TIME TO SETTLE THINGSLife has been strangely enjoyable ever since Rei's former co-worker, Saya, started staying at Rei's apartment. Rei has always had a bit of a crush on flirty, feminine Saya, but she doesn't want to get her hopes up in case Saya isn't into women. When Rei discovers that Saya had been talking to her husband, the cheery atmosphere changes into something more tense. Saya tells Rei that she'll move out and apologizes for freeloading. As Saya's moving day draws closer, can the two women figure out their true feelings for one another before it's too late? The final volume of The Lying Bride and the Same-Sex Marriage Debate!
This… is a good short series. It gets in, makes its point, really makes its point, and then leaves. I’d have read more, but this doesn’t feel rushed or incomplete for a pleasant change.
The afterword at the end is probably the saddest part, as the mangaka just assumed that same-sex unions would be legal by now in Japan. Yet… not so much. I found this a moving postscript and good explanation for why this is what it is.
Shigisawa and Goto have been living in domestic bliss, but Goto is about to go and fix things up with her husband. You can already tell from the start that it’s not what she wants, but she doesn’t feel she has any choice.
The entire volume focuses down on this one issue and that’s smart. There isn’t time to do more, so keeping it simple is the way to go. Because the problem is not simple, yet the narrative is, you get exactly what you need from it.
Goto’s husband is cusping on being a villain, but really he’s just a very poor communicator about what he actually wants and makes things worse by just trying to do the right thing. When Goto can tell that he’s not being straight with her, it’s pretty rough.
And that leaves Shigisawa right there, Goto’s partner in Sapphic happiness. Except Goto isn’t in a position to accept her friend’s generosity and makes all sorts of bad choices as she’s sorting this out. I appreciate Shigisawa being the responsible one, even as it hurts her.
It was nice that Goto chooses herself before she chooses anybody else in the end, but I do think her choice to completely go incommunicado is a bit at odds with her ultimate choice. I believe it could happen, it’s just… yeah, I wasn’t completely sold on it.
Again, small potatoes overall. I think this does a stellar job with telling a full story in a small space and that’s not easy in manga. I rarely find these satisfying, but this gets it pretty much right.
3.5 stars - better than the mangaka’s last attempt at this, it makes for a good two volumes of manga that has something to say about same-sex relationships. Recommended.
I liked this. I thought it was cute but it really could have benefitted having one to two more volumes as the ending was just so rushed to me.
The afterword from the mangaka really did make me a tad sad as I too want the same “For the world to become a place where all Yuri couples can find happiness whether they have a desire to marry or not.”
I did read this online after reading the first volume cause I wanted to know what happens, but then read it again today when I got the official release.
I feel there were so many questions that weren't answered. Did Goto-san leave her husband because she could not have kids or because she realized she did not really want to be a housewife and it did not seem as if her husband really treated her right.
Shigisawa is trying to be understanding and even tells Goto-san that she can stay there longer if she need to, knowing that she does not really want to go back.
Goto-san leaves and two don't meet again until a year and half later, when Shigisawa is walking and Goto-san sees her. Parallel to the first volume.
I wish this had a few more volumes to flesh out the characters and but I did think it was cute
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This felt a bit rushed, and maybe more focused on the drama with Goto and her husband than the relationship between her and Rei, but it was cute overall.