Whisper Me a Love Song - Vol. 9 Ch. 43 - A Song I Want to Reach You

[Sad_Jamie]

This arc is an example of what not to do. Extremely dragged and a lot of idiotic thoughts backing several of the members actions. Would've been way better shorter.

 

[Afbuster]

It's one of the best-selling series of its magazine, so don't worry about that.

Thank god there's a good taste somewhere in this world.

 

[charlii]

SHIHO BEST GIRLLLL

 

[SrNevik]

It's just a really weird thing that this series is so popular and I guess I'm happy for it's success (what with the anime and all) but like...I think it really either lost the plot or changed in a way no one was really expecting.
This series really feels like canonically it should have ended when Yor and Kino became an item.

That would have been a mistake considering the Shiho/Aki relationship is very popular. There's a reason the arc was allowed/pushed to last this long (longer than Yor's).

 

[Ninoren]

Honestly, glad that's over with, though it's weird how much time and talking they've gotten, while it's never been mentioned again that Aki has literally been spending time with Himaris lover whilst being in love with her, she even brought aki home alone yet it's never been mentioned again (That would've been a reasonable source for drama)..

The resolve and all felt pretty forced and, please don't tell me they don't start dating all of a sudden just because Aki shook Yoris hand and said 'I understand'

I'm afraid of being right so I hope I'm wrong and the next 10 or so chapters won't be about Hajime and Momo, since we lacking Hima and Yori time already x_x

 

[Navier_lazlo]

Can't wait for Volume 9😍
Aaaaaand~ thanks a lot for your hard work❣️

 

[icekatze]

This has been a frustrating arc to be sure, but I'm glad to see it finally reached a conclusion. I still feel like Aki x Shiho has about as much chemistry as oil and water, and Himari's meddling made me like her character less and less. (Flashbacks to my own high school days and all.) But hopefully the story can build from here.

 

[twodnc]

Feels like there are only 2 or 3 ways a manga like this where the MCs get together relatively quickly ( i think 18 chapters, in this case?) can go.

It ends a few chapters later, forced drama for the MCs causes them to fall out and then get back together, or the mangaka uses the side characters to explore more serious melodrama.

this manga chose the third, which I personally prefer (assuming I want the manga to continue). I like that the MCs still had a lot of development because of this arc, I like that the blunt force of the drama wasn't focused on them, I liked the side characters and although the melodrama was a little over the top at times it was still ultimately good.

Feel like the mangaka did a great job weaving in a more dramatic story into a relatively fluffy one, that didn't sacrifice the main couple but instead strengthened them (both as characters and a couple).

Also it's interesting how negative people are on Shiho since as a character she kind of mirrors both the MCs and akis relationship which was the primary drama of the initial story. Obviously it's more extreme in emotion, but It's basically the same. Aki and Shiho's relationship is now roughly where Yori and Hima's was at the start of the manga. Shiho is romantically in love with Aki, and Aki loves her as a close friend. I do get some of the arguments about Aki's realization about moving on from Yori being sudden, but I think it's just the conscious part. The mangaka has been hinting at, and drawing panels depicting that Aki's moved on or was moving on from Yori for 10+ chapters now, it just wasn't put into exposition.

Whether or not it'll develop into a mutual romantic love remains to be seen, but err' body in this club is gay as hell so they probably will given their strong feelings for each other.

 

[SrNevik]

Feels like there are only 2 or 3 ways a manga like this where the MCs get together relatively quickly ( i think 18 chapters, in this case?) can go.

It ends a few chapters later, forced drama for the MCs causes them to fall out and then get back together, or the mangaka uses the side characters to explore more serious melodrama.

It's only a problem when a manga has no other story considerations beyond the main couples getting together. For manga that have other goals and purposes, the main couple could get together in chapter 2 and still have a lot to write about and discuss. This manga however had no real world outside of "will these two get together?" Not really an overarching plot beyond the romance, so yeah, that's when you run into the issues you mentioned. Maybe if Yor or Hima had real goals outside of romance that the story revolved around, but those were few and not ever the focus.

 

[Jynsa]

It's just a really weird thing that this series is so popular and I guess I'm happy for it's success (what with the anime and all) but like...I think it really either lost the plot or changed in a way no one was really expecting.
This series really feels like canonically it should have ended when Yor and Kino became an item.

Shiho's role was part of the author's original plan. While her proper introduction was in Chapter 15, her first appearance was actually in the extras of Volume 2. This is the story the author wanted to write from the beginning, and I honestly doubt they "dragged" this Arc out for money, as I'm not even so sure that Shiho is a very popular character to begin with.

Having Himari and Yori going into endless dates and doing cute stuff everyday with little to no drama at all would probably have been just as, if not more, successful to the author. Just by looking at the covers (and by that I mean who appears in them) you can tell that the magazine is marketing the series as a "fluffy romance" as much as they can.

 

[SrNevik]

Shiho's role was part of the author's original plan. While her proper introduction was in Chapter 15, her first appearance was actually in the extras of Volume 2. This is the story the author wanted to write from the beginning, and I honestly doubt they "dragged" this Arc out for money, as I'm not even so sure that Shiho is a very popular character to begin with.

Having Himari and Yori going into endless dates and doing cute stuff everyday with little to no drama at all would probably have been just as, if not more, successful to the author. Just by looking at the covers (and by that I mean who appears in them) you can tell that the magazine is marketing the series as a "fluffy romance" as much as they can.

Agreed they were introduced and alluded to from near the start. Yeah, not necessarily for money (that's a weak criticism people make when they've got little left to argue, normally with no evidence) but Shiho and Aki are popular though. And also agreed, there's plenty of popular "fluff." Enough variety of successful manga that she could have chosen any avenue to success. She chose her story. Some like it, some don't. Should be pretty normal.

 

[killinginstincts]

This school has a lot of lesbians

 

[twodnc]

Shiho's role was part of the author's original plan. While her proper introduction was in Chapter 15, her first appearance was actually in the extras of Volume 2. This is the story the author wanted to write from the beginning, and I honestly doubt they "dragged" this Arc out for money, as I'm not even so sure that Shiho is a very popular character to begin with.

Having Himari and Yori going into endless dates and doing cute stuff everyday with little to no drama at all would probably have been just as, if not more, successful to the author. Just by looking at the covers (and by that I mean who appears in them) you can tell that the magazine is marketing the series as a "fluffy romance" as much as they can.

this is what i meant when i mentioned using side characters to explore more serious melodrama. That's the story she wanted to tell, and she spent nearly 20 chapters building it up and telling it. I think she did a skillful job of telling it while simultaneously using it to build her original pairs relationship and giving them plenty of growth which hopefully readers who were mostly here for them were still happy with.

It seems like a very precarious rope to walk, trying to make an appealing story that you are proud of while writing something more ambitious and out of the scope of that initial story without losing sight of either or alienating your audience.

 

[Mivy]

Took so dang long but finally this drama arc is over like fuck man

 

[Zafacon]

Idk if this means that them two are dating but if it does I don’t like that. Aki was never in love with shiho. Aki been in love with the other girl for months and still was until shiho confessed to her. So now all of a sudden when shio tells Aki why she left and that she was always in love her that made Aki instantly in love with shiho. I don’t like when they do that to characters because it looks forced. It feels like aki is taking pitty in shiho feelings and just wants their relationship back to being good and not in a way where she’s actually fell in love with shiho.

I don't think they are officially dating, maybe they start as friends first since Aki talked about getting to know each other again and implying that she may not being able to meet her feelings. But I don't think it's forced if she also did like Shiho at the same time as Yori but didn't realize. I think her needing to hold Yori's hand to know that she's not in love with her anymore shows she not always in tune with her emotions. She didn't even realize her love for her Yori changed. She just wholeheartly loves her friendsa lot. I think it's not uncommon to not realize you have developed feelings for a friend you're really close to and the lines may blur between friendship and love. I do think you can like two people at the same time, the difference was she liked Yori from the jump and Shiho might have developed slowly as they grew closer and she never realized.

 

[bebopsushi]

Idk if this means that them two are dating but if it does I don’t like that. Aki was never in love with shiho. Aki been in love with the other girl for months and still was until shiho confessed to her. So now all of a sudden when shio tells Aki why she left and that she was always in love her that made Aki instantly in love with shiho. I don’t like when they do that to characters because it looks forced. It feels like aki is taking pitty in shiho feelings and just wants their relationship back to being good and not in a way where she’s actually fell in love with shiho.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing I don’t understand how aki just randomly starts falling for her despite never really showing any interest

 

[njm380]

Don't know how to feel. A lot of mixed emotions. But I certainly agree with the comments, if Shiho and Aki ends up in a relationship then it doesn't make any sense, best thing that could happen is if they become friends then slowly gradually into lovers(as what someone else said).

I dont know how to feel about future chapters but I'm hoping it wont be all about Shiho and Aki cause I've gotten sick of it at this point. Rather I'm REALLY hoping that we get some more himayori moments, especially the steamy ones. It would also be nice if it'll be about the other side-ships while of course still providing us the himayori experience.

 

[cinnathep0et]

idk very mixed feeling on this

i mean it was an obvious way to go with things but at the same time its very annoying with how forced things felt

if they're just friends now cool but if they're a couple already would be fucking stupid

if anything since theres no changing how things went in this arc i would atleast like (if they do end up being a couple ) for it to build up atleast (here's hoping)

but guess we'll see how they end up doing things

with that said this arc was my fave out of all of them so far since Shiho instantly became my fave of the series but its just towards the end i felt like it could have been done better

anyway i wonder how much more this series has left i feel like maybe they could move to another pair maybe? or they could build on the shiho/aki

anything would be better than the main couple

i was with you until the final line. what do you have against himayori?

 

[b58]

I dont get how people got the impression they may be a couple now… I saw this as them becoming on friend terns again.
I see so far the only one who understood is commenter SrNevik

Well, she stopped basically barely short of that, this feels otherwise way too melodramatic just for a simple rekindling of friendship. But I guess you're right she didn't outright say that... and well, we're reading a yuri manga. Not a far-fetched resolution, even if it hadn't happened yet. And Shiho already confessed to Aki by the way, and the whole point of her temper tantrum even prior to that confession was unrequited love, so I'm sure it will work out great if they stay friends for too long.

But yeah I also strongly disliked this, all this melodrama fell completely flat to me. Shiho is possibly the least likeable character I've ever seen (that isn't cartoonishly straight up evil), and even if Aki fondly remembers "good old times" with her, the problem I have is that none of these good times took place in the actual manga, we were only ever presented with Shiho being horrible (even in this chapter she didn't even bring herself to actually say anything positive, even if she had it in her mind). Similarly, her dead old rival also appeared only in one chapter. All possible reasons we could symphatize with this character even one bit were restricted to brief retrospections and such, almost everything else is just inexcusable behaviour from her. I hope she's no longer in focus from now on is what I'm saying

 

[zdavreal]

i teared up ;;