In other news, Taiyaki seems to have done a new manga with the same mother/daughter incest theme as 1 x 1/2 for a yuri anthology, and an excerpt from it (or possibly all of it, I can't tell from Google Translate) is pinned on her Twitter. I think it's just a one-shot, but I get the sense that she's going to keep going back to this theme after 1 x 1/2 concludes.

Since I mentioned the possibility... Ayako outright running away would not be the right choice on her part by any means, but I think it's possible that she might because, the way I'm reading the last chapter, she's presently seeing herself as having corrupted her daughter, and her immediate response to what happened is to leave the house. Also, Asuka's dream of her mother's absence strikes me as possibly being foreshadowing. I can easily imagine Ayako in her current mental state deciding that even if it hurts Asuka for her to leave, that it's still less bad for her than her presence would be. This, again, wouldn't be the right decision at all, but it's the sort of decision I can easily imagine someone with a sufficient degree of self-loathing making, where they think that their loved ones will be better off without them. And, from what we've seen, Ayako's likely carrying a lot of self-loathing. I suspect that her dealing with that and arriving at a better place (probably with Asuka's help) will be a major part of her character arc coming up, whether there's a timeskip or not.

I agree that Ayako running is the most likely scenario.

I would like for them to handle things together so it can strengthen their bond but it seems impossible at the moment.

I feel like Ayako’s self loathing might be hereditary and Asuka could blame herself for her mother pulling/running away, thus leading her to pull away from Ayako herself. Also, it’s the more unexpected route and this manga hasn’t been completely predictable so we shall see....

"time apart" would be making Asuka an orphan (severing emotional ties with her only parent, and to a large extent her only family). Destroying familial relationships, which is what I was talking about being the risk with incest.

It seems like a lot of people are seeing their familial relationship as a direct obstacle to their romance here, probably because it is hard for them to emphasise with mixing the two. But for the characters it is different.

Asuka didn't fall in love with some older woman who just happened to be related to her, she fell in love with her mother, in the role of her mother. We've seen in earlier chapters - she doesn't feel there is a line between her familial feelings and her romantic ones. In her fantasies she calls Ayako "mom" while having sex; she doesn't like using her name. She considered the "if you were strangers" scenario when Miyuki suggested it, she didn't like it.

Even Ayako the problem isn't being able to mix maternal and sexual feelings... she just did, that is what she is feeling guilty and ashamed about. Abandoning Asuka wouldn't fix her feelings of being a failure as a mother, it would consolidate them.

I have a couple of good rants about independence and time-skips/taking a break in general, but I'm late for work, so maybe later.

To sum it up, Asuka and Ayako being mother and daughter allowed for the romance to begin but in order for it to progress, they need to be more than that.

The rant that follows can (should) be ignored...

A parent does not stop being a parent just because they don’t live with their child or see each other often.

Lots of children live in different cities than their parents.

And no matter what happens, Ayako is Asuka’s mother. They have an emotional connection that no distance can sever completely and the story’s point is they are biological mother and daughter tied by blood.

Their familial connection can never be severed.

In some stories, I agree that distance is not necessary but here, emotions are overwhelming for both parties and it feels like they need to take a breather to be able to clearly look at things.

They’re too close to the situation and each other.

At the moment they each have emotional baggage that they need to figure out. It would be great if they can just sit together and deal with all their issues as a unit but it might be hard to do seeing as these are things they need to come to grips with alone.

Asuka needs to mature as a person, figure out who she really is and what she really wants (beyond wanting to be with her mother) and also figure out whether or not her love for her mother is tied to her dependence on her. She said it herself, she relies on her mother’s kindness. She needs to come into a role other than ‘daughter’ before she can become ‘lover’.

It’s pivotal to the story that they are mother and daughter but that’s only the literal sense of it because they are also made for each other in the metaphorical sense.

Yes being family bonded them, allowed for Asuka to get a glimpse of Ayako no one else had and for Ayako to let someone (not completely) in, but what could deepen their bond is if they love each other beyond what they know of each other as family members. They also need to see each other as people, beyond the confines of their current relationship.

That conversation with Miyuki was about Asuka recognizing that yes she’s hurting but the happy moments she’s had with her mother outweigh all this pain she’s going through.

Though for Asuka, it’s more possible to heal with her mother at her side. Hearing everything will be okay from her mother might be enough.

But I don’t think the same could be said for Ayako seeing as Ayako needs to figure out whether what she feels for Asuka is real or if it’s just because she’s a reminder of Atsushi or because she just doesn’t want to lose what she feels is her last hope at real unconditional love.

She also seems to be harboring deep emotional trauma that she’s been carrying even before Atsushi came to her life. Just having Asuka around wasn’t enough to rid her of her baggage and that’s why time for herself, to strengthen her own confidence without relying on anyone else, is necessary for her.

Of course this all depends on the length of the story. If it’s going to be ending soon, then I think it’s just going to wrapped up in one happy investors rainbow bow.

if this story is going to end in a positive place for both of them, a timeskip and some time apart is probably necessary

"time apart" would be making Asuka an orphan (severing emotional ties with her only parent, and to a large extent her only family). Destroying familial relationships, which is what I was talking about being the risk with incest.

It seems like a lot of people are seeing their familial relationship as a direct obstacle to their romance here, probably because it is hard for them to emphasise with mixing the two. But for the characters it is different.

Asuka didn't fall in love with some older woman who just happened to be related to her, she fell in love with her mother, in the role of her mother. We've seen in earlier chapters - she doesn't feel there is a line between her familial feelings and her romantic ones. In her fantasies she calls Ayako "mom" while having sex; she doesn't like using her name. She considered the "if you were strangers" scenario when Miyuki suggested it, she didn't like it.

Even Ayako the problem isn't being able to mix maternal and sexual feelings... she just did, that is what she is feeling guilty and ashamed about. Abandoning Asuka wouldn't fix her feelings of being a failure as a mother, it would consolidate them.

I have a couple of good rants about independence and time-skips/taking a break in general, but I'm late for work, so maybe later.

I love that you made this post even though you are already late for work. We are so dedicated to this manga that we don't care about our own lives anymore LOL

In order to truly show your dedication you must have sex with your own mom. This way you can understand the story from Asuka's standpoint.

Instead of checkign u guys could be having sex with ur moms

In order to truly show your dedication you must have sex with your own mom. This way you can understand the story from Asuka's standpoint.

remy wanting us to have sex with our moms is inspiring and unifying

Instead of checkign u guys could be having sex with ur moms

In order to truly show your dedication you must have sex with your own mom. This way you can understand the story from Asuka's standpoint.

remy wanting us to have sex with our moms is inspiring and unifying

LOL.

But good role models/leaders are at the forefront of any endeavors. Please, Remy, lead and show.

Kidding aside, Asuka's desire to have sexy time with mommy hasn't materialized yet. With the current angst, I'm really wondering how will a loving, sexual encounter between Asuka and Ayako happen. Hoping Akira will provide some sort of clarity as an ally, the way Miyuki has done.

Remember when Asuka told her mother to open her mouth https://dynasty-scans.com/system/releases/000/020/477/0012.png
Now Ayako is telling Asuka. Oh how the tables have turned

[...] age-gap between Asuka and Miyuki than senpai and kohai = a year or two) [...]

FYI Miyuki is four years older than Asuka - she was in fifth grade when Asuka was in first, and in final year high school (17 or 18) when she tried to seduce her (Asuka second year middle school, 14).

Thank you for correcting me :)
I wanted to confirm, so I finally re-read the whole thing, so far. And I can only recommend - it all makes so much more sense now .-.

During that re-read, a few things I noticed (not that I was taking notes >.>):

1) Ayako wasn't that much older than Atsushi when they married.
With her being 37 in the present, Asuka being 16 and Atsushi dying in a traffic accident not even a year into their marriage, without ever learning Ayako was pregnant, Ayako was 19-20 yo when the just-turned-18 Atsushi proposed to her. And they met when Atsushi was 16, and Ayako was 17-18. Ayako took a year off at uni when she had Asuka, then resumed her studies (she last saw some of her uni-friends 10 years ago).
- I think that's worth of note, so we can maybe agree Ayako's not a notorious pedo :P (in case some ppl got that impression)

2) Miyuki got separated from her younger (and sickly) sister Haruka when they were 9 and 8 yo respectively.
2.b) Asuka noticed Miyuki and Haruka didn't look a lot alike.
2.c) Miyuki's mother (rumoredly) committed suicide at some point before Miyuki and Asuka first met (at which point Miyuki was in 5th grade / 10-11yo)
...just in case anyone is still interested in Miyuki's story.

3) Akira seems to avoid alcohol. Probably unrelated, Akira claimed "For me, not even a lifetime would be enough to earn the right to be in love with Ayako" and Ayako responded "What happened wasn't your fault" (panel showing Atsushi). Ayako also guilt-tripped Akira into taking care of her 1yo Asuka with "whose child ya think dis is?".
3b) When Akira teases Ayako about a threesome (with Asuka), Ayako gets angry, but "wouldn't mind" if it's just her, she's "already used to it".
3c) ...also "Handling girls is your area of expertise" Ayako said, leaving Akira with her child XD ((not sure if sassy or irresponsible))

4) Atsushi refered to Ayako's wedding ring as "pretty convenient" and "a protective charm"... (their student marriage had no wedding ceremony)

5) Ayako never knew her mother and "[lost] both of her parents so quickly", she once prays to "dear father and mother in heaven" (and Atsushi, too)

6) In chapter 09, during kissy-time, Asuka tells Ayako "if it's hard to breathe, you should open your mouth".
In chapter 15 Ayako said: "Hurry up and open your mouth already."
(Edit: ...oh, while I posted this, shialzsan also noted that .-. )

last edited at Jan 28, 2020 3:43PM

Remember when Asuka told her mother to open her mouth https://dynasty-scans.com/system/releases/000/020/477/0012.png
Now Ayako is telling Asuka. Oh how the tables have turned

I LEARNED IT FROM YOU, DA UGHTER

last edited at Jan 28, 2020 3:43PM

3b) When Akira teases Ayako about a threesome (with Asuka), Ayako gets angry, but "wouldn't mind" if it's just her, she's "already used to it".

I think what she mean if that she used to Akira flirting with her.

3b) When Akira teases Ayako about a threesome (with Asuka), Ayako gets angry, but "wouldn't mind" if it's just her, she's "already used to it".

I think what she mean if that she used to Akira flirting with her.

I agree. I think she means used to Akira's flirting.

3b) When Akira teases Ayako about a threesome (with Asuka), Ayako gets angry, but "wouldn't mind" if it's just her, she's "already used to it".

I think what she mean if that she used to Akira flirting with her.

I agree. I think she means used to Akira's flirting.

Me three. She referred to her own previous line: "don't you dare to look at Asuka in that way" and then said: "I'm fine if it's me [you are looking at in that way] though".

3b) When Akira teases Ayako about a threesome (with Asuka), Ayako gets angry, but "wouldn't mind" if it's just her, she's "already used to it".

I think what she mean if that she used to Akira flirting with her.

I agree. I think she means used to Akira's flirting.

Me three. She referred to her own previous line: "don't you dare to look at Asuka in that way" and then said: "I'm fine if it's me [you are looking at in that way] though".

Ya. Akira's doomed hitting on her rather appears to be something of a long-established private running joke between the two.

6) In chapter 09, during kissy-time, Asuka tells Ayako "if it's hard to breathe, you should open your mouth".
In chapter 15 Ayako said: "Hurry up and open your mouth already."
(Edit: ...oh, while I posted this, shialzsan also noted that .-. )

Amusing, right? XD

But I don't think we should believe Ayako didn't know how to kiss at that point in time, and learned from Asuka during those few minutes of kissing.

I think that, in chapter 9, Ayako was trying very hard not to respond or react in any way... and ended up in a totally dominated position, lol.

Ayako, being forcefully attacked by Asuka, did her best "dead fish" impersonation and tried to remain still and unresponding (a classic cliché for Japanese women during sex, if urban legend is to be believed) but she didn't expect Asuka would be so good at it: she got crazy turned on and started responding as a natural reaction. Then they found themselves in a situation where Asuka had taken the dominant role as a matter of course, while Ayako was merely responsive; and when she wanted Asuka to stop she had to beg for mercy, lmao.

In chapter 15, everything was different. Ayako went all-out on the attack (for reasons that have been analyzed plenty already) and, as one would expect, she has truckloads more experience than Asuka. Asuka was caught by surprise, and, this time, she was the one being put in a submissive role. And the stimulation was so extraordinary she ended up getting scared, haha. It's not so strange: Asuka is a horny teen, but she's also an innocent virgin! Also, she detected something was weird: Ayako, as Asuka knows her, was not being herself the way she was acting.

Anyway, it should be obvious Ayako doesn't need to learn "how to kiss" or "how to sex" from Asuka.

3b) When Akira teases Ayako about a threesome (with Asuka), Ayako gets angry, but "wouldn't mind" if it's just her, she's "already used to it".

I think what she mean if that she used to Akira flirting with her.

I agree. I think she means used to Akira's flirting.

They were talking about sex, though. No reason for a sudden change of subject.

3b) When Akira teases Ayako about a threesome (with Asuka), Ayako gets angry, but "wouldn't mind" if it's just her, she's "already used to it".

I think what she mean if that she used to Akira flirting with her.

I agree. I think she means used to Akira's flirting.

They were talking about sex, though. No reason for a sudden change of subject.

I don't really think they had sex in the past because Akira would have already told Asuka about it to taunt her.

I have a couple of good rants about independence and time-skips/taking a break in general, but I'm late for work, so maybe later.

I love that you made this post even though you are already late for work. We are so dedicated to this manga that we don't care about our own lives anymore LOL

Who needs real life, right? We have 1 x ½ and that's all we need!

I don't really think they had sex in the past because Akira would have already told Asuka about it to taunt her.

Unless Atsushi died because of it, right?
It was speculated before (I'm too lazy to search who/when) that Ayako cheated on Atsushi with Akira. Then one day Atsushi found them in bed, ran out in anger, and was hit by a truck (and then perhaps travelled to an isekai, lol).
That's one way to explain a lot of little mysteries and cryptic dialogues between Akira & Ayako. Not the only one, I guess, but one way.

It was speculated before (I'm too lazy to search who/when) that Ayako cheated on Atsushi with Akira.

What in the world ? Why would Ayako does that ? Maybe they got a one night stand before Atsushi propose or a bit after his death but i highly doubt that Akira and Ayako would an intercourse when Ayako was married. I don't see Ayako as the cheating type nor i see Akira as someone who want to NTR her own brother.

Unless Atsushi died because of it, right?

Or maybe AKira let slip to Atsushi about Ayako's past and he feel bad for her and on the road to talk with Ayako he had his accident.

last edited at Jan 29, 2020 3:14PM

It was speculated before (I'm too lazy to search who/when) that Ayako cheated on Atsushi with Akira.

What in the world ? Why would Ayako does that ? Maybe they got a one night stand before Atsushi propose or a bit after his death but i highly doubt that Akira and Ayako would an intercourse when Ayako was married. I don't see Ayako as the cheating type nor i see Akira as someone who want to NTR her own brother.

Unless Atsushi died because of it, right?

Or maybe AKira let slip to Atsushi about Ayako's past and he feel bad for her and on the road to talk with Ayako he had his accident.

I speculated that because Ayako is emotionless. She was not committed to Atsushi because she doesn't love him. She was with him just to go along with the situation and because he was pushy. She is known to have little to no feelings or affections towards anything or anyone. We are still unclear about what Akira meant by "You know what of yours proved to be effective even against your own flesh and blood" causing Ayako to blush in chapter 8. It can be interpret in how everyone can be easily seduced by Ayako, hence Akira was amongst one of them along with Atsushi. In the same chapter page 24, Akira is holding crying Ayako (assuming it's right after Atsushi died), that the reason for his death can only be known between the two of them. Ayako then later saying it's not Akira's fault in page 26. There is obvious guilt in both of them. Akira saying that there isn't a lifetime would be enough to earn the right to love Ayako, again on page 24. Ayako's guilt is when she kissed Asuka out of nowhere to make herself feel better about the situation after seeing Atsushi when saying goodbye to Akira. With all of this, I assumed that Ayako and Akira had an affair and Atsushi found out about it suddenly and got into an accident, in chapter 2 page 6, i think it's important to note that his death was a "sudden" accident. This is just my speculations, agree to disagree

last edited at Jan 29, 2020 3:57PM

I have a couple of good rants about independence and time-skips/taking a break in general, but I'm late for work, so maybe later.

I love that you made this post even though you are already late for work. We are so dedicated to this manga that we don't care about our own lives anymore LOL

Flextime, so just means I have to work later, though I try to be in at a reasonable time.

But I've read 1 x ½ at least 6 times now and I only found it a couple of months ago, so maybe a bit dedicated too.

But I've read 1 x ½ at least 6 times now and I only found it a couple of months ago, so maybe a bit dedicated too.

Wow! I've read it only 3 times, myself... Good going!

But I've read 1 x ½ at least 6 times now and I only found it a couple of months ago, so maybe a bit dedicated too.

Wow! I've read it only 3 times, myself... Good going!

Ironically enough, 1 x 1/2 x 6 = 3.

Anyway, it should be obvious Ayako doesn't need to learn "how to kiss" or "how to sex" from Asuka.

...You wrote a lot there on that .-. I kinda doubt, anyone got that from it, tho.
I found it merely interesting / fun in the kinda karma-sense of it. "You reap what you sow" and all :P
Asuka wanted her mother to open her mouth, when Ayako didn't want to.
Later Ayako told her Asuka to open up, when the latter got bad vibes from the situation and didn't want to herself now (even if her legs got all wobbly).