(L+CR) Sakura Trick

[D-KLAC]

ep.10

well give snowy day yet haruka want let it go have winter fun give got only shizuku for lunch yet give in end get yuu, kotone, & yuz for winter fun.

then pe time yet give sure smooth touch of shizuku’s hair give miss SBJK rope probs cause yuu not happy yet oops got locked in store room yet hearing yuu voice ah it like car window titanic scene for haruka & yuu doing my heart will go on climb for it.

bit pres & kaede talking if har-yuu pair exist yet pres is like that not real & beware of stare face of vice pres.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Lol, this is a comedy. Even if Kotone does refuse to comply with her family, things aren't going to get that bad for her. No even close.

That is the reason I said from the start they will not address it, because what I said is reality (Japan is somewhat medieval in this arranged marriage thing) and this is an slice of life with no fantastical elements added in (most slice of life like Aria or this season Engaged to the unknown have said elements) that could change the status quo somehow.

[Kazu-kun]

^ You're exaggerating. They will address it, there's too much buildup not to. Remember this isn't first time they mention this, so it's clearly an ongoing plot line.

When I said it's a comedy I mean that it probably will have a positive resolution without too much of problem for Kotone. Kinda like the resolution in Poor Poor Lips, another yuri comedy manga published in Kirara.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

^ You're exaggerating. They will address it, there's too much buildup not to. Remember this isn't first time they mention this, so it's clearly an ongoing plot line.

When I said it's a comedy I mean that it probably will have a positive resolution without too much of problem for Kotone. Kinda like the resolution in Poor Poor Lips, another yuri comedy manga published in Kirara.

Comedies have a track record of not solving any issues because they ARE comedies, not dramas. It can be argued that this is a romantic comedy, but those also have a track record of never solving any dilemma since they are introduced for laughs or to add some tension. Since so far this has been a very fluffy romcom (unlike, let's say, Sora no Otoshimono that introduced some drama from episode 1) trying to solve this dilemma would deal some anguish that is opposite to the whole series atmosphere and using Deux ex machina to solve it in an easy anguish free scenario would feel cheap.

[Dark Wing]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

trying to solve this dilemma would deal some anguish that is opposite to the whole series atmosphere and using Deux ex machina to solve it in an easy anguish free scenario would feel cheap.

I'm pretty sure the mangaka will find away to address this issue else not having it brought up again at all would feel just as cheap as the resolution that you painted.

However the series is fare from over and noting is set in stone so simply put we'll just have to yet and see

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

Comedies have a track record of not solving any issues because they ARE comedies, not dramas. It can be argued that this is a romantic comedy.

This is like Poor Poor Lips, even published in the same magazine. That one had a satisfying resolution. This one will have too.

trying to solve this dilemma would deal some anguish that is opposite to the whole series atmosphere and using Deux ex machina to solve it in an easy anguish free scenario would feel cheap.

It would feel cheap to you. That's your opinion and I respect it. But I disagree. Romantic comedies usually become more dramatic when reaching the climax, and an easy resolution may seem anticlimactic, but that's also kind of a standard for this kind of stories (again, go read PPL for a clear example).

I wouldn't be surprised if Kotone finds out her parents has no problem letting her do whatever she wants but she never knew because she didn't have the courage to face them. That sort of resolution would probably feel cheap to you, but after reading tons of yuri manga, is the kind of thing I expect, and it's just fine to me.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Dark Wing

I'm pretty sure the mangaka will find away to address this issue else not having it brought up again at all would feel just as cheap as the resolution that you painted.

Ending it without ever addressing the issue (for better or worse) would feel hollow more than cheap, but I have seen lots of romcoms ending that way, so I do not expect this one to be any different.

[Nachtwandler]

They should solve it like in Sasameki Koto

[maximilianjenus]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

Ending it without ever addressing the issue (for better or worse) would feel hollow more than cheap, but I have seen lots of romcoms ending that way, so I do not expect this one to be any different.

but we are talking about a yuri manga there, if you use "other rom com" as reference you might be right, but if you make this specific to how yuri romance comedies deal with that you get a different result, it will be dealt with especially since this series is dealing with the relationships, it is not just doing the slice of life/yuri subtext thing like lucky start or yuyushiki.

What I expect is that they will put up with some hardship but get a relatively happy ending, as in rich girl will get disowned but the family won't prevent her from progressing by her own means.

[darkchibi07]

Just discovered an interview with the anime director here:

http://anifav.com/special/20140306_3053.html

Maybe someone could translate it or give a gist of it?

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

When I said it's a comedy I mean that it probably will have a positive resolution without too much of problem for Kotone. Kinda like the resolution in Poor Poor Lips, another yuri comedy manga published in Kirara.

Just finished reading PPL (it was quite ... "inspiring" ^^; ) and it had a completely different vibe, it is quite obvious from early on that the rich family parents only want to marry their daughter so she can have long lasting happiness, it is a "marry some male that will be your life long partner", which is different from Kotone's deal "We already have a engaged you to X". In poor poor lips you could feel parental love, here Kotone's family is just using her to further their business goals. We have a saying here "money is the most abject slave and the most cruel master" and I think it applies quite well to Kotone's family.

Also, PPL was an adult (there was a legal loli, that's all) relationship, here we also say "The girlfriend of the student is never the wife of the graduate"

[Chiaki_chan]

ep 10

Yeah more Kotone x Shizuku !!!

I love the bonus "Smile smile"

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

here Kotone's family is just using her to further their business goals. We have a saying here "money is the most abject slave and the most cruel master" and I think it applies quite well to Kotone's family.

You're jumping to conclusions. We don't know anything about Kotone's family. We only know her sister, which wanted Kotone to do as her family says just so she could have her big sister close again.

I think the mangaka's setting this up for an easy resolution. We haven't seen her parents probably because when they finally get introduced, we'll find out they're not as horrible as we thought, and they'll probably let Kotone do whatever she wants. The issue here is not her parents, but Kotone's lack of courage to face the situation. She couldn't even confront her little sister (Shizuku had to do it in her place). I'm pretty sure that if Kotone shows just a little bit of courage and confronts her parents, everything will fall into place and we'll get a satisfying conclusion. Basically, this whole thing is about Kotone's character development, not about her 'oppressive' family.

[J the Drafter]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

You're jumping to conclusions. We don't know anything about Kotone's family. We only know her sister, which wanted Kotone to do as her family says just so she could have her big sister close again.

I think the mangaka's setting this up for an easy resolution. We haven't seen her parents probably because when they finally get introduced, we'll find out they're not as horrible as we thought, and they'll probably let Kotone do whatever she wants. The issue here is not her parents, but Kotone's lack of courage to face the situation. She couldn't even confront her little sister (Shizuku had to do it in her place). I'm pretty sure that if Kotone shows just a little bit of courage and confronts her parents, everything will fall into place and we'll get a satisfying conclusion. Basically, this whole thing is about Kotone's character development, not about her 'oppressive' family.

Maybe. On the other hand, the manga has already introduced the concept of ephemerality with the fact that the school will close in three years. It would be natural for the manga to take what it's saying about the school--each moment here is temporary and irreplaceable, so don't waste any of them--and apply it to Kotone and Shizuku's relationship. If true, that would the beta couple, at least, would suffer one of the typical endings in earlier yuri works; the girls moving on from the relationship. If the manga does take the route of Kotone coming out to her parents and her parents accepting them (remember, they're both gay AND related, so that's going to be on huge pill to swallow), I'd think the manga would start putting emphasis on having the courage to overcome your fears and not letting others dictate how you live your life. We could go either way at this point, but so far there hasn't been any buildup to thematically support Kotone confronting her parents. I mean, Kotone's words about making the most of the three years available to them are not only said by her but repeated by Haruka. Shizuku even ties those words together with the plight she and Kotone face. There hasn't been anything about putting your feelings in the open to the friends and family you trust, though to be fair the manga may move in that direction.

[Kazu-kun]

^The manga is just starting their second year of high school, and the author's probably planning to cover their three years. At the current pacing, that's plenty of time for plenty of developments (5 more volumes, give or take).

Now, I don't want to delve into manga talk because this isn't the thread for that and we're all gonna get banned. What I can say is that the anime showed Kotone in a negative light when she couldn't even stand up to her little sister. In that scene Haruka asks her "is that okay for you" and Kotone can't even answer.

I think in that scene the anime is clearly suggesting there's a different between things that are out of your control (like the school getting closed) and things that you're too scared to deal with, like Kotone's situation with her family.

What's being presented here imo, is not the ephemerality of Kotone and Shizuku's relationship, but Kotone's lack of courage as a character flaw, which calls for development.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

You're jumping to conclusions. We don't know anything about Kotone's family. We only know her sister, which wanted Kotone to do as her family says just so she could have her big sister close again.

She might want her back, but she probably wants (or will want) her to take the older sister responsability and marry whoever her family says so she does not have to.

I think the mangaka's setting this up for an easy resolution. We haven't seen her parents probably because when they finally get introduced, we'll find out they're not as horrible as we thought, and they'll probably let Kotone do whatever she wants. The issue here is not her parents, but Kotone's lack of courage to face the situation. She couldn't even confront her little sister (Shizuku had to do it in her place). I'm pretty sure that if Kotone shows just a little bit of courage and confronts her parents, everything will fall into place and we'll get a satisfying conclusion. Basically, this whole thing is about Kotone's character development, not about her 'oppressive' family.

Here is a big cultural difference. Sure, in our west culture is all about individuality, "f**k the world, have your cake and eat it". But in the east it is the group (not the individual) the top priority and any popular manga will not dare state otherwise, that is a taboo akin to female nipples on broadcast TV on the USA. Whatever outcome Kotone's story have is one that must somehow satisfy the benefit of the family as a whole (which is the root cause of any arranged marriage).

I have no doubt if you do a search you might found a yuri/shoujo ai doujinshi where the protagonists go against the group, but I repeat, that is not an accepted outcome by japanese society in particular (and east asia cultures in general).

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

She might want her back, but she probably wants (or will want) her to take the older sister responsability and marry whoever her family says so she does not have to.

That interpretation doesn't have any basis in the story itself, whereas mine isn't even an interpretation because it's pretty much stated.

Whatever outcome Kotone's story have is one that must somehow satisfy the benefit of the family as a whole

No at all.

that is not an accepted outcome by japanese society in particular (and east asia cultures in general).

And no one is talking about Japanese society. That's pretty much irrelevant. Kirara might not be Gangan Joker, which publishes stuff like Prunus Girl, but they still don't abide to social standards as much as mainstream manga magazines do.

[Kotohono]

Originally Posted by Mesousa2877

So...Kotone apparently has a fiancee, according to Haruka in the 10th episode.

Yep, KotonexShizuku is now pretty much dead.

Haruka also thought her father's comment meant it was instantly ok for her to marry a girl She is making assumptions again .

Also loved Yuu's new SBJK titles for Haruka .

[Random Wanderer]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

Here is a big cultural difference. Sure, in our west culture is all about individuality, "f**k the world, have your cake and eat it". But in the east it is the group (not the individual) the top priority and any popular manga will not dare state otherwise, that is a taboo akin to female nipples on broadcast TV on the USA. Whatever outcome Kotone's story have is one that must somehow satisfy the benefit of the family as a whole (which is the root cause of any arranged marriage).

Except, you know, they do. Anime and manga have been rather strongly influenced by western values. It is not hard to find some where individuality and freedom of choice is praised over blind conformity. The fact that that is not really the true Japanese cultural attitude isn't really relevant: these are entertainment media. A form of escapist literature: not reality. They can show people getting a happy ending by doing things that people might want to do in real life but can't, because they are fiction.

[J the Drafter]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I think the mangaka's setting this up for an easy resolution.

I find it impossible to believe that Kotone's parents chose the groom trivially. In the cultures that practice arranged marriage today, the whole thing is a business decision; this marriage could be the keystone of a corporate merger, or a mark of peace between two bitter competitors. (Okay, I'm guessing on the second one. I don't actually know why a business family would have arranged marriages, though using marriages to cement alliances was a classic tactic way back when, so I'm assuming a business would do the same thing.) The decision on who Kotone is betrothed to was made after a lot of planning and negotiation, and that wedding is expected to have a tangible impact on the business's fortunes. I'm sure Kotone's parents expected her to get into temporary relationships, but I can't see them being cool about Kotone rejecting the marriage to go off with someone else. And that isn't factoring in that Kotone's partner is a) a girl, and b) her cousin. My parents love me to pieces, but I'd hate to tell them that I was in a serious relationship with someone I was related to.