After a shocking proposal carries their relationship into uncharted territory, Sakuma and Ushio greet the new year with a fresh label and newfound resolve. Yet as winter wears on, and the class trip to Hokkaido draws ever closer, their bond will be tested--not only by the lingering question of its sustainability but also by the infamous Sera, sweet-talking trickster and sower of discord.
Can their relationship survive the machinations of a man hell-bent on worming between them? Or will Sakuma falter in the face of the biggest moral conundrum he's ever had to confront? In this heartrending conclusion, deep-seated doubts emerge as unspoken lines are finally crossed. When Sakuma and Ushio at last close the book on the most challenging chapter of their youths, where will they find themselves--and each other--in the coming dawn?
I wish it weren't the last 😭 with this series I always have so many thoughts I dont know how to articulate but this one got real philosophical. Kamiki will always be fumbling.
I fel frustrated on behalf of Ushio, feeling like she deserved better than this. The main issue of their lack of physical intimacy being resolved by a one liner in the epilogue feels like a cop out. I have invested time to read all five books of this series and frankyl felt dissatisfied by that resolution. Happy to have a happy ending for Ushio.
A gentle and quiet finale to the series. The characters remain realistic all the way to the end, which also means there’s a lot of frustrating moments as some issues are dealt with rather crassly. The main focus is, of course, Sakuma’s relationship with Ushio that can’t be easily labelled as simply friends or lovers. I did like the emphasis on not boxing things in, but I also feel like the delivery is quite persistent in this last volume. It comes off as preachy at times, especially when characters are giving lengthy lectures, masked as anecdotes, on why different perspectives should be respected.
Sera’s relationship with his girlfriends, while interesting, is basically just presented as a plot device to get Sakuma to shed off his narrow-minded views and evaluate what truly matters to him. Sera is a necessary character because Ushio wouldn’t tell Sakuma about what’s bothering her and Sakuma is too obtuse to notice, but sadly Sera himself is reduced to just that. A character to drive the plot forward, because the main couple can’t do it on their own. I also find Sakuma pretty insufferable in this book. His reaction to polyamory is one thing, but he’s even judging something as harmless as savory crepes. They’re just CREPES.
The ending is a tender one, though I find it a bit too rushed. I like this series a lot, I just wish some of the love comedy-style school life scenes were taken out to make room for more character development. The running away part during the field trip especially feels so unnecessary when all Sakuma and Ushio had to do was just… talk. Then again, they are teenagers, and I guess it is realistic for them to be so dramatic at that age.
I loved Arisa’s interview log though. Best character development.
I do not want rate early each book, because I do not want say something before time, so I will use this Volume 5 for give a review for the whole series.
Volume 1 is very interesting, because this can be the first time I read a story with a main character like Ushio. And other characters are interesting too. But Volume 2 is a little bit down, and Volume 3 has a very good development for the characters, especially Nisizhono and her change with a surprise twist.
But Volume 4 is a volume that makes me quite disappointed, because I thought that the writer would follow the way of Volume 3 and give a Volume 4 full of argument and a happy ending for Ushio and his sister. But no. Half of it is a very long flashback. And even if it is interesting enough for me to continue, the second half has a step back in the way of making things happen. And the problem looks like it is solved very easy.
Going to Volume 5, it makes me feel more disappointed. Instead of focusing only on the Ushio - Kamiki pair, it is almost all Sera. And the pair does not even develop anything in the whole volume 5 (not counting the last chapter). And I say honestly that even though the ending is very beautiful, but if I say it is perfect? No. I do not think it is completely good, but as the writer said in the book, I think this Mimosa Confession should receive a compliment. And I believe it did not waste my time, because after all, I very much enjoy it.
I enjoyed this volume and thought that it was a fitting conclusion to the series but I can't help but feel that it has some flaws that make it less than perfect. This book is full of Socratic dialogues that act as if they are saying something profound while coming to fairly obvious conclusions.
I also can't help but feel that the epilogue of this book takes a lot of liberties with the relationship between the main characters. We just cut from a relationship which seems to be on its last legs to a happy couple without much explanation. It would have been nice to see them make up in a more tangible way.
Overall, this series is pretty good and has some of the best trans representation in literature (although that's not much of a competition) but it has some flaws that leave me feeling unsatisfied.
A wonderful end to an already fun read. The characters and story are so realistic and well written. I was enthralled from the onset and was not expecting some very interesting turns of event. This series touches on parts of my life and very real issues that some of have to deal with alot. Mei Hachimoku does such a good job at representing groups of people in very nice but realistic ways. I very much enjoyed my time with the series, and while I will miss the series and its' characters, I will always look back fondly on these books. Thanks so much Mei Hachimoku for creating a story that touched my heart, and hit closer to home than any other book I have read to date.
I really don't know how to put into words how good this series is. Honestly if u made it this far then this will probably be ur favorite volume. Not even just because of writing but more because of all the great moments in the book, especially the first and last chapters. There's just so many moments throughout where I was just smiling while reading. The whole book is just great. I'm gonna miss all the characters, especially Ushio. Great series all around.
I'll be sad to never get another new story about Ushio. She is such an inspiration to me, one of my favorite characters. There was a lot to this novel in terms of drama, but I'm glad it seems to have worked out in the end. Sakuma is absolutely one of the luckiest guys on Earth to have someone as amazing as Ushio love him.