Kimi ga Hoeru Tame no Uta o, - Vol. 4 Ch. 15 - Something I Want to Say

[faaresemo]

oh come on! 5 more seconds and she would've hugged you Yuuki!!!
WE WERE SO CLOSE

 

[UdenEmpati]

Really curious if Ruriko is going to end up being a bad person or not. If we're following in the steps of I Can't Say No to the Lonely Girl, she'll be a comically bad person that nobody likes. Though I honestly do kind of doubt that approach.

I have a feeling she's going to be someone who assumes what she wants is what everyone wants. She took Miyuki away presumably because she thought that doing a bunch of music and singing stuff to become the best singer possible is what Miyuki wanted, when in reality that is likely just her pushing her own dreams on to her child. She likely also assumed that Yuu wouldn't have been as hurt by it and would be supportive and want the best for her sister, likely because she couldn't see all the negative effects because she views this as exclusively positive.

Honestly, thinking about it, I might have to retract the statement on Ruriko's mom not following in the footsteps of Sora's Mom, because I accidentally just described what is basically a nicer version of Sora's Mom. Because Sora's Mom also thought what she was doing was what Sora wanted, and only realized it wasn't when Sora spoke up. So Ruriko might be Kashikaze making a better version of Sora's Mom.

Could be wrong on all of this, by-the-by. I ain't Kashikaze, I just think it's fun to analyze a story and see where it might go. Ruriko could end up being the most evil and malicious character I've ever read and I'll facepalm at this comment in a year, but, on the flipside, if I'm right I'll feel like a God.

I feel like it'd be a bit too "simple" if Ruriko was "a bad person", but I think that's sorta the direction we're at least supposed to expect this to go.

What we do know--from Yuuki's POV/recounting, at least--is that her mom basically destroyed their family, taking one daughter with her across an ocean and leaving Yuuki the "lesser daughter" behind with her ex-husband.
We know that Ruriko being a famous singer...means I could see her having an outsized ego. Her words at the end of the previous chapter about "Queen RURIKO's glorious return", do reinforce that idea in my mind. We don't know why she's returning, unless it's literally just some homecoming tour thing (since all we know is she's back already, and doing some livestream show).
Also, there was no indication last chapter that Miyuki's explicitly excited to see Yuuki again. We get hints that she doesn't see the people doing whatever voice coaching alongside her as "friends", which I take to mean she's not built meaningful relationships of late during her time in the States. But Ruriko calls them Miyuki's friends, which might imply that she's not all that in tune with her daughter's personal life.

Basically, I wouldn't be surprised if Ruriko is going to be a force that drives a wedge between Yuuki & Haru.

Haru sees Ruriko as an inspirational figure from her childhood. But Yuuki has a very different view of her, at least from what we've seen; she said in an earlier chapter that "I still love my mom", in effect, but it's clear that she's been hung up on this in a big way--not lease of which her resisting singing alongside Haru for this latest song. And she looks decidedly apprehensive at the sudden news at the end of this chapter.

Also of note - Haru says "came back to Japan today", and Yuuki's caught off-guard. So her mom didn't tell her, and I'd bet didn't tell her father, that she was returning, and Yuuki had to hear it from a friend talking about a livestream event. That's Ruriko putting her career and audience before her own family.

So with everything we've been given to this point, at best I think Yuuki's mom is entirely career-focused and is apathetic about family/personal life stuff. Not necessarily malicious or spiteful or cruel, but simply uncaring (so, different kind of cruel). She might not dislike her ex-husband or Yuuki, but they don't factor into her plans anymore once Miyuki proved the more capable singer/performer/what-have-you, and so Yuuki was left behind.
But because Haru still has that rosy image of Ruriko in her mind, even if she knows a bit of Yuuki's backstory involving her family, she also heard Yuuki express no ill will toward her mother, and only that she missed her sister so much that Haru was almost a surrogate, for a time. Haru might think "oh, you should go see your mom and sister!" which could potentially set Yuuki off, and cause friction between them if Haru doesn't understand and pushes the issue at the wrong time/in the wrong way out of well-intentioned ignorance. (Hikari might also come into play in this manner, as bubbly as she is.)

So to that end, Ruriko becomes an antagonistic figure, potentially in a passive sense as her presence and connections to the Lead Pair and the friction that results between them because of their differing perceptions of her.

I hope she's maybe egotistical, but not actually a bitch who acts dismissively of Yuuki. That would be hard to sit through, and would only want me to see her get some sort of karmic blowback -- which I don't really see happening as I don't think that fits the tone of what this manga's going for.

So I'd rather she just be stupidly oblivious with a chip on her shoulder, and then try to make things up to Yuuki and ultimately acknowledge her daughter's talents at long last.

I could be wrong, though. No way of knowing, so that's mostly just what I hope to see.

 

[Aggapuffin]

I feel like it'd be a bit too "simple" if Ruriko was "a bad person", but I think that's sorta the direction we're at least supposed to expect this to go.

What we do know--from Yuuki's POV/recounting, at least--is that her mom basically destroyed their family, taking one daughter with her across an ocean and leaving Yuuki the "lesser daughter" behind with her ex-husband.
We know that Ruriko being a famous singer...means I could see her having an outsized ego. Her words at the end of the previous chapter about "Queen RURIKO's glorious return", do reinforce that idea in my mind. We don't know why she's returning, unless it's literally just some homecoming tour thing (since all we know is she's back already, and doing some livestream show).
Also, there was no indication last chapter that Miyuki's explicitly excited to see Yuuki again. We get hints that she doesn't see the people doing whatever voice coaching alongside her as "friends", which I take to mean she's not built meaningful relationships of late during her time in the States. But Ruriko calls them Miyuki's friends, which might imply that she's not all that in tune with her daughter's personal life.

Basically, I wouldn't be surprised if Ruriko is going to be a force that drives a wedge between Yuuki & Haru.

Haru sees Ruriko as an inspirational figure from her childhood. But Yuuki has a very different view of her, at least from what we've seen; she said in an earlier chapter that "I still love my mom", in effect, but it's clear that she's been hung up on this in a big way--not lease of which her resisting singing alongside Haru for this latest song. And she looks decidedly apprehensive at the sudden news at the end of this chapter.

Also of note - Haru says "came back to Japan today", and Yuuki's caught off-guard. So her mom didn't tell her, and I'd bet didn't tell her father, that she was returning, and Yuuki had to hear it from a friend talking about a livestream event. That's Ruriko putting her career and audience before her own family.

So with everything we've been given to this point, at best I think Yuuki's mom is entirely career-focused and is apathetic about family/personal life stuff. Not necessarily malicious or spiteful or cruel, but simply uncaring (so, different kind of cruel). She might not dislike her ex-husband or Yuuki, but they don't factor into her plans anymore once Miyuki proved the more capable singer/performer/what-have-you, and so Yuuki was left behind.
But because Haru still has that rosy image of Ruriko in her mind, even if she knows a bit of Yuuki's backstory involving her family, she also heard Yuuki express no ill will toward her mother, and only that she missed her sister so much that Haru was almost a surrogate, for a time. Haru might think "oh, you should go see your mom and sister!" which could potentially set Yuuki off, and cause friction between them if Haru doesn't understand and pushes the issue at the wrong time/in the wrong way out of well-intentioned ignorance. (Hikari might also come into play in this manner, as bubbly as she is.)

So to that end, Ruriko becomes an antagonistic figure, potentially in a passive sense as her presence and connections to the Lead Pair and the friction that results between them because of their differing perceptions of her.

I hope she's maybe egotistical, but not actually a bitch who acts dismissively of Yuuki. That would be hard to sit through, and would only want me to see her get some sort of karmic blowback -- which I don't really see happening as I don't think that fits the tone of what this manga's going for.

So I'd rather she just be stupidly oblivious with a chip on her shoulder, and then try to make things up to Yuuki and ultimately acknowledge her daughter's talents at long last.

I could be wrong, though. No way of knowing, so that's mostly just what I hope to see.

The part that makes me think she's not "simply uncaring" and "entirely career-focused" is actually not because of her interactions with Yuu or Miyuki, but with her interaction with Haru. If Ruriko didn't really care for others and was solely focused on her own career, then she has no reason to go out of her way to encourage Haru, a complete stranger, to sing.

That's partially why I think she's just oblivious and self-centered (not in a malicious way, but in a "assume everyone wants what I want way) as well. Looking back at that scene, Ruriko says that "we're the same, after all" when talking to Haru. Of course, this is could be because they are very similar. Yuu even says as much when listening to Haru sing Blue Lupinus in Chapter 8, though she does note afterwards that it's actually not the same. Shows me that they're only the same on the surface, but if you look deeper, they're different. And Ruriko did not look deeper. She just looked at the surface level and assumed they were the same when I seriously doubt they are.

Will note though that Ruriko being "a bitch who acts dismissively of Yuuki" is a real possibility simply because of I Can't Say No to the Lonely Girl. That was the most wholesome manga ever and then it just had two chapters where one of the main characters' mom shows up and she's the most infuriating character I've ever read. So it's not impossible that something that doesn't fit the manga's tone could happen. Though Ruriko seems to be an actual character instead of just a plot device, so I doubt Kashikaze will make her comically evil.

Few things I'd like to finish off with. Miyuki still likely cares for Yuu. In Chapter 7, we see her looking at a picture of the two of them while saying "sister". Guessing her not being excited to see Yuu might imply that they aren't going to be seeing Yuu while they're there, which might be the reason they didn't tell her. Also, it is clear that Yuu is still hung up on Ruriko taking Miyuki to a different school, as, in the exact same chapter you quoted, she also says "I resent [Ruriko] deeply for what she did." Honestly, after looking at that chapter, part of her arc might just be accepting that she's not going to get Ruriko's recognition. Either that or, by the time she gets it, she won't want it anymore. Though that's getting side-tracked a bit.

 

[UdenEmpati]

The part that makes me think she's not "simply uncaring" and "entirely career-focused" is actually not because of her interactions with Yuu or Miyuki, but with her interaction with Haru. If Ruriko didn't really care for others and was solely focused on her own career, then she has no reason to go out of her way to encourage Haru, a complete stranger, to sing.

That's partially why I think she's just oblivious and self-centered (not in a malicious way, but in a "assume everyone wants what I want way) as well. Looking back at that scene, Ruriko says that "we're the same, after all" when talking to Haru. Of course, this is could be because they are very similar. Yuu even says as much when listening to Haru sing Blue Lupinus in Chapter 8, though she does note afterwards that it's actually not the same. Shows me that they're only the same on the surface, but if you look deeper, they're different. And Ruriko did not look deeper. She just looked at the surface level and assumed they were the same when I seriously doubt they are.

Will note though that Ruriko being "a bitch who acts dismissively of Yuuki" is a real possibility simply because of I Can't Say No to the Lonely Girl. That was the most wholesome manga ever and then it just had two chapters where one of the main characters' mom shows up and she's the most infuriating character I've ever read. So it's not impossible that something that doesn't fit the manga's tone could happen. Though Ruriko seems to be an actual character instead of just a plot device, so I doubt Kashikaze will make her comically evil.

Few things I'd like to finish off with. Miyuki still likely cares for Yuu. In Chapter 7, we see her looking at a picture of the two of them while saying "sister". Guessing her not being excited to see Yuu might imply that they aren't going to be seeing Yuu while they're there, which might be the reason they didn't tell her. Also, it is clear that Yuu is still hung up on Ruriko taking Miyuki to a different school, as, in the exact same chapter you quoted, she also says "I resent [Ruriko] deeply for what she did." Honestly, after looking at that chapter, part of her arc might just be accepting that she's not going to get Ruriko's recognition. Either that or, by the time she gets it, she won't want it anymore. Though that's getting side-tracked a bit.

I did read Can't Say No but it's been awhile so I'll have to go back and refresh myself on the mom character you reference.
I do remember a moment in that series where I was like "good god, what" so I suspect I'm thinking of the same general jarring vibe you mention here, and I agree - it's definitely not impossible, even if it seems like it'd be out of place, for Ruriko to be just an outright bad mother to Yuuki (in the active sense, not just in the 'split the family and abandoned her daughter' sense).

Beyond that, I think your points are sound. Looking back and seeing that I just skipped over Yuuki going on to express her resentment like you quoted, I just didn't read far enough, so Yuuki holding onto that makes me think that the next segment of the story is going to be a hard time for her.

Particularly because Miyuki, who we could argue might still care for her sister, didn't say anything. If that's because she assumes they won't have time to do so, that's one thing...but they're sisters, and the scene you reference at the end of chapter 7 would indicate that even years after the fact, she still thinks about Yuuki, and (presumably) misses her. And yet, since I found no indication they even kept in touch over the years, Miyuki didn't send word. Which makes me wonder what they're really doing back in Japan, that Ruriko & Miyuki couldn't make time for literal family.

And in light of that, if I assume that Ruriko's calling the scheduling shots for this return, then that points to there being no intention on Ruriko's part, and thus on Miyuki's part, to make time to see Yuuki. Which I do think adds a bit of weight to my initial claim that Ruriko is uncaring, even if not in a malicious sense. There's being "self-focused", but making zero effort to reach out to your daughter, or seemingly not allowing her sister to do the same, really reads like someone who just couldn't be bothered to make any effort, which I interpret as indifference more than obliviousness.

Haru's singing is what drew Ruriko that day, after all - it was a point of connection for her, perhaps, especially since Haru sounds similar to her ("Husky"). That could soften her demeanor toward Haru in that moment, but everything we're getting as it pertains to Yuuki makes it seem like Ruriko considers Miyuki her only child.

But in any case - that all will just have to be revealed in time, because I think we've gotten just enough to make guesses but not enough to make a definitive statement that stands on sufficient evidence. I know that I hope that Ruriko's not an actively malicious person--in that same chapter where Yuuki states that she resents Ruruiko, she goes on to say "...she'll always be our mother", with a flashback of Ruriko smiling down at younger versions of both sisters--so maybe it's a setup for a potential path to reconnection and reconciliation.

To circle back to what I said before though, I do think this next stretch of story will involve Yuuki "regressing" a bit, closing off with the return of her mother. If Haru gets excited and wants to see the live event--or more dramatically suggesting they try and meet up with Ruriko--I could see Yuuki pulling away and declining, and even potentially creating tension between her and Haru if Haru pushes back and insists.
My guess is Haru will run into Miyuki and/or Ruriko at some point later in this portion, and get it in her head to "get them to make up", and that will cause even more problems, putting Haru & Yuuki's partnership and budding relationship in jeopardy.
That's if this trends more 'dramatic' than Can't Say No, of course - but the seeds seem to be there, based on what I've seen.
Time will tell, I guess, but I'm excited for the next chapter.

 

[Aggapuffin]

I did read Can't Say No but it's been awhile so I'll have to go back and refresh myself on the mom character you reference.
I do remember a moment in that series where I was like "good god, what" so I suspect I'm thinking of the same general jarring vibe you mention here, and I agree - it's definitely not impossible, even if it seems like it'd be out of place, for Ruriko to be just an outright bad mother to Yuuki (in the active sense, not just in the 'split the family and abandoned her daughter' sense).

Beyond that, I think your points are sound. Looking back and seeing that I just skipped over Yuuki going on to express her resentment like you quoted, I just didn't read far enough, so Yuuki holding onto that makes me think that the next segment of the story is going to be a hard time for her.

Particularly because Miyuki, who we could argue might still care for her sister, didn't say anything. If that's because she assumes they won't have time to do so, that's one thing...but they're sisters, and the scene you reference at the end of chapter 7 would indicate that even years after the fact, she still thinks about Yuuki, and (presumably) misses her. And yet, since I found no indication they even kept in touch over the years, Miyuki didn't send word. Which makes me wonder what they're really doing back in Japan, that Ruriko & Miyuki couldn't make time for literal family.

And in light of that, if I assume that Ruriko's calling the scheduling shots for this return, then that points to there being no intention on Ruriko's part, and thus on Miyuki's part, to make time to see Yuuki. Which I do think adds a bit of weight to my initial claim that Ruriko is uncaring, even if not in a malicious sense. There's being "self-focused", but making zero effort to reach out to your daughter, or seemingly not allowing her sister to do the same, really reads like someone who just couldn't be bothered to make any effort, which I interpret as indifference more than obliviousness.

Haru's singing is what drew Ruriko that day, after all - it was a point of connection for her, perhaps, especially since Haru sounds similar to her ("Husky"). That could soften her demeanor toward Haru in that moment, but everything we're getting as it pertains to Yuuki makes it seem like Ruriko considers Miyuki her only child.

But in any case - that all will just have to be revealed in time, because I think we've gotten just enough to make guesses but not enough to make a definitive statement that stands on sufficient evidence. I know that I hope that Ruriko's not an actively malicious person--in that same chapter where Yuuki states that she resents Ruruiko, she goes on to say "...she'll always be our mother", with a flashback of Ruriko smiling down at younger versions of both sisters--so maybe it's a setup for a potential path to reconnection and reconciliation.

To circle back to what I said before though, I do think this next stretch of story will involve Yuuki "regressing" a bit, closing off with the return of her mother. If Haru gets excited and wants to see the live event--or more dramatically suggesting they try and meet up with Ruriko--I could see Yuuki pulling away and declining, and even potentially creating tension between her and Haru if Haru pushes back and insists.
My guess is Haru will run into Miyuki and/or Ruriko at some point later in this portion, and get it in her head to "get them to make up", and that will cause even more problems, putting Haru & Yuuki's partnership and budding relationship in jeopardy.
That's if this trends more 'dramatic' than Can't Say No, of course - but the seeds seem to be there, based on what I've seen.
Time will tell, I guess, but I'm excited for the next chapter.

Miyuki didn't send a word because she couldn't. Yuu and Miyuki can't contact each other. Don't remember the exact reason, but I'm pretty sure it's because they were separated as children, thus neither of them had a phone at the time. The entire motivation for Yuu becoming a musician in the first place is so she can get famous enough for Miyuki to find her.

Honestly, thinking about it, Miyuki might not be excited to potentially see Yuu simply probably also doesn't know where Yuu is. She might know that she's in Japan, but that's like knowing someone is in the United States and expecting to find them when you travel to Memphis, Tennessee.

The last thing I want to mention is that I don't necessarily agree with what you think is going to happen. If I have to put down a short-term prediction, I'd guess that Haru might push for them to potentially meet or go to a concert, only for Yuu to decline and say she wants to stick to her original plan in becoming famous enough to get her Mom's recognition. Then, knowing Haru's character, she'll probably back off. Only reason I can see her not doing that is that she might project her own family on to Yuu's, since Haru has a pretty good family life. Even if that happens, though, I doubt and potential drama between the two of them will last long. Likely a chapter at most. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if this whole thing actually serves to motivate her more and is what causes her to decide to sing alongside Haru.

Wouldn't be surprised if Yuu went to see them sing live if Miyuki is a part of it, but I'm not confident in them meeting unless it was very brief or Miyuki noticed Yuu was there or something, but Yuu left before Miyuki could talk to her.

The only other scenario I can really see is that this whole arc actually does serve to resolve Yuu's family drama and she changes her goal to becoming the best musician simply to be with Haru. Though, to be completely honest, I think Yuu's family stuff is going to be resolved near the end of the series, or at least when they're closer to their goal of becoming the top musicians. As it stands, they literally only released one song. It just feels too early to complete the literal biggest and most compelling underlying plot thread this series has.