Oh jeez. Stopping the frame right before the kiss actually connects is not a good sign. With what Kuro said in the first half of the chapter I can get a rough picture of where this is going. She thinks romantic relationships are bothersome and prefers to have something more like really close family (because thats something she doesnt have with her father).
So when Miyabi understandably wants to go farther with it, Kuro might not be ready for it.

Of course I don't think that this will end badly in the long run. Kuro is still very childish and growing more emotionally mature will probably be her final arc in this story.

Oh and for the household of suffering, it's exactly as expected. Being in the same home during that situation is just unbearable. Even Reiichi had to notice. Uta leaving for the break is probably the best time to have things kick into gear. Her being away not only helps heighten the awareness of both of them to their desire to be together, but it might also show how bad momster really is.

Reiichi you big oaf... still waiting for you to actually do something for once.

last edited at May 1, 2019 4:55AM

is silent on the outside, but screeches loudly and autistically on the inside

I love the framing of the last page.With the way Miyabi leans down, it just looks awkward. This awkward posture coupled with Kuro's flabbergasted reaction conveys, to the readers, Kuro's emotional and physical discomfort in this situation. It doesn't look like a romantic scene, but rather one of entrapment. And then we have the last panel: the two pairs of feet. They imply that no matter what happens, if Kuro accepts or rejects the kiss, the characters are still stuck in place, in cyclical patterns of reinforcing their past behavior and actions. In order to move forward in the relationship, Kuro has to unlearn her past misconceptions about love and Miyabi has to learn to voice her own insecurities and concerns about their relationship to Kuro instead of hiding them. Only then will their relationship progress, and only then will their kiss have any meaning; a kiss between the two would then symbolize moving past their insecurities and learning to trust the other. person.

last edited at May 1, 2019 12:53PM

Yet another chapter where nothing moved on.

Yet another chapter where nothing moved on.

...you say right after two chapters that completely changed the status quo. If all you desire are the results, you will cut corners and lose motivation. And then you will lose sight of what's really important.

Anyway, this chapter's importance entirely depends on how much you care about Kuro and Miyabi.

It just gives me the feeling the author is stalling for time.

It's a well known technique of mangakas to slow down the pace and extend the publication time : side characters get more and more screen time and their romance is actually more fulfilling than the MC's, because a lot less is at stake. And it postpones the inevitable resolution of the main couple's romance.

Not that the side characters are uninteresting. But they'd deserve their own manga at this rate. Like "Prunus Girl", where the lesbian side couple was more fleshed out than the main gay couple.

It just shows, IMO, that the author is holding back for the sake of making this last longer. They give lots of leads in the beginning, then don't follow them until the end.

It’s no secret I’m with Nya-chan on this; I’ve been called “crazy” for expecting the chapters to have something to do with the main plot.

And while I like Kuro as Uta’s friend who she can unburden herself to, and in herself Miyabi is fine as a character, the excessive time devoted to that relationship really does feel like yet another authorial stalling tactic, marking time while the main issues fester (cue Reiichi’s clueless face here).

It’s like something important did happen last chapter, so it’s time for the story to wander around aimlessly for another half-dozen chapters or so—maybe with some more Mama-drama to liven things up.

A few chapters about Reiichi or Miyako's circumstances, giving hints about if they are screwing behind Kaoru's back or not (and why), would give food for thought to the readers in the perspective of Uta x Kaoru's relationship at least. It would advance the plot without involving the two directly.

It would be a better tactic to extend the series than fleshing out a whole other story about Kuro and Miyabi. It would be relevant.

It just gives me the feeling the author is stalling for time.

It's a well known technique of mangakas to slow down the pace and extend the publication time : side characters get more and more screen time and their romance is actually more fulfilling than the MC's, because a lot less is at stake. And it postpones the inevitable resolution of the main couple's romance.

That is definitely true. Personally I simply don't mind in this case. It was just particularly funny to see that kind of comment after the exact opposite having happened for once.

It’s no secret I’m with Nya-chan on this; I’ve been called “crazy” for expecting the chapters to have something to do with the main plot.

Cute. You will never let that go, huh? Keep putting it out of context as much as you like then~

While like any reader I’m interested in seeing how an author ultimately resolves the conflicts they’ve set up, I try not to be a “progress junkie”—a good story can unfold at whatever pace and with as many twists and turns as it needs to.

But the author needs to convince me that it is a good story being told the way it needs to be told rather than an author dithering, getting distracted, or just generally unsure about how to get out of the problems they’ve written themselves into.

I’d love to see this one demonstrate that it’s been following a master plan all along that will bring all the apparently dropped threads, side stories, and withheld plot points together into a coherent and unified whole.

I’m not holding my breath for it, though.

This one doesn't give the impression the author has no plan, on the contrary. They left plenty of hints that they know what they are doing.

But this plan can't fill enough volumes, hence fillers.

Well, we’re saying much the same thing. I find it hard to believe that anyone would start on a series with this particular premise without having a sense of where it’s all supposed to end up. Whether they have a real plan for plausibly getting there can be quite a different matter. See, for example, Citrus.

Theoretically, there could be a resolution to this series that ties in the Oversexed Schoolgirl and the Odd Couple and the Demon Mom threads and clarifies why we haven’t been told about what’s up with Reiichi, and all the other matters we’ve discussed at length. Readers here have being doing a yeoman’s job of trying to justify that stuff as thematically relevant or realistic or whatever.

It just seems to me that those readers are putting considerably more effort into pulling things together than the author has been.

Luckily this time I am smarter than I was with Citrus, and rather than coming up with resolution theories, I will instead wait for:

1. One page of silent panels showing how all problems were irrelevant and only in “Kaoru’s head”, followed by Kaoru and Uta marrying in a ceremony supported by all.

2. Truck-Kim saves the day by running over either Reiichi or Uta. Now Kaoru doesn’t need to choose anymore, yay!

last edited at May 1, 2019 9:13AM

It just seems to me that those readers are putting considerably more effort into pulling things together than the author has been.

Apparently never as much effort as you do dismissing it lol

Truck-Kim saves the day by running over either Reiichi or Uta.

Is that Truck-kun's sister?

last edited at May 1, 2019 10:08AM

If this series just totally sucked I'd have simply quit reading it long ago--it has had enough things going for it at various points that I'm still interested in seeing how it comes out. Although I've been dissatisfied with many aspects of the pacing, structure, and focus, I'm still trying to keep something of an open mind about the ultimate effect of the various authorial choices.

I announced well in advance that if Citrus managed to pull off a coherent ending without pulling one out of its ass, I would gladly publicly admit that I had been wrong. In that case, I did not feel the need to do so.

I would like to be wrong about this one, and if turns out I am, I will say so.

.................im scared....

^ if you're scared of what might happen next in this manga, then you clearly haven't watched Wonderwaffle's "Alternate Future of Canada - Remastered: The Movie". Once you watch it, its main villain (and possibly main character), Talinight, is gonna be the only thing that makes you scared.

EDIT:
I phrased it incorrectly, sorry. I'm gonna tell you from personal experience. Talinight is gonna scare so much shit out of you (not literally, but you get the point), that getting scared from something else would barely even count as being scared, in comparison to the scare you get from Talinight. shivers I'm getting chills down my spine just thinking about him. I can see his flag, his ugly, drugged, evil, purple eyes, his insanity and the consequences of it, inside my head right now! screams

last edited at May 1, 2019 5:20PM

That date was awkward right? It wasn't just me? It felt like there was no emotion or thoughts from kuro about the whole thing and just moved on from one event to the next. Then an awkward attempt at a kiss at the end

And like we hear a little bit about Uta at the begining of the chapter and then what like a third of the way through its like nope valentine's now let's go

okay listen this subplot is cute and great and all but i ain't wait a whole month for this shit

Someone just put this manga out of its misery. K thx

Yet another chapter where nothing moved on.

...you say right after two chapters that completely changed the status quo. If all you desire are the results, you will cut corners and lose motivation. And then you will lose sight of what's really important.

Anyway, this chapter's importance entirely depends on how much you care about Kuro and Miyabi.

Made an acc just to point out a good use of JoJo quote. That part really did stuck on me.
.

That date was awkward right? It wasn't just me? It felt like there was no emotion or thoughts from kuro about the whole thing and just moved on from one event to the next. Then an awkward attempt at a kiss at the end

And like we hear a little bit about Uta at the begining of the chapter and then what like a third of the way through its like nope valentine's now let's go

I never got a chance to re-read this story but I think they might actually be interacting ...better then we first leaned they were seeing each other? Kuro agreed to a date on a holiday when previously she had no interest(might have been a problem with Christmas in particular) seemed to have fun on this date. Called the other lass girly. We don't see her text reply but Utah gives us a hint as to what it was like.

Kuro even cleaned! Sorta!

last edited at May 2, 2019 12:08AM

That date was awkward right? It wasn't just me? It felt like there was no emotion or thoughts from kuro about the whole thing and just moved on from one event to the next. Then an awkward attempt at a kiss at the end

And like we hear a little bit about Uta at the begining of the chapter and then what like a third of the way through its like nope valentine's now let's go

Eh, not really. Maybe it's because of my personality, but I do that too. Once you know somebody well enough, dates aren't really about being flirty or romantic, it's just hanging out and having fun, and people like me and Kuro, who have resting bored faces, are often enjoying it even when it seems we aren't. And have you ever tried to kiss somebody when you aren't familiar with kissing? It's bound to be awkward. Worse case scenario, your teeth clack. It's fairly realistic considering their personalities, and I would be a bit weirded out if it was any different. I think you're just too used to those super sweet and romantic couples you see in most yuri works that this feels awkward to you.

...you say right after two chapters that completely changed the status quo. If all you desire are the results, you will cut corners and lose motivation. And then you will lose sight of what's really important.

Made an acc just to point out a good use of JoJo quote. That part really did stuck on me.

I have been exposed. Part 5 has some great symbolism and philosophy in it.

its incredible how the author managed to make 3 couples with an amount of 0 chemistry EVEN the supposedly yuri ones. kuroe gives clearly aroace vibes, her relationship with miyabi is just depressing bc she shows no sign of romantic feelings AND 90% of their interactions is miyabi cleaning/making stuff for her.