To be honest, I think this is one of the series that deserves "Parody" tag.

Because it so obviously is parodying the typical misunderstanding-romance tropes at every step, and pushing them to the breaking point and past it. There's no way to take this at face value, and you shouldn't try.

Yeah, agreed. So far it could have been either way but here it's obvious it's deliberately creating these situations where there's some thin excuse to say "oh look it's not meant that way".

Whether that's fun for more than three chapters is a different question ^^;

To be honest, I think this is one of the series that deserves "Parody" tag.

Because it so obviously is parodying the typical misunderstanding-romance tropes at every step, and pushing them to the breaking point and past it. There's no way to take this at face value, and you shouldn't try.

Unfortunately the way the manga is executed doesn't work too well with that premise. Suspension of disbelief is stronger or weaker the more distorted the world of a story becomes. In a proper comedy that is patently absurd on purpose in all its facets it is easy to suspend one's disbelief, because we are not meant to perceive these interactions as realistic or sound. You can watch slapstick comedy and never once fear for the character's well-being, because it is all enjoyably fake.

Meanwhile this manga has tonal issues. Ayaka appears to be from a romantic drama, while Hiroko stepped straight out of a romantic comedy. You can't laugh at the absurdity when you genuinely feel the heartbreak and pain of Ayaka not getting through to the cartoon character that is Hiroko.

This dissonance is most likely why many have negative reactions now. I have read plenty of works with slowburn romance, misunderstanding based drama or even a seemingly unbreakable status quo. But people are more forgiving of those when there is a coherence to the emotions and plot. The misunderstanding must be something that can be misunderstood by a human being (even if it could be solved simply by talking once as usual). The love interests usually do not confess directly out of some personal circumstance. Ayaka left not room for interpretation. The only move she could still pull is to outright kiss Hiroko, but even then author will find an excuse.
It's just suffering for suffering's sake.

Skull of solid fucking osmium

I mean, I really like it idk what you're saying people. Of course Ayaka is heartbroken but her expressions are hilarious and it's not that big of a deal to me. I've been through dumb heartbreaks and honestly much better to poke fun of them like this instead of taking them seriously lol. I think the tonal contrast really funny, especially how Hiroko is totally into her and in deep denial. Yeah ok, this chapter is kinda wacky I was so confused with the conclusions she draws but believe me it gets better lol.

I mean, I really like it idk what you're saying people. Of course Ayaka is heartbroken but her expressions are hilarious and it's not that big of a deal to me. I've been through dumb heartbreaks and honestly much better to poke fun of them like this instead of taking them seriously lol. I think the tonal contrast really funny, especially how Hiroko is totally into her and in deep denial. Yeah ok, this chapter is kinda wacky I was so confused with the conclusions she draws but believe me it gets better lol.

In my opinion at least it's frankly just annoying to have 3 introduction chapters to a series that all end in the same frustrating punch line, and only escalate in absurdity each chapter. Especially frustrating when the "joke" is simply, wow she really must like men!, I don't find it funny personally. It's good that you're enjoying it, but I think the frustrated reaction from a lot of the readers is definitely understandable and justified.

I mean, I really like it idk what you're saying people. Of course Ayaka is heartbroken but her expressions are hilarious and it's not that big of a deal to me. I've been through dumb heartbreaks and honestly much better to poke fun of them like this instead of taking them seriously lol. I think the tonal contrast really funny, especially how Hiroko is totally into her and in deep denial. Yeah ok, this chapter is kinda wacky I was so confused with the conclusions she draws but believe me it gets better lol.

In my opinion at least it's frankly just annoying to have 3 introduction chapters to a series that all end in the same frustrating punch line, and only escalate in absurdity each chapter. Especially frustrating when the "joke" is simply, wow she really must like men!, I don't find it funny personally. It's good that you're enjoying it, but I think the frustrated reaction from a lot of the readers is definitely understandable and justified.

I guess you just expected something else from this manga and it didn’t happen, that’s all there is to it really >.>

last edited at May 9, 2023 5:05AM

I mean, I really like it idk what you're saying people. Of course Ayaka is heartbroken but her expressions are hilarious and it's not that big of a deal to me. I've been through dumb heartbreaks and honestly much better to poke fun of them like this instead of taking them seriously lol. I think the tonal contrast really funny, especially how Hiroko is totally into her and in deep denial. Yeah ok, this chapter is kinda wacky I was so confused with the conclusions she draws but believe me it gets better lol.

In my opinion at least it's frankly just annoying to have 3 introduction chapters to a series that all end in the same frustrating punch line, and only escalate in absurdity each chapter. Especially frustrating when the "joke" is simply, wow she really must like men!, I don't find it funny personally. It's good that you're enjoying it, but I think the frustrated reaction from a lot of the readers is definitely understandable and justified.

I guess you just expected something else from this manga and it didn’t happen, that’s all there is to it really >.>

Well yes I expected romance, not an exercise in frustration.

This is so absurdly OTT I don’t know whether to love it or cringe.

Ayaka is really cute, but Hiroko is getting on my nerves already. Isn't there someone better for her ;-;

I mean, I really like it idk what you're saying people. Of course Ayaka is heartbroken but her expressions are hilarious and it's not that big of a deal to me. I've been through dumb heartbreaks and honestly much better to poke fun of them like this instead of taking them seriously lol. I think the tonal contrast really funny, especially how Hiroko is totally into her and in deep denial. Yeah ok, this chapter is kinda wacky I was so confused with the conclusions she draws but believe me it gets better lol.

Yeah it's hilarious. Their interactions are amazing. You're always going to get those who take it too seriously when the writer (based on all their writing) is clearly having some fun. I mean the title spells our the fun right up front. It's whatever, some will drop it. No big deal. How far have you read ahead? Just what's on Mangadex?

To be honest, I think this is one of the series that deserves "Parody" tag.

Because it so obviously is parodying the typical misunderstanding-romance tropes at every step, and pushing them to the breaking point and past it. There's no way to take this at face value, and you shouldn't try.

Definitely. It's an "unstoppable force meeting an immovable object," the story. Just watch them claw at each other for a bit and sometimes it'll probably get a bit dramatic but it's not that serious. This writer is always having fun with interesting, extreme and unconventional versions of personalities. That's part of why they're so great and unique. Ayaka is always going to get back up and fight and hopefully she knocks some sense into miss density. They'll be at their wedding and Hiroko will wonder why she's in a dress.

last edited at May 9, 2023 6:31AM

This is just a really fun series for me... as is all of Sal Jiang's works that I've read so far. Love all the oneshots, so I'm sure there will be lots of fun moments in this series too later.... I am just so glad I can read a full Sal Jiang series and appreciate the scanlator's hard work (you so fast, thank youuuu)

The amount of times I just want to
RIPPED MY HAIR OFF MY SCALP. Is she dense or just plain ignorant? Idk

last edited at May 9, 2023 8:57AM

BREAKING NEW WORLD RECORD SET!! HIGHEST LEVELS OF THICK-HEADEDNESS EVER RECORDED!? EXPERTS BAFFLED!! SITUATION “UNTENABLE,” EMINENT LESBIAN RESEARCHER STATES

Gotta hand it to this one: intentionally irritating us with the willful, impossible misunderstanding.

Gotta hand it to this one: intentionally irritating us with the willful, impossible misunderstanding.

I'm angry at Hiroko.

^ I can't believe I just wrote that.

Usually I'm like the living embodiment of the MST3K mantra: "It's just a story, I should really just relax." I'm the kind of person who reads fiction and has 100% tolerance for everything. Or so I thought. Hiroko has managed to break my equanimity.

last edited at May 9, 2023 7:59PM

Yeah I’m off the opinion this is just a fun comedy, I was on the verge of getting annoyed but then realised that the misunderstanding is the whole point so I just gotta ride that wave and I ended this chapter amused

SHE SPELLED IT OUT STRAIGHT TO YOUR FACE

B R U H

Pain.

BREAKING NEW WORLD RECORD SET!! HIGHEST LEVELS OF THICK-HEADEDNESS EVER RECORDED!? EXPERTS BAFFLED!! SITUATION “UNTENABLE,” EMINENT LESBIAN RESEARCHER STATES

Yvonne Smollett is in the corner, furiously taking notes.

I like it, but NOBODY can be that dense!

I'd say this is one of those stories where the characters and interactions are obviously intentionally unrealistic, but I don't think it's been done in an entertaining way, rather it ends up being annoying. I get that the impossibility of it all is what's supposed to make it funny, but it simply doesn't work for me.

We know from physics that the most dense objects in our universe are the black holes, at the center where the singularity is supposed to be, who can reach a value that's theoretically infinite.

And then there's this girl who is beyond even that.

At this point Hiroko is just thinking like a dense teenager that's never been hit on before.

I'm still enjoying it, tbh. Ayaka's struggle as a straight-passing lesbian with such a strongly misunderstood reputation, is... actually surprisingly relatable? It may just be unique personal experience talking here, but this honestly doesn't feel that hard to suspend my disbelief. Even the bathroom scene happened while she was extremely drunk, so yanno, it's easy to dismiss her actions. Idk. This was one of the rare series I favorited on chapter 1 because I'm so confident in its direction, and so far it hasn't let me down.

last edited at May 9, 2023 10:17PM