GraPara! - Ch. 131 - Would You Break Up with Her? (Censored)

[Alsatia]

Speaking of another amusing thing I've noticed.

It's funny to me how there's no fan uncensoring of chapter 131 yet. It should be out by now. Makes me think even they're like "man we don't wanna keep doing this for Sakura and fuckboi"

 

[Wyrm666]

It's always made me laugh that in all the years they've lived together, even having a child, Tamaki never met the cousin lol

That bothers me less than the absence of "honey, do you know Aikawa from somewhere? he called you Kaori-chan..."

 

[Wyrm666]

Speaking of another amusing thing I've noticed.

It's funny to me how there's no fan uncensoring of chapter 131 yet. It should be out by now. Makes me think even they're like "man we don't wanna keep doing this for Sakura and fuckboi"

I don't think anyone cares at this point.

But Shifumi will be decensored 2 hours after coming out.

 

[box2024]

Speaking of another amusing thing I've noticed.

It's funny to me how there's no fan uncensoring of chapter 131 yet. It should be out by now. Makes me think even they're like "man we don't wanna keep doing this for Sakura and fuckboi"

Well the is there or isn't there a condom may cause confusion plus there isn't much there worth to uncensore.

 

[CraneBrane]

I'm the one taking crazy pills now at the sheer repetition.

Let me try to establish a baseline here.


What we know has happened:
1) Sakura thinks that Shinobu was cheating on her and was dropping her soon.
2) She's stupid weak minded.
3) Fuccboi takes advantage and fucks her.
4) Sakura breaks up via text and moves to the other agency.
4) Fuccboi tells Shinobu about fucking Sakura and asks him to stay away from her.
5) Shinobu agrees and never contacts her again.
6) Sakura never tried to contact Shinobu.
7) Shinobu doesn't speak to Fumi in those months.
8) Shinobu has a break becuase his film was successful and meets with the Producer.
9) He meets Fumi again and we see that Shinobu copes saying the break-up was better for Sakura.
10) Shinobu still has feelings for Sakura
11) Fumi says in no uncertain terms that she loves Shinobu and wants him to really know her.


What we don't know:
1) Is Sakura dating the fuccboi?
2) Was the sex a a one time thing or have they been regularly hooking up?
3) What are Sakura's feelings for Shinobu?
4) What is her current mindset?

No matter how much peeps dissect the panels, the translations, the japanese text, Katsura Airi's talent and profile, the star signs, the tea leaves, the animal jaw dropped on the floor: we do not know anything about those 4 points thus we have no way of knowing where the story will go.


Meta wise, we know the following:
1) Japanese fandom rioted after 129 and 130. That's the only relevant fandom because they are the paying customers.
2) Katsura Airi made some half-assed double down posts but nothing more.
3) Katsura Airi has softened the NTR endings on the last epilogues for the Karami Zakari Hentai.
4) The ending of Karami Zakari Manga shows Iida and Kousei being happy in their "relationship."

So where to go from here:
There are two ways of making predictions. In Universe and Meta. By In Universe I mean speaking within the boundaries of the story, speculating on what character will do based on what we know from there. Meta is speculating about where the story will go based on the author's previous works, twitter threads and and reader backlash.

In Universe:
There is really no point in trying to figure out what has/will happen based on character characterization so far. We see in chapter 131 that Katsura Airi is keeping her options open. There is absolutely no way of knowing if the three sex panels from 131 are current events or just imagination. No visual clues were given, nothing. It can go multiple ways based on what we know and we don't know much.


Meta:
We know that Katsura Airi killed her own premise. There was no rom and certainly no com in the events of 128-131. Just a crude set up, a sex scene and a timeskip. All the options are open at this point but we are 1 bad chapter away of everybody (the paying customers) dropping the work en-masse. NTR might be the highest selling tag in hentai but it's certainly not in mainstream manga.


My prediction:
I think that we're moving to a "good ending" regardless of what shape it takes. Shinobu will probably be fine. Regardless of Fumi or Sakura being the end game, as long as Shinobu doesn't look like a total wimp, normie fans (the majority of the paying customers) will accept the ending and will not vilify (too much) the author.


My preferred ending:
Sakura and Fuccboi was a one time thing and she gave him the "I just want to focus on my career" spiel. This to slightly rehabilitate her image with the readers.
Shinobu will somewhat accept Fumi's confession followed by a few chapters of will they or won't they.
We start seeing more of Sakura in ambiguous situations. Is she fucking other people or not?
Shinobu is doing fine but his work is by the numbers. No failure but not huge success.
Suddenly Sakura enters the picture again. They will be working on something. Sakura treats him in a curteous but work like manner. Fumi encourages Shinobu to give his best. Queue awkward interactions.
Sakura is given clues that she might still like Shinobu thus re-introducing 'Rom'. Some embarrassing shenanigans, bringing the 'Com' back.
Then one day Fumi tells Shinobu they can't find Sakura. She is being threatened by a co-star or a creepy crew member.
She really doesn't want to, that would be... Queue flashback with Fumi telling her that nothing ever happened with Shinobu before the break and she is the one he really loves. That if she still feels anything for him, she should accept doing this movie with him.
Meanwhile Shinobu is looking for her desperately and saves her in the nick of time. This brings the original premise of the manga back.
They look at each other, smiles and tears, the end.
The epilogue is about how the movie was a success. Fumi is also a big deal, fuccboi is making movies in USA or some shit like that and it's implied that Sakura and Shinobu are dating.


Conclusion
The only team I am at this point is Team Decent Writing Please. I am not a writer so what the fuck do I know but I think the chain of events I described would somewhat restore the premise while softening the pain points of the latest chapters. No big punishments, no big humiliations, no grandiose set up. Just flawed people doing the best they can.

How is Sakura x Shinobu a "good ending" in anyway?

 

[diphuc1]

At this point it's a possibility as valid as any other.

Specially because at this point if it's shown that Sakura has been getting ran over by the fuccboi all this time, the forks and pitchforks will return with a vengeance.

That would be good news for Shinobu x Fumi shippers, as that would be the only way to avoid book burnings in front of Kondansha headquarters.

Wouldn't be too insane to justify this either, if it shows that Sakura now views herself as a cheater, is torn over it, and is someone who's done with love for the time being and wanting to focus on work instead. This contradicts a bit because of blonde's words during the move but this could be blonde assumptions going off of Sakura agreeing to transfer, its a bit of a reach and a mess ofc.

 

[box2024]

I don't think anyone cares at this point.

But Shifumi will be decensored 2 hours after coming out.

Shifumi ?

 

[slyss]

Ohhhh didn't know about any of this. I appreciate the info dump! I never knew how they get their income save for obvious things like licenses and publishing rights.

It's a whole topic, especially nowadays, as the industry is in a state where physical sales have lost a lot of importance and expanding revenue channels alongside digital sales are becoming king (unless you're one of the big boys with massive bookstore networks, which is why so many pay attention to SJ sales)

For example, one look at Grapara's physical numbers would make it seem highly unsuccessful, until you realize the series puts a lot of emphasis on its digital performance, from rankings to sales.

For example, the cover of Volume 4 was all about how the series was a huge hit on digital platforms, reaching #1 on CMOA, quite literally one of the biggest digital bookstore of Japan, on top of having 200k copies in circulation total (Physical + Digital).

Of course, physical still matters, like how Volume 5 was all about the physical volumes getting reprints and hitting 250k copies in circulation total (Physical + Digital), but then you connect that with the physical numbers we know, and you quickly realize just how important digital sales and online performance are.

Edit: Fixed the first link.

 

[box2024]

How is Sakura x Shinobu a "good ending" in anyway?

Because it keeps the romance intact and some people really want that many jp comments that I have read are convinced that by the end they will be together again.

 

[diphuc1]

How is Sakura x Shinobu a "good ending" in anyway?

The OG MC couple getting back together in a mature ntr rom-com after hitting seemingly insurmountable obstacles along their way towards the ending seems good me, its all subjective.

 

[Wyrm666]

How is Sakura x Shinobu a "good ending" in anyway?

If they have an honest discussion, without lies and manipulation and decide to get back together and the manga gives clues to their happy ever after, i would count that as a good ending.

I, personally, wouldn't take Sakura back, but I, personally, am not Shinobu.

 

[box2024]

The OG MC couple getting back together in a mature ntr rom-com after hitting seemingly insurmountable obstacles along their way towards the ending seems good me, its all subjective.

And in four days we should hopefully have a direction for this story to go in in.

 

[Wyrm666]

Shifumi ?

SHInobu + FUMI

 

[CraneBrane]

Because it keeps the romance intact and some people really want that many jp comments that I have read are convinced that by the end they will be together again.

Yeah they're convinced that because of Katsura Ai liking NTR and not having a problem with cheating, not because its a good ending. Romance? Nah this would just be psychological drama. This would mean Sakura doesn't really face any consequences for her actions if it just goes back to square 1. "Cheating doesn't matter"

 

[box2024]

SHInobu + FUMI

So when we finally get those two it will take two hours to uncensore is what you are saying ok I gotcha.

 

[Wyrm666]

It's a whole topic, especially nowadays, as the industry is in a state where physical sales have lost a lot of importance and expanding revenue channels alongside digital sales are becoming king (unless you're one of the big boys with massive bookstore networks, which is why so many pay attention to SJ sales)

For example, one look at Grapara's physical numbers would make it seem highly unsuccessful, until you realize the series puts a lot of emphasis on its digital performance, from rankings to sales.

For example, the cover of Volume 4 was all about how the series was a huge hit on digital platforms, reaching #1 on CMOA, quite literally one of the biggest digital bookstore of Japan, on top of having 200k copies in circulation total (Physical + Digital).

Of course, physical still matters, like how Volume 5 was all about the physical volumes getting reprints and hitting 250k copies in circulation total (Physical + Digital), but then you connect that with the physical numbers we know, and you quickly realize just how important digital sales and online performance are.

Edit: Fixed the first link.

I don't think anyone claimed that Katura Airi is unsuccessful.

On the contrary, the fact that she is having moderate mainstream success is one of the arguments against Grapara going full NTR doujinshi style.

 

[CraneBrane]

If they have an honest discussion, without lies and manipulation and decide to get back together and the manga gives clues to their happy ever after, i would count that as a good ending.

I, personally, wouldn't take Sakura back, but I, personally, am not Shinobu.

Nah ain't no way that's a good ending. It means you can cheat, lie, hide things, ignore the feelings of your lover, ghost, not communicate, and it all doesn't matter because she's the FMC so she wins. Shinobu just ignores that and loses what respect he has IMO

 

[box2024]

Yeah they're convinced that because of Katsura Ai liking NTR and not having a problem with cheating, not because its a good ending. Romance? Nah this would just be psychological drama. This would mean Sakura doesn't really face any consequences for her actions if it just goes back to square 1. "Cheating doesn't matter"

I will admit I have read many romance novels in my day my mother loved them so they were sitting around the house all the time boredom can drive a man crazy. Now saying that it isn't uncommon for the lovers to be separated and in the more mature ones to take a different lover that could be what we are seeing here maybe.

 

[Cross-21-]

Interesting thing, "Blue Box" is ending next sunday, and just like here the last 3 ch had a ton of time skips and felt very rushed. For all i know, it was not announced up till today that it's ending...

 

[box2024]

I don't think anyone claimed that Katura Airi is unsuccessful.

On the contrary, the fact that she is having moderate mainstream success is one of the arguments against Grapara going full NTR doujinshi style.

I know I have been critical of her writing but I haven't said she is unsuccessful.