What do you think?
Rate this book
Chasing After Aoi Koshiba #3
今日、小柴葵に会えたら。 3 [Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara. 3]
少女たちの青春は揺れ動く――。養殖女・佐穂子と天然女・葵。葵に対する本当の気持ちに気づいてしまった佐穂子。夏休み明けの学校は波乱の予感。
Paperback
First published July 27, 2021
3 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 13, 2022
I'm not sure I've ever read a book that so perfectly captures the sheer viciousness of middle and high school without descending into trauma porn.
December 26, 2022
This series just cannot break out of the slow and dull storytelling in which it is mired. The big deal for this volume is that the protagonist is worried that her high school classmates may find out that she has been lying about her popularity in middle school because (gasp) really she was nerdy and didn't have a boyfriend! Oh my! Such a scandal! Not.
What next? We find out she stuffs her bra?
There's nothing really bad here, but it's so low key and childish that I just don't care if I never come across another volume again.
What next? We find out she stuffs her bra?
There's nothing really bad here, but it's so low key and childish that I just don't care if I never come across another volume again.
January 29, 2022
After wrecking a perfectly useless date, Aoi and Sahoko get to have a little time to themselves. As the two grow closer, however, something simmers behind the scenes in Sahoko's classroom that might destroy the new life she's worked so hard to create for herself...
Sahoko's kind of been a bit of a try-hard throughout this series, pushing her likes and popularity above everything else, even as she's drawn to the effortlessly spectacular Aoi (not that Aoi would ever see herself as such). As a result, this entire volume turns into a huge exploration of where Sahoko came from and what she tried to distance herself from.
Of course, it would be nice to say that this journey is prompted by something sweet or a desire to bridge the gap between past and present, but that's too simple for the dynamics of high school. Instead, a viciously jealous otaku decides she needs to get to the top of the social ladder by destroying Sahoko and her friends and uses the latter's past to do so. It's criminally uncomfortable as Sahoko is forced to deny herself out of fear that nobody will accept her, compounded with all the lies she told.
The knife twists even further when Anna tries to make things better. Poor Anna and her love for Sahoko can't catch a break and it's hard not to feel bad for her (although we'll see how that cliffhanger plays out) when she offers to help Sahoko by proving a series of pictures aren't of her.
Sahoko lashes out at this, to her regret, but it's not hard to see why - in that moment she's essentially having her old self rejected by somebody other than her and the fallout from that really reverbates. It definitely reminds me of girls I knew in high school, in the sense that friendships could alter at the drop of a hat.
Phew. It's a lot, especially when Sahoko feels her life slipping away from her, but the way this resolves is a catharsis that I didn't think this story was going to actually let us have and it really changed my opinion on Sahoko. Plus, she learns a valuable lesson.
But is it valuable enough? In spite of all this drama, it takes forever before she opens up to Aoi, who is rapidly becoming her closest confidante (though Aoi is hiding a side of herself as well, as it turns out). There’s something there in that the person you end up closest to is sometimes the hardest to be utterly honest with.
It’s very, very easy to get entirely too invested in this. Which probably explains why I am entirely too invested in this. The lingering mysteries of the reunion are killing me - who the heck is that with Aoi, precisely? If our leads drifted apart, why does Sahoko still have her number? What will happen!?
Despite a couple of ‘huh?’ moments where the story loses a little cohesion, everything is really good this volume and leaves so much left to think about. The yuri is slowly creeping into this, odd moments cropping up here and there, although Anna has been hiding in plain sight since last volume.
Her blunders aside, Anna’s little mannerisms (she’s got a fist pump here that is my favourite image in the whole book) and the feeling that her entire enterprise is doomed from the start make her own love just as tragic. It’s interesting that she has little touches of “villainy” but is mostly just chasing what she wants as best she can (for now).
This is a really great yuri title, with a lot of nuanced characters that really make it come alive. You’d like to think that Aoi and Sahoko are going to work this all out (especially after they… anyway…), but there are actually a couple endgames that make sense or could make sense here (Sahoko and Anna kind of seem like they’d actually be a decent match, which is saying something for a rival). That’s strong writing.
4 stars - maybe 4.5, though I liked the last volume a touch more. I still think there’s going to be a volume of this that’s going to absolutely blow me away, but we’re not quite there yet.
Sahoko's kind of been a bit of a try-hard throughout this series, pushing her likes and popularity above everything else, even as she's drawn to the effortlessly spectacular Aoi (not that Aoi would ever see herself as such). As a result, this entire volume turns into a huge exploration of where Sahoko came from and what she tried to distance herself from.
Of course, it would be nice to say that this journey is prompted by something sweet or a desire to bridge the gap between past and present, but that's too simple for the dynamics of high school. Instead, a viciously jealous otaku decides she needs to get to the top of the social ladder by destroying Sahoko and her friends and uses the latter's past to do so. It's criminally uncomfortable as Sahoko is forced to deny herself out of fear that nobody will accept her, compounded with all the lies she told.
The knife twists even further when Anna tries to make things better. Poor Anna and her love for Sahoko can't catch a break and it's hard not to feel bad for her (although we'll see how that cliffhanger plays out) when she offers to help Sahoko by proving a series of pictures aren't of her.
Sahoko lashes out at this, to her regret, but it's not hard to see why - in that moment she's essentially having her old self rejected by somebody other than her and the fallout from that really reverbates. It definitely reminds me of girls I knew in high school, in the sense that friendships could alter at the drop of a hat.
Phew. It's a lot, especially when Sahoko feels her life slipping away from her, but the way this resolves is a catharsis that I didn't think this story was going to actually let us have and it really changed my opinion on Sahoko. Plus, she learns a valuable lesson.
But is it valuable enough? In spite of all this drama, it takes forever before she opens up to Aoi, who is rapidly becoming her closest confidante (though Aoi is hiding a side of herself as well, as it turns out). There’s something there in that the person you end up closest to is sometimes the hardest to be utterly honest with.
It’s very, very easy to get entirely too invested in this. Which probably explains why I am entirely too invested in this. The lingering mysteries of the reunion are killing me - who the heck is that with Aoi, precisely? If our leads drifted apart, why does Sahoko still have her number? What will happen!?
Despite a couple of ‘huh?’ moments where the story loses a little cohesion, everything is really good this volume and leaves so much left to think about. The yuri is slowly creeping into this, odd moments cropping up here and there, although Anna has been hiding in plain sight since last volume.
Her blunders aside, Anna’s little mannerisms (she’s got a fist pump here that is my favourite image in the whole book) and the feeling that her entire enterprise is doomed from the start make her own love just as tragic. It’s interesting that she has little touches of “villainy” but is mostly just chasing what she wants as best she can (for now).
This is a really great yuri title, with a lot of nuanced characters that really make it come alive. You’d like to think that Aoi and Sahoko are going to work this all out (especially after they… anyway…), but there are actually a couple endgames that make sense or could make sense here (Sahoko and Anna kind of seem like they’d actually be a decent match, which is saying something for a rival). That’s strong writing.
4 stars - maybe 4.5, though I liked the last volume a touch more. I still think there’s going to be a volume of this that’s going to absolutely blow me away, but we’re not quite there yet.
September 6, 2024
what in the filler fuck was this
May 12, 2023
High school is a brutal war, the casualties are anyone deemed “uncool” whether that be because of good grades or because of hobbies or interests outside the carefully proscribed norms of high school social life. Sahoko thought she could avoid the dreaded stigma of being uncool by totally transforming herself but her past is swift to catch up with her; Aoi and Anna both come to deeper realisations that Sahoko is whom they love meanwhile she still is unsure.
Exploring more about what makes Sahoko who she is, this third volume gives her a chance to accept herself and have her friends do likewise. Yet it is only really Aoi who makes that effort; Anna is still a prisoner of her popularity and cannot risk an “uncool” Sahoko being associated with her.
This series has been great at examining high school from both the angle of the popular clique and from those lower down the social ladder. The reunion in the present day is drawing to a close and as Aoi phones Sahoko but is intercepted by Anna, both narratives are poised for major revelations.
This has been great so far, aided by the wonderfully-expressive art by Fly. High school really was the best and worst of times.
Exploring more about what makes Sahoko who she is, this third volume gives her a chance to accept herself and have her friends do likewise. Yet it is only really Aoi who makes that effort; Anna is still a prisoner of her popularity and cannot risk an “uncool” Sahoko being associated with her.
This series has been great at examining high school from both the angle of the popular clique and from those lower down the social ladder. The reunion in the present day is drawing to a close and as Aoi phones Sahoko but is intercepted by Anna, both narratives are poised for major revelations.
This has been great so far, aided by the wonderfully-expressive art by Fly. High school really was the best and worst of times.
February 2, 2022
I think I mostly like the pace of this series. This volume has a lot of character growth while still remaining on the very slow side for the romance development. I appreciated that this volume develops more the motivation behind the main character's decision to do everything to be popular. I think the flashback to her middle school festival (and the picture leaving her out) is something that is very relatable for a lot of shier/quieter teenagers.
December 26, 2024
I was wondering if they had changed anything for the translation only to be pleasantly surprised that there were explanations for changes that was made (the few there were). I love this especially because it really stays connected with the experiences that the girls are going through.
Overall a charming ass book.
Overall a charming ass book.
March 15, 2022
First of all, let me go ahead and admit that I'm already so terribly impatient for volume four. I love this series so much, there's so much mystery about exactly what happened in the past, and why Aoi and Sahoko aren't together in the present LIKE THEY SHOULD BE (is that a spoiler?). They were both there for each other when it counted, and have shown a lot of personal growth and realization of themselves.
*sighs* Now I have to wait until december for the next volume.
*sighs* Now I have to wait until december for the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2022
This was a good continuation of the series. I liked the characters, liked their growth, and liked how the story is moving along. I look forward to the next volume.
April 8, 2022
it's still a mystery why they drove themselves apart. but we're getting there.
May 10, 2022
Pretty girls can be otaku too. Becoming the class' invisible girl. The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference.
September 1, 2022
I like it but all the girls look the damn same!
May 18, 2023
1.5 stars.
August 26, 2023
Empieza a ponerse buena la trama jeje
October 16, 2023
I love messy, youthful feelings so damn much.
January 4, 2024
Sloooooow burn. I do wish it's more fast-paced.
March 16, 2022
I'm still not really sure if I like this series or not.
Very little affection/romance, lots of high school girl drama. I think the two MC's would make a great couple. If only they could be honest with their feelings and each other. Also, the flipping back and forth between the present at the high school reunion, and the past in high school is confusing at times, and doesn't completely seem to match what's said in the present to what happened in the past.
Very little affection/romance, lots of high school girl drama. I think the two MC's would make a great couple. If only they could be honest with their feelings and each other. Also, the flipping back and forth between the present at the high school reunion, and the past in high school is confusing at times, and doesn't completely seem to match what's said in the present to what happened in the past.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews