Nanashi no Asterism

I think the author did the best that she could do in the circumstances she was in, and left the ending open enough for us to interpret it how we want to. She certainly hinted at a happy ending for all of them in the epilogues, what with Washio and Kotooka's matching bracelets, Tsukasa in a serious relationship, and Subaru and Asakura (I choose to believe lol) living together.

The only thing I really like about the ending is the implication between Subaru and Asakura. He may have initially developed a physical attraction to him through Tsukasa with them being twins and all, but that's far from what it meant. 

so in the end no one confessed about their feeling......., what an ending

It wasn't shown, but by the epilogue at chapter 19 http://vatoto.com/reader#ca1df1b446ea5886_45, both Washio and Kotooka have matching bracelets,

and in this final chapter Tsukasa just said that Kotooka would probably reciprocate Washio's feelings. I guess this implies that they are a couple at the timeskip.

The ax came down because the target audience didn't like it, and as much as you'd like it to be, the target wasn't fat stupid Americans.

Be careful not to cut yourself on that edge

wait- wha- huuuuuuuhhhhhhhh? curse whatever that brings the axe. this has the makings of a decent teen/adolescent psychology manga, and they friggin' ruined it.


hope the author will come up with a better, non-axed work in the future

so in the end no one confessed about their feeling......., what an ending

Yes, I should have had more faith in the author. For the worried readers: no, there were no "suddenly heterosexual" twists and no unfortunate implications; in turn, the loose ends remain loose and only the current crisis finds a satisfactory resolution. A rushed ending, as we expected.

Still, there are heavy hints of foreshadowing, both in the manga proper and in the author's notes:

Those hints don't seem to be contradicted by that controverial omake. And I can live with that.

It was a good run. Sorry to see it cut short and rushed. I'll miss you, Nanashi no Asterism.

Well that was shit.

Well, it's exactly as everyone suspected: Kotooka had a bad experience with a girl she liked and that turned her into a closet lesbian and a heteronormative crusader hellbent on pursuing a "normal" lifestyle and imposing it on others so she could protect her little corner of happiness.

I liked Kotooka here. She was hypocritical, self-centered, always on the defensive, afraid of change, ready to hurt others before being hurt by them, begging for understanding but not giving the same chance to others. She was very, very human. And kudos to Tsukasa for saying what Kotooka should have heard long ago: "Don't decide how someone else feels on your own!"

EDIT: I wonder if the author will go for a Solomon solution regarding the usual Japanese tropes regarding high school lesbianism. That Tsukasa's infatuation with Washio is just a "Class S phase" is basically spelt word by word by Kotooka here and supposedly confirmed by that controversial extra from the last volume. But I notice that neither the extra nor Kotooka deny that Washio's (and her own) orientation is a more serious issue, and that Kotooka is just pretending she outgrew it. Mm, still the unfortunate implications, but the events of this chapter at least give me hope that it may not be as problematic as I thought.

I think this fails because the author wants to cater both Yuri and Yaoi, which is in most cases, mutually exclusive audience.

Shame, I like the story at first, but the axe ruined it. I think if this didn't get axed, we might get an actual Yuri end.

Well.  Having read all the discussions about how the ending seems like it will be . . . dropped.  The mangaka may have been forced into it, it may still be a decent story in a different way, whatever.  I don't want to read it so I ain't gonna.

Asakura has to be the Nicest Guy of all the Nice Guys. That was good supportive advice. And a good balance between "don't worry, everyone can change if they put the effort" and "but you're good as you are".

Dreading the ending, but the derailment isn't here. Not yet, at least.

 

Someone had to give up, and suffer. Better an end like this were everyone is eventually happy than some unnecessary drama.

edit: wrapping this in spoilers cause I was stupid enough to discuss the future regardless of the amount of spoilers already leaked here. 

If this was axed, it means the ratings were bad. Period.

Ie, the Japanese readership found this confusing, or boring.

Can't blame them. The triangle was in a deadlock very early on. Usually, in a triangle, a couple is subliminally pushed as the end game, so the readers can root for them and hate on the "cockblocker" who makes the MC waver.

But here, we have 3 MCs of equal standing, equally likable in some way and every combination is valid. Washio x Tsukasa, Kotooka x Tsukasa, Washio x Kotooka -> every couple works.

Someone had to give up, and suffer. Better an end like this were everyone is eventually happy than some unnecessary drama.

Well, even though the translation had possible spoilers by showing the volume extras with the first chapter of this final volume, that wouldn't bug me too much on its own.  I'm a bit skeptical the series will end as strong as I'd hoped though.

It's worth it for me to stick out this manga to the end, but bluntly the ending has almost no gay.  So if you're reading this for the yuri, burn the upcoming ending into your retinas: this is the sort of leverage a publisher can have over a mangaka.  I can promise you that fans of the author are doing so over in Japan.  Some people will drop on knowing this, so I've told you up front.

(mainly) xerderxer's reaction to a 2-star Amazon JP review with a translated link for the rest of us (mind, machine translation of Japanese sucks):

And (mainly LoneSylph's) commenting on the Mangaka (twitter includes translation, but Bing fails Japanese as much as Google)

Something you liked going in a direction you probably won't like... that sucks.  But I think considering the author clearly didn't intend such a wrap-up and finishing with that in mind is worth it.  Creative control can be stripped away from a mangaka, and usually they have no guarantee of income after a series is done.  Agree or disagree with the author accepting this ending, it could very well be more soulcrushing to them than yourself if indeed they did compromise the believability and themes of the story to finish their contract and get income just that much longer.  Anyhow, Gangan Online mentioned a big yuri author/artist expo seems to be featuring the mangaka so maybe it isn't so bad?  I spent long enough on this as is so I'm done here.  Continue the manga or don't, I just hope I spared you from feeling too betrayed.

Do not read this.  The ending insults love between two girls and treats it like getting chicken pox when you're a kid.  Even if you can't understand Japanese, sticking this review of the final volume into google translate will get the message across.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/customer-reviews/R12SVVQ2VPPGY0

wow, i sure enjoyed reading that. I love one-sided hysteria. 

biiiiitch

Congratulations for posting the epilogue at the end of the first chapter of the volume.