#was actually what sparked this. but the ship is yuri to me so whatever

[legendoftherisingtide]

you know a ship is doomed yuri if their playlist is filled with mitski. “[ship] in chronological order” and the end of the playlist is mitski exclusively. sorry babes but we’re just two slow dancers and last one do be out.

[spheciform]

ask game: 22, 28, 38!

Tysm for the ask :D!!

22. When do you usually write? (day of the week or time of day)? Afternoons tend to be my go to, I used to be a deranged "write in my notes app directly before bed" type of person. Whenever the inspiration strikes!!

28. Which fic is closest to your heart?

Currently XANAFALGUE is there just because it was such an undertaking and so rewarding to finally take this perspective of a character I have been SO insanely neglecting, but if I had to count my actual fanfiction then NOT CLICKBAIT?? Absolutely sits as king to me, because it felt like an absolute creative breakthrough where I realized I could literally just write whatever I wanted. I didn't have to half-pander to shipping conventions to get people in the door, I could literally take an insane headcannon and two background characters who never interacted and put them a room and see what happened, and it WORKED! It was so satisfying & I think sparked my creative fascination with dedfish that brought better fics later on :)

38. Pick three of your fics and share a song to go with each

Ohhhh so easy, we have got:

XANAFALGUE — XANAFALGUE by Ada Rook: literally named it after this song because it was so thematically important!! Which is so funny because I didn't find out about it until AFTER finishing the fic itself, it just happened to fall in my lap as a perfect thematic compliment to the fic. Like damn. Yeah you really can just choose to not grow and change as a person and that is a form of violence against yourself!! falling right back into it, repetitive and useless!!!

WAS THAT THE JORK OF 87???? — TRU U by Ada Rook: we are 2 for 2 on threat display fics using songs from UGLY DEATH NO REDEMPTION ANGEL CURSE I LOVE YOU. What can I say it's an album that keeps giving!! This is technically cheating because TRU U already inspired my clickbait yuri drawing which then later evolved into the jork of 87 out of a desire to further explore that relationship between genuine intimacy and exploitation, particularly Helvia and Vanessa's fucked up pseudorelationship, but it's so close to my heart that I have to count it

Reperfusion — Speak to me Dead by Pinc Louds: again biased because I have been rotating the possibility of a dedfish Speak to me Dead amv in my head for a while but i think writing reperfusion is what made that association happen. I think the specifically dreamlike feel of reperfusion lends itself to the song very well!! I ❤️ medical malpractice!!

[bluebunnysart]

I'm probably gonna draw more cats today and upload them (because I wanna color an Umikat) but I stayed up til 8:30 AM rereading tidbits of my old fics (I even found a Milky Holmes fic from like 2019 that I could upload, if anyone's even a fan of Milky Holmes hgshsdjksfd, it's notable that I shipped everyone x Elly for no reason except fun in one of them xD) but yeah

I keep thinking about how I miss my old fics and the passion I had for them but one of my favorite fics to write was absolutely my Shiopomu fic and aahaha I really do miss that fic and Shiopomu so much xD Unfortunately I'm not sure if I can get in the right headspace to finish what I started (I specifically want to be in that super pumped up/excited state to write because that's specifically a different me and I wanna see what SHE comes up with) but still. That fic was so good and fun to read, even with all the ridiculously long sentences and interruptions in the middle of sentences and so on. xD

I feel like the writing improved as I went on (not as stiff/awkward perhaps) and I absolutely loved the first years' + Shizukasu's dynamic, so much that I was even planning a whole silly saga/sequel. It'll never come to light, so I'm fine with spoiling that Kasumi would actually be worshiped/hailed as a queen for a couple of chapters 'cuz of her accidentally doing a heroic/impressive deed one way or another, lmao. Involving her magic.

My favorite fics to write are the ones where I got to be really creative in them and I loved how much world-building/detail I put into magic and potions and stuff. Even connecting multiple stuff to the source material and rambling at length in the notes about how some things were direct connections or subversions or what. xD The in-jokes too....

The thing is, I actually still DO love Shiopomu and rereading my stuff reminds me of that and rekindles that old spark in me, but it's like 70% of what I used to have instead of 100%, and I really want that remaining 30% back... xD Unfortunately, that cannot be achieved unless I travel back in time or just forget huge chunks of LL, so it's honestly probably for the best if I leave the story unfinished and open-ended? maybe I'll consult my notes for fun to see what I had planned and reveal that, but idk, good for the fic ecosystem or something.

I just have a strong feeling whatever I make won't live up to what I could've written in my glory days (busy and troubled by other things as I was) but it's fine

anyway Umiyu is my legit OTP and this is a CGDCT series so I think I'm safe lol. I keep moving my target from "soft yuri" shows to "mostly subtext" shows (even though I know they called it a yuri lol), and that's totally intentional.

I stayed up late just to think about all that... But I'm going to sleep. The passion to do things is way more important than forcing yourself to do stuff. xD

[carpemermaidtales]

Last Pairing Tag Game

@potteresque-ire tagged me for this one!

RULES: You must answer the questions below about the last ship that you read/wrote about, regardless of whether or not you like this ship, then tag anyone you want.

Last thing I wrote was Victuuri for a wip I’m working on, so here we go!

1. What domestic thing are they most guilty of?

They’re hardcore morning cuddlers, often completed by Makka worming his way between them from the bottom of the bed so that they’re one big happy dog pile. Victor likes to kiss Yuuri awake with the softest of kisses that he leaves like a loving treasure map on Yuuri’s skin until his nose scrunches up and his eyes blink open blearily (because Yuuri is Not A Morning Person, but it’s ok because Yuuri gets his revenge every night when they go to sleep because Victor is Not A Night Owl), giving Victor a baleful look that only lasts a moment before Yuuri’s annoyance at being awake at whatever fuck-you hour Victor has woken him up at is soothed by the fact that Victor is there in his arms and he’s in love with him.

2. Who is enabler in the relationship? (eg: “I shouldn’t eat the cake.” “Eat the damn cake. You know you wanna.” “Damn, you’re right.”)

Victor is absolutely the enabler. For as much as he can go into Coach Mode, Yuuri knows he’s still not a perfect coach, and will always try to get Yuuri to have a drink or eat something he restricts himself from before competitions because Victor is more about experiencing life and having a good time, and he wants to do those things with Yuuri. 

3. What is their song?

This one’s easy since the show provides it, Stammi Vicino is their first song, the one that brings them (back) together. More importantly, I think that they both like to hum the melody when they pull each other into a slow dance, swaying around the room with their cheeks pressed together. Whenever one of them is away, they’ll substitute Makka in as their dance partner.

4. In a battle, would they fight back-to-back, or sporadically, watching out for each other?

Back to back, if only because neither of them would be capable of leaving each other’s side in a situation like that.

5. In death fics, which person is the one that usually dies/you choose to kill off?

NOPE. BYE. MCD AND VICTUURI DON’T EXIST IN THE SAME SENTENCE. BYYEEEEEE.

6. What would a reverse verse look like?

Reverse ‘verse isn’t my favorite, but I imagine this a couple of different and maybe a bit more unconventional ways since it strays from the nature of the reverse trope - the first is that they retain their ages and Victor is a skater who is losing all of his motivation and drive but is inspired by Yuuri, a skater who has made a splash since his first time on the ice and never fails to dazzle and surprise the audience (and who is secretly Victor’s inspiration), but Yuuri is still shy and reserved and always seems out of Victor’s reach so they’ve never talked. After a magical night together at the banquet, Victor is sort of crushed when he doesn’t hear from Yuuri again, thinking that they’d made a connection, when in fact Yuuri just doesn’t remember that he agreed to be Victor’s coach. When a youtube video goes viral of Yuuri skating Victor’s Stammi Vicino skate from the GPF (and skating it with more passion and emotionality than Victor was ever able to infuse it with), Victor is on the next plane to Japan and shows up much as he did in canon assuming Yuuri means to coach him, that he does remember his agreement to help Victor reach his potential before he ages out of competitive skating. Yuuri in this verse would still be shy, reserved, and secretly think he’s not good enough no matter how hard he works to please the audience, but he regains his spark of inspiration and love for the sport when Victor blows into his life. The second way would sort of be the typical one, Victor as the younger skater and Yuuri as the older one, but Victor is the one making the GPF for the first time and making a big splash while Yuuri fails at the GPF and requests Victor to come be his student at the banquet because he needs something to bring back the reason he fell in love with figure skating and he sees it in Victor’s skating.

7. If you had to put them into any other fandom of yours, which would it be and how would it work out for them?

My gut instinct is to say stick them in HP but even with that I’m not sure it feels like the right fit for them. I feel like their story could translate pretty well to the BNHA verse, though, where Yuuri and Izuku share feelings of inadequacy that they struggle to overcome and Victor and All Might share the pressure of the public perception of them vs how they really are out of the spotlight while training someone else to help them be their best.

8. Are they the “touchy-feely” couple or the “witty, sometimes insulting banter” couple?

Definitely touchy-feely, Victor is basically all over Yuuri all the time, but Yuuri also has his moments where he likes to remind the world that Victor’s love is Yuuri’s to hold onto.

9. Would they want marriage? Kids? Or are they more comfortable without those things?

I think Yuuri would be happy if they were just together, as long as he’s with Victor he’ll be content, but Victor is a giant romantic who wants it all -- marriage, (dog) children, matching mugs, but we know it’s Yuuri who proposes to Victor and surprises him. Victor can’t even wait for the five golds that Yuuri promised him. When Yuuri wins all. the. gold. at FCC, All Japan, and Worlds, Victor flies them back to Hasetsu to get married on the beach with their family and friends looking on. Half of the Men’s figure skating roster is there. Yuri Plisetsky fights Phichit over which of them cheered louder when Victor pulled Yuuri into a big kiss, dipping him backwards and Yakov can be seen accepting a handkerchief from Celestino when he gets gruff and quiet, eyes shiny with emotion while Victor beams out at the small crowd, hand clutching Yuuri’s.

10. What are most of their dates like?

Very sweet affairs, but also usually pretty simple. They go for runs together, walk the dogs on the beach, take a couple of hours to spend in the onsen when it’s empty, watch movies curled up together under the same blanket. What’s more important to them is spending time together.

11. Do they have a secret language? Inside jokes?

The only secret language they have is the silent communication through their eyes and eyebrows, where Victor tries to get what he wants with puppy eyes and Yuuri informs him when they need to make a hasty retreat to somewhere quiet or he’s going to feel Victor up in public, regardless of Victor’s inability to be quiet.

12. What do their morning routines look like? Are they harmonious? Do they fight each other for space? Do they help each other get ready?

Victor defines his space as anything that involves him being attached to Yuuri like an octopus, so it’s not so much that they fight each other for space as Yuuri happily gives in to Victor’s clinging, even years into their marriage, because he likes the way Victor’s stubble feels scraping against his neck when Victor nuzzles there from behind. Victor is usually the first to wake up and will slip out of bed to make Yuuri a pot of tea before slipping back into bed with his offering. He kisses Yuuri awake and they spend some time cuddling until Yuuri stops grumbling about being awake. (This is always sped along by Victor’s touches trailing lower until Yuuri is quite alert) After a shower together, they’ll circle each other and hand off things like belts, shirts, and track jackets depending on where their schedule is taking them for the day. Yuuri stands before Victor and smiles fondly at him when he does up the buttons on Victor’s shirt and Victor will zip Yuuri into his track jacket and pull him in by the collar for a kiss before they’re deemed ready for the day.

13. Assuming that some family members are alive (related or no), how did each family react to the couple?

All of Yuuri’s family and close friends grow to adore Victor and his special brand of loving Yuuri, especially Yuuri’s mother, who shares a special bond with Victor.

14. What is your favorite AU for them?

My extremely indulgent guilty pleasure are Canon Divergent AUs, especially Banquet AUs or post-GPF AUs where they either meet or get together earlier than in canon. For the few actual AUs I’ve read, I like politically-focused A/B/O stories and Medieval Arranged Marriage AUs.

15. Finally, what trope works better for the couple as they are in canon? (If they’ve never met, which one do you think would work best if they know each other?)

Pining, god allllll the pining, also pick and choose: slow burn, soulmates, fake dating/marriage (or accidental), mistaken identity, memory loss, injury/sick fic, miscommunication, language barriers, unreliable narrator (though this one is barely a trope since it’s straight up canon), Victor’s Impulsive Decisions I’m unsure of who has or hasn’t been tagged recently for this one since I’ve been away, but I’ll just leave it at whoever wants to do it, consider yourself tagged!

[doorwaykeeper]

Yuri on Ice Fic Rec Mega List

So, this is my own YOI Fic-rec list, compiled from my absolute favorites I’ve been reading during the last three months.

But first, a couple of notes:

Not a lot of angst here (there is some) because I much prefer fluff (and smut), or both (as my friend likes to put it – smuff). Almost all of the stories are T and up, most are M and up.

I don’t do sad endings, y’all. The YOI story is so fucking optimistic, it deserves to be treated as such (sure, if your kink is major character death, go for it, it just won’t be on MY list).

I much prefer the novels, dammit, the longer the better, but there is a section with one-shots and short stories, I just like it less.

I ADORE healthy relationships with good communication, and except for the obvious here, most of these are.

So what do we have here?

A few Fill in the Gaps (FITG) stories, a few Time Travel (TT) stories, two major skating AUs (one of them probably one the best known fics in this fandom) and one completely different AU, One Sub/Dom story that cured me from “50 Shades” (don’t judge me), lots of fluff and domesticity, lots of communication in relationships, lots of social media shenanigans, a few crack stories and a WHOLE LOT OF LOVE ON THE ICE.

The only ships are Victuuri and Otayuri (when they’re older), as I don’t ship them with anyone else, and other ships as side notes.

So. Onwards.

The Novels

Honorary mention - The Rival series – Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches/Of Bright Stars and Burning Hearts, by Reiya. Complete/WIP (Rated E)

General: Ah, boy. So much has been written about this series I don’t really have to add a lot. If you are in this fandom and read fic, you will have heard about this story long before this.

Just for the record – a “What If” AU, told first from Yuuri’s perspective (UMFB&MHA, complete) and then from Victor’s (OBS&BH, WIP), about what would have happened if one small detail was different and the result would be a rivalry between the two. One of the first fics I read and a DAMN GOOD ONE. Like I said, it’s the only one on this list with actual long lasting ANGST, but it’s also beyond sweet.

Bonus points:

Amazing world building, wonderful characterization, handling difficult issues very well, and very good writing.

LOOOOOOONG. As in, novel length. For someone like me, that’s wonderful.

OBS&BH has a pretty regular update rate – especially regarding the fact that Reiya is a FUCKING MEDICAL STUDENT, so tons of kudos to them for keeping the updates as regular as they are.

Reiya (kazliin) is very active here, and answers asks and gives us world building and top ten lists and LIFE I tell you.

One of the best usages of Social Media snippets.

Comments:

A third fic is planned, with lots of fluff and extra scenes, which is something we are looking forward to in the extreme.

Don’t skip the music connected to the story, as it is very important!

Bear Your Soul on the Ice, by SassySalchow (diedraechin). WIP (Rated M)

General: At age 14, Yuuri goes to train with Yakov in Russia and meets his idol, which turns out to be a real dork. The story spans years of both their lives and their relationship (with each other and other people), and it so wonderfully researched and wonderfully written.

Bonus points:

Long, and getting longer. As far as we know, the story is supposed to be around its middle point, and as it currently has 21 chapters and 126,442 words, you do the math.

Amazing (!!!!!!) Original Characters, ones that you don’t want to let go of, and can’t really remember that are not a part of Canon.

The skating descriptions are STUNNING.

Pretty regularly updated.

Social media shenanigans – and texting – from before WhatsApp, oh, dear lord.

Comments:

Additional fic (Life and Love off the Ice) always being updated with titbits and extra scenes.

Winter Song, by proantagonist. WIP (Rated E)

General: One of my favorite FITG fics, and one of the best written. It begins after chapter 7 and goes on after the finale. Lots of really cute Victuuri, tons of healthy communication and fluff (…and smut, yeah).

Bonus points:

Did I mention the COMMUNICATION? I don’t think I did. C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. Yeah.

Wonderful characterization of all those involved, with extra cuteness when it comes to Yuuri’s family.

Healthy sex. Really. And it progresses in a REASONABLE PACE.

Call Everything on the Ice…, by shysweetthing. Complete (Rated E)

General: Another FITG fic, with Victor being extra insecure and cute as hell while being very bad at directions and learning Japanese. Some miscommunication and angst here, but nothing major.

Bonus points:

The last chapter is extra cute, way into the future.

Victor and Yuuri’s family, my god.

LANGUAGE KINK. YES.

No Less Unthinkable, by rageprufrock. Complete (Rated E)

General: Well, this one is really tons of smut (a lot in the first chapter, less in the second), but it also portrays Yuuri as somewhat more experienced than you would normally see, so that’s cute. First Chapter is pre-canon, second is FITG for S01.

Bonus points:

Wonderful characterization.

Yuuri and Yuri, LOLZ.

Best sex talks EVER.

Quite a lot of crack. Seriously. These people are HILARIOUS. Snap Stories. Phichit. Dear god.

CHRIS. CHRISCHRISCHRISCHRISCHRIS.

Also, it might be 2 chapters… but it’s long. J

Katsuki_fc wrote, by tetsurashian. Complete (Rated G)

General: How Social Media viewed the happenings of S01. Obviously CC, and FUNNY AS HELL.

Bonus points:

THE CRACKIEST CRACK OF CRACKLAND. Really. DO NOT drink ANYTHING while reading this.

People being supportive which is FUN.

Sweetsilversub, by phlintandsteel. Complete (Rated E)

General: Remember the Dom/Sub story I talked about? THIS IS IT. It’s mostly CC (with a bit before canon and divergent from a point), FITG for the sweetest relationship in the world. Some chatroom talks, a couple of Dom/Sub Scenes between Victuuri and HEALTHY COMMUNICATION.

Bonus points:

Did I mention the communication?

YUURI IS THE DOM AND VICTOR IS THE SUB. It fits so well, my god.

The Dom/Sub scenes are handled so beautifully.

Nice and long (you see a pattern here, don’t you?)

OCs are super cute.

The Carnage of the Art, by ExorcisingEmily. Complete (Rated T)

General: CC Post S01. When Yuri gets hurt, Victor and Yuuri take care of him. Some guilt and some angst here, but a lot of relationship building.

Bonus point:

Extra Podium Family - so much love between the three.

TWO PAIR SKATES!

Beautiful characterization and writing.

On My Love, by RikoJasmine. WIP (Rated T)

General: After a car accident, Yuuri finds himself in the past. It’s probably my favorite TT story, as it is incredibly well written. It’s also kind of a tear-jerker, so be warned.

Bonus points:

Yuuri being confident is great.

Vicchan lives!!!

Yuuri being able to be great at what he does, and Victor falls so hard for him it’s magnificent.

THE BANQUET!!!!

Victor and Yuuri’s family! CUTENESS OVERLOAD.

Fluffy as hell.

Comments:

Update rate is quite slow on this one (not complaining, just saying - I know fic writers have a life and whatever they give I’m grateful), but it’s still already nice and long. Worth the wait, IMHO.

Re: Yuri Katsuki, by Ishxallxgood. WIP (Rated T)

General: CC, S01 told from Phichit’s perspective. Lots of crack, lots of social media, super cute and fluffy.

Bonus points:

Phichit is stirring the Victuuri Ship, y’all. Enough said.

Phichit spends money… XD

ChulaCommeti!

From Almaty, With Love, by BoxWineConfessions. Complete (Rated E)

General: The best Otayuri fic I found, where Yuri goes to stay with Otabek for the summer in Almaty. Pretty slow burn, but seriously good read. Some angst (though I’d call it a tear jerker), but worth it.

Bonus points:

Absolutely STUNNING writing and descriptions.

Almaty in summer is described so life-like it’s as if you’re there.

Both Yuri and Otabek are so well written and their interactions are funny and sweet. And real.

Also long.

Comments:

Second fic in the series (Line and Verse) has extra scenes before and after and is just as well written.

Home, by Kurenaito. Complete (Rated T)

General: Post S01, when Victor and Yuuri adopt two girls. Very sweet family dramas.

Bonus points:

Great OCs, well portrayed.

Extra Yuri being a big brother.

Comments:

Two extra fics in the series (Spark to Flame) – Clara tells all (short) and Spark, which picks up after Home and is a WIP.

Blackbird, by sixpences. Complete (Rated M)

General: WW2/Cold war AU, where both Yuuri and Victor are spies. I’m not big on AUs that aren’t skating, but this one is… Just fucking beautiful. Some angst and it can be a tear-jerker, but it’s really, REALLY worth it.

Bonus points:

One of the best written stories I found, including characterization, plot development, pace, descriptions and emotion.

Nice and long.

Yuuri is not a timid little thing! Yey!

THEY JUST LOVE EACH OTHER ABOVE ALL ELSE, MY GOD.

I cried quite a lot during this, but it’s the good kind of tears.

Very well researched.

The sex scenes are not explicit but the go RIGHT TO YOUR BONES.

Comments:

There will be extra fics in the series (Birdsong) to accompany the main one, with more about the side characters and a bit more about our Victuuri.

Turn back the Clock, by IronScript. WIP (Rated T)

General: TT where Both Yuuri and Victor go back in time. This is pure fluff.

Bonus points:

Long and getting longer!

DID I MENTION THE FLUFF

One Shots and short stories

OK, so true, these aren’t my favourites, but these few are still good enough for me to love them.

You can have everything, by shysweetthing. Complete (Rated T)

General: CD – when Yuuri finds Victor’s phone in the Sochi GPF HILARITY ENSUES.

Bonus Points:

Total Crack most of the time (except for Vicchan).

Everything that's silver is not gold, by SassySalchow (diedraechin). Complete (Rated M)

General: Soulmates story, where the marking on your body grows when you see your soulmate. CC and very fucking cute.

Bonus points:

Pretty long for a one shot and very well written.

Super cute, just about it.

So this guy walks into a bar…, by silvercistern. Complete (Rated E)

General: Victor and Yuuri pretend to not know each other and Victor is BAD at seducing Yuuri. Crack and a bit of smuff.

Bonus point:

Well, the crack, and the fact that Victor can’t seduce FOR SHIT.

Also, being a couple can be very comfortable.

Drunk on You, by kiaronna. WIP (Rated T)

General: Soulmate AUs one shots, each chapter is a whole different story. Most are CC and quite cute.

Bonus points:

Not “regular” soulmate AUs, so a bit more imagination.

Lots of cuteness overload.

That’s it - if you guys have fics to recommend, I’ll be happy to hear!

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #115

As another arc finishes, another arc begins. You’d think that the mangaka would give us a breather chapter after Tomoko’s gag-filled Valentine’s Day, but instead, we’re jumping right into the 2nd graduation ceremony. It’s a surprising move, but I’m all for it. While this isn’t exactly packed with laugh-out-loud moments, it compensates by giving us the introspective, if not melancholic, review we’ve been set up for.  

Chapter 115: Because I'm Not Popular, I'll Attend My 2nd Graduation Ceremony (Part 1)

At first, I thought that this was another case of Tomoko being overwhelmed by too much social stimuli, but at it turns out... 

Best girl appears.

...it’s just allergies. The first time I read this, I thought it was a little contrived for Tomoko to be shown with allergy problems this late in the game. But as per Nico Tanigawa’s style, this is just a gateway to point out more significant elements in the manga. I’ll get to that in a bit. 

I like when they bring up seemingly minor events in continuity without it looking too forced. I also can’t help but wonder if this is the way the mangaka is trying to have Yuri become the successor to Imae as Tomoko’s “guardian angel”. Honestly, I think that would be the best. I like Imae, but I feel that her overly nice personality wouldn’t have been doing much for Tomoko’s personal growth. With Yuri, her pleasant but more fair judgment has helped Tomoko come to terms with her own flaws. Ultimately, Tomoko benefits more from having a friend who will respond to her shortcomings, but still accept her regardless.  

This gets elaborated later on, but I appreciate that Tomoko’s anxiety has greatly diminished when she has to interact with strangers.

At least, when it’s not a hot guy. Redundant “guy from the sports meet” is redundant. 

This guy is such an over-the-top, smooth-talking bishounen that I can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. And to answer your question Tomoko, it’s because we live in a society where being a loner is viewed as a “weakness” that needs to be overcome.

It doesn’t.  

Watamote usually has two kinds of jokes. There are the self-destructive jokes in which Tomoko’s troubles are caused by her own ignorance. And there are the tragic jokes in which the world throws Tomoko a minor misfortunate that Tomoko overreacts to. This is both. 

Okay, what the hell is going on with Ucchi’s face?

There’re multiple levels of hilarity to be found with all these seemingly random cameos of Ucchi. And it all boils down to context. If we didn’t know Ucchi, you’d think she was just a random background character. But we do know Ucchi, and her being recognized in the background by her background-like face, which actually results in her not being a background character is the first level of hilarity. The second level is in the hands of us, the readers. We know how Ucchi is, and how she feels about Tomoko, so just her mere presence is funny when we can imagine her thoughts to the scene happening before her eyes.

Ucchi doesn’t really have to do anything. She just has to be there at the right place at the right time. 

I get the feeling that this is the mangaka relaying their own thoughts on the direction of the series through Tomoko. They probably didn’t expect Tomoko to grow as much as she did (little it may be), even if it makes the most sense story-wise. But now that she has, where do they go from here? It may have been easier to have Tomoko go through a bunch of hilarious, cringe-worthy jokes with no development, but at the same time, Nico Tanigawa knew the novelty couldn’t last forever. It’s something that many writers face when working on something that doesn’t have a definitive ending in mind.

How far can you push a developing character without just going through the motions?

From the looks of things, Yoshida seems to have cooled off from her Valentine’s Day embarrassment via Tomoko. Granted, some time has probably passed since then, and thankfully for Tomoko, Yoshida doesn’t seem like the type to hold a long-standing grudge. Sure, she’s temperamental, but her emotional highs seem to come and go. 

Thankfully, Tomoko’s growth is still in its early stages, so I’m confident that the mangaka won’t run dry on ideas.  

From left to right, top to bottom: Best Girl, Not-Ucchi, Closet Otaku, Okada without the Pineapple, Makeup-chan, and MC. 

This is what I meant when I said Tomoko’s out-of-the-blue allergies are a segue to something more significant. 

Let’s do a little compare and contrast. When Makeup-chan offers a handkerchief, Tomoko’s reaction is noticeably restrained. She’s surprised, for sure, but is otherwise collected. I’d like to think that this reaction is due to Tomoko being used to Katou paying attention to her in this way. 

Then there’s Nemoto. After having her eyes opened to her “true colors”, Tomoko’s impression of Nemoto is now strained. But here, with the girl showing Tomoko kindness, it throws the latter through a loop. After having been used to Nemoto’s passive aggressiveness, suddenly being treated the opposite sparks conflicting emotions. 

It’s also the fact that Tomoko still isn’t used to people being so considerate of her, especially by two people in the same moment. Though she’s grown more in terms of social interaction, she still isn’t accustomed to having all this positive attention on her. 

Thus ends another over-analysis on yet another minuscule detail by Toonyoungster.

Okay, I’m certain that Nico Tanigawa are toying with us right now. At this point, they probably already know that people ship Tomoko and Ucchi, and so they’re making Ucchi’s obsession even more blatant then it already is because they know we’ll eat it up. But the thing is, I don’t really see this as pandering. It would be if the couple of the ship were forced into a “romantic” moment by an external force (i.e. accidental groping by a harem protagonist). But Ucchi’s history of distant affection tells us that this is something she would actually do, which makes it all the more believable.

Remember how I said Ucchi doesn’t really have to do anything to be funny. Here, the mangaka takes it up a notch by not even having her in the panel. and it’s still funny. A+ 

Now we’re getting into the really deep shit. I’ll admit, I was pretty surprised when Tomoko’s optimism took a one-eighty like that. At the very least, it’s nice to see her finally acknowledge her own growth like this. But looking at it from Tomoko’s perspective, I can see why she might think negatively about her future. 

I remember late in the series when we started getting all these heartwarming chapters, there where people commenting how “this is the calm before the storm”. That’s where Tomoko is right now. She’s gotten used to her life being stagnant, painful as it was, in her first year, that when things started going uphill, it felt like she could come tumbling down any minute. We’ve seen evidence that while she appreciates her new acquaintances, having to maintain a social life now tires her out. People like Tomoko can develop, but long strides in growth become less likely as time goes on. In a way, she’s hit a plateau, her “peak in high school” if you will, and all that’s left is to either inch on forward, or throw herself at the mercy of whatever high school has left to offer her. 

As far as I can tell, Imae is a symbol for everything Tomoko has managed to accomplish, little that may be. She was the ray of hope in Tomoko’s (and the reader’s) eyes that told us that things may actually turn out okay one day. Now that that day has come, Imae’s job is done. Time for baby bird Tomoko to leave the nest. 

I’d write more about Imae’s character, but I figured I’d save that for the following chapter, where’s she’ll most likely be more present. 

Funny thing is, this chapter could easily be a standalone chapter, so the fact that we’re getting at least one other part leaves me curious for more. Will we be saying good-bye to Imae for good? We’ll just have to wait and see.

...

So because I’m a piece of trash with no shame, I’d like to take this moment to invite you all to see my new webcomic series, Overthinking It.

It’s a pretty simple premise, really. Just a series of 4-panel gags involving a loose caricature of myself. It’s certainly no Watamote, but I sure would appreciate it if you all could give it a look. Maybe you’ll get a laugh or two. You can find it at the following links:

https://overthinkingitcomics.tumblr.com/

https://tapas.io/series/Overthinking-It