Bitter Virgin

Just re-read from the start.  Going in, I was thinking "Can this old manga really be as damn good as I remember?"

Yeah.  It's that damn good.

Spoiler

I think it's almost more powerful because the art style and some of the rhythm of action aren't the kind you often get in "arty" "serious" "highbrow" type manga.  Rather, the look and feel are classic moderately-big-eyes manga, the kind that sucks you in and tells an engaging story--at some level your guard is down, maybe, ready to climb on the fairly-lighthearted-feelings train and empathize with the cute people.  And then it suckerpunches you in the gut with the content, and you have no defences.

I was reminiscing about the time around when OneManga was reader site and then I remembered this manga. However for the past week or 2 this manga's title has escaped me. I could remember everything about story. Had to google the beginning of the story to get the name. Glad I found.

My second time reading this manga. I first read it quite a few years ago. Amazing story. Perfect ending.

Just re-read from the start.  Going in, I was thinking "Can this old manga really be as damn good as I remember?"

Yeah.  It's that damn good.

I managed to obtain all four volumes in good condition through Amazon JP (through three different affiliated bookstores).  Given that I've probably read this series ten times already, that's the least I could do.  Not that I expect much, if anything, to actually get back to the mangaka after all these years...
 
Apart from a few minor typos, I beg to differ with Solaris' translation on only one page: Where Daisuke says "She's lying...", the expression in the original Japanese actually means more like "You've got to be kidding..." In this case, it is Daisuke realizing his sister is pregnant and expressing his shock, not that he's accusing her of being a liar.

 

And another disagreement: rather than say she had an abortion, I would think it much more accurate to say she had a miscarriage.  After she miscarried her first pregnancy, she had to undergo a D&C, which is the same as a typical early term abortion, to ensure she had no further complications from the miscarriage.  There is no shame in that, though she may not have understood what was going on.

 

In Spanish, the same word is used for both miscarriage and abortion, and the same appears to be true in Japanese, whereas in English we draw a distinction between voluntary and involuntary termination of a pregnancy.

Thank you so much for that distinction.  It makes things a lot clearer.  

I managed to obtain all four volumes in good condition through Amazon JP (through three different affiliated bookstores).  Given that I've probably read this series ten times already, that's the least I could do.  Not that I expect much, if anything, to actually get back to the mangaka after all these years...
 
Apart from a few minor typos, I beg to differ with Solaris' translation on only one page: Where Daisuke says "She's lying...", the expression in the original Japanese actually means more like "You've got to be kidding..." In this case, it is Daisuke realizing his sister is pregnant and expressing his shock, not that he's accusing her of being a liar.

And another disagreement: rather than say she had an abortion, I would think it much more accurate to say she had a miscarriage.  After she miscarried her first pregnancy, she had to undergo a D&C, which is the same as a typical early term abortion, to ensure she had no further complications from the miscarriage.  There is no shame in that, though she may not have understood what was going on.

In Spanish, the same word is used for both miscarriage and abortion, and the same appears to be true in Japanese, whereas in English we draw a distinction between voluntary and involuntary termination of a pregnancy.

Spoiler

I hope I got the spoiler tag right.

Anyway, to those who think that the ending was pessimistic, I'll just say that from my personal experience it's not. The way they care for each other to the point where each is willing to give up the love of his or her life so that the partner can find happiness will probably lead to them getting married.

agreed. their only worry for the future is their own lack of something they believe is beneficial to the other. both maturity and happiness can be gained as long as they stick together and not let pressure and insecurity drive them apart.

Wow, his was an amazing read! I wish there was an "after" chapter or something ;~;

i remember reading this on onemanga when it was still up and it was pretty enjoyable. got to rank 4 under the big three at one point as well

I remember reading this manga a few years back and oh god I loved it. For me it made me cry and sit at the edge of my seat about how this relationship was going to pan out. I do agree the end was a bit ambiguous but I can forgive it a little, and have high hopes that things could work out for the two protagonists.

Well, I liked it a lot, except that the ending could be happier, but what was I expecting from a manga tagged as "Drama" and "Psychological" anyway, huh?

It's fair. For a manga, it might be deemed excellent.

Bullshit ending. So they will break up eventually.

Bullshit ending. So they will break up eventually.

no worries. those words werent said out of fear for the future troubles they'll face. they were said out of love and concern for their partner's wellbeing. they wont break up because if that's how their mind works, they will both later realize that their feelings will shape them to be mature enough, bright/cheerful and perfect enough for eachother. well that's just how i chose to interpret the ending.

This is how storytelling should be. Amazing stuff.

Bullshit ending. So they will break up eventually.

At first glance it didnt look that interesting.
However after reading the comments i decided to give it a go and it were without a doubt woth my time.
a very good read even if it had some flaws here and there.

I saw PurpleLibraryGuy's comment so I instantly knew that this was going to be good

This a really good manga. I can't recommend enough in case you're not convinced to read it yet. The reasons I elaborate more on the forums.

What I came actually here to say is that the cover of the first volume is weird. At least for me. For reasons I could not find yet, Aikawa on this cover looks like a trap. I actually thought this was a crossdressing manga just because of this cover. Perhaps another one would fit better. Or it's just my mind playing tricks. Too much trap manga recently.

A really great manga, realistic, captivating and definitely worth your time. The reason for my first all-nighter is this manga (long ago). I was hooked and I just couldn't stop. It has its flaws (how I hate some of those characters) but you won't regret reading it.

That's the first manga I've pulled an all-nighter for years ago. A great manga, has its flaws but great nonetheless.

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