Welcome Back, Alice - Vol. 7 Ch. 40 - Alice
- Thread starter MangaDex
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For me, I started reading OA as a meme? Idk I saw maybe a tiktok about it and had it in the back of my mind For a while, and when I finally decided to read it.
No other piece of media has perfectly represented those dark thoughts about gender and gender roles specifically as well as this manga
"I want to be a girl" that's something I've thought countless times, ignoring of course the burdens and imposed roles and expectations placed on women, but that's something I never really saw portrayed so accurately on a piece of media in a way I could identify so much as with OA
I too as the author have come to hating my own body, and I wonder if subconsciously I still do
Overall welcome back Alice has perfectly portrayed the feelings and thoughts I've had about gender and sex for a long time, I too wanted to break free from the shackles of masculinity, be my own thing in and of itself, but in current times those are thoughts I've repressed for a simple "yes, I am a man"
The amount of times I related to Yo are almost uncountable and uncomfortable.
Overall it's something good, and I never thought I could Identify in something as abstract as gender identify with a manga
No other piece of media has perfectly represented those dark thoughts about gender and gender roles specifically as well as this manga
"I want to be a girl" that's something I've thought countless times, ignoring of course the burdens and imposed roles and expectations placed on women, but that's something I never really saw portrayed so accurately on a piece of media in a way I could identify so much as with OA
I too as the author have come to hating my own body, and I wonder if subconsciously I still do
Overall welcome back Alice has perfectly portrayed the feelings and thoughts I've had about gender and sex for a long time, I too wanted to break free from the shackles of masculinity, be my own thing in and of itself, but in current times those are thoughts I've repressed for a simple "yes, I am a man"
The amount of times I related to Yo are almost uncountable and uncomfortable.
Overall it's something good, and I never thought I could Identify in something as abstract as gender identify with a manga
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guys chill you need to understand that this is in japan, they where just kids. they don't know anything and don't have the education. Lbh they probably don't even know what the letters in lgbtq+ even mean.
that's why they where so confused they were never taught that they could be anything other than being a man or a woman. and even that is not enough you need to be a great man/woman that fits & contributes to jp society.
-I enjoyed this manga, with that said here are my thoughts:
Well, so at the end and by how pretty Kei looks (look at her eyes/ long beautiful hair again) it seems that kei finally realized that "he" was a "She" her whole life, and now she is a woman named Alice.
(look at title of ch + last thing Yo said is "welcome back")
-I feel that the climax/ending would've been better with Kei being the one in the hospital instead of Yo, with her felling frustrated by how easy Mitani was controlling Yo with her sexuality (as a "real" woman) and then finally seeing a vulnerable Kei confessing to Ren her feelings and how she doesn't understand who she really is. leading to her hurting herself.
-
then Yo confessing to her at the hospital that he loves her no matter what and doesn't care if shes a boy/girl just wants to be with her. then finally a sincere rejection to mitani from both of them so that she can finally move on.
All the feelings that led Yo to end up in the hospital should've been Kei's.
-----.
Yohei is attracted to mitani (first love) and more also Kei's femininity (looks like a girl thats arguably prettier than mitani) so this guy has been "straight" his whole life thats why his feelings that led up to hurting himself made no sense.
thinking about it gotta say it was confusing how at the last volume it was trying to push for ALL 4 of them to be.. well to put it simple, really far away from being straight. i think the authors "feelings" influenced all characters at the climax when it reality it should have been only Kei as the focus.
overall it was a good read I enjoyed this manga, thanks to the translators!
that's why they where so confused they were never taught that they could be anything other than being a man or a woman. and even that is not enough you need to be a great man/woman that fits & contributes to jp society.
-I enjoyed this manga, with that said here are my thoughts:
Well, so at the end and by how pretty Kei looks (look at her eyes/ long beautiful hair again) it seems that kei finally realized that "he" was a "She" her whole life, and now she is a woman named Alice.
(look at title of ch + last thing Yo said is "welcome back")
-I feel that the climax/ending would've been better with Kei being the one in the hospital instead of Yo, with her felling frustrated by how easy Mitani was controlling Yo with her sexuality (as a "real" woman) and then finally seeing a vulnerable Kei confessing to Ren her feelings and how she doesn't understand who she really is. leading to her hurting herself.
-
then Yo confessing to her at the hospital that he loves her no matter what and doesn't care if shes a boy/girl just wants to be with her. then finally a sincere rejection to mitani from both of them so that she can finally move on.
All the feelings that led Yo to end up in the hospital should've been Kei's.
-----.
Yohei is attracted to mitani (first love) and more also Kei's femininity (looks like a girl thats arguably prettier than mitani) so this guy has been "straight" his whole life thats why his feelings that led up to hurting himself made no sense.
thinking about it gotta say it was confusing how at the last volume it was trying to push for ALL 4 of them to be.. well to put it simple, really far away from being straight. i think the authors "feelings" influenced all characters at the climax when it reality it should have been only Kei as the focus.
overall it was a good read I enjoyed this manga, thanks to the translators!
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Alice was the friends we made along the way
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Shit was weak.
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I had to put off reading this for like a month because I was genuinely too anxious to see how it'd end, this fucking series has had my heart in a choke-lock. When I finally do check it out, I'm honestly kind of underwhelmed. I can't help but think there was a lot of stuff to explore, especially Mitani's whole relation to her gender and we don't get to see any of that at all. It was a wild ride while it lasted and I'm going to miss it. Also, androgynous Kei at the end? Kinda hot.
Anyways after reading the afterward all I can think is could transitioning have saved Oshimi?
Anyways after reading the afterward all I can think is could transitioning have saved Oshimi?
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After reading part of this, I can 100% say that Oshimi is like Stephen King: has a great idea, writes a really good, compelling, anxiety inducing story only to be met with a half-assed ending with a lot of holes in the story that makes me wonder what rock was he smoking before reaching that writer's wall because he really needs to double up the dose before reaching the last stretch of his books.
Same with Oshimi. His stories really build up well, the pacing is good, the plot keeps you thinking. The ending? it feels as if it wants to be realistic but the story itself isn't, so why try to tone it down and underwhelm everything?
Same with Oshimi. His stories really build up well, the pacing is good, the plot keeps you thinking. The ending? it feels as if it wants to be realistic but the story itself isn't, so why try to tone it down and underwhelm everything?
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Probably the weakest ending of a Shuzo Oshimi Manga I have ever read and I read them all... so, LOL.
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This was an enjoyable read, but it definitely went out on a whimper. I do think there could have been more to this, but it’s better to not overstay its welcome.
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The oshimi classic.
So, they are finally living their "authentic selves"... mazel'tov
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No comment on the objective quality of this manga/ending but I spontaneously and involuntarily and genuinely said “awww” out loud for the first time in my entire fucking 27 years of life (iirc)
when i saw that Kei was alive and back and had regrown their (i wanna say “her”) long hair
this abstract-ass manga had some really hard hitting moments for a semi-repping (hrt boymoder lol) tran like me. it made me feel things, and i rarely ever feel things.
i think the author is grappling with topics that are just outside her reach (i think the author is a repping trans woman or at least repping trans fem nb)
also i like how Kei (Alice?)'s smile is so like... relaxed in kind of a crooked way? like it looks super genuine by looking a little imperfect, in a way that kinda mirrors (in my mind) the first time that Kei "broke" (in front of Worst Girl jerking off the protagonist in public). Like uhhh Kei tends to just have this stoic mask on most of the time but when she deviates from that facial expression and actually shows her feelings on her face, her face looks a lot more, like, childish? Something about her mouth and cheeks.
when i saw that Kei was alive and back and had regrown their (i wanna say “her”) long hair
this abstract-ass manga had some really hard hitting moments for a semi-repping (hrt boymoder lol) tran like me. it made me feel things, and i rarely ever feel things.
i think the author is grappling with topics that are just outside her reach (i think the author is a repping trans woman or at least repping trans fem nb)
also i like how Kei (Alice?)'s smile is so like... relaxed in kind of a crooked way? like it looks super genuine by looking a little imperfect, in a way that kinda mirrors (in my mind) the first time that Kei "broke" (in front of Worst Girl jerking off the protagonist in public). Like uhhh Kei tends to just have this stoic mask on most of the time but when she deviates from that facial expression and actually shows her feelings on her face, her face looks a lot more, like, childish? Something about her mouth and cheeks.
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After finishing this I kinda feel like Yo and Kei`s story was about self image, self love and acceptance.
They wanted to pursue and create a balanced synergistic bond, greater than their internalised fear of judgement marked by shame. The main problem was their distorted view of lust, love, self and sexual desire.
Both of them wanted a healthy way to express their emotions and desires beyond compulsions and expectations from others and within. Fear held them back, lust sustained their desire and dream.
Their inexperience, immaturity and isolation did not help them at all.
Instead of trusting and accepting each other, they relied upon addiction, nostalgia, desperation and repression which led to Kei becoming a crossdressing(he was pretending to be a girl) pervert, Yo becoming a horny pervert and Mitani becoming the rejected repressed/depressed thirdwheel simp/sadist.
Ren is also a flawed person yet came across as suprisingly cool. Her being highly empathic, insightful, gentle and comparatively low drama made her the best lead out of this lot.
It was obvious that she was the best waifu but the simps were too addicted to simpin, to their imprisoning fantasy.
The ending chapters contained lot of spiritual imagery. Seeing both Kei and Yo astral projecting to ascend beyond their ego and physical forms in order to merge with the other and then becoming a liberated synergised entity was interesting and unexpected.
The final panel of this chapter also paralleled the final panel of first chapter. Back then, an anxiously smiling, uncertain and fearful Kei, hesitated in calling out to Yo.
Whereas here now, joyful smiling, happy and hopeful "Alice" boldly called out to Yo.
Well atleast the dudes(Alice still a dude?) got a happy ending.
Though i have no idea what Mitani and Ren`s journeys were building upto. Their story is quite strange and ends inconclusively.
To me, Oshimi shuzos other projects connected/concluded better. This work was entertaining enough but did not resonate all that much.
Also,the sex scenes were boring and distracting. I get their purpose but spending entire chapters on them felt excessive.
If only they were spicier, sugary or hot. Arousal was almost non existent in this ecchi story. Meh....
They wanted to pursue and create a balanced synergistic bond, greater than their internalised fear of judgement marked by shame. The main problem was their distorted view of lust, love, self and sexual desire.
Both of them wanted a healthy way to express their emotions and desires beyond compulsions and expectations from others and within. Fear held them back, lust sustained their desire and dream.
Their inexperience, immaturity and isolation did not help them at all.
Instead of trusting and accepting each other, they relied upon addiction, nostalgia, desperation and repression which led to Kei becoming a crossdressing(he was pretending to be a girl) pervert, Yo becoming a horny pervert and Mitani becoming the rejected repressed/depressed thirdwheel simp/sadist.
Ren is also a flawed person yet came across as suprisingly cool. Her being highly empathic, insightful, gentle and comparatively low drama made her the best lead out of this lot.
It was obvious that she was the best waifu but the simps were too addicted to simpin, to their imprisoning fantasy.
The ending chapters contained lot of spiritual imagery. Seeing both Kei and Yo astral projecting to ascend beyond their ego and physical forms in order to merge with the other and then becoming a liberated synergised entity was interesting and unexpected.
The final panel of this chapter also paralleled the final panel of first chapter. Back then, an anxiously smiling, uncertain and fearful Kei, hesitated in calling out to Yo.
Whereas here now, joyful smiling, happy and hopeful "Alice" boldly called out to Yo.
Well atleast the dudes(Alice still a dude?) got a happy ending.
Though i have no idea what Mitani and Ren`s journeys were building upto. Their story is quite strange and ends inconclusively.
To me, Oshimi shuzos other projects connected/concluded better. This work was entertaining enough but did not resonate all that much.
Also,the sex scenes were boring and distracting. I get their purpose but spending entire chapters on them felt excessive.
If only they were spicier, sugary or hot. Arousal was almost non existent in this ecchi story. Meh....
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DIdnt like the ending.
Its not saying anything. Everything wrong Kei did, everything wrong Yo did, did not take us to this place.
It kinda was just some abstract surreal take on gender non conformity that doesnt say anything.
Its not saying anything. Everything wrong Kei did, everything wrong Yo did, did not take us to this place.
It kinda was just some abstract surreal take on gender non conformity that doesnt say anything.
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10/10 these feelings are a constant quest of understanding and a journey that involves rediscovery as much as new plateaus
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Read through the entire thing in one go. This would have SUCKED to read over the course of 4 years.
That was pretty much all I could think about while going through the chapters, but not having to sit through any of those cliffhangers or really stopping to think much about each chapter made for a really good read.
The ending though: Why did they split up? Why for so long? What caused it? Just so the author could get the title line in? Probably a million better ways to do that. Not that I feel that strongly about it, it's just kind of flat.
Oh yeah and no mention of Alice, though I guess 'Alice' was the combination of both of them from the second to last chapter.
Overall was a good read.
That was pretty much all I could think about while going through the chapters, but not having to sit through any of those cliffhangers or really stopping to think much about each chapter made for a really good read.
The ending though: Why did they split up? Why for so long? What caused it? Just so the author could get the title line in? Probably a million better ways to do that. Not that I feel that strongly about it, it's just kind of flat.
Oh yeah and no mention of Alice, though I guess 'Alice' was the combination of both of them from the second to last chapter.
Overall was a good read.
