This chapter!
Interestingly, last chapter, I didn’t get all teary, despite the talk in the park between Kakeru and Naho. Maybe I expected some of it, maybe I just happened to not get hit then. But this chapter?
Like it was partly some of the funniest of the series so far, with the birthday presents thing (the asking and such), and Suwa’s face when giving Kakeru a bouquet in present day.
And then some of the saddest, both the celebrating of Kakeru’s 18th birthday many many years too late, and Suwa’s sacrifice.
It is the kind of sacrifice we can’t do in real life. We can’t know later that we’ll regret something like not letting our best friend have the girl we love and instead getting together with her ourselves. We just can’t know we’d regret that having her more, because we suspect that is part of the reason we lost our best friend.
The friendship between Suwa and Kakeru, I know I keep saying it, but it is beautiful. And clearly so deep.
I also love getting to see more of Hagita & Kakeru, because it clearly is a close relationship too, just not on screen very much.
I started this series thinking Azu was kinda dumb, silly chick stereotype. And maybe that is what I was supposed to think, but through volume 2 and now this first chapter of volume 3, she’s honestly climbing the character rankings for me.
Suwa is the saint none of us deserves. Kakeru, the tragic hero that when he gets over his grief will probably be best boyfriend ever. Naho is the heroine that is so realistic it has been painful at times, but now as she’s growing and daring to express herself instead of hiding it all inside, she’s becoming a really good heroine too.
Azu though. She’s funny, her expressions are the best, she’s heartfelt and seems wholly confident in who she is and where she fits. That is so admirable. And hey, maybe some of that comes from this not being her story, but she seems very clear on her perspective. So I’m honestly starting to think she might be my favorite?!?!
I think the only confusing thing for me this chapter was: did Takako hit Ueda-senpai or not? There is a sound effect that might suggest it, but why would she keep having her hand in the air afterwards for so long? (I don’t buy the “to slap again”.) So I think she just raised her hand in preparation to strike and then dared Ueda to keep being a nasty person and get the slap. But at the same time, Ueda looks a bit like she got hit, no?
Please help me clear this up.
On a more hilarious note, how many times was べつに used? Because it was used A LOT, especially in the first half. And also used with slightly different shades of meaning. I’m almost tempted to go back through the chapter and count, but I’d much rather start the next chapter instead. 