Nana to Kaoru: Last Year - Vol. 2 Ch. 12 - Future is by your side
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I cannot adequately express my gratitude to the translators for putting out this series. For genuine lovers of BDSM, it is incomparable to any other. Thank you so much for your hard work - I hope you know it is appreciated.
I "read" this chapter originally using Google Translate (yes, I know you miss a lot using GT) and I noticed a couple of things:
On the part where Nana is thinking about the other women she knows there's an asterisk from the author at the bottom of the page that says "And they're all M!", meaning Ai, Tachi and Tachibana are all Subs. That note was missing in the scanlation. Not a big deal, but I can't help to notice it.
Also, in the GT translation Yukari says "If you can't push, press" where in the scanlation says "if you can't go further, go further anyway." I'm guessing "if you can't push, press" translates as " if you can't go further, go further anyway", but I kinda like the expression "if you can't push, press". Makes it sound like "don't give up, find another way."
This is not a criticism on the scanlators, who have done a wonderful job. I particularly liked the way they were able to translate the "graffitti" on Nana's body in one of the earlier episodes. Just a couple of observations when comparing the scanlation to the original manga. I don't speak Japanese, but I like this series so much I'm actually buying the individual chapters in Japanese and then I "read" them using GT.
On the part where Nana is thinking about the other women she knows there's an asterisk from the author at the bottom of the page that says "And they're all M!", meaning Ai, Tachi and Tachibana are all Subs. That note was missing in the scanlation. Not a big deal, but I can't help to notice it.
Also, in the GT translation Yukari says "If you can't push, press" where in the scanlation says "if you can't go further, go further anyway." I'm guessing "if you can't push, press" translates as " if you can't go further, go further anyway", but I kinda like the expression "if you can't push, press". Makes it sound like "don't give up, find another way."
This is not a criticism on the scanlators, who have done a wonderful job. I particularly liked the way they were able to translate the "graffitti" on Nana's body in one of the earlier episodes. Just a couple of observations when comparing the scanlation to the original manga. I don't speak Japanese, but I like this series so much I'm actually buying the individual chapters in Japanese and then I "read" them using GT.
Well, the latest chapter (21) apparently takes place prior to the Christmas season. In Japan graduation is in the spring, so technically there's just 3 to 4 months before that happens.
Then again the "Black Label" series was published over the course of 4 years, but the story took place over a period of 4 days.
To be perfectly honest, I don't think Amazume Ryuta's other series (the one about extramarital affairs, the one about teacher Iris and Sefure) are on par with Nana to Kaoru. But apparently the publisher is really pushing to sell the one about extramarital affairs. So in the end I think it will be up to the publisher to keep Nana to Kaoru running and for how long.
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Nailed it. Dead, solid, perfect, NAILED IT.
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@furiousgreen
I know, right? It's a great story, but I don't know if people who don't have experience with BDSM completely realize how many moments get it absolutely right. Which is pretty exceptional when almost everything else to portray BDSM in fiction tends not to understand it. I can read through things like the collar arc and almost lose it because I've been there before.
After the past few chapters this one, while hot, felt like a bit of a step backwards. Worst of all being when Yukari has some great advice (i.e. "take the plunge and tell him first") but then backpeddles it into the same sort of vague, wishy-washy nonsense we've seen a million times before. Maybe Nana doesn't yet realize Kaoru's fear is partly rooted in the idea that she's only interested in their breathers, not him personally, but this was the time to really come out and say it. That she likes him romantically and truly wants to be together — as his girlfriend and his submissive — no matter what. It's still going to take a lot of effort to cut through his sense of inferiority, that even if she loves him he's going to end up holding her back and she might be better off without him, but she needs to make it clear exactly where she stands. It seemed like they got most of the way there in Black Label, but apparently following the classic "let's not talk about it" has caused that to be written off a bit by both of them. For as much as this series has teased it out, it's a point that needs to be crossed. There's still going to be plenty of drama and conflict once they get there.
I can just imagine the future 「あなたは．．．好きです。」「．．．愛してるも。」 and feeling my heart explode.
Along with that, as others have said, I think that taking this past the "will they or won't they" angle would also open things up to a whole new realm of challenges as they then try to navigate their burgeoning relationship. Not to mention all of the BDSM elements that they're still exploring. It would also be nice to see them move beyond the mentor relationships they currently have and meet another young, kinky couple to serve as a comparison and contrast. Not just someone to serve as a source of jealousy or guidance, but peers they can relate to.
I know, right? It's a great story, but I don't know if people who don't have experience with BDSM completely realize how many moments get it absolutely right. Which is pretty exceptional when almost everything else to portray BDSM in fiction tends not to understand it. I can read through things like the collar arc and almost lose it because I've been there before.
After the past few chapters this one, while hot, felt like a bit of a step backwards. Worst of all being when Yukari has some great advice (i.e. "take the plunge and tell him first") but then backpeddles it into the same sort of vague, wishy-washy nonsense we've seen a million times before. Maybe Nana doesn't yet realize Kaoru's fear is partly rooted in the idea that she's only interested in their breathers, not him personally, but this was the time to really come out and say it. That she likes him romantically and truly wants to be together — as his girlfriend and his submissive — no matter what. It's still going to take a lot of effort to cut through his sense of inferiority, that even if she loves him he's going to end up holding her back and she might be better off without him, but she needs to make it clear exactly where she stands. It seemed like they got most of the way there in Black Label, but apparently following the classic "let's not talk about it" has caused that to be written off a bit by both of them. For as much as this series has teased it out, it's a point that needs to be crossed. There's still going to be plenty of drama and conflict once they get there.
I can just imagine the future 「あなたは．．．好きです。」「．．．愛してるも。」 and feeling my heart explode.
Along with that, as others have said, I think that taking this past the "will they or won't they" angle would also open things up to a whole new realm of challenges as they then try to navigate their burgeoning relationship. Not to mention all of the BDSM elements that they're still exploring. It would also be nice to see them move beyond the mentor relationships they currently have and meet another young, kinky couple to serve as a comparison and contrast. Not just someone to serve as a source of jealousy or guidance, but peers they can relate to.
When Kaoru said he’d be a neet if he doesn’t get Into Todai I figured that between his connections and the impression he made at his debut in the original series he could probably be a pro dom. And then a few pages later, lo and behold.
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