[Shouta]

Originally Posted by kujoe

Yes they did, but it was practically inconsequential in the bigger scheme of things. In fact, it was only explained after the whole resolution to the drama has been said and done. The spouse-matching program in Ore x Yome doesn't even get explained aside from the fact it's what allows the main characters to meet each other, while the regressing age disease/condition—while rather macguffin-ish—could at least be said to be metaphorical of the relationship issue central in the story. (As for the second Ore x Yome story, well... I didn't really bother with that one.)

With that said, I wouldn't consider a full explanation for the stigma as a direct indication of whether this story is nearing its close or not. It could still be possibly explained, but I'm not going to expect it to be a thorough one... which really might not matter anyway depending on how the story plays out.

Spoiler for raws:

I haven't been paying attention to the raws that much, but I'm curious if Chizuru's claim that "first loves are a curse" has anything to do with Rin's stigma. That is, if I understood that part correctly. I found the wording sort of interesting in that regard. I hope she resolves her relationship with her grandmother, so that she may also resolve her relationship with Rin.

At the moment, I already find it predicatble that Rin will end up with Makoto, if he'll even end up with anyone at all. That seems par the course for these sort of "past vs. moving on" dramas—at least, that seems to be the nature of the story for me right now—but hopefully I'm wrong and the author will surprise me. Well, on the other hand this manga isn't that high on my reading priority right now, and I think I'll just look for ending spoilers in order to decide whether I should read it as a whole or not.

Here's the other thing with the illness/macguffins, they usually are an important part to the overall theme or conflict of the work. It's very noticable for Sakuranbo but for it's there for Nijidama and Ore x Yome story 1. So while the Stigma doesn't require an explanation to complete the story, I think it needs to be somewhat there to make the theme of the story apparent. While we have had glimpses of it so far, it's not quite as concrete so far.

As for the direction of the manga currently.

Spoiler:

It's explained in Vol 5 that Chizuru never saw the Stigma on Rin's ass. Rin's mother was the only one that ever was allowed to change Rin because of the stigma. Chizuru's "first love is a curse" is because she's bound herself to Rin so strongly. She's been obsessed with Rin from an early age and every decision in her life as been affected by it. She, in effect, also had the same affect on Rin. So yeah, it's not the Stigma for her but her own damaged self.

As for the resolution, I don't think Makoto or Chizuru is a given. For Rin, his ultimate worry, in regards to the Stigma and relationships in general, is that he wants someone that will honestly and actually love/care for him. The big conflict in the manga so far really isn't "past vs moving-on" but perhaps "Real vs Illusion" for a lack of a better label.

Chizuru's love for Rin is at crazy stalker levels and in part a result of Chizuru's own broken nature. While she cares for Rin, whether or not it's because of who he is rather than what he is to her is another question. This will be the big question for these two, if the emotions between them are a result of them actually seeing each other for themselves or if it's a result of the curse they've placed on each other. As I personally see it, Chizuru is the illusion element to me. Her love was borne of an obsession with Rin. Hence, why a first love is a curse, it grows because of the imagination of the person.

With Makoto, she's been with Rin from the day they were born. However, at least to her current internal monologue, she's seen Rin as a bit of a rival because Rin was always the one impressing her father. She didn't have a place or identity for herself as Rin had ended up taking up her spot in the eye of her parents hence why she didn't want to become a pâtissière. It's the reason why she went to college and partially the reason why she got involved with Takako.

However, reading the subtext to a lot of the situations (as Makoto's inner monologue can be a bit unreliable) there's an element of Makoto having real feelings for Rin because of the time they spend together and how much he confides in her. Even before the Stigma took affect on her, there were hints in her attitudes and actions that she has feelings for Rin thought she doesn't know it or admit it. Makoto ultimately represents the real option to me because in a lot of regards, she knows Rin for who he is and as a result seems to be attracted to him for it, not because of her own fantasies. However, it's a bit muddled at the moment because Makoto has the Stigma and she's been told that her feelings for Rin are fake. If the Stigma wears off and she still has the feelings, then we'll have quite a triangle there.