no teary-eyed nostalgia

lila, 29 ★ she/her ★ writer

[mapoeggplant]

this blog is an archive for my analysis and reviews, plus whatever is on my mind. mainly focused on skip to loafer, ikoku nikki and queer media

#duckreview for manga recommendations, general reviews and analysis on things i've read

#duckmetas mostly reserved for metas on skip to loafer and ikoku nikki

#duckwrites for all the fanfics i wrote

you can also find me on twitter, bluesky or anilist

[mapoeggplant]

haven't changed my pfp in a while so i wanted to little refresh ✨ i'm accumulating some of my reviews to share it here with you guys about what i've been reading lately, so promise i'll be back with new posts soon (and just know there will always be a skip to loafer analysis every new chapter heheheh). i know i'm not the most active here as i am in other social medias, but just know i'm always open to talk! just hit me up 🥰

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 82 opening page

our beautiful trio is backkkk 😭💛!!! missed seeing them together

don't forget to support sensei by reading on comic days!!

スキップとローファー - 高松美咲 / Ｓｃｅｎｅ（８２）　のんびりの春休み① | コミックDAYS

岩倉美津未、今日から東京の高校生！　入学を機に地方から上京した彼女は、勉強こそできるものの、過疎地育ちゆえに同世代コミュ経験がとぼしい。そのうえちょっと天然で、慣れない都会の高校はなかなかムズカシイ！　だけど、そんな「みつみちゃん」のまっすぐでまっしろな存在感が、本人も気づかない

[devsdeve]

redrew my skip and loafer chiikawa art BUT NICER AND CLEANER

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 81 analysis on yasaka // spoilers

the desire to be loved: how different characters act out solely on the need to receive what they need the most. this time, a more focused view on yasaka

after i read chapter 81, i felt like i was already missing a lot of yasaka’s storyline due to how it was divided and distributed through the volumes. since i always have my eyes on her, mostly due to her similarities with shima, i decided that it would be way better for me to go back and reread every chapter she was involved to try and understand her a little more, which would also give me a better understanding of even ujiie’s perception of her.

we start to dive a little bit deeper into her around chapter 44. there, we had a tiny glimpse of her life at home, which would give more fuel to understand her need for attention. juggling her storyline with shima and mitsumi’s first fight (which also marks the beginning of yasaka and shima’s parallels), we get to see her acting like her observant self, slowly enchanting every boy around her and manipulating them to get what she needs. 

one of the parts that shines the most for me, and the one i always remember when i look at her, is when she gave mitsumi the challenge to try and reflect more about herself and her upbringing (at the time, for those who don’t remember, shima didn’t defend mitsumi when the girls from their class where rude to her). by saying that mitsumi must have grown up filled with attention and affection, she’s not trying to undermine mitsumi’s feelings, but to give her a chance to understand more about the reason why shima acts the way he does. she definitely knows where she’s coming from when mitsumi complains about how people prefer to not be fully sincere, but yasaka knows that there’s way more depth into it than the surface she’s relying on. 

shima and yasaka want peace to themselves, because they are already surrounded by way too much noise. bringing back the first two pages of the chapter (44), it’s clear to us that yasaka doesn't have a very present family nor someone to rely on. her need for attention and the way she plays with the boys isn’t just for fun, but also a way to give her the power she needed, the chance to fill this desire that she can’t get at home. by having this fake love and passion around her, she’s building her own castle and ruling how she wants to be loved or heard. while mitsumi, on the other hand, had the privilege to grow up with so much love and care, which gave her the chance to be more sincere and open to people. 

now we jump a little to chapter 63/64 and the whole school travel arc — the moment we get to know yasaka even more, especially her desire to have people loving her constantly. 

yasaka got caught in a love triangle, with two different boys, who she was leading on, decided to ask her out at the same time. different from everyone's reaction (that is, get scared and surprised by their confrontation), yasaka just saw it as a bummer and something to be left behind, ready to start anew. to her, she never really lead anyone on, all she did was stroke their egos and give them exactly the attention they wanted, exactly what they needed. and, in response, she got the love she so much desired. 

when ujiie and mitsumi look at her with a troubled look on their faces, yasaka reminds herself why she does that, why it is way much easier to trick people than to really dive deeper into any relationship. in fact, at the beginning of the trip, she was already asking herself why on earth mitsumi would be talking to her after her being so cruel to her, why would she try to make amends when all yasaka wanted was to be far away from any relationships that needed way more from her than just blind, empty attention that would be discarded as soon as it got serious. 

profound relationships would only give her loneliness. all she could extract from it is a disappointed look, the one she hates the most, the one that makes her think of home. she doesn’t want people knowing her or even trying to form any impression of her (like ujiie did, when he asked “you’re not that sort of person, are you?”). after all, everything she could gain from being perceived was disappointment and anger, while on the contrary she would only receive love. 

yasaka needs love, but the one that could be discarded the moment she wants to. the more she showed of herself and not give what other people needed, more alone she would become. she needs a type of love that would bewitch those who are easy to manipulate, who would give her the attention she needs to fulfill her quota. nothing more nor less than that: she’s the one in control, she’s the one who made the rules of this game.

then, we jump a little more to the last chapter, 81: directly inside the best time of the year for yasaka, the one she can act the needier she wants, all to receive the love she craves the most. 

here, i think i won’t really dive deeper into her, but go more for ujiie and mitsumi’s conversation. that also plays a good part in understanding yasaka’s character, but it’s mostly because i feel like i would be repeating myself if i just kept analysing her actions, that just follow the same pattern. after all, we still don’t have any more than a little below surface level, since we don’t exactly know her backstory fully yet. 

ujiie and mitsumi debate what makes a person mean, as a summary. by dissecting yasaka’s action of giving ujiie chocolate, they start to reflect on why she does that and what she really expects from people when she does that. 

while ujiie still sees some kindness behind her actions, mitsumi, who’s standing outside of this whole situation, is able to see it a little more coldly, specially because she kinda went through the same thing with shima (not exactly the same, obviously. i would have to go way deeper into that. but since mitsumi brought it up as an exemple, i would like to use it as well).

she knows how yasaka acts and she’s not blindsided by love, which gives her a wider view to slowly put out ujiie’s expectations on it all. she knows that yasaka is in constant need of attention, so she does that truly for her own gain. she’s (yasaka) not doing that because she loves or even cares for ujiie, she’s doing it because it strokes her ego and makes her look more lovable. 

ujiie does bring a counter argument, that it could all be an act of shyness, of someone who prefers to give someone a less expensive gift rather than confessing. however, ujiie does have colored-rose glasses when he talks about her, especially when he says that she’s “too friendly to anyone”. and now i do have to agree with mitsumi when she says that he’s underestimating her and denying her capability of doing things in a very calculated way just to get what she wants from someone else. 

i don’t think that ujiie is wrong by thinking that she’s just burying something inside her and covering it up with lies. but it’s hard for me not to see this interpretation as of someone who sees himself as a savior. deep down, even tho he keeps repeating that he doesn't want a relationship or that he agrees that she does lie for her own benefit, he believes that he can be the one to change her, to save her from this circle of lies. the problem is that yasaka doesn't need to be saved by a prince, it’s something way deeper than that. the one that could save her is herself only, because the one she’s lying to the most is to herself.

i don’t see malice in ujiie’s actions and fantasies, however i do see him underestimating her. he really created this perfect version of yasaka, and still wants to fight for it, even if he does know, deep down, that there’s a lot more to it than he can handle. and this gets even more complicated when we see yasaka getting very annoyed with his gift, since she sees this as someone trying way too hard to get closer to her (tho i do find it cute that she decided to try it anyways).

to finalize this, i want to talk a little bit of mitsumi’s reflection at the end: if she sees yasaka as someone mean, would shima, who also gives her a gift with (in her perception) no big feeling behind it, also have the same mean intentions?

well, we need to remind ourselves that, as readers, we do have a little better understanding of shima's actions and why he was thinking so much of mitsumi while he was traveling with his family. there’s more than just “a nice act” behind his actions, however it’s not based solely on selfneed, as yasaka’s is. i don’t think either of them are mean but, in my opinion, there’s a clear difference between both of their actions. both are calculated? yes, we can say that. specially because, at the end of the day, the results they seek is the same: to be loved.

mitsumi will have to work a little more with her interpretations of people and how she views shima’s actions, but she can only do that by herself. as a reader, i don’t think she sees yasaka as someone mean, especially when we remember her conversation with the girls about her, but she does see her as someone calculating. what she fears the most is that shima might also be the same, but she’s being tricked by it because of the same rose-colored glasses that ujiie is using, but more based on fear than blindness of one’s action. well, mitsumi, all i can say is that there’s a lot to unfold here, and maybe you will only find your answers when shima gets brave enough to show all of his sides and his full mind to you. 

thank you for reading 💛 support sensei if you can. vol 12 will be out in english this month

[mapoeggplant]

ikoku nikki is being published in english!!!

inklore finally dropped their official statement. i still can’t believe this, i’m seriously emotional. after so many years waiting and waiting, i can finally hold the english version of ikoku nikki on my hands!!!!!!! this is like a dream come true!!

regarding inklore, it was a huge surprise that i was most definitely not expecting it. i don’t own anything by them and know little about the publisher itself, but i truly hope they will give justice to ikokki and make the best edition they can make. yamashita tomoko deserves the best, always and forever 💛💛💛

[mapoeggplant]

continuing with the fairy tale theme, the new skip to loafer + eeo store collab is based on hansel and gretel!

for more informations, please check the official website

https://eeo.today/store/101/title/3316?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=20260703_SKP

[minmit]

Would you skip and loaf with me forever yes or no

Refs: mitsuki and fumi, nao and goro

[nyoomzz]

kemuhana + texposts from pinterest that are from tumblr

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 81 opening page

love is in the air......or almost!! new skip to loafer chapter is finally out on comic days 💛

don't forget to support sensei!

スキップとローファー - 高松美咲 / Ｓｃｅｎｅ（８１）　メロメロのあの子① | コミックDAYS

岩倉美津未、今日から東京の高校生！　入学を機に地方から上京した彼女は、勉強こそできるものの、過疎地育ちゆえに同世代コミュ経験がとぼしい。そのうえちょっと天然で、慣れない都会の高校はなかなかムズカシイ！　だけど、そんな「みつみちゃん」のまっすぐでまっしろな存在感が、本人も気づかない

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 80 analysis + very brief mika character study // spoilers

the acceptance that comes with a friendly shoulder: mika's character evolution tied with her platonic relationships. and, ironically, a certain boy who always appears at the strangest times.

i think that, before starting my analysis of the chapter itself, i wanted to make a critique (?), a comment (?) (something related to that, kind of) about something regarding the general context that left me a little bothered or, perhaps, somewhat confused. first of all, i think the introduction of another character who shows romantic interest in mika was very important, especially because it has a very big impact on her character and the way she had been developing up to that point (will get to that a little later).

but… i'm a little confused by the introduction of mukai's girlfriend. to be honest, i thought she was cute and i was quite curious to know more about her. yet, in the end, it felt a bit unresolved. yes, i know that, somehow, sensei needed a slightly more solid hook to pull mukai into the narrative, making him more present as the story progressed, since he often ended up just appearing as a "commentator" or someone who’s there to observe. introducing a girlfriend was a strategy to give him the chance to open up a little more and be more honest about himself. however, i wonder if this wouldn't have been possible with one of the boys (specially yamada) or even a prior development between him and mika. i feel that the introduction of more characters who ended up being discarded very quickly left this whole "dating" arc a little confusing at the end of the day, since we didn't see in depth what the relationship between them is actually like (i mean mukai with his girlfriend and mika with her boyfriend).

of course, as someone who has been rooting for mikamukai since the beginning, i'm very happy with this development between the two and this cute conversation they had. but it's kind of hard for me not to wonder if this couldn't have been introduced earlier, bringing back the briefly in chapter 55, when mukai, mika, and nao talked a little about mika's feelings (or rather, mukai just reflected on everything that was happening while the two of them talked. again, he was just a spectator. but he could have brought up to her at some point, and they would talk. i don’t know…just thoughts).

in the end, i think it was a hook that could have been pulled in a different way, which would result in an earlier development of said relationship. maybe i'm just being picky, as i always am, but anyway. in any case, i still really enjoyed the chapter where mukai opened up more, and i really liked seeing mika having this new moment in her life.

anyway, let's get to the chapter!! (and a little analysis i want write on mika).

i confess that when i saw the chapter for the first time, i laughed. i found the whole unfolding hilarious, as well as very cute. mitsumi crying, oh my god!!! it was so cute and a small detail that made such a difference, especially when we look even deeper into the relationship between mitsumi and mika. besides her, nao automatically understanding who mitsumi was referring to made me so happy, especially reflecting on all the past conversations the two had. mika is truly a second niece to nao, and i think that's beautiful. to add to that, mukai's slip-up was very well placed, making the end of the chapter more fun and increasing the possibility of a slightly more romantic development between him and mika.

i think, overall, the chapter was light and sweet. one of those chapters that sensei loves to write, leaving small clues about a new arc that's about to begin without going into too much detail. well, i could write several things about the conversation between the two, about what i expect from the relationship that might develop, but i think for now i want to focus much more on mika.

mika's development as a character began in the first valentine's day chapter and has been progressing slowly, in the background of every other character’s arc. and i say that because the difference between how she reacted when shima rejected her and now, when her boyfriend broke up with her, is quite noticeable.

to start with the beginning: the valentine’s day. in chapter 30, when obuchi hints his interest in her, mika’s instant reaction is to deny his feelings. for her, the idea that she could attract someone romantically was so illogical that there was no way he wasn’t joking. because of this contempt she felt for herself, it was extremely hard for her to tell someone about everything that happened or, even worse, ask for help, so she just let everything bottle up inside her. (ironically, the one who “tried” to help was mukai himself, but we all know how messy that was).

and then, we have the confession to shima on chapter 31, one that she already knew she would be rejected. at first, mika responds by trying to disguise her feelings, diminishing herself and trying to belittle them, to give a false impression that she wasn't so impacted by everything that happened. however, to her surprise, shima responds with respect and care, kindly rejecting her but showing how appreciative he was of her feelings.

in two chapters, we see the beginning of the long road mika would face to accept herself. and this gradually returns, timidly showing how she is increasingly reflecting on what it means for her to like someone romantically and, above all, how to accept that she is indeed someone who deserves to be loved.

and that's where the group of friends comes in, and all the moments mika experiences with them. not only them but also another huge piece of her inner puzzle: nao. 

mika begins to understand that, to be accepted, she doesn't need to completely change or deny who she truly is. she just needs to face this fear of finally opening up more to people, and then she will find someone who truly loves her, platonically or romantically. there’s no need to change, there’s no mold to try to fit in. the ones that love her will love her for her ugliness and beauty, for her flaws and qualities. 

and this comes in a slightly more timid way in chapter 55, when she manages to open up to nao and admit the loneliness she feels, and then in chapter 62, where she finally opens up to mitsumi and tells her about her past with shima, as well as openly demonstrating how much more important her friendship is to her than any other. and I want to reiterate how important this conversation with mitsumi was, because she was the complete opposite of mika, someone she saw as inferior (at first) and had a very hard time trying to form a bond with. at the end of the day, the girl she thought was the weirdest of them all, became the one she was closer with.

when she truly understands the importance of her platonic friendships and gets to experience how good it is to have friends who are there to love her for who she is and give her the strength to follow her own path makes mika feel even more prepared to open her heart to new people.

and it's thanks to all of this that she has the reaction she had in chapter 70, when she finally had the (second, whether she wanted to or not) confirmation that yes, she is an attractive person who deserves to be loved romantically. romantic relationships were something mika had desired for a while, so there's no denying how much this invite for a date made her even more confident in herself. however, she was only able to face this romantic feeling head on when she had all the platonic love around her. 

instead of denying the other person's feelings or thinking she's being the victim of some joke, mika agrees to go out with the boy who would become her boyfriend. and, when the relationship ends, she no longer has the drastic reaction of putting herself down or trying to deny her importance. this is all because she has people by her side who will repeatedly tell her how amazing she is.

once again, we had a chapter that, despite having a tiiiiiny hint of romance between the lines, ends up focusing much more on the importance of forming platonic relationships and finding people who will love you the way you are (yes, i know how repetitive i’m getting, but bear with me). this time, mika isn't alone: a simple phone call brought them all together to cheer her up and distract her from a broken heart (and i hope nao did talk to her at some point too. it's impossible for me not to root for more interactions between these two!!!).

well, let’s see what sensei is planning for mika and mukai individually and for them as a couple (or not, who knows! maybe the bestest of friends). i can’t wait to laugh more with her surprised and little twists she likes to pull on us!! 

thank you for reading 💛!! don't forget to support sensei if you can!!

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 80 opening page

mika showing up her amazing style on chapter 80 opening page!!! very love bullet if you ask me ☺️. also, i KNEW sensei had some cards on her sleeve and this chapter…ooooh this chapter!!!! a lot of people will be very happy heheheheheheh. don’t forget to support sensei on comic days!!!

スキップとローファー - 高松美咲 / Ｓｃｅｎｅ（８０）　ハァ〜の失恋① | コミックDAYS

岩倉美津未、今日から東京の高校生！　入学を機に地方から上京した彼女は、勉強こそできるものの、過疎地育ちゆえに同世代コミュ経験がとぼしい。そのうえちょっと天然で、慣れない都会の高校はなかなかムズカシイ！　だけど、そんな「みつみちゃん」のまっすぐでまっしろな存在感が、本人も気づかない

volume 13 is also out in japan so don’t forget to support sensei as well. you can also buy on comic days or you can check kodansha jp website to know where to purchase it!! ‬

also, this month we had a cute little extra chapter that is comic days exclusive!!! it’s a free chapter, where mitsumi becomes bureaucrat of the ministry of internal affairs and communications! the chapter is free for everyone so please check it out

スキップとローファー　官僚編！ - 高松美咲 / 【コミックDAYS読み切り】スキップとローファー　官僚編！ | コミックDAYS

岩倉美津未、ついに総務省の官僚になりました！　彼女が意見交換会で向かった講談社で出会ったのはエンジニアとなった誠！？大人になった「みつみちゃん」はIT人材となったみんなの活躍に驚くのです！ ※講談社の経験者採用PR漫画です。

[mapoeggplant]

This chapter felt sooo bittersweet. I like that some characters' struggles remained somewhat unresolved, because it’s realistic, but it still felt 🥺 Seeing Kazakami handle everything on his own was especially sad, particularly since it turned out his parents are not just toxic, they're straight-up abusive. But I enjoy how Takamine and Kanechika are starting to see through him a bit. And what a fun character overall! I applaud Takamatsu for using limited appearances to build such a deceptive character in a way. It really makes you see all his earlier scenes and things he says in a completely different light. (I also want to believe we will see all three of the seniors again! Especially my girl Takamine!!!)

i knowwww, it was such a beautiful chapter right!! sensei truly knows how to write very realistic characters and you are right about how not having any conclusive ending makes it more real. it’s very sweet that they are all starting to understand each other a little better and that kazakami are slowly letting his walls down. it would make me very happy to see a bit of their lives in university, seeing them living this new adventure 🥹

we’re lucky for having so many beautiful characters to love!!!!

[mapoeggplant]

first we had merch inspired on snow white, now it’s little red riding hood!! shima as a wolf is very funny to me ngl HAHAHAHAH

‪for more infos, please check:‬

‪https://eeo.today/store/101/title/3316?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=20260501_SKP‬

[mapoeggplant]

skip to loafer chapter 79 analysis // spoilers

hanazono-sensei and the future she unknowingly created: the farewell chapter of the senpais trio focuses more on kazakami, concluding what began in chapter 59.

it's incredible how a teacher can change a student's life with just a simple conversation; words exchanged in the school hallways that quickly transform into a new future, a new opportunity. but anyway, before bringing up the previous discussion, i think we need to start from the beginning and focus on the chapter ahead.

sensei delivered a short farewell chapter, without much rambling or dramatic goodbyes. trying to close three cycles at once and tying up loose ends, she focuses much more on providing a general summary of two characters whose stories have already been told, to finally conclude kazakami's, which had been left with a very open ending.

kanechika has been part of the narrative since the beginning. we know about his childhood, how his passion for theater began, and his entire journey with shima. i don't mind that we said goodbye to him in a quicker way, with a short conversation with mitsumi; his arc is over, there's nothing more to say.

takamine’s farewell is conflicting for me. even though i think we didn't have much to talk about regarding her, since in my opinion her story was resolved quickly, i still feel that the conclusion was a bit abrupt. i'm happy to see her talking to kazakami with an open heart, even though he still seems very reluctant to listen to what anyone has to say. but, in the end, i think we had more of a flashback of all the high points of her arc just to summarize it quickly and show readers that today she accepts herself much better than before and has found strength within herself to believe she’s capable of doing what she puts her heart into. sometimes, the pressure we put on ourselves makes it hard to accomplish our dreams and it’s not worth it to keep thinking about the worst outcome, when in the end we all find out ways. i'm happy, obviously, and i'm also grateful that she finally had the chance to laugh at the whole situation at the end of the day. so, i don't know. it feels complete but like something is missing? well, in the end, i think it was overall a good ending for a character who didn't return many times in the story, but who left an important mark when was given the chance to shine on her own arc.

now, the star of the show: kazakami hiroto. of course, it wouldn't be possible to have a farewell chapter without focusing more on him, especially since sensei left us with a loose end at the end of chapter 59. for those who don't remember, chapters 58 and 59 focus on him and his difficulty in finally asserting himself and finding what he wants to do with his life, no longer just following his parents' orders. in a moment of anguish, kazakami ends up letting out much of his pain, which opens a small window for other characters, like the two already mentioned here, to interact more with him.

but it's only in chapter 59 that his arc truly takes shape. kazakami finally meets a worthy adversary, one who doesn't mince words or try to sugarcoat the situation: hanazono-sensei. by recounting her life story and what made her believe in herself, kazakami finally understands that his time isn't over. and so, in this concluding chapter, we reap the fruits that were planted earlier. (if you’d like to read my full analysis on both chapters, you can find it easily on my profile). 

chapter 59 ends with kazakami picking up the k-university textbook, focused on liberal arts, literature, and education (also, could this be a hint that kazakami intends to pursue the field of education so he can influence students the way he was influenced?). then, in chapter 79 we have him finally standing up agains his parents and announcing that that’s the path he wants to follow. from accepting that her mother threw his figures away in silence to raising his voice, all because he had the strength to grab the book about the university he desired. 

well, i think chapter 79 made it clear that all his confidence comes from his ability to stand up, to start again, and show that he finally managed to reveal who he is. i don't know if there's an answer to takamine's question about which of the two comes first, his confidence or the ability to back it up. in the end, i believe they blend together. and both are needed when you finally face the parents who only saw a puppet, not a son. parents who made you choose between family or your own life. i’m glad that he chose the latter. 

fear still lingers. kazakami no longer has the comfort of knowing his whole life is written for him. deviating from the path chosen by his parents is choosing an abyss of new possibilities, and not even the most confident escapes the self-deprecation that comes to those who are walking on their own two feet for the first time.

a short chapter, a farewell. or rather, i want to be cliché: a chapter of new beginnings. i can't be sure if we'll see these characters again, or if they'll have another arc. i think that, just as the characters have this uncertainty, so does the reader. and for me, that's great. i'm happy to say goodbye to such beautiful characters, and i'm preparing to find out what the next loose end that sensei will tie up will be.

thank you for reading this very fast analysis 💛 don't forget to support sensei if you can! volume 13 is out in japan already!!

[someillust]

2024.12.26

[mapoeggplant]

gong announced on their weibo page a new collection of the tiny skip to loafer figurines 🥰💛!! they are all inspired by old merch designs, which is so cute!

quality isn't the best because i took a screenshot of the video, sorry!

for more informations, check their weibo page: