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.
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)
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.
Is this completed? I think this is one of those stories that may need a second volume.
There's a lot of things resolved and clarified, and also a lot more things that I'd like to see, like Haruto being able to go back into society and get a job.
It was worrying to see him caught between two people who scare me a little:
A woman who wants him to throw away everything and become her little pet or doll, and sees nothing wrong with it who he fell in love with
Or
A man who is possessive, can get forceful, and makes decisions for him a lot.
Either way he can't be free with those two, no matter how much they promise their own terms of freedom. (In that regard, Asahi is better; thinking of a way to let Haruto get back into society)
It would probably be better if he gave some space while checking in on Haruto from time to time. Give him encouragement, maybe enjoy some activities together like playing games, hiking, traveling, etc.
It's scary to think that if it wasn't for his mom's call, it would just be Asahi persisting in something Haruto can't accept, and him feeling terrible and coerced into everything, rather than him genuinely making a foundation to stand up in.
I was thinking that Asahi's love is purely unrequited to the end, and nothing will change that, but with the extras, I think that Haruto is starting to also be interested in Asahi- visiting Asahi in his workplace and getting jealous, wanting to be together after being given space - perhaps all according to Haruto's plan, by monopolizing him and yet making it appear that he is setting him free - like a push-pull effect of sorts.
But I think that, despite his possessiveness, if Haruto genuinely falls in love with a suitable woman, and is adamant about being with her, Asahi will probably let go. He was close to doing so until he remembered that the lady was a terrible person to be with, one that might destroy his brother. No waiting "for things to settle down", no chance of him becoming independent, or even be his own proper person, just overly dependent on her. And while he kind of wants the same from Haruto (for Haruto to depend on him the most), he understands, at least, that this will cripple his brother and make him no better than a doll on display. So, if a suitable woman who really appreciates and encourages Haruto appears, he might relent eventually.
Right now, at its ending after the extras, while his feelings show promise, it's not like Haruto has acknowledged them. Unless he meets new people, especially those who are accepting and nice, we can't really tell, and he might consider his dependence on Asahi's encouragement and pampering as "love" rather than genuinely being on equal footing and properly falling in love: as in, "despite all options, I chose you, because I love you even with all other things considered" kind of thing, rather than "he gives me what I want, I give him what I want, he's the only one who can do this for me, it must be love." It's almost similar to how he was with the lady from before.
I guess Asahi doesn't mind as long as Haruto ends up his, but it'll always linger as something wobbly, unsecure, and delicate rather than something sturdy and sure.
It would have been a disaster if due to that misunderstanding, he somehow fell in love with someone else during those 4 long years.
Then again, if he was the type to somehow lose his hearing temporarily due to shock and heartbreak, enough to misunderstand the main point, then I doubt he'll move on all that easily. Even at the point wherein he was angry and wanted to give up before being confronted with the truth, I doubt he'd be easily able to move on considering how he is. I mean, in spite of everything, he continued to love his Hyung.
So it all worked out despite the mess at the beginning, thanks to their unwavering love and dedication to each other.