Heisei Haizanhei ☆ Sumire-chan - Vol. 3 Ch. 23 - A Cheap Takeout Woman

[rabidfish]

Is this really NTR? The cousin doesn't have any romantic interest or claim to Sumire, and romantic claims is what usually makes NTR a thing. If it was the cousin's classmate in this situation, I'd agree, but it's Sumire instead

Uuuh, I think in the first chapter it is hinted at that he actually really loves her. But it is true that it hasn't been touched up again. He surely doesn't feel shy around her and isn't aroused by her rocking bod, so if there's love there it is pure as fuck lol

 

[CaponNC]

Uuuh, I think in the first chapter it is hinted at that he actually really loves her. But it is true that it hasn't been touched up again. He surely doesn't feel shy around her and isn't aroused by her rocking bod, so if there's love there it is pure as fuck lol

I'd say the first chapter establishes Sumire as his hero and oshi. From my reading/POV, Sumire was his hero and was there throughout her entire idol career. Later on we see he was part of the crowd that saw the diminishing crowds, the smaller venues, and basically her career tanking. In the first chapter he says it was the idol manager's fault for not seeing Sumire as the gem they had, and wasted her on group venues and mundane gravare shoots.

For his reactions to her body, he fully knows she has a rocking body and isn't shy to bring it up to sell dojin photobooks. I'd say he's focused on being business and money focused first.

 

[jolynehoestar]

Spoiler

While I appreciate the effort to frame this arc’s messiness and contradictions as intentional or reflective of real-life chaos, I fundamentally disagree with the idea that this excuses its weak storytelling or lack of coherence. My criticism isn’t about the manga as a whole—it’s about this specific arc, which is riddled with problems that undermine its potential to say anything meaningful.

You argue that the character’s contradictory motivations—like drugging women but waiting for them to sober up to avoid being a “rapist”—could be interpreted as a critique of transactional exploitation. I don’t find this reading compelling, and it feels like this interpretation requires a lot of work from the audience to make sense of the story, rather than the story supporting it naturally. The character’s logic in this arc is utterly preposterous: he’s fine with Administration of a substance with Intent and kidnapping/false imprisonment, but rape? That’s where he draws the line? This isn’t a meaningful exploration of moral hypocrisy—it’s a ridiculous and contrived justification for his actions. If the author intended this as a critique, it’s not coming through clearly enough to resonate. Instead, it feels like a cheap attempt to bait and shock the audience without offering any real insight.

I also take issue with the character’s backstory in this arc. While it’s clear that he’s propagating a cycle of exploitation—having been hurt by his childhood friend’s corruption in the entertainment industry, he now corrupts other women by coercing them into prostitution—this feels unconvincing and shallow. Even if his actions can be explained as a twisted reaction to his pain, they come across as hypocritical rather than meaningful. If the goal was to critique the industry or examine the cycle of exploitation, it falls flat because his personal trauma doesn’t meaningfully connect to the harm he’s inflicting in a way that deepens the story. Instead of exploring exploitation meaningfully, the story falls into the trap of using it for shock value without any real critique. This undermines the arc’s potential to say something meaningful about the cycle of harm and instead makes it feel lazy and contrived.

You mention that life is messy and unstructured, and I agree—but storytelling isn’t life. It’s a constructed narrative, and even when it embraces chaos, it needs to have some level of intentionality to be effective. This arc’s messiness doesn’t feel like a deliberate reflection of life’s chaos; it feels like a failure to craft a coherent or compelling story. The result is a narrative that’s hard to take seriously, even if it’s trying to address serious issues.

Finally, while I agree that viewers can and should construct their own meaning from art, there’s a limit to how much of the burden should fall on the audience. If a story is so opaque or incoherent that readers have to invent entire narratives to explain it, that’s a sign of weak storytelling, not artistic depth. A good story should provide enough framework for interpretation without relying on the audience to do all the work. In this arc, the character’s motivations and the plot developments feel totally contrived.

In short, I agree to disagree. I don’t think this arc’s messiness or contradictions serve a meaningful purpose. The character’s logic is ridiculous, his backstory—meant to justify his actions—is nonsensical, and the plot feels like a series of random, shocking moments designed to bait the audience rather than form a coherent narrative. Absurdity and chaos can be powerful tools, but only when they’re wielded with intent and skill—and in this case, I don’t see that happening in this arc.

I think both of those arcs having a very blatant bait chapter ending makes it clear this is not a choice of storytelling. Literally the ending of this chapter lol, this is just good old bait to make you check the next chapter. I am also not sure if it deserved this much of a discussion but it is fun to talk about

 

[rabidfish]

I'd say the first chapter establishes Sumire as his hero and oshi. From my reading/POV, Sumire was his hero and was there throughout her entire idol career. Later on we see he was part of the crowd that saw the diminishing crowds, the smaller venues, and basically her career tanking. In the first chapter he says it was the idol manager's fault for not seeing Sumire as the gem they had, and wasted her on group venues and mundane gravare shoots.

For his reactions to her body, he fully knows she has a rocking body and isn't shy to bring it up to sell dojin photobooks. I'd say he's focused on being business and money focused first.

Mmmh I still think he really loves her, beyond her being his oshi or whatever. Whether it is romantic or a more familiar kind of love, it really isn't clear nor has it been on the focus of the story so far, so it's fine.

 

[LocoBolon]

Spoiler

While I appreciate the effort to frame this arc’s messiness and contradictions as intentional or reflective of real-life chaos, I fundamentally disagree with the idea that this excuses its weak storytelling or lack of coherence. My criticism isn’t about the manga as a whole—it’s about this specific arc, which is riddled with problems that undermine its potential to say anything meaningful.

You argue that the character’s contradictory motivations—like drugging women but waiting for them to sober up to avoid being a “rapist”—could be interpreted as a critique of transactional exploitation. I don’t find this reading compelling, and it feels like this interpretation requires a lot of work from the audience to make sense of the story, rather than the story supporting it naturally. The character’s logic in this arc is utterly preposterous: he’s fine with Administration of a substance with Intent and kidnapping/false imprisonment, but rape? That’s where he draws the line? This isn’t a meaningful exploration of moral hypocrisy—it’s a ridiculous and contrived justification for his actions. If the author intended this as a critique, it’s not coming through clearly enough to resonate. Instead, it feels like a cheap attempt to bait and shock the audience without offering any real insight.

I also take issue with the character’s backstory in this arc. While it’s clear that he’s propagating a cycle of exploitation—having been hurt by his childhood friend’s corruption in the entertainment industry, he now corrupts other women by coercing them into prostitution—this feels unconvincing and shallow. Even if his actions can be explained as a twisted reaction to his pain, they come across as hypocritical rather than meaningful. If the goal was to critique the industry or examine the cycle of exploitation, it falls flat because his personal trauma doesn’t meaningfully connect to the harm he’s inflicting in a way that deepens the story. Instead of exploring exploitation meaningfully, the story falls into the trap of using it for shock value without any real critique. This undermines the arc’s potential to say something meaningful about the cycle of harm and instead makes it feel lazy and contrived.

You mention that life is messy and unstructured, and I agree—but storytelling isn’t life. It’s a constructed narrative, and even when it embraces chaos, it needs to have some level of intentionality to be effective. This arc’s messiness doesn’t feel like a deliberate reflection of life’s chaos; it feels like a failure to craft a coherent or compelling story. The result is a narrative that’s hard to take seriously, even if it’s trying to address serious issues.

Finally, while I agree that viewers can and should construct their own meaning from art, there’s a limit to how much of the burden should fall on the audience. If a story is so opaque or incoherent that readers have to invent entire narratives to explain it, that’s a sign of weak storytelling, not artistic depth. A good story should provide enough framework for interpretation without relying on the audience to do all the work. In this arc, the character’s motivations and the plot developments feel totally contrived.

In short, I agree to disagree. I don’t think this arc’s messiness or contradictions serve a meaningful purpose. The character’s logic is ridiculous, his backstory—meant to justify his actions—is nonsensical, and the plot feels like a series of random, shocking moments designed to bait the audience rather than form a coherent narrative. Absurdity and chaos can be powerful tools, but only when they’re wielded with intent and skill—and in this case, I don’t see that happening in this arc.

You are really reading way too deep into all this. And all this is because you can't get over the discomfort you are getting from reading this 'arc'. Thus you are trying to force your own ideals of how this manga, that appealed you at first but now made you feel disappointed/betrayed should be, and judging the author decisions as wrong or bad because of that. You try to make it seem as if there is some fundamental literary flaw when in reality it's all about that discomfort that you felt.
As outinthegardener said this manga is both satiric and dramatic, it doesn't take itself 100% seriously and thus some events and character's decisions are plot driven, in order to carry the story to certain places where it would be (according to the author, probably) engaging and fun.
Netorare vibes when used lightly (as it's going to be the case for this manga, apparently) are there to create tension and conflict, to raise the stakes and increase the investment of the readers who may find themselves cheering and expecting for the 'good' ending or satisfactory development even harder after 'facing difficulties'. This is both ancient and basic: artists evoke both negative and pleasant emotions in order to move the spectator, to carry him as far from indifference as possible, it's the McGregor effect.
If you want an easygoing light romance with no emotional roller coaster you should go to this same author's previous work. But I would advice you to grow up and deal with it so you are able to enjoy this awesome manga as it is. ^^

 

[Litreara]

You are really reading way too deep into all this. And all this is because you can't get over the discomfort you are getting from reading this 'arc'. Thus you are trying to force your own ideals of how this manga, that appealed you at first but now made you feel disappointed/betrayed should be, and judging the author decisions as wrong or bad because of that. You try to make it seem as if there is some fundamental literary flaw when in reality it's all about that discomfort that you felt.
As outinthegardener said this manga is both satiric and dramatic, it doesn't take itself 100% seriously and thus some events and character's decisions are plot driven, in order to carry the story to certain places where it would be (according to the author, probably) engaging and fun.
Netorare vibes when used lightly (as it's going to be the case for this manga, apparently) are there to create tension and conflict, to raise the stakes and increase the investment of the readers who may find themselves cheering and expecting for the 'good' ending or satisfactory development even harder after 'facing difficulties'. This is both ancient and basic: artists evoke both negative and pleasant emotions in order to move the spectator, to carry him as far from indifference as possible, it's the McGregor effect.
If you want an easygoing light romance with no emotional roller coaster you should go to this same author's previous work. But I would advice you to grow up and deal with it so you are able to enjoy this awesome manga as it is. ^^

Spoiler

Your reply is so speculative and dismissive that it’s almost impressive. Instead of engaging with my actual critique, you’ve decided to psychoanalyze me and project your own assumptions about why I didn’t like this arc. Let me be clear: my critique isn’t about “discomfort” or feeling “betrayed”—it’s about the arc’s lazy writing, nonsensical character logic, and reliance on shock value over substance. If you can’t address those points without making up reasons for why I’m criticizing it, then maybe you’re the one who needs to take a step back and think harder about what you’re defending.

You claim the manga is “satiric and dramatic” and doesn’t take itself seriously, but that’s not a free pass for bad storytelling. Satire and drama still need internal logic and thematic coherence to work. This arc has neither. The character’s motivations are ridiculous, his backstory is a mess, and the plot feels like a series of random, shocking moments designed to bait the audience rather than tell a meaningful story. If you think that’s “engaging and fun,” then we have very different standards for what makes a story worth reading.

And don’t even get me started on your attempt to justify the “netorare vibes” as some kind of masterstroke of tension-building. Using sensitive topics like coercion and exploitation as cheap plot devices isn’t “raising the stakes”—it’s lazy writing. If the author wanted to critique exploitation or create emotional conflict, they could have done so in a way that felt intentional and thoughtful. Instead, we get a half-baked mess that relies on shock value to cover up its lack of depth.

Finally, your condescending advice to “grow up and deal with it” says more about you than it does about me. I don’t need to “grow up” to recognize bad writing when I see it. If you’re so invested in defending this arc that you’ll dismiss valid criticism as “discomfort” or “immaturity,” then maybe you’re the one who needs to take a hard look at why you’re so determined to excuse its flaws.

In short, if you want to defend this arc, try actually engaging with the critique instead of making up reasons for why I’m wrong. Otherwise, save the armchair psychology for someone who cares.

 

[Brewers90]

To be fair, I don't think this is a dumpster fire manga. It's a manga about a dumpster fire woman in a dumpster fire industry. It's taking things to the absurd extremes because it's a comedy. That doesn't prevent it from making good points about exploitation; of labor, of sex, of bodies.

I gotta say the tone of this whole arc, from the predatory tricking desperate girls into old man AV gangbangs and now implied date rape is WILDLY incongruent from the earlier chapters and from what you'd normally see in a "comedy". Is it realistic? sure. would this have been better off in something like ONK? Definitely. I don't hate it (because I'm invested in the characters and story), but it's now more like a proper drama with black comedy elements. I also gotta say, for someone who knows just how sleazy the men in this industry are, Sumire is a mega-idiot for putting herself into such dangerous spots. The only thing saving her atm is plot armor lol

 

[outinthegardener]

I gotta say the tone of this whole arc, from the predatory tricking desperate girls into old man AV gangbangs and now implied date rape is WILDLY incongruent from the earlier chapters and from what you'd normally see in a "comedy". Is it realistic? sure. would this have been better off in something like ONK? Definitely. I don't hate it (because I'm invested in the characters and story), but it's now more like a proper drama with black comedy elements. I also gotta say, for someone who knows just how sleazy the men in this industry are, Sumire is a mega-idiot for putting herself into such dangerous spots. The only thing saving her atm is plot armor lol

Is it wildly incongruent? There has always been a theme of "selling your body has a dark side." She got too old to be an idol so she became a hostess. She decides to sell images of her body. She has the nip slip at the doujin event and isn't selling just images anymore, she's selling a real peek. We get this idea of "this business is kind of close to sex work."

Then we get the series of increasing disasters. First her cosplay with Femme Fatale gets flagged for IP violation and they have to return their sales. But she loses the money and gets into deep shit debt. Now the material conditions for selling her body become more urgent and she finds herself pressured to sell more and more. First she almost agrees to perform in an AV. Then an industry creep learns she's in debt and sees an opportunity to manipulate her.

The point is, there's an overall arc that "selling your body as a commodity" has a lot of forms, and some are pretty awful. Sumire has three sellable skills-A hottie body, a willing work ethic, and social skills. She's otherwise pretty dumb and naive and degenerate. It's why she, the dumpster fire woman, finds herself in some bad situations.

 

[silverpetricof]

Thanks for the translation.