YeunaLee want to read (All 282)
beta
I saw someone else recommend this in a comment on the reddit page, thought I'd pass it on. I'm using Google Keep for my reading lists now. I just "copy image" of the manga thumbnail art from here, then paste in new note on Keep to start an entry. Then it's an easy copy/paste for title, author, status, summary, etc. It lets you color code your notes too (I do mine based on main genre) and add tags/labels. It's nice that it's also automatically saved since it's browser based and opens up under my google account.
Saw a comment about aging them up, but I felt I should just make my own topic on how I feel about it instead of writing an essay in their comments.
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I'd agree that aging the characters up sometimes has no affect on a story and would make it less weird if they were adults, but I think them being in high school actually fits really well with the narrative of this story.
I think the fear of being "caught" by their parents/school played into a bigger symbolic fear of being "caught" as now being almost non-human in a sense. I felt sympathy for these scared teenagers who don't have all the answers, going through changes they can't tell anyone about, forcing them to act "normal".
If they lived alone as college students or adults, it just wouldn't hit the same. They could just hole up at home the whole time, would probably have a better grasp on how to handle their emotions, and would likely have more resources to find others going through the same thing.
Being teenagers makes them powerless and that loss of control is exactly what makes the story great. And fwiw, they're 17, so they are near-adults, but that distinction is also important. They're soon going to have to navigate those exact major life changes (moving away for college [probably together now], becoming more independent, getting jobs, etc.) WHILE dealing with this issue, rather than just dealing with it after they've already established themselves as adults. I think the reader should be left to ponder these things. It's an open-ended conclusion with an actual purpose, which is rare in this genre.
tl;dr I think being teenagers was important for the plot in this story.
aside from the helplessness, the high school setting is also great for the "wanting to be normal" aspect of the plot. It is in high school where most people create their own identity by observing and interacting with other people. This is why in most movies or series, the subject of conformity, including outcasting or bullying people for it, are mostly set in high school.
That's a really good point! I'm also thinking about how the subject of fitting in plays into other aspects. Like Nishio with his step-dad. He's trying his hardest to not rock the boat, and I imagine he felt he couldn't go to her for help because it could upset their relationship.
"What if my step-dad leaves my mom because I cause too many problems? He makes her happy, and she's already worried about us getting along. I shouldn't cause trouble for them."
If he didn't live at home, this probably wouldn't have been something he'd need to consider.
^"go to her", as in his mom.