Kanojo mo Kanojo

[WingedAccelerator]

Naoya is the main problem.

Making two-timing work is already something bold. He had unyielding ideals and convictions for about 90 chapters. Unfortunately, the manga needed stalling, so after plethora of two-timing speeches, he somehow gave everything up.

He has zero preferences in woman. Any girl can succeed as long as she is cute enough or carries some baggage or convinces the main bitch, Saki, and he would be perfectly fine with it. Tenacity is a must. Nothing matters, he "falls in love" with them on a whim for the sake of wish-fulfilment.

According to Naoya, Saki makes him the happiest. Why on Earth? Lazy plot device.
Shino is the lewdest. Shameless bitch in heat behavior should be applauded?
Nagisa is the cutest. So she has nothing else?
He has the most fun with Mirika. Why on Earth?

Adding girl after girl would go on infinitely, but the manga will end soon. The most original ending would be timeskip class reunion where Naoya and the girls are embarrassed about how idiotic this mutli-timing idea was. All of them are single or found their nameless partners.

One more thing. Even a pebble on the side of a road is a better protagonist than Kazuya. Yet, time to time I see Naoya mentioned as some sort of deity or gold standard of a great romcom protagonist. Never understood the comparison, but let's just leave it at that that I diagree about putting Naoya on a pedestal. His novelty wore off a long time ago. Screaming your problems away won't solve everything and I grew to despise it.

[Lex79]

I can't help but think that people are taking waaaay too seriously this manga. One might dislike the premise of the protagonist having multiple girlfriends and that's fine, but expecting a realistic portrayal of relationships or deep and complex characterizations for the cast in a series where almost everything is played for laughs is probably not the best idea.

[WingedAccelerator]

After the initial setup was done with two-timing, Naoya made his stance, he only cares about his two girlfriends. Mirika and Shino getting introduced and hogging the spotlight every single time ended up with Naoya not having any of their shit, rejecting them. Till he somehow loves them now too just because.

It's easy to say that "Dude, this is just a dumb comedy", but somehow said comedy till tried to be serious and rational about their situation with the recent Saki drama arc and in other occasions too in the past. Why have standards, ideals with the characters if in the first place Naoya could have been totally okay with infinite-timing as long as the conditions are met? But no, he had to be so damn annoying with his speeches about only making Saki and Nagisa happy that now he is a complete joke and so is the manga.

Aho Girl was miles better. Not only was the cast much more diverse which was ideal for the jokes, the stupid romance elements were not shackled it down.

[Lex79]

Naoya has always been attracted to the other girls, he rejected them because he didn't believe he can make more than two girls happy. Then it turns out that after spending time together the girls are happier if the three if them are included so he has no reason anymore to reject Shino. Him also loving Mirika isn't really a surprise, the hints were there since the beginning.

The fact that the manga had some drama near the end doesn't early change the overall tone if the series. I also don't understand the critics towards Naoya. He is the guy who got together with his childhood crush and then immediately fall for another girl and decides to two time her, so being monogamous isn't exactly his strong point. Then the author added some obstacles to delay the addition of other girls that were solved as the story progressed. It's typical harem stuff, the girls care for each other and so decide to share. Of anything, I have to compliment the author for addressing the matter that the girls can have their reverse harem too, but of course again in typical harem fashion they are only interested in the protagonist.

I started reading Aho girl a while ago but dropped it quickly. I guess we just have different tastes.

[WingedAccelerator]

Adding more girls are entirely dependent on the existing ones. He didn't believe he was restricted to two, but believed the two of them wouldn't be happy with more, let alone with ditching both of them for someone else. Huge difference, because only after 90 chapters, and only because of Shino did this aspect came up. He never advocated it. So if Saki and Nagisa are okay with more, Naoya shouldn't object either.

The manga didn't play this out straight, so I will complain. Reluctantly, Shino's case could be accepted as a special circumstance due to being Saki's best friend, but Mirika's definitely not. She got plenty of fuck offs, rejections from Naoya through the manga, her better results were entirely thanks to abducting him forcefully and getting something miniscule out of it, but he loved her from the beginning. Surely you jest.

[Chiibi]

Originally Posted by WingedAccelerator

Yet, time to time I see Naoya mentioned as some sort of deity or gold standard of a great romcom protagonist. Never understood the comparison, but let's just leave it at that that I diagree about putting Naoya on a pedestal. His novelty wore off a long time ago. Screaming your problems away won't solve everything and I grew to despise it.

I like Naoya because he's so ridiculously honest even when he knows the answers are outrageous and saying them is going to get him into trouble.

It's just...so refreshing. He makes me laugh. A LOT. He is one of my favorites. You have to admit he is a bit...unique compared to the rest.

Aho Girl was miles better.

Eh. Nah. It's hard to piss me off but the female lead really annoyed the hell out of me lol. She wasn't JUST 'stupid'...she was...really unlikable. Seeing her getting punched all the time didn't help because she was always fine seconds later. She was like a horrible, annoying fly for the poor MC that he just could not get rid of.

The series didn't have much to say except 'Here's a poor MC whose life really sucks because this idiot won't leave him alone and the idiot's mother wants to force them into marriage. Isn't that funny!?"

Not really, no.

[WingedAccelerator]

His novelty wore off a long time ago, which means I appreciated his antics in the past, but now he just annoys me. I got accustomed to his gimmick of not letting others finish their sentences and jumping to a wild conclusion midway of the conversation that's just out of place. It's not better than spouting random nonsense for the sake of it.

Aho Girl is a different type of series, where the romance aspect of it was always treated as a joke. But it's not like Yoshiko was my favorite or anything. It had a diversive cast, so it didn't felt that repetitive compared to this. You had the Akkun-Yoshiko duo, where it was hilarious how he beat her up plenty of times and no one cared because she was that annoying. Justified violence for the win. Sayaka was probably one if not the most sane one from the series, so it was nice to have her to balance things out. Yoshiko's mother was batshit crazy. Disciplinary Committee Chairwoman's antics to get Akkun to notice her was fun. There were the three kids with a love triangle, but the boys despised Yoshiko, the girl didn't. Also Akkun's self-proclaimed friend who always got the cold shoulder from him. The gal girl and her friend, who was pretty muh a lesbian, who started making advances on the gal girl. Yoshiko's dog aka super doggo, who did impossible feats for a dog.

Here? 13 chapters and Mirika already got introduced, because Saki's and Nagisa's dynamic with Naoya became stale quickly. Then came Shino too not so much after. As if 5 people was enough to carry a manga for more than 140 chapters, when their general behavior towards each other remained mostly the same. But each of their own.

Back to the current chapters, the community sure likes to play dumb, because there is no way Mirika won't be asspulled to be a girlfriend when 4-5 chapters are still left. Here comes the pity tactics. I sure hope they stop pretending it will be a big twist and they didn't see it coming.

[Tactics]

My problem with this manga is both Naoya and Saki.

Naoya at first looks cool, outlier MC but as time goes his characterization stuck on insisting two/three/four-timing is good.
What could be character development for him always altered into convincing parents that there's no harm on what he did; Shino and Mirika come out as Hiroyuki ran out of idea on how to prolong comedy caused by two-timing rather than actual contender or character arc, comedy extender to Naoya relationship with each of Saki and Nagisa.

Saki is because she always walk forward two steps walk backward three steps.
I get that Hiroyuki wanted to maintain status quo for series but how you convinced reader that Saki is worthy of attention as good as Nagisa?
Combined with Naoya, true that status quo maintained, but you'll eventually saw problems began to pile up thanks to their own indecisiveness that I'm not surprised if Hiroyuki decision to end this works came from realization he have to do it before the damage is irreversible.

[Chiibi]

Originally Posted by Tactics

but how you convinced reader that Saki is worthy of attention as good as Nagisa?

Saki and Naoya have loved each other for YEARS...so that's just something I accepted.

'Worthy'? I mean, love doesn't really work like that. You don't just drop long-harbored feelings for someone just because someone ELSE comes along and does things for you. You can't CHOOSE to have feelings for someone; it just happens. You don't need reasons either; love is not logical.

Saki and Naoya fell in love naturally and neither wants to give the other up. Simple as that.

Nagisa is an angel and I like her as a character and everything but doesn't she seem TOO good to be true? Like "Mail to Order Perfect Waifu"?

Saki feels more like a real human being. You gotta admit. She is well aware of her faults and the series addresses this. She is insecure compared to the perfection that is Nagisa. But Naoya loves her anyway. It's sweet. From another woman's perspective, it's pretty awesome that Naoya DIDN'T dump her just because a big breasted, genius 'Yamato Nadeshiko' confessed to him.

[WingedAccelerator]

That's not actually true.

Official English translation in Chapter 1 states Naoya confessed regularly to Saki once every month from their first year in elementary school. So Naoya loved Saki for years and it was not mutual since again from the prologue, Saki only recently accepted his confession when they became first years in high school. From Shino's flashback, multiple rejections were also shown when they were middle school students. Saki also frequently punched him when they were not even dating yet. Though according to Shino, Saki was at least interested in him. Though it's still not mutual love for years.

Chapter 9 made Saki have a realization that she hasn't done a single thing that is comparable to Nagisa's devotion. This in itself is not a problem, though surely it can be a reason why Naoya even considers other girls joining them. Saki is more or less a gamer couch potato. The problem is when Saki actually tries something, actually tries to improve their relationship, score affection points or prove that she is rightfully #1, Naoya robs her from the development with once again screaming, jumping to idiotic conclusions and not letting her finish a damn sentence. Thus, she hits him again and the plan fails.

[Kuroageha]

Huh? Is that a rooftop what I see???!!!

[Chiibi]

Originally Posted by WingedAccelerator

Though according to Shino, Saki was at least interested in him.

Good enough.

They both liked each other the LONGEST and it's not like they can just stop liking each other.

Is my point.

[WingedAccelerator]

I don't think it makes it better, superior or makes a difference at all.

After Shino's advice for Naoya to change his tactics, it still took Saki 2+ years to finally accept a confession from him and officially start dating him. Naoya got what he wanted for 7+ years, so he did the most sane thing and instantly wanted to date another girl when the first one just said yes.

Them going way back is their lazy backstory. Nagisa's affection and Shino's affection for Naoya got explored through a flashback. I don't remember anything close to that for the Naoya-Saki duo, from neither of their perspective. It could have happened, but I really don't remember anything at all.

I always considered Saki a plot device who should have been booted out a long time ago. She is such a wonderful person, because... because... she is a pushover that allows multi-timing, but sporadically threatens them with the cancellation of their arrangement if they don't please her and let her molest the girls.

[WingedAccelerator]

3 chapters are left, but this is beyond saving. Forced drama after forced drama, Mirika and Naoya head-to-head in the race of "Who is the most pathetic character?". Where is the comedy?

Hiroyuki already wasted 9 chapters in this final battle bullshit, in which at least three chances were presented before the latest chapter for Naoya's idiotic speech, but no, he had to reject Mirika, then waste another chapter of going back for telling her his join the harem speech anyways. Three girlfriends are waiting for him, yet he cries like a pathetic bitch because the potential fourth one doesn't want to be an additional piece, so he had to reject her.

Saki totally prepared her speech already as well few chapters ago, the rest are probably the same. They are ready to unleash it on Mirika, when Naoya without a doubt brings her home. Let me guess "I thought the same too at some point, but I managed to accustom to sharing, you should too!". Oh, yes, make her a hypocrite and throw out her ideals in the last minute of the manga just to fulfill an idiotic, wish fulfilment quota.

By the way, Nagisa's final individual chapter in this manga was a Kanojo, Okarishimasu advertisement and that was almost 30 chapters ago. The Saki drama, then the Mirika drama completely robbed characters from individual chapters. I would argue Shino raping Naoya was more of a group chapter than an individual chapter too cause of the following one. And that was also 10 chapters ago. People rather read chapters like those than the needless drama.

[Lex79]

I would've loved more lovey divey and silly stuff rather than all the drama in the last volumes but at least it seems we are headed towards the best ending with all the girls together with Naoya. Mirika has just to realize that she's not going to find happiness without him, even if she has to share,and accept her destiny.

[WingedAccelerator]

I'm expecting a full circle ending. The final chapter will show a 5th girl, who confesses to Naoya and Naoya will accept it on the spot. The cycle will never end.

The subversion ending is a class reunion or timeskip, everyone is single, or Naoya chose only one. They lament over the fact how stupid they were thinking this setup could last. But teenagers are dumb.

Then there is the group sex and teen pregnancy ending. Naoya ages 20 years immediately for every teen pregnancy.

[Lex79]

It took a long time, but we managed to unlock the true ending.
Two chapters left.

[Kuroageha]

Saki goes full BI.

[patnam]

one more chapter to go, and it is over...

[WingedAccelerator]

Well, it's over now.

Happy, but anticlimactic ending. Dodging the parents outside of the Mukai Family, while shoehorning a Naoya x Saki backstory at the last minute, giving a reason why Naoya loved her.

At the end of the day, I feel that Nagisa got shafted the hardest throughout the entire manga, even though her confessing to Naoya started it all. Saki was the BI plot device, Mirika and Shino got plenty of chapters dedicated to their advances and suffering till their asspull acceptances. Hardly remember anything about Nagisa outside of her backstory, her career crisis and the disgusting advertisement for Kanojo, Okarishimasu.

To me, the manga is more or less fine till Mirika's idiotic deadline chapter happens. Chapter 61. The additional 80+ chapters contained way too much stalling, dragged out issues and drama, which were unnecessary. Potential fluff neglected. No wonder Hiroyuki's past serializations were shorter. If he makes something else, hopefully he sticks to solely comedy again without couples.