I'm just happy to see this updated. When I was younger, I did like reading this manga a fair bit; but rereading it now, I couldn't help but compare it to other similar stories. It's cliche, to be honest, but hey, better to see it updated than not at all.
Nanmu wanted a family; it's his long-cherished dream. He only ever saw Pil-Gyun as his son until recently, when he went beyond that. Afterwards; since it had been a long time since, added with Pil-Gyun's persistence and his changed viewpoint of him, I think it gradually changed into something else. I guess it still extends to his treatment of Pil-Gyun until now; being soft on him, being lenient towards him, being father-like towards him.
It's Pil Gyun that's insistent on calling him "Dad". Nanmu even told him to stop calling him "Dad" at the start, but he refused. I tried understanding Pil-Gyun's reasoning, and reason he gave, albeit a twisted one, in the form of a flashback from his youth.
To a young boy who never had a "Dad", this man was the only one he ever had who he'd ever acknowledge as his father. Even when his mom introduced other guys to him, he is an irreplacable existence. If Pil-Gyun filled into Nanmu's heart with his role of a "son", Nanmu fills into Pil-Gyun's heart with his role of a "father". This bond transcends beyond that of anything else.
So the next question is why Pil-Gyun would want to keep this bond between them, while going further than what is normally appropriate.
I guess he's someone who wants Nanmu to fill both roles and won't compromise one or the other.
I should think that it'd be likelier to want to disregard certain titles in favor of a new one, in order to make their relationship seem more legitimate; but I guess they'd already done away with that they met again in the beginning of the story. For him, he's willing to do unspeakable things, cross lines, and break taboo.
Considering that they're living lawless lives,
I think they just decided to take one step above that at this point. I mean, there was also the relationship Nanmu had with his "brothers". That, too, had a twisted logic: To alleviate Nanmu's punishment, they too had to partake of it - and to do so, they had to be the ones to punish him as well. All this... to marry a woman and legitimize their relationship; only for it to not work out.
I loved this! The art style is wonderful and it was funny and cute. It's just that I'm not quite sure how to approach this because on one hand, Yurine is definitely acting sweetly towards Koutarou and while at first he just seemed like a natural at that, as time passed it seems he likes Koutarou.
On the other hand, Koutarou, being a little dense and a little lonely (and perhaps because the misunderstandings earlier made him believe that Yurine is just the way he is: a smooth prince and charming sweet talker) still considers it as a mere extension of friendship when it already seems to be at the boundary beyond that. With Yurine not being too clear and Koutarou insisting on "friendship", I don't know if they're just "friends" that can get close, sweet, and handsy, or if they're dating. While it doesn't seem all that important in the grand scheme of things, and is too serious for such a light hearted story, it adds to my confusion and now I don't know what to see them as. (The last bit of them behind thr curtain definitely doesn't look like mere friendship to me, Koutarou, and you know it, but I can't tell due to ayurine's previous offenses.)
For my peace of mind, I just decided to think of them as somewhere in between. It just made me wish there was more...
I understand that nothing everything has to be conventional, and sometimes divergence from normalcy can lead to different perspectives. Sometimes, things are just different. Odd. Uncommon. Uncanny. But, I think Sui and his family definitely have something going on in their heads.
Never mind not caring about propriety or decency in public, they're the type who takes what they want, in an almost instinctual way.
Sui didn't care for Leo before: complete indifference. Understandable. But in that one moment when he saw Leo as distinct from the crowd, it's like there was a switch, and now nothing much else in the world matters. Not where they are or what time it is, or even if there are people or anything - just him and him alone. Perhaps it is love, or perhaps it is lust;
I guess it is also a form of love, in that he's the only one in his sight.
I know that they find each other beautiful.
I also know that Leo is the one who gives in to Sui, and Sui loves that. So I guess, in that form, they truly love and complement each other so well.
But then there's the parents. Putting aside the betrothal and their advocacy for the marriage, what do you mean, it's okay for him to do "that" there? Even if you completely love the fact that they're getting married, witnessing such intimate acts with vigor feels off.
I don't know, it just felt like a continuous stream of: "I guess this is happening here and now, might as well go with it.", with Leo being from our world, being the one who has the most common sense.
Indeed: Why the sudden change? Why utter intimacy after a long period of not caring at all? Why jump straight to things without considering any amount of complications? Eventually, like the reader, he just accepts things as they go, questioning occasionally (like in the dinner party with the parents) but generally not minding anymore.
It's not a matter of dislike or like, it just confused me. It's like witnessing aliens interacting with humans. In the end, I suppose it's another case of "random reader thinks too much even if there was no need to". It can't be helped: the plot appeared in the middle, and then there was a mishmash of random things happening at once!
Oh, well, this is their normal, and everyone is happy, so I guess I'll just write it off as, "They fell in love and found their happily ever after. The end."
Upon reading this, I noticed something:
Side story 1 said Carmide died, and that in that moment of peace, Sa-Yan was bored. But Carmide is the reason, directly and indirectly, for the things that happened in the main story - the war, the secret child, and his sister.
They even said in Side 3 that Carmide woke up and that the pope sided with him.
I couldn't properly dismiss it, because it was boredom (said to be brought about by the peace due to Carmide's death) that led him to hunt, which lead him to witness Ilic's crime and love affair.
I could only surmise that he wasn't dead then (despite what they said) but weakened, leading to a "momentary peace", that lead to his boredom.
I think many people might have noticed this and done the same, but it just felt like a big jolt or gash, like a straight line that suddenly swerved diagonally, then resumed its original path.
I think the point of this being an Omegaverse is not necessarily to explore the dynamics of the Alpha-Omega pair; but the battling of instincts and inner-conflicts that arise because of it.
Kiryuu had a bad past because he's an alpha, and Aoi wanted to prove that he loves him beyond their assigned secondary genders, which is hard because they seem to be a fated pair.
In this story, their roles and instincts are meant to be an obstacle. It IS the conflict.
I think the reason for the uncommon pairing position is because this story is supposed to show that Aoi's love for him is beyond the typical omega yearning, as observed by Kiryuu, which may reassure him (considering his past) that he sees him beyond being an alpha. (He remarks that it's strange that he's different from typical omega instincts - he's worried about instinctual yearning - Aoi surpasses that consciously and subconsciously)
Without the omegaverse part, they'd only have the typical conflict of Teacher-student type of story. No instincts to battle or overcome, no strange occurences in the past or present, no approach to the atypical and divergent roles.
Then again, this is just my perception of it.
"The end" does not feel like the end. It's not even a cliffhanger or an open ending.
There should be more.
One of the sparkliest shoujo manga I've read in a while.
At first I was fairly confident that he was just the typical obsessive love-interest, who has zero clue as to why Nadeul dislikes him, but the more things happen, the more I can't trust his "love" and "affection". I'm more eager to believe it's some sort of revenge plot or something.
1. What was his hand doing hovering over Nadeul's neck?
2. His happiness a split second before losing in the game makes me think that there's something turning in his head.
3. I understand being flustered, or snatching the rock photo away, but downright punching a hand hard then smiling and offering an explanation while holding it close and not showing it again makes it so suspicious coupled by his previous action.
These make me wonder, are these just things I speculate too much about and think terribly of, or is there real gravity to my and Nadeul's suspicions?
This leads me to think that certain "coincidences" might not be coincidences at all, and Nadeul should stay vigilant towards this guy - he might be obsessed with him in a manner of actually wanting to destroy him. It might not be "kiss" but "kill".
I kind of want to see them return to their world in order to affirm their feelings more concretely without any rules and stuff over their heads.
I know they truly like each other, wherever they might be, but I feel that both of them would also be subconsciously relieved anyway.
Also, if there are parallel people in this universe and the other, I wonder what kind of story the other side would have to tell? This time, the world allows for single people to exist.
I feel like Yukito will probably affirm his singleness, like he's free from the world's rules, and Towa would still be by his side, since Yukito would no longer be seeking romantic love. Maybe he'll try to get Yukito to look his way as well, without rules or regulations.
And if their current selves are anything to go by, it's like that Yukito will still fall in love with Towa, and they'd still end up together.
(Like they said, the only thing that'll change are the world's rules.)
I kind of hoped there was an extra chapter detailing Subaru and Yuto... but in their situation maybe an entire volume might be better. They can't stick with that arrangement forever... right?
The last time I saw this was when there were only a few chapters (black witches meeting) so I was pleasantly surprised that there were a lot of chapters.
It's sadder than I expected it to be, but the lighthearted moments and sparks of hope and joy (and occasional silliness) make it so it's not just sadness or tragedy. When coming across these things I futiley try to think of how things could have been different, what might be changed of fixed, what can be helped... but of course, their story has followed its written path, the thread is spun and the die is cast. But even amidst a thorny path, as repeated by several characters, they still managed to find their own happiness, and like a fairytale, they reunited in a field of flowers, at peace and in contentment.
The only thing is that Luna is the one left to bear the pain, as someone who holds onto the memories even if everyone else forgets or disappears. I truly do hope that her future can be happier and that the world will someday be a kinder place towards her and Lis. On that note, I'm grateful about the fact that Lis didn't completely forget things, including his love, because it's also such an important part of him.
I can't help but feel nervous about the future thanks to the overwhelming force of the white witches and the power of the queen, not to mention the fact that Lis has to grow well as a magician and overcome his supposed destiny....
While I wish for happiness for Luna and the gang, considering that there were already a lot of deaths and a lot of sorrow, hope feels both sweet and cruel.
But of course, in the end, I am a spectator, and in this story it feels like one can only grasp as much happiness as they can, and that fate is generally unkind to our heroes. (Then again, Gakuen Alice was also like that... That's why I awaited the ending first before reading it after avoiding the story for a while, so I can spoil myself before getting more invested and attached. )
Not to mention, considering how things have gone, their "happiness" can be subjective. It might be happy to them but sad to me. Or it'll be bittersweet happiness after another bittersweet happiness.
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)