I don’t think Japanese X users are ever going to leave the platform, it is unfortunately a bubble within a bubble. A doubble, if you will.

Do think it is outright amoral to stay on such a platform, but if you don’t see the downsides, even if they’re apparent to others, it’s much harder to leave…

I’m going to preface this so I don’t get downvoted down to oblivion. So, don’t get me wrong, for the longest time this manga was on a generational run, and it remains one of the best romcoms of all time even with this final arc, but:

After it was announced the series was ending, I’ve just not enjoyed it quite the same as I used to. Every chapter was a revelation. I would go back to re-read chapters just to see the author’s call-backs and references. Instead, I’m now seeing readers say they prefer the new-ish spin-off. I think I’ve moved on, too.

So, yeah, I know why the manga had to end the way that it did - it’s to let Ichi complete his hermeneutic circle. But I would’ve :::spoiler chapter 190 been even happier for him ::: if the manga hadn’t meandered for the last 15 chapters or so!

You’re not wrong. He’s got socializing down to a T as an art form, but doesn’t have anything going on inside, so it creates these problems for him. People clearly assume that he’s deeper than he is, and are disappointed to find out.

I saw another commenter note that all the while he was bombarding Koyun with questions, we don’t actually know the first thing about his interests and hobbies. Makes sense to just assume he doesn’t have any?

That said, I don’t think he’s irredeemable because of the interaction with Miki. It’s not that he was completely in the wrong with Koyun, either, he couldn’t possibly know how deep her anxieties go. Only the viewers have had access to her insecurities so far, so the blow-up was at the very least unexpected if not unwarranted. Can’t wait for the next episode!

You caulin’ these ladies a compromise!?

Yea, lotta action in this episode. Things are really heating up with Minato getting several earfuls. At least he was very considerate of Miki’s viewpoint once she made it known.

It’s amazing how he simply can’t stop from stepping into landmines with Koyun even though he’s just trying to banter.

This is basically gap moe the anime so far. I’m having some trouble with the predictability of the gags and, especially, the FL’s predictable reactions even though the actors are fun and I like the cast. Time will tell if it’ll get more clever but I really want to like it!

This one is a must read for romcom enthusiasts who are missing now-finished series like The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses or Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible. This manga jumped into my favourites straight away with chapter 1, and has been getting better and better with each subsequent chapter. It’s still going at max speed, so you had better catch up!

Oh yeah, looks to be a really solid adaptation. The biggest upside is that the animation is in service of character and personality, and there’s a lot of it.

Here’s the opening, btw! Folks seem to like it a lot.

Helluva good episode. What a cliffhanger, though! Brother is already in a pinch.

Not a bad second episode. Looks like the show will move quickly enough during the three-episode rule that people will have time to figure out Maki’s not the derivative ML that he was made out to be (specifically, by the anime crew and their insistence on a more generic style) in the first episode. Fingers crossed, this is a good series, with cool interpersonal insights!

It’s interesting, because Houkago Kitakyu Biyori is actually super similar in that it works at a level of subtleness you don’t usually see. It’s a joy to have them both running at the same time. While something like BokuYaba is subtly ornamental in detail (with the paneling, the callbacks, and so forth), the last time I remember such attention being paid to the intricacies of the psychology of a relationship in a romcom is with Tonari no Onee-san ga Suki.

Loved how this chapter had a lot of cute physical intimacy (even if Waku is a gentleman, and tried not to touch Oura-san, lol). The :::spoiler chapter 17 handholding ::: was some of the lewdest I’ve ever seen. This series is currently one of the best, highest quality works that I’m reading atm. The author’s previous work was mostly shoujo and josei, and didn’t set the world on fire for me at least, but now working in the seinen format everything’s come together and it feels fresh and unique.

Loved this turn of events! Man, the art gave me lovely whiplash, it’s like she’s a completely different person now that she’s conscious of the stakes, and has put in the work.

Yeah the anime seems to adapt the look and feel of the manga down to a T. Best job at that this season, methinks. Can’t vouch for the manga, I’ve read less than 10 chapters, but looks to be light and fun.

Hey, awesome. I’m with you on all these criticisms. Let’s see how it plays out with the next episode. What I really just wanted to try to hint at is that there is a similarly deep dynamic between the main characters of Class de 2-banme as there is with Gals Cant’t Be Kind, and it would be a huge shame if the anime fails to show it.

It’s kind of crazy how derivative the first episode looked like, but it made me realize how hard it is to properly translate the little tiny bits in the manga that make it work work. It is really subtle in delivering the overall cozy feel. It makes me think of Fujichika Koume’s manga, actually, especially Tonari no Onee-san ga Suki, which was ultra hyper duper subtle, and to a lesser degree Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta (the adaptation of which was handled ok-ish by Go Hands even if there were super odd moments in the animation at times).

That’s also making me feel really hyped about Gals - they got the personalities suuuper right out of the box even if I had some tiny nitpicks about the style.

Yeah, Koyun can’t even begin to wrap her head around as to why Minato would even try to approach her. It simply all seems fishy to her, lol. That’s why Minato is going to have such a hard time doing his usual thing.

It’s actually really funny to see Koyun go thru the various alternative behaviours she can think up in real time, trying to see what might work in a particular situation. Nothing comes naturally any more since she’s shut herself out. And yet she’s completely natural with Youta already, so it isn’t that she can’t - she’s just overthinking everything.

I think the way you framed the characters is really good, it’s as if they all have something the others don’t. Youta has his issues, too, but we just haven’t seem them yet :)

I love how vitriolic your take is on the Class de 2-banme anime. I do think its first episode absolutely lacked in the finesse of the manga. Absolutely. I can see how it came off.

Let’s say it wasn’t just the line art, like here, but rather the whole look of the series had changed ever-so-slightly for the worse - nothing too offensive, it still looks ok, but it just happened to become more run-of-the-mill - which then made cute and clever look simply stereotypical to a watcher that knows to look for tropes. The hook was definitely missing.

If I hadn’t read the manga and loved it, I might’ve stopped at episode 1 too. But I just want to show you a few pages from the chapters that the anime adapted: Maki being discombobulated, Asanagi playing with Maki, Maki worrying about trying to be a friend.

I do think it has a light, cute touch all its own, and doesn’t shy away from seriousness either, even if the drama is relatively light, much like in this show. It also couldn’t be further from a harem, lol. I know what you mean, but don’t we all want Gals Can’t Be Kind

Back to your point about warmth, specifically, I would say the same goes for Class de 2-banme too. I think I’d give it a few episodes, or check out the manga if you like to read. It does have a big heart, too. Thanks for the additional info on Klutzy & Short as well.

Woo! Season 2 in the summer. See you then!

One of my favourites too. This season is a little too stacked, TON of great manga adaptations this season. Are you watching anything, in want of recommendations from a particular genre?