Ao no Flag Chapter 54 Discussion

What did you think of this chapter?

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Apr 9, 2020 2:33 PM

#51

ahneeme

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Feb 2012

707

manga went from 8.16 to 8.06

Apr 9, 2020 9:01 PM

#52

Nadechi12

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Jul 2019

2701

I don't get why they had to break up, I thought it was fine where it was heading until the end of chapter 53. But whatever, what can you do about it

Apr 9, 2020 9:29 PM

#53

Allyxandra

Offline

Jun 2019

353

The manga should’ve ended at page 38 of chapter 53. This manga is one of my favorites because it’s really good at handling and explaining the emotions behind the characters actions. This final chapter however, nothing was explained? The very thing that made this manga stand out completely disappeared.

Taichi and Futaba breaking up, okay it can make sense. High school couples doesn’t last long. But Masumi marrying a guy? Masumi being bisexual doesn’t make sense. Throughout the entire series it was made clear that she had NO feelings towards the opposite sex. She was jealous of people who could react towards the opposite sex and now you’re going to tell me that she actually likes the opposite sex all this time? Yeah, no.
And I think we all assume that Taichi got married to Touma. The thing is there was nothing building up to this moment. If they wanted Taichi and Touma to marry, they should’ve showed hints or given them romantic scenes together. In the series we just see the one sided love Touma experiences and Taichi looking out for him as a friend.

This final chapter was a mess, either the manga should have gone way longer or ended at page 38 of chapter 53. Nothing else works here. Saddens me to see a good manga have a bad ending...

Apr 10, 2020 12:11 AM

#54

glamazon

Offline

Mar 2012

400

Emotionally speaking I'm just AAAAAAAAAAAA

Rationally speaking I'm kinda curious to know why did they reserve such a time skip for 1 1/2 chapter. Was a choice Kaito made, did sj force to make it end right now, both, none of the above?

It doesn't seem a logical decision for someone who spent most of the story focusing on character development

Apr 10, 2020 3:22 AM

#55

bastek66

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May 2009

9241

ahneeme said:
manga went from 8.16 to 8.06

Still to high for this shitfest ending.

Apr 10, 2020 9:50 AM

#56

Ne_fi

Offline

Sep 2017

241

Weird chapter, that last scene was really satisfying, I really freaked out.
Suddenly Masumi is not lesbian, but bisexual... what? I don't know, I would've like more development for this bi Masumi and Taichi actually developing feelings for Touma.

Easy 8

Apr 11, 2020 10:30 AM

#57

Fundashi666

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Jan 2019

taichi and touma stayed together at the end ?! I want to know more, an extra chapter or something else

8/10 for me

Apr 12, 2020 3:30 AM

#58

Ant161718

Offline

Oct 2017

335

I enjoyed this manga but it's sad how a 10/9 valuation can becomes at 7 because of 2 damn bad made end chapters.
I mean by one side I am happy because Futaba was never really suitable for Taichi at all and viceversa,even if they felt attracted each other somehow it never convinced me what they felt was truly love. So since the beginning till -their break up- I was against the couple. I was struggling all time becasuse I was wishing Taichi ending with Touma (who deserved him so much in my opinion) so I'am so happy with this fact in the end.
Because I really need to resalt the fact: during all the manga development Taichi showed a lot of times attitudes that shown in the bottom of his heart he was truly in love with Touma even without knowing it at all! Also considering all things Touma did for Taichi while Futaba never did almost anything , she was always complaining and being unconfident about herself. Also when she felt jealous about Mami she needed help from Masumi to said and confront Taichi and of course was the same thing about Taichi when he recieved the confession from Touma, she never did anything or even genuinely talked with Taichi about it, always cold blooded and hesitant.
On the other hand,yes,the end was fast, moreover if we talk about the times skips that didn't let you even imagine an idea at all of how things turned out in the way they did.
For example: How Taichi realised about his feelings for Touma? How Touma felt? How their families reacted? Did Taichi found what he wanna be in life?
I think too that if the author has been decided to give this end since the very beginning he shouldn't waste that much filler chapters with redundant drama instead a better build up end about their relationship. If you are gonna have balls, please ride it brave till the last.
Masumi's end was good to me...some people never confess their feelings and I can tell about it, it's sad but realistic. Also love is unpredictable and if at the end she could find love with someone of his opposite gender even when she thought she will never be able to do I am happy because at the end she did.
Now I'll wait some extra chapter (but I doubt that possibility indeed)

Ant161718Apr 12, 2020 3:34 AM

-¡Give yourself to me!

Apr 12, 2020 4:01 AM

#59

YuChen2000

Offline

Jan 2018

Ok, I know that many people are upset or confused about this finale (myself included). However, I think that we need to see it from the author's perspective. As many should, this is a SHONEN manga, nor shonen ai, nor yaoi. This means that it aims to teenagers. Considering the depiction of lgbt+ themes, it's already incredible that the editorial would let Ao No Flag become serialized. I think that the author didn't show any further developement about Tai and Touma romantic life because it may backlash, since it is possible that the manga is cancelled due to that. I'm pretty sure that developement wouldn't be welcomed by the majority of japanese people, considering the japanese culture.

Apr 12, 2020 9:37 AM

#60

LastLuminescence

Offline

May 2016

3239

Weird but warm~

You know, sometimes I felt that Taichi had something for Touma (especially in the last chapters), but I thought it was a bromance or a misunderstanding on my part but I guess I was kind of right.

Maybe I like it so much because it resembles somehing

I will tell you something I have only been attracted to men and I am twenty-one years old but sometimes I consider that dating a girl would not be so bad, so this made me wonder a lot of things, there is nothing wrong with this manga it's just about growing up and accepting changes. I do not know how to make philosophical comments so I will not, I will only tell you to enjoy this manga because it was something precious and unforgettable.

And this is a beautiful comment I read in manganelo that I want to share:

That means he made a choice, but that doesnt mean that that choice cannot change. We are people. We change, we grew up, our feelings can change. I mean, if two friends (boy and girl) who said only will be friend, could fall in love (we saw that in a lot of movies, how friendzone ends in romance), Why can this be the same case? I know you think you cant suddenly be gay. But, I really dont think that way. I think you can fall in love with someone you would never imagine, because maybe you are happy with that person. Maybe you realize that you want be with that person and you will be happy. I think love is more than your sexual orientation. And Taichi staying with Touma doesnt mean he is actually gay. You know? Can be bisexual, or can be just a person who fall in love with people without thinking of the gender of them. (Ignacio Martín Giliberti)

Cool right? :D

I like to post in manga forum when I feel it is worth it, so people will think. "Shit, is her again" or something.

People asked me where I read certain thing but the rules say no telling where did you read so maybe I am too boring for not saying? Or salty because you didn't check my profile that says don't ask because I hate people to ghost me after that. I love learning languages so maybe I did not read the manga in English.

Apr 12, 2020 11:29 PM

#61

spArkx

Offline

Mar 2019

Geez loueez bro I hate it when manga do stuff like this and put and ending where it does a whole 360 on what is happening in the series without providing any info on what built up to it or how it happened.

Bold move author 3/10 ending 8/10 manga overall

Apr 13, 2020 11:00 AM

#62

Orochiro

Offline

Nov 2010

199

Didn't like this ending at all because of the sudden timeskip and rushed story development towards the end in general. Both Taichi and Masumi seemingly did a 180 in their sexuality/relationships with no proper explanation whatsoever.

I was especially bothered by the lack of proper buildup for the Taichi/Touma relationship. There were some small hints in the earlier chapters and it felt like Futaba was aware that Taichi actually had some feelings for Touma based on her actions in the last few chapters, but in the end everything substantial that led to their marriage apparently happened during the time skip. In fact we didn't even get to see adult Touma at all aside from one panel with his torso in chapter 53.

Even with the rushed and messy ending I still think that as a whole it was a pretty solid and enjoyable manga. Also props to the author for daring to tackle these topics in a Shounen Jump publication.

OrochiroApr 13, 2020 11:25 AM

Apr 13, 2020 11:59 AM

#63

mr-vanilla

Offline

Apr 2020

I just can’t get over with how disappointed I was with the ending. What was the point of Taichi’s turmoil during the previous chapters then end up with a time skip, breakup and all those marriages.
Too bad since I loved this manga and what is has to offer but it completely lacked in-between progress.

Apr 14, 2020 10:36 AM

#64

verumpuer

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Apr 2020

I love the ending! Back in the Horror House school culture festival, it has been implied, based on one panel (that being Touma's broad chest), that Taichi is physically attracted (not sexually attracted; there are 5 types of attraction search that up) towards Touma. Somehow, between the time jump, a lot may have happened in terms of self-identity with Taichi. Maybe he realized something about his feelings and sorted it out, ultimately deciding to love Touma back. It's actually honest and realistic. If I were to draw parallels in my life: my late grandfather was gay but he decided to marry my grandmother and loved her; I also have a distant relative who divorced his wife and now lives with his boyfriend.

Human sexuality is really complex and amorphous. It's never permanent.

Apr 15, 2020 3:36 PM

#65

MrPerson01

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Dec 2019

The ending felt way too rushed. I don't mind the pairings, but the lack of explanation really just feels like the author wanted to blindside people. This made the manga go from an 8/10 to a 5/10 in my view.

Apr 16, 2020 7:44 AM

#66

Shain1234

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Apr 2020

I think it's completely understandable that the whole thing is censored, even Touma's face (although we can all guess). Because this is a shonen manga, not a BL, and it did it best. If you want a BL story between childhood friend, it's easy to find anywhere else, in a BL magazine. I would be angry to see an ending where Touma has to smile in Taichi's wedding, so the thing about Taichi not going to Futaba's wedding is perfect. Because it's so human, it's normal and I like it.
Taichi loved Futaba for real, even though it's not enough for both of them to continue their relationship, chapter 53 made it very clear that he loves Futaba a lot, to the degree that he wanted to change. But their bond throughout the story was weak, and it's normal to break up when your life changed. But it doesn't mean that it won't leave a scar. So I like it.
About Masumi, I think it's actually an open ending for her. Her "husband" has the manga eyes of a woman - it's easy to figure it out since many manga do it, the girls have eyelash where most of the boys don't, and a simple compare can confirm it. So it's up to you to figure out Masumi's life.
Until chapter 53 it was a really good story, so even though I cheered for Touma, I don't mind if they don't end up together. But the author did it. Author gave out the confirmation I usually never had, so I'm extremely happy. For me, it's a 9/10 - the last arc was all over the place, but the ending is a 10 out of 10. Not satisfying, but I think that's the best we can get. And that was an ending which made me jump out of my chair - so yeah, it's more than enough.

Shain1234Apr 16, 2020 7:52 AM

Apr 24, 2020 6:09 AM

#67

Harada_yui26

Offline

Aug 2019

SIGHH.. where do i begin... First af all, im reading ao no flag by knowing the ending first where, in a love triangle the guy didnt choose to be with the girl instead choose to be with his guy best friend.. So i decided to read this manga to find out on how and why did he choose to be with him.. Whats their thoughts in making those decisions but i was so disappointed when the mangaka left the most crucial part of the story, the development and exploration of taichi's and touma's relationship with each other.. How did they fall in love.. Why did taichi break up with futaba and why did taichi choose to be with touma in the end.. The whole reason why im reading this left unanswered.

Apr 25, 2020 4:02 PM

#68

hothead80808

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Mar 2020

nacchanlikes said:
This ending was really satisfying regarding Taichi and Touma. I mean, from the beginning I was begging for them to be together because their chemistry was from another level. Futaba makes Taichi face his feelings and it's nice, but for me, it was obvious that they weren't made for each other.
Nice POV this last chapter, a lot of hints such as Touma writing "Ichinose..." and Futaba telling him that both of them and Masumi still are her role models.

The only thing that didn't convince me completely was Masumi's ending... I mean, somehow it feels like she gave up? But then her husband says that thing about men or women so it feels like she came to accept how she feels. Still not sure about this. Her struggle meant a lot more in her teenage years...

Quite a bold ending for a shonen magazine and so refreshing!! This was truly necessary. I'll give it an 8, just because I would have like to see some of TaichixTouma development, to make it more real.

EDIT: I just read that Masumi's husband is a trans man. Does anyone know anything about this?

damn and that would still mean that she is not a lesbian and married a man, your point exactly?

Apr 26, 2020 5:11 AM

#69

Kupo_po

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Apr 2016

Whether you liked the ending or not, we can all admit that what Kaito did was something we can almost never see in a "shonen" manga. Cause yeah, it is not presented as shojo, shonen-ai or seinen but simply as "shonen". When there are gay characters in shonen they are often mocked or used for pure comedy, so to have gay characters depicted as normal teenagers struggling with who they are and on top of that the 2 male MC ending together, that' a truly bold move from the mangaka and a strong statement. And I can guess Shonen Jump wasn't too happy about that (probably why everything felt so rushed).

So yes, this manga is flawed, the ending is rushed but in the end, this is a manga everyone should read at least once not only because of its obviously amazing writing, but because of the topics that were discussed in a shonen manga (LGBTQ issues, double standards with women and men, the struggle to find our identity, friendship, choices, acceptance, female power,...). It will remain one of my favorite manga because of the impact it had on me and on my views towards society and I truly hope we get an anime adaptation someday.

With that said, I would appreciate if some of you could give me similar manga to read, because I've never found one like that... (and also if someone could expain to me the title "Blue Flag" ?) Thank you !

Kupo_poApr 26, 2020 5:15 AM

Apr 27, 2020 7:48 AM

#70

Suginami85

Offline

Jan 2009

183

Meh, that was a terible ending. Touma being gay was all clear and all good, but Taichi "turning gay" just so fujoshi can be overjoyed about the conclusion was cheap and unwanted. It's just complete bullsh*t all around. Masumi's love life was more believable.
My rating was around 7/10 but dropped down to 5/10 because of the last two chapters.

Apr 27, 2020 11:02 AM

#71

EDeSeanM

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Apr 2020

Jin_uzuki said:

Rarity said:
What a confusing ending. Taichi and Touma ending up together is certainly a bold direction for a shounen manga to take, but it would have made more sense if it, I don't know, had some actual development? Instead of happening at literally the very last second. Futaba and Taichi breaking up made perfect sense to me, as they never really had much chemistry, but all the hints throughout the manga that Taichi could possibly like Touma in that way were so vague it could easily be written off as friendship.

Masumi being married to a man doesn't sit right with me. This is not a character who was written as bisexual, we saw her struggles as a teen when she admitted that she can't love any of her boyfriends. Why include such a detail if she was intended to end up with a guy? At least she's happy with her husband instead of using him as a beard.

Overall I appreciate what they were trying to do here, especially how they made Tai and Touma's marriage explicit with the rings and Touma's surname being Ichinose now, even if it came totally out of left field. The manga always seemed to be building to a climax it never quite delivered on, and the whole last arc was kind of a mess. If only they'd cut out a few of those pointless chapters after the confession where every side character got to voice their irrelevant opinion on the situation, and used them to further develop the main four.

Yeah, this is similar to how I feel. I can appreciate the "bold" move (Still would have liked to see Touma's face), but from a writing point of view it's a complete trainwreck and borderline character assassination in some cases. It's not satisfying from an emotional point of view because you don't get too see Touma and Taichi do all the things couples do, and it's not satisfying from a writing point of view because Taichi's sexuality and his "turn around" are completely left unexplored.

Masumi definitely got hit the hardest, especially because how much Japan likes to portray lesbianism as "Just a phase". Even if the author pretty much states she's bisexual in the last chapter... which doesn't really fit any of her previous character.

I honestly think the ending was too predictable. I literally only read a preview of the first chapter and touma is so obviously into him its painful while taichi I admit is not obviously flamboyant his disdain for this adorable hamster girl that CLEARLY has a thing for HIS man is unmistakable. I'm sure he was living vicariously through her and that's why he helped at all but idk I need to read first. Like I literally watched the preview and I only came here to confirm my suspicions lol. Thank y'all for letting me know. While I find this whole thing to be predictable to the point of a cliche I think I will be finishing series now. I gotta see all the sappy and obvious hints cuz I'm a dork like that.

May 1, 2020 3:30 AM

#72

stalkerbernd

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Aug 2012

This was a really, really good manga so I had high expectations for the ending. It wasn't perfect but I'll take it. I agree that it seems a bit rushed and I would've liked to see more.

Masumi's ending was certainly an interesting choice, I don't know if I'm projecting but her feelings for Futaba came across to me more as a single-target sexuality thing - which would've also meant she wouldn't have to restrict who she's friends with. The ending practically confirmed that for me. At first I was shocked and sad she'd had to find a secondary Futaba but I feel that that had simply been Masumi's type.

stalkerberndMay 1, 2020 3:55 PM

May 19, 2020 6:26 AM

#73

CrimsonMidnight

Offline

Jan 2010

6537

"We continue to make choices forever."

Wow this is such a hidden gem.

Despite the rushed ending, I think it concluded the story pretty well and everyone end up happy was very nice.

Taichi x Futaba off panel break up, at first I was like, what? how? why?

But then "there wasn't an interesting story behind it" was surprisingly good enough to explain it.
It's been hinted that Taichi had had his worry about having long distance relationship, not to mention it's their first romantic relationship. I think they just have a natural falling out and simply couldn't maintain LDR.

What I'm very curious though, there is barely any hint about Taichi being attracted to guys. Sure he treasured Touma, but I really want to know the development he went through from seeing Touma as just best friend to a potential romantic partner.

I would like to imagine it's because how Touma probably continued to stay by Taichi side and support him throughout his hardships.
Touma granted Taichi's wish to remain best friend, even though it must have been very hard for him to stay friend (my heart screamed for him ; w ;).
But still, Touma was there beside him when he was still with Futaba and again after he broke up with her. A constant support. A constant presence in his life.

I read this in one sitting and spilled so much tears over some scenes.
The topics and arguments brought up in this story was also a great food for thought and reflection.
All the characters are likeable and felt very alive.

This truly is a gem.

BISHIES X RAP

May 22, 2020 6:48 AM

#74

Nehza

Offline

Jul 2017

155

I'm gonna act like that time skip never happened, this ending was a bold one and was sure to cause a split among people who read but for me, it felt rushed and undeveloped.

Gintama > One Piece = Naruto > Bleach > DBZ

Nyanko Big is my spirit animal.

Jun 4, 2020 5:03 AM

#75

S_Solar

Offline

Nov 2018

This may be a bit of a controversial opinion, but my take on the ending was that it wasn't supposed to be some kind of happy-go-lucky ending. Some areas of characters weren't explored as much because this was no perfect ending, things were left to go unexplored because this was no good or bad ending for the characters, it was bittersweet ending. Relationships don't last forever, people change, this manga felt real to me. It was truly something different in the romance genre. Not everything in life will end in the most perfect way that we truly desire, which is what separates this from other manga series. I loved this manga, as controversial as the ending was to some, and as unsatisfying as it may be to those who desired that perfect happy ending, it really does show that not everything will work out as we want it to, and with all of the events that happened in this series and all of the depth to the characters and the development, I can truly say, this manga felt so real to the point where it hurt. I loved this manga.

Jun 6, 2020 2:21 PM

#76

milkclub

Offline

Aug 2018

125

I'm really happy Touma and Taichi ended up together at least, never liked Taichi with Futaba. She was by far the most boring of the protags imo and I never felt they had chemistry. But man, Masumi, Touma and Taichi deserved more development... I'm with everyone who says this was axed and Kaito was just forced to rush for his life

milkclubJun 6, 2020 3:09 PM

Jun 13, 2020 2:31 AM

#77

RsyShiro

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Oct 2019

What a shitty ending

Jun 25, 2020 10:40 PM

#78

ScarletSisters

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Aug 2012

First of all, I was cheering for Touma+Taichi all the manga, but Taichi+Kuze was making waaaay more sense, I'm actually a bit sad that it ended the way I wanted.
Like, in one chapter Taichi+Kuze was a thing, 2 years later they broke up and some years later everyone had someone.
I'm not even gonna talk about Masumi, the character development of her, that wasn't much already, was thrown at the air, I'm a bit disapointed.
Overall a great manga, I loved all the chapters except this last one

Jul 23, 2020 9:23 AM

#79

Turboturtletot

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Apr 2020

I'm confussed. Is it Taichi or Touma that we dont see. It looks like Touma with black hair. Did Touma just die his hair black or maybe he bleached his hair growing up? It just looks like Touma too much the last chapter and i keep reading that they believe the black haired character is Taichi.

Jul 31, 2020 7:17 PM

#80

Rin4321

Offline

May 2020

yeah..i agree
a possibility of Taichi and Touma being together was completely erased in the last and suddenly they show that they are together after years pass by...
yes,a lot must have happened as with Futaba and Taichi as well as Touma but I feel a bit unsatisfied with how they suddenly made them a couple out of nowhere. I wanted to see their progress but I guess it wouldn't be the manga it is now if that was shown..
Well,I guess I'm happy with the ending
It was a good read

Rin4321Sep 8, 2020 12:09 PM

Aug 18, 2020 5:19 PM

#81

Danae

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Mar 2014

4230

What an amazing ride. I love the fact that the ending was realistic, things change, people change, and then they make different decisions as they grow and have more experiences. Futaba and Taichi's ''fate'' was foreshadowed back when Taichi's friend was talking to him about changing unis for your gf and how most couples break up after high school. I think Taichi being bi/ being attracted to Touma was clearly hinted at multiple times throughout the manga, so I don't believe it came out of left field. What makes me a bit sad, is that we didn't get to see *how* Taichi and Futaba's roads separated, and then how Taichi realized he loves Touma romantically. I also wanted to see Touma's smiling face in the last chapter, being happy for once after all was said and done.

So while the ambiguity was a bit fun, it was also underwhelming- not the ending as a result but the way the author showed it.

I am also wondering whether Masumi getting married to a guy is supposed to show the fact that sexuality is fluid or that she settled for normalcy and sacrificed her attraction to women as many gay people do. But maybe the author wanted it to be ambiguous. I just hope she's happy either way, so I'm opting for the former.

Aug 25, 2020 9:09 AM

#82

karena02

Offline

Aug 2020

yo simplemente estoy re feliz porq moria q Touma este con Taichi enserio merian ser felices ♥
osea quien no amaba fervientemente a Touma , es un ser de luz y como todo ser de luz merecia la felicidad completa en este caso su felicidad era Taichi♥

Aug 27, 2020 7:37 AM

#83

Bijiin_hime

Offline

Mar 2016

Wow its been 10 hours since i finished this but im still awestruck and overwhelmed. What a gem.
The pov from everyone made me like this a lot bcz this is how real life is. Kensuke is a homophobic bastard and i hate how he actually admits that he sees all women as "someone he can pursue", that really creeped me out. But its true chad alpha people like kensuke and shingo exist and they are entitled to their homophobic opinions. Kensuke was molested by a guy in the past so i understand his reasoning still it doesnt justify homophobia in any sense when he just learnt that one of his best bros is gay. Your bro isnt the same as that molester. But its still understandable why he hates gays but its not okay. Those two other girls, i forgot their names, who took taichi to confront shingo and kensuke are the real mvp's.

Anyway homophobia isnt an opinion. You can disagree with someone preferring tea over coffee but not homosexuality. Being homophobic is a hate crime and a trash move, just like being a racist is.

Aug 27, 2020 8:44 AM

#84

Bijiin_hime

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Mar 2016

Also ppl who are complaining about masumis endgame, are all probably het. Sexuality is a fluid subject. They were just in highschool and they have had plenty of time to explore during the timeskip. Masumi was in pain during that time bcz she was struggling to hide herself and she was hurting bcz it was hard being someone when you dont feel that way about yourself.
Also masumi was in love with futaba at that time so obv her short term flings never worked out. Its when futaba and taichi became together masumi finally let go of her. It was never specified that masumi is lesbian. She was attracted to girls and that can fall under several spectrums and no labels were used in the story. Masumi liking girls in the past does not mean she cannot fall for a man because bi/pansexuals exist. Ridiculous how you think a sapphic person cannot fall for men when it wasnt even exclusively mentioned that she was only into girls. People explore, people change.

Sep 2, 2020 7:08 AM

#85

removed-user

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Jul 2018

562339

POV you're a retard:The chap

Sep 5, 2020 11:11 AM

#86

Polang0

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Jul 2020

Hello first time posting, Mhh there are a lot of things in my mind and that I want to say. Firstly this manga was amazing! I’m generally not a fan of high school romance genre but this one is probably the best I’ve read ever, I might be biased because I was able to see myself in some of the characters. Regarding the ending, I was both happy and unsatisfied with it, I wouldn’t call it a horrible ending tho. I have a feeling that the time skips and ambiguos ending might have been the editors choice and not the artist, it’s just a feeling. This artist showed the complexity of the characters and their thoughts to end it like that I found it weird. I was happy with the Touma x Taichi but I would have liked to see a bit more development in the time skips. With Masumi I don’t think it was wrong that she ended with a man but I feel like we should have seen how she came to terms with her sexuality and what made her realize she was bisexual. I feel like the whole point of the manga was to show that it takes time for us to find ourselves and know what makes up happy and how we make our decisions based on that. Again not saying the ending was amaizing it did left me quite empty and I would like to know more about what Kaito thinks about this ending. Also wanna add this for the people mad about who ended up with who, life is not a straight-lined fairy tail with a perfect ending where everything fits together. Life is complicated and people are complicated, this characters were in high school were one tries to find out who they are and what they want to be. Sexuality is something else that people figure out in different times, the fact that you have to put labels on all your feelings puts pressure on people as it is talked about in the manga. Feelings for people change as well as you as a person will change, nobody stays the same their whole life. I mean change generally not only on terms of sexuality, that depends on the person and their surroundings.

Sorry this was so long and rambling!

Polang0Sep 5, 2020 11:31 AM

Sep 5, 2020 11:18 AM

#87

Polang0

Offline

Jul 2020

weeblon_musk said:
This may be a bit of a controversial opinion, but my take on the ending was that it wasn't supposed to be some kind of happy-go-lucky ending. Some areas of characters weren't explored as much because this was no perfect ending, things were left to go unexplored because this was no good or bad ending for the characters, it was bittersweet ending. Relationships don't last forever, people change, this manga felt real to me. It was truly something different in the romance genre. Not everything in life will end in the most perfect way that we truly desire, which is what separates this from other manga series. I loved this manga, as controversial as the ending was to some, and as unsatisfying as it may be to those who desired that perfect happy ending, it really does show that not everything will work out as we want it to, and with all of the events that happened in this series and all of the depth to the characters and the development, I can truly say, this manga felt so real to the point where it hurt. I loved this manga.

Bijiin_hime said:
Also ppl who are complaining about masumis endgame, are all probably het. Sexuality is a fluid subject. They were just in highschool and they have had plenty of time to explore during the timeskip. Masumi was in pain during that time bcz she was struggling to hide herself and she was hurting bcz it was hard being someone when you dont feel that way about yourself.
Also masumi was in love with futaba at that time so obv her short term flings never worked out. Its when futaba and taichi became together masumi finally let go of her. It was never specified that masumi is lesbian. She was attracted to girls and that can fall under several spectrums and no labels were used in the story. Masumi liking girls in the past does not mean she cannot fall for a man because bi/pansexuals exist. Ridiculous how you think a sapphic person cannot fall for men when it wasnt even exclusively mentioned that she was only into girls. People explore, people change.

I couldn’t agree more

Sep 6, 2020 1:51 AM

#88

Jin_uzuki

Offline

Apr 2009

777

Bijiin_hime said:
Also ppl who are complaining about masumis endgame, are all probably het.

Nice ad hominem. Also source: Your ass.

Masumi liking girls in the past does not mean she cannot fall for a man because bi/pansexuals exist.

lol lesbians getting over their same sex crush and turning straight past high school is perhaps the most clichè and common development for this type of character.

People explore, people change.

Too bad none of this was written in the manga!

Sep 11, 2020 9:00 AM

#89

MaiiSampaio

Offline

Sep 2020

I loved the ending. I didn’t expect about Touma and Taichi but I wasn’t too surprised either. Confused right? I know, I'll explain. 😅

As time passed, choices and questions arose. With that, everyone has matured. This is life, basically. but in their culture, everyone is confused and struggles against it.

Regarding Masumi, I have already thought about countless possibilities, many questions were raised there, so I did not eliminate the issue of sexual identity.

There is a possibility that her husband is trans. I can't see her as bisexual just because since from the beginning, she emphasized her identity and her feeling towards society. But I don't know, maybe Masumi can be pansexual. Oh yes, i need to tell, this is just my point of view as a woman and a lesbian. I am open to more knowledge.😄

So, what I can conclude from all this, is that it was an open ending but it showed maturity and what life is like there. We can notice that there were traditional people, who became more open about different issues (friends of Taichi andTouma). 😁

That it people.
See ya 🤗

MaiiSampaioSep 11, 2020 9:11 AM

Sep 17, 2020 4:52 PM

#90

fruityloops0

Offline

Aug 2020

I’m super happy Taichi ended up with Touma. I’ve always sensed a bit of chemistry between them. As many of you here, I too think the ending was a bit rushed, maybe an after-story giving a little more background to how Taichi accepted his feelings for Touma would be nice. It’s sad we’re not having the TaichiXTouma picture. I wanted to see those two smiling together and in love.

About Masumi, I don’t think she’s necessary bi or pan. She always struggled with her feelings for Futaba, she always wanted to feel “normal” and “integrated to society”. In the end, she decided to hide that part of herself, marry a guy and do what was supposed to do. I don’t think it was a happy ending for her. But that’s real life right?

Sep 20, 2020 1:26 AM

#91

DoWhatIWant

Offline

Sep 2020

I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this but I'll say i feel. The gay ending just didn't sit right with me, no, i don't oppose lgbt, it's perfectly fine with me but this ending just left a feeling of uneasiness in me.

Maybe it's just that I'm biased due to seeing a lot of romance mangas. Sure, Taichi and Futaba didn't work out and that was entirely fine. What ending would i want? I wonder that too.

Maybe what i had hoped for was either for Futaba and Taichi to work out, Touma searching for meaning of life, Masumi ending up with a girl. That's my ideal ending. Or, Futaba and Taichi didn't quite work out. Futaba and Masumi became a thing and I'd have been fine with the gay ending.

I suppose what wasn't right was how they skipped all the way to Futaba getting married to some guy. Just that it feels so wrong seeing that happen. And the fact that they kind of rushed it by skipping how Taichi had a change of heart.

I just felt like it just wasn't right, but all in all, this is one of the best work I've seen.

Sep 23, 2020 8:14 PM

#92

Quartz_Zsite

Offline

Dec 2017

Hmmmm, mhmmmm, yeah... So both girls ended up with some random guys that we never knew existed, and Taichi and Touma ended up together? I see...

I was hoping for a Taichi and Futaba ending, but rushing all that shit in literally 0 pages and jumping to the prologue just doesn't feels right. Taichi rejects Touma and is in a relationship with Futaba, then BOOM literally 2 pages later eff all that am I right? I'm salty about this ending because my ship sank, but I'm still giving it a 7/10, it would be a lot better if they developed the ending better.

Oct 19, 2020 4:56 AM

#93

ppiera_1

Offline

Oct 2020

I really liked this manga, but the last chapter gave us a LOT of information in a really short time.
Futaba and taichi were really cute together but,let's be honest, we all saw that breakup coming.
What truly surprised me was realizing that touma and taichi got married! Don't get me wrong,i really wanted them to get togheter, but after the last few chapters i thought that all their cute moments were just queerbaiting. There were a lot of moments where i could tell that taichi's feelings toward touma weren't just platonic, but i think the author should have made those moments more explicit, especially considering the ending. There's not that much rappresentation for bi men nowadays, so i think that's another reason why they shoul've given more importance to taichi's orientarion. Speaking of bisexuality,i didn't expect masumi to have a husband!i always thought she was a lesbian and,quite frankly, i think that would've made way more sense.
Overall the ending was okay. I liked the concept, but the execution was... meh. Although it could have been better, to me chapter 54 was not the kind of ending that ruins the whole manga and it actually left me pretty happy!
(i know im really late to the discourse but i finished reading this last night at 3am and i think it's now my favourite manga)

ppiera_1Oct 19, 2020 5:02 AM

Oct 27, 2020 12:15 PM

#94

PlayMaker22

Offline

Oct 2020

This manga is a living example of what happens when you stick too hard to be bold or groundbreaking, but you forget to tell a decent story. 3/10.

Oct 28, 2020 6:32 PM

#95

Dessssy

Offline

Jun 2015

3124

I would have rather had him end up with Futaba. I don't mind that they ended up together but it just destroys so much of the character progression to have it just happen like that in the final 2 chapters.

Nov 10, 2020 7:32 AM

#96

beepbopbeepboop

Offline

Nov 2020

I don't know how to feel about the ending. I'm still trying to figure it about but after reading so many different interpretations of it but I think that for the most part it was fine. I think that all the sudden changes in the time-skip are kinda the point of the whole story, like it's trying to say that your teenage years will shape you but it won't be the person you are in the future. Futaba ended up marrying some random man because she lived a whole different life after highschool. Futaba and Taichi helped each other find confidence in themselves in highschool but after that, they drifted off onto different paths. Touma and Taichi got together but that's only because Taichi went through a lot of self discovery during college. I think that maybe Taichi realized his feelings for Touma after he broke up with Futaba? That's just my theory since he did say that he was depressed and lost after they broke up. Masumi ended up discovering that she was bisexual, and I see a lot of people saying that it doesn't make since at all and part of me agrees but I also see why the author went with that choice. Maybe... Masumi felt like she couldn't like both men and women? Like she never thought being bi was choice, she realized that she liked Futaba and just immediately thought that she was different, that she could never be accepted for who she truly was. So instead of looking for acceptance from others, she tried accepting herself but in the end it didn't really work out because she just suppressed another side of herself. I don't know if that explanation makes complete since but basically I just think that Masumi was so confused about her sexuality but didn't give herself time to think about it and just declared that she was lesbian. Then later in life she realized that being bi was actually a thing and met her husband. There's also theories that her husband is actually trans so maybe they started dating before he started transitioning? Who knows.

Anyways, I just wanted to say that this story really meant a lot to me. I don't think I ever related more to a main character in my life. I had a similar experience with my own childhood best friend so I completely understand how conflicted Taichi felt after being confessed to by Touma. For me, it just left me so confused about how I felt about her. Of course I still loved her as a friend, but did I love her in a romantic sense too? Did I even like girls? Based on my own experience, it wasn't very hard for me to believe that Taichi realized his feelings later in life and ended up with Touma in the end. The ending is very confusing and abrupt so I understand why so many people are upset with it but the more and more I think about it, the more since it makes. Or maybe I'm just digging too deep into the story? I don't know, but I really do love this manga.

Dec 8, 2020 5:36 PM

#97

Sparks00

Offline

Apr 2013

beepbopbeepboop said:
I don't know how to feel about the ending. I'm still trying to figure it about but after reading so many different interpretations of it but I think that for the most part it was fine. I think that all the sudden changes in the time-skip are kinda the point of the whole story, like it's trying to say that your teenage years will shape you but it won't be the person you are in the future. Futaba ended up marrying some random man because she lived a whole different life after highschool. Futaba and Taichi helped each other find confidence in themselves in highschool but after that, they drifted off onto different paths. Touma and Taichi got together but that's only because Taichi went through a lot of self discovery during college. I think that maybe Taichi realized his feelings for Touma after he broke up with Futaba? That's just my theory since he did say that he was depressed and lost after they broke up. Masumi ended up discovering that she was bisexual, and I see a lot of people saying that it doesn't make since at all and part of me agrees but I also see why the author went with that choice. Maybe... Masumi felt like she couldn't like both men and women? Like she never thought being bi was choice, she realized that she liked Futaba and just immediately thought that she was different, that she could never be accepted for who she truly was. So instead of looking for acceptance from others, she tried accepting herself but in the end it didn't really work out because she just suppressed another side of herself. I don't know if that explanation makes complete since but basically I just think that Masumi was so confused about her sexuality but didn't give herself time to think about it and just declared that she was lesbian. Then later in life she realized that being bi was actually a thing and met her husband. There's also theories that her husband is actually trans so maybe they started dating before he started transitioning? Who knows.

Anyways, I just wanted to say that this story really meant a lot to me. I don't think I ever related more to a main character in my life. I had a similar experience with my own childhood best friend so I completely understand how conflicted Taichi felt after being confessed to by Touma. For me, it just left me so confused about how I felt about her. Of course I still loved her as a friend, but did I love her in a romantic sense too? Did I even like girls? Based on my own experience, it wasn't very hard for me to believe that Taichi realized his feelings later in life and ended up with Touma in the end. The ending is very confusing and abrupt so I understand why so many people are upset with it but the more and more I think about it, the more since it makes. Or maybe I'm just digging too deep into the story? I don't know, but I really do love this manga.

Pretty much agree with this! Personally, Masumi's the person I relate to the most, even with her outcome at the end, it's similar to where I'm at too. A polarizing ending for sure and I can definitely see why people would hate it. Personally, I starting to move towards the love it side xD

lol lesbians getting over their same sex crush and turning straight past high school is perhaps the most clichè and common development for this type of character.

She's not straight tho. Her husband made it clear out of all the men and women, she chose him (who's pretty much a male Kuzu).

Too bad none of this was written in the manga!

Except it kinda was? The idea of making choices and having the need to keep making choices is what leads to people to explore and/or change.

Sparks00Dec 8, 2020 7:06 PM

Jan 1, 2021 8:42 AM

#98

Diapinky

Offline

Jan 2021

I love itttttt because blue flag is so amazing and touch heart ♥♥♥

Jan 2, 2021 10:40 PM

#99

RightGate

Offline

Dec 2014

207

I really liked Touma and Taichi ending up together it seemed posible but still was a surprise, though it was very bold for a manga in the shonen jump to end in a M/M relationship.
It was a very close ending and didnt left me with some unresolved feeling like some other mangas do but I agree Masumis ending didn't sit right with me either.
She constantly was shown struggling with her same sex attraction and already knowing she doesn't have feelings for the opposite sex; even if she didn't confess to Kuze her ending with a man seemed... wrong, is like she gave up or she doesn't fully accept herself yet as a lesbian.

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Jan 8, 2021 2:51 AM

#100

Sparks00

Offline

Apr 2013

RightGate said:
I really liked Touma and Taichi ending up together it seemed posible but still was a surprise, though it was very bold for a manga in the shonen jump to end in a M/M relationship.
It was a very close ending and didnt left me with some unresolved feeling like some other mangas do but I agree Masumis ending didn't sit right with me either.
She constantly was shown struggling with her same sex attraction and already knowing she doesn't have feelings for the opposite sex; even if she didn't confess to Kuze her ending with a man seemed... wrong, is like she gave up or she doesn't fully accept herself yet as a lesbian.

I think it was somewhat hinted early on in the manga when she was talking to Touma where he remarked that she's not exactly the same as him, so I guess even Touma knew that she was bi. That being said, I feel that Masumi didn't realize she was bi and only assumed she was a lesbian because she still had feelings for Kuze, so no amount of relationships (be it boy or girl) would've worked and only when she finally let go of her she could finally find love again (something I related to her as I had gone through something similar y.y).

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