Meguro-san wa Hajimete ja Nai - Vol. 11 Ch. 78

[otherworldlyisekai]

You didn't actually show any review tho. You just claimed there were which doesn't matter.

We get it, everyone here, on twitter, reddit and even 4chan all unanimously agreed you were full of shit and you're desperate to pretend you HAVE any backup (thus the alt account) but you're not fooling anyone.


But it makes those platforms unreliable and untrustworthy as source, that's what actually is common sense.


Wow, he couldn't make her suck his dick again?! That's crazy!....Oh wait, that's just going with what her sister and boyfriend said. 0 development.


Except you haven't shown shit except that you're really upset and getting even madder with your emoji spam. Every single reply, there's one more emoji, because you're that much more impotently mad every time.

No reaction at all this time? Did you stop because of the shame?

The reviews are there Amazon is even linked on the manga site’s page - go prove the claim that I made isn’t true - you certainly made a lot of claims but haven’t cited a single page 😂

Spotify is a publicly traded company if people really believed what you say about all their listeners being fake the stock would be at zero 😂

You said she did whatever she was told. I showed you she didn’t then you spewed out some terrible response.

I don’t sound like I’m upset though, you do.

You’re not even giving anything worth responding to 🥱

But really how do you not get embarrassed saying these kinds of things 😂

 

[BalrogDeMorgoth]

The reviews are there Amazon is even linked on the manga site’s page

So you have indeed not shown shit and I was right, thanks for admitting it.

Spotify is a publicly traded company if people really believed what you say about all their listeners being fake the stock would at zero 😂

I understand that you're desperate and actually acknowledging what I actually said would break your mind and force you to get on your knees to beg for forgiveness but your cope need to have limits.

You said she did whatever she was told

And she did. She did as she was told by others, which is why she was with sensei, had those specific rules, met up with her boyfriend again and broke up with him to begin with, all because someone else told her to.

I don’t sound like I’m upset though

Yes, you do. Because you are factually upset, which is why you spammed, made another account and now spam emojis.

You’re not even giving anything worth responding to 🥱

And yet here you are, responding and seething in a rage beyond anything you've ever felt.

Still no reaction from your other account? Damn, I really humiliated you into stopping.

 

[otherworldlyisekai]

So you have indeed not shown shit and I was right, thanks for admitting it.


I understand that you're desperate and actually acknowledging what I actually said would break your mind and force you to get on your knees to beg for forgiveness but your cope need to have limits.


And she did. She did as she was told by others, which is why she was with sensei, had those specific rules, met up with her boyfriend again and broke up with him to begin with, all because someone else told her to.


Yes, you do. Because you are factually upset, which is why you spammed, made another account and now spam emojis.


And yet here you are, responding and seething in a rage beyond anything you've ever felt.

Still no reaction from your other account? Damn, I really humiliated you into stopping.

I gave as much as I need to give for it count as showing something, l’ve cited multiple chapters and you already acknowledged that as worthy of a response even if it was a terrible one 😂

Meguro clearly broke up with her boyfriend because her friends were advising her on how to deal with her worries and her friend told her what she was doing and asked Meguro to make a judgement for herself and she did

Meguro decided herself she wanted to get tutored after Koga suggested it to help with her grades, Koga suggested it be her Sensei, instead of him, Meguro got tutored because Meguro decided she wanted to go to school beforehand

Nobody told Meguro to setup those rules 😂

I don’t think there’s a word in the dictionary that can describe how illogical your behavior is.

And no, I’ll never let the moral judgements of a sexist person make me feel bad: you are the person who should feel ashamed 😂

I really don’t sound upset you do. How could I be the one enraged your trying very, very hard to hurt my feelings but all you’re doing is displaying shameful behavior 😂

You’re saying all of this but why don’t you show something to prove it 😂

Just because someone tells you to do something doesn’t eliminate your own ability to say yes or no and your role in the decision making process which is something a lot of people can’t understand - there is a very big difference between doing something because you’re told to and because you want to 😂

 

[BalrogDeMorgoth]

I gave as much as

Jackshit, that's what you gave.

Meguro clearly broke up with her boyfriend because her friends were advising her

Okay so I'm right, thanks.

Koga suggested it to help with her grades, Koga suggested it be her Sensei,

So again, I'm 100% right.

I don’t think there’s a word in the dictionary that can describe how illogical your behavior is.

Because my behavior is perfectly logical while everyone agree you're being illiterate and insane with your fanfic.

And no, I’ll never let the moral judgements of a sexist person make me feel bad

And yet here you are, feeling upset and ashamed.

I really don’t sound upset

Yes, you do, you're so upset you've spammed a seething emoji in every single coping sentence of your wall of text.

Just because someone tells you to do something

So Meguro did do it because she was told to, making me right yet again.

It's so funny we went from 'you're not worth responding to!' to you angrily typing a novel at me. All because I shamed and humiliated you into dropping your side-account bullshit.

 

[otherworldlyisekai]

Jackshit, that's what you gave.


Okay so I'm right, thanks.


So again, I'm 100% right.


Because my behavior is perfectly logical while everyone agree you're being illiterate and insane with your fanfic.


And yet here you are, feeling upset and ashamed.


Yes, you do, you're so upset you've spammed a seething emoji in every single coping sentence of your wall of text.


So Meguro did do it because she was told to, making me right yet again.

It's so funny we went from 'you're not worth responding to!' to you angrily typing a novel at me. All because I shamed and humiliated you into dropping your side-account bullshit.

She didn’t do it because she was told to - she did it because she wanted to.

She made a decision on her own
to go to school, the same way she made a decision to go be tutored.

If you really wanna shame me go and prove that Amazon review doesn’t exist and all the users are fake.

How is 😂 a seething emoji it’s the literal opposite 😂

Nowhere does it say they advised her to break up 😂

You say I’m feeling ashamed but it’s more like a feeling of pity.

Why don’t you show me some evidence that Meguro only did those things because she was told and not because it she wanted to do - you’re the one who hasn’t shown anything 💀

There’s no tone of anger in the post though, I am motivated to clear up lies about the manga unlike others I actually have a strong interest in making sure people see the factual truth about the manga.

 

[bobleponge]

Jeez this is a battlefield...

Imma just go straight to the point. Is the ending lackluster? Sure. Are the actions the characters take unrecommended for most people? Definitely.

Are they out of character? No.

Which I think is part of why so many people hated the last arc, you don't have to self insert as Koga, you're not Koga, couldn't be me either. But I recognize that he's basically the "perfect all-accepting" boyfriend so his actions and his trust in Meguro make sense.

As for Meguro she was basically told to "stop being worried about stuff your boyfriend told you didn't bother him and focus on your exams since that's the goal you both wish to attain" and she somehow found the loophole of "if we break up I technically won't have to worry" + "I also dodge the whole despair of actual break up because we promised to get back with each other after the exams"

Someone else said that Meguro is basically autistic and I tend to agree this kind of almost nonsensical logic is actually fitting for her character .


Lastly for everyone that wished harsher punishment for the tutor I just think there's a dissonance in value. What looks to us like grooming probably doesn't look like that to a Japanese audience. So let it go I guess 🤷



Is this a perfect ending? Nah I wish we had a few more chapters to flesh things out, especially from Koga's perspective and the fact that he was basically worry-free and almost invincible during the last arc. Also the fact that there's still no snu-snu in sight feels kinda lame tbh lol

 

[Takuma_Aki]

Well, this series really stumbled hard right before the end, but the ending is indeed cute.

You still want her to wear it sometimes, Koga? I bet it's not outside though, is it?
(Reliving the day and doing things you didn't get to do due to being a virgin, I see, I see. )

 

[enjoyingmanga]

Are they out of character? No.

I like what you capture here, in that, what the characters do, makes sense based on who the characters are in the story.

What's important to remember is, at the beginning, Meguro's actions were wholly motivated by doing whatever her lover wanted.

With the final arc, what we get through Meguro, setting a goal for herself, and pursuing it, is Meguro making choices for herself, motivated by her interests, to benefit herself, even if it comes at the cost of not focusing on her partner's needs, and, instead requires focusing on herself, being selfish, and prioritizing her needs. I don't know if I would call Meguro's logic retarded, or say she's an autistic person... that's a little... but her solution certainly is worthy of being called... creative.

Overall, for Meguro, it's a big change in her character, looking at who she was at the beginning of the story, and who she was at the end of the story.

And Koga's just continuing to be the boyfriend he has always been and is supporting Meguro's growth.

Nobody needs to think it's perfect, and it's okay to say you don't like it or some parts of it, but, I think it's unfair to entirely write it off as completely bad writing, especially without actually acknowledging the elements of the story, instead of just saying you don't like it or some parts of it, just based on a value judgement.

 

[Knighto]

sorry for the long post 😅

Are they out of character? No.

Which I think is part of why so many people hated the last arc, you don't have to self insert as Koga, you're not Koga, couldn't be me either. But I recognize that he's basically the "perfect all-accepting" boyfriend so his actions and his trust in Meguro make sense.

As for Meguro she was basically told to "stop being worried about stuff your boyfriend told you didn't bother him and focus on your exams since that's the goal you both wish to attain" and she somehow found the loophole of "if we break up I technically won't have to worry" + "I also dodge the whole despair of actual break up because we promised to get back with each other after the exams"

Someone else said that Meguro is basically autistic and I tend to agree this kind of almost nonsensical logic is actually fitting for her character .


Lastly for everyone that wished harsher punishment for the tutor I just think there's a dissonance in value. What looks to us like grooming probably doesn't look like that to a Japanese audience. So let it go I guess 🤷

you made some good points, specially for the MC, her breaking up still feels weird for her character but again, her being on the spectrum and going for as you said: she was basically told to "stop being worried about stuff your boyfriend told you didn't bother him and focus on your exams since that's the goal you both wish to attain" and she somehow found the loophole of "if we break up I technically won't have to worry" sorry for the doble quote, but is just to mention that is a good point that I would say everybody agrees hahaha.

for your other point, we got chapter 71.5, where at least his teacher told him more subtly he was a POS (he would be a villain in another story), and quoting the first comment from that chapter that also irked many readers:

HawkGoggles said:
Author: "Listen guys, I know he may seem like a piece of shit,l but he's also a person, nothing wrong with that." Glosses over the context of the foundation of this story. This is what makes reading most romance stories hard because anything can be glossed over with, "but LOVE".

I would say a lot (maybe most) readers were expecting for him to at least get a slap to the face hopefully from Meguro or the sister with the axe hahaha.

and to end another quote that it's about why myself and others expected some kind of retribution for the tutor, like at least himself saying I shouldn't have told you that when we break up.
the_legendary_klobb said:
Sensei really fucked up by enabling this scumbag's attitude. She probably is a scumbag too and didn't want to be an hypocrite, but this guy really needed a clear disciplinary warning there. A strawberry is a strawberry, and and an asshole is an asshole.

Still this shithead's biggest crime was his goodbye advice when they broke up to "experience all and say yes to everything and everyone", basically abusing his influence as her tutor to impose his own scummy attitude into a sweet, gentle and gullible girl. We know how that turned out, he twisted the girl's mind to such a degree that its effects still linger, as Saki to this day harbors doubts and insecurities about her love for Koga when in reality she was always a normal girl able to love and be loved.

 

[the_Bear_from_Bearcave]

Lastly for everyone that wished harsher punishment for the tutor I just think there's a dissonance in value. What looks to us like grooming probably doesn't look like that to a Japanese audience. So let it go I guess 🤷

Considering that he did basically mindbroke her for I think few years until she met male MC, which easily could result in her turning into plaything of increasingly abusive boyfriends, like in some Emergence/Metamorphosis type of hentai, while being her tutor, I don't see why we should let it go when it's one of most important part of the plot how her current situation was harmful to her in result of her relationship with her years older tutor , which is then ignored by manga as "life experiences".

And just because some Japanese are fine with it, doesn't mean all of them are anyway, or that we should ignore it if some of them do. There were probably plenty of Japanese that were fine with Usagi Drop's ending, that doesn't mean people can't criticize the choice of making girl adopted when 6 year old crave adoptive father's kids as soon as she turns "legal".

As for TVTropes and Amazon reviews mentioned in other posts, firstly TVTrope is is not review page, it lists tropes used by author without commenting if given story does them well or badly. So it's absolutely useless as an argument about quality of the story, or about whether Meguro did develop as character or regressed. It just records author's intentions. And as for Amazon reviews, you'd first have to show me that their manga ratings can be critical in general. People who bought 11 volumes of any series with their own money are usually very biased towards liking the manga, so it's not surprising it can get 4.5/5. Even here most manga have ratings between like 8.2 and 8.9, with Meguro's current 7.08 - which looks like positive rating - being very low rating for this site and fitting the streams of criticism.

Best example is Rent-a-Girlfriend which is still pretty popular despite its bad writing, though with slowly dropping sales, so "some people who bought every volume of it still like it" is not really good argument. Everywhere I've seen where people aren't invested with their money, vast majority was as critical of the ending as people here.

EDIT: And one other thing I noticed with Amazon, while ratings didn't drop, numbers of reviews did, and by a lot more than usual. Stated at 842, ended on 120. That's 7 times less reviewers. I browsed few other series, and I didn't found any with such drastic drop. To compare, "How to Grill Our Love" was below average with getting from 1886 to 636 at volume 11 and 324 at volume 17. And the drop was mainly within first 4 volumes of Meguro-san, and slowed later, so like 2/3 of Amazon readers of first volume just stopped buying the manga after 3 or 4 volumes.

Also I didn't see a single series were ratings dropped by more than half of star, and even that was very rare, mostly it was either 4.5 for every volume or 5 also for every volume . When you display manga as "full series" it's easy to see and compare both numbers and ratings, so I consider rating argument as pointless. People on Amazon just don't drop the ratings, they stop buying next volume.

 

[enjoyingmanga]

Considering that he did basically mindbroke her for I think few years until she met male MC...

As for TVTropes and Amazon reviews mentioned in other posts, firstly TVTrope is is not review page, it lists tropes used by author without commenting if given story does them well or badly. So it's absolutely useless as an argument about quality of the story, or about whether Meguro did develop as character or regressed. It just records author's intentions.

And as for Amazon reviews, you'd first have to show me that their manga ratings can be critical in general. People who bought 11 volumes of any series with their own money are usually very biased towards liking the manga, so it's not surprising it can get 4.5/5. Even here most manga have ratings between like 8.2 and 8.9, with Meguro's current 7.08 - which looks like positive rating - being very low rating for this site and fitting the streams of criticism.

If the point of the discussion is about character progression, if the trope shows that the character was a certain way at one point and then the development of the plot makes them different at the end, then a trope applies to a discussion about character development. You said yourself he "basically" mindbroke her, so by your own logic she would be a doormat, and obviously she's not at the end of the series.

A star rating is a value judgement on quality, it's how people indicate how good they think something is.

The review doesn't need to meet some threshold you have for how in-depth it should be, before the person's star rating is considered to credible.

If a series gets 4.5/5 stars as a rating then saying "everyone" thinks the ending is trash is a lie.

Arguing over basic points like this is ridiculous.

 

[enjoyingmanga]

sorry for the long post 😅

you made some good points, specially for the MC, her breaking up still feels weird for her character but again, her being on the spectrum and going for as you said: she was basically told to "stop being worried about stuff your boyfriend told you didn't bother him and focus on your exams since that's the goal you both wish to attain" and she somehow found the loophole of "if we break up I technically won't have to worry

no she wasn't the text from the chapter literally says,
"i believe he does... he does struggle with it."
"since I started doing classes with sensei, he has been contacting me less frequently"
"how do i truly care for the one i want to care for the most'
"this isn't the time for that"
"i can't begin to imagine what the two of you are thinking in detail but your goals are the same"
"do you think you can take care of everyone's problems"
"no not at all"
"so you should understand... i know i did"
"i'll let you know that i'm going to give you advice for my own sake"
"when you need to take care of yourself'
"you need to be selfish"
"to live alongside someone... that can come later"

So, no.

She is definitely not told to not worry about stuff your boyfriend told you didn't bother him.
Meguro what bothers him, but is deciding to focus on herself anyway, so she can achieve her goal (and the goal he wants).
It's not framed as if we break up, I won't have to worry, it's framed as, if we break up, I can focus on myself, and the things that I want to achieve because now is not the time to worry about taking care of everyone's problems.

 

[bobleponge]

for your other point, we got chapter 71.5, where at least his teacher told him more subtly he was a POS (he would be a villain in another story), and quoting the first comment from that chapter that also irked many readers:

HawkGoggles said:
Author: "Listen guys, I know he may seem like a piece of shit,l but he's also a person, nothing wrong with that." Glosses over the context of the foundation of this story. This is what makes reading most romance stories hard because anything can be glossed over with, "but LOVE".

I would say a lot (maybe most) readers were expecting for him to at least get a slap to the face hopefully from Meguro or the sister with the axe hahaha.

and to end another quote that it's about why myself and others expected some kind of retribution for the tutor, like at least himself saying I shouldn't have told you that when we break up.

Hmm yes I agree that the teacher did some really heavy damage and maybe it would have been cathartic to see him going through the wringer but I just don't think that Meguro is someone who could done that. Correct me if I'm wrong but throughout the story we've rarely seen her get really mad against anyone, no matter how rude or mean they are towards her, the worse way she could have shown her resentment (if she had any) would probably have been by giving him the cold shoulder. I guess we'll have to make do with other characters rightfully calling him out and the sister giving him the stink eye.



Rather than still being angry against someone that hurt them I'd rather see someone move on and find their own happiness, which is why I was satisfied when Meguro showed that she didn't need to exchange anything more than greetings with Sensei when she met him again for the first time in many years




I think what the author was trying to convey through Meguro is that she's thankful for what Sensei taught her because even if it gave her a lot of pain it's still because of her experience that she was able to have THIS relationship with Koga. It's kinda similar to how divorcees might not have many fond memories of each other or of their relationship but still be thankful for their failed marriage because it's thanks to that and their ex-partner that they now have THOSE kids that they love very much.

 

[bobleponge]

Considering that he did basically mindbroke her for I think few years until she met male MC, which easily could result in her turning into plaything of increasingly abusive boyfriends, like in some Emergence/Metamorphosis type of hentai, while being her tutor, I don't see why we should let it go when it's one of most important part of the plot how her current situation was harmful to her in result of her relationship with her years older tutor , which is then ignored by manga as "life experiences".

And just because some Japanese are fine with it, doesn't mean all of them are anyway, or that we should ignore it if some of them do. There were probably plenty of Japanese that were fine with Usagi Drop's ending, that doesn't mean people can't criticize the choice of making girl adopted when 6 year old crave adoptive father's kids as soon as she turns "legal".

Basically my point with the cultural differences is that what you consider "really bad" might just be considered "bad" elsewhere and we get influenced by Japanese media as much as we influence them.


You mentioned metamorphosis but may I remind you that that story involves a highschool girl having intercourse with men older than her? Technically that's an underage girl being portrayed in explicit ways and yet no one bats an eye at that part.


We the "weebs" have created a separation in the "underage" categories. We would call "loli" tag enjoyers as pedos but almost no one would consider the "schoolgirl" one in the same way, even though that tag is full of minors having relations with each other or with adults. Maybe there's a distinction amongst weebs but I don't think the general population sees it that way.



There's something similar going on with the tutor, I think we're just a little more sensitive to that kind of relationship than Japan is.

 

[Rafalga]

Lastly for everyone that wished harsher punishment for the tutor I just think there's a dissonance in value. What looks to us like grooming probably doesn't look like that to a Japanese audience. So let it go I guess 🤷

There's something similar going on with the tutor, I think we're just a little more sensitive to that kind of relationship than Japan is.

It does look like that for the Japanese audience as well. There was a great guy in previous chapter discussions who was traslating JP reviews and comments from the offical app and site. They were just as dumbfounded ad disgusted as we were when the "thanks for the rape and abuse sensei, i love you" happened.

 

[OliveOilOilOil]

This year seems to be the particular year mangakas make their quid by deliberately being controversial

• Meguro-san
• Cheeky gal sister
• Harapeko Oyako

And many vanilla titles getting axed. Japanese readers seem to have peculiar tastes

 

[otherworldlyisekai]

They were just as dumbfounded ad disgusted as we were when the "thanks for the rape and abuse sensei, i love you" happened.

Their entire encounter was consensual, no evidence of age-related crime so saying rape is so misleading to anyone who hasn’t read the manga, there is no rape 🤮

Is there anyway you can stick to what actually happened in the manga 🤦‍♂️

 

[babugue]

Their entire encounter was consensual, no evidence of age-related crime so saying rape is so misleading to anyone who hasn’t read the manga, there is no rape 🤮

Is there anyway you can stick to what actually happened in the manga 🤦‍♂️

She was 12, and he was in a position of power, significantly older than her. According to Japanese law at the time, the age of consent was 13, but there is an additional stipulation that individuals under 18 cannot legally consent to sexual activity with someone who is in a position of authority over them, such as a teacher. Given that he was a teacher and likely at least 17 or older, the relationship clearly falls under statutory rape by Japanese legal standards, regardless of any perceived consent due to the power dynamics and age difference.

Under both the old and the new laws in Japan, which aim to protect minors from exploitation, she could not legally give consent because of the age difference and his position of authority. It's concerning how often this aspect is overlooked or defended. Statutory rape is defined by law, not by morality or personal opinion; thus, even if there was consent, legally, it was still rape.

If we look at the original Japanese manga posts and translate them, it becomes clear that many readers in Japan also found the ending deeply concerning. This sentiment is mirrored in the Western audience, where many have expressed similar disapproval of how the storyline concluded. This isn't just an isolated or Western perspective; it's a widely shared concern across different cultures regarding the ethical implications of this narrative choice.

So, how is that not rape?

 

[otherworldlyisekai]

She was 12, and he was in a position of power, significantly older than her. According to Japanese law at the time, the age of consent was 13, but there is an additional stipulation that individuals under 18 cannot legally consent to sexual activity with someone who is in a position of authority over them, such as a teacher. Given that he was a teacher and likely at least 17 or older, the relationship clearly falls under statutory rape by Japanese legal standards, regardless of any perceived consent due to the power dynamics and age difference.

Under both the old and the new laws in Japan, which aim to protect minors from exploitation, she could not legally give consent because of the age difference and his position of authority. It's concerning how often this aspect is overlooked or defended. Statutory rape is defined by law, not by morality or personal opinion; thus, even if there was consent, legally, it was still rape.

If we look at the original Japanese manga posts and translate them, it becomes clear that many readers in Japan also found the ending deeply concerning. This sentiment is mirrored in the Western audience, where many have expressed similar disapproval of how the storyline concluded. This isn't just an isolated or Western perspective; it's a widely shared concern across different cultures regarding the ethical implications of this narrative choice.

So, how is that not rape?

Chapter 71.5
It says Sensei wants to help Saki get through to her high school acceptance.

Saki is in middle school, the age range for middle school is 12 to 15, and obviously if Sensei is helping her get into high school she is at the higher end of the age range of middle schoolers, at least 13, more likely, honestly 15.

Age of consent is 13, so there’s no contextual evidence to suggest statutory rape and definitely none to suggest it wasn’t consensual.

Saki and Sensei are potentially both minors as well (once again, show evidence of Sensei being 18 during the relationship, if it exists)

Under Japanese law, a "position of authority" is typically defined in specific contexts (e.g., school teachers, employers, or other adults responsible for the welfare of minors). In many cases, for something to legally constitute a "position of authority," there has to be a recognized responsibility over the minor's welfare, safety, or discipline. In the case of a tutor, unless they have some form of custodial responsibility or the relationship goes beyond just academic tutoring (e.g., living with the student), they would not generally be seen as having legal authority.

Just because he is a tutor does not mean he raped her from a position of authority, obviously, to be clear, so no one can say otherwise this is not to say that he didn’t do something bad by engaging with her dishonesty, but rape is an extremely sensitive topic and should be handled carefully.

What you’re talking about is something like what happened in Daredemo Dakeru Komi ga Suki, where a teacher used their power at the school, threatening to report Agawa if she did not consent to doing lewd acts she did not want to do. There he actually has authority over her, coerces her to do something she doesn’t want to do and fits into the role of someone with power, and a willingness to act coercively all while having responsibility for the welfare of the minor.

 

[the_Bear_from_Bearcave]

Basically my point with the cultural differences is that what you consider "really bad" might just be considered "bad" elsewhere and we get influenced by Japanese media as much as we influence them.


You mentioned metamorphosis but may I remind you that that story involves a highschool girl having intercourse with men older than her? Technically that's an underage girl being portrayed in explicit ways and yet no one bats an eye at that part.


We the "weebs" have created a separation in the "underage" categories. We would call "loli" tag enjoyers as pedos but almost no one would consider the "schoolgirl" one in the same way, even though that tag is full of minors having relations with each other or with adults. Maybe there's a distinction amongst weebs but I don't think the general population sees it that way.



There's something similar going on with the tutor, I think we're just a little more sensitive to that kind of relationship than Japan is.

Underage is very wide definition, like in my country technically 15yo is age of consent, but people will not think kindly of you if you actually do try to pull shit like that. But more importantly, the whole relationship of tutor with Meguro-san was exactly the harmful kind that is basis for automatically forbidding by law even "consensual" relationship between teenagers and adults in most civilized countries.

He was older than her. She was in middle school, where most kids are still just that, dumb and naive kids. He knew far more than her, which was the basis of their relationship. Far more experienced, and giving the aura of teacher, not just in science, but in everything concerning life and emotions. She was naive, unknowing, possibly autistic, barely post-pubescent, and he taught her everything, had sex with her, and left her in a state that made her perfect victim for any abuser that would met her. That kid of shit is precisely why we started to have laws against such abuse, even if they can be sometimes overreaching, and why this kind of relationship is now universally seen as harmful. Which it clearly was to her, anyway.

Her relationship with him is similar to every abusive age-gap relationship I've seen in manga or in real life. That's the real problem here. This isn't some "they just have an age gap", this was harmful relationship where one side was older and more experienced and left the other, young and naive character harmed and vulnerable. You can't just dismiss this shit.

Age of consent is 13, so there’s no contextual evidence to suggest statutory rape and definitely none to suggest it wasn’t consensual.

Jesus Christ, do you even realize how low are you putting the bar now? 13yo are kids. Like, literal children.