I'm wondering... did Rinna have a chance from the beginning? since earlier chapters, the series screamed Sayo. Even every moment happened lead Mei to think about Sayo's feeling. Of course, Rinna made Mei flattered here and there, but compared to Sayo, their relationship was so underdeveloped I didn't even think she was a rival to Sayo. Somehow, it feels like Rinna was just there for a plot device of love triangle with no chance to win.

Also, I don't think poly route works since Sayo clearly didn't want to share her love (hence there was no arrow grow from Sayo to Rinna ever. she even got jealous when Mei and Rinna were cleaning the bath together). People started to expect poly ending only when there was a poly chapter. Even that chapter ended with a small and frail arrow from Rinna to Sayo, then never developed after.

The last time I've seen this blushing orgy was in Hanigare. And I still have Subtext PTSD from that one. I am not going to let my self down and anticipate anything out of this. I'm just here because the plot seems interesting, and the yuri would just be the cherry on top.

It's funny that both Hanigare and this are serialized on the same magazine.

The plot is indeed interesting (I read the light novel), and it will get better from now.
Also, poor Stalker-kun

Guessing it had to do with the manga actually being used to advertise the small town where it was based, like another commentor predicted a while back. Can’t be too gay o4 you’ll scare off tourists

Well yes, Hanigare was used to promote Nagahama tourism, high school's campaign (this won an award), and mentioned in local NHK twice or thrice. The town is literally nowhere in Japan, so the people might be not as open minded about homosexual relationship as people that comes from, let's say, Tokyo. Imagine if you find out that someone used your town as a setting of a story that might upset you...

Also, Hanigare always put Nagahama High School Aquarium Club in every chapter as Information Aid, and I don't think they'd be happy if they're helping a blatant gay manga.

Hagino-sensei only wrote the gayest thing possible without upsetting those people.

It's ended.
Of course, it's still salamandership till the end. And for me it's the best to stay that way.

Also, there's a tweet saying in English that Hagino-sensei is preparing for a new serial.

https://twitter.com/MangaMoguraRE/status/1375564175490048006?s=19

Since Hagino-sensei herself retweeted it, should we take it as confirmed?
If so, it's a good thing that she chose to continue as mangaka, contrary to what she had said last year during her unrecorded twitch stream.

also this:

Fine, my main hope for the ending is that they go on an aquarium date in Tokyo.

You must be really happy that it turned into reality.

Chapter 32 is just too much for my heart too handle. I know I started reading Hanigare hoping for some yuri bait, but right now I seriously do not care whether they kiss or become friends in a salamandership. Koyuki has grown, and the lines she said to Konatsu when she understands the latter's feeling... really makes my heart full.

I think they both refer themselves as salamander while referring the other one as their frog, since Koyuki said "I wish I could become a salamander" to Konatsu (well it was the answer to Konatsu's words). It doesn't matter now, knowing they already conveyed their feeling to each other, in the subtlest way so no one wouldn't understand what kind of friend ship they have.

Two chapters left.

last edited at Jan 27, 2021 11:53AM

Thank you for posting this. I was trying to follow along using limited comprehension skills and copious amounts of google translate, but we all know how that goes :/. The only thing I recall besides what you posted was the fact that she was happy to see so many positive impressions of her manga on Twitter, while also citing that it’s a mean place, but I could be wrong for obvious reasons.

I think she also said about it, saying she's happy that many people support Hanigare in Twitter despite being a harsh place. She checked in Twitter after announcing the manga will end soon, and grateful that people commented about it nicely.

I can't watch long streams so thanks, I'm glad she was able to tell the story she wanted without limitations, too bad about the anime, I think the people behind Bloom into you did a great job on it but I understand the feeling, after all, a director will always try to give her/his own touch

She talked about how she thought that her manga could be more popular (anime adaptation is a way for it), but unable to do so since she should write a story that meets people expectation (as opposed to how she wanted the story to be).

Also, after finishing Hanigare, she implied that she won't start any new serial, thinking about going back to her family's home in Matsuyama.

Anyone listened to Hagino-sensei's Twitch stream today? She talked about many things. She said that if nothing happens, the serialization will concluded in March, so 4 more chapters left. She drew what she wanted, and never thought to prolong the story just to meet certain volume numbers, stating that if one volume is about 200 pages, Hanigare probably would end in volume 7. Hagino-sensei knows that some fans are hoping for anime adaptation, but there's no plan for it (since the manga will end soon), and if there's an offer, she'd refuse, citing that she didn't want anyone to intervene with her story. She also said that this year was tough for her, since she didn't meet anyone except for supermarket's employee and doctors during the pandemic, and her cat's passing.

She talked a lot, but unfortunately, according to her tweet, she was unable to save the stream even though she intended to.

So we will reach the conclusion soon... I'm going to miss Hanigare a lot. It's been a while since the last time (if not the first time) I invested too much emotion in a single title. In her tweet, Hagino-sensei said she's writing the story she wanted, so I think the conclusion will satisfy everyone.

I read Chapter 30 RAW more than thrice...and I should admit that this is a development I want to see. Also, there's an impact when Konatsu starts calling Koyuki with her given name. Unlike another serialization, Hanigare takes a different approach in this aspect. Sure, start calling someone with their given name means you're getting closer with them. But since Konatsu and Koyuki are also bounded in a senpai-kouhai relationship, Konatsu calling Koyuki without the proper suffix means much in their relationship.

Then, I don't think Konatsu tried to hide the frog had a hidden meaning, it's more like that she was surprised that Koyuki woke when she was touching Koyuki's private belonging. She also didn't bring the topic to Koyuki because... well we know what kind of person Konatsu is.

I'm seeing that Konatsu starts to realize that her feeling about yearning for Koyuki is mutual. Koyuki once wrote "It'll be nice if we can be together forever" when she read the "Salamander" and we know that Konatsu also feels the same way. We're seeing salamander and frog only in Konatsu's mind, but we also know that Koyuki put Konatsu's words seriously (and that she also cherished it), in a form of the paired plushies. Konatsu learned that the plushies is in fact a pair (not that kind of "same thing" or "couple", but metaphorically... one exist for another). I forgot whether Koyuki wanted to give the frog one to Konatsu at first, but the current ownership of the paired plushies also have a meaning. Both of them will be separated soon, the plushies they are holding symbolized that they will always be together. Koyuki with the frog (Konatsu), and Konatsu with the salamander (Koyuki).

Trivia: Hanigare's main characters uses three different words for "I".
Konatsu: watashi (わたし)
Koyuki: watashi/watakushi (in kanji, 私)
Kaede: atashi (あたし)
The differences make it easier to distinguish the dialogue and somewhat their demeanor.

last edited at Oct 26, 2020 9:25PM

this chapter seems like a filler for me, but somehow I understand Kaede's feeling. It's hard to loose the tight bond with someone close to you (especially siblings). Kaede's sister didn't care about Kaede's feeling, replying to her message half-heartedly. if my siblings did that to me, I'd be lonely as well.

anyway, the pace is just too slow...

I created an account here because I want to talk about Hanigare so much...

Maybe the thing I like the most in this series is the well-written story. I remember reading it light-heartedly at first, with blushing and cuteness here and there. The conflicts presented in this story were small at the beginning, often resolved in just one-two chapters. But as the story progressed, the conflicts were getting bigger and then finally we got that main conflict in volume 6-7. It felt natural, and Hagino-sensei didn't drop the bomb unexpectedly just for the sake of an unnecessary drama. It was important for both of them to confront each other, so they can open their heart.

In the preview of volume 8 (from volume 7), the caption implied that the next arc is about how Konatsu and Koyuki cherishes their remaining time together. I think we'll get the development of their relationship, and I believe Hagino-sensei won't make it to a waste. Still, I wonder how she brings it? This series is already more romantic than many romance manga, will she be able to take it to the next level without breaking the barrier of friendship?