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i have nothing smart to say i hope they live forever

cw nudity (kind of?)

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TORIKO DAY! (06.06)

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You know when I read the novels as a first time reader, I always thought that Sorawo's "denseness" was in a place of avoidance and not knowing how to handle or approach those feelings /emotions towards Toriko and their relationship. The way Sorawo described herself as 'childish' as if she's inexperienced to relationships stuff pretty much gave away on what she's going through.

The Unbearable "Denseness" of Sorawo Kamikoshi

It bothers me a little bit when I see people refer to Sorawo as dense. For whatever reason it makes me think of the fucking Kojima "you will regret your words and deeds" tweet.

[So, uh, there's a lot of later novel spoilers in this post, so I'll hide them under the read more break]

While I do think she's a bit... obtuse... when it comes looking at herself and motivations, I do think there is a consistent throughline: Sorawo Kamikoshi does not like assumptions and invisible expectations. Vols 7, 8, and 9 of the novels all elaborate on this theme—there's her classrom discussion of interpretation-free ghost stories, having a breakthrough when Benimori brings up alternatives to escalator relationships, and comparison of romance to a gravity well. It's pretty clear she struggles to identify with normative romance, and feels scared and frustrated by the way her words and actions are misinterpreted by those around her.

Like yes, she does want a special relationship with Toriko! She swoons at first sight (twice!) and has a strong desire for exclusivity. But Toriko makes a number of common assumptions about relationships that feel like a form of pressure to Sorawo. Somewhere between vols 2 and 4, you can see her discomfort about how she expresses herself around Toriko start to grow once Toriko begins seriously pursuing her as a romantic partner. I think the source of that discomfort is ultimately the shape of their relationship changing from queerplatonic "accomplices" exploring the Otherside into something more typical of a standard romance.

In hindsight, her behavior around the confession at the hot springs in vol 4 makes sense. She even says in passing that she feels comfortable saying "I love you" to Toriko; her fears are entirely related to the "danger" of Toriko's behavior changing in a way she can't anticipate when she says it. And with good reason: once Toriko believes she has secured a relationship, she immediately moves to sex, the next step in the progression of normative romance. Which, while moving a little quickly, is a reasonable assumption for most people! It's not until Sorawo says she doesn't like kids in vol 6 that Toriko realizes they don't have the same thoughts about how their relationship should progress.

Not to say that all of the blame is on Toriko. Sorawo, for her own part, has her own ideas about the relationship but doesn't really have the language to express herself. Rather than trying to understand or talk through the problem, she tries to ignore it and hopes it goes away. It's not until Toriko gives her an ultimatum that she puts words to a long-running source of discomfort for her and they can figure out whether their relationship is sustainable or not.

But I don't think "dense" is the right word for that behavior. Her problem is not that she's unaware of her own attraction, it's that she doesn't have the language to describe it and a fear of what happens when she does. Without that understanding most readers*, like Toriko, default to intepreting her behavior through the framework of "romance". They fail to try interpreting Sorawo through her own words, and then poke fun at her inability to conform with their expectations. If that's dense, then so is every queer person attempting to understand themselves when society doesn't give them access to the tools to do so.

*for the record, I will confess that I was in this category of "most readers" until vol 8 dropped. I regret my words and deeds

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File 18: Alone Together in a Mayoiga

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fish catch! (template credits to @GOCHUJAN_G on twt)

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ITS SORAWO DAY! (05.05)

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neither the blue of the sky nor the blue of the sea (volume 9 manga art in my style)

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Otherside Picnic Drama CD and Vol 9 + 10 Book Launch Livestreams w Miyazawa Iori

1. Otherside Picnic Drama CD

Some of you may already know this, but there was a bonus audio drama that came with Blu-ray purchases of the anime back in the day. I couldn't find any uploads of it online so I decided to translate it myself.

You can watch it here.

Note that this takes place after Episode 10 (the second anime-original episode written by Miyazawa himself).

Subtitles are available in four languages: English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.

I kinda did this in a sleep-deprived state so let me know if you spot any errors.

2. 8 June 2024 Livestream

For the launch of volume 9.

Watch it here.

Lots of previously-unrevealed illustrations and concept art by Shirakaba were also shown for the first time during this stream.

Cleaned screenshots of the illustrations compilation can be found here.

Audio is entirely in Japanese without any subtitles.

3. 20 March 2025 Livestream

For the launch of volume 10, and held in collaboration w Twinstar Cyclone Runaway.

Watch it here.

No new art or illustration was shown during this livestream.

Audio is entirely in Japanese without any subtitles.

I might get around to translating the livestreams and subtitling them on YouTube like the audio drama if I can find the time (in the distant future), but don't count on it.

Thank you @stevie257 for the internet magic as always.

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repost. loser x loser yuri

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first tumblr post, you and me is a banger

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#otherside picnic #yuri manga readers get ready #yall would be framing this in your walls

Otherside Picnic Vol.14

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#otherside picnic #dw guys shes just being canadian