Koyuki Can’t Communicate! Unlike other similarly named protagonists, however, she does not want 100 friends, she just wants one back. But Konatsu had a massive blowout with her last time because of some good intentions that backfired in spectacular fashion. Is there anything they can do to close the gap before it’s too late?
Don’t come to this book for anything except the woeful melancholy of youth and the vicious sting of fights amongst friends because that’s the ride you’re in for this volume. For all my quibbles about this series, the friendships and reflection of a difficult adjustment to change are not one of them.
Both these girls have been very good for one another, but lately they have not been good TO one another. The acknowledgment of this, wrapped up in the moral of appreciating your friends rather than taking them for granted is a welcome one, yet before we get to the climax of this storyline there are some serious downers to come.
Beyond one of the most depressing window silhouettes I’ve seen in a manga, there’s a series of illustrations of Konatsu’s mental state as she begins to feel more and more like everything is leaving her alone. The way she’s slowly collapsing in on herself and just unable to face Koyuki is heartbreaking.
Then we get a surprise pivot where it turns out that adults are allowed to have useful information and to actually impart it. Not so much Konatsu’s dad, however, who sort of rides to the rescue only to prove he has really dumb ideas (appreciated smack-down by Konatsu’s aunt). However, Koyuki’s mom is able to listen and advise with the wisdom of somebody who’s been there before.
Finally, Koyuki comes through for Konatsu for a change, Konatsu admits to what she really wants and what really bothers her, and we have one hell of a heartfelt conversation. As a testament to the bond between these two, it’s good, solid stuff. They were both in the wrong and both knew it, but it took one of them making the overture to start fixing things. That’s usually how it works.
Seeing Koyuki finally in the position to see what she’s losing, to want to bring Konatsu back into her life, and to finally be able to act on those feelings is a great moment. She’s been changed by both Kaede and Konatsu, which I like the book acknowledging, but Konatsu still feels like the one she’s closest to.
This has been one of the heaviest storylines in any ongoing just because of how real it feels. It encapsulates how inaction can lead to a friendship dying, no matter strong the bond, provided the circumstances are right. This one earns its tears (the characters’, not mine) and the catharsis afterward.
If this book falls down, it’s in that whole yuri thing, which admittedly the author has said vehemently the book is not. Which is fine, it can be what it is and as a treatise on the (very) close friendship between two teenagers it remains a sweet story.
What I do NOT truck with is using yuri bait to troll your audience like you have beef with them. There is an interrupted moment here, you will be unable to see it as much else, which feels like a deliberate and vicious ‘screw you’ to the audience looking for subtext or actual text.
I put on my big boy pants and got over it, the author should be allowed to tell whatever their version of the story is, but I nearly dinged the book a star for that alone. It just feels really spiteful in the moment.
4 stars. The rest makes up for it. This series feels like it gets it when it comes to complicated teenage relations, even if I think it should have been more clear about some intent. I’ll be interested to see where we go with the last two volumes.
I love when daughter do therapy for their fathers *-* Okay that was sarcasm and I do still liked how this volume talks about loneliness and how a lot of it is based on assumptions and lack of communication so the way they used the fathers of Koyuki and Konatsu to give an outside perspective was nice, still but I had to comment on it anyway. I want to give all of them a hug, honestly and I'm glad they're talking again and figured a few things out.
As emotional as this volume was, I found it very interesting to read. In the end, I still think the last volume was one of the best, but this one is definitely very good with how they followed up with the previous conflicts.
This is definitely an improvement! I understand it was character development for them to realize that they were both feeling the same thing.
It has been quiet at work so I was able to get through volumes 5-7.
I am so happy that they were finally able to talk and Konatsu accepted that she feels lonely and actually confessed it.
It was great seeing the two fathers talk and expression their doubts.
I can wait for the next for the next two volumes. I hope this becomes an anime. I had wish that Komi Can't Communicate would get one and it finally will in October. Maybe one day this will get one too.
Este séptimo tomo de Los peces tropicales anhelan la nieve ha servido para apaciguar las aguas.
En esta entrega vemos como Koyuki y Konatsu solventan sus malentendidos y vuelven más unidas que antes. El progreso de su relación ha sido muy interesante, pues hemos visto como crecían juntas y separadas para ser la mejor versión de sí mismas y para forjar un vínculo aún más fuerte entre las dos. Me ha gustado como se ha llevado el conflicto entre las protagonistas, ya que casa muy bien con sus personalidades y les ha servido para evolucionar tanto individual como colectivamente.
En definitiva, una entrega que no decepciona. Leeré el próximo tomo muy pronto.
This one was a rather short volume, with pretty much just 2 conversations being the plot. The first one between Konatsu and Koyuki, and then the second one with the dads. Also kind of the talk between Konatsu's dad and his sister.
All of the conversations, especially the first one, were necessary to the plot, but it did feel a little empty... I'm more afraid of what's gonna happen in the next volume, since this issue doesn't feel like it's completely over.
Ah, this delivered everything I hoped it would after everybody was feeling so miserable in the previous volume. The dads having an honest conversation was pretty cool too.
There's still a sad undercurrent but like Mr Honami said, gotta trust that the girls will make it work and find happiness despite the changes that will eventually come.
3.5 And we get even more resolution! I'm very happy about this volume, and I'm glad they worked it out for now. We even get some hope about the final volumes.
I'm kinda sad I can't just marathon to the end, since there seems to only be two more volumes. I hope my library gets them. :)
4 stars. Our girls finally opened their mouthes and talked to each other!! Hallelujah! It took forever but we’re finally getting somewhere. I really liked this volume and I’m proud of the characters. A really good volume and I’m excited to see what happens next.
This is currently my favorite manga, so all I can say is that it is magnificent, the complexities of the characters, as they have grown, I love the protagonists too much.
The two girls finally realize that, for communication to occur, they must communicate. And they do, finally. Big release of narrative tension there. Also the dads finally have a dad chat.