36 - Ch. 23 - Shady Lane

[MangaDex]

 

[UdenEmpati]

I had a heart attack.
Luckily I managed to finish the chapter, so it didn't turn out too badly, but.

holy shit.



Ikoma's father being an irredeemable piece of shit aside (I don't care about that montage of context at the batting cage; you're still responsible for your actions, especially that many decades on, and it's not like he left this chapter doing anything even remotely worthy of praise), I'm just glad Ikoma showed up again at the tail-end, there. Also, I guess I only just now realized that he and Miyako(that'll teach me not to triple check I've got my characters in order) just...hadn't actually been introduced to one another, in all that time? Sorta makes sense, now that I think about it, but kinda wild that was the first time they'd run into one another for real, at least as far as I could find.

I'm still going back and forth on whether Anzu's tears were a manipulation tactic, or were authentic and her subconscious crying out for help at the start. I want to believe it's the latter; but given how like her mother she is, I also feel like it's just another layer of emotional abuse. I'm choosing to be optimistic, though, and that it means all hope is not lost in getting her away from her own toxic situation.
Pretty wild that we have two extremely violent parents of the two dueteragonists, though. One may have way more money-centric power to back up her abuse of her daughter, but both Ikoma and Anzu sharing something of that magnitude seems like it'll become relevant in their shared arc, and perhaps be a bridge for Anzu to cross back over toward those who could potentially help her save herself. It will be interesting to see what transpires with Ikoma out of the hospital--still very injured, clearly, and nowhere near recuperating with the show effectively imminent--and whether The Happy Meals will make their concert date.



Thanks for the TL work. Shit's got me by the amygdala at this point.

 

[skywardgem]

"When I'm hangin' with you guys, it... it feels like... like it's alright for me to be here too." just rip my heart out while you're at it why don't you? I get where Anzu was coming from thinking Ikoma might've been a devil back in the first chapter but it almost feels unbelievable to call him anything close to that after this recent string of chapters lol... it's beautiful how music has come into his life so many times to save him and leave him surrounded with friends, even if one's being distant for now. The short hair's gonna take some getting used to but it's worth it to see him smiling that big again after Everything

speaking of, Anzu and Miyako continue to be fascinating. I wanna believe the tears were Real, and that Miyako's her only real lifeline at this point as someone around her age that's (somewhat) willing to Talk with her like a person, even if that talking is bordering on arguing every other page at least it's Real for the both of them. The fact that she reached out to Ikoma about Anzu instead of just ignoring him at the end shows that that connection was worth it, just hope they can sort things out again when Anzu has everyone else back in her life too. The way Miyako just can't tear herself away from that recording of The Happy Meals' performance is just so good, love her dynamic with Anzu lol

also for all the gut punches this chapter threw out, it was seeing Meiling safe and happy that almost broke the dam for me, I'm glad that night wasn't just another burden for her, and hope she'll crop up at another Happy Meals show eventually

now they just gotta rope Anzu back in... she's still got her mysteries but I hope she'll at least reconnect for now... need to see her conversations with the whole crew afterwards lol

what a chapter to catch up to the raws on, thanks again for all the work y'all do on this manga! Gonna be brutal waiting monthly now but the quality y'all put out for this stuff will make the wait a bit more bearable

 

[Ichaivalrose]

Omg pavement mentioned

 

[UdenEmpati]

"When I'm hangin' with you guys, it... it feels like... like it's alright for me to be here too." just rip my heart out while you're at it why don't you? I get where Anzu was coming from thinking Ikoma might've been a devil back in the first chapter but it almost feels unbelievable to call him anything close to that after this recent string of chapters lol... it's beautiful how music has come into his life so many times to save him and leave him surrounded with friends, even if one's being distant for now. The short hair's gonna take some getting used to but it's worth it to see him smiling that big again after Everything

speaking of, Anzu and Miyako continue to be fascinating. I wanna believe the tears were Real, and that Miyako's her only real lifeline at this point as someone around her age that's (somewhat) willing to Talk with her like a person, even if that talking is bordering on arguing every other page at least it's Real for the both of them. The fact that she reached out to Ikoma about Anzu instead of just ignoring him at the end shows that that connection was worth it, just hope they can sort things out again when Anzu has everyone else back in her life too. The way Miyako just can't tear herself away from that recording of The Happy Meals' performance is just so good, love her dynamic with Anzu lol

also for all the gut punches this chapter threw out, it was seeing Meiling safe and happy that almost broke the dam for me, I'm glad that night wasn't just another burden for her, and hope she'll crop up at another Happy Meals show eventually

now they just gotta rope Anzu back in... she's still got her mysteries but I hope she'll at least reconnect for now... need to see her conversations with the whole crew afterwards lol

what a chapter to catch up to the raws on, thanks again for all the work y'all do on this manga! Gonna be brutal waiting monthly now but the quality y'all put out for this stuff will make the wait a bit more bearable

I just gotta say your use of "gut punch" was very on the nose given what Dad did to Ikoma before running off, lol

 

[outinthegardener]

So Ikoma's dad was just up to junkie shit. Steal their stuff, sell it for junk. Except drugging and kidnapping his Mom. Not like you can sell a granny. That move was emotional and irrational. Maybe he just wanted to feel like a kid, with the love and protection of a parent, again. Or maybe he's lashing out. And what a lot of lashing out he did! He took his grand theft, drug use, and kidnapping charges and decided to tack on aggravated assault with a weapon. Stabbing your own kid with the car keys is a "please add 10 years to my sentence" kind of move.

We never saw him getting loaded into a cop car, btw. Probably the cops on scene were able to catch him. But there's a slight possibility in my mind that he got away. It's the old thriller trope- if you don't see a body, they didn't die.

Anzu and Miyako's scene took a turn when Anzu started crying. @UdenEmpati questioned whether they could be authentic or manipulative. I think it's both. She's dealing with her decision to go back to her abusive Mom, abandon her friends, abandon music, pretend like it's the right thing to do if it stops her mom from harming her friends. She's asking her Mom to hit her like it's affection. She probably feels guilty for how she treated Ikoma and Shunpei (Big Jerk Anzu, how's that working out for you? Lonely, so lonely). So now that she's tried to manipulate Miyako into coming to her place to study, and Miyako wants no part of her, reminds Anzu that her Mom's method leaves you without friends. Out come the waterworks.

But any gaslighter knows showing emotional vulnerability is a tool. Her tears may be real, but they're also an opportunity to twist Miyako's heart.

Somebody, please teach this girl a healthy coping mechanism!

 

[outinthegardener]

Omg pavement mentioned

everybody wants one!

 

[UdenEmpati]

So Ikoma's dad was just up to junkie shit. Steal their stuff, sell it for junk. Except drugging and kidnapping his Mom. Not like you can sell a granny. That move was emotional and irrational. Maybe he just wanted to feel like a kid, with the love and protection of a parent, again. Or maybe he's lashing out. And what a lot of lashing out he did! He took his grand theft, drug use, and kidnapping charges and decided to tack on aggravated assault with a weapon. Stabbing your own kid with the car keys is a "please add 10 years to my sentence" kind of move.

We never saw him getting loaded into a cop car, btw. Probably the cops on scene were able to catch him. But there's a slight possibility in my mind that he got away. It's the old thriller trope- if you don't see a body, they didn't die.

Anzu and Miyako's scene took a turn when Anzu started crying. @UdenEmpati questioned whether they could be authentic or manipulative. I think it's both. She's dealing with her decision to go back to her abusive Mom, abandon her friends, abandon music, pretend like it's the right thing to do if it stops her mom from harming her friends. She's asking her Mom to hit her like it's affection. She probably feels guilty for how she treated Ikoma and Shunpei (Big Jerk Anzu, how's that working out for you? Lonely, so lonely). So now that she's tried to manipulate Miyako into coming to her place to study, and Miyako wants no part of her, reminds Anzu that her Mom's method leaves you without friends. Out come the waterworks.

But any gaslighter knows showing emotional vulnerability is a tool. Her tears may be real, but they're also an opportunity to twist Miyako's heart.

Somebody, please teach this girl a healthy coping mechanism!

Also don't forget that Ikoma's Dad also had recently murdered a woman which partly was why he'd shown up again looking to steal & sell shit in the first place.