Monkey brain out of the way first - shit was really hot. I feel like I should apologize lol.

Any case, I wasn't the hugest fan of the developments of the previous chapter, but this one went along pretty well, all things considered. I'd say in the grand scheme of things, Misa and Io came out better than they were going into the whole thing.

It's odd considering how harsh and impulsive Misa's initial reaction to the whole thing in the previous chapter was, but she still displays kindness and shows consideration every step of the way—or pretty much every step of it, I guess. Moreover, her actions in this chapter show a lot more understanding and deliberation, which would be the least you'd expect from her after seeing her stomp on Io's head in what seemed like unbridled fury. There's also the fact that Misa still genuinely cares for Io and -- the perfect words escape me here but something along the lines of -- genuinely wants to help her, like, to a level it viscerally frustrates her. The words "...replace her professional partner..." jump to me. Assuming this is also how it shows in the source text, I wonder if this is an angle the story could go.

We're also getting to/at the point where she's actively getting into it herself, and I've been waiting for it from the start and I very much look forward to this developing further.

And lastly, look, I don't know what I expected Io's mother to be. Some variation of the controlling, toxic mother stereotype, sure, but definitely not the very on-the-nose and quite literal scissor-wielding dommy mommy. This is some, like, the orange doesn't fall far from the apple tree type shit, but does, I guess, make some sort of sense considering Io. Monkey brain keeps yelling out oyakodon but I have no idea what that means. Odd.

Secondly, I'm assuming it was rather obvious from the start but I do want to call out the elephant in the room. If after all the parallels and obvious hints Yakou's sister is not Meguru I'll be absolutely gobsmacked. More than that, though, the series has a lot of tension in it, and one big source of it for me is the eventual absolute Titanic meets iceberg that would be the reunion between Azuki and Meguru. At the same time, I am impressed by the series still keeping plausible deniability about the fact.

I'm not even sure if I'd call it plausible deniability at this point, more like the author understands it's so obvious we don't need to be spoonfed info about what's right there in front of us.

That too, but what I mean is that with the way Yakou's sister's name was yet to be outright said, and Azuki has not yet spoken the name Meguru aloud, there's still the possibility that it'll be like "Oh, that's my sister, David!" or some such and it'll still technically be "valid". And I find that impressive and amusing.

My thoughts henceforth are based on both chapters three and four. I'm a bit late to any discussion here lol.

Firstly, I'm not exactly sure what Niji's fixation is just yet, beyond Yakou herself, but if I were to hazard a guess, her mentioning things are "wrong" or "not right" makes me think she's reading out of a script she expects real life to reimagine, or rather that there's a character or template she wants Yakou to fill or fit in, and when she doesn't, then it's not as it's supposed to be. Either case she's motherfucking terrifying. She absofuckinglutely knows who Azuki is, she fucking knows what color underwear she's wearing at any given moment, guaranteed, and I have no clue what her angle is. The way she's constantly shown with her phone was what gave me the thought about the script earlier, but much more reasonably... uh... I guess reasonably given the context, she's constantly fishing for info or noting things down for herself. I'm assuming she figured out who Azuki was during their conversation in chapter two.

Secondly, I'm assuming it was rather obvious from the start but I do want to call out the elephant in the room. If after all the parallels and obvious hints Yakou's sister is not Meguru I'll be absolutely gobsmacked. More than that, though, the series has a lot of tension in it, and one big source of it for me is the eventual absolute Titanic meets iceberg that would be the reunion between Azuki and Meguru. At the same time, I am impressed by the series still keeping plausible deniability about the fact.

Lastly, I like the way the dynamic between the two leads is developing. The whole touching thing is really interesting because it is specifically juxtaposed against the two supposedly being so deep into their respective closets they cannot see each other as sexual objects, but I also feel that there's some undeniable tension between the two; the framing and the positioning of the two very much suggests that to me (also the butt thing from chapter 4 was legit pretty hot). I can definitely see them going from weirdos to lovers which I believe I have stated before is what I hope happens.

But all the above said, at the same time, good lord girlies you both need help lol. Azuki specifically is such a bizarre brand of fucked up that it makes her weirdly endearing. Whereas Yakou has her, for lack of a better term, alter ego that gives her an already more approachable and agreeable facade, Azuki has absolutely fucking nothing but the fact that she keeps to herself. Were she any less hinged than she is this series would be markedly different.

Any case, genuinely interesting developments all around and I'm very much looking forward to what comes next. I particularly want to figure out what Meguru's schtick is.

last edited at Nov 7, 2024 9:47PM

Two of my favorite things are otomekai and yuri, so stumbling across this was very much a blessing. Big fan of how it's shaping up, hoping it runs for a while.

A couple of things that stood out to me while reading the chapters just now:

The queen seems amused more by the developing relationship/chemistry between the two useless lesbians than anything else which is really interesting to me and I wonder if the issue of chemistry ever comes into play, considering how the other pair genuinely doesn't seem to get along.

And considering they don't seem to get along on a personal level, I wonder how they truly measure up compared to the main pair. Could they make anything similar to the potions Nana and Luliam (spelling?) have made? I'm inclined to believe they wouldn't be able to.

Also:

The queen is so hot oh my god

and

Miko is adorable...

Just wanted to echo these two things as well.

Gah, these two are so cute I can’t even. And as people here have been saying, the supporting characters are really top-notch.

While in the broadest sense I’m a standard yuri reader hoping for relationship “progress,” I love the atmosphere and the character interactions in this series so much that I’m fine with the story taking as long as the author wants to take. (But I am always greedy for more chapters.)

I genuinely have nothing to add to this, just wanted to shout out and say that I'm in the same boat.

Holy motherfucking shit, I expected Hase's jealousy to fester and that she'd do that eventually but not so soon. She just blew the hell up. I believe this confirms and cements my thoughts about her being obsessed with Io, not sure about being in love with her just yet but that's probably the case as well. To so unabashedly use her control over Io and how she was conditioned to have sex with her is absolutely insane, but I'm also surprised that it doesn't seem like it happened earlier. I guess there is truth in Hase saying she never realized Io wasn't a little girl anymore.

...I hope everyone can see the difference between CNC and true non-consent :)

I think this is a huge part of how brilliant the writing is. There are obvious parallels and comparisons between Hase and Misa and their dynamic with Io, both "control" her, but the difference is also laid out very clearly that one does it through fear and conditioning and the other through both parties' desires and through Io's exploration and expression of self.

I'm also a huge fan of Misa straight up saying she does not accept Io having another, uhh, let's say, mistress? I'll go with mistress. There was what I read as a setup for the two's control over Io to be directly contested, and I'm interested if that's the case and how it'll look.

Two asides -

1. This is monkey brain speaking and I very much know I will not like it and will feel bad for it, but if the scenario already presents itself, go big and show a full scene between Io and Hase.

2. Page 20 - "Io... I want a straight answer from you..." I don't think there's any joke I can make that would be in good taste and funny enough to my taste (maybe just typing "Ma'am, is this a trick question?" or something), but I just wanted to point this out because this always amuses me.

last edited at Sep 29, 2024 7:03AM

There's something genuinely adorable about how Misa is Io's anchor and what lifts her, even without considering the nature of their dynamic. The complete change in the subtext of Io's behavior after Misa told her she thought the magazine shoot was great was a small joy, especially contrasting the outright abuse she was subjected to I would assume not long ago.

Now, I'm trying to think about Hase's motives here. The obvious one is possession; she almost definitely is in love with or obsessed with Io, maybe even both, and she will be her's by hook or by crook. The idol thing very much lends itself to that, with idols being in genuine danger both by unstable fans and the like and the predatory, insanely unbalanced nature of the industry - Hase is probably both Io's biggest fan and the one with the most direct influence on her as an idol. Not sure how the story intends to develop Hase or deal with her, but I will say that my crackpot wish is that she comes out of the club next chapter absolutely smitten by Misa and just lets everything go.

Also, regarding how she said that if Io was seen outside with Misa it would ruin her reputation, I don't think that's true at all. Like, in-universe, isn't Misa the hottest thing that isn't the sun by a large fucking margin? I'd assume that Io's bling would only rise, not necessarily for the right reasons mind, but still. Even more so if they were hinted at being more than friends.

That's a pretty good combo of things to successfully have a protagonist do something morally very dubious while getting the audience on board, I think

I like your write-up on that, and I agree. In my eyes it even paints Misa in a better light, she's flawed but not inhuman. If nothing else I feel that it's all very... plausible? Like, nothing about Misa's dynamic with Io has been too, for lack of a better term, cartoonish, but rather it felt very grounded and, again, plausible. Or at least makes enough sense that I can tell myself "yeah I can see a person thinking/doing that".

Lastly, as an aside, I've been consuming a lot of media that referenced Jar Jar Binks in their recent releases for whatever reason, and the frame of Misa introducing herself to Hase was reorganized in my brain to be her saying "Mesa Misa", and I just want to go to sleep man. I'm fucking tired.

last edited at Sep 22, 2024 12:16PM

Page 19's top panel is a very interesting choice of framing. I thought it a cheeky one-off till page 25 onward. Not sure what the purpose is but I don't necessarily mind I guess.

More seriously, I like the twist on the dynamic and presentation. Looking forward to seeing this one develop.

Interesting over all, specially the twist on the Isekai formula, as we aren't looking from the modern Japanese's perspective, but from the other way around.

I agree, it doesn't follow the typical generic Japanese perspectives, which makes it seem promising.

Yeah, though there still is that "look at this AMAZING JAPANESE THING..." that isekais often have. Not the biggest fan of that, but the reactions it draws out of Rachel are very amusing.

...Also, they both got surprises for one another at the festival...

I think the one with the surprise is Takamine, I believe what Sakura wrote was another recruitment message for her club. I'm still hoping she gets involved in the play somehow.

Other than that, I wholeheartedly agree with your comment. I love how warm, affectionate, and intimate this feels. And definitely MVP title for Hirose this time around. I love that she straight-up tells Sakura that she is the bright light in Takamine's life.

There are two ways I'm reading Sakura in the end there. Firstly, in a way, lamenting how she's had to give up on her club, but now Takamine says she's having fun in hers (though I'm fairly certain she isn't formally part of the club, though that doesn't really matter). Secondly, and very much tied to the first, she sees a person with whom she grew very close flowering before her eyes, all the while feeling that she's stuck in place and has not moved in a long time, perhaps even wilting. It's kinda symbolically displayed in the train scene at the end, with Takamine moving onward and Sakura being stuck behind. In a way she hesitated to move, and in a second everything "collapsed" before her eyes. Be it Takamine moving forward and leaving her behind, or herself leaving behind the things she cared about for whatever reason.

I'd like to throw in a joke and say that I agree with the commenter above who says "she's almost too gay to function", but also I think that in actuality that is part of the issue. I'm very much excited to see how this unfolds, but also holy fucking shit this chapter was too fucking short.

Also, as sort of an aside, Takamine playing the prince with Sakura was precious. I think that the placement of the scene and its juxtaposition with the following unfolding conflict is deliberate, but I cannot exactly pinpoint in what manner and why.

Azuki's first sexual experience that wasbranded "disgusting", and evidently traumatized her. Yakou doesn't look at her or other girls that way. That's pretty ace if you ask me.

I don't know, it definitely seems like she has a sexual urge, with how she got off almost to completion with that figuring. Judging by that and her reaction after, I feel like her case is one of a deeply repressed sexuality that is most definitely caused by some intense trauma.

Not that asexuality is the point or even related to this manga necessarily, but I just wanted to say that the typically definition of asexuality is a lack of sexual attraction to other people, which means that regardless of whether a person masturbates or has a high sexual drive, they can still be asexual if they don't have the desire to have sex with other people. Based on Yakou's self description, I would call her asexual. But we still don't know if she is being completely honest, or if she's instead lying out of a sense of shame. In either case, I think it will be really interesting to see how this plays out.

Grateful for the explanation because it sharpened some edges on my grasp of the definition, but I'll also sharpen what I originally meant by elaborating that I read her as having a very repressed sexual urge/attraction to/with/against people, regardless of her fetish. That was originally only based on the first chapter, and in a way where I see her development leading. Still hard to say with any certainty, and I'm also looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

I'll take my bet on this Niji girlie having infantilizing fetish/being into baby play, giving that she's called Niji-mama and kinda shielding Remu's "innocent", or more specifically, "babying" Remu. Or maybe she's just your typical yandere girl. Let's wait and see.

I'm simultaneously praying that is the case and desperately hoping it isn't. It'll be so fucking funny on the one hand, but on the other oh dear lord the poor girl. Both of them.

Btw is anyone getting some mommy issue vibes from Remu? Like, she was, um, using clay to "enhance" the doll's boobs based on her mother's?...

Yes, that popped to me as well. Really interesting thing to specify, and I really want to see how this plays out.

In any case, about the chapter itself, more than anything I like that it builds more about the world, or at least the characters' worlds. Both Niji and Remu's sister are without a shadow of a doubt missing a screw or two, and I'm both frightened and excited to see how.

last edited at Aug 19, 2024 6:14AM

Usui Shio's become one of my favorite authors, whenever they pop up on my feed is a good time. Hope they don't burn themselves out, though. And this is going to be really interesting. Usui's works have always been really unique in their presentation/take on their subject matter, it was romance up until now, but this will most probably be a lot more sexual in nature, and even this is so incredibly unique and interesting. I feel that the dynamic between the two is going to be incredibly unique as well, I mean, that they start getting closer by discovering each other's deeply-rooted-in-trauma-but-also-sincere fetish is one hell of a thing.

A few other thoughts:

Just on a general level, fucking oof for Komugi there. Like, we do not know the reasons or the person yet, but either case there's absolutely no wonder why she's so deeply traumatized.

I really like how reading Yakou's reaction after the revelation paints her in a completely different light. At first, I really deemed her disgusted and disturbed, but after I feel that she was projecting and almost immediately turned on. Not sure what to think of her just yet, but what she describes feels like some tough shit as well. Infinitely amused by the fact that her decision after everything was to ask for a custom made lewd figurine.

I don't know if that is intentional either from the translators or in the original text, but the fact that Komugi says "I'm heading off" to a choir of headless figurines is fucking comedy gold.

I'll just come out and say it, I really hope the two bang by the end and that it serves as a cathartic second chance for Komugi and the result of an introspective journey for Yakou.

Azuki's first sexual experience that wasbranded "disgusting", and evidently traumatized her. Yakou doesn't look at her or other girls that way. That's pretty ace if you ask me.

I don't know, it definitely seems like she has a sexual urge, with how she got off almost to completion with that figuring. Judging by that and her reaction after, I feel like her case is one of a deeply repressed sexuality that is most definitely caused by some intense trauma. Feels to me like there's gonna be a lot of self-discovery on sexuality from her end in this story. Rereading this sentence made me think that this isn't unlike Komugi herself, so there's gonna be some interesting stuff to come.

(Also: eww, unhygienic. Don't slobber up the Lost+Found unwashed, girl.)

Not gonna lie that page made me both laugh out loud but also "eww" out loud. But also... considering we know where the figurine came from, I don't think it's in particularly poor hygenic conditions. Even as a joke, writing this sentence made me feel unwell lol.

In any case, a really interesting start from an author whose works I very much like in large part because of how unique and interesting they are and I'm looking foward to seeing how things develop. Also hoping they go all the way.

I can't fathom folks showing up to a new work from one of vanishingly few mangaka (or published authors in general) repping committed aro/ace relationships to say "gosh, I hope this one is more like everything else I read!"

I understand what you're saying and why, and in no way am I trying to dismiss or belittle your point, but I'd like to offer a perspective on this. To me, one of the reasons Usui Shio's works have not been "like everything else I read", is a lot about the way they present the story, the way they construct and develop the characters and the plotline and the depth in them, and other nuances in their style and writing, and I really want to see these qualities that I adored in both "Donuts" and in "Marriage" (this is a terrible shortening lol) in a more, for lack of a better term, "traditional" romance story. In other words, I'll share that the reason Donuts, in particular, resonated so deeply with me wasn't the (a)romantic aspect of it, if that makes any sense lol. Like, different people are looking for different things, and there's nothing wrong with that.

As another example, I feel similarly about Fukaumi Kon - "Haru and Midori" is one of my favorite manga of all time, and a large part of it was the author's character-building and the atmosphere/vibe/pacing. Seeing those aspects that I really, really like in their writing play out in "A Love Yet to Bloom" which has a wholly different flavor has been an absolute joy.

Also, I saw a few comments that mentioned it'd be boring or disappointing if despite everything, Asako "overcomes" her being ace, and again I understand what they mean, but to me, it isn't "overcoming", since Asako, in particular, is genuinely going through a pretty serious introspective process, which would be the shaping of her character, and regardless of what she realizes she is at the end of it, so long as the execution is good enough, and I have a lot of trust in the author, it'll feel appropriate. I really do hope whoever reads this gets what I'm saying here lol.

In any case, about chapter 5 itself, I really like how things are going. I find that the questions Asako asks herself are genuinely interesting and really important and I'm looking forward to seeing her making sense of her own world. Also big fan of the two's dynamic, it feels a lot more fluid and organic than in many other stories I've read. I hope that Asako has a chance to talk to her sister at some point if nothing else because it's kinda weird to me that she'd cut her off just because she "ran away" with someone.

last edited at Aug 10, 2024 10:55AM

...Since Sakura also has some writing background (and this girl is struggling to write an end), I also wonder if she'll become involved in some way.

Feels like this is exactly where the plot is going...

I kind of feel the same, with how Sakura is juxtaposed with/against the goings on. Please please please please let be the case. It'll be everything.

In any case, oh my god what a cute chapter. The blushes! The pout! Lots of funny bits as well. Loved Hinata just popping out after Takamine's story and the various reactions to Takamine.

Please let Sakura be get involved. Use it as a chance to relight her own fire and develop her character. Go big! Finish the play with an explicitly implicit confession, why the fuck not? God, I'm looking forward to the next chapter so much.

As an aside, I really, really like Fukaumi Kon's art style. I'm not sure what happened, but this chapter generally feels significantly prettier than the previous ones (which were not bad by any stretch). Like, there were a few paticulalry stunning frames, my favorite being dejected Sakura. No clue why, but very much a fan.

last edited at Jul 13, 2024 9:36PM

I was way off about the girl, and how things panned out were far better and more amusing than I'd hoped and expected! I mean she absofuckinglutely has a crush on Takamine but I do not think it comes into play at this point. Anyway, huge fan of genuinely every single thing that happened in this chapter, to the level that I'm tempted to go through it on a panel-by-panel basis, but for the sake of my own sanity I won't... go all out.

Key takeaways and emphases:

Hatori almost selling Takamine out was very amusing. Kinda wanted her to go through with it.

The spin on the girl's identity and confession was more obvious this chapter but was still brilliantly done, and I really like the girl which is always a bonus. Definitely has a crush on Takamine, but for absolutely no fucking reason I ship her with Hinata.

There's a lot to break down on this thought in particular, but If Takamine's growth leads to her starting to write or even becoming an author I'll be ecstatic. I adore just the thought of it. In any case, I'm really glad to see that she's decided to really go for something that she seems at least to a certain level genuinely interested in, and I'm excited to see how it'll all look.

Takamine acting all... I don't even know how to describe it, but worrying about not seeing Sakura enough and all, this shit just melts me. Also cute how Hatori's quiet remark about matching schedules kinda happened by the end of the chapter.

I'm very, very much hoping that with how intensely Sakura blushed at the end that whatever it is that she's written before was about Takamine. I'm 99% certain that it wasn't and she's just generally really shy about it because who wouldn't be, but just think how much more amusing that'd be.

The next chapters cannot come out soon enough, good lord.

I wonder if this will go the typical route of having her be a catalyst of some sort. That'd be kind of disappointing.

I'd say she turned out to be just that, but in a way that is the absolute opposite of disappointing.

last edited at May 12, 2024 9:49AM

Fucking yes! Let's go! I definitely wanted to see more, but goddamn this was satisfying. Also willing to bet whatever Korn gave Sophia was like orange juice or somesuch.

In any case, bets on how the potion fucks things up now? I'm thinking either the potion completely reverses their senses somehow or completely negates them. Definitely doesn't do what it supposedly should, though.

So is younger sis a total bitch or what? "I can feel they're in the middle of things, which means it's my twin sister's first time, and with the girl she's been passionately in love with all this time. Guess I'll interrupt with the mail!" She's always been pretty snarky but really, WTF?

It doesn't seem to me like she immediately went to interrupt, she even mentioned that she might deliver whatever that was later. I do think there's a pretty good chance she interrupted them when she went there later on though lol.

Uh oh, stalker alert?

I'd say an admirer from her volleyball days, probably a junior or something of the sort.

Is the implication is that she gave up on the club because she’d rather just see Takamie after school everyday?

I think it was an already dead non-club, and she decided to finally let it go, or something along those lines.

In any case, cute! Great chapter. I absolutely love seeing Takamine grow as a character and person and see her outlook on practically everything change and especially love all the cute moments between her and Sakura. Bathe me in this shit, dude. I assume the new mystery girl is some sort of a "fan" from the volleyball stuff, not too concerned about her. I'm more interested in what Sakura was so morose about, we don't see much from her perspective, and I hope we do at some point.

A few things popped up to me. Most prominently are the big fucking off for Shion, how her metaphorical and literal letting go left her shaken, and in turn Mona, who literally and metaphorically has finally come to beg for Shion's attention directly. Page 138 juxtaposing Kiki and Michiru dancing full on with who I believe is Shion and Mona decrepitly standing at the side was perfect to display the pain both are probably going through.

And also. as SrNevik mentions:

...it seems she'll soon understand the phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder," and hopefully not "ya snooze, ya lose."

Almost definitely, probably with the help of big sis, who I definitely did not until this point believe had passed away. But I also am left with questions about Kiki's view of herself, which seems like a pretty big obstacle for her growth still. Also, bizarrely, I'm really glad that Michiru could muster the courage and set the boundary, for both of their sakes. Either case, though, I honestly liked the entire moment between the two of them. Felt really tender and warm, all things considered.

As an aside, part of me couldn't help but laugh at the thought that Michiru told her physically hurt friend that they needed some time off, and while aching and on the floor, just left her there and walked away.

Loved the chapter. The severe wife-withdrawal displayed is somewhat worrisome, but hopefully nothing life-threatening, also thanks to the dude above who commented that, it made my evening.

More seriously, I do love how the framing particularly displays the two's bracelets, specifically Takamine's. She has Sakura on her mind constantly and I fucking love that, but also it's a great symbol of how meeting her has changed Takamine's life. On that topic, I also really like the several insights about the characters' changes and their worldviews, I actually find Hatori's stance very interesting, especially with how in the last chapter and this one, she's gone out of her way and against her own supposed stance. Also, her questioning what made Hirose "choose" Takamine is a brilliant twist and tease. The way she was about to ditch Hirose and retreat back into her usual stance implied she took some damage there, but I'm very glad that she wasn't allowed to leave. Also just really like how Hirose sold her out, love the dynamic in that.

Another thing I want to note is the line "...those dazzling lights that used to feel way too bright; now feel like a soft and comforting glow...". A brilliant display of character growth in a way that feels so relatable, real, and grounded. I also feel that juxtaposing it over a frame showing Hinata, probably the brightest and most dazzling of the four, was on purpose, and I like that.

Also the chapter's cover page is chef's kiss.

Let's recap friend by friend...

Love the breakdown here. I'd say that Hatori is also in the "knows what's going on" camp, both regarding the duo and regarding Hirose. I'd say she's probably the most perceptive one. Also, for some reason, even though it is abundantly clear that Sakura knows what's going on, part of me feels that while she knows, it hasn't sunk in yet, if that makes sense. Also, with chapter's 14 excellent tease, I'm feeling rather optimistic about the story actually dipping into romance.

last edited at Feb 27, 2024 1:02PM

There's this thing when I'm reading something dramatic or adjacent where my stomach turns and rumbles throughout the whole thing, and there's this feeling of unease and anxiousness that haunts me all along as well. I consider this a good thing, a sign I'm invested in something or that I find the writing and scenario particularly compelling, and this chapter had this on full fucking blast. Good lord, Kiki's outburst and her self-hatred/self-pity were painful on the most personal levels, and the various reactions and pained expressions as well.

I liked the nuance of Shion trying to help but really having no idea how nor any way to really be of any effect, and what I read as her feeling somewhat guilty, too. I also love the trend of Mona just being the voice of reason, but more seriously, giving Kiki the mirror she very desperately needed in order to actually being to handle all that's happened. Very much looking forward to seeing what comes next.

last edited at Feb 21, 2024 2:52PM

and finally we get "the face she shouldn't show" lmao. Sure also looks like Io is having a little bit of a crisis realizing that she's suddenly into all these perverted things that she never was before, though I'd wager that's because attraction does make all the difference, and it's hot for her specifically because she's doing it with Misa.

Io is (re?)discovering her repressed sexuality with a person she is down bad for. It's like taking your first driving lessons in a racing car on one of those German autobahns without a speed limit.

It also helps that Misa is an experienced race-car driver and is really into it as well, though she does not admit it yet. I don't think it's just attraction, there's some serious chemistry between the two that makes this a lot hotter for the two of them.

And also just generally a lot hotter- fuck. me. That was some of the hottest shit I've seen in the last few months. I find Io's awakening to be really satisfying, and I also love specifically Misa really trying hard to deny how into it she is. "I'm not into...", "I'm just playing along with...", but in the end, she can't get enough of it. I really want to see the moment she realizes. In the meantime, though, seems like an absolute shitraiser of a storm is brewing. Not sure how big a fan I am of that, but I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

last edited at Feb 17, 2024 9:36AM

I love everything about this chapter. Hirose was on fire; the entire "this needs to stop" exchange was pure gold. The power of friendship was in full force as well, and I absolutely loved that. Gay or not gay, it's clear that these things mean a lot to Sakura, especially with the frames on pages 15 and 21 showing her reactions, it is incredibly adorable. And the handholding and matching items and promises and stuff, just pure fluff, I adore that. Also kinda felt bad for Hinata once she realized she was five-wheeling, but the entire matching set was a great "recovery". And also the thing between Hirose and Hatori:

I've been actually shipping Hatori and Hirose for no apparent reason...

An excerpt of one of my earlier comments. I'm still seeing that, and I'm a big fan of the development.

...We're just supposed to want her to win out based on....? ...it's become clear that we really are supposed to view Mai as an end goal, rather than a catalyst...

I don't really see anything that suggests we need to root for her. Or anyone, for that matter, now that I think about it. This isn't exactly going according to the "romance story" formula lol. In either case, Mai still is very much the catalyst. When all is said and done, the story itself keeps going back exactly to what set it up in the first place, just like this chapter has done - a very explicit "and now back to our main programming" sort of vibe.

I do feel like introducing nanao, while positive in the short term, kinda went too far and is detracting from the entire idea of the lesbian brothel escapades the story was built around.

This has been my feeling as well.

I can see where this comes from, but I don't think she provided that severe a distraction. Many of the initial stages directly revolved around the escapades and the comedy of misunderstandings that were related to them, and I don't feel that there was any time "lost" on developing Nanao and her dynamic with Asumi. Though this is probably bias speaking since I adore Nanao and their chapters together were incredibly hot. Like I mentioned above, this chapter I feel was that reader-aware or self-aware moment where the story decided to realign itself, or something like that.

I also generally think that introducing Asumi in the context of more serious relationships and questions of what she is looking for is good for the story, and the entire Nanao arc was a whole lot of that.

Another comment mentions:

Can you really call Mai an industry plant when she is the literal driving force of this story?... This whole arc has basically demonstrated that Mai has become something of an emotional “block” for Asumi... Either that, or I’m just over analyzing porn.

And while I wouldn't necessarily say emotional block, I feel similarly as well. Though I also recognize that us potentially "over-analyzing porn" is solely up to how the story goes, which I actually do hope it dips its toes in these more serious questions.

Completely aside from the above, this chapter was the good shit. I'm incredibly amused by how Asumi was mortified by the thought she like violated Nanao's trust or something and Nanao was like "let's just fuck". Nanao's horny energy in general is infinitely amusing. Girl developed a voracious appetite in the span of like a week and a half in-universe lol.

last edited at Jan 29, 2024 2:35PM

Couldn't hold the tears this time. That was beautiful. Kaori's letter and diary, her feelings, how deeply Shizuku affected her, especially after seeing the exact from Shizuku's side, and how much Kaori brought to her life. So incredibly touching and special. As my previous comment says, as painful as this is - Kaori saying that she wished they were a real couple hits like a truck - there's also something cathartic about it all. How Shizuku got to learn how important she was to Kaori, how important it is that she keeps on living, too. "I'll become the proof that you were here" and "...the summer you were here was a happy story" are both such incredibly powerful feelings and ideas to end on, especially considering how close Shizuku was to suicide. I wanted more epilogue, definitely, but I don't think anything could've given this feeling of a fire reignited and newborn hope better than these two sentences. Even without seeing it, I know that she will live life to the fullest, with Kaori by her side and in her heart all the way. To me, this is perfect.

This story has been phenomenal from the first minute. Incredibly painful and heartwrenching, as well as very hopeful, heartwarming, and endearing. It was convincing and gripping and struck deep to very uncomfortable levels. Especially considering how from the very beginning Kaori's fate was clear, the fact that I still dreaded the inevitable every chapter and how deeply I rooted for the ass-pull of the century, to me is a huge testament to how good this story has been. It has taken a very special spot in my mind and heart, and I am incredibly glad to have read it, even though, or perhaps especially since I try to avoid tragedies. Thank you very much to the translation team that has given us the ability to read this, and also to the author, Yuama, for creating it. Though I hope they do not actually read this comment lol.

An aside, this jumped to me in particular and I feel the need to say this - I lost a close friend to suicide some years ago. What I wanted to do more than anything was to go after them and drag them back even if it took everything from me. It obviously does not work like that. If you are dealing with suicidal thoughts, or with the loss of a loved one, please reach out and seek help. You are not alone, and there is a tomorrow.

last edited at Jan 28, 2024 12:13PM

I don't think Karin is fooling around, but this chapter raises the possibility of an interest twist of sorts in which the question "which one is love" also applies to the potential love interests. Like Minato in this chapter, there is the possibility of them all who were coming from a really, really innocent place before to suddenly realize "oh shit wait this is for real- this is love! roll credits". Not sure this is the route I prefer, though. In any case I'm certain Karin has some perfectly reasonable in-universe-shenanigans way of "redeeming" herself. Or they just straight do it, I am perfrctly fine with this as well.

Also I feel like an F for glasses friend is warranted.