Yeah, the whole thing with the hat is pretty obvious when you're familiar with the manga or novels. Same with how Sorawo suddenly got her rifle in the beach episode. But then they couldn't have turned the rescue chapter into the finale. I don't know if that was the right choice, but it's better than a rushed File 11 ending. I can see why they went with that. It's just a shame that the whole thing with Satsuki will remain hanging for anime-only viewers.

They could have changed details a bit. In the beach episode they just ended up there without needing any thing - could have applied they same concept. Or even just found a way to make the battle scene in the beach more climactic.

Showing that Satsuki bit at the end would have been a good season finale bait - like they’re all chill and back in real world but Sorawo’s wondering more about Satsuki or something...

What I'm curious about is, with only the climax from the chapter left, what do they intend to do with the rest of the episode? Draw out the battle? Show how the girls get back home? Ramp up the yuri (yes please)? Make up some shit about Satsuki (god, no)?

The first half will probably be about the battle... maybe the second will set up a second season that I’m really hoping for.

In other news, volume 6 of the novel just came out in Japan. Can't wait for the next volume in English. Who knows when that'll be though.

Oo. I need to start reading the novels. I’m just waiting for the anime to end.

Continuity error! Probably a small thing but still... they shouldn’t have released the beach episode ahead of the rescue It was obvious this arc would be last since it has a lot of action and tension and horror but still. At least attempt to change Certain parts to fit the current timeline. It totally feels like they just went and inserted without thought. Maybe they’ll pull something at the end to correct/explain though I highly doubt....

Definitely right on it being better probably because I now have no clue on what is going to happen.

All this Sorawo looks like Satsuki stuff has me thinking some weird things though. Are they connected? It seems like Sorawo’s eye has given her abilities. She controlled Akari so perhaps she could have times traveled, changed her perception somehow in the Otherside, and came out in the real world. Or maybe Sorawo somehow is an extension that Satsuki made in The Otherside. I don’t know. It seems too deliberate to just be a coincidence.

I figured they’d want to save the Americans for last episodes though. Somehow up the scare factor. But maybe they’ll give us another original.

I wish for season 2!

Certainly more anticipation and anxiety in the anime now that I don’t know what’s going to happen next. The creepy level went up for me but that just might be because I don’t care much for cats.

Medium really does matter. In books one relies on speech and monologues to tell a story or paint a character view. In manga you rely on composition and visualization.... for anime there is a culmination of all this- plus you of course have to add music. If Star Wars has taught me anything, sound track matters.

I do think they could up the scare level musically. That melody when they’re in Otherside Mode works thought it could be pushed more but Our World video game tone is still coming off as Pokémony to me.

A little more work on the visuals but over all, Episode 8 was fun and a hard 6 on the creepy/scary scale.

What I’m wondering though is, has Aya’s personality changed or is it just her confidence? ... When Haruki says Sei has changed her, I don’t think she did. I think Aya has always been like this, it’s just that hanging out with Sei has finally made her emotions boil over and she’s done holding it all in.

For me it’s not so much as she’s more confident, but perhaps she’s just grown more attune with what/who she really wants. She’s become a fighter and even going so far as to reject Haruki 2x. I remember her whole speech as to feeling like she would have to settle because “someone like her” wouldn’t have a choice. But now we see her taking control of her own narrative, because let’s face it, if it were up to Sei she would still be a sex puppet up until Sei ran back to Yoru. If it were up to Haruki, she’d still be a loner with no prospects of romance or other friends. Yet Aya has been fighting to keep Sei with her while going against what Haruki wants and even wanting to protect what they have against Mochida.

When she had sex with Sei in chapter 10 and takes the lead she says, “It felt really good, but it’s not enough. My body was fulfilled but I also feel empty.” I think, like Haruki, Aya also has a possessive side and wants to be liked back, but I don’t think it’s something like, “I want to be loved back” but, “I want her to be mine. Even if it’s not what she needs right, I’ll convince her one way or another that she needs me.”... In think what I’m trying to say us, Aya also has not just a possessive side of her own, but a dark side that Sei has helped bring out of her with all this drama going on in Aya’s life.

I don’t necessarily think she’s convincing herself she’s doing the right thing. I think her main concern in erasing Yoru from Sei’s mind.... it is selfish but Aya is just at that point where she wants Sei all to herself. She’s turning into Sei but it feels like she doesn’t want to try to stop herself because Sei is still there and “needs” her.

But.. my concern is how dark Aya really is. She almost hit Sei- as far as I can remember Sei never hit Yoru (just tackled her)...

Holy.... so worth the wait! Damn.... Aya is sooo far down the Sei rabbit hole. I can only wonder how Sei will react to this new aggressive Aya. From what I remember though, she got super wet last time Aya was top. I think Aya is well on her way to permanently becoming a positive reinforcement in Sei’s life, even if it’s a super non conventional way.

She was already taking care in a domestic capacity (cooking for her and caring for her when she’s sick) and becoming Sei’s sexual outlet only increased her positive association for Sei if that makes sense? Hence why Sei even began to feel guilty about having sex with Yoru and talked about how she was going to apologize to Aya.

I know some feel like Aya’s taking in too much in regards to dragging Sei out of her Yoru hole, but I feel like that’s just what she needs. She’s kind of just been cruising life and Sei was the first to teach her to want something/someone enough to fight herself for it? I know it’s messed up and I have shipper heart, but for me it just makes sense.

And it’s really nice how we’re seeing the difference between love and desire.

I’m going to get flack for saying this- but Haruki doesn’t love Aya. She loves the version of Aya she’s known all her life which as we’re seeing, isn’t the true Aya. And Mochida thought she was in love with Teacher, but it just seems like she was looking for an authority figure’s approval.

I wonder how Sei is doing though. How she’s going to act around Aya now... She thought Aya was just this sweet and innocent girl but now, we’re tenting a clear view of Dark Aya and honestly that’s probably what Sei would be into.

I really hope that person on MD is wrong and this manga isn’t ending just yet! There’s a whole new can of worms that are being opened left and right.

Wouldn’t it be funny if it ends up Mochida x Aya isn’t the end?

Is the manga ending soon? I was afraid that maybe the author lost interest or is going through something with all the delays.... I hope we get a flushed conclusion and the ending won’t be rushed if that’s the case though!

All the reordering has done is shatter the continuity, make the story feel disjointed, and make the character's actions feel nonsensical.

Haven’t give the LN a read yet because I thought I had enough spoilers because of the manga. Initially, I thought that The scares and overall creepiness in the anime were ineffective because I knew what was going to happen. There was no anticipation so I thought they mixed up the chapters to give it that feeling again...

Or maybe they’re trying to reinforce the idea of disjointedness that one feels in The Otherside?

For me, what it does is take away from the pivotal moments between the characters so I completely agree with you.

This latest episode update had me going WTF but not in a good way- why the hell did they already arrive at the beach and skip over the hardship they went through trying to bring the soldiers back

Also, I don’t mind the intro and the outro, but sometimes the background music - especially when the characters have downtime - makes it sound like they’re in a Kiddy video game?

It just reinforces the heavy comedic tone they’ve applied this adaptation and it makes it impossible for me to take it seriously at times.

That’s just me though.

My thoughts:
I really can't understand how the directors messed up the charm of this story. It's all about Toriko and Sorawo's development throughout the series, and about creepypastas in the second place. I can't help but feel that they butchered their character development and now their relationship seems so random. I didn't feel the same when reading the LN or the manga. Is it really that hard to adapt a LN without messing up its story??

I hoped it was going to be like Ghost Hunt, where the scares got worse as the anime went on but sadly they haven’t upped the creepy factor for me.

I’m still holding out hope though since the anime has caught up to the manga- maybe if I don’t know what’s going on I’ll be able not to think and just observe.

last edited at Feb 16, 2021 9:45AM

Knew that blurry panel at the flashback would reveal itself later on. I am sad that this is ending. I hope we get some sort of epilogue after though. I want to see if neighbor gets her happy ending with the delivery girl as well.

Am I the only one hoping we get some like Shrek moment? Where Yuki gets to choose if she stays in that form or not? Or better yet, they finally kiss and she turns back into a Catalus?

Honestly though, I think they’ll stay friends. Only scissorship we gonna get are from Kozue and Mimika. Though I pray to Lady Gaga this isn’t so!!!!

And also, it’s really sad because this doesn’t seem like it was axed? Just probably the author wanting to move onto other works... of course that’s just my assumption. It just sucks because, while I thought they were cute, a lot of the story was wasted on the introduction/inclusion of the other Catulus. I honestly think the addition should have stopped at Anna and Maron since they’re the ones that actually got nice arcs.

by FLOWERCHILD
https://exhentai.org/g/635325/b44bf47d0d/
or
http://g.e-hentai.org/g/635325/b44bf47d0d/

Uhm... does anyone know where I can read English translated by Flowerchild where the mains are adults and one apparently became a futa cuz of a virus or something?

last edited at Jan 26, 2021 1:34AM

Which now makes me think, if Haruki asks Aya to help her with her pain, by letting her make love to her. Would Aya say yes?
Thats my question for you guys, what do you guys think?

I wouldn’t be surprised if Aya says yes. But, would she be saying yes to comfort Haruki or herself is the question?

I used to think that she may not turn as badly as Sei with the whole using a proxy to remember her first love but the way Aya almost slapped Sei just showed me she’s definitely harboring some darkness.

Though a part of me wonders what would have happened if Aya had gone through with it? Sei seems to regard Aya as this kind and caring person... Maybe a slap could have jogged Sei’s memory about the negative aspects that ALL people have, including Yoru as well.

I want to know what Aya’s going to do now that she has options. Will she continue to fight for Sei or try to move on with Haruki’s help?

I can’t wait for the next chapter.... though I am a little worried that the author has taken time off. I hope this doesn’t mean they’ve lost interest in the story and characters. I hope the conclusion will not be rushed if that’s the case.

I mentioned this earlier but Mei wasn't even willing to consecrate her own marriage with Yuzu, so if you're right about her being too intimidated, by sex, she may actually be a lot more intimidated than you might think if she's not even willing to consecrate her own wedding.

I’m pretty sure they had carnal relations prior to the marriage given Yuzu’s lack of awkwardness regarding asking for an embrace from Mei and Mei no longer showing reluctance or embarrassment with Yuzu’s antics in that wedding chapter. It depicts a couple that’s been together for a while... of course that’s solely my interpretation.

I just think this along with a lot of Mei related stuff, were purposely not shown on Citrus because we were given Citrus+.

last edited at Jan 21, 2021 10:00PM

Another reader also posted that this particular chapter really illustrates how Mei and Yuzu's relationship has matured, and I totally agree...

I love how their relationship is progressing but I still am waiting for Mei to be the instigator of intimacy. So far it's pretty consistent with the original in the sense that Yuzu is the one furthering the emotional progress of their relationship. It's just that Mei is much less resistant. I've always felt that Citrus was holding out with Mei's character and when Citrus+ was announced, I figured this was why. Perhaps there will be some sort of reversal in the next chapter when Yuzu discovers she accidentally took Mei's ring and Mei can be the one to offer reassurance?

Also, for once I'd like someone to comment on how attractive Yuzu is? Like three people have confessed to wanting Mei and Yuzu so far has had no legitimate suitors. I say this because I always felt Matsuri kissed her not because she romantically wanted Yuzu but because she was trying to push Mei out.

Going back for a moment to the question of virginity. We know Yuzu's never been to the big show, but what about Mei? In Citrus, Mei comes onto Yuzu at one point and says something to the effect of she knows it's Yuzu's first time so she'll be gentle...are we to assume, then, that Mei is not a virgin?

I inferred that Mei had been conditioned to believe that one should be rewarded with sexual acts and that's why she offered her self up to Yuzu that time after they bonded with their dad. It explained her aggressive tendencies and mentality towards sex. If Mei's lack of virginity is ever clarified, I think teacher fiance should not have been the one to take her cherry because then that sick f*ck should definitely be sent to jail. It would be slightly more acceptable (not that rape is ever acceptable of course, I'm only speaking in terms of mangaworld) if she were assaulted/raped/propositioned by an upperclassman or even a male student from another high school since they would have been both underage.... but Sabu has already brought back a previous member of the Student Council in the form of Harumi's sister so I don't think they'd repeat but then again, we did have the jealousy/someone's in love with Mei arc in Citrus 3x so who knows.

Though apparently the author promised Citrus+ wouldn't be so dramatic so Mei's probably still a virgin and if she did lose it, it's somehow consensual? If it were teacher fiance or someone else, they probably offered her marriage training and she just accepted it out of a sense of duty. I figure the consent will be dubious and up for debate.

If this were true, then a change could happen to their relationship. I hope not but Yuzu could be reluctant towards Mei if she finds this out. I mean not everyone is open with the idea of pre-marital sex. I guess that's why Yuzu is so giddy about the idea of marriage. Also, Sabu is already showing signs that Mei is afraid that Yuzu may hate her. I have to wait 3 to 4 chapters before I can confirm to myself that there's no problem coming here. I have enough trauma in Citrus that when all is well, something is going to happen in the next few chapters.

The chapters so far have had Yuzu thinking about sex with Mei, at least that's how I've been reading it. So sex will be addressed some time in the next ten years. I wouldn't be surprised if Mei has had sex though. If so, it could definitely be another hurdle to their road to Scissordom. As in Yuzu panicking about whether or not she'll be able to please Mei like her previous "lover(s)" had while Mei figures she's not worthy enough to take Yuzu's purity since she's been around the block.

I think for Yuzu, it's not so much that she's waiting for marriage. She clearly wants to have sex with Mei but probably just wants to strengthen their relationship emotionally and since their not marred by the confines of expectations and expiration dates, she probably figures they can take their time. Marriage for Yuzu just means cementing their future together.

On a different note:
And I know they've done jealousy arc a lot but for once I'd like Mei to be the jealous one.

last edited at Jan 21, 2021 2:36PM

It seems like the typical trope of girl repressing her true feelings and rejecting her desires because of societal expectations and whatnot.

Masumi’s probably going to be working through her issues. Gender is up first but she’s coming to terms with that and will probably reciprocate some time soon. Maybe after she’s done dealing with the age gap issue. The familial connection will be last.

So like, did Leo die tho???

"She offers her a table right in the first chapter but Aya declines multiple times by the way! She calls Aya out on isolating herself and skipping formalities it's Aya who claims that people drift apart from her when in truth she is the one who doesn't wanna grow up she is the one who is using Haruki who has been taking care of her instead of her family and since she doesn't live up to her expectations anymore and Aya doesn't wanna do anything for herself or talk about some serious problems than live in lies and her stupid romance novels she decides to kick her out of her life! Sei sexual assault is the breaking point!"

Haruki is far from an altruistic heroine. Haruki’s motivation has always been jealousy. She’s pea green with envy.

Yes she invites Aya to lunch with her friends but she knows Aya will just say no and she only joins Aya for lunch out on the roof, away from her friends, after she discovers Aya has met someone else. She even admits to being selfish and says it’s Aya’s fault. Aya had always been accessible only to her up to that point and that made her feel special. Given what we know of her background, a home that’s always filled with others, it’s understandable why she’d always go to Aya’s for peace and quiet. Even her message to Kuro ,“Don’t take her from me”, is proof of her selfishness. Aya is not her possession. That whole “Don’t make her change.” – that right there is proof that Haruki also doesn’t have Aya’s interest in her mind. She doesn’t want Aya to change, to grow, because the previous version of Aya was just hers. Aya was her safety net just as much as she was Aya’s.

"Aya is her very own problem she sticks to a person that doesn't exist and treats her like trash saying she "loves" her when nothing could be further from the truth ironically getting a similar harsh treatment to how she ignores Haruki and now pretends she doesn't exist! Haruki goes through puberty and doesn't realize at first that she is a homosexual and wrestles between love and lust! Which leaves her suceptible to manipulation by both Sei (blackmail material) and Mochida (feeding her half-truths)! She makes mistakes and has to abandon her Savior persona or Aya is screwed!"

Who is the person that doesn’t exist? Sei? How has Aya pretended that Haruki doesn’t exist? We saw them walking home from school after Haruki’s confession and right now, she’s busy with Sei and Yoru so we haven’t had a chance to see further interactions with them. As mentioned prior, Haruki’s not saving Aya for altruistic purposes, she’s taco blocking Aya from Sei because she wants Aya for herself. She was even willing to rob Aya of her choice. She goes behind Aya’s back and tries to intimidate Sei – telling Sei to stay away, wanting to take Aya’s choice away and control whom Aya spends her time with. A choice was something that Aya never believed someone like her could have and here was Haruki, actively taking it away from her without giving thought to what Aya wanted.

"What do you mean headcannon? She is a manipulator and a skilled liar she destroyed Yoru's life behind her back making sure she stayed miserable! She still manipulated Aya and isolated her behind her back as well from Haruki so she could easier control her (oh those cute cups^^) while living out her past. Notice that with both Haruki and Mochida "Our own rules" are mentioned which in reality are Sei's rules. Aya is still unable to leave her victim image of her and sum up the courage to leave her because Sei still withholds facts from her!"

I think the staunch difference between how we’ve read is that Sei has come off as this diabolical villain but for me, I’m seeing her as someone who’s been spiraling out of control. She’s readily awaiting, causing, and welcoming her destruction.

Yoru had been going out with married older men and teenagers who didn’t care about her and only used her for sex. Yoru herself recognizes that she kept chasing after crappy men, even before Sei had outed her to her then boyfriend (you know, the one who belittled lesbianism and proudly declared he was just playing with Yoru).

Aya was isolated long before Sei came in the picture. Aya didn’t do it on purpose per se. We saw her interaction with Haruki and her friends. She was uncomfortable. Her lack of social skills is what made her reach out to Sei but Aya clearly has made her own choices and contributed to the ‘rules’. As far as I know, Sei doesn’t tell her to come to her house all the time, only extends an open invite by giving her a key. It was her choice to run there after her fight with Haruki- something Sei did not control because it’s not like she told Haruki to harass Aya. Just like it’s Aya’s choice to stay away when she felt things were getting too intense (that Sunday night when Sei texted and asked why she wasn’t there). It was also Aya’s choice to reject Haruki’s advances and remain monogamous to whatever she had with Sei. It was her choice to follow Sei and Yoru around and ultimately confront Sei and Yoru, just like it was her choice to pull Sei away from Yoru.

There were variables that were out of Sei’s control – like Aya cooking for her, caring for her when she’s ill, Aya being all domestic with her, how Mochida’s actually investigating what happened with Sakai, and Haruki’s involvement. Sei had no way of knowing how Haruki was going to react by sending that risqué picture. They’d never met before, only chatted. Haruki could have handed her over to the police or at the very least, told a teacher, or Aya’s parents, or even Aya her self, for all Sei knew. Insinuating that she’s some sort of mastermind is a little farfetched to me.

Especially since it’s clearly not manipulation when she breaks down and declares how pathetic she is when she remembers Yoru. I guess if I hadn’t seen how she is with Yoru, I could see how it could be interpreted as her wanting pity from Aya as a means to get Aya to stay. But her desperation to have Yoru is genuine when she runs off after finding out Yoru was back in their old town. Also, how in control of a situation is she when students make fun of her for her sexuality? How in control was she of Sakai when that whole thing about them got out any way? Or even how Math teacher dude keeps chasing her down and even tricked her into going out with him – unless of course Sei knew no one else was going to be there and just went so she could text Aya and make her worry for her? I mean it’s possible but there’s no proof that Sei knew it would just be her and math teacher going out for dinner. She seemed genuinely put off by the whole thing so right now I’m reading her as a being who’s running on emotion rather than method.

"The manga description mentions "ulterior motives" she hopes to gain something out of this relationship hoping all her hard work will eventually pay off but the only lesson that gets repeatedly hammered down her head is that she has no other choice but to leave. In chapter 2 she compares herself to the protagonists of her romance novels in chapter 4 she even says she wishes to escape reality together with Sei instead of going back to her boring reality."

Everyone has an ulterior motive for their actions and 16 chapters in, it’s clear what they are and why. Mochida wants math teacher. Haruki wants Aya. Aya wants Sei. Sei wants Yoru. Yoru wants someone.

Yes, Aya wanted to use Sei to escape her reality but it became much more when she started caring about Sei. She tried so hard not to by restricting intimacy, the whole not sleeping over after doing the do (which was something Aya chose even though Sei was letting her know it was okay to stay) or just getting Sei to shut up about her past. If it really were just lust, she wouldn’t have stuck around for so long. She wouldn’t stick around to watch Sei cry or take care of her when she’s sick or even break out of her shell and confront those two girls who pushed Sei if it were just lust. If Aya were just a horny teen, she'd have slept with Haruki the first time Haruki tried to kiss her.

What Aya hoped to gain was escape but she ended up with something much more – a love she feels that will never be returned.

That’s the reason why she wanted to cut herself off from Sei after her confession. If it were just lust, she would have just kept sleeping with Sei to pass time until something better came along but it hurt her deeply that Sei wasn’t calling out for her because it meant that she was only Yoru’s replacement for Sei. That’s where the emptiness comes from- her body is satisfied but her heart is not. It’s a deep well of pain and loneliness because Sei is within her reach but at the same time is galaxies away from her.

Everyone in this manga is heavily flawed, and that's what I like about it. Even the ones that aren't flawed in a large number of ways (like Mochida) end up taking horrific actions (well, if she goes through with outing Sei, that's one of the most horrible things you could do to somebody).

Second that! That's why this manga is so interesting for me. Everyone has been relatable and their motivations have been believable so far.

Well I'm glad Haruki is going to meet Sakai soon who will teach her to let go and realizing Mochida is manipulating her since chapter 8 and witholding facts. I honestly want her to derail any attempts of Aya sleeping with her using her to improve her relationship with Sei any further and even when Aya should be succesful after she came clean still cut ties with her and remove herself!

Is Sakai arc not closed yet? Because like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if that whole thing turns out to be something else. The author portrays characters a certain way and then gives them backstories that help explain and some times excuse their actions.

Sei has no other choice but to quit this relationship she projected Yoru onto Aya since the beginning (footlicking/forceful kiss in the first chapter) and withholds crucial facts like what she did to Haruki (!male name! stand in for Yoru's men and her younger self) and she still play's victim.

I mean, it isn't just Sei withholding facts. Haruki never told Aya how she found out about Sei and that she went to confront Sei in the first place. She also never told Aya she has a naked photo of her, courtesy of Sei of course, but a good friend would be honest about all these things.

And Aya must take a page from what Sakai and Haruki did and leave! That is how she makes Sei happy! And will realize whom she really loves! She also is not in love with Sei!

I don't think it's just lust though. Because if Aya was just a hormonal teen then she probably would have slept with Haruki, instead I think she was thinking about Sei that night.

The way I see it, Sei is an addict and Yoru is her drug. She has a chance to get over her addiction but it’ll take some intense healing sessions.

She may still be headed in the right direction though because when she ran away from Yoru she thought about coming home and seeing Aya there and when Aya left after her confession and returning her key Sei got all excited that Aya might be on the other side of the door. Even while she was having sex with Yoru she, however briefly, thought about Aya and how she should make amends.

For me these are indications that Sei, though she hasn’t fully recognized the extent of Aya’s importance because she’s been obsessed about Yoru for her adolescent and most of her adult life, does see and appreciate Aya to some extent.

I think Aya had unknowingly started to insert herself in Sei’s life as something more than Yoru’s replacement. She started doing it out of the bedroom by being there to listen to Sei’s problems and even going out of her way to cook for Sei and just her being there for Sei to come home to after Sei had another shitty day at work. The domesticity that she brought into their unconventional relationship was something Sei never shared with Yoru and probably something Sei never really thought she’d have for herself.

They were students at the time they were ‘together’ and most of their interactions seem limited to just her listening to Yoru talk about her problems or having sex. I don’t really know what Sei envisioned for her life together with Yoru in their future.

Perhaps hitting rock bottom is good for Sei. Maybe seeing Yoru one last time can help her accept that she doesn’t have to be miserable for the rest of her life because she’s a lesbian. I think her sexuality is the root of her problems. Societal conditioning has led her to believe she simply cannot be happy as she is and believes herself to be a defective grotesque abnormal creature unworthy of love and affection so she’s made certain she’ll live her days out in misery as punishment by going after the wrong person and subsequently going into relationships she knows will never amount to any thing.

I think if Aya didn't show up, Yoru might've begun to pursue something with Sei. As disturbed Yoru is by Sei's obsession with her, I do think she takes comfort in knowing there's always someone who wants her (that in at least one person's eyes she is their number 1) because all the guys she falls in love with always end up cheating on her.

I think it was very common for Yoru to go running to Sei as a rebound in the past so it's what she's doing here. There's a reason why Sei hasn't been able to let go all these years...I think on some level Sei knows that Yoru still cares for her (or that Yoru is also unhealthily dependant on her as well) so she keeps holding onto the hope that Yoru will come back to her.

Edit: ok yeah rereading the last 2 chapters that is basically what is being implied. Yoru straight up asks Sei what Sei would do if she were to break up with her husband (implying she might be interested in a relationship) and the scene before they graduate with Sei saying she'll always be waiting for Yoru no matter what so Yoru knows she'll always have someone to fall back on when she's hurt.

But if the series is ending soon and Yoru really won't be showing up again, by not giving Aya her contact info, she's finally breaking them out of this toxic cycle (that Sei straight up ranted about in the previous chapter)

It does seem like Yoru recognizes that she and Sei will not be truly happy together because Sei doesn’t really love her. She represents an idea for Sei and Sei feels she will only be happy if she’s with Yoru, unable to comprehend there are other options so she conditioned herself to be perpetually miserable all these years as a way to assure that happiness can only be attained with Yoru.

Yoru might not be in love with Sei but I’m
reading it as though she does care about her to some degree so she’s letting her go completely when she finds out that someone out there might be able to actually take care of Sei in the way she never will be able to.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in the end, we find out Yoru divorced her husband and just chose to be alone as a way to fully bring her arc to a full circle.

Sei has a lot to atone for, not only for Aya and Sakai, but for her self. She needs to completely heal and delete her conditioning but the fact that she’s apologized to Aya and not mock her feelings means there’s some hope.

The problem is Aya now... who believes she’ll never be able to compete with Yoru. She might just use Sei’s unhealthy coping mechanism and start sleeping with Haruki.

I feel like as Sei comes to genuinely appreciate and care for Aya, it'll be too late. Aya will always feel she's second to Yoru and there's nothing Sei can do to change her mind, short of her outright repeatedly rejecting a buck naked Yoru who's begging for Sei's love with Aya witnessing each rejection.

The question is, will Aya in turn be the one who uses others to distract herself? Might not have been possible before but as we've seen, there's a darkness to Aya. Who knows what she would have done if Yoru hadn't stopped her. Is she going to cling to Haruki in an attempt to move on from Sei? Will Sei ever outgrow her obsession? She says herself she's "forgotten love" so maybe what Aya needs to do is make her feel what genuine love is supposed to feel like- though like I said she almost hit Sei so I don't think it's going that direction sadly....

that dirty feet licking...ew

But also the manga needs to explore Sei's family background at some point. She is messed up and Yoru can't be the root of her issues. If it wasn't Yoru, she'd eventually find someone else who wouldn't like her back, to get unhealthily attached (not that this excuses Yoru playing with her).

Yup. There is definitely something there. I wonder though if it’s neglect like Aya or perhaps over parenting. Both could have different side effects.

Neglect makes her perfect bait to latch on to the first person to give her special attention. Over parenting could make her feel like she’s a failure because she can never live up to her parents expectations - which is why she self sabotages her happiness out of guilt.

Her obsession with Yoru feels like a form of self punishment. When they were doing it she didn't seem to actually enjoy it, and she then said she wants to die. Someone could say that this was because she knew Yoru would never like her back, but with unhealthy obsessions like here it's never just that. Although I'm not sure whether the author wants to explore the story from this perspective.
It feels like a harmful addiction that you don't like, but it's the only way you know to cope (like cutting)

She is definitely practicing psychological self harm. It explains why she went out with a guy (or maybe guys). She doesn’t feel she deserves to be happy, hence why she lets her self be caged in with temptation, why she doesn’t try to set boundaries for Math teacher, why she won’t let her self see other romantic partners, etc.

I sorta wished Aya stayed out of their business there at the end and left. I want Aya to be happy and not feel/be a stand in. If she gets with Sei in the end, I feel like it’d be a long time before Sei truly sees Aya as Aya, and has no lingering feelings left for Yoru, which I feel is really unfair to Aya.

I feel like Sei has started to semi see Aya, hence why she imagines her when she comes back from running to Yoru and why there were times when she does, handful I know, call out Aya’s name during coitus. Sei just hasn’t realized because of her self hatred and love/obsession for Yoru.

I think that whole confrontation scene is necessary for our mains though. Sei has lived with the belief that the most she could ask for is kindness and does not believe she deserves love so having someone come and say “I love you for who you are, damages and all,” is what Sei ultimately needs.

It’s also good for Aya because she’s actively seeking out what she wants, not just sitting back and letting her self be a wall flower. She’s making choices and taking control of her life.

Also she’s a teen, she’s still young and growing. At her age, her feelings are all over the place, and being played(?) with like this is not helping. I feel like all these experiences are only causing more confusion for her which in the end might have lasting negative effects, such as how she handles relationships in the future and responds to situations.

The situation has her, Haruki, or Mochida set up to possibly become the next Sei. Only the author knows when the cycle will come to an end though.

Sei truly hates herself. Whether it’s because she’s gay or because of possible parental influence/lack there of or a combination of both is still unclear to me.

I know it was said before she mentioned that Yoru should just leave her husband, but she was thinking about Aya and making amends- which makes me think that it implies she was at least acknowledging Aya’s feelings and their relationship with that whole “I’ll make it up to you and be more mature”. She at least seemed like she was willing to put in a little effort to kind of appease Aya. Sad thing is, Yoru seems like she does want to leave her husband so it’s probably not going to happen for now....

It seems I was right about Yoru. She’s looking for someone who’ll take care of her, emotionally and financially. I mean, she brings up Sei’s rent and now probably sees her as a viable partner because Sei is no longer a high school student. Sei has a job and will be able to house and support Yoru.

But Yoru was right. She is dumb because she didn’t think about what marriage would truly mean for her future. She probably wants to leave her husband since she’s being pressured about kids- hence why Sei is now the better option for Yoru. No expectation about kids, someone Yoru can control, and has a steady income.

I just hope Sei will have a moment of clarity and realize that Yoru hasn’t been acting out of kindness but self preservation. Yoru has been trying to protect her interests and probably could not care less about Sei.

Poor Aya though. Feeling like she has nothing now that Yoru is completely in the picture and is no longer just a part of Sei’s past. But it’s still nice to see that she’s grown a backbone and that she hasn’t just chosen to settle with what’s dealt her way.

An okay ending for me would be for Aya to not turn out like Sei and use Haruki just to try and forget. A happy ending would be Sei realizing Yoru is trash ( a surprise for me because I thought the author would also make her a sympathetic character though I suppose it isn’t too late) giving herself time to clear out the mess that is her self, before going back to a more secure and confident Aya who has realized that she deserves the best, which is something Sei would hopefully be able to give by then.

I really wouldn't go that far. The way I see it, she's simply realizing that there's nothing she can really do to help Sajurako with worries like finding a job.

It just feels like Kasumi hasn’t really thought about their future together. That’s just how I remember it though.

You've clearly already forgotten that Sakurako already applied to the same company as Kasumi.

I haven’t forgotten. But it isn’t a sure thing that she’ll get accepted. She hasn’t heard back from Kasumi’s company. Sakurako could have applied to other places though since she’s the type to be prepared.

Finding a job is like trying to get into college, you of course apply to your first choice but you also apply to multiple places just in case. Especially if you’re a fresh grad. The longer you wait, the less chance you’ll be hired. You could be over looked since there’s a bunch of other grads trying to enter the workforce.

Sakurako will have to apply elsewhere if she gets rejected.

I’m just saying that it would be nice if the switch was flipped. I remember Sakurako saying something about wanting to take care of Kasumi so Kasumi can just rest at home. So Kasumi ending up as the breadwinner and Sakurako the housewife would be nice to see. Not permanent of course, but her way of easing Sakurako’s burdens could be to remind her that she isn’t alone and that she can depend on Kasumi.

last edited at Aug 2, 2020 1:43PM

It feels like we are straying off of the path of ambiguity and will be getting a clear definition of their relationship soon.

I had a feeling the change that would be happening wouldn’t be due to the manga ending but because circumstances between them are changing as they enter full blown adulthood.

It sucks because Kasumi feels like she still hasn’t realized how attached she is to Sakurako. It seems she’s failing to see her and Saku are a unit with that comment about Sakurako’s burdens just beings hers. She seems ready to part ways....

I wonder if it’ll go the jealousy route for Sakurako to realize her feelings. I mean, it would be awesome to get clarification but that path has been taken way too many times.

Maybe Sakurako will get a job offer at another city and that’ll prompt Kasumi to get a move on and put a ring on her!

last edited at Aug 2, 2020 2:21AM