Jokes and memes aside, it is really weird how some people are so fixated on Yuzu and Mei fucking
I think because Citrus has/had this rep of this steamy taboo romance. So I think people believe it should have happened by now, a lot of the early expectation as far as I remember was basically what FlowerChild's works ended up being, where their manga focus on a messy highly sexual toxic relationship.
Plus various other long running Yuri manga have had some kind of sexual encounter, even if it happens off page, it's something that has definitely happened. Citrus for having this spicy rep surprisingly hasn't gone very far with it.
I understand that for sure and it's not a big deal anyway, but Citrus hasn't ever really been a spicy series has it? It was only so superficially for a bit. It had "spicy" scenes mostly earlier on but the tone and direction wasn't that way and it's been years since then so it's interesting that the expectation still lingers. Citrus seemed to be making a point earlier on about its characters' mental states and that was it. It's really been an "innocent" series even when those scenes were present.
The issue isn’t for me about “fucking” per se but about the trajectory of the characters, especially Mei. As has recently been pointed out, OG Mei was a Proper Japanese Lady masking a smoldering volcano of emotion—sexual desire, yes, but also, among other things, grief over the “loss” of her father. Her resistance to going all-in sexually with Yuzu was more about struggling to keep herself under control rather than about fending off Yuzu’s advances.
It’s easy to forget that the start of the benighted “Second Arranged Marriage” arc interrupted a Mei-Yuzu makeout session that both had been longing for. Ever since then Mei has consistently been transformed from a firecracker (h/t to Altair for the phrase) into a damp mop.
Had readers still been getting regular doses of those Mei-Yuzu hickey-leaving competitions of the past I’m pretty sure there would have been fewer laments about “when will they fuck?”.
Yeah the series feels inconsistent I think. There was moments that built it's rep as this steamier romance, but then there's other times where it feels nothing like that. The series is something I wouldn't exactly call "wholesome", but generally it's not fiery and sexually intense either. I think it leaves various parts of it's audience not really getting what they wanted or expected out of the series. Even years later people want what they liked about earlier parts to return, some of that passionate and intense emotion at least.
At this point, after the original Citrus ended with Mei and Yuzu getting engaged, I think the author made Citrus+ to show what life is like for a high school couple who's engaged. while also having a story going on with the plot devices and whatnot like in the latest volume (I think) the author added new stuff like involving Mei’s childhood guy friend to keep it interesting and to show yuzu sightly jealous side. and didn't expect much to come from this side series, but it still has those playful moments, like when Mei left a hickey on Yuzu. thats how I view Cirtus+ so far. but I can understand the 'leaves various parts of it's audience not really getting what they wanted or expected out of the series' part. Many viewers are still waiting for a peak because, in many yuri mangas, a peak is when the two characters in love show their passion through sex, like in the manga Come Rain or Shine. Like you said, Citrus isn't really a wholesome manga, so readers expecting more likely see it that way too.
last edited at Aug 12, 2024 4:09PM
