Forum › Stretch discussion

Utena%20rose%20white%20200x200
joined Mar 28, 2014

Does anyone have a real Vol.3? Just curious if Chapter 32B really is part of the Vol.4 as it's listed here now. It should be called 32.1 and be part of Vol.3, I believe. 32.5 will be a Full-Colour chapter from the Vol.4

I think Ran calling Keiko "senpai" is mostly out of "old habits die hard" rather than anything else.

Mostly this. But it does have a particular taste that Ran's subconsciously abusing to make their quite intimate relationship less stressful for Keiko.

@takachi It's possible that the next chapter will be the talk with the ex, but then again, so is the visit to Keiko's mom, it has been mention quite a while ago, and it hasn't happened yet.

I can't completely disagree, even though up till now all volume-last chapters were flashbacks/retrospectives to summarize and extend the volume.
For example, Vol.1 was introducing the characters and their issues. Vol.2 was character development, digging deeper into the details and explaining their problems. Vol.3 was Ran's confession as she learned that Keiko's ex is still a possible threat. Vol.4 is Ran facing little response from Keiko and exposing the fact that Keiko's still concerned about her ex. That's why to me it sounds more logical that this Volume ends with a resolution of some sort. Whether it's a proper closure between Keiko and her ex, or whether this is time for Ran to leave Keiko's home - ugh, I wonder.
On the other hand, perhaps, solving issues with her mom fits into 24 pages much better than the whole ex thing, and is therefore a better option... I wonder, I just don't feel that it's good timing for it.

To be honest, if you remove your yuri googles, Ran's emotional involvement toward Keiko may be totally non romantic.

She cares a lot for her, as maybe she would for an older sister who has life issues.

We seek yuri here because Shou wrote yuri before, but there's no indication that this is actual yuri or that any romance, even one-sided, is taking place.

LOL, nice try. But you don't need the goggles to see the obvious. Ran is invested in Keiko, both romantically and sexually. I bet that Keiko's even completely aware of it, but is just afraid of developing the relationship further. It kinda makes sense if you look at it from the perspective of the entire series.
In the past she confused friendship with love. She spontaneously decided to have sex with a guy and realized that the relationship hadn't ever been close to love. She got hurt. And thus got herself busy with studying.
Later, she confused a crush with love. Just like the last time, she went for kids and a shotgun wedding without giving it much thought. She got hurt again when she realized that one needs time to live together and prove the strength of their relationship. So she got herself busy with Ran.
Now she kinda does everything properly - she doesn't want to rush it. This explains her BD present for Ran. In addition, it's also a confusing relationship because of the sexuality. She really needs time to face it and accept/reject it in order not to get herself hurt again. And only when she understands it herself will she be able to return and forgive her mother who apparently made the same mistake in the past with a shotgun wedding. The only difference being Keiko actually getting born. And that explains why her mother would say some harsh words to Keiko on the phone, when she learned that her daughter got into such a state. Getting dirty wasn't really about a miscarriage. It was about getting pregnant with the first guy Keiko fell for. This also explains the sudden change in Keiko's relationship after the miscarriage. The change was not because of the miscarriage, the change was because of what Keiko's mum told and reminded her about. The miscarriage drama only proved that having a crush is not enough to form a decent family.

Wow, actually, having written that, I'm pretty much in for the closure of the relationship between Keiko and her ex in the next two chapters. And the next volume - Keiko's path to accepting/rejecting Ran.

it's just this void of ''Friendship <<<<<< ------ >>>>>> Lover'' that I fail to understand completly right now and subsequently don't really have a name for it and I just think an Senpai-Kouhai relationship is an manifestation of this, I don't believe it's ''just'' which would mean I think of it as an downgrade of sort

@Maus, I kinda can relate to such a relationship. I had such a relationship (or a very similar one) with a guy. We lived together. I really liked him, emotionally, romantically. I felt really comfortable being next to him. I could imagine living with him for the rest of my life. But. He just didn't excite me like a girl would. I didn't feel disgusted kissing him, but I neither felt aroused doing that, like, at all. It's, like, void. I've never fantasized about him either, and when I tried, denying the obvious, I only got myself stressed. These days I still like him a lot. He's pretty much a family member to me, a brother, but that's it, not a lover.
I'm kinda afraid Keiko might be the same with Ran. There have been some hints that she might be at least a bisexual. But while I'm absolutely certain that Ran is gay, I have my doubts about Keiko. We'll see

last edited at Aug 29, 2015 3:07PM

Easypart
joined May 28, 2014

to be fair, at one point in life, didn't you admire someone so much that you got confusing messages from your brain that was very much like love but not really? ヽ(*・ω・)ノ

No? must have been just me then

Yes I know the feeling, you might as well call it love, but you can't for some reason.

Confusing messages a new genre in manga. Inventor: Higashiyama Shou. Manga where you keep guessing what the fuck they're feeling, and what you're reading, and why you can't stop reading..

princeinquisitor
Avatar
joined Oct 28, 2014

Yes, I have all the volumes and the structure is as follows:

Volume 1: Chapters 1 to 11.

Volume 2: Chapters 12 to 22. Chapters 22A and 22B are fused as Chapter 22.

Volume 3: Chapters 23 to 32. Chapters 27A and 27B are fused as Chapter 27 and 32A and 32B are fused as 32.

All volumes have a short chapter on color at the beginning, but have no title.

So far there is no indication which will be the last chapter of the fourth volume.

Utena%20rose%20white%20200x200
joined Mar 28, 2014

Yes, I have all the volumes and the structure is as follows:

Volume 1: Chapters 1 to 11.

Volume 2: Chapters 12 to 22. Chapters 22A and 22B are fused as Chapter 22.

Volume 3: Chapters 23 to 32. Chapters 27A and 27B are fused as Chapter 27 and 32A and 32B are fused as 32.

All volumes have a short chapter on color at the beginning, but have no title.

So far there is no indication which will be the last chapter of the fourth volume.

Oh, then it's quite clear. Chapter 43 is the last chapter in Vol.4. It will likely be released online as two chapters: 43A and 43B.
UPD. No I'm being dumb here. The last chapter could as well be 44. Ah, whatever..

last edited at Aug 29, 2015 4:10PM

Wer%20hat%20getraumt_%e7%ac%ac1%e8%af%9d_%e7%ac%ac2%e9%a1%b5.1
joined Aug 17, 2015

ran just put up senpai's T-short .....

Nezchan Moderator
Meiling%20bun%20150px
joined Jun 28, 2012

ran just put up senpai's T-short .....

I always miss little things like that.

Sj2
joined Nov 23, 2014

it's just this void of ''Friendship <<<<<< ------ >>>>>> Lover'' that I fail to understand completly right now and subsequently don't really have a name for it and I just think an Senpai-Kouhai relationship is an manifestation of this, I don't believe it's ''just'' which would mean I think of it as an downgrade of sort

Would this be the word you're looking for?

Natsuki
joined Feb 5, 2015

@Maus
I guess I misunderstood what you meant. I thought you were saying that Ran behaves like that because keiko's her senpai. My bad orz

Ran keeps calling Keiko senpai, is because in the senpai-kouhai system, once you are a kouhai you are a kouhai and your senpai will always be your senpai and that is how you will address your senpai. Unless your senpai allows you to call them by their names or something else. That's my understanding, but I could be wrong.

ChocolateCakeLover
Gigi7
joined Feb 4, 2015

Why didn't Keiko eat her yummy nut? Dx

Utena%20rose%20white%20200x200
joined Mar 28, 2014

Why didn't Keiko eat her yummy nut? Dx

Because it's too precious and she'd rather preserve it. Somebody needs to persuade her, that she's deadly hungry, and the nut is her only resort to survival.

Credit
joined Jul 14, 2013

Keiko: Maybe I should eat you then <3
Me: YES!!! DO IT!!! JUST DO IT!!!
Keiko: Sigh....
Me: T_T ~ Why...

Avatar_200px_moyashimon_aspergillus-oryzae
joined Mar 14, 2014

ran just put up senpai's T-short .....

I always miss little things like that.

Now for some Bubbline-like shirt sniffing from Ran.

Avatar_200px_moyashimon_aspergillus-oryzae
joined Mar 14, 2014

Why didn't Keiko eat her yummy nut? Dx

Because it's too precious and she'd rather preserve it. Somebody needs to persuade her, that she's deadly hungry, and the nut is her only resort to survival.

Considering Ran's trolling abilities, she can probably do it.

joined May 23, 2013

Ran is gay no doubt about that XD she just doesn't know how to make a move with het Keiko.

Smollmboye
joined Sep 25, 2013

To be honest, if you remove your yuri googles, Ran's emotional involvement toward Keiko may be totally non romantic.

It might be, but I don't think it's just "yuri goggles". Ran had a dream about Keiko that Shou specifically wrote in, and when pressed on whether she was having "trouble with her boyfriend", Ran replied with "something like that". It's clear that there's an intended implication of romantic feelings on Ran's behalf.

Keiko's investment in Ran, however, is more ambiguous. But I think it's silly to pretend Shou isn't putting in any suggestions at all for Ran being romantically interested in Keiko.

Avatar-bro2
joined Apr 20, 2013

There was something weird in this chapter that I couldn't catch... Maybe I'm just in a deep agony about these two.

Avatar_eb43cd282953_128
joined Oct 13, 2014

To be honest, if you remove your yuri googles, Ran's emotional involvement toward Keiko may be totally non romantic.

It might be, but I don't think it's just "yuri goggles". Ran had a dream about Keiko that Shou specifically wrote in, and when pressed on whether she was having "trouble with her boyfriend", Ran replied with "something like that". It's clear that there's an intended implication of romantic feelings on Ran's behalf.

Keiko's investment in Ran, however, is more ambiguous. But I think it's silly to pretend Shou isn't putting in any suggestions at all for Ran being romantically interested in Keiko.

people seem to forget about that dream chapter but also remember she wonders why she even had a dream like that. it could be that she never realized her sexuality and either still hasnt or is finally figuring it out

Untitle435ed34qwrqwd
joined May 15, 2014

man if this had a yuri tag i would have been so mad at this point XD

Seolaposescolor2
joined Nov 9, 2014

man if this had a yuri tag i would have been so mad at this point XD

Yet my little heart is hoping to see a yuri tag one day. At this point I'm thinking it probably won't have one, it would be a pleasant surprise to see it though. I'll keep enjoying the ride for now.

Easypart
joined May 28, 2014

man if this had a yuri tag i would have been so mad at this point XD

Yet my little heart is hoping to see a yuri tag one day. At this point I'm thinking it probably won't have one, it would be a pleasant surprise to see it though. I'll keep enjoying the ride for now.

Could have had a Subtext tag from the beginning.

Ss%20(2015-08-13%20at%2011.16.07)
joined Jul 3, 2015

Wait what...?
But I thought for sure the few last chapters were hinting for yuri in the near future....

Afueee
joined Apr 5, 2013

Wait what...?
But I thought for sure the few last chapters were hinting for yuri in the near future....

We're talking about Shou, Legendary Master Troll and Supreme Lord of the Dark Arts of Deceit, tracing and vagueness.

We can't be sure of anything. For all we know in the next chapter they can be together as romantic couple, Keiko could be back with her boyfriend and Ran paired with... er... the perverted boob-loving kid, or a thermonuclear device fall and everyone die.

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted." - Higashiyama Shou (Until they catch you tracing, that's it...)

ChocolateCakeLover
Gigi7
joined Feb 4, 2015

We're talking about Shou, Legendary Master Troll and Supreme Lord of the Dark Arts of Deceit, tracing and vagueness.

We can't be sure of anything. For all we know in the next chapter they can be together as romantic couple, Keiko could be back with her boyfriend and Ran paired with... er... the perverted boob-loving kid, or a thermonuclear device fall and everyone die.

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted." - Higashiyama Shou (Until they catch you tracing, that's it...)

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYY!?!?!?! ;~;

Nezchan Moderator
Meiling%20bun%20150px
joined Jun 28, 2012

Wait what...?
But I thought for sure the few last chapters were hinting for yuri in the near future....

We're talking about Shou, Legendary Master Troll and Supreme Lord of the Dark Arts of Deceit, tracing and vagueness.

Well, 100% of the vagueness and trolling rep comes from this one manga. And afaik he's quit it with the tracing, so.

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted."

Everything previously permitted is now mandatory.

last edited at Sep 3, 2015 9:39AM

Alice Cheshire Moderator
Dynasty_misc015
joined Nov 7, 2014

ChocolateCakeLover

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYY!?!?!?! ;~;

It should always be "why not" not "why".

To reply you must either login or sign up.