The character on the cover looks like Ran, and for that matter, the Ran-like character looks like she ate every piece of meat in the yakiniku-ya + the Keiko-looking characyer looks pretty cool. that stoic looking stare just oozes "i'm the shit, so ya better watch yer back!"

Shou is an obvious victim of the syndrome of only six faces, still love his style of drawing and the illustrations in this light novel is no exception. By the way, could you do me a favor and buy this book ?, my card for some reason do not want to get along with Amazon Japan, if you want I can pay you back by Paypal.

News:

-The first:

Shou recently wrote a new comment on Stretch, below the translation courtesy of Boon:

"The last volume of Stretch has been finally released!
I had to structure it a little differently than the previous ones and there was a lot to consider,
but the extra-work strengthened my emotional attachment to the characters,
and I had a hard time carrying out the finishing touches since I didn't want it to end.

As usual, there is an original chapter at the beginning, and this time, at the end too.
Please read it when you feel like it.

Well then, let us meet again sometime someplace.

Thank you for reading Stretch"

-The second:

In the following link you can see the color chapter of the fourth volume: http://sample.shogakukan.co.jp/bv?isbn=9784091874160

And then they lived happily ever after. ;-;

(I wish I could read Japanese.)

-The second:

In the following link you can see the color chapter of the fourth volume: http://sample.shogakukan.co.jp/bv?isbn=9784091874160

the sample is nice. as i scanned over it, i kept hoping there'd be more of a yuri tinge to it; but nope, it's good ol' SoL.

i thought the blossoms page was nice, but i didn't except to see them sitting around drinking and sighing. plus i really am convinced more than ever that Ran is an undercover lush! come on, at the beginning and at the end she's drinking. really? on the last page i couldn't translate the final word and i'm too lazy to go look it up, but this sounds like it's right before Keiko moves/transfers and Ran's getting a little sad. if so, it's rather different from the chapters that were released and might explain why the goodbye game was played. of course, my comment assumes i read that last page correctly.

The colored chapter is really pretty! I love that panel with just the petals and their shoes. Alas, no yuri.

In other news... anyone want the first three volumes of Stretch? They're in perfect condition, and free, provided you pay for shipping. The ending of Stretch has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. :(

The colored chapter is really pretty! I love that panel with just the petals and their shoes. Alas, no yuri.

Just to clarify, this is the "prequel" chapter of volume 4. We don't know what the 4komas at the end of the volume are about, but they very likely reunite at the end, if the titles are any indication (we don't have the scans of the 4komas yet). Whether it's yuri or not, we'll have to wait and see. I'm not overly hopeful, but at least they're hanging out again...

last edited at Dec 28, 2015 9:35PM

The colored chapter is really pretty! I love that panel with just the petals and their shoes. Alas, no yuri.

Just to clarify, this is the "prequel" chapter of volume 4. We don't know what the 4komas at the end of the volume are about, but they very likely reunite at the end, if the titles are any indication (we don't have the scans of the 4komas yet). Whether it's yuri or not, we'll have to wait and see. I'm not overly hopeful, but at least they're hanging out again...

based on the post above, even if it is not yuri-based, like Shou, these two have grown on me and i am very much interested in their reuniting (if as you suggest that's what the 4komas are about). also, will Shou continue on with the stretching-theme or go another route like yoga for example?

At present I have in my hand the fourth volume, also I have a scanner, then I'll see how I can do the scans.

The following file are scans of the relevant parts of the fourth volume. Forgive the quality of scans, but it's my first time doing this kind of activity.

https://mega.nz/#!g0BxRR6Y!nxnquODT2GcPPnXHJ2FG0bGLolOFSiQ8l5PLwnrUR90

Technical details.

All pages were scanned color photo mode at 600 DPI and low compression JPEG, besides that the images have not been processed or manipulated. The scanner used was a HP Deskjet 2540.

The following file are scans of the relevant parts of the fourth volume. Forgive the quality of scans, but it's my first time doing this kind of activity.

https://mega.nz/#!g0BxRR6Y!nxnquODT2GcPPnXHJ2FG0bGLolOFSiQ8l5PLwnrUR90

Technical details.

All pages were scanned color photo mode at 600 DPI and low compression JPEG, besides that the images have not been processed or manipulated. The scanner used was a HP Deskjet 2540.

Thank you for this! It's hard to make out but it seems like a situation where the girl who texted Ran and Keiko the picture from the end of chapter 45 knows they are closer than normal friends, and is rooting for them. At least it ends with them together again. :)

Again, thank you for the scans! The quality really isn't bad at all!

last edited at Dec 29, 2015 3:55PM

Saeki... Always keepin' it real. She knows what's up with them.
I get the felling that the WOMANCE title for the last strip is supposed to be a joke. A part of me is convinced they are more than that, especially since Ran and Keiko immediately hit it off in their own world upon meeting, with Saeki as the third wheel.
But then, this being Shou...

Question: If it's marked completed, but there's another volume, what's up with that? I don't get the big picture.

Question: If it's marked completed, but there's another volume, what's up with that? I don't get the big picture.

We're talking about Volume 4, the main chapters of which have already been released and translated. What we're waiting for is the Volume 4 extras. (I made this same mistake. I thought there was a whole 'nother volume coming. -_-)

Question: If it's marked completed, but there's another volume, what's up with that? I don't get the big picture.

We're talking about Volume 4, the main chapters of which have already been released and translated. What we're waiting for is the Volume 4 extras. (I made this same mistake. I thought there was a whole 'nother volume coming. -_-)

Welp. There goes all my hopes and dreams.

I feel sufficiently trolled.

I feel sufficiently trolled.

Welcome to our pain.

Thank you, neversung. I must have Pollyanna goggles as well as yuri goggles. Honestly, I bet the "revenge for the plagiarism on all manga-dom" theory is true. We all have Shouholm Syndrome.

Honestly, I bet the "revenge for the plagiarism on all manga-dom" theory is true.

unless it's about grown men fucking lolis
Maybe we should just give in?

last edited at Jan 6, 2016 1:13PM

Honestly, I bet the "revenge for the plagiarism on all manga-dom" theory is true.

1. He fucked up.
2. He faced the consequences for fucking up.
3. He was given another chance after fucking up.
4. Said chance was well received.

Yup, a lot to get revenge for there.

This Shou revenge bullshit is starting to get annoying, he's the one who fucked up, someone would have noticed sooner or later, it being discovered by yuri fan was just a coincidence, it's stupid to expect he would make an entire manga for revenge or trolling on a minority that is not even his main audience, he didn't made Prism and Stretch for us, he made because he wanted to, you guys are giving too much importance to yuri fandom, just because we're the main consumers of yuri that doesn't mean all yuri is made specifically for us, it's not all about us.

last edited at Jan 6, 2016 2:45PM

I agree with the previous two, Shou is not revenge on anyone, that's just the way he decided to finish Stretch, but it seems that it is customary in this forum crucifying an author for not giving what people wanted.

Now a few facts.

First of all, at no time I was mentioned officially that this series was yuri or Girls Love or nothing like that, simply described as a series that was about stretching and two girls living together, nothing more.

Second, Yawaspy is simply a seinen magazine and I know so far they have never published yuri or something like that. Prism on the other hand was published in Tsubomi, a magazine dedicated to yuri

Third, the way Shou ended Stretch is nothing new. In Gift, the first series of Shou, the main couple is separated at the end because the girl went to study abroad, besides that both series have similar style epilogues.

Fourth, if someone followed the rankings of the series in Yawaspy you may have noticed that most of the time Stretch occupied the first place and this implies that the series was well received.

Fifth, so I can understand it seems that the end of Stretch was received in a good way, based on the comments section of Stretch in Yawaspy or in some reviews.

I would just like to go on record as saying I never supported the "revenge" theory. I'm just here for the yuri and I like Shou's work. ._.

Pls tag tragedy.

Why are people still so angry with Shou? It's never tagged as yuri. It's our fault for keeping our hopes up and biting our own bait lol.

I'm just mad at myself for hoping throughout this series. Womance... WHAT?

Why are people still so angry with Shou? It's never tagged as yuri. It's our fault for keeping our hopes up and biting our own bait lol.

I'm just mad at myself for hoping throughout this series. Womance... WHAT?

Why not? It was a bad ending, yuri or not yuri.

He never finished Prism, he didn't make Prism yuri, of course that I would not be happy with Shou.
At least I know to not bother anymore with series made by him.

I am pretty fucking sure that the revenge theory was tongue in cheek under the ones that first came up with it.

Seriously...? Revenge...? Teasing? More likely.

In another manga, there was a character who after sexually teased her ex-partner to the point of extremely arousal, then just leave said ex-partner on hang while she goes around to fool with another girl. It was done just so she can enjoy seeing the ex-partner all frustrated but unable to do anything about that.

DS community immediately described the former as a 'cruel bitch', 'f*cked up c*nt' or 'messed up nutjob'.

That is you, Show. That is exactly you.

last edited at Jan 15, 2016 10:34AM