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.

Yeah they're great. The first 3 chapters of Miss Angel are more introductory and gag-like, then it starts getting into its more typical story based groove. It's very much still ongoing (at 362 ch.) and I'm always surprised that more don't discuss it. I imagine it likely has to do with its early translations (which improve over time).

This series is another that feels like it would be more popular here. Mage and Demon Queen is great. It's between seasons and nearing its end. They all do a good job of having relationships and slice of life but also having a forward moving plot with world building, multiple characters, themes etc. I'd say Miss Angel is the best of them but the best of it is later in the series.

last edited at Mar 28, 2023 9:47PM

That was one of the best four hour binges of my life

Same. This is not my usual group of tags, so I ignored this series until yesterday, when I gave a chapter a try—finished Chapter 125 just now.

OMG, I love this. The art and characters are adorable, and I found it to be a very satisfying mix of slow-burn idiot romance, SOL, and long-term plot development.

The after-chapter sketches are also mega-adorable (they remind me of Itou Hachi in wholesome mode), and if I were forced at gunpoint to pick out one thing to criticize, it would be that between those sketches and the chibi-heavy scenes, it sometimes gets near to redlining on the cuteness meter (but that’s probably mostly a function of bingeing the whole thing at once).

And once again, the art: that wide scene of the amusement park was really spectacularly well-done.

This, "Mage and Demon Queen," and "Miss Angel and Miss Devil" are top tier in a similar way.

last edited at Mar 28, 2023 4:41PM

How come this manga has a yuri tag? There are no romantic relationships between the three main characters. Both the kitsune and the Ningyo protect Hinako at all cost but with different motives. At no times do these three show signs of being gay.

The author themself tagged this as Yuri for where you can read the series officially. It’s likely going to be very slow burn, with the romance aspect likely coming after Hinako is in a better emotional and mental state, because let’s be honest, romance or love is the last thing Hinako needs to be worried about when she’s like this.

100%. Plus I don't know that there's nothing loving happening here. Yes, there's been no blushing but there's more to it all than that and this story has a greater purpose than just romance. Besides, it's kind of hard to date or show that sexual affection when the other person is suicidal and the story is wholly focused on properly depicting that at the moment. Dealing with her trauma comes first. If they ever get together it'll likely be towards the end.

last edited at Mar 27, 2023 7:30AM

It's not correct. The sword is rooted in its host. Natalia's brother, the previous king, called himself the host in chapter 1. But after his death, the nun became the new host. Natalia wasn't chosen as the host for whatever reason.

It might be too early to say anything definitive yet. We don't really know exactly how this all works. I agree, Sara is definitely the host (as she says so) but it's not yet clear what that implies about Natalia's eventual position. Everything about the sword has been brief and contextual at this point.

last edited at Mar 27, 2023 7:18AM

I really love that relationship. This is fast becoming a favorite. They have such an effortless chemistry and the manga has really painted interesting and sometimes subtle characterizations (and desires) for each of them. Sara has a lot of work to do in order to improve Natalia's mental well being but she's doing well so far. I feel a long road ahead though, especially since the Mangaka is being so detail oriented with their characters emotions. So far it seems they can be trusted not to take too many shortcuts even if it might become uncomfortable.

last edited at Mar 26, 2023 3:25PM

Really love this series. Handles a lot of the smaller moments well. They're going through some troubles but that's life and they're making the best of it. This is fully showing what it can be like after you get together. Making a life together is often like this, it's not just walking into the sunset.

I love that they argue sometimes, make-up, struggle to make decisions, disagree and do it all together. It's stressful and there's always a layer of anxiety but there's also always the quiet (and not quiet) happy moments thrown in there all around and that's how it is sometimes. Just gotta choose where to focus and that "where to focus" can say a lot about perspectives. They're honestly living a really interesting life right now that not many could even imagine.

Looking forward to what comes next and I wonder if we'll get a time skip to after the year at some point. I imagine they'll want to show some of the long distance situation though, since we need to see how they navigate that.

last edited at Mar 25, 2023 9:06AM

You're right, she says it at the end of chapter 1. I also forgot their names, so it was worth revisiting for that too

Yeah for long-running series it can be a hassle to go through and find quotes and scenes to explain things (which creates issues sometimes). This series is short enough at the moment though. I agree about the forgetting! They say each other's names rarely so it's easy to forget them, for sure.

I thought it made sense not to bring up that the sword was a fake because the Princess would be unlikely believe it. The Sister has no proof as far as we know, so I think she might also be trying to earn the trust of the Princess so she will be most likely to consider trying to pull the sword out of her. The fake sword being broken also might help convince her to try. I would say the Great Sylph could also vouch for the Sister, but these types of ancient spirits don't tend to be forthcoming

You're right. The manga told us that earlier. The nun says that in the first chapter after witnessing how emotionally dependent the princess is with the sword. Part of her goal seems to be getting close enough to the princess so that she gains her trust and provides emotional support. The princess seems very standoffish, especially right at the start. It's very difficult to separate people who are so dependent on items for emotional support.

last edited at Mar 24, 2023 5:35PM

This is a dramatic setup at it's core. Telling the princess the truth, in her state, would not prevent drama it would drastically increase it (and likely end the series).

I'm not sure. The root of her problems stem from the sword and her not being to feel its power. If she were told about and given the real sword, I think her self-doubts would vanish.

EDIT: same opinion as above.

The root of the issue isn't being unable to feel the sword's power. It's a connection to her family, who all are likely dead and that imagined connection seems to be all that keeps her wanting to live (if only barely). The princess is not in her right mind, so the Nun is being cautious about how she treats the situation. We do not know how she will take this sudden news; and finding out that the sword, which connects you to your dead family through heritage, has been a fake this whole time might not be an uplifting moment for an already beaten and mentally unstable person. It's not just self-doubt, she is heavily depressed about being left alone in the world. As she says early in the first chapter, "it is a pillar of my heart...when I hold it, I feel as though my family is with me." What will happen when she is told that they've never actually been with her? Remember what happened when she thought the Nun stole the sword? She grabbed her arm and whimpered for her family (then the Nun verbalizes how difficult it might be to discuss this issue when the princess is so emotionally dependent on it). Shes unpredictable and the Nun is acting in real time trying to make these judgments on her own as the princess glides from one thing to the other.

last edited at Mar 24, 2023 5:26PM

It was a good chapter, but I don't understand its title. "Japanese Rowan"? What is that?

The credits have an explanation.
Meanwhile, at this point is there some reason she didn't just TELL her the broken sword was a fake?

But how would they have drama otherwise? You can't just have people behave like reasonable adults, there is no content in that.

She's explains (and the manga has shown) that the princess is in a terrible mental state and depends on that sword to keep her somewhat mentally stable. "Somewhat," yet she still hasn't been eating, barely sleeping and is so unhealthy and weak that she faints regularly. She could barely complete basic magic because of her state. She is clearly, dangerously depressed (with little care for herself) and there's no knowing what she would do if she found out that the sword, which she thinks holds the memories of her family within it and her only current purpose in life, were fake.

It's reasonable for an adult to tread lightly and the Nun has said on multiple occasions that she's trying to find a safe time to tell her. But first she is trying to talk the princess "off the ledge," so that she's in a more manageable mental state and can handle such potentially devastating news. That purpose is actually a large part of why the Nun has even been visiting the princess to regularly at all (and so part of the set up of the manga).

That's not forced drama, instead that's how you'd handle the situation in any reasonable setting. Even then the Nun almost tells the princess the truth once the sword breaks (as the Nun assumes there was no other way, then) but the princess is still so mentally unstable and in denial that she assumed the real sword's breaking is her fault (very self-healing). The fact that the princess's thoughts even work that way shows how seriously unhealthily her mind is operating.

This is a dramatic setup at it's core. Telling the princess the truth, in her state, would not prevent drama it would drastically increase it (and likely end the series).

last edited at Mar 24, 2023 2:49PM

That cat meant business. Reminds me of the cat from "She is Also Cute Today." I honestly didn't notice Shen's catlike face but this chapter made that connection very clear (even before the cat finally appeared).

last edited at Mar 23, 2023 6:47AM

I'm not sure why people are complaining, since this looks like the change citrus needed. Its been years since we last saw progress on Mei's actual plans and now we finally get to see it in action, and now we get to know how Arata came to be invited to Yuzu and Mei's wedding. He looks like a good guy and I don't think he'll screw with their relationship.

Oh it's great. And I actually forgot he went to the wedding!

This chapter cannot be criticized, because it is simply the beginning of a new arc and until I see how it develops, I will not be able to say if it has been worth it or not.

Yes, definitely better not to overreact based on what might happen. Being dramatic while upset about dramatics can be funny though.

Having said this, this entire chapter can be summed up in the words of MEI "it is the first time I have met a person in my same situation" (referring to arata) and this is something that saboruota has done before, making characters with similar situations interact, or common problems to make them develop, two clear examples yuzu and sayaka Or harumin and kana, and this is what he is going to do with arata and MEI

I'm looking forward to exactly that. Also, we potentially have some forward momentum and direction again that goes beyond just romantic relationships dynamics. It'll be interesting to see how Mei is able to work around these school issues and what effect her and Yuzu will have on Arata.

I doubt that a love triangle will form

Yeah that's not happening. That would require Mei to fall for this person. There's never actually been a love triangle in this series. There's just been bad communication, Mei's worry about the future and Yuzu's anxiety. Mei has never really loved anyone else (the "closest" was with the sisters but even that was connected to Yuzu). This guy might end up liking Mei but she will not like him romantically. Like in this chapter, Yuzu might just worry.

last edited at Mar 22, 2023 6:54AM

Guess it all comes down to whether one goes into each new chapter as someone who enjoys the manga overall vs someone who doesn’t.

I'm a big fan of this manga. No, "No True Scotsmans," here. It's also not a big issue. The school focus just left for a while and is now seemingly, finally back. I did enjoy this chapter.

last edited at Mar 21, 2023 9:33PM

And what if she finally does explore all that during this arc?

She might but I think the point they're making is that many of these questions could (and maybe should) have been answered already, considering how late into the series we are (the second series at that). The cell phone point is especially interesting, but I imagine she just operates in an old fashioned way and is dealing with old fashioned people. That wouldn't seem out of character, just like Kaguya from Kaguya-sama (who shares Mei's archetype, though that show deconstructs them for laughs). I guess Kaguya at least had an extremely old phone though.

last edited at Mar 21, 2023 9:01PM

I think if the chapter stopped before the conversation between the boy and his father, I would have disliked it a lot. I think that conversation changes everything though. I think the new guy is being honest in his convictions and this will renew the plot around the academy's future. He'll certainly come across the 'reason Mei changed' (Yuzu) during all of this, which sounds fun.

Yeah it's still not certain whether he admires Mei for their similar upbringing or whether he admires her romantically (or both). The phone number could just be proper business habits or a nervous boy with a crush. I agree, the conversation at the end makes it more ambiguous for now.

I could swear it was Yuzu who cluelessly got his number. If at all, it's Mei's turn to be jealous now for once.

It was Yuzu yes but it wasn't clueless. Seems she felt he was trying connect with Mei, so Yuzu took the initiative to stand in his way. He's happy to get her number as well but that could be because she's Mei's "sister" to him and it's common to settle for a connection to your crush's family.

Wow, this is like a throwback to the good old days, when we discussed the inner workings of the Aihara Academy, and how the inheritance laws worked, and stuff like that—remember? Late 2017 or so, maybe? Good times, good times

I agree. It adds some more direction too, as long as the focus doesn't veer completely into another jealousy arc. The school has been in the background when that was such a large part of Mei's desires, so it's nice to get back into that if only for a bit.

last edited at Mar 21, 2023 7:37PM