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Thank you for your compliment. As a non-native speaker of English, I am always somewhat insecure about writing to people who were born into English rather than being made aware of it later in life.

You are indeed right about Natsuo. Were I in a position where I was close to him in any sense, I would have told him not to talk to me until he did something about his "I can't take a hint about women" attitude. Moving on from this manga has been somewhat difficult for me, but now that I have begun reading other trash like this, I have realised that I was giving this manga more than the amount of time it deserves. I probably won't share your distaste for this manga in the end to the same extent, but I feel that I am so much more capable of moving on from it than I was when I had watched Steins;Gate and was convinced that Okabe Rintaro, the latter's main character, was a great role model, down to his stupid lab coat (I am ashamed to admit that, while the intensity of my emotions has certainly reduced, I do sometimes say his catchphrase to calm down).

I am glad we found some common ground after all. This has been a very fruitful conversation, to say the least. Again, you do not have to apologise: I already knew that you did not intend any harm by what you said. Even if you did, I would have enjoyed talking about it.

Unfortunately, work has begun to catch up with me. I was hoping to talk more but I do not believe that, given my schedule, I would be able to be as consistent in answering your responses as I was. Still, I am sending you a friend request. I hope that you find Japan hospitable and full of opportunities.

Hmm. I suppose you make a significant point- this is a piece of fiction and identifying what constitutes rational behaviour requires making assumptions on the part of the person who judges this behaviour. I would disagree with your suggestion that the manga runs on hentai logic, at least insofar as the later parts of the manga are concerned, when it comes to how the character relationships play out (I mean, it's become kind of a soap opera now instead of the regular "Oh my God, can you believe my step-sister got on the bed next to me buck naked and I had to clothe her?!" nonsense, but I am aware that you don't read the manga anymore) but I recognise that the characters are set-up to fall for the pathetically milquetoast and almost stereotypically Japanese (in the "let's all do our best, together" sense) protagonist. Still, I would be reticent to call Rui rational at all precisely because the manga offers none the characters, not just Rui, an opportunity for rational behaviour in this regard: the manga is about indulging in emotions that either repress or smother any possible rational response.

Indeed, Rui might have tried hating Natsuo because he was in love with Hina and failed at it because she wasn't over Natsuo. But my problem with Rui is that she kept the knowledge about Hina's feelings for Natsuo a secret before they were dating: Rui meets Hina on the island/town while Natsuo is still hung-up about Hina. Either way, once the two begin dating, Rui's decision to not tell Natsuo about Hina manifests as a power dynamic where she is always justified to be suspicious of Natsuo and Hina, and Natsuo wilfully plays along with it. But I understand that the inferiority complex you mention might have an effect on how Rui might have been afraid of revealing it. I'm just suggesting that she enjoyed being on top of Natsuo too.

And you said it, man. The women in this manga are so archly drawn that I was finding it difficult to speak to women in real-life without thinking about how they might want to bone me or something equally stupid. But, the thing is, the author is a woman and I am kind of prepared to give her some credit when it comes to describing the women- maybe they do really go through these feelings for guys...? And, I am kind of iffy about the whole mental problems thing. Not only did I study clinical psychology for two miserable years, I came out of it being quite aware of the cynical view of humans it has. Of course, that is another conversation altogether.

Lastly, with Serizawa, the reason why I am still reticent about calling her a "whore" is because I know a lot of guys who wouldn't think twice about hitting on another dude's girlfriend. There are so many films and related media where men try to convince women that the guys they are going out with aren't the best people for them, and the narrative takes these men's side. Yes, you are justified in making that assertion, but that sort of makes the morality of the situation appear to be set in stone- Rui technically kept making advances on Natsuo while she knew he was in love with Hina. In a certain sense, morality appears to be the one thing that the manga seems to constantly draw attention to, and calling Serizawa or Mao or any of the other women who just keep coming on to Natsuo. Natsuo does not ask them to back off simply because, if he does, the number of possible ways to draw attention to the associated morality of relationships and feelings may have been reduced significantly. I suppose this an argument about the formal qualities of the manga and not necessarily about the characters, but that is the conclusion I am increasingly considering is more applicable, since the opportunities afforded by straightforward interpretations of the characters' actions can lead to so many different interpretations simply on the basis of the kind of humanity the reader imbues the characters with. Because, for people like Kuzuoka and Serizawa, people with "shitty morals", I don't think that their humanity will be best understood by people who are not like them. That is, I cannot accept a value judgement as an explanation for their behaviours, because I believe it reduces their humanity down to whether they are "good people" and "bad people". I kind of wanted to know if people like Kuzuoka exist in order to look forward to more people to talk to: they might have some really interesting stories.

I apologise for not responding for this long- a lot of stuff happened in my life and I had to take care of that first. You bring an interesting interpretation of how I read the manga differently from you. I can't say I know you personally, so I don't know how you noticed that I was being optimistic about my reading of the manga. What I felt happened with the manga was that it succeeded in convincing me to stop thinking about how the characters are not acting rationally by the first 20 chapters, after which point I was swept up by the melodrama. It, of course, did not seem to happen at all with you. If you mean to suggest that my trying to justify the characters' actions is because I am in the same or a better position than Natsuo's, I can assure you that that is not the case- I have never had a girlfriend (or a significant other to speak of) nor do I intend to have one. The environment surrounding courting women here, in India, is coercive enough as it is and I don't want any part of it. Besides, it's not like you need a girlfriend to stay alive, so long as you have people to complain about the world in general with. I don't know if having a wife or a girlfriend would make you see the manga in a better light, but I suppose that, this being primarily a romance manga, the background a person has with relationships would affect the way they read the manga.

I am not sure if there is a way to suggest that there is any position where people can be objectively better or worse off than another person (unless we both believe in materialism, and I am not ready to do that so long as it concerns my life). But, again, I don't know what the circumstances are which led you to make that assessment about yourself. I am, however, grateful that you chose to open up as much as you have to me, considering that I am a stranger hailing from the other side of the planet. Discussing your perceived pessimism and your feelings of envy clearly could lead to a different conversation, but I am not sure if it should (and, if my gut is right, you too wouldn't see it that way), considering that there is very little I can do as a lapsed clinical psychologist. Still, if you feel like talking about it, I'm ready to listen.

Hmm. I suppose there are other ways to look at Rui's situation. I mean, to me, a rational person would have sat down and identified if there was anything they were good at or enjoyed doing. That meeting her father by chance and then realising that she might have a shot at being a cook does not appear like it has much in the way for rational thinking. Yes, she was good at it earlier, but my point is that she never came to the conclusion that she wanted to become a chef on her own, without the intervention of her father. Similarly, my point with Alex and Rui was that, were she rational in her dealings with him, she would have kept her distance after forgiving him (so to speak) or not choose to associate with Natsuo so long as he was friends with Alex too. Of course, being rational would also mean not giving into feelings for one's own step-brother, right? Wouldn't rational thought be based on the premise that it is the kind of thought process that is most sensitive to external pressures from society and about saving face?

I don't know, man. She decides to hate Natsuo but can't convince herself to. She keeps Hina's actual feelings for Natsuo a secret from him, which burns her inside while leaving Natsuo clueless as ever, while they are dating. They don't really sound like what a rational person does. You would have to clarify how you see Rui to be rational, or, better yet, what you think a rational person would think.

Because, you see, I cannot entirely agree that she was not partly to blame for not really trusting Natsuo. I agree that the situations Natsuo finds himself in with the women, who invariably fall in love with him (I mean, Jesus, who doesn't love an ineffectual goofball who just wants to help everybody?), would definitely be enough to convince any self-respecting individual to dump him. But the fact that Rui doesn't further reveals that either Rui does not respect herself, or that she is ready to forgo her self-respect so long as she got to keep Natsuo. Instead, Rui has to go to Kobayashi to understand her situation while Natsuo neither attempts to identify why his girlfriend suspects him of potentially cheating nor address it.

And, fair enough, Serizawa did succeed, but it wasn't like she said anything with the deliberate intention of sabotaging Natsuo's relationship with Rui. You do rightly identify how the behaviours would be construed as those belonging to a sexually promiscuous woman, but she herself feels like she is doing something that she is not ready for. I mean, I don't know how it is for women (or Japanese women, for that matter), but the way it is presented in the manga suggests that she is constantly doubting her advances. Yes, she is more or less being coached on how to coax a guy to cheat on his girlfriend by what I can only describe as a man-lover (actually, I have no idea if women like Kuzuoka really exist, unless if it simply means a woman who loves sex for its own sake). But that she still can't commit to her act makes me unsure if the word "whore" applies to her.

Thank you for caring. I can't explain my wish to speak to you as necessarily based on me being lonely. Honestly, your review suggested that I had definitely missed something when I had read this manga. Indeed, talking to you is a kind of coping mechanism, but I believe there is a cultural aspect that I am discovering here too. Surely, your different lens is a matter of a different set of perspectives you have encountered. That is unlikely to bore me for quite a while.

Well, the issue is that, even later in the story, it appears that Rui is just as impulsive. A chance meeting with her expert chef-Dad convinces her that she wants to be a chef herself, not a concerted effort to identify what she is good at. I mean she could have chosen to pursue writing- she's got a prize before Natsuo did. She continues to make advances at Natsuo after Hina leaves, tries to keep Natsuo from meeting Hina when they are in the same town (or island, I don't know), leading Alex on to try and forget about Natsuo, continuing to let Alex come nearer despite his having attempted to rape her...none of these indicate that she thinks in a way that is fundamentally different from most of the other women in the manga who are pursuing Natsuo. Furthermore, she cannot make Natsuo see any reasons that would justify him giving up on Hina, nor does she successfully deal with her emotions regarding her step-brother after having sex with her. I'm guessing that a rational Rui would have kept herself from getting involved in the mess that develops around her, Natsuo, and Hina.

Also, don't get me wrong, I was referring to a practical arrangement that rational women might make when it comes to forgiving people who attempted to violate them- they can say they forgave them (insofar as making it an issue where the police or the families of the people involved have to be brought into the picture), but would certainly refuse to associate with them in the future. Then again, there is a larger conversation to be had, and I absolutely know that Domestic Girlfriend is the last thing that has the capacity to discuss this. Playing nonsense like this for melodrama is exactly what stunts this capacity. Unfortunately, the melodramatic quality is just what made it so much more difficult for me to stop reading.

As for why Rui broke up with Natsuo, I'm not convinced that Rui has much in the way of psychological depth: her discussion with Kobayashi seemed to be enough to convince her that she might be obsessed with Natsuo. Otherwise, she would have moped around a bit and then make up with Natsuo later, so long as it met the manga's quota for more melodrama for the chapter. Of course, breaking up simply because Rui was paranoid meant that Rui never truly trusted Natsuo despite him asking her to trust him, which just makes the relationship even more sad (although I am not sure about that- she seemed to trust Natsuo's when he told her he was staying with Hina and she was away).

And Serizawa being a whore seems like a strong suggestion- she barely manages to keep herself together every time she tries to get closer to Natsuo, and she falls for Natsuo because he reciprocates her sentiment about putting more passion and effort into the play. I'm not saying she is not stupid, obviously, but she doesn't seem to be able to hold herself back, just like Rui. At least Momo had the decency to own up to it.

Lastly, if Rui and Natsuo had kept at it and told their parents, at the very least, they would have flipped out on Natsuo for not being able to keep it in his pants with both of his step-sisters, not to mention what people they know would say about Natsuo and their family. I was predicting that the family would have to be irreparably torn apart. Obviously, there is a double standard to a certain extent, but most would see Natsuo as the instigator in both cases. There is also the issue that Natsuo does not know that their parents know about him and Hina but Rui does. Rui would have to act like she doesn't know anything about this, or would have to confront Natsuo about keeping this a secret from him. But I suppose, if that did happen, the manga would have been finally over.

The thing about reddit and other message forums is that the responses don't feel personal. Sure, these comments are also available for public viewing but having had the opportunity to speak to one specific person was what I was hoping for. I get the feeling that you would like to conclude this conversation. Thank you, once again. I am sure we could talk about something else, if you so pleased.

Ah, I didn't see that in the case of Momo. I suppose I didn't particularly like her to begin with, but you do bring to light an alternative explanation for her characterisation.

As for Rui, she didn't appear rational so much as impulsive to me. Having sex with a boy she just met, kissing him without thinking about whether the door was locked, explaining herself to her sister that their new brother is not blood-related and hence is fair game, they don't sound like something a rational person would do. Maybe she really did want to know what sex felt like, but she could have asked the MC about his last name and whether he was somehow connected to the man her mother was dating. In fact, Hina explicitly says that she was jealous of Rui's impulsiveness and how she would reach for what she wants. I am, thus, a little unsure about calling her rational.

Of course, there is another possibility that rational people would be more likely to forgive people who violate their sense of person, provided they see it to be beneficial in a social situation. That this consideration was not even part of Rui's thinking when she forgave Alex makes me doubt her capacity for rational thought even more. But I guess it is justifiable to be repulsed by the behaviour. I just wish the women who do forgive such people saw it the same way.

And I suppose Rui and Natsuo's relationship did lead to the two of them bringing the worst out in the other, but the reason she gave him was that she didn't want her to be a "burden" on him. Kobayashi (Marie) pointed out that she might be obsessed with him to the point where she was hurt that she was not the first one Natsuo spoke to about his problem, rather than being more concerned for him. Rui is constantly afraid that Hina has a higher claim to Natsuo's feelings in the initial parts of their romance, something I would contend didn't entirely go away as the relationship progressed. Of course, by the time they broke up, Natsuo was relying on people physically closer to him (again, basket-cases in their own right) and that was what bothered Rui.

I suppose what I am saying is that, while it was definitely for the good of both Rui and Natsuo to break up, I don't think neither truly understands that their relationship was compromised from the start. Rui fell for Natsuo after Natsuo kept acting like a caring man she just happened to have had sex with, despite the fact that he had been open about his feelings for Hina. Natsuo, on the other hand, fell for Rui (much later) because he was jealous of the attention she was (aggressively) receiving from Alex, while she was growing her hair to look more like Hina. They still have no idea how they will come out about their relationship to their parents, especially since they are aware of the relationship Natsuo had with Hina. The relationship would have been a a massive time-bomb waiting to blow up, even if one ignores Natuso's faults.

You don't have to apologise. I am just glad that I am able to get this off my chest with someone I can discuss this with. I binge-read the manga over the course of 4 days, to the point where I missed several appointments and deadlines. You could say this is one way to cope with the experience. I don't know about being a good person myself, nor can I say that I am qualified enough to identify other good people. But I appreciate your engagement with a stranger on line about a property that you detest (pardon the creepy undertones). That, at the very least, qualifies you for being open-minded.

I have enjoyed your responses too and look forward to them. And you did make me smile with the remark about being a good person, so thank you. Should you like to discuss what makes a good person, I would be happy to oblige.

Thanks for responding.

Wouldn't you say that Momo has bad judgement? She fell for a guy who just moved her out of the way of an errant bicycler. And, regarding her cuts and her commitment, does it not reveal that she commits to people completely because there is nothing beyond those people she commits to for her, making her personal life near completely empty? Reading her felt like, were she to have a stable (and not necessarily responsible and kind) boyfriend, she would be prepared to be a faithful girlfriend and wife who would not think twice of forgiving the trespasses committed against her by her partner.

The thing about Rui is that there are women who do forgive acts like attempted rape or rape and try to move past that. I've known some. I am not justifying the fact that they do, of course, but it doesn't seem entirely implausible that she would forgive Alex. Also, given that their relationship was plagued by Rui's fears that the MC still harboured feelings for Hina, I felt that Rui was in a position of dominance where she could chastise the MC for potentially being unfaithful. It was because she was told that the nature of their relationship was based on this "obsession" that she broke up with him, right?

The impression I got of the MC was that he was a clueless idiot who wasn't really aware of the consequences his actions would have. I understand that stringing Momo along was cruel, but it didn't appear that he was aware of what he was doing. So I am not sure if I can see the same kind of faults in the protagonist. I mean, he is an idiot who is both extremely lucky and simple in his thinking. But I do believe that the author insists on portraying him as a kind-hearted person.

I hope you aren't sick enough of the manga to discuss a little more. I await your response eagerly.

Read your review. I was interested in asking you what exactly you liked about the character Momo, as she is the only character in your review you didn't seem to have a problem with. Also wanted to know what you thought of Rui. Thanks.