Mietemasu yo! Aizawa-san - Vol. 4 Ch. 22 - Jealousy, Jealousy~

[enthusiastically.y]

Yippee (this chap feels way more comical 😭)

 

[ransato]

I think I'm an odd one here (and probably the only one) but I really really want Michi to end up with Kasumi. Like,, it's terrible for me cuz every chapter I'm trying to root for Aizawa and Michi (and to an extent I do!) but I can't get over the chemistry between Michi and Kasumi and it doesn't help that Aizawa is dead and Kasumi is alive. I know this sounds horrible and I'm not gonna justify it but every chapter I really hope Kasumi would just dump that senpai and develop feelings for Michi or something.

I mean, like I said, I am rooting for Aizawa and Michi, I know they're the main couple here and there was that cultural festival arc that made me like them even more. But I can't help but get my focus redirected to something else when after every progress they make, she regresses back to a wordless mime who acts like a child 24/7. I know some of it is for comedic effect and other parts are for the mystery of her death and why she's "haunting" the school but I cannot shake off the feeling that 90% of their interactions looks like an elementary school kid hanging off of a high schooler, at some point it's got to be weird for me.

And if I'm gonna be completely honest, I don't really care all that much if it's Kasumi who ends up with Michi (it would be best and perfect imho if it was her), I could do with Honda too (maybe not Masaki though) but I just want her with someone alive and someone who doesn't act like she's just started elementary school. I don't know if I'm making any sense.

 

[alfirizkyr]

That beatdrop isn't even an original scare and it still gave me crazy shivers. Sometimes the simplest horrors are just the best.

 

[Hikineet]

Thanks for the chapter.

 

[yanderecoverl]

What a wonderful gay chapter lol

 

[shittycoolusername69]

I think I'm an odd one here (and probably the only one) but I really really want Michi to end up with Kasumi. Like,, it's terrible for me cuz every chapter I'm trying to root for Aizawa and Michi (and to an extent I do!) but I can't get over the chemistry between Michi and Kasumi and it doesn't help that Aizawa is dead and Kasumi is alive. I know this sounds horrible and I'm not gonna justify it but every chapter I really hope Kasumi would just dump that senpai and develop feelings for Michi or something.

I mean, like I said, I am rooting for Aizawa and Michi, I know they're the main couple here and there was that cultural festival arc that made me like them even more. But I can't help but get my focus redirected to something else when after every progress they make, she regresses back to a wordless mime who acts like a child 24/7. I know some of it is for comedic effect and other parts are for the mystery of her death and why she's "haunting" the school but I cannot shake off the feeling that 90% of their interactions looks like an elementary school kid hanging off of a high schooler, at some point it's got to be weird for me.

And if I'm gonna be completely honest, I don't really care all that much if it's Kasumi who ends up with Michi (it would be best and perfect imho if it was her), I could do with Honda too (maybe not Masaki though) but I just want her with someone alive and someone who doesn't act like she's just started elementary school. I don't know if I'm making any sense.

A lot of people seem to believe that sentient ghost characters are supposed to be just like a transparent version of their living selves, but I think that defeats the point of making a character a ghost. Aizawa has limited ways of interacting with the world, her actions have limited consequences, and she is anchored to the school premises. Her body, if she can be said to have one at all, is barely human. I can't recall if she can even sleep. Which means she is isolated from human contact, seriously bored, and there is barely anything to inhibit her impulses. She has regressed the way you describe because she is a ghost.

I do hope at some point she will be able to communicate with Michi and others at least through writing (she should be able to control the school computers if she can touch things now), but it's possible that she'd be unable to put together comprehensible sentences even if she had the tools. It might be more helpful to approach her current state from the angle of ability rather than maturity.

I am someone who consumes a dangerous amount of yuri, but I don't believe every yuri manga needs to be a clear-cut romance narrative. I think treating the supporting cast as just girls Michi can end up with, or obstacles in this objective, does them a disservice. Obviously unless Aizawa resurrects or Michi dies then they are unlikely to be a real couple. At the same time, Michi has also gone through a sort of regression compared to her past self, so I think reintegrating her old self with her current one and maturing as a person is just as important for her journey as getting a girlfriend. So yes, these girls are gay, and it's okay to not find Aizawa girlfriend material as she is now, but there is much more to this story than who Michi will form a couple with.

Anyway, in case this needs to be said outright: Kasumi is not going to dump Sayaka just so she can be with Michi. It's just not going to happen. Whether or not Aizawa is girlfriend material, this development would not make any sense whatsoever.

 

[Beltaro]

I think I'm an odd one here (and probably the only one) but I really really want Michi to end up with Kasumi. Like,, it's terrible for me cuz every chapter I'm trying to root for Aizawa and Michi (and to an extent I do!) but I can't get over the chemistry between Michi and Kasumi and it doesn't help that Aizawa is dead and Kasumi is alive. I know this sounds horrible and I'm not gonna justify it but every chapter I really hope Kasumi would just dump that senpai and develop feelings for Michi or something.

I mean, like I said, I am rooting for Aizawa and Michi, I know they're the main couple here and there was that cultural festival arc that made me like them even more. But I can't help but get my focus redirected to something else when after every progress they make, she regresses back to a wordless mime who acts like a child 24/7. I know some of it is for comedic effect and other parts are for the mystery of her death and why she's "haunting" the school but I cannot shake off the feeling that 90% of their interactions looks like an elementary school kid hanging off of a high schooler, at some point it's got to be weird for me.

And if I'm gonna be completely honest, I don't really care all that much if it's Kasumi who ends up with Michi (it would be best and perfect imho if it was her), I could do with Honda too (maybe not Masaki though) but I just want her with someone alive and someone who doesn't act like she's just started elementary school. I don't know if I'm making any sense.

A lot of people seem to believe that sentient ghost characters are supposed to be just like a transparent version of their living selves, but I think that defeats the point of making a character a ghost. Aizawa has limited ways of interacting with the world, her actions have limited consequences, and she is anchored to the school premises. Her body, if she can be said to have one at all, is barely human. I can't recall if she can even sleep. Which means she is isolated from human contact, seriously bored, and there is barely anything to inhibit her impulses. She has regressed the way you describe because she is a ghost.

I do hope at some point she will be able to communicate with Michi and others at least through writing (she should be able to control the school computers if she can touch things now), but it's possible that she'd be unable to put together comprehensible sentences even if she had the tools. It might be more helpful to approach her current state from the angle of ability rather than maturity.

I am someone who consumes a dangerous amount of yuri, but I don't believe every yuri manga needs to be a clear-cut romance narrative. I think treating the supporting cast as just girls Michi can end up with, or obstacles in this objective, does them a disservice. Obviously unless Aizawa resurrects or Michi dies then they are unlikely to be a real couple. At the same time, Michi has also gone through a sort of regression compared to her past self, so I think reintegrating her old self with her current one and maturing as a person is just as important for her journey as getting a girlfriend. So yes, these girls are gay, and it's okay to not find Aizawa girlfriend material as she is now, but there is much more to this story than who Michi will form a couple with.

Anyway, in case this needs to be said outright: Kasumi is not going to dump Sayaka just so she can be with Michi. It's just not going to happen. Whether or not Aizawa is girlfriend material, this development would not make any sense whatsoever.

My belief on Aizawa is that she has full memory of events (unlike Michi), surely realizes Michi can see her by now, but understands the spiritual bindings preventing them from communicating. There's an unaccounted for gap between Aizawa's death and the end of summer break where she must have come to terms with things and wound up the goofy afterlife loving ghost we see now. And you're right, she's probably bored to death. We saw in ch6 she lies on the floor of the classroom at night but who knows if she actually sleeps.

Since nothing can stop Aizawa from acting on every dumb impulse, she happily indulges. It's been hinted her mature idol persona was an act, though a lot of attention has been given to the discrepancy so there might be more to it. Either way, I do think she's "all there" right now instead of being an imitation of herself. We don't have much perspective on ghosts yet, but it's bizarre how normal she is in comparison. We haven't seen a single ghost that could pass for human like that. All likely thanks to Little Michi. Michi wants to preserve Aizawa as best as possible. There's two interpretations there: Michi believed there was a solution if they held out long enough, or Michi was desperate enough to prolong the tragedy until they're forced to let go.

Anyway my point is Aizawa might be a big dummy but she's still human. She clearly has her own inner world. There's things she figures out before Michi, things she's lost on with Michi, things Michi gets that she doesn't. Aizawa is purely reactionary by demand of the narrative but not by characterization. I hope she and Michi are able to communicate when we're past asking why and start asking how to fix this. Otherwise Aizawa would spoiler dump the plot. But it sure would be nice to expand their dynamic into awkward pseudo-couple territory instead of rushing the end.

So romance!!
There is no feasible endgame besides Michi x Aizawa. However the manga is very flirty. Dorothy's uncommonly uninhibited for writing a non-sexy yuri manga: having characters call themselves lesbians, giving Seta 2 moms, not being rigid with affection despite hooking girls up. So it's not unreasonable to feel tempted to ship Michi around. I've seen multiple comments doing that with both Kasumi and Honda. I just don't think they're legitimate outcomes.

Kasumi likened her feelings toward Michi to her feelings toward Sayaka in ch9. Saying offbeat girls draw her in, which is partly protective urges but also that's her type. So if Sayaka were out of the picture, maybe. But their relationship seems rock-solid and Kasumi is definitely not the type to cheat. Which means when she says she's jealous over Michi this chapter, that's purely platonic in her eyes. And Aizawa not getting mad at Kasumi seals the deal. Dorothy doesn't consider this moment romantic. They might have good chemistry but Kasumi'd never intentionally flirt. She's too reserved, a bit friendship starved, and too head-over-heels for Sayaka.

Honda on the other hand intentionally flirts all the time. Her conversations bounce between extreme moods and sometimes she's all over Michi. She's even flirted with Kasumi. But I don't think she takes it seriously. This chapter comprehensively pairs her with Masaki. She simply values Michi as a close friend and has her own blurred lines of personal space. Not that it's impossible they could end up together, just that the manga's never going there. Also worth pointing out Honda was in actual love with Aizawa but who knows how those feelings have reshaped now. Maybe that'll get explored with Michi wondering how she sees Aizawa after failing her own audition.

Masaki was explicitly, word-of-god introduced as the start of a love triangle. And I do think this is only a love triangle right now, not a harem setup. While she's pushy and flirty, we're only seeing a fraction of her whole character. There's still her weird cold and yandere tendencies, questions of why she became immediately attached to Michi, what she's running away from. I expect Masaki to become a much more rounded character in time and more sympathetic too. Like the manga is freely calling her disruptive and inviting you to dislike her right now. "Let's All Get Mad at Hanamura Masaki Meetup."

For a peek behind the curtains, Dorothy revealed some early concept art for Masaki. She was meant to be introduced in volume 1 and was a significantly gloomier character, acting as the "horror representative" in the group - a role Sayaka fully took over as Masaki's intro was delayed (I'll include all this in the vol4 twitter extras). But I don't doubt that side of Masaki still exists. Other than exploring horror and the dark past of DeLphinus, I think Masaki's purpose is to give Michi the option of a living girl to fall in love with. An option she'll inevitably reject in favor of her feelings for Aizawa, forcing her to finally overcome her denial about falling in love with a dead girl. So much of this volume, the start of this long arc, is pointing that way.

To stop myself from rambling further: Michi x Aizawa is it. Both are somewhat shades of their former selves but will likely wind up restored (not revived not gonna happen) and together. Or part in horrible tragedy. But their searching for mutual understanding is the heart of the manga and that simply doesn't work if Aizawa isn't a complete individual to be understood. Aizawa loves Michi, Michi loves Aizawa, don't let Michi gaslight anyone into thinking otherwise. She can barely gaslight herself.

 

[WhereTheYuriAt]

Masaki is an SSS character, I love her shit-disturbing capability soooooo much. There's not a single boring panel with her. With that said, I hope she does eventually (waaaaay later, probably) end up with Honda, cause I really like their love-hate dynamic, but I also don't wanna see Honda sad.

And I also need Masaki to meet Sayaka, cause I wanna see how their two super strong personalities would interact (and I always want more Sayaka).

And I'm glad to see the return of drama queen Seta and his classic super dramatic panic about ghosts.

15/10 chapter (most other chapters are 10/10 already, what can I do?).

 

[beThereShortly]

When every wharacter is a weird sperg. No character is a weird sperg.
The art of this manga always amazes me. Thank you ofr the translation!

 

[GuerillaBae]

Overarching plot aside, Dorothy's comedy is going down in my personal hall of fame. This series has me laughing until my stomach hurts with all the great expressions and moments, and it always softens you up so the reminders that there's real bonafide horror elements continuously surprises you. I will never forget the first time we saw Aizawa melt/warp, I was SHAKEN.

Genuinely she is so good at humor and makes it seem effortless

 

[Shtoops]

Wow schizo girl really likes Michy. I'm sure this will go well.