Yuri manga like this would have a lot more credence if they were at least /set/ in an earlier, less tolerant period.
Doea there rly need to be this much heteronormative self hate in a modern Tokyo setting where, last time I checked, gay marriage is legal?

Gay marriage is not legally recognized in Japan. Some cities, including districts within Tokyo, will issue partnership certificates, not necessarily recognized by other such districts, and which don't convey any legal rights or protection (but a hospital or landlord might choose to honor one). Polls show some broad support for acceptance of gays, but as of 2019, the ruling LDP still had seated members calling gays "unproductive". National law still doesn't ban employment or housing discrimination based on sexuality.

I see nothing implausible about someone's background or family being steeped in heteronormativity, still.

And the new girl is living at home on some rural island, just the sort of setting to be more conservative. Even if her parents don't care she may not know that, and doesn't want to risk finding out.

Wikipedia says

"Same-sex couples are not allowed to legally adopt in Japan. Lesbian couples and single women are unable to access IVF and artificial insemination.[26]

In April 2017, Osaka officially recognised a same-sex couple as foster parents, making it the first such case in Japan."

I feel like Anna is beginning to get a bit abusive

Why not, everyone else deep in her life is. Poor girl has no decent role models.

Mom isn't sexually or physically abusive but there's a strong vibe of "of course I know what's best for you", and Anna wanted to live away from home with a strange relative, which tells us something.

"so it seems Ema wasn't that much of a trash person to do it in Anna's bed."

Unless Ema was lying out of shame.

Cousin has sex with ex on your bed --> Strip the other girl that gave you special feelings on the public walkway

Not just any walkway. It's a Shinto shrine, probably the one they've been meeting at before. Putting on a show for the kami!

last edited at Mar 13, 2020 9:13PM

"today we learned that miko is still not over sensei apparently...is she just using anna as a scape valve?"

I don't think it's that simple. She can have feelings for Anna as well as the jerk, and even without feelings for the jerk getting taunted by his current squeeze would be aggravating.

Anna and Miku's age is right in the title of the manga!

But yeah, Japan does 1-6, 7-9, and 10-12; unlike the US it seems a universal pattern. So Anna's in 9th grade, far enough in to be 15 and not 14.

"So, yeah, Ema is the most morally grounded character in the story. (Wanders off cackling at the very thought.)"

Ergh. She keeps perving on her 15 year old ward who has nowhere else to go. (Well, I guess she could call her parents... not sure it was clear why she's with Ema, apart from "their convenience" and Anna being happy to get away from their strictness.)

Miku is making a running leap for the Moral Event Horizon but at least she's a teenaged peer who doesn't live with her target. Maybe she has messed up ideas about romance and consent.

Urgh. I like a good age gap, but a couple chapters ago I was rooting for Miku/Anna for better chemistry. Right now I'm rooting for Anna/leave her the fuck alone, girls!

last edited at Mar 7, 2020 11:23PM

"you haven't shown me evidence of abuse. You've shown me that Tazune is insensitive, clearly thinks lesser of his fiancee,"

So what would be convincing evidence of emotional abuse, assuming we never get his POV and internal thoughts/intentions?

Is that baby Harumin receiving the rabbit?

Maybe that's just a temporary depression that she'll come out of. But Ayane has been like this the entire time Sana has known her, so I think Sana's assumption is pretty reasonable.

That's fair!

As the 'top' commenter, I'd say you're both right. It was partly a joke, and also genuine surprise, perhaps poorly expressed.

To try to be precise: I was surprised at Sana's implicit assumption that she should be the one supporting them. Given Ayane's aggressiveness/taking-the-lead and feel of maturity, I would say that if we were to assume either one of them would be the supporter/breadwinner, and the other the 'housewife', why not Ayane as supporter?

There is of course no reason they need to have a breadwinner/housewife dynamic, but tell Sana that.

And yes, there's no reason the sexual top has to be the breadwinner when there is both a breadwinner and a top. But, joke. Which is now dead.

That was a roller-coaster ride!

• Sana-mama is so cruel.
• But she has a point, terrible grades are terrible. She's just not going about it well.
• And what about poor Ayane?
• Oh... wow.
• Yay, happy ending.
• Tonight is a lucky 10,000 moment for Ayane-chan. (Home hamburger.)
• Wait, wouldn't Ayane be taking care of Sana? Isn't she the top?

I don't think we know dad is dead, he's just not in the picture. Maybe he ran off, or he's totally useless, or mom got pregnant outside of a relationship.

Motivations: apart from the kiss at the end it all seemed quite natural to me. Touko is a slob doing an old friend a favor. Akari is nervous but Has Standards and is domestic, also finds Touko pretty/hot. Nothing requires explanation.

Kissing your friend's 16 yo daughter (2nd spring of Japanese 3-year high school) who's now trapped living with you, within 24 hours of meeting her, well. Best to apply the "porn plot" filter rather than the "psychological realism" filter, it seems.

Hmm, the previous version gave Touko the excuse of being drunk.

The pixelated kitchen and food are funny. How bad can it be that you don't want to show it?

last edited at Jan 28, 2020 12:07AM

Ayane's interactions with Micchan strike me as angling for a triad. Ayane-Sana-Micchan, and maybe Ayane-Micchan as well.