Kimi ga Hoeru Tame no Uta wo, - Vol. 5 Ch. 22 - Scream

[UdenEmpati]

People seem to care a lot about this whole thing with the mother and sister and how they need to repent and all that, but to me, it feels like just an obligatory setting thing. They had to get it out of the way at some point, but I don't think it's all that relevant.

if it wasn't all that relevant, then why was it a plot point in the first place? The whole of Yuu's original character tension was the feeling of inferiority she had over the fact her mother broke the family apart to take Miyuki to America to chase a music career, and it was set up as a goal of hers from early on that she wanted to prove both to her mother and to herself that she was just as worthy of a musician and a daughter.

 

[iikaido]

Said screw the drama we handing you a sick mom so you can all forgive her leaving her daughter lol. Give me my happy girls.

 

[Yuri_Enjoyer_Deluxe]

Bouta explain yourself? Asthma, go!

 

[GennArc]

if it wasn't all that relevant, then why was it a plot point in the first place? The whole of Yuu's original character tension was the feeling of inferiority she had over the fact her mother broke the family apart to take Miyuki to America to chase a music career, and it was set up as a goal of hers from early on that she wanted to prove both to her mother and to herself that she was just as worthy of a musician and a daughter.

Like I said, for me it's just background. Yuu lives alone and makes music, and the mother and sister thing is there just to explain all that and give some weight to her interests. If they never showed up, the manga wouldn't really lose anything of value, since the focus would still be on Yuu and Haru and the connection they share through music, which could easily lead to Yuu getting over her past.

 

[UdenEmpati]

Like I said, for me it's just background. Yuu lives alone and makes music, and the mother and sister thing is there just to explain all that and give some weight to her interests. If they never showed up, the manga wouldn't really lose anything of value, since the focus would still be on Yuu and Haru and the connection they share through music, which could easily lead to Yuu getting over her past.

Except she doesn't live alone, she lives with her father, and calling her absent mother & sister "background" appears to entirely gloss over the reason music is both important to Yuu, and also something she struggles with. She made a large leap in her character arc when she managed to sing alongside Haru, because it was her inferior singing ability compared to her sister that resulted in the two of them being treated differently, to the point that their mother broke the family apart and took Miyuki to America.
That stayed with Yuu all this time and left her miserable, until she was subsequently united with Haru and the two of them helped the other move past their individual hangups.
Which to the original point - people are "making a big deal" about Yuu's mother and sister because the two of them leaving her behind was the setup for Yuu struggling until she met Haru. They were the catalyst for her character journey and part of the impetus for her wanting to reach the point she and Haru have arrived at. To have her be hung up on it for years, only to turn around and have the mother just go "whoopsy I definitely didn't mean for it to look like I abandoned you" is taking all the tension surrounding Yuu's struggles with being left behind and treating it very flippantly, and it's not really all that satisfying when the narrative itself was setting up the encounter to be much more significant.

And your previous comment dismissing all of that as not relevant is missing a foundational part of Yuu's entire story—and additionally the fact that the story set up an expectation of a certain amount of narrative tension, only to fall down on delivering a proportional resolution.

 

[Manko-sensei]

With so much gay energy of course that they have won.

And what do you know? Mom acted the way she did because she knew she was dying so she wanted her daughters to... Do something in their lives so that they can move on with as little emotional instability as possible... or something...

As it was perfectly said here:

and:


Author inserting "terminal disease" at this point of the story is not going to make the public feel compassion toward her, and it shows...

Maybe it's death by preciousness, the common yuri chronical condition?

 

[Baffled]

This is actually so fucking comical
The sister was like "I fucking hate you and I hope you die" to Haru, then she loses and becomes all "Oh, sorry "
And when her mom has to say something about what a bad parent she is, she just straight up dies
What is this writing dawg

 

[Resound]

at least slap them both for leaving yuu behind without a word

 

[GennArc]

Which to the original point - people are "making a big deal" about Yuu's mother and sister because the two of them leaving her behind was the setup for Yuu struggling until she met Haru. They were the catalyst for her character journey and part of the impetus for her wanting to reach the point she and Haru have arrived at.

Well, you said it yourself. "The setup", "the catalyst" - all of that is the same as background, it happened prior to the story and was shown just briefly. It adds weight to her struggles with music and gives her a reason to reach out to Haru, but that's it.

Sure, it would've been nice if the author had come up with a more convincing motivation for her mother, but that's like having better worldbuilding in a fantasy story: nice to have, but not the most crucial thing. What matters more right now, I insist, is that recent chapters lack impact because the communication between the heroines has become too basic. But comments make it seem like some people are hyperfocused on her mother's sin and expect some retribution or at least double dogeza.

and it's not really all that satisfying when the narrative itself was setting up the encounter to be much more significant.

I'm not asking you to come up with a scenario, but just try to think about what kind of thing mother should've said that you'd find "satisfying" in this case. Some excuse? Some rational reason? Some hidden agenda?

 

[Amerine]

This seems like it's going to go out with a fart. The mother shouldn't be absolved so easily, sick or not, and it's kind of an anti climax to have them just... Win Japan's Got Talent on the first attempt and skip the career progression this story could have had. It feels rushed.

 

[Andigo]

Was going to complain that they need to get OUT of those school uniforms. I'm surprised they won popular vote when they looked way less put together than everyone else (could be argued the audience enjoyed a more "down-to-earth" look but I would still argue there was no indication of that either). However, got extremely distracted by the mom suddenly DYING and laughed too hard to care anymore.

School uniforms are formal and put together enough for a funeral or a classical music recital. That view of uniforms may have been normalized before single-use formal clothing became practical for family budgets or expected to not look poor. It'd be reasonable for a school to tell the duo to change after 1 round, it's out of place, but it's a put together look.

Mom doesn't communicate like a reasonable person so finding a replacement judge after she dead is going to be a hassle.

 

[Andigo]

I'm not asking you to come up with a scenario, but just try to think about what kind of thing mother should've said that you'd find "satisfying" in this case. Some excuse? Some rational reason? Some hidden agenda?

The inverse is worse. There's no reason other than cowardice for the mom to have failed this badly. Maybe some legal reason will get made up that somehow neither parent ever communicated. All that was needed was RURIKO to stay in touch to limit damage. A realistic initial attempt would be something like "You've got our phone numbers. Remember, we'll talk Sunday nights your time when I can, and otherwise Miyako and (agent) will sort it out. I want to stay part of your life." The line and agreement isn't the point here, it's the effort and clarity that's needed to not break a kid's heart.

RURIKO didn't try, and neither parent communicated why. It was set up as a mystery, and unfair.

A satisfying narrative answer isn't that hard in concept. Why do parents who isolate child custody between them fuck up communication IRL? Embarrassment, no-contact holdover from secretly very messy divorces with or without legal fault, ambition one child is seen holding back, pride they made the right choice, narcissism that a child who is more a symbol to them than a person won't matter or will understand to let this go, shameful pessimism that it doesn't matter or their constructed hypothetical provides a happier life for the lower-talent (or a slightly higher support-needs IRL) child. There're plenty of other variations.

Pick at least two. Not difficult. Either RURIKO is a two-dimensional character with a sob story who did nothing despite apparently recognizing the harm, or RURIKO has reasons and flaws where her own baggage was unfairly placed over Yuu and harm allowed to occur and fester. With that revealed, a quick forgiveness or anything more than slow steps to reconciliation can't feel like RURIKO sees Yuu as having value in her life independent of being a musician.

I'm more hoping we get introduced to new longterm drama beyond mom and the contest, because I like the setup and characters, but the RURIKO plotline feels bungled at this point. RURIKO likes music talent, wow, such depth.

 

[Orpheus7]

Guys ditching your kid to fulfill your goal builds character.

 

[ScherryNights]

I hear an axe falling after seeing that speedrun to the competition’s finale.

Maybe it’s just me, but this chapter moved lightning fast through the plot.

 

[pik3rob]

Karma really catching up to this bitch

 

[onedumninja]

So the mom went to america for a clinical trial and only took one of her kids? Like what the fuck can she possibly say to make it even slightly make sense to abandon her kid? If she was ill and seeking treatment why would they not tell her daughter about it.

Also why she no allowed to talk without having a medical emergency. Why you do this to us author? I really want to know what she was going to say.

I'm happy for yuu and haru winning and all but yuu has suffered enough already man. First abandoned and now her mom is dying after she finally gets to confront her about it. Give the kid a break and let her celebrate the win T_T

 

[_hng_]

Pacing is weird. Is the axe chasing?

 

[Midlani]

Here's my two cent theory
Mother is sick and had the stop her music career because it worsened her state. It's hereditary and can be passed on to her daughters. She did test and only yuu is positive.
She leave her behind to make her stop singing.

 

[www_Wind]

Did not see that coming, she's dying or smth?

 

[GL-Lover]

Clearly she's dying so that she can't put them in a contract with a no dating-clause