Fushigi no Kuni no Arisugawa-san - Vol. 2 Ch. 6

[MangaDex]

 

[FredFriendly]

This was pretty nice until this chapter. Now there's an annoyingly arrogant and clichéd third wheel fiancé whom the idiot girl instantly has no problem being around and uses as a love counselor. Of course the MC is going to get the wrong idea, and think she's fallen for the third wheel. Ugh.

 

[Nightlilygirl-]

Yeah, I really can't stand this kind of pushy, bratty characters who tell everyone off just for plot convenience... Why do they always have to put a third wheel in good series? I'd totally love to see a story where this kind of character exists, but the heroine simply doesn't give a damn about him and just moves on with her life... now that would be a nice trope subversion!

 

[kyn]

sigh....

 

[sharkman]

No... not again.

 

[JordanFurneaux]

The arranged marriage/fiancé arc you get in a lot of romance manga is easily one of my most hated. This entire situation could easily be avoided if she just went to her parents (or grandparents considering how doting they are) and request to annul the engagement. Especially considering this is set in modern times and it is literally impossible to force someone to get married. Yet I guarantee, rather than just refusing the arranged marriage like anyone with common sense would, she will just ignore the issue so the author can drag on this unnecessary drama, it's painfully unoriginal and obvious how it will play out and end.

I will never understand why the characters in Japanese fiction find it impossible to just say "no", I've never seen an arranged marriage/fiancé arc be solved by having the woman simply reject the arranged marriage. You know, like any competent person would.

 

[FredFriendly]

What's more, she believes him without even confirming the engagement with her grandfather. Can Japanese teenage girls really be this stupid? For the most part, they seem to be portrayed as mindless boobs when it comes to romance. This "girl asks third wheel for love advice but third wheel ends up falling in love with her" plot device has been used in at least three series I'm currently reading. I must be the stupid one if I keep reading these series...

 

[SpacyRicochet]

No one noticed that in contrast to the regular 'fiancés' Japanese entertainment throws at us, this one was refreshingly blasé about it? He knows about the engagement, doesn't really think a lot of it, but is bored and decides to get to know his supposed fiancé. He's even actively getting her to grow up and help her with her love.

I like this dude, even if he's condescending as hell.

 

[blueoddog]

Uhh, guys I think that, for now at least, the trope was subverted. He is actually actively helping the main couple to be together. They did't seem to have any slightly romantic interaction as well. (But yes, is only the first chapter in which he appears, so things can change)

Even tho not so much as before, in Japan, mostly in the traditional families, arranged marriage is still a thing (omiai for example, for fucks sake, people still go to omiais). Respect to the elders and their desires is heavelly taken into account as well. Promises too, are very valued. So I don't doubt that this new boy will struggle to break off the marriage because of his grandpa, and even Alice.

The fact that she know nothing about love is actually well written, which is the difference between this history and many others shoujo. She is not some dumb dreamy girl. There is nothing forced nor cheesy. Besides, it took her about 4-6 chapters to realize she likes him, so is actually flowing pretty well.

Now, Im not saying that it won't end up as a fucking boring cliched trope, BUUUTTT, Im just gonna say by now that we should give the author a vote of confidence, cuz so far so good.

 

[blueoddog]

Aanddd guys, something got me more interested than the "third wheel". Did the main guy stop the question because:

1 - He got that she was unconfortable, and didn't want to invade her space
2 - He realized by her gestures that she liked him, (as she herself thought) and stopped her
3 - He was "afraid" that he wouldn't like the answer
4 - Simething else or a mix of two things

I'm even that sure that he likes her yet, but I don't remember why I had the feeling he did. Not so sure, tho. What do you guys think? ;;

 

[Purpled]

@blueoddog

I really want to believe that the trope of fiance is subverted, but I’ve been burned a couple of times since there now seems to be a cliche of having the second guy fall in love after the couple has formed. If it doesn’t happen, then awesome, but rn I cannot give my vote of confidence on the matter.

 

[FredFriendly]

@SpacyRicochet Is he really blasé about it, or just acting blasé to maintain his self-image as a really cool dude, putting on an outward front whereas inwardly he's really excited to have a cute fiancée?

@blueoddog Inserting himself as an active third wheel on a date is not "actively helping the main couple to be together." They could be together without his presence, and his presence will most likely impede any progress between the two leads (since the MC will think it's the third wheel that the FMC likes), which is also most likely what the third wheel intends to do. I have no confidence that this will be anything other than the typical clichéd third wheel scenario.

 

[havelmom]

"Oh, you expected NTR-kun?
Too bad, it's me, wingman-kun!"

 

[blueoddog]

@FredFriendly and @Purpled YES IT DOES AAA, but...

I mean, knowing FL's nature and all and given the fact that I have no fucking ideia abou where the male lead stands in relation to her (even tho he might have a interest of a sort) they would develop slowly. Third wheel boy gave the gal advice and just inserted himself in the group of friends, not in the couple, so I keep my stand that he actively helped the couple (thinking now he did bother a bit and made the tensions rise, fuck me. Well... He gave her advice at least... I guess). But YES, all this misunderstanding shit can happen, and it can all blow up and be one hell of a cliche, BUT LETS HAVE FAITH, in my mother language, we sometimes say " lets not suffer before the wound is done".

 

[FredFriendly]

@blueoddog Perhaps I would not be so cynical if the mangaka hadn't used such a clichéd plot device as "really innocent girl asks third wheel for love advice and thinks the third wheel is some kind of love master" (it really annoys me, and especially did so in KnT 'cause the third wheel was such a douchebag). Well, "third wheel suddenly popping out of nowhere" also annoys the hell outa me, and, while I'm at it, so does "naked girl falls out of the sky and lands on the MC." After reading so many series that use the same basic plot devices, it's hard not to think that a series will go down the same road. Nonetheless, even though my better senses tell me otherwise, I will give this series another chapter and see how things are headed.

 

[blueoddog]

@FredFriendly yesss, indeed! Cliches also annoy the heck out of me. That's why I love whe they are deconstructed or subverted. We can only have hope. I do like this author.

Some mangas that are rlly not cliche, and within the josei/shoujo demography that you might like are: Haru no Noroi (one of my favorites, not very long), Raise Wa Taning ga Ii (it looks like its gonna be cliche in the very start but IT IS NOT and same author), Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai (this one creeps me out a bit), Ooku: the inner chambers (one of the bests, very "historical" and has everything deconstructed, but has a lot of text), Koroshi Ai is cool as well, July Found by Chance looks promising. There are more but my memory is shit.

 

[FredFriendly]

@blueoddog Well, I've finally read up to chapter 21 in English, and "read" the rest up to the latest chapter, 27, in Japanese, and I can say that the use of clichéd plot devices gets even worse.

 

[PsychoTheRabbit]

What is a romcom manga nowadays without some obvious lame cliche? Tho at least the boy has no interest (for now?), is kind of obvious Nomiya interrupted her out of fear. So it has the same effect.
Ill just hate it if this start to drag pages out of cheap drama while stretching the story to the point of losing its identity. If so, will be just ur regular boring romcom. Starts great, gets boring/frustrating then BAM!!! 4 frames of happy end.