Hey hey hey, and welcome to my read-through of Chapter 159: Fast Pace and Ferris Wheel, in which I have conflicting, but more positive than I was expecting, thoughts about the gaggiest and most frustrating relationship in the series.
If you’re not caught up, please use this index here to do so. There are no spoilers past the current chapter.
Update: I have just hit a first lock on the cut of my film. Yippeeee. However, there is still work to be done. It’s going to be a lot less labor intensive than the edit, so I should be back to weekly; however, sometimes it might be more. You know the game, at this point.
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Fast Pace and Ferris Wheel Summary
Climactic Battle Now?!
The boys inform Hattori of their intention to jump straight into the final battle of the story between Schwarz and Weiss, that the series will be, at most, 100 chapters, and may not even last as many as 50 chapters.
Hattori is shocked and reminds them that there are many ways to continue the battle after black and white is over. Shujin doesn’t want to work on it after the battle, though. They both want to create something they’re proud of rather than have it run long.
Hattori ponders for several panels and resigns himself to their goal: he wants them to continue as long as they remain popular, but is open to reconsidering if the quality appears to be declining. Otherwise, everything will go to waste. The boys thank him.
Saiko is confident that Shujin can create another successful series after this one and that they may be better suited to shorter-term stories rather than those spanning five to ten years.
Hattori thinks that’s the dream, if they can continue generating smash hits on that schedule. However, they can’t bank on every manga they produce to be popular.
They’re aware of that, but think that Reversi, specifically, should go straight to its conclusion. Hattori agrees, but wants to revisit the conversation another time. For now, they need to focus on the battle between Schwarz and Weiss and make that the best possible story.
Saiko narrates that after that, Reversi remained popular week after week, with its fast-paced battles between the black and white demons. It remained competitive with Zombie Gun as well.
Good News and Middle of the Pack
At Shueisha, Miura and Kosugi marvel at how Zombie Gun and Reversi are dominating the readers’ surveys, with Reversi again getting first place. Yujiro points out that there’s always a huge gap between those series and the rest of the manga in the magazine. Hattori notes there’s even less room for rookies now than there used to be.
Yujiro thinks all the middle of the road of the series are also good, there aren’t any series that are genuinely struggling. Kosugi thinks getting a new series is impossible at this rate. Yujiro tells Kosugi to be confident and to focus on a good series that can push out the middle-of-the-pack series.
Miura wonders about the upcoming serialization meeting on September 27th; if a new series starts, something has to be canceled. Obviously, what is he on about?
Yujiro points out that even +Natural and Mikata’s Justice are on the chopping block right now. Miura freaks, but Yujiro reminds him that’s what the current distribution means.
On September 27, Yoshida let us know the results of the serialization meeting. Hiramaru thought he was safe. That’s correct, and Yohsida has some news for him: Can’t Fool Me is going to become an anime.
Yoshida, in bliss, thanks him profusely for his efforts as an editor. Now all that’s left is the perfect proposal for Aoki sensei.
Yoshida announces that it needs to be postponed. Hiramaru thinks it’s another manipulation tactic, but it’s worse.
God Given got cancelled and Aoki will be depressed. So it’s a horrible time to reach out to her if he proposes now. Even with Yoshida’s “magic proposal words”
oh boy.
Hiramaru has a moment of despair: he’s sincerely distraught at the conclusion of “Yuritan’s Series”; Yoshida notes that he’s so in love with Aoki’s that he’s more distressed with her series getting cancelled than his own series getting an anime adaptation.
Okay, I’ll let the Yuritan slide, this one time. But I’m watching you, Hiramaru.
Yoshida reminds him: the proposal should wait until Aoki gets a new series. Yoshida thinks he should be happy about this. But Hiramaru wants to cheer up his beloved.
A Cute Date Part Two
Hiramaru calls Aoki up and chastises himself for calling without thinking it through. She asks what the matter is. He invites her to a date to the amusement park after finishing work on God Given.
She sees through him immediately and would be happy to go out with him.
Awwww. Goddamn, these two are adorable.
He promises to make it an enjoyable trip for her. She notes that it’s been…I’m sorry, two years? Since their first date in Chapter 114, and they’re finally moving from the first base of a tea party to something more substantial: a date at the amusement park.
Holy shit.
Yoshida gets a call and immediately panics at the news. Hiramaru will be going on November 1st, and promises to work ahead of schedule for it.
He’s down so remarkably bad, and I am here for it.
Yoshida is glad to hear that, but reminds Hiramaru that Aoki is proud and doesn’t understand why she’d agree to going to the amusement park right after her series got cancelled. Yoshida has a horrified realization: Aoki might like Hiramaru back!
OH NO. I mean. OH yes. They’ve been “dating” for two years. Jesus.
Hiramaru takes that to mean it’s time to propose to her. Yoshida didn’t say that, but Hiramaru will take a maybe as a reason to ask her out as long as he has a chance. That’s what a man would do.
Go Kazutan, Go.
Yoshida tries to reason with him, talking him down from the ledge with his insane behavior. Hiramaru thinks a man must not speak about possibilities. Yoshida tries to warn him again, but Hiramaru refuses and hangs up.
Yoshida misses his train and panics even worse: this is bad.
He is going to propose to Aoki, and if it goes badly, his manga is fucked. He wonders if he should stop him, and we go into a FLASHBACK
Please Make Me Happy
Years ago, Hiramaru introduces himself as Kazuya Hiramaru, 26 and single to Yoshida in the editor’s room.
Classic Hiramaru.
Hiramaru doesn’t look good, according to Yoshida. Yoshida confirms he created Otter No. 11 in a month, despite never having read manga before, and declares him a genius.
Everybody says to Hiramaru, “You’ve got what it takes, so why don’t you ever try?” Yoshida assures him that if they work together, he’ll be a super-popular manga artist.
Hiramaru asks a deeper question: will it make life fun, and will he be happy? Yoshida, nonplussed, gives him a somewhat bullshit answer: maybe, he’ll make some money. That being said, Hiramaru has a request: Please make me happy.
Yoshida, correctly, freaks out at this gigantic weirdo and his gigantic weird request. But he also reminisces: Hiramaru is a genius, like he thought; even so, that’s never a guarantee. The editor’s job is to convince the mangaka to produce as much work as they can, and if they fail, they get the boot.
Yoshida muses on all the rookies who left when they couldn’t cut the mustard, while the editors continue to receive monthly incomes for their work. Yoshida notes that, despite his complaints about not wanting to draw, he still took all the overt manipulation and dubious carrots before revising the assessment: he pretended to push back and followed me.
Yoshida gets the credit as his editor for his work. However, he wonders, truly: what has he done for Hiramaru?
Wait. Whoa whoa whoa.
His work sold, he’s famous, but is there more to life than money and fame (and intelligence, maybe)? Does he have a responsibility to make him happy?
No. But I like where your head is at, Yoshida.
Honesty
At the office, Yoshida reads a book on marriage proposals (aww) while Yamahisa wonders why, given that Yoshida is, y’know, married. Yoshida, unthinking, answers: yes, there is someone else in his life whose happiness he must consider.
Everyone assumes he means he’s having an affair (lol). He then asks Yamahisa if he knows any magical words to get a girl to say yes to a marriage proposal.
Not sure I like where this is going.
Yamahisa responds: if he knew that, he wouldn’t be editing manga for damn sure. Yoshida thinks back to his own very awkward marriage proposal, where he compared being a husband to being an editor.
Oh god, oh no, oh fu-
Anyway, he discards the book and decides to talk with “them” directly, leading to even greater confusion among the staff.
Peak bit, right here, not gonna lie.
At Hiramaru’s place, Yoshida gives Hiramaru advice for the order of carnival rides: Thrill Rides, then the haunted house. He has to prove he’s reliable. On November 1st, the “Day of Black Tea,” Hiramaru will ask for Yuriko Aoki’s hand in marriage.
Oh god, here we go.
Hiramaru – who has put down his otter toy (bless him) – asks if Yoshida is sure. Yoshida reminds him that Hiramaru is going to do what he wants regardless of what Yoshida says. True. Yoshida doesn’t want him to fail, and I’m sorry, BOUGHT HIM A RING WORTH 50 MILLION YEN.
Hiramaru snatches the ring and asks what the magic words are to get her to say yes. Heart beating wildly.
Yoshida steals yamahisa’s answer word for word. Hiramaru freaks out and thinks this is another tactic to get him to produce pages and it was all a sham. Yoshida doesn’t disagree, but his thinking has shifted recently.
He asks whether Hiramaru actually loves Aoki.
Hiramaru does. When asked how much, despite feeling like a child, he answers that he could get married to her right now, which is why he’s proposing to her.
Yoshida thinks that’s the secret sauce:
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I WISH I COULD GET MARRIED TO YOU RIGHT NOW. Those are the magic words. Except, being the editor he is, he suggests taking out the “Wish I Could part” (lol).
Yoshida pumps up his boy and tells him he has the words within him, then explains the order of the amusement park he must visit, and that without fail, he must cap off the adventure at the Ferris wheel. He can’t sit in front of Aoki on the Ferris wheel; he must sit next to her, and say I want to get married now. That’s all there is to it.
Hiramaru starts panicking: what if she rejects him? Yoshida thinks he’ll be okay; he’ll be there to pick him up even if he falls.
Actually very nice. Okay.
The Day of Black Tea
Aoki and Hiramaru, both cute as buttons, go on the teacup rides, the roller coaster, and the haunted house. Enjoying themselves and going crazy. Aoki asks to take a break on the bench while Hiramaru insists they continue, even though his eyes are spiraling.
Yoshida, hiding in a bush, thinks Hiramaru is doing everything wrong.
This is actually hilarious. I don’t care anymore.
On the bench, the two eat soft serve, with Aoki quite content about everything. She notes that this is the first time she’s gone on a date at the amusement park. Hiramaru, too. He’s also ready to snarf everywhere.
Aoki then mentions that the only other date she has been on is with him, while blushing.
Oh man, I have thoughts. I have a lot of thoughts on this one.
Hiramaru watches his beloved and is about to propose to her/kiss her (eek), but she gets up and announces she had a lot of fun today. She thanks him. Hiramaru panics.
She lets him know that she saw through his tactic to cheer her up – the timing was obvious – and Hiramaru, actually quite sweetly, thinks about his love for her, which motivated him to cheer her up.
As he thinks this, though, the PA announces the park is closing and he remembers he must take her to the Ferris wheel.
He thinks back to Yoshida’s advice about hitting the Ferris wheel right as the park closes for maximum viewing pleasure of the sunset, which is uber romantic and atmospheric. He needs to break the ring out at the top of the ride.
Hiramaru asks her to go on the Ferris wheel.
And immediately fucks it up by sitting across from her in a panic.
If At First You Don’t Succeed
Yoshida watches with bated breath and notices that Hirarmaru isn’t doing anything. The Ferris wheel comes down, and Hiramaru looks awful. Yoshida assumes the worst and thinks she dumped him; not only that, Hiramaru will never make manga again. This will be Koji Yoshida’s greatest failure.
He notices, however, that Aoki is still quite sweet on him and thinks that Ferris Wheels is quite romantic. She noticed he was nervous about something and asks if he’s afraid of heights.
Yoshida revises his assessment: he didn’t propose to her and he’ll have to wait for his next chance.
Then the truth is revealed, Hiramaru lost his ring when he was on the roller coaster.
Only Fifty Million Yen of Yoshida’s money. Woops.
Aoki reminds him that the park is closing, and Yoshida watches.
Abruptly, Hiramaru grabs Aoki’s hand and grabs her. He asks to ride the Ferris wheel one more time with Yoshida watching on as the chapter concludes.
Fast Pace and Ferris Wheel Reaction
We’re Starting with the Boys
Okay, so this chapter was NOT about Reversi, and I should have gotten a hint that Hiramaru was going to play some role because he is on the cover of the tankobon. Usually, the tankobon provides a hint at who the central focus of the volume will be.
But yes, let’s get the boys out of the way. This feels like a bit of a switch-up, but I guess Hattori actually didn’t piece together that the boys only wanted to do Schwarz V. Weiss for Reversi. It makes sense given the alternatives, even I provided two chapters ago; and you could see some thematic parallel between Yoshida and Hattori’s philosophy and arc in this chapter, with Yoshida having a major peripeteia this chapter (ooo big word, I’ll explain latah).
But yeah, the boys are going to rush to the end and then encounter Editor-In-Chief Heishi.
It also wasn’t lost on me that Shujin mentioned that he could, at most, drag the series out to 100 chapters. And I’m fairly certain that will factor into the endgame.
Speculation time: a potential way they could drag the series out while giving it a satisfying conclusion is to have some reasonably insane conditions, like they did with Eiji, or they ask for the same conditions of Eiji’s self-cancellation by getting 1st for x-number of weeks in a row or something. That would be kinda satisfying.
But right now, the competition is fierce and also temporarily being abandoned because we have one of the longest ongoing gags and probably one of the most unintentionally important plotlines in the entire story, finally coming to a head and getting resolved because we are in the endgame of the series.
And that is the wrap up of Hiramaru x Aoki’s romance arc, which has been…kinda surprisingly, going for almost a hundred chapters, if we’re counting Hiramaru’s initial pining for Aoki set up all the way a hundred chapters ago.
I feel….very complicated about it.
This Chapter Was Actually Funny
Okay, so I’ve always been of two minds on this recurring gag – as you are well aware. Part of me actually finds the stuff with Hiramaru and Yoshida kinda funny because I’m used to this style of humor, and I’m a sucker for a “we’re pretending to act one way, but we actually feel another way about the situation” type of love.
And I think it’s fair to say that Yoshida and Hiramaru’s love is the real focal point of this arc, which is a good thing. We need to acknowledge how important these two bozos are to each other.
But at the same time, I’m a lot less cool with the fact that this gag centers around explicit manipulation on Yoshida’s part in ways that have not always felt consistently consensual.
Errr….that came out a way, but I think it kinda fits.
As this chapter not-so-subtly retcons, Hiramaru is in on the joke, but he’s also a gag character who is supposed to be histrionic, melodramatic, and over the top, so his leaning into the gag is letting Yoshida run a train on him emotionally to get him to produce pages. And we’ve had mentions of that in the past, too. It’s not as if Hiramaru is being emotionally manipulated for no reason.
He’s being emotionally manipulated because he genuinely believes that Yoshida can help him be happy, not miserable, and he wished for that in their first meeting. And Yoshida was willing to use that to produce pages.
And I don’t think he narrative has really justified all of Yoshida’s previous tactics – if anything, this chapter highlights just how scummy those tactics were and are – But I feel…I dunno, better about them, in the context of this miniature arc.
But the thing that made this chapter actually funny wasn’t that push-pull dynamic; it was the fact that Hiramaru is being serious, and is also completely incapable of doing anything right, and Yoshida has gotten sucked into his gag vortex.
That is to say, the serious humor works because the emotional core is there. It’s not just about the manipulation.
The 50 Million Yen Ring? Gold. Hiramaru being a goof ass at the amusement park who can’t handle himself on the rides? Adorable and funny. Hiramaru being an absolutely monstrous weirdo in his first meeting with Yoshida? Gold. Yoshida watching like a worried momma hen to make sure Hiramaru doesn’t fuck himself over? Actually very funny and sweet.
The heel turn by Yoshida is a big part of why that humor is easier to stomach than it has been previously. It’s not about getting pages, it’s about Hiramaru’s feelings and well-being. And because of that, there isn’t this scummy undercurrent about juicing a guy who has pretty bad social anxiety for content. And Chapter 114 did a lot to repair this relationship due to Yoshida’s confession, but here we see it manifest very differently.
But I think this brings up another critical point
Hiramaru Genuinely Cares for Aoki
While I give Saiko A LOT of grief for his still very stupid idea to not date the girl he wants to marry while they’re young, develop memories, and have a happy lifestyle, Hiramaru and Aoki’s relationship is not entirely dissimilar.
We’ve seen snippets of this relationship play out over the course of the last…40 chapters, holy shit, and I didn’t even realize it had been 2 years in the universe since they technically started dating. Jesus Christ.
But Hiramaru, in this chapter, in contrast to his usual scumminess, also comes off much more vulnerable and human in the way he treats Aoki.
And let’s not get it twisted, his initial attraction to Aoki was scummy, weird, and uncomfortable. He had shallow reasons to like her and didn’t spend enough time to get to know her, other than she’s a pretty face, and I find that…y’know, problematic and not the basis for a healthy emotional relationship based on mutual care and respect because it isn’t.
But here, Hiramaru, to his credit, is actually doing that.
And I’m so much more on board with his hijinks as a result.
It manifests a lot more in how Ohba chose to portray Hiramaru’s expressions in this chapter. Usually, Ohba goes all in on the gag faces and the weirdness. He gives him overly drawn faces or comical expressions that make no sense. Eyes rolling back. Body contorting every which way.
But for a healthy portion of this chapter, we have a more neutral expression. We have some subtle expressions of uncertainty. He’s not being drawn like a gag character in every frame.
So with that lens taken off of him, he becomes more normal, and so when we see this lonely guy pushing his thirties, who hasn’t had much luck with women and pursued manga on the hope that he might get one, actually think about Aoki’s feelings and wellbeing.
Well, it makes me feel like he’s not a scumbag. He’s just a deeply flawed person. And that is the best thing that could happen for him.
His arc, in many ways, is a direct parallel to Saiko’s because they want the same thing, now in a more literal way than previously. However, whereas Saiko has willfully limited his engagement with Miho for some dream, Hiramaru knows what he wants and is working within the constraints of his profession to achieve it, while still actively pursuing it.
So, even though I can’t believe I’m saying this, Hiramaru is probably the healthiest romantic dynamic in the entire story. Despite his overt flaws, failings, and character quirks, he shows genuine care for Aoki, tries to protect her, respects her wishes, and has, for two years, gotten to know her better over time while still being an awkward weirdo.
And that’s really lovely. And I’m all here for it. It also gives his proposal a sense of real stakes: I don’t think Aoki will say no – and we do have to talk about that, too – but she could say no. And then he’d be crushed.
And rather than that being funny, that’d actually be sad because of all this humanizing we’re experiencing with him.
And yes, this is also a metaphor for myself and my own relationship with love and desire for human connection. I’ve softened very much over the last year and believe I am capable of pursuing healthy emotional relationships with people, where before I was much less certain on that front. So I’m mirroring what I’m reading.
I’ve also been dating a lot lately, and while exhausting, and holding a mirror up to my own flaws, things have certainly gotten better on that front; even if it’s showing me all the ways I need to develop myself.
THAT SAID, both things are true.
But we do have to talk about two awkward things that run in tandem with Hiramaru’s genuinely admirable character development:
Aoki’s Inexperience and Her Ultimate Fate
So yeah, even though the female characters here have benefitted from being written pretty well, even in light of Chapter 2, and that whole arc where Obata just admitted he doesn’t know how to write characters in a way that’s not misogynistic, I have a very deep suspicion of something bad happening.
And that would be what was announced in Chapter 2: that Aoki is going to give up manga, get married, and become a housewife. And the end of her arc won’t be about her making manga because she loves it, but rather retiring to focus on her family with Kazutan.
I…don’t want that.
Now, I don’t want the two to be unhappy, but I think it will really undercut the empowering messages about making manga if the only other female character in the story gets married and quits. It would be even worse if Iwase follow suit.
And it’s looming specter. While I’m thrilled that Aoki isn’t going to end up with Nakai – thank the fucking lord in heaven – I would like for her to be an empowered female who makes decisions that are not related to a relationship. Which she has done for 90% of the story. Even the stuff with the emotional affair was, like, close to empowered.
Empowered sexism, mostly, but hey, it’s better than nothing.
But she was the one who got cancelled, and her career is in jeopardy since I’m pretty sure Time of Greenery also got cancelled. And I don’t want that.
The much bigger problem – and it’s bias on my part, for sure – is that Aoki hasn’t dated around. She’s only ever been on one date, with Hiramaru.
And as admirable as Hiramaru has become in these late stages of the story, he still has his fair share of temperamental issues. And I think Aoki would benefit from dating around a bit before deciding that this weird dude, whom she only really talks to on the phone, is going to be her husband, because she believes he’s her only option.
Look, she clearly has also struggled with the dating world, and she’s a fan of romance, but I dunno, it just doesn’t sit right with me that she might go all in on this relationship that she’s not had the opportunity to explore deeply.
Kaya and Shujin are the exception to this rule, even though I still hate that Kaya dropped all of her wishes to follow her man. They have continued to demonstrate a healthy emotional dynamic and care based on mutual understanding, and growth through pain points.
And it’s clear that Hiramaru and Aoki have that potential, but I don’t know. Getting married after two dates feels…uh, ridiculous. The fact that they’re mangaka only makes it a little better.
And again, I’m dating people right now. More than I’ve ever done at any point previously. Shit is exhausting; but it’s good to meet a lot of people and see who you genuinely connect with, and who feels like nails on chalkboard to deal with.
And, more to the point, if Obata does this, he won’t have escaped his worse impulses. I’m willing to give it some grace – I’m not a consequentialist, the journey matters as much as the end – but I’m going to be disappointed if this is the fate he had in mind from the start.
Speaking of mangaka, let’s talk about the mother hen in the room:
Yoshida and Peripeteia
So one of the things that paid dividends this chapter was Yoshida’s development towards Hiramaru.
There are two concepts in Greek dramatic writing: The anagnorisis and the peripeteia. The anagnorisis is a moment of realization. It actually ties to the stand-alone, that’s not a stand-alone where the character learns something about themselves in the context of the story. It’s the “Luke I am Your Father” moment.
But a peripeteia – which has a similar flavor – is a turning point, a perspective shift in character where someone realizes something about themselves, or about the circumstances that they may have misunderstood previously.
And Yoshida had a major peripeteia in this chapter, and it’s one of the reasons I’m retroactively chilling out about his manipulation, though not giving him any less grief for it.
The major change is that he actually considers the happiness and well-being of his Genius. That’s a huge moral responsibility and one he’s frankly not really required to address. Everyone’s happiness is their own responsibility.
But it’s not that he cares about Hiramaru’s happiness, but instead that he cares about what Hiramaru asked of him.
The fact that he promised to help Hiramaru achieve happiness is not the same as taking responsibility for said happiness. And I like that Yoshida is not only because he made that promise, but that his manipulation was done to a certain extent with that in mind, at least unconsciously.
It paints a much more favorable light on Yoshida. However, I think the fact that he’s been with Hiramaru for around 8 years is also a significant factor here. It’s like an old married couple who have been together forever and are never going to separate despite acting horribly towards each other. They do care, but their care looks weird and dysfunctional. Very Anna karenina.
And so his realization that he cares about Hiramaru as a person doesn’t feel shoehorned or jury-rigged to make this arc work. It feels like the natural byproduct of working with someone like Hiramaru for 8 years.
The shifting of mild contempt to genuine care. And so when he goes all in on Hiramaru’s happiness in the most bizarre and over-the-top way imaginable, it’s fucking hysterical.
That commitment is more important than the confession, in my honest opinion. It’s a lot to say you love somebody or think they’re a genius, but to go to bat for them is very different.
So to see him doing the weird shit he did in chapter 114, but actively rooting for his boy, was super charming.
And the fact that he shelled out hella money made the editorial team think he was in an affair, and went to the trouble of hyping up his boy to make sure it went without a hitch was lovely.
But the most lovely thing of all, and the thing missing from this relationship, which makes me much cooler with all of the bullshit was this moment:
I’ll be there for you, even if you fail.
That’s the thing that has been missing from Yoshida and Hiramaru that needed to be here. It may have been unspoken, but showing sincere support for his ward is now there. So I’m on board.
It makes a good parallel with Hattori, who has always had a conscience. But if you work with someone that long, you develop care for them, even if it’s professional.
Iunno,
Will Aoki and Hiramaru get hitched? I assume so, but we won’t find out until the next chapter.
Until then,
Peace
Stray Thoughts
–It was mentioned briefly that the current run of series is all pretty good. That does happen, and it’s always nice when you have a roughly equal number of enjoyable series to read week to week. Then you have periods where there are a bunch of duds. Which is basically what’s happening now. i’m hoping we regress towards a more evenly distributed mean, soon.
