But some readers seem to be devoted to what amounts to a contemporary version of medieval canon law—only the overt depiction of mutually administered orgasms can qualify as consummation of a relationship in the eyes of God and (well, usually the term is “man,” but that’s at best awkward here), a modern version of a traditional “bedding ritual” that is required before these de facto spouses can be truly said to be “going out.”

Ahhh, now those people's comments of how the MCs aren't a couple yet make a bit more sense thanks to your explanation. Seriously, though, why do such old ideas (or, at least, slightly modified versions of old ideas) have/need to persist. It's dumb.

I believe the author never intended readers to view Kasurako’s relationship in a typical manner and I don’t believe we will ever see them depicted in that light.

The inclusion of the two other couples almost makes certain this level of explicitness will never be a part of Kasurako’s relationship.

Shouri is what usually happens when we place two very different people together. There was an awkwardness to them in the beginning, a sense of disconnect because they regarded each other as strangers, and of course the way they come together is what should have happened with Kasurako if Kasurako were a normal couple.

Koruka’s relationship almost feels like a direct response to those that are questioning Kasurako’s relationship. They actually have the conversation of whether or not they cross the line of friendship toward coupledom.

A lot has happened between Kasurako in the six volumes.

I don’t see either of them making a move to have that defining conversation and if they do, I imagine the person posing the question whether or not they are indeed a couple will just be met with a resounding ‘yes.’

And if Kasurako outright state that they’re romantically involved, people will always question when exactly they established that. Is it when they first met? Or when Kasumi first referred to Sakurako as her wife? Maybe it’s when they first kissed?

Simply questioning/addressing their status won’t be enough since so much development happened.

^
I don't buy into that whole "Sakurako is masochistic" thing.

Let's just say that she is definitely not an S.

Was I the only one whom remembered the 1st episode of Lucky Star because of this?

^ nope, me too. Went as far as mentally suggesting breaking off that bit and scoop up the other side.

... somehow that really stuck with me. If I ever eat one, I'll at least know how to! ^^

^
I don't buy into that whole "Sakurako is masochistic" thing.

https://i.imgur.com/BMfge9L.png
https://i.imgur.com/6ykyOeT.png
https://i.imgur.com/CUIjvzI.png
https://i.imgur.com/N86PB2r.png

Let's just say that she is definitely not an S.

Understandable, have a great 2 months.

last edited at Mar 22, 2019 6:34PM

^Ya didn't have to quote the pictures too.

^ Fixed

I think that Sukurako’s masochism is almost purely notional, though—she clearly likes the buzz of imagining herself in subby situations with Kasumi, but the reality of actually role-playing it lasts about two seconds.

Which is good, because Kasumi temperamentally lacks every quality required in an effective domme except a deep sense of personal entitlement.

Anyone know what Sakurako meant by "mist" in the illustration last page on chapter 38? Is it a Japanese movie/literature reference or something?

last edited at Mar 22, 2019 10:41PM

Anyone know what Sakurako meant by "mist" in the illustration last page on chapter 38? Is it a Japanese movie/literature reference or something?

Japanese word for “mist” = Kasumi.

Sakurako becomes more of a degenerate every day. And yet, they're still so cute.

isn't that why we love her so much?

Sakurako is a great drunk. Also, thats the most expressed affection Ive ever seen from Kasumi; at least verbally

huh

Is 51 the location of the first truly casual and normal kiss we've seen between Kasumi and Sakurako? That is, one where nobody is drunk, and nobody is administrating medication or stealing food or otherwise messing around?

it's nice to get 100% eyes-on confirmation

last edited at Mar 23, 2019 3:33AM

am i the only one that noticed seri's room mate got a job, as a tv production assistant, right out of highschool, without any college educaction? lol she has got to have some connections XD

either that or the position is more glorified than it sounds and they give it to mostly anyone lol

Well, production assistant is pretty much helping out with various little things. Don't get the "production" part throw you off, it's meant as "assisting in the making of the show". Definition of the job :

A film production assistant works on a movie set in a support role, providing assistance to crews of various departments. Their tasks might include helping out with the construction of sets, keeping wardrobes in order, and performing general office duties.

So yeah... You don't need a degree to do that and the job doesn't have any responsibilities that you'd need connections to get it. She's basically helping out everybody on set, be it setting up the props or bringing coffee.

I think that Sukurako’s masochism is almost purely notional, though—she clearly likes the buzz of imagining herself in subby situations with Kasumi, but the reality of actually role-playing it lasts about two seconds.

Which is good, because Kasumi temperamentally lacks every quality required in an effective domme except a deep sense of personal entitlement.

Oh, I don't actually think Saku is a masochist. I'm just saying all her "fetish jokes" are centered around masochism. It's clearly not serious. In fact I'm glad that Sakurako has grown emotionally to actually treat a fight between them as a joke, because she is that sure they will make up.

last edited at Mar 23, 2019 4:56AM

Oh, I don't actually think Saku is a masochist. I'm just saying all her "fetish jokes" are centered around masochism.

barely stops himself from chuckling, yet still having a smile that seems to suggest he's about to: Could've said that earlier.

last edited at Mar 23, 2019 10:19AM

I think that Sukurako’s masochism is almost purely notional, though—she clearly likes the buzz of imagining herself in subby situations with Kasumi, but the reality of actually role-playing it lasts about two seconds.

Which is good, because Kasumi temperamentally lacks every quality required in an effective domme except a deep sense of personal entitlement.

Oh, I don't actually think Saku is a masochist. I'm just saying all her "fetish jokes" are centered around masochism. It's clearly not serious. In fact I'm glad that Sakurako has grown emotionally to actually treat a fight between them as a joke, because she is that sure they will make up.

No, I get that, I’m basically just saying that if Sakurako truly were into masochism instead of just flirting with the idea of it, she’d be out of luck with Kasumi.

Maybe someday we can get a doujin exploring the sexually charged power trips among the cuddle bunnies.

Putting up a show of dominance (to please a submissive/masochist partner) is a lot of work. Kasumi is the sort of person who would say "Aaah... mendokusai..." and refuse to do it.

I sometimes feel that Kasumi must be blood-related to Yasuda-sempai from this manga here.

Sakurako becomes more of a degenerate every day. And yet, they're still so cute.

isn't that why we love her so much?

At this point, I'm throwing myself in the ring who believe that Sakurako and Kasumi might be having sex off camera. I don't think that's canon, but it would be unsurprising to me if they were.

Kasumi, being Kasumi, would have a very low drive for that. But I can totally imagine her doing it a couple of times. They've become so casually intimate that it wouldn't be too much of an escalation.

last edited at Mar 23, 2019 3:30PM

Sakurako becomes more of a degenerate every day. And yet, they're still so cute.

isn't that why we love her so much?

At this point, I'm throwing myself in the ring who believe that Sakurako and Kasumi might be having sex off camera. I don't think that's canon, but it would be unsurprising to me if they were.

Kasumi, being Kasumi, would have a very low drive for that. But I can totally imagine her doing it a couple of times. They've become so casually intimate that it wouldn't be too much of an escalation.

I'm personally taking the other side, but kinda leaning more towards the middle ground (?), as I think they haven't had sex off-screen... yet. Or, put another way, I expect that they probably will have it off-screen soon, and that it would be implied so at some point later on.

Despite not receiving any replies yet, I already regret making the above post.

@BV You didn't say anything outlandish there. Your guess is as good as anybody's.

What you should regret is that double posting.

last edited at Mar 23, 2019 7:07PM

I sometimes feel that Kasumi must be blood-related to Yasuda-sempai from this manga here.

White Rose I have never seen a more fitting non canon blood relation in all my years of media.

I sometimes feel that Kasumi must be blood-related to Yasuda-sempai from this manga here.

White Rose I have never seen a more fitting non canon blood relation in all my years of media.

Twins separated at birth confirmed; telenovela to follow.

I don't know what more you need for them to be a couple aside from verbal confirmation. Which as we just established, is pretty much not needed.

I agree though that they probably didn't have sex yet. That just doesn't seem to fit with their interactions and would be kind of a bigger deal.

I don't think it can really be argued that they aren't a couple or that their love is not mutual at this point especially after Kasumi's outright confession in these latest chapters. It wasn't really ambiguous before this but it's been spelled out now for any doubters.

Over the course of the series Kasumi has shut Sakurako down every single time she tries to take things past first base, often quit brutally. One of the big firsts a lot of people overlooked in this chapter was when Sakurako was drunk, Kasumi was way less firm about shutting her down than usual. Although she did outright stop her, she actually implied it might be ok if they were indoors in private rather than outside.

Moments like that are actually a pretty big development and we have been seeing more of them recently. Another big one was the chapter at the movie theater where Kasumi actually reached for and held Sakurako's hand without any prompting from her.

Well @themusicman500 just did question that they are in a romantic relationship. So I guess some can.

You know, people keep saying that, but where is an actual example of that? I don't remember Kasumi ever shutting down an attempt of Sakurako to take it further... because Saku never tries to take it further. The only times she did that was when Saku was drunk. I can't think of any other moments. Kasumi is brutal when Saku acts creepy or worships idols of her Kasumi religion, but that's it.

Seriously, I am always looking for ANY instance where Kasumi doesn't shut down her down when Sakurako tries to take it somewhere sexual and she has literally stopped her either with her words or outright physically restraining her in every single instance.

The other thing I look for in every chapter is any kind of instance where Kasumi instigates or shows any form sexual interest or desire towards Sakurako and again she simply never does. The best we ever get from Kasumi in that regard is one instance where she instigates hand holding at the movie theater after watching Sakurako fidget and one instance where we see her thinking she might like to see Sakurako tanned in the sauna treatment chapter. It should be noted that the time she imagined her tanned it was only her face rather than her whole body and it lacked the usual hearts and sparkles we see when a character is thinking sexual or love struck thoughts about somebody in this manga.

I really don't want to reread this entire series just to point out a couple of dozen instances where Kasumi verbally or physically shuts down Sakurako when she starts making sexual advances. Seriously, just go back and read a half dozen or so chapters with that in mind and I am sure you can plenty of examples yourself. It is such a frequently reoccurring theme with them.

Off the top of my head the entire sauna treatment chapter we recently had is one long back and forth between Sakurako trying to take things in a sexual direction and Kasumi rebuffing her when she goes too far. This chapter is actually one of the best we have ever gotten for Kasumi being a softy and more lax about how far she lets Sakurako go and still the entire dynamic between them for the length of the chapter is Sakurako pushing with her affection and desires and Kasumi only letting go so far as she is comfortable with.

This is by far the chapter that we have seen Kasumi come closest to actually letting Sakurako do something sexual with her and she still only lets it go about as far as could still be seen as platonic. In fact we even see Kasumi repeatedly question Sakurako about why she would want to do things like massage her etc. It's like she doesn't even really see why Sakurako would want to be touching her and doing these sorts of things with her and she even calls her weird for it.

I should add I absolutely adore this couple and it is obvious they love each other dearly which is why I think the asymmetrical dynamic in their relationship is so cute and unusual.

last edited at Mar 24, 2019 2:18AM