Kusunoki-san wa Koukou Debut ni Shippai Shite Iru - Ch. 57 - A girl who has everything

[MrPP118]

Author-sama doesn't need to make Moe-chan into a bitch to decrease her popularity. We already know she is an unserious losing girl and far behind the other two.

I don't think the way Moe is acting here is anything new, she's always been headstrong, her calling Hebikawa out doesn't make her a bitch.

The thing about the war, as you put it, is that the Snek-haters pretty show up to trash on Hebikawa, on grounds that she offend their sensibilities. As evidence, I present to you idiot #1:

This guy is owning "the libs", except "the libs" here is a fictional girl who's also nothing more than bully. It's silly, it's like they're self-inserting themselves into every pore of the story. I've also never seen this guy nor idiot #2 having anything to say about Kusunoki beyond "um, she's a good person" either.

The development is a good thing, but for some of us, it's just lost love at this point. Also rather than pointing out that Kusunoki is more reserved than Hebikawa, it's better to just blame the author for not giving us Kusunoki's backstory sooner. If the author had done that, there would've been more chances for bonding scenes between her and Keisuke and there would also be more Kusunoki fans in here too. This really is just a lack of experience on the author's part.

I'm not sure if posting like this is necessary nor do I know who this "idiot #2" is you're referring to but as far as Kusunoki goes, her being kind and sweet isn't a bad thing.

I'm also enjoying how conflicted she is about the whole situation, as far as her backstory goes, yes, maybe we should have gotten some details sooner but I'm still happy with how things are developing.

I was wondering why even make Moe part of the love competition when it barely impacted the dynamics and she clearly has no chance (plus there was already a love triangle of sorts at play), but I guess it was about the "2 girls falling for the same guy and still being friends" bit that Hebi talked about this chapter. So if they keep their friendship strong even after this is over it would prove Hebi wrong so this is probably where the author wants to take this.

Moe is sadly the designated loser girl and her role like you said is to help prove Hebikawa's beliefs wrong, which ultimately is a good thing since Hebikawa does need to change her ways and have a more open and less twisted view on life.

 

[Rafalga]

Is this the first time we're seeing Kusunoki's home life and that her mother passed? If so seems kinda late.

I think all the snake praise all over twitter finally got to author and this is her way of make Kusunoki appear little more human and less of a template. I don't think this was planned at all this late into the story.

 

[MrPP118]

I think all the snake praise all over twitter finally got to author and this is her way of make Kusunoki appear little more human and less of a template. I don't think this was planned at all this late into the story.

I actually disagree with this view, if the author was being influenced that badly by snek praise then the story would have already pivoted to making Hebikawa the main girl.

 

[Trobilobada]

God this writing is so FUCKING BAD HAHAHAHA I JUST CAN'T

 

[UdenEmpati]

Moe is sadly the designated loser girl and her role like you said is to help prove Hebikawa's beliefs wrong, which ultimately is a good thing since Hebikawa does need to change her ways and have a more open and less twisted view on life.

The only problem for me is it further reduces Moe to nothing more than a plot device.

Her crush on Keisuke was going nowhere the moment it happened, Keisuke himself would never take her seriously (he thought she was an elementary school boy the first time they met), and this chapter planting the seeds that even if she knows Kusunoki also likes Keisuke, their continued friendship is meant simply "to prove Hebikawa wrong" means that Moe's friendship is for the benefit of the other two and their perception of things.

It kinda just diminishes her character all the more, and flattens out any depth she'd otherwise have. She's more like ammunition for the others to use against one another, than her own person, which is unfortunate to see given she's supposedly part of the heroine harem.

 

[Rafalga]

I actually disagree with this view, if the author was being influenced that badly by snek praise then the story would have already pivoted to making Hebikawa the main girl.

No lol why would she make her the main girl? Kusunoki's name is literally in the title (no one, not even the snake fans expect snake to win btw). She was super surprised by the praise snake got after her twitter popularity poll and probably started to think about why. And here we are.

 

[Asheron]

I don't think the way Moe is acting here is anything new, she's always been headstrong, her calling Hebikawa out doesn't make her a bitch.

Moe is more caricature than character in this chapter. Hebikawa speaking to her other friend about switching table tennis for volleyball and then Moe comes butting in like a rabid chipmunk spouting off like its her business. I'm not really even sure of the purpose. It's not a good look for her. If anything, it further reinforces the fact that Hebikawa is the only girl with a multi-dimensional personality, especially with Kusunoki's Mary Sue 150% pure type reactions. It looks like Kusunoki may get fleshed out a bit more now with her back-story.

Also, I hope when they do start playing volleyball it is not in sweaters and long pants! Where is the fan service?!? 😛

 

[MrPP118]

The only problem for me is it further reduces Moe to nothing more than a plot device.

Her crush on Keisuke was going nowhere the moment it happened, Keisuke himself would never take her seriously (he thought she was an elementary school boy the first time they met), and this chapter planting the seeds that even if she knows Kusunoki also likes Keisuke, their continued friendship is meant simply "to prove Hebikawa wrong" means that Moe's friendship is for the benefit of the other two and their perception of things.

It kinda just diminishes her character all the more, and flattens out any depth she'd otherwise have. She's more like ammunition for the others to use against one another, than her own person, which is unfortunate to see given she's supposedly part of the heroine harem.

To be fair, with or without proving Hebikawa's beliefs wrong, I still believe their friendship would be fine anyway as to show that Kusunoki's trauma won't continue.

But yes, Moe's role still seems pretty limited, but I'll enjoy her sweetness anyway.

No lol why would she make her the main girl? Kusunoki's name is literally in the title (no one, not even the snake fans expect snake to win btw). She was super surprised by the praise snake got after her twitter popularity pool and probably started to think about why. And here we are.

Haha yes, Kusunoki's name is in the title but even so I'd like to have some faith in the author and what they're doing.

 

[KuroViLolitannia]

Call me Sasuke because I still gonna leave em all for Orochimaru babyyyy

 

[Litreara]

I'm not sure if posting like this is necessary nor do I know who this "idiot #2" is you're referring to but as far as Kusunoki goes, her being kind and sweet isn't a bad thing.

This person can't keep an argument going, so they resort to insults whenever someone disagrees with them. I was having a discussion with them in the Chapter 54.1 thread, but they eventually gave up. You can see how the discussion started here and how it devolved over the course of the next page.

Now all they do is call me stupid, as you can see here, and they're now calling me an idiot.

 

[UdenEmpati]

To be fair, with or without proving Hebikawa's beliefs wrong, I still believe their friendship would be fine anyway as to show that Kusunoki's trauma won't continue.

But yes, Moe's role still seems pretty limited, but I'll enjoy her sweetness anyway.

Right - but the point is that Hebikawa's beliefs are important to the plot of this manga. "What if" hypotheticals are fine, but looking at the story the author is actually writing, Moe is merely a tool for Kusunoki's & Hebikawa's character arcs.

She needed to fall for Keisuke, because if she didn't, Hebikawa wouldn't see Moe and Kusunoki remain friends despite liking the same person. She needs to be forward and blunt, because she has to challenge Keisuke and Hebikawa and push their boundaries. She needs to be dedicated to Kusunoki, because Kusunoki is too passive at the start of the series to do much on her own in being more outgoing within class.
She's set up to fail from the start, and she'll even have to be okay with her best friend getting her crush, because she has to, in order to prove Hebikawa wrong.

Her personality and her actions are for the direct benefit of others, rather than simply facets of her person that exist for herself.
Granted, we haven't gotten the dedicated screen time with her that we have with the others--which is something else that reinforces that she's not a "full character" of the series.

And all of them have things that feel like qualities specifically implemented to counter facets of the others, but none to the extent of Moe. She's almost a Secondary Character, despite being firmly linked to the other Primary three.

 

[ipmanvsthemask]

her being kind and sweet isn't a bad thing.

It's the execution. She's kind and sweet in a world that rewards it, which is boring. Opposite to that is Captain America, he's kind and sweet in a world that rewards the opposite, which is much much more compelling.

 

[AquilaSilvestris]

Wow, that first half was like watching a snake get savaged by a duckling.

EDIT : Aaaand the end is the duckling getting hit by a meteorite. ... DAMN YOU, MII-SENSEI !

 

[breadhub]

Both heroines having family issues, Kusunoki doesn't have a mother figure and Hebikawa doesn't have a father figure. This is so sad, man

Thank you for translation

I'd argue that Hebikawa barely has a mother figure too

 

[vinostrife]

Fuckinn snaaaaakkkeeeee!!

 

[MrPP118]

I'd argue that Hebikawa barely has a mother figure too

It's also worth pointing out that Kusunoki's dad doesn't seem to be all there either.

 

[Nekotofu]

So Hebikawa jealous of Kusonoki because she's close to her late mother, and Kusonoki is jealous of Moe because she think Moe can do what she can't?

Man, Moe stock is still strong.

 

[Freeland]

It's also worth pointing out that Kusunoki's dad doesn't seem to be all there either.

At least Kusu’s dad doesn’t bring a pedo home to prey on his daughter, nor does he emotionally dump on her. Hebi got parentified by her mother

 

[MrPP118]

At least Kusu’s dad doesn’t bring a pedo home to prey on his daughter, nor does he emotionally dump on her. Hebi got parentified by her mother

Of course, it just looks like to me that Kusunoki's dad is emotionally distant, most likely because of his wife being dead.

 

[Lunkli]

Another great Hebikawa chapter, of course, (if you think this chapter hurts her, you do not understand her charm) but also why wasn't Kusunoki characterized like this from the beginning?? She's been fine so far, but she's just become a much more compelling character suddenly. Hebikawa's already been proof that the author can write interesting characters, but I guess they've finally realized that they can actually write interesting main characters, too, huh?