I always thought the novel was based off the whole situation with the girls and Manaka.

Last edited by Kisstine at 8:42 am, Mar 14 2010

Anyways, there is one thing that I have always wondered about this chapter here -----

http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/154/19/

So did they really take their relationship to the next level? I personally think that Nishino and Manaka really did take their relationship to the next level judging by the expression on Nishino's face and later here when her friend Tomoko mentions that Nishino looked more sexier after that night. -------

http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/157/01/. But the reason behind my confusion is Manaka's reaction or rather, the lack of it. I mean if they had done something like that shouldn't a guy like Manaka act more embarrased or awkward around Nishino? But Manaka remained strangely non-chalent after that night. Tsukasa's reaction said something happened but Junpei's say nothing at all. So please post what you think

I'm not sure to be honest.

Last edited by Kisstine at 8:43 am, Mar 14 2010

uhm i think they did. from this page http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/159/14/. he did imply that they were very close on that day. and his lack of reaction was also probably because he hasn't seen nishino that much from chap 154 to 159. and the only time he did in chap 157, he was too caught up in thinking about making that short film, all he had on his mind was what scenery suited the movie and not about nishino. http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/157/03/ well, that's what i thought. cuz manaka being the type of person he is, if he is not caught up thinking abt something else, his mind is filled with all the perverted he did *recounts all the satsuki incidents*

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I see what you two mean,
@mammothb, that was an excellent proof . I would never even have noticed. Now I have no more doubts, thanks to you. I didn't have that much doubt before anyways and the only reason for my doubt was Junpei's reaction but thanks to you, that is now cleared away. Again, well spotted. Good work and I spotted one more --- http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/161/19/ (that means he has been in that situation before with Nishino right?) BTW, this one was also significant in showing that it was only Nishino in Junpei's mind now and he was actually dreaming of Nishino lol
@Kisstine, LOL I had the same trouble in making my post sound right and appropriate, and yeah I was very happy and relieved after that chapter, thinking that finally Aya's chances of ever getting back into the game was almost over.

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Last edited by Kisstine at 8:21 pm, May 9 2010

LOL, If I was feeling high at that chapter, I was pretty down after the airport scene between Manaka and Nishino, as to me it somehow seemed like they were going their seperate ways for good and when the author didn't show Nishino until the very end of the last chapter, I remained depressed and kept thinking "Oh Poor Nishino"

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Last edited by Kisstine at 8:21 pm, May 9 2010

I see we were feeling completely different thing at that chapter and I don't care if other people blame the author for the ending and it wasn't even as if she didn't build-up Junpei and Nishino's relationship. The author very subtly but surely made love blossom between Junpei and Tsukasa as she openly and more obviously did with Aya. IMO, if she could evoke so many different emotions from readers, right until the very end, I say, that's a great achievement . In most mangas, you already know that the main guy is going to end up with the girl he meets in the first chapter and its pretty much settled that they will be ending up with each other and it doesn't matter if the protagonist meets other girls after the first girl, and no matter how awesome a personality and how hard work that second girl possess or does is futile and only serves to add more drama to the main couples love life. Cliche' very cliche'. LOL even though Suzuka was a great read, the author was even atrocious enough to name the manga after the main girl

Last edited by dark mage at 10:22 pm, Sep 7 2009

lol then what about possible yui fans?(i doubt there are many though). it was only in the omake that made me realise yui wasn't involved in the ending (after she made manaka sort things out with toujo).

there is something i don really understand. saying that things are over between manaka and aya, isit only from the manaka side? as in from http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/167/11/ and http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/167/13/. toujo's expression somehow tell me that she's still not over manaka. so does it mean her sending the novel to manaka is only to wish for manaka and nishino to be happy?

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No, I believe she is over Manaka, well, she might still be smitten with him but its not as strong as before.
I interpreted http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/167/11/ those expressions as more like, Aya's admiration for Junpei and the journeys he has made. (you know, it was like she was seeing a new man). She was amazed by all he has done since the time she last saw him.

And her expression here as http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/167/13/. She is incredibly moved and touched that Junpei still wants to make a movie out of her notebook and has been looking for locations.

I believe they both accepted that they could never be in a romantic relationship ever again after that park scene, after which, Aya decided to move on and severed all connections with Junpei(I mean even friendship) so Junpei and Aya were just happy to be back on talking terms again and Aya is sort of star-struck.

Satsuki is a different case though, as I believe that she is the one who still hasn't moved on. But Aya is no longer so naive and if a worthy enough man crosses her path, she won't hesitate again to show her feelings as she is different from before. In fact, I believe that even if Nishino and Junpei ever did break up, Junpei would not consider getting back together with Aya as it would be disrespectful.

Anyways, why do you think many people consider this as a "To Be Continued Sort of Ending" and want a sequel? Is it because, Junpei and Nishino didn't get married?
Well if its like that, I think nowadays couples prefer to live together for a while before considering to marry right? Sometimes they just even decide that marriage is a hassle and just continue to live together. Like Japan has an alarming amount of decreasing birth rates as a result of the younger generation being more focused on their careers rather than getting married.

Like I mean in I"s, Kimagure Orange Road and Open Sesame the couples never got married but they are never said to be open ended, why is that?

Last edited by dark mage at 2:56 am, Sep 8 2009

hmm i've never read Open Sesame and kimagure orange road so i cant say for sure. but for I"S, i think it's due the ichitaka's(is this how u spell his name?) personality. and as his childhood friend mentioned in the last chap after his dream to make the one he love happy, wanting to be happy with the one he really love. and also that dream he had where he realised that he cant possible be without iori and want to protect her forever. and from iori's reaction when she heard that ichitaka is forced to break up with her, she totally cried, we know that she really loves him, she is even willing to throw away her career for him(unlike in ichigo 100% where everyone succeeded in their dreams). i guess probably this made the readers feel that its sort of conclusive that they will remain together. anyway i think i shall reread it again so i can give a better ans

for ichigo 100%, i guess it all boils down to manaka's personality? if there isn't something like marriage to tie manaka down, i think the readers will be scared that he will change. although like you said, even if they broke up he won't look for toujo again. but u haf to admit that he is not a decisive person, even after he rejection to toujo's confession in chapter 153 right after the school festival, he was still thinking of getting back with toujo to the more than friend but not yet lovers status? like right after toujo ended thing with him, http://www.onemanga.com/Ichigo_100/163/17/. he was thinking of how he could haf ended up with toujo. it's just the fact that he can be affected by almost anything and have a possible change of heart makes the readers wan something to tie him down with. ya that's what i thought.

(btw manaka is WAY more lucky than Yamato from suzuka, if you get what i'm trying to say haha)

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Well, I can sort of see what you mean by I"s and I agree but that's why I consider I"s as a fairytale ending and respect Nishino more than Iori.

However, I disagree about Manaka being indecisive anymore, He has become a responsible, mature,decisive, caring and respected man. Didn't you get the feeling that he was fully incontrol of himself and his feelings when around both Toujo and Satsuki? And the way he asked out Tsukasa again was so calm and mature, and so unlike his old self and even the way he showed his happiness by lsweeping Nishino off her feet was also a mature and confident reaction, as it showed how confident he was around ladies now. I guess the whole point of Ichigo100% was to show how each character has learnt from their teenage lives and how they matured. I personally think Manaka is a vastly changed man and a very decisive one at that, who not only listens with his heart but also thinks with his head and he now knows how to treat the girls properly. Most of all I think his whole aura around him was different and how confidently he now talks with others. He knows what he wants and works towards it without holding back, be it the girl whom he loves or the dream that he wants to grasp. So the reason about him suddenly getting indecisive by being suddenly affected by what is infront of him no longer applies to him. He was unphased over a span of 4 years, was determined enough to work through manual labour to save up without wallowing in self-pity and was decisive enough about not going to college and worked toward his dreams in his own way and prove it to everyone that it can be done , went to many places, established himself in the filming industry,kept his promise of sending the DVD to Nishino, met many people (beautiful girls included), was unphased by both Satsuki and Aya's presence, and asked out Nishino right after he met up with both his old love-interests. What does all these tell you? I dunno about you, but it shows me a confident, determined, resolute and a decisive individual.

What you said about what Junpei felt about the festival arc, he was just thinking if he could once again get back into good terms with her even after rejecting her, which I think any person in his position would feel when he sees the girl that he once loved hurt and running away from him but he was hard enough to stick with what he had said and didn't follow her but instead he wasn't really indecisive back then as he ran all the way to Nishino's home to tell her that he had chosen her. Wasn't that a decisive action? And about the chapter 163 scene, he was just thinking about what could have been, if they realised their feelings before all these and he was in a shocked position as he saw his worst fear of Aya even stopping to talk with him matirealise right infront of him.

I really didn't like Manaka that much over the whole manga, but even back in his teeneage self I saw his good traits and admit what he has done for the girls in his younger self and his adult self completely redeemed itself in my eyes for becoming and achieving what he has.

Last edited by dark mage at 5:12 am, Sep 8 2009

Damn, no way to argue around that. I forgot to consider that it's the manaka after all the hardships and travelling we are talking abt here. Yea he's definitely more decisive than before. So that means fans demanding a wedding is not cuz they wan to tie down manaka:/ then I don't noe why the fans wan a wedding scene cuz personally I'm actually quite happy with the ending, adding more pages after that would probably ruin the feeling the mangaka is trying to create

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Oh BTW I just saw what you said about Manaka and Yamato and I must say Manaka is way more lucky or that Nishino isn't as naive about things like that as Suzuka. .