Asako - Vol. 7 Ch. 34 - The Final Chapter

[space_wizard]

Very good ending, what a good manga

 

[Mangamusa]

Man this was beautiful

 

[Cashini]

hmmm finally mc found her XD ok nice slice of life ending

 

[HawkGoggles]

Nothing like tragic yuri being the backbone of my stories of a young boy's first love and adolescence... How does that keep sneaking in here.

I'm glad other's have also noticed this trend that's started like, maybe over 10 years ago. But I never really said anything about the story.

I feel like awkwardness of the ending people are feeling is because our two leads have lived very different lives. One was a normal boy who was living a very realistic life, but ran into this woman who was on a epic journey of pain and lost, and ready to end it all. Very much like an epic where our protagonist isn't the heroine of our tale. Its not bad but as I said it can be awkward.

For me its that separation of fantastical and realism that makes every thing feel off. I feel like the disconnect of the two's relationship was never in sync and even in the end and while that might be the point it feels unfulfilling. Its not that I wanted the two to end up together but more so I wanted to feel like they could relate to one another but Miyuki still feels out of reach even in the end. for example Miyuki ends up living with her first love while Masashi get's enageded to his co-worker. Both characters the story hardly spent anytime on, it feels lopsided even through Miyuki's inclinations were foreshadowed early enough.

Clearly this is mostly a story about relationships and growing up more than a crazy mystery because to be hoenst, that was the weakest part of this story. But if that's the case I think Masashi should have gotten with Yukako just to give his side a bit of that fantastical than just brushing up agaisnt it.

But that's also my bias. I don't like "realisim." And by that I mean, when people use it to do something to leave a bitter taste in your mouth. This isn't the case here, in fact everything is really sweet but I kind of wish it was sweeter because in both stories, there's clearly a person that isn't living that realisitc life so the execution feels a bit hypocritical.

 

[rmrs]

Fantastic journey, thank you to all the TL teams. I liked the end, and how they got there. The past can have a hold on you, but time doesn't stop for anyone. People change, forget things, hang on to other things. Masa was able to reconnect Yuki with her first love - that must have felt good to feel like he finally did something for his first love, after all she'd done for him (and everyone else in her life).
Also, LOL at the jailed attorney being like, 1% less slimy than I'd expected when he actually helped her and Masa after she decided to move on and live her life.

 

[pluki7]

he's 34 and she's 50 when they finally meet again. 23 years later after that summer.

I'm 54, and many women who were my peers in my youth still look good. 50 is not that old, actually.

 

[AnonymousContributor]

I'm 54, and many women who were my peers in my youth still look good. 50 is not that old, actually.

My parents are 50 and they aren't fucking gray haired. Now obviously I dunno how the Japanese age but the graying is kinda limited and they still don't age that poorly.

 

[Samhill]

I'm confused. It's been awhile, but:

1. Wasn't someone showing up at a grave site? That wasn't her?
2. Didn't she have a kid, or was that forum speculation?

The end is very rushed. She's happy now, which is good. And she's a blonde and a lesbian now? Also, she has someone that is very dependent on her, which isn't good.

 

[Big_Boss]

First of all, good to finally complete a manga that was sitting on my list for so long. Thank you Kirei Cake, for picking this up, @princess_daphie for carrying the torch and Rinruririn Translations for crossing it over the finish line! And to all who contributed to this manga getting translated.

I feel like awkwardness of the ending people are feeling is because our two leads have lived very different lives. One was a normal boy who was living a very realistic life, but ran into this woman who was on a epic journey of pain and lost, and ready to end it all. Very much like an epic where our protagonist isn't the heroine of our tale. Its not bad but as I said it can be awkward.

For me its that separation of fantastical and realism that makes every thing feel off. I feel like the disconnect of the two's relationship was never in sync and even in the end and while that might be the point it feels unfulfilling. Its not that I wanted the two to end up together but more so I wanted to feel like they could relate to one another but Miyuki still feels out of reach even in the end. for example Miyuki ends up living with her first love while Masashi get's enageded to his co-worker. Both characters the story hardly spent anytime on, it feels lopsided even through Miyuki's inclinations were foreshadowed early enough.

I have similar opinion, ending is bittersweet because it got "realism" written all over it, and for that part it is quite well done. Yukako got over her traumatic parts of life and became a dependant person able to live life they way she wanted. Masashi was able to resolve his mistery.

On other hand, Masashi through whole manga had a lingering feeling about "Asako", and what she ment to him, yet few last chapters he gets side-lined for a yuri plot and gets engaged not even with co-worker as you mention her, no, thats a girl from dating app, the only person that kept on replying and was not intrested in his job mentioned in profile. That girl had like 5 scenes, less than a bullies from flashback parts So while manga started on 50/50 in regards to both main leads, in the end Masashi felt like a device to deliver even more blessings to Miyuki, while for him ending is "he met his childhood friends, sorted out some memories and got engaged with girl that reader barely met".

Overall, I enjoyed this manga quite more than I expected, even if it started as Onii x Shota bait, it developed quite past it into story about healing trauma, overcoming past and difference between childhood and adulthood.

 

[Big_Boss]

I'm confused. It's been awhile, but:

1. Wasn't someone showing up at a grave site? That wasn't her?
2. Didn't she have a kid, or was that forum speculation?

The end is very rushed. She's happy now, which is good. And she's a blonde and a lesbian now? Also, she has someone that is very dependent on her, which isn't good.

If you mean on photo, it got resolved, she went to grave with doctor, and they got photographed by that bully girl when she followed them. No, she doesn't have kid in story.

 

[Outflanks10]

I've been reading this manga since the start of its uploads on this site.
And I have to say I cried many many times thought this series.
Thanks Rinruririn Translations for the translations.

 

[Samhill]

If you mean on photo, it got resolved, she went to grave with doctor, and they got photographed by that bully girl when she followed them. No, she doesn't have kid in story.

I forget. It's possible that people in the comments thought that the girl in the photo was her daughter.

 

[HWname]

I agree with the core critiques many have given of the concluding chapters,
yet given the vitality of the early volumes, a commensurate ending which carried those themes fully through may have been impossible. Surrendering the past, 'moving on' and 'growing up' are hypocritical cliches that contradict the fundamental story about vivid adolescent memories rising to an obsessive quest, but there is a genuine maturity in this route which brings each character to a quiet, bittersweet resolution.

Regardless of how satisfying you each may find the conclusion, I retain a great respect for the author-artist and believe it deserved translation.