Is this the end or will it continue?

This chapter sounds like a good stopping point

There's just one more chapter.

Marie: I love you Mel.
Everyone: pretends to be shocked

I wonder what happened to the third beastkin who got a random master. I like Marie for her character, but the snobby one was cute. =o=

I wonder if the beastkin can grow up? How they look like? I want to see!

I wonder if the beastkin can grow up? How they look like? I want to see!

I don't think they do grow up. Or at least they don't grow up the way humans do. The train tickets for humans come in "adult" and "child", but for "beastkin" the ticket doesn't distinguish between adult and child. They're just "beastkin".

Given the way society is organized, it's highly likely that Mel and Marie are fully-grown. (And from an extratextual perspective, I'd say that the author's tastes auger that direction as well).

...or their legal status is basically "pets" and age is irrelevant for such purposes.

...or their legal status is basically "pets" and age is irrelevant for such purposes.

There's also the fact that these supposed 12-year-olds appear as if they were 6 or 7. Plus the only other beastkin we've seen look to be the same age. Add in some other minor details and to me, the sum of all available evidence suggests that they're about as grown-up as they're gonna get. But unless the author said something for sure, we'll probably be left to wonder what's true.

IIRC, off the top of my head and without re-reading all the chapters, we've also seen exactly one sex of them. Either the setting is even more rife with Unfortunate Implications and plain squick than is immediately apparent or we should opt for "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence", as it were, and just write that part down to Author Appeal...

Fucking hell, what a troll. I love that woman. Fuck her, seriously. She's great.

Marie and Mel, and Stella and master are much better pairings. I'm not a big fan of stories, where the girl passes up the love by her side, to chase new forbidden love. I always feel sorry for the one, the girl left behind, even when, the author turns them into a betrayer so you won't.

last edited at Nov 27, 2018 4:31PM

I know. They are going in AMERICA (that's where most japan lesbian couples go to lesbianize in peace).

^Not the Netherlands? I've been living a lie...

blopa posted:

^Not the Netherlands? I've been living a lie...

Strangely, no.

It always puzzled me too. Manga authors would make their gay couple travel to America in order to marry even before it was lawful there.

Reason probably being that average Japanese wouldn't be able to place the Netherlands on a map.

I've also seen Canada and Netherlands. Honestly more than US.

Next chapter is the last one but there's a new doujin of the series by the author that they were selling at a recent event I think so there'll be that to look forward to

Next chapter is the last one but there's a new doujin of the series by the author that they were selling at a recent event I think so there'll be that to look forward to

If someone can provide the raws well more than happy to translate it

I know. They are going in AMERICA (that's where most japan lesbian couples go to lesbianize in peace).

I don't think they were in Japan. Maybe Europe tho.

I can't help thinking, it is what it is so I won't bother looking for an in-universe explanation, but it seems funny to me the way they really zero in on the human/beastkin divide as the sole hurdle to the relationship. Like, to the point where it's pretty conspicuous the way they all avoid the elephant in the room. Based on the way the publisher character (forgot her name :p) reacted, this isn't some alt-universe where adult/child couples are considered the norm or even culturally acceptable, but nobody else even bats an eye. The same-sex taboo doesn't even register at this point, but even then, I wonder if that's seen as okay? If this story shares a universe with the other beastkin series, the beastkin nation is said to be unique in treating it as normal. Of course the meta reason is that the narrative would be weighed down by dealing with too many taboos, but the mangaka still wanted to tailor the relationship to their, uh, very particular taste.

I can't help thinking, it is what it is so I won't bother looking for an in-universe explanation, but it seems funny to me the way they really zero in on the human/beastkin divide as the sole hurdle to the relationship. Like, to the point where it's pretty conspicuous the way they all avoid the elephant in the room. Based on the way the publisher character (forgot her name :p) reacted, this isn't some alt-universe where adult/child couples are considered the norm or even culturally acceptable, but nobody else even bats an eye. The same-sex taboo doesn't even register at this point, but even then, I wonder if that's seen as okay? If this story shares a universe with the other beastkin series, the beastkin nation is said to be unique in treating it as normal. Of course the meta reason is that the narrative would be weighed down by dealing with too many taboos, but the mangaka still wanted to tailor the relationship to their, uh, very particular taste.

If we assume that all beastkin are female and never age in appearance past age 10 or so, then it sort of makes sense. All the other potential hurdles (same-sex, pedophilia) are subsumed into her race. If that's the case, then if you're going after a beastkin, the other two implied. So that's why they all focus so much on the human-beastkin relationship rather than the other aspects.

On the other hand, maybe that's not the case, and it's just one of those things that isn't addressed.

I'm tolerably certain y'all are putting way more thought into the setting than the author ever did.

I'm tolerably certain y'all are putting way more thought into the setting than the author ever did.

I previously thought the same thing as you, and I believe I said so here, but then why make the endgame depend so heavily on all the stuff (age, species, legal status) that the series had previously ignored?

I mean, I’m used to Itou Hachi’s stuff focusing on the cute and letting the world-building slide, but stuff like the ID number/collar connection (and have any other beastkin ever been seen with a collar?) seems exceptionally (you’ll excuse the expression) random.

(Actually, checking Chapter 3, Marie has a little necklace and Fran wears a ribbon choker, but only Mel seems to wear bondage gear.)

(Actually, checking Chapter 3, Marie has a little necklace and Fran wears a ribbon choker, but only Mel seems to wear bondage gear.)

Master is into s&m

So many emotions...

Marie is a cutie.

I'm tolerably certain y'all are putting way more thought into the setting than the author ever did.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, anything worth analyzing is worth overanalyzing to death.

But seriously, I did agree with you originally, but recent developments in the series have made clear that the author either did put a lot of thought into the social structures of the setting, or accidentally created a very disturbing (and interesting) world. Since the social structures ultimately play a major role in the actual plot of the story, I'd argue that it's intentional, and the setting is something readers are meant to engage with when addressing the themes expressed through this work.

last edited at Dec 1, 2018 11:09AM