Nikkidiary's Topics (142)

Because anthologies are usually oneshots, I figured that this one would, be, too, and let down my guard.

...
Chapter 4 definitely should have a continuation out there somewhere because not even oneshots end like that! I've read that it's likely found on the other volumes, but I don't think it'll ever be translated or even seen...

It felt like a mad dash to the ending...
It was building up to something really big.
I mean, the confession happened, the truth of how the younger brother ended up in their clutches was revealed (it was nothing unexpected), and they're all happy, but... but I don't know, it's like the important parts were snipped - no, like an entire 5-10 pages were omitted!

Suddenly, Suzu is awake already, Hana appears to be working alongside him and with only a few words; we know that it's likely he decided to settle jn with Suzu's family, not even a moment with explanations, or at least a nice meeting with the rest of his family, just like how Suzu got acquainted with Hana's, or even any details regarding said "deal" and how or why it was resolved in a single chapter when it's been the main conflict...

Well, at the end all I can say at this point is at least it's great that everything is resolved. Suzu got his brother back, Hana is with Suzu, and Hana's family visits from time to time. Maybe there'll be a short extra, maybe there won't be.

I know he is basically irredeemable - he destroyed lives and performed unscruplous acts, and he genuinely does not care or love...but I felt a sort of pity for that black shadow guy, especially during his final moments. Considering what he did, he would not deserve pity, nor does he need it... but despite my hate for what he did, and what he was, I couldn't help but feel sorry, anyway... (likely because I'm a reader who has a soft spot for lonely people...) I hope that when he was erased from this world, he will be reborn again as a proper character who will know love, everything he wasn't before. Perhaps then, he will finally be fulfilled and free. I'm happy that most of the characters we came to know had their happy endings, and the most important thing is that they were somehow able to achieve the impossible - bringing a fictional character into the real world, and making him real enough to stay.

I kind of wish I could see a short extra detailing the lives of those 3 - I mean the no-good trio. There's likely a possibility that their lives are all similar to Kagami's, hence why they're rather skewed (like that one time in the fireworks festival, when Kagami tells them off and they make it sound like that's a main feature in their friendship. They appear to know what normal friendship is, but at the same time they like treating their "friend" like this as well, thinking it's all good.) I guess the leader is the type who was lonely yet refuses to be pathetic, so someone else has to be the receptacle of his dissatisfaction. Refusing to be abandoned, so he's the one who doesn't cling, and doesn't show affection. Maybe he grew up in that environment, seeing someone who clings, and someone who abandons, so he decided, "I'm not going to be like this". Seeing someone so willing to give everything to him, and in the same muddy situation, feels less lonely, even if it's empty... hence why he can never fully be rid of loneliness, as Kagami observed later on. Buuuut this is all just speculation...

While this already feels complete, and it is, I feel like there can also be a potential volume 2, because there's possibilities to explore - like Kagami's parents, How the two friends are going to act towards Kagami (would they be awkward? Feel betrayed? Try to joke a little, like before? Etc...), and their future together. High school sometimes feels a little incomplete in settings like these, after all.

I'm just kind of surprised that not one person overheard that conversation, or saw what was going on, in spite of the place being crowded.
Then again, it's either people were super drunk or chose to turn a blind eye because it's their well-respected sunbae. The sunbae probably made sure that the only ones at the table are these types (because some people didn't like him and some people appeared to believe in Ba-Da), and the two allies he had were gone because one was too drunk and unrestrained, and the other had to go and stop her.

With the promise of tomorrow, they walk forward... separately.

Like a lot of the readers, I was pretty disappointed. I felt like the secretary strung me along, too. I understand that it can't always be a happy ending with rainbows and flowers, but I was hoping that both of them would move forward hand in hand, because they were still special to each other even as one suffers unrequited love and the other burdened with deep wounds from a previous relationship. To be frank, I felt dissatisfied, not just that they didn't end up together, but also that their problems from the beginning persisted up until the end: there's still unrequited love, and there's still the haunting past. But if the last chapter was anything to go by, they may have just moved forward and taken their first step again, albeit separately. (Of course it still makes me sad!!!)

I may be a hopeless romantic, but I think that "dilemma" of the mom may still give them an opportunity to meet and collaborate. They may not end up together, but they might still work together sometimes - who knows, maybe the overly capable former secretary can run a restaurant properly with President Mo, whose hobby is cooking, occasionally.

Maybe, given time, they can become friends, and Xiao, having finally confided the truth to people (his mom and the president), can breathe easier, and perhaps start his journey to healing, probably. Not forget, not replace, not erase his past love, but at the very least, there's a glimpse of hope in someday healing. At the end of the day, they won't be working together anymore, maybe they'll find other people to be with, but I think President Mo will be a different kind of special, irreplacable person to him as well.

If the story is meant to end like this, then the curtains have fallen. Unlike a promise of love, or a promise of a future together, this is more like a simple, bittersweet promise of tomorrow for both of them.


...but yeah, I wish I read the comments first and spared myself of pain. This little comment of mine is a little salve, a balm, a consolation for the wound I got from my expectations of "the" happy ending. I didn't want to be prejudiced for or against the story so I skipped comments, but this is one of the times I wish I read comments first.

I know this is such a small thing in contrast to the depth of the story and emotions, but I'd like to give a special mention to the merman's fins and tail. Especially the fins. I like how they swoosh and flap around when he's excited or energetic, it's so cute!

I was surprised to see that there were more of those dolls; it must be pretty hard for the hero to remember all their names in a day even if he named them all.

Oliver - green-haired, green-eyed doll who's always with Hugo. Appears to be a general asssistant in the home. Seems to be a little more energetic than Hugo.
Hugo - black-haired, dark eyed doll who's always with Oliver. Appears to be a general asssistant in the home. Seems to be a little more reserved than Oliver.
Cookie - white haired doll with distinctly darker skin. Prototype, so he doesn't speak as much as the others (although we haven't heard the two others speak yet.) Cooks food.
Flona - Blonde haired doll. In charge of "groundskeeping".
Paprika - Red haired doll. In charge of laundry.

Considering how happy Oliver and Hugo seem to be with their names, and how much they anticipated Guster to name everyone else, I think it's safe to presume that the other dolls are also pretty pleased upon receiving names. (And headpats)

It's so short and fast-paced, but the art is pretty and it's a rare merman story.

One may think that she transitioned so fast from cold and grumpy to sweet and loving, but I guess they did what they could to fit it in 5 chapters, much like fairytales where a people fall in love in a matter of minutes. Because she started out grumpy it looks unnatural rather than if she was bewildered and curious from the beginning, it'd be easier to transition into love. The backstory was the main brace and backbone of the story:
Because they met during their childhood, it's easier for the girl to accept that he's not a stranger, even becoming her savior, and easier for us to understand why the merman trusted her despite the possibility of being captured and exploited, because she didn't immediately do anything untoward, and even later tended to him and told him to go back to the sea, reconfirming his initial impression of her. Plus, it provides the brewing point of conflict for the confrontation later on, although this was not too necessary, as other humans can easily fill in that antagonistic role.

They could've explored more things that remain unanswered to the end, but I suppose it's a matter of fill in the blanks for the readers.
Like why merman has no voice, or how her sister/friend was able to know that she and the merman are ok, or even what may have happened to everyone else, including the villain. Then there's also the possibility of the existence of other mermaids, or why there's one young merboy who thrives despite avid hunting of mermaids.

So, if I'm just going to presume, I might as well just believe that the reason the lady knew their fate with strange certainty is thar maybe the girl remembered how they panicked when they hadn't heard from her when she disappeared for a few days after diving, so she decided to send a letter from an undisclosed location telling them that she's fine. The woman seemed so sure, and I want to believe in that happy ending.

Problem with this is that despite their happy ending, there's a looming cloud of uncertainty. What if the crazed villain eventually finds them? He knows what they look like. It only takes a little water to transform the guy into his original form, so even any of their possible future children can also be in danger.

But, like I said, since author ended it here for now, and it's good for a quick read like a little fairytale, maybe I ought to leave it at, "And they lived happily ever after".

... Like the others have said, it feels like it was all just put together in a rush.
Suddenly, sleeping together is part of a contract we barely had any info on.
Suddenly, his friends betrayed him, only to later seek him out, and he forgave them immediately, as if his life wasn't endangered earlier. Even if the way he was betrayed was cheap, the way the traitor was just shown with bandages and a swelling face just felt like a pasted resolution. Even if it seemed small on the grand scheme of things, I at least wanted to see how their meeting went with Shinichi. They don't even have to show the full on thoughts, even just "man, Samejima-senpai got involved with terrible people, huh? Not like we're any good, either~" and then meeting him - like a little bridge, rather than a fast gap, as if the serious betrayal was just a random event that happened. It would've been smoother. The loan shark job felt a little like a passing gig (because he was also a cafe owner and he seemed unsuitable for it, not like he dreamed of being a loan shark either...) and while I understand that he wanted a different path, it's like he rolled a dice and stuck to whatever he saw. Even the way Samejima reconciled with his family felt unsatisfying. It was all just mentioned in passing, after all the heartbreaking tidbits like being denied by his brother, being denied an opportunity to pursue his interests, and a serious back story... even just one panel of a mini-illustration would be better than nothing. But, well, it's cute, and we still got our happy ending, as author intended.