All I took from this chapter is everyone wants a piece of Emielle.

Would fit in MagiRevo.

last edited at Apr 14, 2023 4:03PM

Too long, to be honest. It's hard to read and even harder to pick up your points to discuss. I would appreciate it if you could summarize the main points so we can have a proper discussion.

Got it! Which points need clarification? Is it just long or is something unclear? I could just focus on one point at a time. Would you rather that? Everything there is necessary to explain the arguments I'm making, since I'm touching on a couple different things and wanted to do it all at once. Conversations here are difficult to maintain, so I often say what needs to be said fully and work from there.

last edited at Apr 14, 2023 3:56PM

I don't see it that way. Natori's feelings for Lapis come from her necessity for external approval. There's a reason every time Natori goes doki-doki for Lapis is when the latter acknowledges her efforts. But that need for approval is unhealthy. What Natori actually needs is to get a boost on self-esteem, and she can't get that from Lapis. It has to come from withing. Only then she will be ready to have a real relationship (be it with Lapis or Diana).

Basically what I'm trying to say is that despite appearances, I think neither Lapis nor Diana has broken Natori's shell just yet. Which means both of them have equal chances right now.

This got a bit long. Sorry.

But I think we agree on the shell but my argument is that Lapis' relationship with Natori has the ingredients to solve her issues and is working in that direction even with their limited contact. I'm arguing that Lapis does understand Natori's shell issue and in her brief moments with Natori, Lapis has tried to help Natori recognize her worth. That's part of what I was alluding to by saying that Diana does not fully understand what makes Lapis stand out and what Natori truly requires (as of yet).

This might be provocative but a lot of Diana's focus has been insular, a crush and wanting it to be fulfilled (and being sullen when it is not). Lapis on the other hand is more selfless when it comes to Natori and even is willing to push Natori away because she seems to believe it will help Natori solve her issues by being around other good natured people (Diana being one of them). The common "if you truly love it, you can let it go." Diana's focus is not so keenly attuned and she doesn't attempt to soothe Natori in a similar manner. Lapis' interactions mean something because Lapis is purposefully saying things to help Natori along with her core issues. The brief moment they had at the beginning of the chapter is one such example.

Lapis is aware of the issue in a way I don't believe Diana is yet. The only problem is Lapis is very busy at the moment and Lapis is also reluctant to fully say what is in her heart (for whatever reasons not yet revealed), so she touches on the issues (like begging Natori to relax and eat, as she's worth it) but does not get say it bluntly. Lapis has to keep things to her chest for the moment but what happens when she can speak more freely?

Edit: I'd also bring up that in chapter 5 Natori already began to confront her growing feelings for Lapis. After Lapis praised Natori but then said she would also work for the prince, Natori began to recognize that although she got something that should make her happy, she was not. Her so called "burning sensation." In fact Natori is scared of this feeling. She says "If I continue to ignore [this feeling], I'll be able to stay by her side."

She wanted to stay with Lapis, despite it all (going so far as to blurt out that she is Lapis's alone). This assumes that she has other reasons, besides being a good praised worker, that she adores Lapis already.

It's this act that Lapis recognizes and causes her to push Natori away in that moment (likely for a reason not yet revealed but possibly fear of something for Natori). This is what leads to the climax of the first volume and Lapis attempting to further even more space for the moment. Basically, Lapis is having to push Natori away, in order to prevent their coming together and Diana is having to work hard for her attention. But Lapis won't always have to push and even while pushing she's had large effects.

last edited at Apr 14, 2023 2:40PM

Yes, Natori, the plot proceeds as intended... now that the Heroine has unlocked the Villainess' Familiar route. :D

I wonder if the intended result of this chapter was for the entire readerbase to fall in love with Diana.

It definitely was. Chapter 6 is the opening of volume 2, and if you recall, Diana has been a rather flat and bland character in volume 1 (compared to Lapis), who suddenly started acting inconsistently and violently in chapter 5. I am pretty sure that the author and their editor received feedback from the first volume about it and went back to the drawing board on how they present Diana, effectively removing Lapis for an entire chapter to give Diana enough time to shine and to establish her as a credible rival to Lapis for Natori's heart. And I say they've achieved their goal admirably.

If they want Diana to truly feel like a rival they need to have Natori acknowledge and feel similarly for Diana as she does for Lapis. Right now Diana follows along and crushes on Natori but Natori hasn't really reciprocated. The fact that Diana is so upfront with her crush is becoming a hindrance to her being a true rival because, even with that constant affection from Diana, Natori still treats Lapis as a completely different entity compared to Diana. Natori's meaningfully touching moments have all come with Lapis and it seems Lapis is able to touch her heart with comparatively fewer words than Diana, implying that Lapis has a connection and understanding of what Natori wants to hear more than Diana (at this point). This works both ways, since Lapis also seems to have been greatly touched by Natori, even within their short time together.

If Lapis weren't busy with her schemes and forced to be away, would Diana even have a chance? It doesn't seem so. And Lapis won't be away forever. As of now, Diana has more been positioned as a 3rd wheel who desperately wants what Lapis seems to have--even with Lapis's limited presence--while maybe not fully understanding what makes Lapis stand out and affect Natori so much in the first place.

last edited at Apr 14, 2023 11:45AM

The way I see it, Miyako's real concern here is that Asako may seem to be falling back into her behavior from her previous relationships, always trying hard to avoid anything that could upset her partner. And that is not what Miyako wants, as she made clear in the birthday chapter when she found out about some of Asako's past. She just wants Asako to be herself, to not hold back out of some unnecessary concern.

Yeah that's it. It's not a major issue but it's normal for Asako to talk about it and realize that Miyako just behaves a bit differently than Asako might and Miyako is not actually distant from her. So "not being that angry" actually is Miyako being herself and Asako now knows not to worry as much about it (for the time being, at least). Good communication from them.

last edited at Apr 13, 2023 8:49AM

I've looked through the author's Pixiv a bit and haven't really seen anyhting like that? Thou I do agree, cat stuff gets kinda wierdge at times.

There's no basis to believe that the entire captivity thing happens, as there is no evidence in neither the author's Twitter nor Pixiv. Best to just ignore these claims and enjoy your time with the series instead of dreading over something that has no solid evidence of happening.

It does happen. You can easily find it.

It's not on Twitter nor Pixiv because it happens in the volume that's sold digitally. Here's your evidence.

Think this should be marked as spoiler, no?

last edited at Apr 13, 2023 8:40AM

Bro you just prophesize the god damn YURI APOCALIPSE!!! WTF PLOT TWIST THAT IS???

Not really a plot twist, she's pretty open about what she does and has done.

last edited at Apr 12, 2023 7:37PM

Thanks @lesbmuffin and @wlftchtr82 for such detailed analysis! Now we know the identity of the last ghost. However, this makes me very curious as to why the author chose this ghost instead of Otsuyu? Is it because the story of Otsuyu was published in 1886, which is a bit out of the Edo period?

Anw, I'm assuming that the vision Oiwa saw isn't Okiku herself, but rather the 3rd ghost taking over Okiku, since the last ghost is super powerful.

It's still possible that there just isn't going to be a clear parrellel between what's in the kaidan and the ghosts in the manga. It seems the author is taking a lot of liberties. Oiwa is already very different from anything.

last edited at Apr 12, 2023 4:39PM

Y'know, I understand that Miyako's reason for being worried is that "onee-san is treating me like a child and not acknowledging me as an adult by turning a blind eye on every bad thing I do" which is bad when they are supposed to be lovers, but I really agree with Asako on that one. Getting into heated arguments over stuff that can easily be discussed in a cool-headed way is imo one of the reasons many relationships end up being more painful than pleasant, specially when there is cohabitation involved.

I don't think she wants an argument but she wants to feel like Oneesan is not being traditionally, superficially polite. Idea being that you're closer if you're able to be angry or voice disagreements with a person. It can be seen as being more natural and vulnerable. So she just wants a little push back (which she gets at the end) rather than what could feel like a lack personal closeness.

last edited at Apr 12, 2023 4:17PM

Always a good time. I can understand her worry about that. Can feel like apathy. In this case, though it just seems like they get along well enough that fights aren't an issue (and Oneesan is generally laid back--also maybe cautious from her previous relationships). Good that they talked about it to set expectations.

last edited at Apr 12, 2023 1:22PM

Girl just wants another taste. Please.

Actually it seems she wants to be tasted.

I don't think Okiku is the endgame

So far every intimate scene with her has either resultet in a scare or Ryou thinking of her alive crush. I think The end of Okikus arc will be her passing on (or attaching herself to the childhood friend)

Possible but this memory of her friend was more about showing that her feelings for Okiku are equivalent to how she felt about her friend back then. This wasn't a reminiscing more than it was a positive comparison for Okiku. She always knew she loved her friend back then but she hadn't accepted those feelings for Okiku. That memory is showing that Okiku has reached that level and it is actual love. It would be different if she tried denied her feelings for Okiku by remembering her friend and feeling guilty but that didn't happen. Her only other love to compare to will be with her friend, so it's natural that she remembers (and compares/contrasts) those moments when she thinks of her potential love for Okiku.

last edited at Apr 9, 2023 4:33PM

Yeah writing is normally a private experience. I'd have said the same thing. Need to be in your own head.

just read chapter 7 (already on MDex) and now I really want to know more about the third ghost so I can confirm my theories (that if it's really her and not an altered version of the story by the author)

I feel like the author is combining Okiku with Otusyu or mixing them in some way. I'm not sure how yet (a lot of possibilities) but the relationship between Okiku and the priestess has always closely resembled what you'd expect from an Otsuyu story. I don't think that's an accident.

last edited at Apr 8, 2023 7:56PM

"Can you help me take off my underwear?"

This request is so obvious that even Liao Liao would get it.. right?

She overheated so she definitely got it.

I’ve been seeing this here and there and I’m wondering if I should pick it up, but I’m worried this manga isn’t more than [Protag wants her male crush’s attention and tries something] -> [Rival saying something threatening and demeaning] -> [Punchline where rival is actually super into the Protag]. Is there real development?

There's a lot of progress. Right now we're at:

[Protag wants her male crush’s attention and tries something] -> [Rival says something threatening and anxious] -> [Punchline where Protag was actually interested in Rival but unsure]

I think this series was already finished and it had actual development for the main characters? Not sure tho

Yeah it's been done.

last edited at Apr 7, 2023 10:03AM

so I'm super curious about the story behind the last ghost and had to google it. But apparently, unlike Oiwa and Okiku, her story doesn't contain any backstory about her at all. Which means it's all up to the author now, which is kinda exciting.

Edit: a detail that I find kinda important to point out is that the 3rd ghost story has not one, but 2 women. One is the actual ghost that the story is about, and the other one is the ghost's servant. So why do we only see one ghost every chapter?

If it's Otsuyu, she does have backstory. And if she's somehow connected to the childhood friend (not at all a sure thing), that friend's affection might be dangerous. I assume the friend is caught up with something, even if it's not Otsuyu.

last edited at Apr 6, 2023 1:27PM

She's not trying to fix her characters. They have flaws and always will. I also wouldn't say they aren't pushed or challenged, they just don't resolve those challenges in the typical way.

Fukami, sis, I hate to break it to ya, but you lost that war before you even started.

I'm pretty sure she saw the hickey (it was visible in every frame). So she might already know and that would explain her blurting out that confession. She's been aware something's been on for a while and yet she's continued down this path anyway.

last edited at Apr 3, 2023 2:43PM

Like they mentioned before, this is typical behavior in a husband-wife couple where he must prioritize the workplace over the love life and she must put up with it. The Japanese readers certainly understand the dynamics and get a giggle out of it.

Is it common workplace dynamics for a fellow worker to confess their love to the husband and ask the husband to stake their marriage on a competition? I could understand if it was just the other friends who were asking for one last team race for fun. This is well beyond that.

last edited at Apr 3, 2023 2:10PM

It's good to see exposition time is over. This was a great and exciting chapter. I was wondering about the changes to the timeline if Yvonne is considered a genius with the sword and went through all that training as a child, but maybe it'll be a bit less dramatic if her dad is holding her back.

Well future Elsa provided some vague rules, saying that as long as nothing catastrophic happens, the present would remain the same and only that horrible future is what's being changed (or trying to be changed). I don't expect the sword issue will be seen as a catastrophic change (or else going back at all would be a catastrophic change already). If you watched Doctor Who, then it seems Evie's present with Elsa acts like a variation of a fixed point in time (short of extreme circumstances).

last edited at Apr 3, 2023 1:01PM

Once again, real big fan of Shimamura.

Same. AdaShima romance story is interesting and well-written for sure, yet the main reason why I like reading this series so much is Shimamura's internal monologue. She might appear as a cold, apathetic, even heartless to some readers, but the truth is she still cares about her family, her friends in her own way.

Yes and she's rarely cold. She's mostly just not playing the role she's "supposed" to play in these kinds of stories and that reads as cold to some. She's mostly just acting like a normal person would and not necessarily caught up in instant love and fawning.

She seemingly is a normal character, in a normal world and a normal love story, doesn't have anything special. And that's what made her interesting. Iruma Hitoma has made Shimamura an in-depth character, doesn't feel flat in anyways.

I agree--except she does have special qualities. It's a thoughtful decision to pair her type with Adachi, who really craves the romance genre type love obsession (and vice versa). An interesting way for the author to make certain points in the manga (but especially the LNs).

last edited at Apr 3, 2023 7:11AM

Imma be honest with y'all, even if the father is getting on the way, he has a very good reason to do so, had i not know what is going on here i would have supported his decision

Yes, it's not an unreasonable decision for a parent. He's not exactly locking her away, he's preventing her from joining a dangerous activity that could theoretically lead her down whatever path her mother ended up on.

Looking forward to understanding the connection between her and her mother.

Well that's a grade A wingwoman, if I've ever seen one. She needs a raise. And boy that cat has some patience but not unlimited patience. It seems she's head over heels already and that cat might not survive.