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Has anyone else had their entire life transformed and healed by a nearly nineteen-year-old BL manga series about two men in love and their hundreds of teddy bears?
Last year I went through a life changing hardship but discovering JR in January 2021 and throwing myself into this manga was exactly what I needed even if I didn’t know it. Now that I’m caught up with the series and have allowed myself to start poking around in some other blogs, I’m amazed to know that we’re not the only ones.
My JR journey started in January and then restarted in March when I found my role in the community as manga acts summarizer. By the time May rolled around I caught up where I left off with Act 47 and I have been ever so slowly making my way to Act 53. I know that I still have two Sentiment acts, all of SIH, a number of SIH novels and the not-yet-released Valentine’s Day and White Day Junjou Mixes to consume but it’s a strange feeling to no longer have Romantica content waiting for me. Well, it’s one step closer to speaking freely with my JRSIH mutuals! As always, my thoughts are after the cut.
The Todo-Misaki friendship is so great. Misaki, when it comes to Todo, there could never be enough meat. And Todo, please eat your veggies.
Was anyone else taken aback when they learned that Takahiro didn’t talk to Manami about what happened? I know this is basically the same thing as when Manami kept the secret from Takahiro but now something feels really off.
Hi Kirishima! I’ve read a couple of Yokozawa no Baai novels and that has cemented him and Yokozawa as my favourite SIH ship. I wonder why Misaki is so motivated to get a part time job if it’s only going to be for a few months. Enjoy your freedom while you have it!!!
My jaw DROPPED when I saw Takahiro meeting up with Usagi. No wonder he was so quiet. And I gasped when Usagi said that he had feelings for someone else when he met Misaki. Man, maybe it’s a good thing that I’m getting caught up because I don’t know how long my heart can take this roller coaster of emotions.
WOAH. A genuine Nakamura redraw of the iconic Act 1 pre-first kiss scene? What a gift!
When Takahiro asked if the person Usagi liked was someone he knew and Usagi said, “...not exactly”, I was ready to chalk it up as a bold face lie until I realized that it wasn’t necessarily the case. I wonder if Usagi meant that he was in love with the idea of a Takahiro who would love him back considering that the real Takahiro never would.
The quick change of perspective where Usagi was basically looking in OUR eyes and telling us how he only grew to love Misaki more was genius.
Usagi… you don’t have to tell Takahiro of all people that Misaki hates causing other people trouble…
So there’s the punch that I spoiled myself with. Still, even though I knew it was coming (and it couldn’t be at the café!) it was still shocking to see. It turned out to be quite anti-climactic so I guess the spoiler wasn’t too bad after all. Misaki’s reaction was priceless, though.
Half of me thinks that Usagi is making up the “this must be what it feels like when a father gives away his daughter in marriage” line but Takahiro saying that he could never forgive Usagi if he hurt Misaki is 100% on point.
OH MY GOSH! MISAKI FINALLY KISSES USAGI!!!! It’s about time!!!!!!
I’m happy that Takahiro is ready to talk to Misaki about what’s going on. Looking forward to see where the Romantica storyline will go from here!
Marvellous work, @teddyscans! The font is very cute and I have a soft spot for sound effects because I really feel that they add another dimension to the reading experience when they are translated. I can’t blame PenicillinShock for usually leaving them alone since it’s a LOT to take on, espcially since they had two other mangas to take care of.
If you’re still with me, should I continue my “First time thoughts from a first time reader” series for SIH? Clearly I will go volume-by-volume and not act-by-act (so only 16 posts) but it’s such a divided fandom. I don’t want to spam people’s timelines for nothing if there are too many strong, negative opinions.
Junjou Romantica -- Official Spanish Translations (links)
This is a follow up to my “Junjou Romantica -- Official French Translations”. Special thanks to @hibonbl-scans for pointing me in the right direction.
If you’re European, Spain’s verison of Amazon has some great prices. But shipping to Canada is three times the price of a volume, hahaha. As for Mexico’s versions of Amazon, everything is very overpriced.
Editorial Ivrea has published 16 volumes. The Book Depository is your best bet as far as value goes because shipping is free worldwide. AbeBooks is listed because I was missing Volume 9. I’ll be purchasing Volume 15 of the Spanish version since the French version is out of stock!
Here it is folks -- the chapter that fans were waiting for years and years to happen. It was a triumphant moment that was also a bittersweet time for @penicillinshock when they made the tough call to drop Junjou Romantica after a five-year run. I have nothing but the deepest of respect for its members and their devotion was my inspiration to write the manga summaries and basically become the JR Wiki’s caretaker after years of neglect. Time for my thoughts!
Oh wow. That page where Misaki and Usagi (and Suzuki-san) are holding hands and staring at the reader with immense seriousness really sets the tone for this chapter. It made my heart stop for a second. Such intensity.
I am really digging Usagi’s look where his dress shirt is pulled over his pants for a change. It’s a refreshing difference. I really like the role he’s playing. He’s giving Misaki his space to tell Takahiro but he is on standby at a moment’s notice.
I almost got teary-eyed and Manami’s text message. I know we stan Kaoruko but Manami is another JR ~QUEEN~.
Why has it taken this long for Misaki to refer to Usagi as a “comfort rabbit”?! Oh my gosh, that is so endearing.
Ugasi’s pep talk = couple goals.
GASP.
*jaw drops*
Oh my...
I was actually thinking it would be poor timing if Takahiro were to see this kiss play out with his own eyes but it looks like that’s exactly how Nakamura intended it. I actually thought it was a bit out of character for Misaki to not pull back and chastise Usagi about how they can’t be doing that in public but on the other hand, it shows just how much he needed Usagi’s love in that very moment.
Not going to lie but Takahiro coldly turning his back on Usagi definitely broke my heart.
I could only imagine what Takahiro is going through. I’m really glad that he didn’t leave Misaki in the dust as well. Going to the park from Misaki’s childhood is a nice touch.
FINALLY. I can enjoy the panel where Misaki tells Takahiro that he loves Usagi-san without spoiler warnings ringing in my head. It’s about time! Well, one spoiler down and one more to go.
Misaki seriously asking if he’s being selfish cuts deep. This is the guy who is *always* putting others’ feelings before his own and now that he has something he wants to keep desperately, he is questioning if it’s okay or not. Sweet, sweet boy.
I think it’s really great that Takahiro apologized for forcing his ideals on Misaki. It’s about time!
I bet Takahiro yelling at Misaki for him to stop with his incessant apologizing must have felt like a punch in the stomach because that’s how I felt. That and the fact that he is undecided about whether or not he will support the relationship.
In the sexy times scene, Misaki FINALLY says that it feels good without any of the usual prompting. We are as shocked as Usagi at this moment. The extra tight hugging was also so very sweet.
Seeing Kaoruko is always a delight. I love her unwavering faith that everything will work out fine.
Oh, the call back to the marbles! I really liked that a lot and it makes us think about how far we’ve come. And maybe it’s a reminder that we could all use a Season 4?
Now that I have finished reading this monumental chapter in the series, I can’t help but feel so sad. I can only imagine how much Misaki cried for his eyes to still be puffy the next morning. Usagi waiting for Misaki when he got off the subway was exactly what we all needed. Next week I will read Act 53 and I will be caught up with the fandom as far as the main Romantica storyline goes. Then in just two Sentiment acts later, I can start diving into JR Tumblrs! Considering that I entered the JR Tumblr community in March, it’s about time.
I felt that this chapter was the calm before the storm. It was fluffy and sweet with all of the Romantica goodness that we didn’t have in the last act. Next weekend I can finally get to the long awaited Act 52 that was Penicillin Shock’s JR swan song back in February and not avert my eyes everytime the Takahiro-and-Misaki-on-a-bench panels shows up on someone’s blog. But for now, let me enjoy Usagi, Misaki and the great white North.
Ha, I thought that Act 50 took place at the same time Misaki and Usagi were at the train station so it's fun to see the natural flow of events without pausing from the main timeline. I had to wonder whether or not we would have the pleasure of joining the Romantica couple on their trip.
You are telling me... that there are actual... Usami Ninjas??? And here I thought it was the quaint name that the fandom gave to Usagi-chichi's bodyguards. Well, it looks like Usagi hasn't denounced ALL of his family's perks...
Usagi telling Misaki that he could read him like a book is my favourite thing ever. I could tell that he was even suspicious of Misaki not telling him everything before the change of plans just by looking at Nakamura's drawings.
Awww, I hope that the "Misaki fund" is something that comes back.
WHAT? Usagi-haha? I noticed that when she mentioned Usagi's books, it was as if he was looking at her properly for the first time. Such amazing detail.
I recently reread the chapter where Misaki admitted that he falls asleep within ten minutes of reading text so to get the confirmation that he's read all of Usagi's books is definitely devoted boyfriend material.
Anyone had Usagi and Misaki having a snowball fight on their Romantica bingo cards? I absolutely loved it and it brought a huge smile to my face.
In the sexy times scene, I never get tired of the way Usagi can haul Misaki as if he was a sack of potatoes. And Usagi burying his head under Misaki’s towel to talk to him is so adorable.
Oh my gosh, why is it that seeing Kaoruko and Mizuki never get old?!?! I love these characters so much.
Junjou Romantica -- Official French Translations (links)
I had a conversation with @juroguro about what consists of supporting Nakamura (buying the Japanese manga and magazines) and what doesn’t (buying merch from Wish and Etsy). Officially translated manga also counts and while the English mangas are discontinued, Kazé Manga has been dutifully releasing “Junjo Romantica” in French since 2011.
As an anglophone living in the French part of Canada, I know the language even if it’s not my forté. I have compiled this list of JR French mangas that are available at Canada’s bookstore giant Indigo. This resource is mostly for myself because I would like to start building a JR library, but if any other French-speakers would like to join me on my journey, the links are below the cut.
I am favouring Indigo but if it’s sold out there I will be linking to Amazon's third party sellers and BDfugue. Who would have known that Volume 19 is elusive?
Volume 01 (Indigo)
Volume 02 (Amazon - third party seller) (BDfugue) ✔
Volume 03 (Indigo)
Volume 04 (Amazon - third party seller) (BDfugue) ✔
Volume 05 (Amazon - third party seller) (BDfugue) ✔
q: HELP!!! how do i get access to your translations?
a: 1) dm teddyscans-discord on tumblr OR email [email protected] to get access to the discord, 2) add teddyscans on snapchat, where the scans will be posted. you have to complete both steps to have access to the scans!
q: wait SNAPCHAT!??!?!?! i don’t have a snapchat and/or i can’t get access to one 😢
a: fear not! dm fishysama#9828 (me) on discord and i will send you a personalized copy of each new chapter! however, it will take longer for you to get this copy, so i would recommend going through snapchat instead (if you can)
q: sweet 😎 so i can upload that copy to [bootleg manga site], right??? aha
a: no. we do not allow any reuploads of our manga anywhere. if you do reupload it, you will be permanently banned. since each copy is personalized, we will be able to tell it was you. this also goes for screenshotting on snapchat! we have a zero tolerance policy for reuploading, so don’t do it <3 we will stop translating junjou! 100% serious :)
q: damn okay… speaking of snapchat, will the chapter only be available for 24 hours? what if i want to reread it 😢
a: don’t worry bro! it will be permanently saved in a special teddyscans group chat, so you can revisit it at any time!
q: what if i want to make misaki ahegao edits 😢 misaki ballsack compilation 😢
a: once again, dm fishysama#9828 (me) on discord for what pages you’d like to edit! just don’t screenshot on snapchat because i will autoban you lol
q: thanks friend :) by the way, can i donate to you guys to help you keep translating?
a: no, please don’t! we are entirely nonprofit and we will not accept any donations from y’all. if you want to support us, direct your money towards the emerald magazine or perhaps a volume of junjou! these directly support nakamura and get you a great junjou collectable :)
q: okay great! i just have this one more very specific question-
a: please direct it towards a staff member within the teddyscans discord! we’ll be able to help you out :)
Hello, Junjou Minimum! It has been a while since we’ve delved into the past. I can imagine this Takahiro and Misaki centric chapter might have been a let down for fans who were eager for more Misaki and Usagi romance, but I can’t help but think about how the scanlation groups must have really enjoyed the break seeing that it was a considerably shorter chapter because I am already looking forward to how it will be easier to summarize. Thoughts after the cut!
Even though I mostly love JR for the ~romance~, the bond between the Takahashi brothers is so important because for the longest time they only had one another. Nakamura has never given their parents actual faces. I believe that this is the most detail that we will ever get and I appreciate that.
Misaki’s progress in cooking is fun to watch especially since he’s no prodigy and had to work hard for years to get to the level he achieves. Takahiro says that he wants to introduce Misaki to Usagi but that never happens. I wonder, if Usagi did know Misaki as a child, would he only feel big-brotherly towards him instead?
The line where Takahiro is thinking about how Misaki takes up more of Usagi’s free time than he does really made me laugh. If only you knew, buddy. If only you knew.
Manami making Takahiro realize that he is constantly seeing 22-year-old Misaki as a child is a huge turning point. My favourite part was when he realized that if Usagi hated people and since Misaki is always putting people’s feelings before his own then they wouldn’t be so persistent about continuing to live together and that there is a mutual trust. The “I always wanted to be his number one” line is very curious and frankly speaking, he could be referring to either Misaki or Usagi (even though we know it’s Misaki).
Takahiro actively calling Misaki after he’s been low-key dodging him a few acts ago is another great step. I really liked the hooded-lids expression on Misaki’s face because he knows that there’s no more running.
Bonus: Even though it was never uploaded to MangaGo, I remembered that Penicillin Shock released Act 50.5 while I was temporarily a part of their team and I decided to read it right away to get my Misaki and Usagi fix. To get Misaki’s thoughts about how he wants to take initiative is pretty amazing even though both he and the reader knows at the rate he’s going, all of those thoughts and plans are going to stay in his head. Thank goodness for those fanfic writers who turn Misaki’s ideas into reality.
To come: So even though I knew that I shouldn’t have, I scrolled down the Nowaki tag, found a super cute “Junjou Optimist” post where OP hypothetically ships Misaki and Nowaki, and I stumbled across a spoiler. Oops. Therefore I will no longer wait two to three weeks before reading a new act, but I will read one every weekend instead!
Thank you so much for your hard work and providing us with the English translation!! and @iitsnemoo of course! I'm very grateful and you've put a massive smilie on my face!
You're very welcome! Your message is exactly what I needed today.
The first time I sent the Act 42.5 raws to my friend who took some Japanese lessons in school, she said that she ran the text through Google Translate before making sense of the context and I envied her ability to tell the Japanese characters apart. If I had her skill, all of the cover comics would be translated for sure.
So when I stumbled on @hibon-bl's Spanish scans, I saw it as my opportunity of typing the Latin letters in Google Translate and accumulating enough context for the Wiki manga summaries. I'm mostly surprised that nobody did this already, but then again, no one has my drive and dedication to complete the manga section of the Wiki in the first place.
Teaming up with @iitsnemoo is what opened the doors to creating scanlations to share on Tumblr. I know that my typesetting is pretty embarrassing compared to Penicillin Shock and Teddy Scans but with her by my side, I have the confidence of sharing these translations with the community.
Here it is, the last Romantica mini-act that had been translated in Spanish by @hibon-bl but never in English. This one is longer than the others and is continued after the cut. However, this is not the last JR scanlation that I’ll be releasing. But more on that after I catch up with Acts 50 to 53.
Here are Hibon-BL’s scans in Spanish: (x). Translation was achieved by Google Translate, I thank @iitsnemoo for the proofreading, and typesetting is by me.
There truly is no other feeling in the world than reading a chapter of Junjou Romantica for the very first time. I laughed out loud, I screamed, and towards the end I all but melted. Interestingly some of my previous predictions came true while other observations proved false. Come and join me as I continue my JR journey with fresh eyes after the cut.
The closest thing that I’ve ever come to a Junjou Romantica message board (aging myself a bit but shout out to anyone who still remembers message boards!) is the comment section underneath the chapters uploaded on the MangaNelo site. Someone said that Misaki should have been a chef instead of going into publishing. He certainly has a gift, but he’s constantly selling himself short and playing everything down since he’s usually quicker to credit the ingredients.
Usagi’s death stare that popped on the second page made me laugh out loud so hard.
How does Misaki manage to tie his scarf in the most perfect bow in the back each and every time? Boy, you better share your secret! Okay, so even though I screamed when Misaki was getting kidnapped, I did recognize those “Usami ninjas” with Usagi-chichi in the previous chapter so I wasn’t too surprised that he was the culprit. When Tanaka told Misaki to come by the estate in the last chapter, I don’t think this is how either of them envisioned it. My theory is that Usagi-chichi kidnapped Misaki because he figured that if anyone would get through his stone cold wife, it would be the guy who successfuly got through his stone cold son. He actually gets his wish but at the same time it’s really heartbreaking to see the hoops that he needs to jump through just to talk to his wife for a little bit.
There’s something so endearing about Misaki calling Usagi by his given name. Yet at the same time, when he says “Akihiko” the name seems foreign coming from his lips. I love how this is the first chapter Misaki finally refers to Tanaka by his actual name.
For those who need a refresher, it was in Volume 20, Act 39 when Usagi-chichi last warned Misaki that continuing a relationship with his son is dangerous. Back then Misaki didn’t have much of a response but boy, did he ever step up to the plate this time around! I am so proud of him. Hello, character growth! And to have Usagi-haha in his corner is also a bonus.
Ah, the Usami family is all together probably for the first time since Usagi left home. It was quite a powerful moment. But as far as a Misaki GPS goes, let’s hope that Usagi is talking about his phone and not a microchip embedded inside of him...
I really liked it when Misaki referred to himself as Usagi’s lover so naturally. I know that more than enough time has passed, but I’m currently combing through the anime and corresponding manga chapters to spot the differences for the Wiki and I’m at the chapter where Misaki has a hard time accepting that he’s going out with Usagi and they go on a date.
Okay, so while I was totally getting meet-the-parents / getting-to-know-the-son-in-law vibes, I would have never expected Usagi to actually deliver wedding vows! Oh my gosh, if I ever thought that I was short-changed from the Marriage booklet, this more than makes up for it! God, how I love this couple.
In the sexy times scene... did Usagi just coach Misaki on how to be a power bottom? 😳 AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT MISAKI KISSING USAGI ON THE FOREHEAD? And the way his hand is on top of Usagi’s head?! And Usagi’s reaction?!?! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. The look on Usagi’s face reveals that this is probably the first time Misaki kissed him without any prompting or prodding or teasing. Come on Misaki, it’s been four years!
I looked up Kyushu on the map. It’s only a 1 hour and 40 minute flight so I don’t know why Misaki was freaking out. I guess he probably thought they were traveling by train to somewhere closer.
Man, Nakamura really can’t get enough of Ijuuin-sensei, eh? But seeing him and Usagi pretending to be cordial was pretty hilarious.
Coming up: for anyone who has been following my blog, I’ve mentioned that Act 48.5 is the last chapter left to translate and typeset. It turns out that I was wrong. Volume 25′s Junjou Mix was never translated in English so I’ll work on releasing that next!
I usually rewatch Seasons 1 and 2 of JR on YouTube because I don’t have an ad-blocker and Gogoanime has too many pop-ups and annoying NSFW ads. But the translation is superior and sometimes I’ll brave all of that to watch my favourite moments. So imagine my surprise to find the translation of Nowaki’s letter at the end of Season 1, Episode 6! Since this is news to me, I figured that other people don’t know about this Easter egg. I typed it out to add it to the Trivia section of this episode’s Wiki page.
~*~ ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ ~*~ ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ ~*~
Hello. Over here, it's quite...
... have you been? For now I've gotten used to the new environment and I'm doing well, but recently my longing to see you has been growing more and more intense and I can't help but laugh a bit wryly at myself.
I want to see you. I pondered why exactly I felt so discontent, and I realized that I don't feel any dissatisfaction about the classes at school here or the lifestyle, it's just the simple fact that I can't see you that's making me so insecure.
But I haven't even brought myself within sight of your back yet, and I know that now isn't the time for complaining.
I won't be mailing this letter now, but one day I would like to show it to you proudly, with dignity and to reach that day I will keep working as hard as I can.
I have to admit something. Before I left Japan, I snuck a picture of you while you slept. I look at it every day. It is my sole support. I really do love your face when you sleep.
I'm sure I'd get a punch in the face if you found out, so I'll keep it a secret.
I've almost reached the bottom of the page, so I guess I'll end this for today. I'll write to you again. Hiro-san, I miss you, I miss you, I miss you, I miss you, I miss you, I miss you.
I love you. I really, truly love you.
I miss you.
Kusama Nowaki
Volume 24: Act 47, Junjou Mix 5, Act 48 and Act 48.5′s summaries are up on the Wiki! Act 48.5 has been translated and type-setted but it’s patiently waiting proofreading. I’m in no rush to post it and the summary is up for anyone who wants a sneak peak of its content. Translating the cover comic was a fun bonus.
I have also taken the time to complete the Anime sections of Volumes 1 through 17 by matching each episode title with their corresponding manga chapters. Before I start summarizing Volume 25, I’ll create Manga sections for the anime.
This month I got to participate in my first SIHJR event: @trifiesta! I submitted works on Day 1, Day 3 and Day 6. It gave me the opportunity to meet fellow Trifecta fans and consume their work, which is something that I haven’t been doing much since staying on the periphery of the fandom is the best way to stay spoiler free. It also got me back into writing after five years. Not bad considering that my last writing hiatus was twice as long!
@hibon-bl was kind enough to send me the Spanish scanlations of Act 48.5 to translate in English and to my surprise Volume 24′s cover comic was also included. I have no idea if there is already an English version of this comic so my apologies if I am overstepping. Translation provided by Google Translate. Enjoy!
Missing moments is my all time favourite trope. So when a big chunk of Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai vol 2 featured our favourite couple in a tiff, I decided to use one of the prompts to explore what Kirishima was up to while Yokozawa was off pouting in a corner. This is my first original work in five years!
For @trifiesta Day 6: Night
Lonesome Nights
By @amethystbeloved
Description: Kirishima's perspective during the fight.
This is supposed to be Sorata even though I know it really doesn’t look like Sorata. My apologies. But when I read the end of Yokozawa Takafum no Baai vol 2 when Hiyori gives him the aqua collar that she made, I just had to draw it.
