This Yamai girl is so SOOOOOOOOO CUTEEEEEEEEEEEEE hahahaha omg I LOVE Mudazukai!
(https://i.imgur.com/ua4ky7y.png)
It has a good amount of subtext too

That was pretty nice. Majime accidentally collecting the girl's hearts again...

This week has been really good. Machikado Mazoku was super cute, Shamiko keeps accidentally walking down the path of a magical girl and this time actually got the upper hand on Momo. The yuri vibes are definitely there, though it's still in the stage of a deepening relationship.

In a not totally surprising development, Momoko in O Maidens in Your Savage Season, a mostly het show, turns out to be a total lesbian. She's monologuing about how girls are so soft and "you just want to let them" and I'm totally talking to the screen saying "no, YOU want to pet them, because you're a total lesbian". If you don't mind the het stuff it's a really good show.

last edited at Aug 17, 2019 8:43PM by Nezchan

I'm a little ahead (I've been reading the raws) but I'm glad to see this catching up. I think the two of them are pretty funny, it's nice to see Maekawa realize her "I hate you!" attack has lost effect.

That said, there are some minor translation quibbles. At the beginning, Shimizu says "should we go at different times?" in regards to the bath (probably no good way to put this in). In the bath, she says "they came out when washing her hair" in regard to here contacts (hazureru) not that she took them out (hazusu). Transitive/intransitive verb. Also, at the ping pong table, Shimizu is saying it's just for fun, while Kidoguchi is saying, "shut up and come at me for real". None of these are important to the plot so eh.

That said... I'm really really impressed by how well the group has managed to get the tone and character. Really I would just tie myself in knots trying to get it to come out well. I don't have the motivation to do translation and I'm really glad someone is because this manga is great and I want everyone to read it!

Oh oh, but was that "she" actually a she (when she was talking to Kidoguchi), or they translated a "they" like that?

You're gonna make me wade into something that's translator's privilege here? As someone else mentioned, she's not even referred to except as "yatsu" in the sentence before. I don't think it's terribly relevant as Kidoguchi knows Shimizu is gay, right? The problem is that making the sentences "work" in English means putting something there. I don't think it's a big deal? If this were something where it was super plot-relevant or obviously incorrect I might care, but that's more of matter of interpretation. I guess you could use "them" but I'm not sold that it's something worth fighting about.

I will, however, nitpick a missed intransitive verb. So now you know what's important to me!

I'm a little ahead (I've been reading the raws) but I'm glad to see this catching up. I think the two of them are pretty funny, it's nice to see Maekawa realize her "I hate you!" attack has lost effect.

That said, there are some minor translation quibbles. At the beginning, Shimizu says "should we go at different times?" in regards to the bath (probably no good way to put this in). In the bath, she says "they came out when washing her hair" in regard to here contacts (hazureru) not that she took them out (hazusu). Transitive/intransitive verb. Also, at the ping pong table, Shimizu is saying it's just for fun, while Kidoguchi is saying, "shut up and come at me for real". None of these are important to the plot so eh.

That said... I'm really really impressed by how well the group has managed to get the tone and character. Really I would just tie myself in knots trying to get it to come out well. I don't have the motivation to do translation and I'm really glad someone is because this manga is great and I want everyone to read it!

Okay, I want to be all serious and whatever, but the translator's joke at the end got me good.

My god, she wore the China dress? That is the most awkward teenage thing I have ever read.

Adachi is pushing the relationship forward but Shimamura is controlling the pace. This was such an obvious date and Adachi's aggressive hand holding has got to have had some impact on Shimamura's denial. I really can't wait to read the other side of this! I'm guessing the "full mark thighs" are what keep peeking out of the cheongsam.

Also, 100 points for air hockey. That was a great date plan and a great way to get past being awkward.

Yuu is very pure.

Pure gay
Pure lust

It's absurd to think that having sex is somehow impure. I guess eating would also be impure then. Might as well starve.

Machikado's yuri is in progression with this episode https://i.imgur.com/7TIjrRs.png and https://i.imgur.com/1AIP0xQ.jpg

I am really starting to love that anime. It's really fresh for CGDCT somehow and the jokes genuinly land.
The subtext is really subtle right now, but I actually do see some development between Momo and Shamiko (yes I will forever use that nickname). I can't remember the line, but one really struck me as "There is no straight way to explain that".

She certainly wasn't able to be "straight" with Shamiko when she was asked why she was so interested in her... One thing I think so funny is how Shamiko is strangely sharp but very ADHD. She asks questions that cut to the heart of it, but then is easily put off.

Also fun to see Momo get embarrassed about her Magical Girl past and her cooking. The Physical Girl is showing her cute side a lot more.

I think Shamiko is going to end up more like a magical girl than any sort of demon by the end of it. She calls on the power of friendship to release her magic - seriously, what's more cliche "magical girl" than that?

try to get "not gf" gift
fail and get boomerang. it can stun enemies at least.

Is that a TBOI reference?

Isn't it Zelda? It's in all the old games.

I hope the anime is a bit more accurate than the manga has been. Shimamura is actually a real shorty, isn't she? The moe level of the awkward tall girl x cool short girl is going to be through the roof.

The Demon Girl Next Door/Machikado Mazoku is really cute and has high yuri potential. Obviously you're supposed to ship the main character with the magical girl. I am super hyped for the magical girl training the inept main character, and the the deadpan kuudere thing that the magical girl has is somehow totally working for me. I expect lots from this series!

"Warm liquid pouring into my chest" That's call blood Adachi, i sugger you to not put it into Shimamura hand because it's not very romantic.

Well, it might be if this were a vampire story. But I think we can rule that out.

I think this needs an NSFW tag. I guess the "lolicon" tag should cover it, but still. I know it stays within the "safe" lines vis-a-vis porn/not porn, but this chapter at least was very ecchi.

Speaking of non-obvious cultural differences, I like how the author pictures Mogumo as the Buddha when he instructs Naoya. The halo and pose are pretty funny.

Aww wish Mogumo explained what being agender is but take time they barely know gay and binary trans. Though why translate as he when Mogumo would likely use they

To be fair, this is something that is only an issue in translation, though it shows up in that they aren't sure whether to say "Mogumo-kun" (masculine) or "Mogumo-chan" (feminine). Pronouns are not exactly gendered in Japanese, and are rarely used anyways. You might refer to someone as "kare" (which is literally almost like guy/dude/bro but can be used as he/him in reference to a person) or "kanojo" (fem version) in some contexts, but you can always substitute their name naturally where English leans heavy on pronouns.

I don't particularly like translating (so I don't do it as a hobby) but in cases like this there is a lot of context, and some of the nuance is not always exactly the same between English and Japanese.

In further "yuri is alive and well" news, Mamoru Oshii is working on a yuri comedy about vampires

I was ecstatic at "a slapstick comedy centering on a vampire girl named Mai" and "will solely focus on five young girls" and "won't have any handsome men" and "seriously tackle a story centering on a girl-meets-girl concept."

Then I read that "Mai feels similar to Urusei Yatsura's Lum" and all was despair.

I LOVED Lum. The problem was never Lum, it was that she was paired with Ataru. That's an anime about dysfunctional people running roughshod over each other for comic effect... But more than half of the problems wouldn't even exist if Ataru wasn't a giant dick.

At this point, I think Maekawa is the confused one. She managed to squeeze the truth out of Shimizu but... The whole reason she wanted to squeeze the truth out of Shimizu lies in what sort of relationship she wants. But yeah, maybe take it slow? Don't try to substitute sex for love?

That's maybe the thing, not knowing how to love and be loved outside of just sex? And also how to get across her feelings to Shimizu. She has a problem with putting up a lot of defenses which is the root of Shimizu not being able to take her at face value. You generally don't kiss someone as a joke...

Also, on going out - aren't they already basically going out? What's the difference?

Watching Adachi constantly try not to spill her spaghetti from both sides is pretty entertaining. The Shimamura kabedon this time was a nice touch, and also I forgot that Shimamura is shorter. This is really cute.

I do wish it didn't seem so one-sided, but maybe something will hit the switch for Shimamura soon. It's a bit much right now. I also think it's funny that their friends are also pretty gay... I wonder if that will be part of the story later. Like if Shimamura asked advice from Hino, who sees to have a clue. Lots of ways this could be interesting.

Where's the gayness?????? It's just plot twist, one after the other. Give me the yuri already! Goddammit. I want yuri. Give me yuri. I want yuri. Give me yuri.

108 chapters, next to no development.

Well, if you want a fast pace this sure is not it. It comes out weekly but even given that I would call it a slow burn. Honestly I was kinda starting to question it myself but in the last few chapters it turned unquestionably yuri for the main characters.

That is, the last few in Japanese... So another 40-some chapters.

One of them has to come out with it... Maekawa started with the mixed messages, I kinda wish she would be a bit more straightforward. Really both of them need to brush away some of their reservations - nothing in life is certain, everything is a risk - but I feel like Maekawa has the upper hand due to her experience, although that experience also is why she's so hesitant.

Shimizu is too used to being alone, and too scared to move forward. I don't know what Maekawa is gonna say but seriously you know she's a virgin so getting mad at her is pointless.

Back to the series itself, this is about the most contrived, can-only-exist-in-manga setup I've ever seen. I mean the audacity of running with the concept is a bit appealing, but wow.

The art's great though.

I don't really think it's "contrived". The aspect of "she's a lone wolf that only subbed for the real lead" is a bit contrived - for a high school band I would expect they would have to play together more to be be good. None of the other elements strike me as all that unusual... Lots of teenagers are in bands, light music clubs are a thing in Japan, falling in love at first sight happens more than you would think, and people getting way into musicians is so normal it's cliche. Not even rock stars, the "dating an otherwise useless person who plays in a band that isn't even successful" is cliche.

Even the "musician who has serious stage fright" thing is boringly normal. Go have out with some musicians, you will meet them - they're like the yin to the people who LOVE being on stage's yang.

It strikes me as an assembly of not particularly unusual things, rare that they would come together but that's about it.

They break out the manga, and I had complete versions of 3 of the 4 (karekano, ccs, and furuba). I think I sold Karekano years ago, though. Oddly in a mix of languages, I have the first half of CCS in German, which I can no longer read, the second half in English, and Fruits Basket in Japanese.

Which also is kinda nice, otaku culture worldwide!

Some people are high maintenance... But then some people like driving BMWs and classic cars, even if they have to work on them.

I've got the feeling that the tanned guy is actually a girl but that might just be wishful thinking. We will see

Yeah, that's my thought too. Maybe a trans man? Who has to dress in drag because of his family. Though I know that even some straight women find wearing dresses and feminine stuff to feel like dressing in drag. A friend of mine described it as exactly that.

This is great iyashikei (healing). It's like Tim Burton's Non Non Biyori or something. Seriously what I need after a long day at work.

Oh geez, I skimmed it the first time around, but on reading again Hishikawa's balance has "shape of her ass in her pants" and "I can see her armpits?" - NICE.

This series reminds me a bit of "Bright and Cheery Amnesia", in that we have an imbalance of the character's attitudes towards each other. Of course, in that one the imbalance evens out(?) over time.

I would suspect she was a yandere if the manga started at this point

Yup. She's totally a stalker, just lucky Mari is very, very tolerant.

Also, structural welding for the win! I can weld okay but ended up studying electrical and working as maintenance mechanic (which is basically "just do everything okay"), if I had gone to a school with a full welding program I would have done it though. Stuff like that used to be done with stick, now I think they can use flux core, but the stuff I used to do was all smaller stuff with TIG and MIG.