This is a very compelling manga with a well done triangle. I like that we’re in Akari (main FL lead)’s head most of the time — Yuki is a mystery and Rintarou is an open book to her, but in reality, she’s only seeing their surfaces. Akari is someone who self-describes as living in “black and white,” but she’s never liked things other people liked. She tried hard to be normal and fit in, but it’s all an act that’s exhausting to keep up. She has no plans for the future, and what she does have planned is more a safety net rather than a dream or anything that’s well thought out. Akari’s life resolves around stability and not taking risks, stemming from her family’s financial situation (she’s poor and bas to work to contribute to the household, but otherwise has a loving mom and little brother). In a lot of ways, Akari is supporting character in her own life: school, work, home…rinse and repeat every day with no time to rest or think.

That’s why when her world was blown open, when she discovered she could and does love another girl, it introduces a lot of color to her life. A lot of color she’s not used to and sends her into an emotional whirlwind. For the first time, she desires something for herself; something she wants all for herself. This is a very new sensation for Akari, who’s life had been centered around others and her outward obligations to them up until that point. This is probably why people find her annoying—as sympathetic as I am to her, I also thought the author pressed my buttons with her behavior. However, she is a teenage girl in the thralls of her first love. A little drama is to be expected.

Yuki, her love interest, is an enigma. She is that way to everyone, but especially to Akari. It thought the author did something interesting in making the audience believe there was something special about their relationship, but really Akari just had “I have a huge crush” lenses on and it made her think she understood Yuki more than she did…the moment she understood that could have been the moment she appreciated her experiences with Yuki for what they were: a chance to grow, realize she is more complex than she thought, more worthy of attention from herself and the world than she gives herself credit for, but not love. To be honest, my biggest beef with this story was with Yuki…didn’t seem like she was that into girls. She was just, as Rintarou explains, “above every day life.” She just didn’t think much of skinship or kissing friends. Honestly, the author did a great job of painting her as straight with her continued interest in Rintarou throughout volume 4 and 5–going as far as to taunt Akari and use her, in my opinion, as a last ditch effort to feel close to Rintarou, who is in love with Akari and not her.

I hate to say it, but this manga ended around chapter 21-22 in my head (volume 3). This was the point where everything seemed to tie up nicely—so Akari ended up with Rintarou, realizing that Yuki isn’t going to be her person like she wants and needs her to be. The difference between an obsession and the healthy, secure relationship she longs for, essentially. I was just disappointed with this as a yuri because the manga makes a strong case for Rintarou as what Akari needs AND they also have Akari further develop real feelings for him (confirmed when Yuki notes it), indicating she’s probably bi and just super horny for Yuki because Yuki is a symbol of everything Akari wants to be (free, judgement-free, and unrestrained).

As for volumes 4 and 5….look, IDK. I mean…two girls kiss in this manga and they engage in skinship, but where is the girl’s *love*?? There were some great glimpses, but this is more of a psychological manga after volume 3 as one girl (Yuki) attempts a weird yuri-coded revenge scheme against a girl (Akari) she knows is obsessed with her, because she has the affection of the person she really loves (a man, Rintarou). The end of volume 5 is lackluster in my opinion, which features a time skip and presumably the same pattern repeating.

I dunno—I really loved the side characters in this manga (Yuki and Rintarou); they were interesting and their growth and masks being ripped off were gripping. I am not sure I care for Akari’s growth…she grows and slips, grows and slips, and the end shows me that she just stayed slipping at one point. However, the yuri in this manga is really lackluster after volume 3. I still recommend it though.

... Last updated on November 29th, 2023, 3:29pm

Really? Some people hate the MC? I really like her, it's thanks to her that I finished the manga. It was good but not enough. Yuki was too mysterious, everything was slow because of that.

I can understand why people hate the main protagonist because she does some pretty stupid things. Hence, why there's a pretty average rating. But I love this manga for it's complexity and believable characters. I *like* how the MC acts stupid sometimes because she makes mistakes--like anyone else-- and she learns from them. Her thoughts can resonate with a lot of girls and balanced with our other deu- (DC) and tritagonist (TC), her development is incredible (and from reading only 10 chapters so far!).
And on that note, the DC and TC are, as I said, great balancers. The DC is quite a mysterious person. As we look through the eyes of the MC, we learn a lot about the DC about but we don't actually know her feelings or thoughts or, honestly, anything really. Meanwhile, the TC is an open book in his intentions and he's a really likable character and is a great balancer to the triangle b/w them all.