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notevenastar's review against another edition
3.0
I’m going to keep going with these but it’s becoming more and more of a downer. A top review said it— but this story feels incredibly cynical towards the protags. It’s dawning on me that this is a series devoid of death, violence, or any physical trauma but the author still finds way to be emotionally brutal. Rinko made some definite strides this volume and she has never once stopped being lovable and compelling, but I’m really tired of watching her get steamrolled and bullied by the asshole who’s shaping up to be her endgame love interest.
Tangent: I have always HATED the trend of calling female characters “weak” or “too stupid to live” (especially when it’s men entering female spaces and genres solely to be cruel). To be clear, I don’t think Rinko or any of the girls fit either of those awful categories, but I feel like the author is almost trying to get us to feel some degree of spite towards them. Like I get the sense she’s trying to get us to see the protags negatively when in reality, they’re just women going through realistic relationship and morality hurdles.
Ugh. Despite all this, the manga is remaining thought provoking and emotional and I really do love Rinko. One more for the night?
Tangent: I have always HATED the trend of calling female characters “weak” or “too stupid to live” (especially when it’s men entering female spaces and genres solely to be cruel). To be clear, I don’t think Rinko or any of the girls fit either of those awful categories, but I feel like the author is almost trying to get us to feel some degree of spite towards them. Like I get the sense she’s trying to get us to see the protags negatively when in reality, they’re just women going through realistic relationship and morality hurdles.
Ugh. Despite all this, the manga is remaining thought provoking and emotional and I really do love Rinko. One more for the night?
rach's review against another edition
4.0
I think these women are actually starting to grow on me. Or maybe they are just becoming less ridiculous as they try to figure out what will actually make them happy in the long term? Rinko, Kaori, and Koyuki have a discussion about which of them is in the “best” position currently - is it better to be with someone you love and feel comfortable with, but can never have a long-term, monogamous relationship with, or someone who wants to marry you but is wrong for you in the some of the ways that really matter? In the end, I think Rinko made the right choice to split up with her boyfriend, and to tell him the truth about how she felt. Compromise is important, but some things are too much to compromise, especially as we get older and have learned what makes us happy.
I still can’t quite figure out what’s going on with Key. He is obviously drawn to Rinko, and wants to help her be bold and have passion for writing again. Setting her up with that job in Izu was the perfect way to kickstart her love of writing again, and he somehow just KNEW it would be. The fact that he went to see how she was doing was really sweet. So why is he so cold and harsh to her? He says being straightforward is just his personality, but he pushes things too far. Sure, it’s weird that her friends were the ones who set up the dinner with him, but is that really HER fault? They are the pushy ones. You can encourage someone to stop being pushed around by her friends without being cruel to her, without telling her you will never love her because of who she is. (Because I clearly don’t think that’s true.)
That ending scene was so sad - Key alternates between telling her how old she is and telling her she needs to grow up and stop acting like a child. Maybe it’s immature of me, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a close circle of friends with whom you share everything. That doesn’t make you a child. Rinko shouldn’t have to change herself to be loved - for the right person, she’d be perfect the way she is.
At one point, I was pretty sure I was going to stop reading these when I made my way through the volumes I had from the library, but now I’m kind of sucked in. And of course, this was the last one I had picked up, and we are now #StayAtHome-ing because of the Corona Virus and the libraries are all closed.
I still can’t quite figure out what’s going on with Key. He is obviously drawn to Rinko, and wants to help her be bold and have passion for writing again. Setting her up with that job in Izu was the perfect way to kickstart her love of writing again, and he somehow just KNEW it would be. The fact that he went to see how she was doing was really sweet. So why is he so cold and harsh to her? He says being straightforward is just his personality, but he pushes things too far. Sure, it’s weird that her friends were the ones who set up the dinner with him, but is that really HER fault? They are the pushy ones. You can encourage someone to stop being pushed around by her friends without being cruel to her, without telling her you will never love her because of who she is. (Because I clearly don’t think that’s true.)
That ending scene was so sad - Key alternates between telling her how old she is and telling her she needs to grow up and stop acting like a child. Maybe it’s immature of me, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a close circle of friends with whom you share everything. That doesn’t make you a child. Rinko shouldn’t have to change herself to be loved - for the right person, she’d be perfect the way she is.
At one point, I was pretty sure I was going to stop reading these when I made my way through the volumes I had from the library, but now I’m kind of sucked in. And of course, this was the last one I had picked up, and we are now #StayAtHome-ing because of the Corona Virus and the libraries are all closed.
hannahsbookishstudies's review against another edition
3.0
Why does Key have to be so mean? Like I get that Rinko is sorta delusional, but he's just unnecessarily cruel to her. The last part of this book really was so jarring compared to how upbeat and lighthearted the middle was.
jjamy55's review against another edition
4.0
This is really a roller coaster ride of emotions. I am rooting for Rinko! She is finally doing her stuff and yet what is wrong with the guy? Ladies can have their good friends too, meet-ups, and relationships.
thebookfinch's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shadowhuntedwizards's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
liokoz's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
vulveeta's review against another edition
i am automatically pro anything that makes fun of cinebros