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ささめきこと [Sasameki Koto] #1-3
Whispered Words Volume 1
Whispered Words is the story of two high school girls, Sumika and Ushio. One is in love with the other, but unable to confess. Both of them prefer girls, but Ushio likes cute and petite types while Sumika prefers the athletic outgoing girls. To complicate things, a cross dressing boy, Masaki, is in love with Sumika. What ever will happen to this mixed-up bizarre love triangle mess?
472 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2014
25 people are currently reading
632 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 21, 2018
Why I Recommend Bumping This DOWN On Your TBR:
✵ This is so very clearly written by a man that it pulled me out of the story several times. The characters are mostly unbelievable as queer girls. There are several shots of the protagonist thinking and behaving like a hetcisboy that I almost forgot we're supposed to think she's a queer girl.
✵ While there were not many obvious fanservice moments, some of the ways the women were framed were so obviously geared towards cishetmale readers that it pulled me out of the story again. These frames did objectify and sexualize the female characters for a male audience.
✵ The slow burn between the protagonist and her love interest feels slow just for the sake of being slow. There isn't much tension or substance in the length of time that we have to wait for them to get together.
✵ The side characters feel inorganic to the story, almost like props in the artificial-feeling slow burn.
✵ The inclusion of the boy who is coerced/forced/idk to dress up like a girl doesn't speak to any trans or genderqueer rep. He seems to be inserted as additional material for male readers to be entertained/aroused by.
Why You Might Bump This Up On Your TBR:
✵ Sadly, it's probably one of the better manga written by a man out there. It's mostly not offensive. I've read or seen significantly worse manga out there.
I might read volume 2 just to see if there is any improvement.
✵ This is so very clearly written by a man that it pulled me out of the story several times. The characters are mostly unbelievable as queer girls. There are several shots of the protagonist thinking and behaving like a hetcisboy that I almost forgot we're supposed to think she's a queer girl.
✵ While there were not many obvious fanservice moments, some of the ways the women were framed were so obviously geared towards cishetmale readers that it pulled me out of the story again. These frames did objectify and sexualize the female characters for a male audience.
✵ The slow burn between the protagonist and her love interest feels slow just for the sake of being slow. There isn't much tension or substance in the length of time that we have to wait for them to get together.
✵ The side characters feel inorganic to the story, almost like props in the artificial-feeling slow burn.
✵ The inclusion of the boy who is coerced/forced/idk to dress up like a girl doesn't speak to any trans or genderqueer rep. He seems to be inserted as additional material for male readers to be entertained/aroused by.
Why You Might Bump This Up On Your TBR:
✵ Sadly, it's probably one of the better manga written by a man out there. It's mostly not offensive. I've read or seen significantly worse manga out there.
I might read volume 2 just to see if there is any improvement.
March 30, 2022
I first picked this up because of its cover art and the description on the back look good, I wanted to read a cute love story between two girls. That is not what I got…
1. the way the girls are draw is disgusting! They are literally 15 ( or younger) and the author has made them so sexualised. Like all of the bath scene where unnecessary!
Also the scene when they are cooking but all of there aprons are in the Landry so they put on maid costumes… who would do that???
2. The author takashi ikeda is a man I didn’t know who the he was until I read another review on here but he is clearly fetishising lesbians.
3. One of the characters who is a guy who like to wear feminine clothes, at first this was a fine storyline until you find out he is being threatened by his sister. The scene where she is forcing him to take photos for the magazine was so uncomfortable I had to put the manga down.
4. The character kazama ushio was made to be so annoying, what kind of person prioritises there unrequited loves over her best friend.
5. There is a lot of hidden misogyny in the manga, these are meant to be “jokes” but it’s literally just the authors way of putting stereotypes of woman into the manga.
For example, the car at the beach or when kazama said “there comes a day for every woman in which she must make a stand in the kitchen…I don’t care what feminism has to say about it”
This was just really disappointing, by the end I was skipping pages trying to get to the end. If you are looking for a good gl manga I would recommend you try a different one.
1. the way the girls are draw is disgusting! They are literally 15 ( or younger) and the author has made them so sexualised. Like all of the bath scene where unnecessary!
Also the scene when they are cooking but all of there aprons are in the Landry so they put on maid costumes… who would do that???
2. The author takashi ikeda is a man I didn’t know who the he was until I read another review on here but he is clearly fetishising lesbians.
3. One of the characters who is a guy who like to wear feminine clothes, at first this was a fine storyline until you find out he is being threatened by his sister. The scene where she is forcing him to take photos for the magazine was so uncomfortable I had to put the manga down.
4. The character kazama ushio was made to be so annoying, what kind of person prioritises there unrequited loves over her best friend.
5. There is a lot of hidden misogyny in the manga, these are meant to be “jokes” but it’s literally just the authors way of putting stereotypes of woman into the manga.
For example, the car at the beach or when kazama said “there comes a day for every woman in which she must make a stand in the kitchen…I don’t care what feminism has to say about it”
This was just really disappointing, by the end I was skipping pages trying to get to the end. If you are looking for a good gl manga I would recommend you try a different one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2015
ahhhh i love romcoms, i'm so glad i decided to actually browse the stacks at the library the other day instead of grabbing my holds and bouncing
it did make me a little late back into the office but what is a few extra minutes spent at work compared to the joy of watching young love blossom?
the back cover summary pretends that this story is about a love triangle involving sumika -- in love with her friend, ushio -- who only likes girly girls, and a crossdressing boy named masaki
this is a lie
what this book is actually about is ongoing slice of life shenanigans occurring while sumika is head over heels for ushio and the two of them slowly inch their way to confessionsville. they're gonna date and it's going to be adorable
i mean masaki def has a crush on sumika but he's living in slice of life ville as a side character. cute kid though! i would totally be up for him getting a romance with someone else
3.5 stars
it did make me a little late back into the office but what is a few extra minutes spent at work compared to the joy of watching young love blossom?
the back cover summary pretends that this story is about a love triangle involving sumika -- in love with her friend, ushio -- who only likes girly girls, and a crossdressing boy named masaki
this is a lie
what this book is actually about is ongoing slice of life shenanigans occurring while sumika is head over heels for ushio and the two of them slowly inch their way to confessionsville. they're gonna date and it's going to be adorable
i mean masaki def has a crush on sumika but he's living in slice of life ville as a side character. cute kid though! i would totally be up for him getting a romance with someone else
3.5 stars
September 23, 2019
3 out of 5 stars
Though the art is beautiful, the writing and diversity within the novel is lacking. Though i will give the author props for normalizing people within the lgbtqa+ comunity, Ican still tell the the author had no clue what life is like for a person of a minority. He was explotive in his efforts to show these kinds of people and sadly everything felt too forced and not truly realized. But the humor and characters within the novel are awsome.
Though the art is beautiful, the writing and diversity within the novel is lacking. Though i will give the author props for normalizing people within the lgbtqa+ comunity, Ican still tell the the author had no clue what life is like for a person of a minority. He was explotive in his efforts to show these kinds of people and sadly everything felt too forced and not truly realized. But the humor and characters within the novel are awsome.
October 22, 2024
Ehkä hitusen pliisu sarjan aloitus, mutta toisaalta yurigenren klassikoita. Olen lukenut piirtäjän myöhempää sarjaa joka osoittautui lopulta aikas hyväksi, joten kiinnostaisi lukea tämä loppuun. Ekan osan ostin parilla eurolla, manifestoin hyvää kirppistuuria siis… Ehkä vähän liikaa sekoilua mun makuun.
October 6, 2018
Finished reading the entire series (volumes 1-9). It was wonderfully done and completely dragged me into their story. While some of the plot developments seemed a bit heavy-handed (intended to create drama between the two), I couldn't stop reading. The drawings were beautiful throughout and the narration just seemed to get more and more lyrical as we went through it.
In the later volumes, the impact of being out in high school comes more into the forefront and it developed and unfolded in a manner that was well-done and felt realistic.
An amazing series that I would happily reread and almost want to all over again. Despite just finishing it...
8/9/14
Read up to Part 18 (= one giant tome) and I most definitely want to read more. A slice of life, school-days romance manga with compelling charaters and heart-ache. And humor! The drawing style is cute and minimalist but with gorgeously emotive eyes (don't think I'm using that word correctly, but oh well). At first it felt like it was going to do a new character per chapter theme, but I'm glad it's seemed to settle on at least the core group of girls.
Only briefly touches on the negative aspects of being GLBTQ but it isn't the main theme. Instead it focuses on friendship and romantic love and the struggle between the two. Not phrasing that perfectly well, but oh well. It was a great read!
Review also posted at The Otaku Librarian, along with a review of Magi, volume one.
In the later volumes, the impact of being out in high school comes more into the forefront and it developed and unfolded in a manner that was well-done and felt realistic.
An amazing series that I would happily reread and almost want to all over again. Despite just finishing it...
8/9/14
Read up to Part 18 (= one giant tome) and I most definitely want to read more. A slice of life, school-days romance manga with compelling charaters and heart-ache. And humor! The drawing style is cute and minimalist but with gorgeously emotive eyes (don't think I'm using that word correctly, but oh well). At first it felt like it was going to do a new character per chapter theme, but I'm glad it's seemed to settle on at least the core group of girls.
Only briefly touches on the negative aspects of being GLBTQ but it isn't the main theme. Instead it focuses on friendship and romantic love and the struggle between the two. Not phrasing that perfectly well, but oh well. It was a great read!
Review also posted at The Otaku Librarian, along with a review of Magi, volume one.
August 7, 2017
Gr 9 Up- Best friends Sumika and Ushio have hidden feelings for each other, and because neither wishes to risk their bond, a rift forms between them. At first, Ushio is oblivious to her heart's desire, and Sumika is unwilling to reveal her own, but with new friends complicating their daily lives, they are forced to re-evaluate themselves. Gradually their revelations, coupled with genuine bonding moments, bring them much closer. Character forms morph frequently to visually match the tone of the situation; poignant moments are shaded and highlighted in comparison to the normal gently cute mode, while comedic scenes are simplified and exaggerated. By keeping such elements as happiness and sadness, tension and lightness balanced, the author delivers a well-rounded emotional experience. A few hiccups in the text does not detract from this. This shoujo-ai (light girls love) is a pure-hearted romance with minimal fanservice that establishes itself as a female friendly environment. Through both characters eyes we can feel the affection they have for one another, and dearly hope that their feelings can bridge the gap between them.
*reviewed for School Library Journal
*reviewed for School Library Journal
October 13, 2022
I read a review that this was written by a man. That the reviewer thought it was fetish lesbian manga.
I thought it was drawn with inaccurate 15 year old bodies. They story was fine. I didn't care for the handling of the cross dressed boy. Seemed very insensitive.
I thought it was drawn with inaccurate 15 year old bodies. They story was fine. I didn't care for the handling of the cross dressed boy. Seemed very insensitive.
March 5, 2024
I feel I liked this more than I should simply because it’s a break from the manga I’m typically neck-deep in. Here be a romance novel set in high school between two friends. At first we see unrequited love as it’s shoved in our face right at the beginning. Say, are these two love birds coming around? Probably not because I see there’s a volume 2.
In terms of story I feel like the first half was much stronger than the latter. It lost focus towards the end and feels like it’s everywhere except where the love is. The beginning was a lot of rinse and repeat, but it was more entertaining due to the romantic suspension. Sumika is so timid that it makes for the type of romance most of the audience probably relates to. I’d be willing to bet that a fair portion of manga readers act, or wish people would act, the same way that’s overdramatized in manga like this. And to be fair, it’s not really that overdramatized since inner dialogue is the ONE thing that everyone can tap into on some level. You could say any drama is made up in the mind.
Let’s stick to Whispered Words. No need to get too philoslothical. Whispered Words as a title speaks more so to Sumika who feels like the quiet friend who is loud in their favorite company. Again, the second half of the book kinda alters that in a way that doesn’t feel much like natural progression. Then again, it could just be missing the relationship that’s being pushed on us in the beginning. Which is a simple, cute persistence on Sumika’s part and an oblivious, love-seeking Ushio that cannot see what’s right in front of her.
In terms of story I feel like the first half was much stronger than the latter. It lost focus towards the end and feels like it’s everywhere except where the love is. The beginning was a lot of rinse and repeat, but it was more entertaining due to the romantic suspension. Sumika is so timid that it makes for the type of romance most of the audience probably relates to. I’d be willing to bet that a fair portion of manga readers act, or wish people would act, the same way that’s overdramatized in manga like this. And to be fair, it’s not really that overdramatized since inner dialogue is the ONE thing that everyone can tap into on some level. You could say any drama is made up in the mind.
Let’s stick to Whispered Words. No need to get too philoslothical. Whispered Words as a title speaks more so to Sumika who feels like the quiet friend who is loud in their favorite company. Again, the second half of the book kinda alters that in a way that doesn’t feel much like natural progression. Then again, it could just be missing the relationship that’s being pushed on us in the beginning. Which is a simple, cute persistence on Sumika’s part and an oblivious, love-seeking Ushio that cannot see what’s right in front of her.
August 24, 2021
The love between the pair is clearly showing from half of the book forward.
Although I was not a fan about how the story sometimes jumped to fast from point A to B in their day-to-day life, since it kind of made it a bit messy.
Although, I had my moments of Aww and Ohh.. like when this boy realises that the girl he is crushing on doesn't care if he has girl clothes on.
Or when the loner understands that she wasn't a priority, therefore she was not actually seen or heard even tho she made these grand plans.
I can not give it less then 3 stars. It was warmhearting. But it would not be fare to let it be in the ranking with the series "Rent A Girlfriend." 🌻
Although I was not a fan about how the story sometimes jumped to fast from point A to B in their day-to-day life, since it kind of made it a bit messy.
Although, I had my moments of Aww and Ohh.. like when this boy realises that the girl he is crushing on doesn't care if he has girl clothes on.
Or when the loner understands that she wasn't a priority, therefore she was not actually seen or heard even tho she made these grand plans.
I can not give it less then 3 stars. It was warmhearting. But it would not be fare to let it be in the ranking with the series "Rent A Girlfriend." 🌻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2020
A sweet and lovely story! Only those who lived in their teens, or even at the beginning of adulthood, a passion for a friend know that every detail of this work has a strong meaning. Of course, the author, being just a person to think, was unable to explain all the vastness of this universe of passion in adolescence - and, then, he had to fill the story with personal characteristics or some manga clichés - However, these small details they are nothing compared to the beauty of those moments in life that history represents almost faithfully.
July 16, 2017
Murasame is in love with Kazama, but she has no idea. It causes Ushio more pain than anything else, she's just not Kazama's "type". She isn't cute enough, being very tall, athletic and smart. Yet towards the end Kazama's preferences might be changing, at the same time as Murasame is ready to give up.
June 10, 2018
I had a hard time getting into this book. It's really slow to start and I couldn't really get into the characters that well. It gets better once you get to the end but I don't really know if I can get myself to pick up the second book. I didn't find the characters that interesting and the story just felt like a generic yuri trope.
April 28, 2019
Wonderful (and large volume) slice of life Yuri. I loved the characters, the artwork, and the writing style. The author does a clever job weaving in humor with the everyday “drama” that comes along with a teenage crush. Also, there’s a male character I really liked and usually male characters in these stories when included I detest.
Purchased volume 2!
Purchased volume 2!
April 28, 2022
The main story is about two characters, Kazama Ushio and Murasame Sumika (who narrates). As long as the story is about them, it is excellent (5-stars). Unfortunately (and probably of necessity) it wanders off to many other characters. That part of the story is far more uneven; hence my lower rating.
February 7, 2017
I loved this book! It was so nice to have some pleasant Yuri for once, and this plot was amazing! But I didn't notice a few typos. They might have been on purpose (and I just didn't get the reference). Otherwise, amazing book, and I hope to get my hands on the second one soon!
June 23, 2017
This didn't impress me straight off. However persistence really paid off because I ended up getting dragged into the story and the drama. The additional of Lotte really helped as well! Looking forward to the rest of the series.
January 21, 2018
Yuri with a little karate.
A fun yuri manga series where the main character has a karate blackbelt. Very cool. The girl she has a crush on likes cute delicate girls not blackbelts. Can't wait for the next one.
A fun yuri manga series where the main character has a karate blackbelt. Very cool. The girl she has a crush on likes cute delicate girls not blackbelts. Can't wait for the next one.
September 27, 2018
A cute, sweet little coming-of-age story, even if the one cross-dressing character reads like he’s just there to fulfill a trope. The genuine conflicts and relationships between the rest of the cast, though, more than compensate for that. It’s a long read, but worth it for fans of the genre.
December 28, 2022
I think the storyline is kinda cute in this book , although at some points unrealistic. I did not like how over sexualized these 15 year olds were though. It was kinda weird. Probably would not read again nor continue the series. I found my self rushing through just to finish the book
July 23, 2023
This is genuinely a sweet, heartwarming story. If you want a more fun shoujo-ai series that doesn't take itself too seriously and has a lot of laughs, I do recommend this one so far, just based on this first omnibus alone.
July 5, 2017
Adorable AF :)
May 25, 2018
Cute slice of life of lesbians. To echo a previous review, there is not much of a love triangle. I thought this was adorable and enjoyed the artwork.
July 14, 2018
So sweet, so funny! I mean laugh out loud funny!
April 22, 2019
I liked this, though I felt like the back and forth, "should I confess my feelings or not" went on a little long.
March 1, 2020
I liked this one so much more than Sweet Blue Flowers
Read
June 14, 2021DNF at 15%
September 7, 2021
4.5 stars
November 11, 2022
I had so much fun!! But like the ending though???
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews