Aki is empty brained when asked to have non-Bug Rangers related thoughts.
So Riku is his school friend who acts a bit more serious for his age. Someone who knows him well enough to bail him out of this girl situation.
Interesting dynamic. Riku seems at least on the surface accepting of someone a bit more eccentric than himself. Aki still likes childish things, but Riku isn't doing that lite social bullying even friends tend to do at that age.
Oh man. The first betrayal is the worst.
Riku, the arbiter of all things cool, appeared to accept Aki's bug show love but does not accept his sister's love.
He could have used his power to tip the scale the other way and understood that these people are important to Aki and it's not cool to laugh about them, but everyone fell in line behind him the wrong way.
And that is what society will tend to do from here on out for Aki. About the little things like Bug Rangers and big things like Aya and Mitsuki. They will try to flatten you out. To have that first feeling of supression be from your closest friend too. That's rough.
I’m going to need this to sell really well so my favorite side couple’s spinoff gets printed. So glad this exists in the world. Even just a few years ago I would never have guessed we’d get this in print.
I picture the zebra representing Narita. I will not be taking questions at this time.
Ch 171
ngl, I thought Chizuru's head was a small owl they were petting. What a year this day has been.
In my defense, there's already an entire zebra here.
They are all back as their high school selves, but wearing more traditional clothing? Mitsuki's mind...
Mitsuki uses music to process things more than the average person and we hadn't been given a ton of music crumbs during this stretch of angst. Now she's straight up mentally defragging to a song and going all the way back to where it all began. Give or take a zebra.
She couldn't reach Aya on her own (ladder? flying?), but the zebra threw an idea at her head and gave her a way to cross the void.
Aya is the one that is lured over to her via the guitar hero bridge and she replaces the guitar Mitsuki had been holding in her arms.
Aw, they had fallen asleep listening to song from the old iPod that Mitsuki dug up for the boys earlier. So this might be a really old comfort song for her. I mean, it's from 1995, but since it's on the old school iPod it's probably from middle school.
Around the 3:53 mark the music is notably jamming without lyrics. The lyrics are kinda depressing, but the nice thing about songs are sometimes it's about the feeling and wash of noise vs the actual lyrics. When you go back and listen to something that was meaningful in your youth and are transported back to those feelings you had back when you didn't have a relationship like that to reflect upon and it's just pure vibes.
(I used to sing along in the car to Third Eye Blind's Semi-Charmed Life in front of my parents without a thought in my head for example.)
🎶HUM - Stars 🎸
She thinks she missed the train to Mars
She's out back counting stars
She thinks she missed the train to Mars
She's out back counting stars
She's not at work, she's not at school
She's not in bed, I think I finally broke her
I bring her home everything I want
Nothing that she needs
I thought she'd be there holding daisies
She always waits for me
She thinks she missed the train to Mars
She's out back counting stars
I found her out back sitting naked
Looking up and looking dead
A crumpled yellow piece of paper
Seven, nines and tens
I thought she'd be there holding daisies
She always waits for me
She thinks she missed the train to Mars
She's out back counting stars
I thought you'd be there holding daisies
You always wait for me
She thinks she missed the train to Mars
She's out back counting stars
Back on a level playing field. Can't be cross when you're wearing coordinated festival outfits. Right???
Ch 170
I noticed the ring Aki was wearing in the last chapter. Is Mitsuki passing down the Koga genes through proximity now?
Since he’s wearing it on his thumb it is probably sized too large and likely off Mitsuki’s hand at some point. She really won over the entire Oosawa family, huh?
I am betting Amu takes after off-camera Papa Oosawa. I'm going to keep saying this until he appears. (So far he only exists as this set up from a Moonlight magazine where he gives her a camera.)
Face plant? Not the money maker! She didn’t catch her fall at all. This is why you need to hold onto someone’s arm when you’re walking in platforms and that short stride kimono.
Why does it seem like Mitsuaya are the entire cast of Samurai Champloo at the same time?
He is definitely still a shipper. Or at least prefers Mitsuki being cool in this way.
He still believes in his bug hero buddy from way back.
Think of the children.
I’m believing this is his shoujo vision view of them.
It is nice they have the sibling age gap where they can still hero worship their sister some while also knowing exactly how to get on her last nerve.
If only Mitsuki could see herself the ways others see her. Alas, we don't get to do that in rl either.
The long running How Do We Relationship? yuri manga is getting a live action! [x]
I noticed the show’s IG is following GagaOOLala so I imagine that will be one of the global distributors. Woo!
Apparently the ball got rolling in part due to a casual chat with the editor about Ayahiro (Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko which was a super successful manga to live action) a while back.
Three new baihe licenses announced at Anime Expo through the new Seven Seas Baihe label! They dipped their toes in with The Beauty’s Blade and this time they are going in swinging with titles with more of a following.
I’ll be preordering as soon as I’m able.
Miss Forensics: Wo Qinai De Fayi Xiaojie (Novel) by Jiu Nuan Chun Shen (April 2027 according to the panel presentation)
The highly requested baihe/Chinese Girls’ Love novel finally makes its official English debut! A suspenseful, romantic thriller about a forensic doctor and the cold detective she works with. Volume 1 will be released for the first time in the English language in 2027 in single large-trim editions as part of the Seven Seas Baihe label. Ebook editions will also be available on digital platforms.
My Wandering Spirit Lady (Novel) by Qing Jun Mo Xiao (2027)
A modern-day baihe/Chinese Girls’ Love romance about a young woman and the ghostly lady in her life. From the author of Clear and Muddy Loss of Love and Female General and Eldest Princess! (Note: Omg, free them from publishing purgatory already!) Volume 1 will be released for the first time in the English language in 2027 in single large-trim editions as part of the Seven Seas Baihe label. Ebook editions will also be available on digital platforms.
Matrilocal Marriage: Ruzhui (Novel) by Qing Jun Mo Xiao (2027)
A slow burn baihe/Chinese Girls’ Love romance about a time-traveling woman who lost everything and the mysterious heiress she comes to marry out of convenience. From the author of Clear and Muddy Loss of Love, Female General and Eldest Princess, and My Wandering Spirit Lady! Volume 1 will be released for the first time in the English language in 2027 in single large-trim editions as part of the Seven Seas Baihe label. Ebook editions will also be available on digital platforms.
Ok so I didn't pick up on this originally because it seems like they muted out or trimmed her actually asking the questions, but this was Sumiko interviewing Dave Grohl!
So while questions might have not been included all the uncut quick reactions and giggling parts were her. I wonder if she landed back on earth from this yet.
Cast information! These are the same big name voice actors from the cd drama that sounded so good. Hopefully Uncle Joe (Kenjiro Tsuda) comes onboard soon too. [x]
In Japan there is going to be an "Anime Adaption" Commemorative book fair + bromide set running from July 4th through the end of Sept.
I'm feeling like between that, Sumiko's tease, and CloverWorks industry panel at Anime Expo at that same timeframe there is likely going to be some anime news coming on the 4th. After which the US will celebrate with fireworks.
CloverWorks Industry Panel
📆 Date: Saturday, July 4
⏲️ Time: 3:45 PM – 5:05 PM
Update: New art bromide for Japanese fans (and those with a proxy and mercari jp).
The Next Manga Award 2026 nominations are up and there are several GL series to support. Here were my picks. ^
It's easy to vote. You just have to register using either your twitter, line, or google (the one I used) and make sure you select everything you want to vote for as you can only vote in each category once even if you don't use up all the slots. Cut off is July 13 2026.
Winners of this in the past have all (or nearly) gotten an anime eventually including the one and only Green Yuri in 2023. But mangaka get hyped to even rank in the top three in the end.
No new chapter this week (as shared in her latest IG story). [IG]
I’m wondering if she was working on something for the anime. How far I can gaslight myself about it this week? Now that I’m back from vacation I need to dangle something in front of my nose to keep going.
