Sekine-kun no Koi - Vol. 5 Ch. 32 - Sekine-kun's Love

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What a beautiful journey it has been! An awkward guy who perhaps couldn't express himself and couldn't read others, and a normal girl who just got confused because he's such a catch but there's such a catch!
 
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I don't know... I have contradicting feelings about this manga. The ending was cute and lovely but I felt like the characters could't really rich until the end. I mean, his friend who apparently never noticed the ML's distress and his sick relationship with women. I wondered what kind of family he had to be like this... Then the FL who misunderstood him completely even if she saw all his tears at the beginning. She never asked why and he never told her his horrible experiences (so horrible that he was sick just thinking about them!). I hope they'll talk about it in the future but this'll remain at our imagination...
Sp for all these reasons I really appreciated especially the chapters at the beginning but then I'd wanted more introspection. In any case thank you very much for the translation! 😊
 
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That little epilogue made me feel SOOOOO nostalgic for Kyoto. Does everyone go the same route? I'm glad they finally came to a mutual understanding! I hope Sara can help heal him from his past traumas.
 
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I feel conflicted about this. I understand there are people who can “move on” from their trauma without having to discuss it.

But I felt here since there was a lot of misunderstandings about our ML then the author should have had him at least discuss it a bit. His past is devestating and I felt like he was someone that needed to share it. Even just. A bit. I mean that panel where he cried after the fl assumed he was okay with all the attention he gets made me so sad. I just wanted to jump in and give him a hug.

And also his relationship with his senpai? I don’t think he ever loved her and I felt like we never got a clear answer about that. It’s not the most important thing in this story but eh just something that kinda bothered me. Overall it’s a good story and I would def rec to this anyone.
 
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after rereading this again the ending is really bittersweet like other comments say. I guess it's realistic in a depressing way, because the reality is therapy isn't normalized and sexual assault, especially where the victims are men, is. Japan is even worse with regards to both of those.. Sekine needed therapy before even thinking to start a relationship. But how many of us actually get therapy? How many have the courage, or the financial or geographical means? Sigh..
 
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I feel conflicted about this. I understand there are people who can “move on” from their trauma without having to discuss it.

But I felt here since there was a lot of misunderstandings about our ML then the author should have had him at least discuss it a bit. His past is devestating and I felt like he was someone that needed to share it. Even just. A bit. I mean that panel where he cried after the fl assumed he was okay with all the attention he gets made me so sad. I just wanted to jump in and give him a hug.

And also his relationship with his senpai? I don’t think he ever loved her and I felt like we never got a clear answer about that. It’s not the most important thing in this story but eh just something that kinda bothered me. Overall it’s a good story and I would def rec to this anyone.
https://mangadex.org/title/efbd7593-c29f-45ec-aacb-497029978136/sensitive-boy this series may explore moving on from such trauma more in depth I guess. I also felt the same about wanting to know more about his past.
 
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After going through all of this in one sitting, I must say I'm mixed
I suppose it's realistic that we all, like Sekine, will continue to carry our own personal mental baggage that we will probably never unpack properly
We also can pine for others and never have our feelings reciprocated, and we will have to live with that

That being said, as far as a story in a manga goes, I feel incredibly unsatisfied at the end of this. Seikine's trauma turned out to be a backdrop, a cause for the kind of character he is, rather than an obstacle he had to properly overcome (maybe with the help of opening up to others, maybe by his own willpower)
With only a single chapter to properly conclude all of this, he basically comes onto "The Grandaughter", she lets him this time, and they become a thing.
We'll never know if they'll ever properly communicate what goes through their heads (which I feel is a big part of what made this story compelling)
We'll never know if Sekine will stop being catcalled or harassed by people he had no interest in (or if he ever came to realize why these things happen to him at all, not that it's really his fault)
We'll never know if he ever actually comes to building an actual relationship and bond with his two "friends"
We'll never know if he ever gets to play his magic card tricks

And I suppose these plot threads being left unwoven is realistc to some degree
Doesn't mean I have to like it though
 

pzz

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hmm idk I don't agree with the sentiment that Sekine just moved on and things are unresolved, this ending is much more hopeful than that. With how kind and thoughtful Kisaragi is, I think eventually she'll help Sekine to overcome his trauma and become much happier. I know she has those misunderstandings in the manga, but from her inner monologue you can tell that she's a normal girl who's really trying to understand the enigma that is Sekine, and she does manage to understand without directly asking him about the topic. So I have trust in the couple to do well, maybe I'm too optimistic haha.

Also, the fact that the manga didn't explicitly 'resolve' the trauma by talking about it in direct manner is one of its strengths. Instead of Sekine immediately changing in one climactic scene, he gradually learns through his thoughts, feelings, and actions in the moment, which is basically he's doing throughout the whole story. Showing not telling. So it's the complete opposite of most manga/anime lmao.

I guess my point is that from their personalities and the way they think, I feel like they're gonna be just fine.
 
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hmm idk I don't agree with the sentiment that Sekine just moved on and things are unresolved, this ending is much more hopeful than that. With how kind and thoughtful Kisaragi is, I think eventually she'll help Sekine to overcome his trauma and become much happier. I know she has those misunderstandings in the manga, but from her inner monologue you can tell that she's a normal girl who's really trying to understand the enigma that is Sekine, and she does manage to understand without directly asking him about the topic. So I have trust in the couple to do well, maybe I'm too optimistic haha.

Also, the fact that the manga didn't explicitly 'resolve' the trauma by talking about it in direct manner is one of its strengths. Instead of Sekine immediately changing in one climactic scene, he gradually learns through his thoughts, feelings, and actions in the moment, which is basically he's doing throughout the whole story. Showing not telling. So it's the complete opposite of most manga/anime lmao.

I guess my point is that from their personalities and the way they think, I feel like they're gonna be just fine.
Yeah I'm definitely in the camp of Sara understanding him without it being explicit. Of course, she won't know his trauma until he says it outloud. But she understood early on he doesn't exactly ask or seek the type of attention he receives. He has no clue how to deal with it except to freeze and go along with it due to his trauma. Sara is the only person in his entire life he actually sought to pursue. Like she said at the end, she didn't believe it could be true until she accepted him for who he is (which is exactly as he presents himself)

So like you, I don't think we need to know his therapy sessions. I think the manga shows us Sekine coming to terms and facing his past assault for what it is instead of burying it. I think his growth is shown in him trying to understand himself and Sara, instead of just letting things happen to him.
Him telling that lady "no" is a big deal. Because he didn't know how to do that at first.
 
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I liked the series, but I feel like it never reached it's full potential, there's many plot threads that never were explored much. And Doujima went from "I'll annihilate him" to being kinda cool without letting us know what went through his mind for that (thuogh it's a welcome change). His past was barely developed, Sara just put an end to it by telling him basically that crying is bad? lol. And then there's the annoying misunderstanding after their date till the end. Then they get together, The End.

Still, glad I read it, 7/10
 

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