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Mar 14, 2013 5:33 AM
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Mar 2013
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Hmmm, well said. I think that type of ending with some closure would have been ideal in terms of satisfying the audience. However, the title Sundome meaning to stop just before tends to explain the mangaka's decision in leaving everything up in the air. We all should have known what we were in for once we realized that she was dying.
Mar 30, 2013 3:19 AM
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Mar 2012
1
This is my interpretation of the ending of Sundome and what I view as evidence to back my interpretation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I stand on the side of those who have said that they didn't have sex. I believe she was giving him a hand job or perhaps not touching him at all. My reasoning for this was the fact that we never see Kurumi's left hand, only her right. Others have said that they are clearly having sex because both of Hideo's hands are being used to support himself so there is no way he could have been masturbating. Hideo has been known to come at the slightest of stimulation, so even if Kurumi wasn't doing anything to him, he still could have come in that situation.

Some have said that Hideo started having sex with her and then she died, and he kept on going until climax. Others have said that he started having sex with her once she had already been dead. I don't think either of those theories fit the story, or who Hideo was as a person. That just isn't something he would do. Besides, what kind of person has sex with someone who just died and then thinks, "Oh, I'm about to come! Better pull out!" It just doesn't make sense.

Hideo also successfully graduates as a member of the Roman club and is seen working as a resident at the hospital. He wouldn't have been able to do so if he didn't finish high school as a virgin. He never would have been able to work at that hospital if he had quit (lost his virginity) the Roman club because the Director of the hospital, and at least one of the doctors, are Alumni of the club. They wouldn't have let him work at their hospital if he had broken the rule of their club.
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I believe that Kurumi was alive at least until page 23. She is being held close by Hideo as they watch the nami no hana together. The sleeping bag has been zipped up a bit and they both seem to be at peace with slight smiles on their faces. If Kurumi had died at any point before page 23, we would expect to at least see tears on Hideo's face, if not anguish and suffering. Kurumi meant the world to Hideo. I refuse to believe that he would simply lie there calmly if she had just dead. Some may say that he must have been in shock at that point, but his expression on page 23 isn't one of shock.

Kurumi then says, "When I wake up, let's have sex". Those are her final words; we know that she doesn't wake up. She chooses those to be her final words in order to let Hideo know that she loved him and would have given herself completely to him had her situation been different. Her illness prevented her from being able/wanting to have sex, be it physically or emotionally, and she made that clear in the beginning of the story. True to her words, they never have sex.
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The bit on page 26 about Hideo "tightening" under his neck is clearly a reference to the "collar" that Kurumi put on Hideo. I don't know anything about a shutter reference, but I'm pretty sure he means a collar and he is tugging on a leash. The chapters of Sundome are even called Collars and Hideo himself talks about how he feels his "leash" was let go in chapter 72.
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On the last page, there are three consecutive panels of Hideo lying down on the bed.
In the first, we seem him thinking with his eyes closed as he smiles.
In the second panel, we see him open his eyes and glance over to his left hand [which is the hand he used to hold hands with Kurumi as she died]. His smile grows a bit larger.
In the final panel, we see him close his eyes again, put his head down, and rest into his hand and arm. He thinks: "You still exist".

Kurumi is still very much alive inside Hideo, and he realizes this. She completely shaped him as a person and made him grow into the man we see in this epilogue. He went from someone who was invisible, to someone who took action. He started training his body, got his first job, was able to stand up to his classmates, broke someone out of a hospital, and is even on the road to becoming a doctor. All because of Kurumi's influence. He is reminded of this and is able to be honest with himself.

"On second thought... about that golden shower..."
Cancel51Feb 3, 2014 11:00 PM
Apr 18, 2013 6:18 AM
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Oct 2009
7
Cried...
May 31, 2013 10:03 PM

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Jan 2013
11047
Well that was such a great manga.
Don't have much to say.
9/10
Jun 7, 2013 4:43 PM
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Apr 2013
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singleturbo said:
my thoughts


The ending is a bit confusing, but here is what I think happened.



If you notice between the panels of him in action there are flashbacks/his memories. When Kurumi whispered in his ear she said "Tomorrow when I wake up..." this is actually a memory. The reason I say that is because that statement is finished at the end of the scene when he's holding her, which is "Lets have sex". Yet he was having sex with her at night. He did this because she probably fell really ill and obviously wasn't going to make it to the morning. So I assume she was near death while he was doing her (he can be interpreted as crying here) and she died before he could finish (hence the title of the manga "Sundome"). It also fits in with her promise to him about sex (she knew she wasn't going to make it to the morning, so she was kind of telling him it was okay to do it and still not "letting" him do it.)

One could also assume she died before he started, but I choose to take the hand movements as an indicator of life...



I wasn't crying about the ending until I read that
Now I can't get my crap together
Jul 3, 2013 6:25 AM

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Jul 2012
1299
Wow, I want to cry now.
Jul 5, 2013 4:05 AM
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Jul 2013
3
i was really expecting for something more shocking, or at least more explanation on what just happened. I never knew that she's already dead even though i've already finished reading it, lol.
Anyways, great manga, played with my emotions for a few hours..
Jul 8, 2013 4:46 AM
The Shrike

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Nov 2009
11583
This manga started great but then after a while it started to stall. Things felt a bit repetitive at one point (Roman Club trip, Hideo and Kurumi manage to be alone= new perversion) and I really had to push myself the last 15 chapters or so. What made it worse was that then they crammed 3 episodes worth of storyline in the final chapter which then feels too rushed IMHO. It's a shame really, because it had a good premise and some interesting characters.
"Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii

There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov

Jul 23, 2013 7:32 PM
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Oct 2012
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Imo

I think he was masturbating on top of her. By this time she had already passed away. She knew she wouldn't live until morning and she was making these sexual promises throughout the entire manga that she would avoided. The part at the end when they are talking about the plankton are likely her last words. Them talking about the plankton carcasses is similar to her situation. She wanted to die in a "beautiful" fashion. I'm she didn't originally plan on dying there ,but time waits for no one. The "her existence is your existence" quote is what Hideo refers to at the end. Similar to the other members crying in the hospital it was like him being thankful to her for the love they were able to share. "I'm glad you existed ." Now because of the memories they shared she will continue to exist through him.


My Proof: He holds her hand at the end and she doesn't grip back. People who are near death and fall asleep in the cold don't wake up. She kept her promise on not having sex with him. He throughout the entire manga has problems becoming aroused to anyone besides Kurumi. He wife whom he eventually meets because he is now a pretty good catch, due to his "training" with Kurumi and him being a doctor, now can't fill the void that Kurumi left. He may eventually overcome these sexually problems. My good ending is that he does, and it feels Fucking Fantastic.

Sundome literally means "stopping the moment before"

That moment before he looks into her eyes and it's like the silent agreement that you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Her's ends.

Fuck dude D*:
aaaa551155Jul 25, 2013 12:07 AM
Jul 31, 2013 2:12 AM

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Dec 2009
255
meh..
Aug 11, 2013 11:07 PM
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Apr 2013
1
The ending is pretty clear cut, in my opinion. Consider the following: Kurumi wouldn't have been opposed to pissing on him, as they'd done it multiple times before; she would never say, "Ew, what made you think of that". Secondly, in the beginning of the story, Kurumi made it clear that they would never have sex. Her saying that they would have sex when they wake up was simply affirmation of her prior statement, as well as a roundabout way of telling Hideo that she was about to die. Hideo's future spouse also stated that she didn't understand the Roman club, which shows that she had never taken part in their activities. So yeah, that's what I think.

Apologies if I was redundant about anything. I didn't read most of this thread beforehand, save for a couple posts.
Aug 26, 2013 12:50 AM
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Jul 2013
2
i honestly think that the ending has a lot more symbolism than meets the eye around when he said when he says his neck is hanging low it feels like something tight is wrapped around his neck holding him up its speaking of the past memories held with kurumi that keep telling hideo to stride forward it is obvious that kurumi has passed away but yet the surreal feel of her death makes everyone wish or want her to keep living as she made hideo a better person as she said lets have sex when i wake up it was her way of letting hideo know that she was going to die in his arms because she insinuated that they were never going to have sex its one of the saddest also my most memorable manga and in my collection my favorite. i wish i could rip my soul away to live in a love strived environment such as this but not even in my dreams will i be able to reach something as pure as this story no matter how ecchi people might think this story is.
Aug 26, 2013 12:53 AM
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Jul 2013
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Cancel51 said:
This is my interpretation of the ending of Sundome and what I view as evidence to back my interpretation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I stand on the side of those who have said that they didn't have sex. I believe she was giving him a hand job or perhaps not touching him at all. My reasoning for this was the fact that we never see Kurumi's left hand, only her right. Others have said that they are clearly having sex because both of Hideo's hands are being used to support himself so there is no way he could have been masturbating. Hideo has been known to come at the slightest of stimulation, so even if Kurumi wasn't doing anything to him, he still could have come in that situation.

Some have said that Hideo started having sex with her and then she died, and he kept on going until climax. Others have said that he started having sex with her once she had already been dead. I don't think either of those theories fit the story, or who Hideo was as a person. That just isn't something he would do. Besides, what kind of person has sex with someone who just died and then thinks, "Oh, I'm about to come! Better pull out!" It just doesn't make sense.

Hideo also successfully graduates as a member of the Roman club and is seen working as a resident at the hospital. He wouldn't have been able to do so if he didn't finish high school as a virgin. He never would have been able to work at that hospital if he had quit (lost his virginity) the Roman club because the Director of the hospital, and at least one of the doctors, are Alumni of the club. They wouldn't have let him work at their hospital if he had broken the rule of their club.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I believe that Kurumi was alive at least until page 23. She is being held close by Hideo as they watch the nami no hana together. The sleeping bag has been zipped up a bit and they both seem to be at peace with slight smiles on their faces. If Kurumi had died at any point before page 23, we would expect to at least see tears on Hideo's face, if not anguish and suffering. Kurumi meant the world to Hideo. I refuse to believe that he would simply lie there calmly if she had just dead. Some may say that he must have been in shock at that point, but his expression on page 23 isn't one of shock.

Kurumi then says, "When I wake up, let's have sex". Those are her final words; we know that she doesn't wake up. She chooses those to be her final words in order to let Hideo know that she loved him and would have given herself completely to him had her situation been different. Her illness prevented her from being able/wanting to have sex, be it physically or emotionally, and she made that clear in the beginning of the story. True to her words, they never have sex.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bit on page 26 about Hideo "tightening" under his neck is clearly a reference to the "collar" that Kurumi put on Hideo. I don't know anything about a shutter reference, but I'm pretty sure he means a collar and he is tugging on a leash. The chapters of Sundome are even called Collars and Hideo himself talks about how he feels his "leash" was let go in chapter 72.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the last page, there are three consecutive panels of Hideo lying down on the bed.
In the first, we seem him thinking with his eyes closed as he smiles.
In the second panel, we see him open his eyes and glance over to his left hand [which is the hand he used to hold hands with Kurumi as she died]. His smiles grows a bit larger.
In the final panel, we see him close his eyes again, put his head down, and rest into his hand and arm. He thinks: "You still exist".

Kurumi is still very much alive inside Hideo, and he realizes this. She completely shaped him as a person and made him grow into the man we see in this epilogue. He went from someone who was invisible, to someone who took action. He started training his body, got his first job, was able to stand up to his classmates, broke someone out of a hospital, and is even on the road to becoming a doctor. All because of Kurumi's influence. He is reminded of this and is able to be honest with himself.

"On second thought... about that golden shower..."


i couldnt have said it any better
Sep 12, 2013 11:59 AM

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Aug 2012
738
My god this manga T_T

*cries*
Sep 19, 2013 6:59 AM
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Sep 2013
1
Just finished reading the entire series after discovering it was available in print. When I finished, I was curious about the ending and this forum helped me to understand/form my own comfortable conclusion (feel free to agree or ignore).

First of all, "When I wake up...Let's have sex." is what Kurumi whispers to Hideo in the sleeping bag. However, my thoughts are as follows:
a. Hideo would never disobey a promise he makes to Kurumi so when she never wakes up, he would NOT have sex with her.
b. He ejaculates from some of the tiniest stimulation from her so if he DID stick it inside of her, he would not last several panels.
Conclusion, he's simply grinding against her in the boat and finishes outside. No sex = backing from the Roman Club and him becoming a Resident.

Secondly, I don't think Hideo is married to the "other woman" (she is obviously not Kurumi). Reasoning behind this is the fact Kyouko and Kattsun are getting married soon so I doubt Hideo would meet someone and tie the knot before them.

Also, not only is Hideo not wearing a ring, but the woman has her ring on her right hand.
SpookedHideoSep 19, 2013 7:03 AM
Sep 29, 2013 5:56 PM

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Feb 2013
488
What a great manga. That ending was pretty emotionally jarring. If Hideo was a little less horny throughout the series I would've loved it but that's not a major concern. I also wish there was a little more back-story to Kurumi. Nevertheless I enjoyed this manga.
~ El Psy Congroo~

Oct 8, 2013 7:41 PM

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Jan 2012
142
This story was incredibly depressing, especially during the second segment. Ahh man, I don't even know what to think of the score I'm going to give this anymore. Perhaps a 8/10 would give it justice. Everything about the end pretty much justified the entire series. AKA. Finding out that the man in the mercedes was actually the Dr. taking care of Kurumi the entire time. Gonna miss this series.
Live, Laugh, Love.

Nov 4, 2013 7:37 PM

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Jan 2010
201
incredibly depressing, but also touching. I don't care for bittersweet endings, but it's better than a tragic end.

I really wish that the mangaka had revealed her illness, but perhaps he didn't want to risk contradicting himself. (he says she has disease X, but she didn't have symptom Y, and X causes Y)

It definitely was NOT HIV/AIDS. The only real evidence for AIDS is her saying she won't have sex with him, and possibly the fact her parents are dead and had passed it on to her. However, the symptoms weren't right for immunodeficiency, they weren't drawn out long enough, and her time of death is pretty pessimistic for the time the story was written. (HIV is nearly considered a "treatable" condition, rather than a terminal one these days.) Also, if she refused sex to avoid infecting him, then she had to be really dumb. They did several things that were more dangerous transmission-wise than sex with a condom. I think she refused because she knew the roman club alum doctor, knew she was going to die, and wanted Hideo to make it through as a virgin.

I'm glad they revealed her relationship with the doctor. Obviously he was her doctor, but it was great that the mangaka showed the doctor finding her as a child. Meaning they had a long term relationship, and a reason for him to become her personal doctor, and care so much about her. (The sudden death of her parents simultaneously also kinda rules out HIV, by the way.) I wonder if the doctor OB who was caring for her is the one who suggested she join the roman club in the first place?

The scene with her and the doctor, midway though, with the hope hurts line... is pretty sad. I'm guessing that's when she found out that it was going to be terminal after all. She got her hopes up because of wanting to be with Hideo, which is sweet, but so sad.

The ending was strange. I re-read the chapter a dozen times. I don't think they had sex. The flashbacks confuse things, as well as the art, so it's hard to say definitively. He said he'll masturbate for her. he was trying to give her some enjoyment, she was very tired. She whispered "let's have sex when I wake up" I'm certain she knew that she wasn't going to wake up, and Hideo likely realised it as well.

his expressions, and the talk about plankton dying in a beautiful way, rather than staying in the sea, indicate he was doing his best to please her at the end. likely he was rubbing against her, she might've started out touching him, but I think she drifted away during the event. Maybe when she saw the sea foam floating above Hideo. (reminiscent of seeing the fireworks in the bathtub.)

I think she passed out, and he finished anyway for her. The way their relationship developed, she turned his pleasure/orgasms into an act for her, not him. It's strange, like a lot of this story, but in that context, it makes sense. His happiness came from pleasing her, and he pleased her by giving her control over his body and orgasms. Right from the beginning, that aspect of their relationship was there, but he grew more and more into it as their relationship progressed. He did a lot of the crazier things to make her happy, rather than for his own direct pleasure. (he was pleased making her happy)

I think him offering to jerk off was to make her feel better, because he could tell she wasn't doing well. I think they knew what was going to happen, her dying, and that it was soon. I think she whispered "lets have sex when I wake up" to help get him aroused so he could do it for her. I don't think he was just being pervy on her deathbed, and was likely very sad, so she encouraged him.

He likely held her afterwards knowing she wouldn't wake up, but maybe a bit happy that she drifted off from a happy place.

I am disappointed though, that the author didn't cover his grief period, or school life, or anything like that at all. it seemed to jarring for him to go from something so traumatic, to about 10 years later. (2 more years of high school, 4 years undergrad college, 3 years med school, and however much time into his residency)

It's nice that she lived on in him. She changed him, and even though she's dead, she lives on in his memories. I think that's what the ending was about. Not that she is literally a spirit following him. He was in the roman club, and learned to hold onto that belief, and hold onto her in his life. The chin being pulled up, is a way to motivate himself, to remember that he's also living on for her. If he feels like life or challenges are tough, remember the strength she gave him to accomplish things, and his reason for continuing. Very touching.

She did leave him with some impotence issues I think, because his sexuality was so strongly tied to her. He was impotent with the wife-type person. (she was wearing a ring, so they are likely married.) He was thinking of Kurumi that day, and it made it difficult for him. His sex is about pleasing her, after all. But then, after mentioning the golden fountain stuff, he thought about her, and thought that she always enjoyed watching him do those things, and thought that it would make her happy. So it wasn't betraying her after all, and so he went after his wife into the shower.

Typing all this out, and thinking through the ending, makes me feel better... sorry for the long post.
Nov 18, 2013 8:50 AM
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Nov 2013
1
She always said "we will never have sex" and then she said "when I wake up let's have sex" so isn't it obvious that she died? I kinda expected her to die ever since she got the bloody noses.
Nov 30, 2013 4:33 PM

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Jun 2013
1056
Such a sad ending... Makes you think about life and how fortunate most of us are for having healthy bodies and a chance to enjoy life to its fullest. Unfortunately most of us take it for granted though...

Huge respect for Hideo. Because of him Kurumi was able to enjoy her last year or so as much as she could. Although it looks like the poor guy is now mentally and sexually scarred for the rest of his life...

On the bright side Katsu and Kyouko are getting married!
Dec 28, 2013 2:16 PM
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Dec 2013
1
for people that are confused with the identity of the girl hideo was with at the end of the chapter...it's not kurumi who definitely died, and it's not her "sister" - the purpose of the children's home scene was to cement the idea that kurumi was an orphan, meaning that she didn't have parents to help pay for the hospital fees + apartment bills. therefore, she was hired by the OB network as an assassin to try to break hideo in exchange for taking care of the treatments and apartment.
viraticDec 29, 2013 12:15 AM
Jan 2, 2014 4:23 AM

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Aug 2012
1405
that was a great manga despite that I already know what happen to kurumi (because I read some spoiler) it is still

Rawrol said:
That ending, Saw it coming but was still hard to take it or accept it.


:( the bond between them is really something, anyway great manga I'll never forget it
Jan 8, 2014 10:16 PM
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Feb 2012
21
Very intriguing manga, funny, disturbing and darkly brilliant. The subject matter of sexual perversion (aka golden showers and submission) isn't my cup of tea, so as ecchi fap material it is a fail for me, but the symbolism and psychological depth is top notch.

The most chilling omen is the panel where she had been bleeding and she's lying down with a handkerchief on her face. The Japanese usually put a cloth over a dead person's face so it was bad juju just like the flowers being "accidentally" put on her desk. The students in their class were real assholes, btw.

I agree with those that conclude he never had sex with her (in terms of penetration). Rubbing is definitely one way to masturbate without hands. The guy ejaculates several times just in his own pants, fer crissakes!

This also means she died as a virgin.
Feb 4, 2014 5:21 PM

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Aug 2013
760
This manga hurts.

Anyways. I read it start to finish in a two day period because I knew if I stopped it would be hard to pick up a dark gritty story. Even though I knew she was terminally ill and the end was a given, it hit those feelings pretty hard. So I wanted to finish it as soon as possible.

The development of the relationship was probably the highlight of the manga for me. I did not enjoy their "outings" with the club as much so I found myself skimming those parts.

Overall it was amazingly deep with plot and relationships, but a bit drawn out. I will probably not forget this manga since it is the first to actually rustle my jimmies..
TazuFeb 4, 2014 5:25 PM
Feb 12, 2014 8:49 PM
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Feb 2014
1
hey guys th most probaly didin't notice but the woman in the final pages

has a mole under his lip

kurumi has not so after she died he merried another person

SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH

AM FROM BRAZIL I LEARN FROM GOOGLE TRASNLATORAND ENGLISH MANGA -.-
Feb 16, 2014 5:14 PM

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Feb 2012
311
Wow. That's all I can say; what a brilliant manga.

At first about exploiting fetishistic intimacies between humans to perverse humor about licentious things, the last volume really picks up the previous expectations and tosses them right out the window (just as Hideo did with the pot of flowers, ostensibly).

The ending, especially the last chapter, is a bit ambiguous but I'm more leaning towards this interpretation: they had sex (as indicated by her whispering "let's have sex when I wake up" and the chapter before - "I had a dream that we had sex"), but it might be, uh, necrophilia, since she might or might not have died before, during, or after the intercourse. The last substantial indication of her living was before the scene, so it's really up to one's interpretation. And given how perverse the entire manga is, the former wouldn't really be that surprising. The woman we see later is quite possibly a demonstration of what Kurumi, and by extension Sundome as a whole, was attempting to teach the protagonist (us, the audience): to slowly take initiative. Essentially, an entanglement of traditional coming of age themes mingled with strong sexual explications.

I really liked this manga; thought the characters were spot-on developed, especially the main pair, though some side characters were lacking it could be forgiven. The sexual imagery felt a bit gratuitous most of the time even in spite of the direction of the latter chapters. Perhaps if emphasized less (though that would defeat the purpose) the stimulation aspects, and more the psychological effects this aspect would've been handled a bit better. Overall though this manga isn't something I'd forget anytime soon while considering its unique display of erotic fetishistic ways that may very well serve to prove Freudian notions.

Still. Japan, you are so weird.
Feb 18, 2014 8:28 AM

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May 2013
7106
That was an interesting ending. I thought that girl that Hideo was sleeping with was Kurumi, but with longer hair, so I assumed that she was alive. Reading it a second, I can definite see that it wasn't her and that Kurumi, in fact, died (I guess she died when her and Hideo were having sex). Not a lot of people mentioned this, but Katsu and Kyouko are getting married!? I guess that was bound to happen, so congrats to them. Wish we could've seen them after that time skip.

This was an interesting manga to read. The relationship between Hideo and Kurumi was really interesting. There were many times that I thought that Hideo was just being used by her, but I guess that just happens when you really love that person and you would do anything for her. And with Kurumi, I can agree with some of the people that she was trying to change this guy into someone that can be relied upon in the future. But it was sad that Kurumi had to have an illness. Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this manga, just really seeing where their relationship would go from start to finish. This is definitely a manga that I'm not going to forget.
Mar 6, 2014 3:05 PM

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Jan 2014
1442
never mind the jerking-off part, but i feel bad for him that he lost kurumi...he's a great guy though...I would prefer this MC over Shinji from N.G.E, that guy was such a wuss. . .

it's a bit sad though that she died, but he still kept her in his memories,
a place where she'll exist as long as he live :)
Got something to live for, I know that I won't surrender,
A warrior of youth,
I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order
I Am Bulletproof. . .

Mar 22, 2014 7:59 PM

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Jan 2014
97
So i just finished this manga. One of the saddest things ive ever read. I have no words to describe it.

Do you know anything else from the author which has a happy ending?
Apr 6, 2014 4:02 PM

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Oct 2012
196
Well, it was a very good read overall, but the ending was really rushed, which is why it wasn't perfect in the end for me..
I read all volumes in 1 day, so I may have noticed a few things I will share which could slip if you read it chapter by chapter over a period of time.

Well, first of all we realy did see Kurumi's state of health worsening(aside of Hideo mentioning one time she is losing weight, we actually saw her becoming more 'bony', as in thin..)

If you remember - she told she had no parents, while we often saw her with Roman Club's alumni.
In the last chapter we also saw Kurumi's childrens home, where she suppostedly lived before...
Yet during the period we see her in - she lives alone. This leads us a conclusion of her being materially supported by alumni.. but for what reason? Usually goal of alumni is to seduct club members with girl 'assassins' to make them lose virginity. While Kurumi's actions were exactly the opposite. Or was it that the real goal of roman club was to make mature people out of the club members? It's really hard for those 'close off' types of people to develop themselves, so the club is an opportunity to open yourself, while old members support those with their fun activities. This theory is supported good by chapter when we had a muscular alumni appear and Hideo challenged him into diving.. Well, while it may be true the man was afraid of heights, but I personally think he simply allowed Hideo to grow inside Kurumi's eyes.. Also pretty much any alumni related activities were having a real impact on both pairs in the manga.

Now to break hopes of people, who may think it was an open ending or something and kurumi could be alive.. No, it's pretty clear that the woman after time skip is not Kurumi, simply because of mole on her face, if you pay attention. And everything else is pointing into that(mostly her manner of speech and how she acted to club related activities and especially relation to golden shower, heh..)
At first I thought that author wanted to make it open end at first too, so people could think what they want, but then had to reread a bit and noticed it's a 100% his wife is not Kurumi.
Oh, and don't forget how they bought 2 fishes.. and author tried to play it out with them as fishes, so Kurumi would praise hideo's fish, when Hideo was getting more confident and eventually throwing away her own fish counterpart, meaning she thought that Hideo can live on without her, by his own strength.. and she was right according to ending we get, she 'raised' Hideo into becoming a successful person despite such grieve loss..

As for if they had or didn't have sex before the end of manga.. well, this actually is open end part now, since author did hide that aspect, which could mean 2 things:
1) They did have sex, but due to it not being an H manga, the scene simply wasn't made.
2) They didn't.
If we check the manga title - sundome, which means stopping right before finishing, then it makes us mostly take 2nd choice as a given.. At first I thought title was such because of Kurumi always teasing Hideo, so she makes him 'hard', while not letting him ejaculate(and if he does, she punishes him), as in stopping right before he does it.. But later on this proved false, when Hideo started ejaculating left and right without Kurumi getting bossy over it.

In the end, if we go by pure logic - he doesn't have sex with her. Reason for that is him becoming doctor... Remember the Club rule - stay virgin and be what you want to be and he told to Kurumi before that Doctor is what he wants to become.. and I doubt he would reach that without club's help.
Also the 'let's have sex when I wake up' phrase realy supports the no.2 choice, since Hideo always obeyed her and never broke promises..

Yet, there is a reason, why the sex actually could have happened. And that is - character development. Remember what was Kurumi trying to achieve with Hideo? That is for him to become independant, so he could actually act without having to rely on her..
And pairing that with picture, where she got ejaculated all over in her last moments.. There is a chance that he showed her the progress of work she made on him and actually disobeyed her and did it before she 'allowed' it.. with that, we get a relatively happy ending, where Kurumi passes away happily, after she actually made him broke the promise for the first time..
After all she told before, that she loves him and that probably was the truth.. She just wasn't the type to force herself onto him, since she probably thought it would be a burden to him for whole life, unless he makes such choice himself.
And since Hideo made that choise by his own will, that helped him get over the loss and continue to live with memories of Kurumi in his heart..


This manga realy had the potential, which was not unlocked even in the end. I think author shouldn't have put all that development onto last few chapters but instead made it more spread out at the very least... It just seemed how the progress was realy rushed TOO much..
I rated it 9 because of how well thought out the manga was and how it touched my heart, but if we judge real quality, then it's 8- probably.. I found the jerking/golden showers of Kurumi and Hideo most of the time being just fan service and not actually any development at all. It was fun for first few times, but after seeing almost exact same thing for 10th time with no sign of improvement on characters relations.. that seemed weird..
Also characters realy seemed WAY too different when they were just together with their pervy acts and when they were in company of someone else.. Of course they are supposed to keep it secret and such, but still sometimes it felt like you saw 2 different personalities.

It was a good read for sure, yet, after seeing the potential it had I was cheering for something more, so it left a slight disappointment... I am still happy I found a good read anyway though, so I guess it's all cool :)




cowboy_bebop63 said:
So i just finished this manga. One of the saddest things ive ever read. I have no words to describe it.

Do you know anything else from the author which has a happy ending?


Read Nozoki Ana, not by similiar author, but it's very similiar to this(and I must sadly say it's even better than sundome because of sundome's rushing ending and lack of development until ending) and it has happy ending(actually the happy ending is what made me disappointed about it the most, and if happy end is what you seek, you will find it a true masterpiece :D)
Apr 22, 2014 12:17 AM

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Dec 2012
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I guess I'll be the wird one here to say about how outright stupid I think this ending was. I believe the first third or so of this manga was very well done and had a lot of potential, but eventually it just became weird and illogical. THe manga should have focused more on their relationship and the characters, and not SO much on the fetishes. All that space wasted on Hideo getting jerked off ONCE again and Kattsun joking with the other girl could have been spent explaining wtf was wrong with Kurumi, and with the characters speaking about what they meant to each other.

When you get past all the "bittersweetness" and all the other BS, think about how this manga ended: a guy picks up his (girlfriend?) form th hospital, half dead, they go on a train ride, have sex on a dock (where she is possibly dead or dying), compares her to dead sea plankton, and ejaculates on her possibly dead body.

Does this not seem incredibly shocking to you all? How does anything other than arrest and murder trial not result from such a thing? How does Hideo just turn in a dead Kurumi after being half raped and life goes on as normal? The manga just makes no sense at all. And the whole Roman club cult/alien thing eventually played a real part in the story? It just feels to me like the author didn't take this story seriously, like it was more a tongue in cheek joke about two perverted kids than a serious romance novel.

There was potential for a lot of interesting dicussion and conflict in this manga, but in the end it just turned out to be yet another pseudo-edgy manga about psycho Japanese kids who somehow suffer no logical consequences for their actions.

Good beginning, outright stupid ending.
Apr 26, 2014 2:34 PM
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Jul 2018
564074
Aw, geez...

What a manga. Nearly cried when he saw flowers on Sahana's desk.

I, like many others here it seems, didn't understand the ending at first. I fisrt thought it was Kurumi with Hideo, but that wouldn't be right... there was too much foreshadowing of her death to have it end so conveniently.


Anyway, this was great. Sahana helped Aiba mature and grow into a man, but she couldn't make it...

Really sad shit, but I can't cry after seeing him happy with his new partner. But yeah, her influence on him and his fetishes still live on, seeing as he asks his new partner for a golden shower.

Great manga. Best blind purchase I've ever made. These 8 volumes will always have a special place on my shelf.
I hope Yen Press decides to publish Okada's new 'Ibitsu' over here, as it looks somewhat similar.
May 7, 2014 11:56 AM
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Nov 2010
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I've read all the posts in this thread, as well as the link to Akemi's website. There is a few arguments I'd like to add to the discussion:
jindo90May 7, 2014 1:15 PM
May 8, 2014 2:35 AM

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Nov 2012
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So i just finished this at about 5 in the morning, and i knew from all the foreshadowing that Kurumi was going to die at the end, but god damn that didn't stop me from tearing up a little at the endd. I'm glad to see that Kurumi building up Hideo to be a better person showed results at the end. At the end, even though it's pretty ambiguous, i'm pretty sure that Kurumi and Hideo had sex at the end. In chapter 72, Hideo says he feels like his 'collar' has been lifted, and in 73 when the doctor stops by in his car he tells Hideo that "She was always waiting on you to act on your own." And in chapter 75, when Hideo wakes Kurumi up at the hospital, she tells him that she "had a dream they had sex." So in the final chapter, I think Hideo had sex with her when she was sleeping. (I'm hoping he didn't do it after she died, because during the flashbacks, every time it showed her hand in the same position, unmoving, and even when he 'finishes' on her she still hasn't moved) It's still very ambiguous about whether or not they had sex. I just want to believe they did 'it' while she was asleep before she died, dreaming like she did in chapter 75.
May 24, 2014 7:15 AM

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Oct 2012
196
Nakuke said:
I guess I'll be the wird one here to say about how outright stupid I think this ending was.

I think you are weird one only for the reason that my comment directly before yours was actually totally the same in a bit different wording... lol..

Now that I read my previous post, I realy found quite a few better manga series of similiar genre, so maybe I should even lower my rating on this one, hmm..
It was still a good read on average and it was a long story too, so I guess it was harder on author part to keep up with quality so I will stick with what I have for now, but that may change if I find even more good titles ^^
May 25, 2014 8:03 AM
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Dec 2013
75
This manga kinda reminds me of Angel beats.. This also what happened from his little sister? I'm Confused in this kind of ending.. Is she kurumi? or did she died? and who did hideo married?


May 25, 2014 8:06 AM
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Dec 2013
75
MCA5EY said:
So i just finished this at about 5 in the morning, and i knew from all the foreshadowing that Kurumi was going to die at the end, but god damn that didn't stop me from tearing up a little at the endd. I'm glad to see that Kurumi building up Hideo to be a better person showed results at the end. At the end, even though it's pretty ambiguous, i'm pretty sure that Kurumi and Hideo had sex at the end. In chapter 72, Hideo says he feels like his 'collar' has been lifted, and in 73 when the doctor stops by in his car he tells Hideo that "She was always waiting on you to act on your own." And in chapter 75, when Hideo wakes Kurumi up at the hospital, she tells him that she "had a dream they had sex." So in the final chapter, I think Hideo had sex with her when she was sleeping. (I'm hoping he didn't do it after she died, because during the flashbacks, every time it showed her hand in the same position, unmoving, and even when he 'finishes' on her she still hasn't moved) It's still very ambiguous about whether or not they had sex. I just want to believe they did 'it' while she was asleep before she died, dreaming like she did in chapter 75.

Oh God !! O.O


May 31, 2014 1:17 PM

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Sep 2013
5
What an awesome manga. I am glad I did read it.
Jun 30, 2014 11:34 PM

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Jul 2013
411
ClawViper7 said:
The scenes before the time skip into the future was open up to our interpretation from the author. So here's mine :

Page 15-16 - Kurumi undresses and tells him to come over to her. The two panels at the bottom of page 16 was Aiba having sex with Kurumi. Pages 16-19 (the topmost panel) showed him with an extremely painful expression as he was having sex with her, the most painful being after he asked himself why did she choose him out of everyone. The sounds made were pretty much all from him. Page 17 shows her hands go limp.. The 2nd - 5th panel of page 19 was a continuation from top panels of page 16 as you can see that Kurumi was still sitting up, and she whispered something to him. Page 20 further shows Aiba's pained expression. He finally finishes on page 21-22. The 'When I wake up, let's have sex' was what Kurumi whispered to him back in page 19. Chronological order : Page 15 -> Top panel of page 16 -> 2nd to 5th panel of page 19 -> Bottom two panels of page 16 -> page 17 -> page 18 -> 1st panel of page 19 -> page 20 -> page 21 -> page 22.

Therefore, I believed that Kurumi felt tired and that her time has come, so she lied down after the conversation on page 19. However, she woke up for the last time some time after and this led to Aiba having sex with her. However, her body was too weak and halfway during the process - possibly just before Aiba came - she died. Aiba's pained expression could be from the fact that he realised that she was dying. Eventually, the final time they showed her hand on page 20 was where she died - therefore they showed Aiba's expression again. Hence, the title Sundome - Kurumi died right before Aiba came in the midst of their first ever love-making.

Although there is another possibility that Kurumi never woke up and Aiba was having sex with her dead body (Aiba's hands were straight so it is definite that he has sex with her), I choose not to take this possibility because Aiba would never defy Kurumi's words. Kurumi possibly thought that she would have died and thus never waking up, but in the event that she does - she probably wants to take it as a sign to have sex with Aiba.

As for the ending, I decide to take it for what I see. He regularly has sex with a woman who has a wedding ring - it might be a colleague at work, for all I care. He is always reminded of Kurumi and says that she still exists in his heart. At the very last panel at the end, I believe that it was him talking to the woman.


For thoughts about the series itself, I felt that it has quite a number of flaws - Some of the kinky sex particularly about pissing did not appeal to me at all, and a lot of the story was dragged out. A lot of really serious moments were also ruined because the author decided to turn it into something sexual. A strong point would be the fact that the main character undergoes good character development, as portrayed in the two goldfish. Also, when the sexual scenes were done at the right time, it created a whole lot of sexual tension making it extremely romantic. Although I dislike tragedies, I personally couldn't get Kurumi-chan out of my head for the few hours after reading the manga.

Final Score : 9/10. Could have been 10 if it didn't drag it out with pointless scenes.
"Komugi, are you there?"



Aug 23, 2014 12:20 AM

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Jan 2013
11680
Blatantly sexual, at times disgusting, some chapters merely repetitive, and with a MC weird to a tee, Sundome is anything unlike I've ever read so far. Boasting terrific character development and one of the best final chapters in any manga, Sundome is a gem, albeit flawed, that one should cherish.

A 7.5/10 from me.
TrequartistaAug 23, 2014 12:25 AM
Kagami_Hiiragi said:
Idc if you think its weird, I have a life and friends and an income of money.

Oct 10, 2014 10:23 AM
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26
To be honest, I thought it was really rude what he said at the end, saying thank you for her being there. Kurumi didn't want to die, she wanted to be with him forever, she loved him and was trying to get better just for him (somewhere around volume 2). She didn't want what happened, and that's just some cold shit.

I would have preferred it to be a bit sweeter, I wasn't really happy with the tone most of the time, it was just kind of brute forced and I'm more of a romance-y kind of guy. Could see she was going to die the first time she was absent, it was the only way it could go.
I was kind of happy with how he was impotent with his wife, Kurumi was the only once who could make him the happiest, and she is always first for him, I guess it's a nod to him unable to find someone as perfect for him as her, seeing as she was the first, and apparently only person, who he genuinely found attractive all the time.

Didn't really like the last few chapters, primarily cause it just seemed a bit rushed for her death, like nothing really happened except to tie up some loose ends, then they went on the trip, then she died. All well I guess.

7/10 overall, it was decent, art was pretty meh but can't really hate unless it's super ugly. Characters were funny, although they got a bit tiresome, also a bit irrelevant, but I guess that's okay.
Oct 10, 2014 6:23 PM
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May 2014
2
this may be the wrong place to ask but I'm confused so ill ask anyway.

What did the doctor do Kurumu sahana?
*Did they have sex when he was in the bathtub? If not, why was she showing her bosom and him petting her when she is showing herself.
*When aiba said to the doctor at the festival that she lets him get peed on, he said it was opposite for him. what did he mean by that?
* also wtf did she mean about jealousy at the start?

I liked the series, but as a guy who gets jealous i got mad Sahana and I got mad at Aiba.

When I read it was contrast for him on the peeing thing, obvious we the viewer think he is the one peeing on her, but i guess he meant that she struggles to give pee samples to him. for the bathtub scene the assumption is that he was checking her heartbeat, but I don't get why there was "doink Doink Doink" sounds then...

Still really annoyed by the lack of answers would like if there is a proof that leaves no room for uncertainty and I hope that I missed it.

Also Aiba working under him is no proof, the guy was pushover and kinda accepted their relationship.
Oct 11, 2014 4:56 AM
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Jul 2014
6
Just finished reading. My god... now I am going to go out and buy these in physical copies. This was emotional beyond belief and I actually cried. ;_; I am going to go with the ending that she lived, though I do not think it is the right ending. God this one got me. 9/10 though. Please somebody show me a good theory that is aimed toward her survival...
Oct 11, 2014 5:36 AM
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Jun 2010
26
Xpekt said:
this may be the wrong place to ask but I'm confused so ill ask anyway.

What did the doctor do Kurumu sahana?
*Did they have sex when he was in the bathtub? If not, why was she showing her bosom and him petting her when she is showing herself.
*When aiba said to the doctor at the festival that she lets him get peed on, he said it was opposite for him. what did he mean by that?
* also wtf did she mean about jealousy at the start?

I liked the series, but as a guy who gets jealous i got mad Sahana and I got mad at Aiba.

When I read it was contrast for him on the peeing thing, obvious we the viewer think he is the one peeing on her, but i guess he meant that she struggles to give pee samples to him. for the bathtub scene the assumption is that he was checking her heartbeat, but I don't get why there was "doink Doink Doink" sounds then...

Still really annoyed by the lack of answers would like if there is a proof that leaves no room for uncertainty and I hope that I missed it.

Also Aiba working under him is no proof, the guy was pushover and kinda accepted their relationship.


The Doctor was just that, a doctor, and was responsible with her care. They had sex in the bathtub, but she died during the act so it can be said they didn't have sex at after all, which is in line with her promise at the beginning. The doctor was just joking with him about the pissing. When he was checking her pulse she had an elevated heartbeat because she was so happy to be with him, and was still alive for his promise. She also proposed sex, which is pretty nerve wracking.
I'd say you just missed a lot of the nuance. Aiba worked under him because that's what he promised he was going to do, become a doctor, and presumably specializing in what Kurumi suffered from, just as the Doctor did.

In regards to Revan, she died in the bathtub, otherwise she would still be with Aiba.
Oct 11, 2014 5:55 AM
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May 2014
2
Xpekt said:

When I read it was contrast for him on the peeing thing, obvious we the viewer think he is the one peeing on her, but i guess he meant that she struggles to give pee samples to him.


I don't see what I missed, you are saying what i said just less accurate, I am only mad of the lack of evidence or a confirmation and asked if there was any such that i missed.
Oct 11, 2014 6:21 AM
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Jul 2014
6
She died in the bathtub..? How is that possible if she was in the hospital and his friends helped rescue her and everything? Maybe I am just in denial but there has to be some good evidence in the "Kurumi survives" theory. What killed her anyway, if she did die? .-.
Oct 11, 2014 7:18 AM
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Jun 2010
26
revan772 said:
She died in the bathtub..? How is that possible if she was in the hospital and his friends helped rescue her and everything? Maybe I am just in denial but there has to be some good evidence in the "Kurumi survives" theory. What killed her anyway, if she did die? .-.


It's not stated what she had, just that she was sick enough to frequently get severe nosebleeds that caused anemia. She was so weak by the end of it that she couldn't stand or sit up un-aided. Yes she died in the bath tub, presumably during sex with Aiba. The bathtub scene is after she had escaped the hospital with the aid of her friends.

To Xpekt, you're asking questions, which I answered, I didn't restate anything you said previously, and it's all matter-of-fact so there is no inaccuracy. There is evidence, it requires you to put two and two together, however, which judging from your questions you didn't do, that's why I said you missed much of the nuance.
Oct 11, 2014 9:32 PM

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Nov 2011
129056
Just finished reading this and wow, this was much more entertaining than I had thought. I think there was a time skip or sorts in the finale chapter.

8/10. I doubt this will get an anime adaptation though and if so, Madhouse would have to do it. Might re-read again someday.
Oct 19, 2014 11:36 PM

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Sep 2014
230
I haven't cried like that since two particular scenes in Elfen Lied.

However, I find myself thinking the scene in chap 71 is a little more heartbreaking... where he's passing out & she whispers, "I'm not taking you with me". I keep reading it as "I can't take you with me"...

9/10. Only reason I don't give it a 10 is 'cause Hideo disgusted me for the first half or so of the manga and I HATE tragedies. So it means I really loved a story when, despite my major aversion to tragedies, I nearly give it my perfect score.

I've now read Sundome 4 times and, every-single-time, when I reach the last volume I can't hold back the tears. No matter how many times I read Sundome the end doesn't get any easier to handle.
CasyleFeb 16, 2015 2:08 AM
Nov 18, 2014 9:17 PM

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Jun 2014
2
The Ending is confusing and too much stories unfolded

Last night i completed the story but for some reason couldn't sleep because of that untold ending.So i made up an own opinion for this ending.
Opinion:
Kurumi died of some unknown health issues.But that was not shown but it hint out something like that.And the woman spent night with Hideo,could be his wife.Because the personalities of that woman differs from Kurumi(Golden Shower,Smile,No response from the converstion about Tatsu's marriage).And whenever he mate/sex with his wife, Hideo reminds of that day,he had having the same feeling like the same before with Kurumi(Hideo said"You still Exist").

I wished for a dramatic ending.But never imagined this ending could came out that author created.
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