I've also read the machine translated novel, and I gotta say, this story is amazing. It's a slowburn all the way, but totally worth it. The character development, inner monologues, motives, etc. just make this such an engaging, lovely story.

Also, something that I want to praise the author for is the depiction of PR and social media. I don't know if the author has experience in publicity, but the whole planning, scheduling deliberate social posts, publicity stunts, etc. is pretty much how PR teams do it. And it's really scary how quick the public's opinions and perceptions change. Just some food for thought on how the public and media perceive celebrities and what goes on behind the scenes to change the tides, for better or for worse.

Chapter 18 just shows how incredibly romantic this Yuri manga is. I love the pace and every panel has some subtle meaning to the story to be digested slowly. This is Yuri at its best.

I agree. It's so sweet and subtle. Grand gestures are nice and hit right in the feels when the story calls for it, but I'm really enjoying how Sena and Kiku's relationship is progressing. It just feels organic to me. They both do these small gestures that show how much they care and love each other, and it's what's letting them open up and fall deeper in love with each other.

Besides how obviously rushed it was, I was actually pretty satisfied with this ending, though that's probably because I usually like realistic or bittersweet endings.

Some have already talked about this, but I think the message here is not really "dreams don't come true" or "submit to the capitalist machine" or anything like that. I think the message is more "life has ups and downs, and if you're in a relationship with someone, you need to work together and support each other through it all." I like how Haru and Hinoto stayed together even after this awful rough patch. I like how they're still each other's rock. And I like how the ending implies they'll try again in the future once they're more financially and professionally stable (which I headcanon that they do).

Most of all, I like how they don't blame each other for their problems or failures. Even during their own individual breakdowns, their primary concern was the other person's happiness. Haru felt like she failed Hinoto because she wouldn't be able to support their new life on the island, and Hinoto felt marriage put pressure on Haru. At the end of the day, they wanted each other to be happy, and they're happy with each other.

On that note, Haru and Hinoto seem to already be married. In sickness and in health and all that. No matter what problems they face, they'll face them together. And I think that's just beautiful.

^^DID they actually break up? If so, that's unfortunate. I thought they just were not publicly together anymore and wanted to keep their relationship strictly private. They seemed like they were quite serious with each other, but a break-up can happen for any reason, even if you're serious. That's how life is sometimes, I suppose.

I fell off this manga a while ago because of the lack of updates, so you can imagine how excited I was when I saw that a huge trove of chapters made it here.

Sad that this series got axed and will end at 21 chapters, but then again, I feel like there are enough elements to end things as they are. Sena's getting her life together, but she's not perfect and her depression will always be something she has to live with. Having someone like Kiku will help. Obviously, Kiku can't cure Sena, but she can support her by making her life a little easier (e.g. making sure she eats, cleaning up the house, etc.) and letting Sena know that she'll be there for her. It's a pretty realistic outcome that depicts how some relationships out there are like.

I really like how their relationship is organically developing, too. Sena is slowly starting to fall for Kiku, and Kiku's feelings are getting more intense the more Sena reciprocates. But she holds back a lot because she respects Sena's boundaries and understands that she can't just force anything to progress further. I guess the word to describe it would be "mature," which I don't see often in other works--yuri or non-yuri.

Really, the only complaint I have is that we know next to nothing about Yuuna's fiance. We just know that Yuuna genuinely loves him, but that's it. Other than that, this manga is definitely one of my faves.

The only gripe I have so far is how obvious the princess' disguise is. Maybe it's meant as a visual for the reader that it's the princess, but like...you couldn't at least put on a wig or something? Or pull a Lucina and tuck your longer strands under your cape?

I get the feeling Kanna is a cousin or something. Maybe the uncle's biological daughter? Either that or she's a family friend that Mitsuki hung out with a lot as a kid.

Yes please. Now do your thing and woo her!
Wonder which prideful side will lose first..

I don't think this is a matter of pride on Jiang's side. She seems to genuinely have trouble grasping emotions, both her own and other people's, to the point where it wouldn't surprise me if she's intended to have some sort of spectrum disorder. So, the real question is "Which will break first, Shen's pride or her misunderstanding?"

There are some moments where Jiang is kind of arrogant and prideful, especially in the first chapter. But I agree that it's not really a barrier with her and Shen's growing attraction to each other. Jiang seems to genuinely not get why she's started paying more attention to Shen and why she wants to kiss her again.

I just noticed that we're about two days before the day the first chapter was published on this website. Has it really been a year already? So much has happened, and I'm so happy for Agu that this is becoming a real published work. I can't wait to see what the actual published version looks like!

I'm actually quite interested in this. A bit clumsy with the writing and some loose ends weren't tied up, but it's promising. I hope the author does more to expand on it and explore the other routes.

You know, I was on-board with Saori x Shizuku because of how they were taking their time with it, but now that it's clear Saori has the same habit as Iori with hitting their partner to show affection, I kinda lost interest. Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand how violently hitting your partner is supposed to show affection, especially when your partner comes from a background where violence was regularly inflicted on them in traumatic ways.

Guess I'll stick to Heke x Shinohara, then.

I feel like Aya's figured it out already, especially since Mitsuki had her mask down when Aya dropped by, but she's not broaching it just yet because she doesn't want to scare/shock Mitsuki.

Ugh, we JUST got the latest chapter, and I already want next week to come already!

Someone also mentioned that there's 144 chapters of the novel, so this is going to be just as long, if not longer.

Give me that delicious slow burn, baby...

Sure we could have gone somewhat beyond subtext, but subtext is probably better than representation that may be only good for titillation and undercutting the realistic trauma drama. For good angsty mistakes let alone a healthy relationship to be made, both women need to be becoming mature and mentally stable enough to slightly manage the situation. Consent is sexy. If outsiders figure it out they'll see that romance as deeply wrong, especially Nozomi's mom, but at least we the audience must be convinced it's worth cheering for. In retrospect if Kuzushiro brought in too much more romance before now it would have brought down the story quality to merely very good, and from around this point forward if the story goes romantic for a long stretch it will probably become a masterpiece. If it's nothing but subtext, I usually hate that, but this work will still be great Yes this is exhausting but it's so very good. \vent

^THIS. Tbh, the slowburn is amazing and I really like how it's so realistic in how grief works and how each person is uniquely affected by it. At this point, I'm here because I love seeing the development of the characters and how they're both growing. The romance is a bit of a secondary factor to me.

If Shino and Nozomi had started showing and/or expressing romantic attraction early, I don't think I would've liked this story as much and would've seen it more as two emotionally-compromised girls who needed a distraction from their grief. But them coming to terms with it, learning to live with it, and growing up into becoming more mentally and emotionally mature women? Yes, please. It'll make their romance all the more better.

last edited at Mar 1, 2022 3:54PM

Maybe all of her bullying as a kid was misguided affection?????

I think that's totally the point. It's extremely common for little boys to bully a girl they like to catch her attention, because they don't know better and don't realize it's likely to backfire. She was so much like a boy when she was a child, she even made that same mistake.
But it's not really a big problem, right? I mean it's okay for two future lovers to start off badly and then come to feel for each other despite the bad beginning and get together as the plot moves on. It's the storyline for like a zillion romance movies. Look at Chaeyeon's and Sengua's faces and body language, now they are adults, when the teasing game begins again: it's very evident they both realize the context and the meaning are different, their reactions tell that this time it's gay flirting and both understand it.

That's what I've been saying. I think Seungha is the type to tease people she likes, and to her, it's just a way to get their attention and express affection. But to Chaeyeon, she clearly doesn't like that and interprets it as bullying. It's interesting to see her struggle between her physical attraction to Seungha and her remembering her childhood of being teased by Seungha. I wonder how that tension point will build up later.

And I don’t think Chaeyeon was ever a lady killer under the facade. The persona seems entirely for show, at least so far.

Perhaps that's her stage persona. We'll probably see it in more detail in later chapters.

last edited at Mar 1, 2022 8:09PM

I feel like this could've used more pages to develop a few parts, but it was a cute read! I like how the senpai looks without her glasses, too.

This may be an unpopular opinion but I'm tired of the main couple at this point. I want to see Saori and Shizuku develope into the couple we all know they will eventually become :p (wouldn't mind more of the mangakaxeditor couple either btw).

Nah, I feel the same way. I'm way more interested in Saori and Shizuku because of their development and how neither are jumping into it hastily. And while Heke and Shinohara kind of came from nowhere, I like their dynamic. But for the main couple, I lost interest at around Chapter 30 or so. I just find Iori annoying, tbh.

We're only four chapters in, so we're still getting to know the characters, but from what I can tell, Seungha seems to be the kind of person who teases people she likes. Perhaps, to her, it's completely harmless because she doesn't have bad intentions. However, to someone like Chaeyeon, who is introverted and easily nervous, it's not playful at all. It's just uncomfortable and embarrassing.

We haven't seen nearly enough textual evidence to be able to assert that Chaeyon is ordinarily "introverted and easily nervous." In fact, she's described as usually being "cool," and she starts out the session assuming that she'll be in control when she offers to guide Seungha through the lesbian-themed photoshoot.

Seungha's "teasing" amounts to telling Chaeyon that they were classmates when they were 10 years old, praising her grown-up looks, and suggesting a reversal in the top-bottom roles as they model. Certainly Chaeyon is taken aback by the revelation that the famous actress who she admires was her 4th-grade "bully," as her persistent sweat drop suggests.

But I just reread this series carefully (in both available translations) and I'm simply not seeing how Seungha did anything inappropriate during the (highly successful) photoshoot nor how the feelings that Chaeyon expresses must unquestionably be read as deep emotional distress rather than a mixture of any number of milder responses, including surprise at the role reversal, confusion about Seungha's identity, arousal at the physical situation, etc.

Yes, it's early days in regard to the full nature of the characters (and the story is likely going to pay a fair amount of attention to the numerous side characters), but except for the gorgeous painted art, this strikes me as a bog-standard "reversal" romance intro, where an initially confident MC gets rocked back on their heels by the appearance of an unexpected love interest from their past.

True, we haven't seen enough yet, hence why I said, "We're only four chapters in." But just going from what I'm seeing so far and my own interpretations, I get the impression that Chaeyeon's "coolness" is either a persona she puts up or a personality trait she leans into a lot to hide her nervousness. It's evident she dislikes not being in control of a situation (e.g. the role reversal at the photoshoot, the sudden request of her appearance at a variety show, etc.), which is common in people who get anxious easily (speaking as someone who gets nervous and paranoid easily).

And I agree with Seungha's "teasing" during the photoshoot. I think it's harmless and really isn't a big deal. But I disagree with Chaeyeon just being mildly surprised and thrown off. I do think she's genuinely uncomfortable. Perhaps not in "deep emotional distress," but definitely in a "I really don't like this situation right now" way. Because Seungha's "teasing" wasn't perceived as harmless for Chaeyeon when they were kids.

From what the flashbacks show, she clearly did not like how she was the target of Seungha's attention and their classmates looking on probably made her feel almost humiliated. When you're 10-years-old, it's a lot to handle. So, naturally, as a 10-year-old, I'd imagine Chaeyeon interpreted Seungha's harmless teasing as bullying. And now that they're reunited as adults, I'd also imagine that Chaeyeon's perspective of Seungha hasn't really changed since it's been over a decade since they last saw each other.

But what do I know? Like I said, we're very early into the story, and I'm overanalyzing things because I'm tired. Let's just enjoy this for what it is and see how it plays out.

We're only four chapters in, so we're still getting to know the characters, but from what I can tell, Seungha seems to be the kind of person who teases people she likes. Perhaps, to her, it's completely harmless because she doesn't have bad intentions. However, to someone like Chaeyeon, who is introverted and easily nervous, it's not playful at all. It's just uncomfortable and embarrassing.

I don't want to excuse Seungha's behavior nor invalidate Chaeyeon's feelings. Even if you genuinely did not mean harm, actions have consequences. And if the recipient of said actions--who will be most affected by them--deem you a bully for how you treat them, then you ARE a bully. Plain and simple. That said, I don't think Seungha is this malicious, manipulative person. I think she's just immature and needs to learn that not everyone will take to teasing lightly, as well as understand that she actually affected Chaeyeon in a negative way.

I think this would make a good point of conflict between the two (it's already shaping up to be), as well as make them get to know each other better. And in stories like this, that's always a good thing, imo.

Yes! It's finally here! Tima's one of my favorite artists, so I've been waiting for someone to translate this series for so long.

I reread the last few chapters, and I have to say that Kuzushiro is really good at leaving small seeds that will become plot points later on. Taishi's friend disliking change and implied to be developing (or possibly already having) a crush on Shino, Nozomi still struggling with depression, and Heidi...Well, Heidi seems to be getting set up as a potential suitor for Nozomi, imo.

This slow burn is painful, but it's the best kind of pain. I love how the priorities here are Shino and Nozomi moving on, working through their trauma and grief, and finding happiness as individuals. The love story can wait.

I don't remember which chapter it was, but Heidi has clearly stated before that she's only into men and doesn't like Nozomi ''that way'' .

I believe that was in a late-80s chapter, but don't quote me on that. Still, there are some hints throughout the story that I interpret as Heidi potentially being a suitor. But again, this is just my opinion and interpretation. I could be wrong and am just reading too much into it.

I reread the last few chapters, and I have to say that Kuzushiro is really good at leaving small seeds that will become plot points later on. Taishi's friend disliking change and implied to be developing (or possibly already having) a crush on Shino, Nozomi still struggling with depression, and Heidi...Well, Heidi seems to be getting set up as a potential suitor for Nozomi, imo.

This slow burn is painful, but it's the best kind of pain. I love how the priorities here are Shino and Nozomi moving on, working through their trauma and grief, and finding happiness as individuals. The love story can wait.

I snorted when I saw Jinx in the back

I just realized that's a Long-Tailed Tit...talk about a visual pun.

I know this was supposed to be a trilogy, but I hope the mangaka does continue with it. I really like the overall premise and the characters and wanted to know more about them. Like, Saika going from this outgoing genki girl to a quiet and reserved adult. And then Ukawa goes from wallflower to emitting quiet chad energy. What happened from high school to where they are now?

Also, the art is gorgeous. I'm a sucker for beautiful noodle people, it seems.

last edited at Oct 12, 2021 10:20PM