin), said girl is leftover used goods. In reality, there's nothing wrong with an 18 years old girl having dated someone before.

I think I have juuuuust a tad bit more knowledge when it comes to having relationships, and it comes down to preference. You like what you like, I like what I like. Not to say that I think a girl who has had an ex-boyfriend is a hoe, don't twist my words now. Also, just because you are a weeb, doesn't mean that you have no real knowledge of how things work lel.

As a guy, I know how guys are, and trust me, no one likes the thought of a guy's dick.

um... then why are you trying to deny that she might like or may have even dated guys? I'm not one of them, but I am sure a lot of people would disagree with you on male anatomy.

There's a very real stereotype and social behavior where if women in general have been with men before, lesbian or not, they're "no good". But being with another woman on the other hand is "purity", and this "stained" stereotype vs. "purity" fetish are referenced a lot in anime/manga.

last edited at Mar 6, 2018 6:34AM

I don't think this needs a 'What the fuck am I reading?' tag. Maybe fantasy though.

Kumahara-chan comes from a strict family, so the Kuma-personality is said to be a potential result of that. This represents a sort of split or forced personality used to distract or compensate from conflict. I'd guess that Kumahara's family life is at least ineffectual and psychologically harmful or even abusive. Meanwhile, Kasukabe is the sole supporter of the household; her father is absent or deceased, her mother doesn't work due to being blind, and while having to take care of her mom and work, she has to fit school in somewhere and is shown to care about her credits. I wouldn't call her a delinquent.

Given context of the story, we can assume that both girls wish, to a certain extent, that their lives were different, and to that end, their worlds were different for themselves and those they care for. Finding a mutual love in each other started a new world for them, no longer alone and trying to compensate on their own. In that way, the old world they used to live in had ended. And when one world ends, a new begins.

I guess we could see the meteor as literal or symbolic, I prefer symbolic, as Kusakabe's shock at the end is that she likely never expected relief from a difficult life to come from a romance with another girl, a girl that once annoyed her to no end. A whole new world is opening for her while the old, lonely one is in the middle of ending.

There's a lot going on in this story.

last edited at Feb 14, 2018 11:25PM

What gets me is, if they were going to have a hissy fit about a confession, just what exactly did they think they were publishing in the first place?

I wonder if it's a case of publishers being sensitive to government regulation - or fear of what may soon be government regulations - and trying to mitigate risk in that sense. Given that recently we've seen a crackdown on suggestive character designs in online games, they may be a bit gunshy about stuff like this.

The chilling effect goes well beyond the actual limits of government interference, and companies will often self-censor even further than the actual censorship is designed to cover, just in case.

I could be wrong but i believe the new law about representation of LGBT+ in Chinese media may have come into affect after a publishing deal was already made?

According to Tan Jiu, the second volume entered publication, but publication was halted due to the earlier ban. Later, her publisher came to her and said that publication would resume if she censored the confession scene -- the publisher saying that at the very least, Tan Jiu could make some money off of her work. I would assume that the publisher was pressured not to publish the work, and offered Tan Jiu the only option they could. If the publisher was against LGBT content, they wouldn't have published the first volume and started publication on the second volume. The publisher isn't throwing a "hissy fit", this is a reaction to a government ban that carries the possibility of severe repercussions if not followed.

As to the first comment in the quote, I'm certain that they were quite aware of what was to be published hence the decision not to publish Their Story without censorship.

The original ban was only meant to cover online visual/audio media, and I doubt the government included grandfather clauses which wouldn't have mattered anyway as publication of the second volume began after the ban. What I find interesting is that the ban itself is not well enforced as Weibo continues to allow the postings of LGBT content. When Weibo refused at first, their stocks dropped, and so they capitulated. But they seem to be just fine now.

Knowing how these governments work, and how easy it is to twist bans of this kind to extend them, it's quite likely that since Their Story has an online version, the entire product can be considered online visual/audio media, thus physical publication can be, and has been, impacted by the ban.

last edited at Feb 5, 2018 2:33AM

Saeki is a worthy suitor/rival indeed...

Just no.

I guess my question being was Yuu telling her she isn't alone what she needed to hear at that moment or not.

I think Nanami's slow response was out of her being nervous with no major implications

The father I see as another character in need of healing/redemption from the past

Agreed with the first part, I don't think the issue to him is actually that Nanami is doing the play, but because he doesn't want to remember or think about what happened.

last edited at Feb 2, 2018 1:39AM

Her publisher wants her to remove the chapter in which SJ confesses to QT before they will publish it. That has affected her a bit.

Woa, what is happening? Are they censoring the story?

The webtoon is safe, it's the physical copy that is running into this issue. From what i have heard.

The issue started in October when publication of volume two was temporarily suspended due to China's goverment assambly. Then, in late November, Tan Jiu's publisher requested to have the confession scene removed from Their Story before continuing with publication. Tan Jiu rejected the censorship rightly so.

While the web version of Their Story will continue as is, physical publication of volume two has been suspended, not cancelled as some are saying. Tan Jiu's Weibo post on the matter with English translation can be read here on Tumbler. Tan Jiu states that while this complication has had a very negative impact on her, she is recovering.

last edited at Jan 29, 2018 4:40PM

I was just pointing out why it wasn't a filler episode but yeah that is what i am thinking too.

My mistake, I meant to copy @DR2 Hajime Hinata comment as well. I edited my post to reflect that.

The Chinese says, 那天傍晚，孙璟没有出现. With perfect hindsight, we could change the tl a bit to say, "That nightfall, SJ did not appear" or even "Before sunset, SJ did not appear,"

She has had a bit on her mind though from what i understand so i can see how she may have made a mistake.

Thank you for the note on the translation. Whatever it was, I do hope it wasn't too serious for Tan Jiu.

You sure? If I just kissed my crush a few days ago I wouldn't just not talk about it the next time I meet them

This is the next time she is seeing her as QT has SJ's coat with her. They'll talk about it in the next few chapters i reckon.

QT had SJ's coat before the Christmas special and Mo's chapters as well, so I think SJ meeting QT at the sweet potato stand happens immediately after Mo stopped SJ. QT asks SJ if she was finished with her "business" and went on to passively scold SJ for making her wait in the cold.

If so, the earlier panel with QT saying Sun Jing never showed up, and implying she never heard from SJ, makes worrying oveer QT and SJ feel forced.

I'm guessing that SJ calmed Mo somehow and then texted QT saying she was held up over some "business", with business meaning talking to and rejecting Mo -- poor girl, I really feel for Mo.

last edited at Jan 28, 2018 12:50AM

Skipping important stuff again I see; no kiss, no Mo. Also, comparing any potential drama here to the systematic drama cycling of Citrus is cruel.

last edited at Jan 27, 2018 2:17AM

Any updates on her condition? No updates to her blog since September it seems. No word either way.

last edited at Jan 25, 2018 2:35PM

Have you actually read the manga? I love how people like to shit on a story they don't even know. Ah! good fun.

I've read Citrus and I am only commenting on the comparison of Mishio to Mei and Ena to Yuzu. Mishio and Mei can only be compared in that they are both seemingly aloof and both have difficulties, but otherwise their backgrounds and reasons so far are completely different. As for Ena and Yuzu, their personalities differ greatly where Ena has patience and observational consideration of others while Yuzu often has little of both. The two pairings are completely different from my point of view when considering what we know so far. Ena and Mishio are actually pretty good at communicating with each other.

If I'm to comment on Citrus itself, I'll do so in the Citrus discussion thread.

last edited at Jan 13, 2018 11:05PM