The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All - Ch. 68 - We, on the Waiting Side

[SrNevik]

I really dont think it shifted at all. It just evolved into something more healthy.

Progression is not the same as shifting.

"Evolving," or "shifting." The wording isn't really important. Earlier the series was more primarily and typically romance focused, with a focus on the crush, revealing the crush, thinking about the crush etc. An audience member might have a set of expectations for how the story would progress from there.

As time has passed, it has  evolved into a story more about the appreciation of music and how those girls revolve around it. It's still a romantic story, but it's no longer the primary focus of the typical chapter. You'll go many more chapters now without more than a hint to the romance (which can be fine).

I could see someone losing interest if they do not care much for music or the slow burn romance happening behind the music stuff. They may not have expected it to as much of a slow burn as it has turned out to be, for example. I still read it and enjoy it but I enjoyed it a bit more earlier on.

 

[zokoi19]

I can’t be the only one who thinks this series has become utter dogshit but people think it’s cool cause Green?

The whole “Guy I’m interested” angle disappeared completely and WASNT replaced by Yuri for some weird fucking reason, it was replaced with Daria level teen angst but somehow without the gay subtext. the 4 panel limit but no contiguous story telling nothing happens.

I wouldn't call it dogshit but I agree it has changed its focus and the series is now frankly, overrated as hell.

I'm only following to know how this would end, but personally I feel no enjoyment or attachment to the characters and their journey anymore.

The relationship progression is also poorly done. No one confessed, they aren't even a couple and yet they're already, somehow, dealing with the potential issues of long-distant loving/career-or-love drama??

 

[AccForManga]

So basically you agree with me but like the lack of romance isn't an issue for you? I know 90% of Romance Manga's don't like actual "Romance" like this one turned into, but I love the real chase, the actual display of emotions, wants, lust, passion, ROMANCE.

This internal feelings and though bubbles mean nothing compared to actual conversations and confessions. The "Implied romance" or "budding feelings" Manga's deserve to have a whole other Tag. It's not Romance, it's something that leads into Romance but before you start dating that's not Romance.

If you have a crush on a Classmate, you can't go around saying "Oh I've been involved in Romance before, I thought about my classmate a ton! So romantic right?" Just imagine how crazy dating would be if you had to both fall deeply in love before the first date, all while never once saying your feelings out louds? It's madness

I dont view the shallowness at the start as romance. Its just infatuation, thats not...romance/romantic. To me thats nothing, I fundamentally dont understand that at all. Its too weird and doesnt make sense to me. If it was still just that I probably would have stopped reading.

I view what is happening now as romance. They actually got to know each other, continue to get closer, they have genuine feelings toward each other. To me thats a romance/romantic story. Thats why I love this story so much.

To me what you are talking about is a shallow lust story. To me what is happening now is a genuine romance story. Thats my way of thinking. I couldnt care less about shallow lust as a story.

 

[Akaishishi]

Agree or not the manga as it is for now is teen highschool SoL (with music) and drama focused and not a romance placed in an higschool environement with some music . And it's fine if you like this.

But I can't see the romance here. In 68 chapters did koga show interest once in her? It's really a single side crush for now. Dont even know if you say its love ?

It's not a criticism on my part, it's just not what I expected. And i will continue reading !

BUT either way its really slow, not only the "romance" (which can be fine, slowbrun more realism etc etc), but the story too. I think you can jump from chapter 20 to now and not missing a thing right ?

The 4pages dont help at all

Ty for reading! I just wanted to write my (not organized) thoughts !

 

[AccForManga]

...I am legitimately flabbergasted people have this opinion that its not romance.

Its like if someone were to tell me One Piece has no pirates or Naruto has no ninjas.

I am just honestly confused as all hell right now.

---

Again though, I AM Aroace so maybe...I just really dont get this? Do you need to want to instantly get into someones pants for people to view it as romance? To me thats just lust which isnt the same thing...

Plus they are...still young dont forget...

 

[Akaishishi]

...I am legitimately flabbergasted people have this opinion that its not romance.

Its like if someone were to tell me One Piece has no pirates or Naruto has no ninjas.

I am just honestly confused as all hell right now.

I may have explained myself poorly since english is not my strong. IT IS A ROMANCE. Since one character has feeling for someone. I think the issue with it with some readers its that its not entertaining romance for now.

No romantic moments, no development in their relationship as love interset (cause as friends its really good to read).

So it may be because of that ?

I think people are not saying its bad just not pleasant to read when you WANT that kind of troop.

Again its just my comment and my thought as a random manga enjoyer

 

[SrNevik]

...I am legitimately flabbergasted people have this opinion that its not romance.

Its like if someone were to tell me One Piece has no pirates or Naruto has no ninjas.

I am just honestly confused as all hell right now.

---

Again though, I AM Aroace so maybe...I just really dont get this? Do you need to want to instantly get into someones pants for people to view it as romance? To me thats just lust which isnt the same thing...

Plus they are...still young dont forget...

The discussion is starting to pile on so I won't say too much but "getting into someone's pants" is not the way I'd put it at all. That's not what's being asked for.

To put it simply, there are many more chapters now where the two girls don't interact, or don't interact alone together. What you're left with is a thought here or there, or other characters insinuating something (like in this chapter). It's not about getting into someone pants, that's reducing romance to sex or even physicality, which is not the argument.

They're mostly feeling around each other rather than at each other, if that makes sense. And our MC is the one doing most of the feeling. Koga is still being left relatively mysterious about her internal thoughts.

 

[itmealice]

imagine being one of the people who popped a blood vessel about how Kanna was going to be a love rival and ruin the series

 

[Rafalga]

Thats a solid question

 

[Thrembs]

Well, yuri will fix what het could not make work.

Fun fact: This isn’t officially classified as “yuri”. The author herself says it’s not. She doesn’t like how unrealistic yuri is.
It’s “romance”.

and an extremely popular one.

Edit: y’all being confused need to remember that this ain’t an official site or Japanese store.

 

[Loliconi]

I can’t be the only one who thinks this series has become utter dogshit but people think it’s cool cause Green?

The whole “Guy I’m interested” angle disappeared completely and WASNT replaced by Yuri for some weird fucking reason, it was replaced with Daria level teen angst but somehow without the gay subtext. the 4 panel limit but no contiguous story telling nothing happens.

I do agree.. kind of? I think calling this series "utter dogshit" goes (way) too far but it certainly has felt more like an extinguished flame than a slow burn girl's love (I mean.. Koga doesn't even really love her so is this even girl's love? Feels more like the average yuri-bait-but-only-best-friends at this point).

Now, the insane amount of drama is just too much even for a high school series. Koga is starting to be unlikeable, looking like a selfish and mentally unstable person more and more. Every single time the drama stems from her being that cool, obsessed, loner musician-wonderchild that just has to be too edgy for her own good and be emotionally detached from any and every other character/thing to ponder upon her next masterpiece.. meh.

Add to that her being incredibly close to Aya, giving some positive signals to then act like she is some minor acquaintance that doesn't deserve her time of day (this is literally what is happening in a more conceited "muh talent is pain, you mortal wouldn't understand" way) and this shit happening more than once, it just feels like some uphill battle that Aya alone has to fight- at this point in time it would not even really be enjoyable if they end up together. Koga has some huge issues she needs to tackle beforehand to be deserving of Aya, if she even is interested in a relationship.

 

[Thrembs]

So basically you agree with me but like the lack of romance isn't an issue for you? I know 90% of Romance Manga's don't like actual "Romance" like this one turned into, but I love the real chase, the actual display of emotions, wants, lust, passion, ROMANCE.

This internal feelings and though bubbles mean nothing compared to actual conversations and confessions. The "Implied romance" or "budding feelings" Manga's deserve to have a whole other Tag. It's not Romance, it's something that leads into Romance but before you start dating that's not Romance.

If you have a crush on a Classmate, you can't go around saying "Oh I've been involved in Romance before, I thought about my classmate a ton! So romantic right?" Just imagine how crazy dating would be if you had to both fall deeply in love before the first date, all while never once saying your feelings out louds? It's madness

That’s totally romance, yo.
”Romantic feelings“ is a term for a reason.
The time before dating is the most romantic.

 

[Thrembs]

I may have explained myself poorly since english is not my strong. IT IS A ROMANCE. Since one character has feeling for someone. I think the issue with it with some readers its that its not entertaining romance for now.

No romantic moments, no development in their relationship as love interset (cause as friends its really good to read).

So it may be because of that ?

I think people are not saying its bad just not pleasant to read when you WANT that kind of troop.

Again its just my comment and my thought as a random manga enjoyer

Your English is excellent.

out of random curiosity, what is your first language?
I‘m obsessed with linguistics. Only fluent in two but I got an understanding of a few more.

 

[SrNevik]

Fun fact: This isn’t officially classified as “yuri”. The author herself says it’s not. She doesn’t like how unrealistic yuri is.
It’s “romance”.

and an extremely popular one.

It's still girls love. She just wants to manage expectations by avoiding the term yuri. That commenter was using yuri to mean girls love.

 

[nyannibalism]

thanks for the translation!

id write my thoughts about this chapter but i think i forgot what i was going to say reading through whatever the hell it was that happened in here

 

[avnirex]

Y’all will love anything by Zanka if what you’re looking for is a manga that really sticks to its premise.

Personally I think that the manga’s second focus has always been about how the characters feel like music is something they love but can’t share with the people around them so they feel lonely.

If you re-read from the start, that’s Aya’s main concern. Then she suddenly finds a cute “boy” who she can talk to about music and the story becomes about how their relationship grows around sharing this love of music (and each other). Then it gets flipped a little bit with Koga getting so sucked into the music that she’s isolating herself and making Aya feel like she’s alone again.

But the recent drama stems from Koga feeling like she’s on a different path from Aya and trying to figure out what path she wants to take.

I think it’s all incredibly realistic to how I felt as a teenager so imo it isn’t contrived drama.

And Koga obviously loves Aya too. She’s just been a loner for so long that she’s progressing the feelings of “Oh wow, I have a friend” to “Wait, these feelings aren’t just platonic” while also dealing with figuring out her life.

This latest drama btw has only been for the last couple of chapters so I’m not sure why people are acting like it’s been this way for half the series.

 

[gearoi92]

I don't know about others but I don't agree. I see the Yuri and appreciate the slow burn.

Literally this. Baffles my mind how anybody made it until this chapter and thinks this is anything but a slowburning teenage yuristory.

 

[Thrembs]

It's still girls love. She just wants to manage expectations by avoiding the term yuri. That commenter was using yuri to mean girls love.

That person thinks yuri is above criticism because “2D and 3D are different”, loves loli, and is homophobic.

 

[Thrembs]

Literally this. Baffles my mind how anybody made it until this chapter and thinks this is anything but a slowburning teenage yuristory.

It’s a queer romance written by a queer person inspired about her discovering she was queer.

Yuri is a genre made of specific tropes, which I have told you before.

 

[Thrembs]

By the way, I’m being intentionally pedantic.
Mainly to annoy the first weirdo, but also in hopes of people having an interesting talk about genre vs subject matter.

You can make a thriller about a serial killer, or a slasher movie about a serial killer.

Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves, or not.

I’ve made my point, and you’re free to disagree. I’m also free to put you on ignore. It won’t be anything personal. I’m just not big on unwanted notifications.

Edit: I’ll be ignoring people who reply to ME agreeing as well.

I cannot be arsed anymore.