The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil A Rún - Nagabe

[icy wolf]

I feel that during this next chapter I will be broken

[jagged summit]

we'll see

[icy wolf]

Chappter 45: I have to admit. I am lost for words rn. ||Like... TEACHER IS A TREE. And it seems Hiva also turning into one now in the ending|| I am sobing here

This is so sad. I need to prosses this

[jagged summit]

this is an absolute mood so here's some support

[icy wolf]

I need it so bad right now. Atleast we now 2?

[jagged summit]

exactly, we have each other

waiting two weeks to find out what's going to happen will be hard

[icy wolf]

It will be near inpossible

|| I dont even get what can happen. Shiva is taken by the curse and teacher seems like a tree to me||

[icy wolf]

Finnished volume 9: ||So, I do agree with Abi to some extent on this one. I do understand that we need more lore to 'build up' the story more. And was I involved in this book? Yes, that I was for SURE. Yet, it may be the least fav of them all as a whole. The ending did bring it up. I mean the last chapter... holy that was alot. I mean just, Teacher being a tree yet trying to caress Shiva. Shiva being taken by the curse. Yes, this is just breaking me so much.|| I dont understand how I am supose to wait untill volume 10. This will be so hard

[chilly loom]

I’m going to bump down Vols. 6,7,8,9 on my tbr until 10´s announced

[jagged summit]

SO valid of you tbh

what if 10 ends in a way that makes you want to read 11 straight away though?

[icy wolf]

would have done the same

[chilly loom]

I’ll have to keep bumping them down until 11 and 12 get announced then ig

Orr atp, I think I should read 6 and 7 cuz judging from people’s reactions they’re safe enough and then binge 8-12

[jagged summit]

I just realised that there was no ||mini comic at the end of|| vol. 9

[chilly loom]

||that makes it even sadder
those mini comics are the highlights of the series to me||

[jagged summit]

Hanzy, why did you read this??

[chilly loom]

Idk, it was a little too enticing and like wanting to be read

[last plinth]

@jagged summit,@steep perch,@icy wolf,@halcyon timber,@frail urchin,@torpid sentinel,@chilly loom,@surreal garnet,@unborn hill,@gritty jewel,@hardy orchid

Volume 9 started today

Volume 4,5 and 6 ends on the 15th so you still have plenty of time for those but just let me know if you need an extension

we have been blessed by the mods so we will likely be able to do the whole manga as br even without the 12 votes needed

some more questions if you all want to answer them (also if any of you have any ideas for questions please dm them to me)

1. if this book was made into a life action movie/tv show who would you cast as the characters?
   2.which character did you relate to the most?
   3.What was/is the most surprising scene?
   btw these questions can be answered no matter what volume you are on but please make sure to mark spoilers with where they take place

[last plinth]

Something went wrong! Please try again later

[icy wolf]

Wait…. I also didnt relice that

[torpid sentinel]

1. Doug Jones as Teacher, Sir Ian McKellen as either the ||king or the priest-dude||, Dame Judi Dench as ||Auntie/Grandma|| (since there are translation differences), Wes Johnson OR Steve Schell to VA ||the Outsider who was decapitated and carries their head around||,and I don’t know of enough child actors to cast Shiva

[jagged summit]

Yeah it clicked for me a little after I finished. ||They really said that we could just sit with that final chapter and dwell on it||

[torpid sentinel]

Vol 7 Chp 1- ||cover art as bleak as that opening. I had forgotten Vol 6 ended like that||

[torpid sentinel]

Vol 7- ||I was metaphorically on the edge of my seat for most of this one, with Shiva being injured then cursed, and how Teacher attacked (“I will become as monstrous as I must” goes HARD) and couldn’t steal the soldiers soul, and Shiva straight-up vanishing. I think this may be my second-favorite volume so far.||

[torpid sentinel]

Amendment: ||Cover art as bleak and cold as the volume itself||

||AND THE SNOWBALL SHIVA’S HOLDING REPRESENTS HER SOULLLLLL||

[torpid sentinel]

Volume 8 Chp 2/ Chp 36- ||I have created a wild theory in order to connect the song Siuil a Ruin to this manga but all I have is circumstance.

Teacher bud, that was very sweet and brave of you to stab yourself and offer Shiva your soul but also DUDE stabbing yourself in front of Shiva’s gonna scar her even more.||

Volume 8 as a whole-

||Honestly Shiva being taken and the (admittedly failed) ritual was something I didn’t expect at Volume 8. I would’ve thought more like Volume 10. Anyway. Big emotions, mainly sadness||

||The bonus at the end was not a fun one :(||

Anyway I looked at the deluxe cover to try to glean any extra meaning/symbolism (||Other than “it’s fall which is when everything starts dying”||) before I start Volume 9, and I love how Shiva’s face is just :)

[frail urchin]

Vol 9 “Dire Consequences”
|| I keep wondering about the connection between Shiva and the king. Like what if they’re related somehow? Idk||
Ch 41 ||is this cloaked figure going to be the king? This whole story if the curse still reminds me of the Legend Of Zelda storylines sometimes||
Ch 42 || I actually don’t want Shiva to be Teacher’s bio-child. It’s sweeter as found family imo. The mystery of the curse is expanding finally. I hope we get some actual answers soon. But the priest dude knows things||
Ch 43 ||this is some Adam & Eve bs frfr ugh. So many betrayals here. This priest needs to be shut down. Didn’t like the king, so not tooo sad that he’s gone, but he did hold the power (such as it was) to protect Shiva||
Ch 44 ||LOL you go Shiva! Love it oh no, they caught her anyway. I really want her to save herself and not be rescued passively ||
Ch 45 || omg that ending!!! That was heartbreaking! But… Did teacher and Shiva swap somehow? Why is he wearing her gown? Why???!? And she sure did change quickly. ||

[torpid sentinel]

Volume 9-
Chp 41- ||After all the time that the curse has been around, did they not do research? It feels like “yeah they turn into trees” would’ve been written at least once somewhere||
Chp 42- || I feel like the king would still have some sort of guard around him or an assistant of some sort, given his health, and not wander freely to follow the priest into the old chapel||

[torpid sentinel]

Re: Chp 42 Yeah I agree. ||I don’t think she’s teacher’s kid and “sweeter if she isn’t” is a good way to phrase it||

Chp 44- ||I know it’s serious and Shiva is quite literally running for her life but her expression being >:( got a snort out of me. Also, who’s this guy asking Shiva about Teacher and looking for the king? Clearly he wants to help but like, what’s his deal?||

[icy wolf]

Reply to chapter 45: || I keep thinking for some reason. That she changed so quickly due to her soul feeling empty. As in she gets sad and has ro grow up cause so many people close to her has died||

[frail urchin]

I have SO MANY QUESTIONS!!

[icy wolf]

SO DO I!!! I just wanna keep reading

[frail urchin]

It’s brutal to read this series this way. I mean, the points will be nice I guess, but I wish we could have just read all volumes in a period of time, but we’re getting there

[torpid sentinel]

Chp 45, roughly 33% in- ||King bud what did you think was gonna happen? Priest is a snake of course he’s gonna lie.

OH SHIT IS THE KING CURSED AND HE JUST CURSED THE PRIEST WITH THAT ANKLE-GRAB||

||Oh, no it was just a distraction||

On 7-9 overall ||I think this is my favorite trio of volumes. There’s so much we get to see of the characters when they’re pushed to their limits, and it’s just so tense and heartbreaking the entire time.||

[frail urchin]

||I thought that too!||

[candid sundial]

Woa super late to the game but I just reserved the first 6 volumes from my library!! Hopefully I’m in time for vol 4-6 at least (and onwards)!!

[halcyon timber]

I DIDNT NOTICE THAT!!

[gritty jewel]

@hot glen Can the previous post be unpinned and this be pinned instead?

[hot glen]

done!

[gritty jewel]

Thanks

[icy wolf]

Have we gotten br points for 1-3?

[jagged summit]

we should have for 1 but not 2 or 3 yet

[gritty jewel]

Not yet

[icy wolf]

Ok thank you

[halcyon timber]

starting Volume 9 rn!

ch.42 - ||BROS NAMED ALBERT???? thats the last thing I expected im not even going to lie.||

[halcyon timber]

ch.45 - im sorry but ||how is it possible that everyone missed Shiva escaping??? ||

||oh noo teacher what happened to u ||

damn I am feeling ||the silence he is giving to Shiva like- I feel like I havent heard him talk in ages ||

||excuse me what just happened||

||yoo shiva just out-heighted him hahahaah||

finished volume 9- uhm can I get to volume 10? like

[halcyon timber]

replying to ur ch 45 comment - ||wdym why is he wearing her gown? I thought shiva just turned into the outsider too- like they are still on their sides- shiva on the left and him on the right||

[hot glen]

From <t:1728518400:D> to <t:1733788800:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 66f8c0476b3013ec8e14a3c8
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[jagged summit]

https://tenor.com/view/dance-dancing-dancing-cat-cat-cat-dance-gif-4990417705814603993

[candid sundial]

Late to the game but just finished vol 1! It’s soooooo adorable ||I love the relationship between Shiva and the teacher. And the gulf between the insiders and outsiders is such a universal theme, just like people not willing to communicate and painting the other side as the evil ones, making everything black and white. It sure ends on a cliffhanger!!||

I’m excited to read the next one

Anyone knows how many volumes are published in total?

[frail urchin]

There are 12, but my understanding is that the last one is extra side stories… so 11 in the full arc?

[candid sundial]

Got it!! I think my library has the whole series then!! I’m definitely in for this whole ride

[frail urchin]

Looking forward to seeing your progress!

[candid sundial]

Vol 2 ||Shiva is sooo sweet, not even bearing the other outsider to be hurt by teacher. Her innocence and kindness is really shining through. Hmm who is Father (like priest or dad) and what is his relation to auntie? The underwater scenes felt very magical even though the vibes are a bit creepy||

[halcyon timber]

ahhh enjoy

[surreal garnet]

1. Oooh, difficult question. I'm not sure I know of any current child actors that would fit for Shiva, but for Teacher, my first thought went towards Tom Hiddleston
2. ||Maybe Teacher? Only because we know the most about him and Shiva, and I'm way past my Shiva stage in life ||
3. Hmm, surprising... ||I think I was most surprised when one of the Outsider came back with Auntie's head and we find out that Auntie turned into a tree. I was not expecting that at all, especially since not long before that, Auntie had a conversation with Teacher about how they become immortal||

Starting Vol 9 now!

[surreal garnet]

Vol 9
Ch 41 ||I wonder who the flowers are for. How old is Shiva? Is she 7? Is she the girl the guard is talking about? I'm surprised that it's only been 6 years since the great purge. Okay, seriously, who is this mysterious person talking to Shiva? ||

Ch 42 ||Apparently there are old records of the curse, but it's only been 6 years? Nvm, I'll just go with it 😂 Who is Albert again?||

Ch 43 ||So confusing about the timeline of the curse and when the great purge happened. I can't decide if the Mother and Father fought 6 years ago and the Outsiders and Insiders happened then, or if it happened millions of years ago and... what? The Outsiders and Insiders just finally clashed and many people died 6 years ago? Also, still curious about Teacher and this Albert guy, are they the same person or different? Is Shiva his daughter for real, maybe?||

Ch 44 ||Shiva getting fiesty and running away is so cute! But they caught her again, dammit! And that guard getting suspicious and going looking for the King, we don't know his name, do we? Was it the same guard who talked to the King about his friends with the little girl? I hope the ceremony is stopped for good!||

Ch 45 ||Omg what just happened? I love that the King came back to stop the ceremony and distracted everyone enough that the soldier was able to get Shiva away! But now Shiva is back and Teacher has turned into a tree, and Shiva is...?? That last scene leaving us in suspense! I need to know what happens! Oh, and we still don't know who the mysterious person in the sheet is||

I should've waited a few more days for the start of Vol 10. I am dying here!

[candid sundial]

Vol 3 ||hmm the plot thickens… there’s a religious cult of some sort that thinks the girl can save them from the “curse” but now I don’t trust anyone, not teacher nor “auntie”. Also was auntie already a transformed outsider, or did she get infected when the outsider(s) came to get Shiva??||

I’m also enjoying the dark foresty vibes a lot!!

[candid sundial]

Vol 4 ||here I was thinking auntie and teacher could have a relaxing life together with Shiva… but auntie forgets quicker than anticipated that ending though… poor Shiva is thrown another unfortunate twist of fate. Teacher somehow is able to remember and I wonder why||

1. I’m reading one volume at a time!
2. Absolutely ||the teacher is my favorite! I like his protective nature despite what others assume of him (a monster) and the fact that he wants to fight the curse||
3. BERSERK. It changed my life
4. Hmm so far I’ve read 4, I’d say the 4th one? I like the small detail of Shiva blowing out the candle. It’s super cute!

Love this panel!! Also perfect for October season

I was hoping for this happy ending but

[halcyon timber]

sameeeee ||I didn’t think that’s where the plot was going with the auntie forgetting so quickly ||

[unborn hill]

we can pretend that's what really happened

[unborn hill]

FRRR 100% one of my faves

[icy wolf]

Yes, met is pretend that || This is not just so sad and heartachy to read. It is just wholesome instead||

[unborn hill]

gaslighting ourselves into ||not being depressed by volume 4 nd like lets be real every volume ||

[chilly loom]

What do you mean ‘pretend’, it’s what happened and you won’t change my mind about it. ||Auntie just wanted to go on a little adventure and she’ll be back baking pies soon!||

Btw folks, is Vol.6 going to make me want to read Vol.7 asap or is it safe enough?

I currently don’t have access to the rest of the volumes as my library only has the first 6 rn. I’m planning on buying the whole set but that’ll be a while

[unborn hill]

HAHAHA SO TRUE YOURE CORRECT

[halcyon timber]

yeah ||she just went out for some milk guys come on- like my dad once||

[halcyon timber]

wdym safe enough?

[jagged summit]

as in does it end on a major/sad cliffhanger

I'm trying to remember now

[halcyon timber]

oh god I couldnt tell you

[jagged summit]

I think you'll want to read 7 straight after 6

looking back at my notes anyway

[chilly loom]

Oh
Thanks for the heads up abi!

[jagged summit]

no problem!

oh I just realised 6 ends in a week and a half

will you have 7 by then?

[chilly loom]

I’m hoping it arrives by then
If not, I’ll just have to read 6 and practice patience

[jagged summit]

https://tenor.com/view/you-got-this-gif-5575639221077680034

[gritty jewel]

Volume 1-3 has already ended so it won't be a problem if they're discussed much or not, but I'd suggest making your thoughts a little more elaborate on the volume after three, discussing it as much as possible. (yk, for the points.) Mentioning this early cuz it'd probably be annoying to try to elaborate on something you've read a while ago if you're asked to do so later

[candid sundial]

Word! Then I’ll reread vol 4 and see if I have more insights haha

[terse oar]

Word! Then I’ll reread
vol 4 and see if I have
more insights haha

- jpuzzle

[candid sundial]

Amazing

[candid sundial]

Vol 4 ch 16 ||the corpses lying around - are they killed by the insider soldiers or they’ve turned into outsider “monsters” and somehow perished? They are always shown with a sheet over them so it’s unclear to me what they are||

||the symbol of umbrellas… auntie is also carrying one when she discovered Shiva. I wonder if it’s the same one with a hole that’s shown before?||

||also loving the darkness of the panels that’s very pervasive. Like you can only see details of teacher and auntie through strategic lighting placements. Loving the vibes ||

||ahhh the lighting slowly coming into the woods is absolutely beautiful, illuminating everything just before dawn ||

Ch 17 ||I really like the chapter cover image of Shiva surrounded by outsiders, very fairytale ||

||Shiva’s nightmare of auntie begging for her “self” back. What does it mean? Is this a metaphor of mother for the outsiders?||

||this is absolutely one of my favorite moments in the series so far! When auntie shrouded Shiva with the bedsheet so she could hug her. Human touch truly makes a difference, even if it’s through another material ||

||an interesting triangle relationship among teacher, auntie, and Shiva. Looks like teacher feels left out it’s a terrible feeling of not being needed ||

||auntie and teacher have trust issues, even though they both want the best for Shiva. Sigh, such is the complexity of relationships||

Ch 18 ||shiva is being an absolute dear trying to unite teacher and auntie by going out to pick raspberries. Looking forward to see how this raspberry pie turns out!||

||looks like auntie still doesn’t trust teacher. Or does she want Shiva all for herself?||

Ch 19 ||please someone share the recipe of this raspberry pie. I wanna cook it!! Also loving this moment of comedy of errors in the kitchen. A rare happy moment in this dark fairytale ||

||ahh teacher is feeling pain..? Does that mean he’s slowly getting rid of his curse?? I’m rooting for teacher!!||

||WHO MIGHT THAT BE? Ugh I’m not a huge fan of auntie cuz she is always kinda sketchy but… her losing memory of Shiva is so heartbreaking. And I love the panel here of showing a broken surface of water reflecting aunties face, somehow very representative of the loss of one’s identity ||

Ch 20 ||wow auntie not being able to write down a pie recipe… such a simple detail yet so heart wrenching ||

||uh oh it’s aunties head…… so ominous|| what an ending!!!

Hope this is enough discussion for the points

Vol 5 ch 21 ||auntie is now a tree?!?!? I’m not crying you are. Also what does it mean that each outsider has a duty? Is each duty different or based on the previous “life” of the outsiders?||

||ahh what a twist of events! Looks like the curse comes from the insiders. Could this be the “punishment” mentioned in auntie’s story book from the god of light?||

||poooooor shiva, must be feeling abandoned all over again. The panels really captured her sense of isolation and loss||

||so… when the insiders say they’ve received a revelation from the holy father, what does it mean? Who’s the holy father? Also I like the strong contrast between the ornate and bright church interiors to the wild, untamed, mysterious woods of the outside ||

[candid sundial]

Ch 22 ||it’s always a thin line for a parental figure to walk between telling their child the brutal truth vs protecting them from the ugliness of truth. The panels beautifully captured the hesitant silence dwelling in teacher, before teacher decides what to do with Shiva||

Ch 23 ||a recently turned soldier? Everyone seems to want a piece of Shiva, including this “mother” of the outsiders. Is mother like Mother Nature? Like all living things return to dust sort of thing? But to claim the life of a young child is a lot to ask ||

||oh no a piece of teachers horn fell off?!?!? And what is this super cool looking spikey whale thingy?!?!? I love this double page illustration ||

Ch 24 ||teacher really called Shiva “shorty” in that door argument LOL it looks like teacher could use some lessons in insults cuz all he’s saying is pretty cute stuff like “cream puff” ||

[candid sundial]

Ch 25 ||awww Shiva making silly faces trying to cheer up teacher, just such a cute moment! All the inner thoughts also help us better understand teacher - his fears for Shiva, whether he’s making the right decision to move them etc ||

Vol 5 finished!! ||it seems like certain outsiders are born from the lake and others are turned from the insiders (but they become trees..?). Still lots of mystery to be solved|| excited to read the next one!

Vol 6 Ch 26 ||curiously the insiders think their “heavenly father” (god?) bestows a piece of him to each soul, whereas the outsiders gather pieces of souls for “mother”. So far I’m liking these contrasts and parallels||

Ch 27 ||the wind tousling Shiva’s hair as she silently cries in front of teacher… such a tender moment ||

Ch 28 || oh not this pesky crow looking soldier outsider thing again?!?||

||wow amazing editing of the panels to make it feel like the crow soldier was about to open the cottage door and confront teacher! But it’s only the headless outsider ||

||very cool image of a reflection of teacher in an upside down cup! Teacher does seem sort of in between a black child and an outsider born from “mother”||

Ch 29 ||shiva and teacher … touched???? I really hope nothing bad comes out of it but I’m also glad they get to hug at last!!||

||LOL SHIVA||

[candid sundial]

Vol 6 finished!! ||looks like crow soldier is half a tree now… but how much does it remember about Shiva and bringing her to the inside? I guess thinking about all the context, it seems strange that they let auntie and Shiva live in relative peace the first time they were brought to the inside||

[halcyon timber]

jpuzzle u popped off with this one hahahah

[candid sundial]

I’ve unlocked my inner yapping abilities

[gritty jewel]

That's more than enough T-T

[gritty jewel]

Lol, welcome to the family

[candid sundial]

Vol 7 ch 31 ||I find it hilarious that the outsiders learned chomp chomp from humans and were like ya we can now chomp chomp this crow soldier… kinda cute ||

Ch 32 || NOOOO SHIVA got slashed?!?! The wound looks so bad ||

||such a gorgeous double panel of the crow soldier turning into a tree… thank god cuz I was scared Shiva was gonna be hurt more. The insiders find no fault of their own yet they are jealous of Shiva’s ability to avoid the curse. But using Shiva as a tool is no good either… such a conundrum ||

Ch 33 ||shiva is infected could it be because she was weakened from the wound, or because crow soldier turned into a tree while in contact with her?||

[candid sundial]

Ch 34 || loving all the action scenes!!! I guess each side is fighting for their own definition of duty and honor, but I’m rooting for the outsiders!||

Vol 7 finished!! ||teacher refuses to kill even though teacher desperately wants to save Shiva… whereas the soldiers hacked the outsiders to bits. Despite the appearances, it’s clear which side has true “humanity” and which side is the cruel one||

[candid sundial]

Vol 8 ch 36 ||teacher is unable to take another soul so self sacrifice it is… is there truly no way both teacher and Shiva can live on uncursed? Can they merge into a single being like smashing together into a bigger snowball?||

[candid sundial]

Ch 37-38 ||this somehow reminds me of the elderly with Alzheimer’s disease and the children who are taking care of them. Good for Shiva for keeping up an incredibly brave front and wanting teacher to start remembering … but now the soldiers have whisked her away and teacher is in limbo, things are looking dire ||

[candid sundial]

Ch 39 ||ah the life flash before one’s eyes moment … all the bittersweetness with teacher, auntie… could there be a twist at this point?? Like Shiva is the king’s daughter or something? Honestly just hoping for anything to spare Shiva’s life||

Vol 8 finished!! ||who’s the mysterious person in the jail speaking to Shiva? From the way this person is depicted, it seems like they are a devout insider but may be sympathetic to Shiva. Also is the flower from teacher? Maybe I missed it I wonder if teacher will ever remember ||

Vol 9 ch 41 ||could the mysterious jail person be the priest? Looks like this person is trying to learn more from Shiva rather than sympathizing with her and potentially letting her go. It looks like everyone was affected by the great purge 6 years ago, maybe including the kings own family? ||

Ch 42 ||ooh lala the mystery deepens! Not only is there an underground chamber, but it looks like teacher/albert is pretty known in this group of insiders. Could the young man be Albert’s son?? What’s written in the holy text that must be kept secret? ||

[candid sundial]

Vol 9 finished! ||a usurper!! Of course the priest was gonna play the insanity card to discredit the king. Looks like the mysterious figure in the jail might be the king? I like that the king, though physically weak, at last stood up for what he felt was right and just. Ugh the ending really got me!! Could Shiva and teacher share one soul and each be a half transformed outsider? I’m not ready to let either of them leave the story yet ||

1. How did you come up with these amazing designs for the outsiders? Especially the ||clothed horse looking one and the spikey whale ||

2. Whenever there’s a double page spread I love it!!

3. I like to switch between them. I think novels are able to primarily use writing to develop characters and stories whereas manga/comics use colors and creative design of panels to convey stories. Both are important mediums!

Same 😅

[candid sundial]

1. Oooof that’s a hard question!! I somehow want ||Hagrid from Harry Potter to be teacher LOL||

2. Hmm that’s a hard one cuz I see a bit of myself in each character but all the characters ||are so nice and kind that I cannot compare myself to them remotely ig except the evil priest||

3. ||TEACHER BECOMING A TREE||

[candid sundial]

That’s what I thought!!

[steep perch]

Im starting volume 4 now

[jagged summit]

OH

Vol. 10 BR has been live 6 minutes

[jagged summit]

okay I think I'm finally settled to read this

lemon why are you laughing at me?

||the locket and the flower.... okay just break me on the first page then||

Chapter 46: ||Albert got the locket for his birthday with his wife and child inside but it was a joint gift from the soldier? I'm confused unless I'm reading this completely wrong in my tiredness||

||Them trying to get away from the soldiers though with what I'm suspecting is baby Shiva (watch me be wrong) 😭 it must be terrifying to be woken up in the middle of the night and told to leave everything behind and flee for your own safety.||

||Stop, I need to know what happened to Shiva. I need her to be okay.||

Chapter 47: ||Teacher without a foot but so determined to find Shiva. That's my family right there.||

||Not having proper control of your body is also terrifying. I had it the other day in surgery where they asked me to move my leg and my brain was trying to but my body wouldn't comply. Horrible feeling to be powerless like that||

||Is he hallucinating her? I don't like this||

||What do you mean Shiva's soul is Teacher's?||

||"I know you might not believe me, but... before that day, I was a walking corpse. Meeting you is... what saved me" I am a shell of a person after reading that tbh||

Chapter 48: ||'Lady wife' ....with the implication that he has a male wife /j||

||Wait, is this old man's cottage the same one that Teacher is living in in Vol. 1? What happened to him?||

||How wonderful and powerful just one small act of kindness is||

||Holy shit?? They beat him because he was helping Teacher? WTF?? And then murdered him and his grandson when they were only trying to do the moral thing.||

||Bro, the power trip that they're on is scary. Killing humans just because they might develop/carry the curse in the future is a dark dark day||

||I can't imagine losing your family and happiness, finding another source of happiness within that dark time, and then having that ripped away from you as well right in front of you. Teacher you will always be loved and protected by me||

||okay but why was Shiva abandoned like that? and how fortunate that Teacher was searching for someone and happened to stumble upon her, unless it's not a coincidence at all||

Chapter 49: ||Hang on a second.....is she meant to be related to the grandson? I don't know what's going on with characters in this any more. There are too many theories on who everyone is||

||Teacher adamant he's bad and scary and Shiva being like ||

||Shiva do NOT throw yourself off a cliff right now. That's my job after this series emotionally devastates me time and time again||

||.....um. What?||

||So 'Shiva' was the one who made Teacher the way he was in the first place? I am not understanding how that works||

big mood

||.....what do you mean 'the end'?||

https://tenor.com/view/spongebob-squarepants-spongebob-lonely-alone-coffee-gif-5059287

Finished. ||God, this series is just going to break my heart in the end isn't it? This volume was so bleak and so heartbreaking that I just want to go and sit in a corner and contemplate life. Everything is a lie. There is no Shiva. What do you mean that sweet girl wasn't ever really real? Thanks, I hate it here. I don't really know what to say other than that I still have so many questions but now I'm not really sure if I want them answering because it's just going to emotionally devastate me and I doubt I'm ever going to get my happy ending with them now. Can we go back to one of the earlier volumes where everything was cosy and happy please?|| 4.5 ⭐

I need someone else (cough Avi) to read soon

||Also it's very interesting that this only had 4 chapters. I actually went back to check and then forward to Vol. 11 (didn't read ahead) to see if I'd somehow missed Chapter 50 but nope, there it is in Vol. 11 instead.||

[frail urchin]

I am delighted by your eager anticipation

[jagged summit]

I simply must know what will happen as soon as I possibly can

[terse oar]

I simply must know
what will happen as soon as
I possibly can

- abi(g egg)

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@frail urchin,@surreal garnet,@jagged summit,@torpid sentinel,@icy wolf,@chilly loom,@unborn hill,@candid sundial,@halcyon timber,@gritty jewel

hi everyone the br for volume 10 started yesterday so feel free to start it

[jagged summit]

I beat you to it gregg

[halcyon timber]

Let’s gooo

[candid sundial]

starting now!

ch 46 ||lots of dark pages, so I'm assuming this will be a trip into the past? perhaps revealing more myths of this world?||

||albert prior to transformation... face reveal soon???||

||wait a minute... is this baby... SHIVA?? ||

ch 47 ||i absolutely adore this transition between black and white backgrounds - it very nicely captures the inbetweenness of dreaming and reality. The dark pages in particular are just very haunting and beautiful||

ch 48 ||UGHHHH what's wrong with people?? to punish the kindest grandpa and his grandson in this gruesome manner?!?! the panels showing this sequence of events are so well thought out, like I could feel the rain drops spatter and the whole somber mood||

||the sequence showing teacher slowly descending into madness and the seasons turning all the details showing the changes ||

ch 49 ||GASP! i did not see that coming at all... so Shiva is a piece of albert and the soul was just passed back and forth??||

finished!!! ||wow what a roller coaster - we learn more about albert's final days as a human and how he came to be a black child and the origin of Shiva... for a hot second I though Shiva might be Albert's baby, the one he got separated with in the woods. If Shiva is really part of Albert, it's a beautiful manifestation of Albert's soul, cuz it's very playful, resilient, and kind|| is the next volume the last one in the series?? can't wait for the next one

[candid sundial]

i'm guessing ||the soldier is their son or something... or a close family friend, so they celebrated albert's birthday together!||

[jagged summit]

||Yes, I think a close family friend is more likely. I'm so scared for how everything is going to be wrapped up in just one more volume because I still have so many questions.||

[candid sundial]

same!!!!

[icy wolf]

Since I do feel a little better I thought I would ease myself into this by doing this manga first of thr endless Brs

Chaoter 46: I dont even have any words. Just || Albert lost his baby? And I feel like that could be Shiva?
But I am also unsure cause that dress on that tree. Kinda remdined me of how auntie looked? ||

Chapter 47: || I am so confusrd? Are we in the past or present rn?||

Chapter 47 a little later || Just… he is talking about his past and opening to her. Saying how she saved his life. Just so cute||

Last page of the chapter || Thr man opening up and not being aftaid. Worms me heart||

Chapter 48: || I hate the fact that the villigaes are so scared that they tirn on their own people. It is so sad||

Us finnalyibg seeing || His perspective in terms of finding Shiva||

This panel makes me wanna melt

Chapter 49: || Ok so ehm WHAT!!! Shiva was never ‘real’? Ok that took ne off guard||

[icy wolf]

Finnished: || Even tho I love and adore this series on so many levels. This book, was not hitting home to me on the same levels as the earlier.
This may be due to, me kinda being confused alot. I had a hard time in the start to undertand when Alvert was imagaining things and when it was actual real?
Plus, I kinda hated how they disribed who Shiva was. Like we already know that his sould was given to Shiva and that she returned it. Just to add that etra piece of soulswapping. Was kinda not needed. I dont fully understand how that can be relevant to us.

yet, this is still an amazing manga. So I will have it at 4star rating|| 4

[jagged summit]

I totally agree with you on all of this and had the same thoughts whilst I was reading too

[icy wolf]

ye, this book felt kinda not needed

[steep perch]

Vol 4 chapter 16
||Okay I understand ehy they felt justified in not saving the baby but why didn't they kill her wouldn't it be more cruel to have her die of the elements or in their mind the worst fate of all becoming one of the outsiders||

Vol 4 chapter 17
||Poor Shiva I just want to give her a hug||

[steep perch]

Vol 4 chapter 17
||Noooo ||

Vol 4 chapter 19
||I was just thinking how cute this all was and then the book has to go and break my heart again ||

Finished volume 4
||Wait what how did auntie die 😭 this volume has been such a roller coaster of emotions ||

[steep perch]

Im starting volume 5 now

I love the illustrations in these books so much

[steep perch]

Volume 5 chapter 21
||Omg they are breaking my heart right now i really understand both of their reactions and Shiva is really justified in her anger towards teacher I just want the characters to be happy ||

Sorry if anyone saw that spoiler

[halcyon timber]

woww I didnt even know they had them

[steep perch]

Vol 5 chapter 24 ||omg I love them so much||

Finished volume 5
||I have so many questions who is mother? What even is the curse? How did it really start? Why is Shiva immune? What's up with teacher being different? Who was teacher before the curse? these characters really have me in a chokehold I love them so much also the art is just so gorgeous ||

Starting volume 6

[steep perch]

Chapter 28 ||hmmm I'm still not sure if Mother is good or not eve though the outsiders are helping im still wary of them||

Chapter 28
||omg I'm loving all the new info we are getting ||

Chapter 29
||omfg I'm about to cry this is so bittersweet||

Okay I finished finished volume 6
||I love these characters and their relationships so much I'm gonna use this for the expected 5 stars prompt on the autumn bingo and it did not dissapoint but the cliff hanger is criminal I just want the best for my babies and they keep getting put down again and again ||
5/5 stars
I will post the br request for vol 11 and do the finish announcement for volume 4,5 and 6 later today

[jagged summit]

when the request for 11 is posted

[chilly loom]

Amanda, would you mind waiting a day for me (I’m sorry this is becoming such a catchphrase of mine) I finished vol.6 earlier today but my mind’s been preoccupied with some stuff and I need some time

[steep perch]

no problem

[steep perch]

#br-requests message the br request for the next volume has been posted

[unborn hill]

oh shit I just saw what day it is, I'm gonna read vol 6 while eating my breakfast!

[unborn hill]

vol 6, chap 26 ||teacher you didnt have to doubt auntie that bad "its actually quite a respectable little cottage" you asshole LMAOO||

vol 6 chap 26: ||TEACHER LORE TEACHER LORE TEACHER LORE OMG?????||

[unborn hill]

vol 6 chap 28: ||so the outsiders just admitted they only wanted shiva to experiment on her so they can steal her soul nd teacher is just like "well this is certainly a pretty pickle" LMAOOO??? SIR????? you can just say this whole things bullshit or something you dont have to be so posh ||

vol 26 chap 28: ||teacher looks like an albert, hes posh nd fancy enough LMAO||

vol 6 chap 29: ||average unsupervised toddler behaviour LMAOO this panel just looks so funny. BUT ALSO SHIVA HAS NOW TOUCHED 3 OUTSIDERS???? THE HEADLESS ONE, THE CROW ND THEN TEACHER?????? HELLO????||

vol 6 chap 29: ||IVE BEEN PRAYING FOR SO LONG FOR THIS OMGGGGG OMGGG day absolutely made||

vol 6 chap 30: ||oh my god shes so small nd cute i absolutely love the art style here ||

god i want nothing more than to just keep reading this all day but ive got class in a couple hours nd still have some work to do. at least vol 6 is done now nd i can continue late

that was such a good vol though, i think my favourite so far. ||we learnt a lot about teacher, like what his name probably was before he got cursed, we found out more about the mother and how outsiders come to be. just in general fire chapter. the snow scene nd shiva being able to touch teacher now was also fucking adorable nd actually will be all i think about today in my seminars thank yew all in all i cannot WAIT to read vol 7||

5 stars because what else would i rate any vol in this series

[halcyon timber]

exactly- ||I better see a happy ending for them BOTH or else ||

[halcyon timber]

Volume 10, Ch.46 - ||dad lore drop!!! ||

||Wait is that the auntie??||

[halcyon timber]

im dumb ||its literally shiva bruh HAHAHAHAA||

ch.47 - ||is that grandfather a kind soul or is something terrible about to happen? i cant take it anymore ||

||NO WAY IS THAT THE HOUSE ALBERT LIVED IN????||

ch.48 - ||guys im crying nooooo. The GRANDFATHERRR AND THE CHILD||

ch.49 ||waiiiittttt this is the craziest lore drop. im going crazy. help||

ok nowww im done. 5/5

[gritty jewel]

I totally forgotttt

[halcyon timber]

gogo

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@icy wolf,@torpid sentinel,@chilly loom,@unborn hill,@frail urchin,@gritty jewel,@hardy orchid,@halcyon timber,@jagged summit,@charred ledge,@cobalt goblet,@small sapphire,@spice harness,@true fulcrum,@surreal garnet,@candid sundial,@runic plank

Hi everyone
the br for vol 4,5 and 6 ended yesterday but i still see that some people have yet to read and/or discuss

Do you guys need an extension?

[gritty jewel]

I don't need an extension, I'll catch up if you just wait till tomorrow to submit the report pliz

[steep perch]

okay @chilly loom also needs to give their final thoughts so i will wait for you two no pressure though

[halcyon timber]

I read all of them, but do I have points for each?

[gritty jewel]

Yes, three points for each volume

[halcyon timber]

nice

[steep perch]

could you maybe show me where you discussed vol 4,5 and 6 because i have a hard time finding them to check if they are enough

[jagged summit]

it should be 5 points per volume

at least it was for 1-3

[chilly loom]

Thanks for waiting Amanda
I’ll share my thoughts in some time now. I think I haven’t for Vol.5 either but wanted to share some ss of my favourite panels so thought I’d do them together

[chilly loom]

Thoughts on Vol.5
||It’s all on me for not having shared final thoughts when I’d actually read this because now it’s like I can’t remember what I’d wanted to share The soldier guys turning up as outsiders while retaining all memories and on a hunt for Shiva like the whole sequence was so scary!!! And then teacher coming home to a super upset Shiva, I love the author and artist of these for portraying the emotions of the characters so well. It’s the first time we see Shiva getting so devastatingly upset with Teacher but like they both really needed that moment I remember when finishing this, I was really looking forward to them moving away and hoping to not encounter those scary soldier outsiders for at least next two Vols||

Some of the pages of panels I’d saved to talk about later but forgot what I wanted to say

[surreal garnet]

Okay just finished Vol 10 and here are my thoughts:

Vol 10.
Ch 46 ||The locket! Shiva!! She's his daughter! Of course she is, because the author wants to hurt us! ||

Ch 47 ||Why has Shiva turned into such a tall Outsider? 😂 I still find it very confusing, Teacher gave her his soul so she would no longer be infected. Now she gives him back his soul, but he doesn't turn back into Albert, he turns back to Teacher, and she turns into an Outsider. Why does Teacher have a soul as an Outsider, and why did he even turn into an Outsider if he still had a soul? It's so inconsistent. And why don't they just keep exchanging the soul and turn each other back in turns? Omg, is that what's going to ultimately happen? 😂 ||

Ch 48 ||Oh, the poor grandfather and his grandson. No good deed goes unpunished Who are the real monsters here?! Not the Outsiders but the humans!||

Ch 49 ||Omg plot twist! But I am more confused now than ever! Moving on to the next chapter immediately!||

Doesn't belong in Vol 10, sorry!!! Don't click!! Ch 50 ||This story is getting more and more convoluted. Is Shiva and everyone he came across just figments of his imagination? Wtf is going on? And now "Shiva" is actually asking for the soul back so she can be Shiva again? So they really are just going to keep exchanging the soul back and forth?|| Don't click!! Sorry for the confusion!!

||I'm getting a little annoyed with how the story is going and how the author is playing with us, tbh, but I've also come so far and gotten too invested so I feel like I have to see this through. It's like there's no actual plan for the story and the author is just making things up as he goes and the wilder the better ||

Argghhhhh!!!

[surreal garnet]

Oh no, what? Ch 50 belongs to Vol 11? Coz I read it through the website and went through Ch 46-50! Oops!

[jagged summit]

It definitely only went to 49 in my copy!

[surreal garnet]

Thank you. I assumed it went 46-50, 5 chapters just like every other volume. Oops! I'll make sure to check for the next volume!

[jagged summit]

I was surprised it was only 4 chapters as well!

[halcyon timber]

I am too lazy to scroll up, so if you didnt find it when you looked, then all good

[chilly loom]

Vol.6
||This was kinda funny seeing a reference here having read DLL recently ||

||The portrayal of Religion here like how typical of that priestly figure sort of escaping when faced with a difficult question ||

||Until here, I wasn’t very sure about Teacher’s age, but I really hadn’t been expecting him to have had a wife and child.
I wonder if Shiva’s his own daughter but like that also feels like it can’t be true?||

||The depiction of all the emotions here in these panels I love how subtle and well done the art style of this manga is||

And then these

||This really is such a heartwarming and heartbreaking series the rest of the volumes are here now so I’ll be getting to Vol.7 soon-ish but I’d really desperately been hoping we’d get a longer respite I had not estimated that soldier black child catching up to them so fast. I can only predict this series getting darker here on cuz we’ve see how cruel these insiders were||

Hope to get to Vol.7,8,9 sometime this weekend

Those were all for Vol.6

Thanks for waiting on me Amanda

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@icy wolf,@torpid sentinel,@chilly loom,@unborn hill,@frail urchin,@gritty jewel,@hardy orchid,@halcyon timber,@jagged summit,@charred ledge,@cobalt goblet,@small sapphire,@spice harness,@true fulcrum,@surreal garnet,@candid sundial,@runic plank

Hi everyone the br’s for volume 4,5 and 6 ended a couple of days ago

the people who have finished and discussed are

volume 4: Avialia,Zander,Lemondrop,Ctrl-altmer-del,Abi,Az,Haze,Hanzy,Jpuzzle,Amanda
Volume 5: Avialia,Zander,Lemondrop,Ctrl-altmer-del,Abi,Az,Haze,Hanzy,Jpuzzle,Amanda
Volume 6: Avialia,Zander,Lemondrop,Ctrl-altmer-del,Abi,Haze,Hanzy,Jpuzzle,Amanda

if you name aren't on the list then just ping me and show me where you have discussed it

i will wait 24 hours untill i submit my br reports so everyone still have time to give their final thoughts if they havent and can correct me if i missed them

hope all of you will finish this series with me since it has been a joy so far

[hot glen]

From <t:1729728000:D> to <t:1735002000:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 670de9250927ebd556a2e656
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[jagged summit]

I’m scared

[candid sundial]

This is the last one???

[torpid sentinel]

Last of the story, but not last in the series

[frail urchin]

Yay! I’m gonna binge 10 & 11 soon! I was waiting cuz cliffhangers

[jagged summit]

I also got a copy of 12 if we're doing that as well

[steep perch]

yes i was planning on also doing tha volume

[halcyon timber]

[icy wolf]

Ye I have 12 aswell and was hoping yo be reading it

[steep perch]

#br-requests message the br request for volume 12 is up

[steep perch]

Starting volume 7 now

[jagged summit]

Enjoy!

[steep perch]

Chapter 32 ||oh no my heart cant handle this ||

Chapter 32 ||i actually gasped ||

Sorry i forgot to spoiler the picture

Chapter 32 ||how can you do this to shiva you monster ||

[steep perch]

Enjoy abi ENJOY how can i enjoy this/lh

[surreal garnet]

Checking before the Vol 11 BR starts; can someone tell me which chapters are in Vol 11? Thanks!

[jagged summit]

Quickly skimming through my copy so I don't give myself spoilers and it looks like 50-53

[surreal garnet]

Thank you!

[hot glen]

From <t:1730937600:D> to <t:1736208000:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 6717ed5f3ac4a0064c272c30
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[steep perch]

finished volume 7 ||omg this volume destroyed me i need to kow what will happen to my babies Nagabe is so so amazing at convaying emotion in the smallest facial expressions and actions teachers anguish and confusion can be felt so much this was probably my favorite volume so far||

though one weakness this manga has ||is the fight scenes since they can sometimes seem a little confusing imo ||

starting volume 8

Chapter 36 || ||

Chapter 36 ||omg teacher no shiva wouldnt want that ||

[steep perch]

chapre 37||omg no this is so sad shive trying to make sense of it as a joke but then realizing what really happened||

Chapter 38 ||omg these pages are so beautiful so sad but so beautiful ||

Chapter 38 ||she is trying so hard to stay strong ||

Chapter 38 ||nooooooo ||

Chapter 39 ||i have never wanted to give a character a hug more than shiva||

[steep perch]

finished volume 8 ||OMG the cliffhanger i cant how did you guys manage to wait that would be toture Shiva is such a brave girl but even she broke down im still curious what is behind the curse and who was the person talkign to shiva i honestly cant see where this manga will go like but im gonna be sobbing if it dosent end up happy||

[jagged summit]

for volume 11

I'm scared

||the first page is so pretty with them lying on the grass 😭 that's my family for real||

Chapter 50: ||Teacher, what are you doing??||

||He's so upset about all of this and I can't stand it||

||I can't do this||

||I love how adamant he is that his Shiva is still out there somewhere because SAME. I have to believe that they're gonna have a happy ending somehow||

||Wait, can he feel the cold or is he thinking about somethind else?||

||He got his memories back?? Okay, maybe I do have some hope||

Chapter 51: ||I would not be giving them Shiva's soul at all. That seems like a bad idea.||

||Part of me is thinking that they shouldn't have even started passing souls around like this if it damages them so much but if they hadn't done that then we would have never had Shiva in the first place and that would have been terrible||

||I do not see how this is going to have a happy ending and I hate it||

||Him remembering Shiva as he walks round the cottage 😭 ||

||um, what is happening at this lake?||

Chapter 52: ||oh, it's the Mother. I wasn't expecting to actually see what the Mother looked like tbh||

||So, Shiva's vessel is just....gone. We're never gonna see Shiva again? ||

||Is the power of love really going to bring them back together and solve everything? I'm going to cry||

I'm not ready

Chapter 53: ||Stop teasing and show me if we've got Shiva back ||

||At least they're not being chased by soldiers any more and they can live in peace wherever they want. I'll miss this house though.||

||Past Shiva looks so proud of herself for putting forks on the floor to identify her house. She's so funny but I can't believe the forks are actually still there||

||HI COTTAGE||

||This is so beautiful but so sad||

||oh||

||I feel a little hollow after finishing that||

||So essentially Teacher keeps Shiva's soul inside him and is now her vessel so he's able to talk to her but she doesn't have a separate physical form? So that's why we have the few ending pages about something that can't be together and can't be separated because the state of the soul in its current form means that separating them would cause both Teacher/Albert and Shiva to cease to exist? If that's the case then this is probably the happiest ending we could have gotten because at least they're still together in some form.||

Finished. ||Basically if you're looking for answers about all the lore that was introduced in the previous 10 volumes then sorry but you're not going to find it and it's probably going to feel disatisfying on that front. Instead this was an incredibly emotional final volume centred on the relationship that was always at the heart of the manga and takes us on a journey to get them to return to each other. I'm a little bit about finishing this but at least they're still able to be a family/together in some way. I wish it was different, but with the way everything was set up it never really could be. I'm most likely going to revisit this in the future because I really did love it.|| 4 ⭐

||Also parts of this are kind of confusing so it probably does need a reread for me to kind of fully understand everything that happened||

[halcyon timber]

ch.51 - ahhh ||now it makes sense why he had a burst of memories from the past -> cause his soul was returned to him||

||so the black child DID lie bruhhhhhhh. ||

ch.52 ||whaaaattt is going on. its getting a little confusing im not gonna lie. If anyone understood or would like to share their perspectives, please do so||

ok well I finished volume 11 and...I might need to come back to this. I need to think

[halcyon timber]

ok now that I re-read and thought about it - im crying lmao.

it makes sense why ||shiva was special and so resistant to the curse - cause she is the black child||

||shiva is the recreation + personification of what Albert has been desiring the most - a family (hold my tears)||

about the ending - ||since its up to interpretation, I will beileve that he decided to get shiva back again for the last time and that she WAS there. Because otherwise imaginign him talking to no one and just dying alone is heartbreaking. ||

||I genuinely expected a happy ending of shiva and the teacher reuniting, but ig that was too much to ask for. Shiva not rly being human and being instead Albert's soul did something to me idk. I am trying not to cry cause im at work rn lmao but yeah. Great series, great characters and a grean ending imo (despite not rly being a happy one for me)||

[steep perch]

Starting volume 9 now

[steep perch]

Chapter 42 ||seems like a great way for corruption to happen like who would be able to question if they were lying||

Chapter 43 ||im confused like I think I got it up untill the point about shiva like how is she different||

Chapter 44 ||I love how cheeky she is being||

[steep perch]

Chapter 45 || make the villain monolog ||

[steep perch]

Chapter 45 ||Oh no||
||also as always the art is so gorgeous especially on these kind of pages ||

Finished volume 9 ||no no No No NOOO they can't leave me on this cliffhanger that's illegal Like what's going on? And I'm not gonna start volume 10 before all volume brs have started so this is horrible this volume was so lore heavy and im struggling a little but I still love this manga alot and I'm so happy we are going to br the whole manga together|| 5/5

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@surreal garnet,@torpid sentinel,@frail urchin,@candid sundial,@jagged summit,@runic plank,@icy wolf,@halcyon timber,@unborn hill,@chilly loom,@gritty jewel

Sorry I completely forgot the br for volume 11 started again so feel free to start it
I'm not on my computer right now so I will ask the questions when I do the finish announcement for volume 7
BTW quick reminder that the br for volume 7 ends soon

[candid sundial]

Starting vol 11!

Ch 50 ||body and soul… shiva’s soul seems to be only able to occupy one body||

Ch 51 ||soul chipping away as passed between cups… what a perfect analogy. Also no I’m not crying you are! That flower crown sequence is… ||

||mother’s lake… quite haunting but quite beautiful||

Ch 52 ||oh???? I just realized mother has not been revealed previously… what will happen now ||

[candid sundial]

Right before the final chapter (I lost count) ||the panels are simply gorgeous. The back and forth between decisions, back and forth from the lake’s bottom. It felt dreamlike and surreal. I almost forgot the same series had soldiers and that fight between the king and the priest lol. I feel so much has happened yet the ending is coming all too soon. ||

Um i need to process this ending

Final chapter ||shiva is mysteriously never shown except her voice. I wonder if it’s just in Albert’s head, like he now embraces both “sides” of him, finally reaching a state of peace when the insider/outsider (light/dark) sides have been fighting since the dawn of time. I find it very beautiful. The panels toward the end reflecting all Albert and shiva’s memories are so gorgeous and haunting. || I’m so glad I read this series with yall!

[halcyon timber]

Yeah ||it’s left up to interpretation I wish we could see them visibly interact with one another one more time. Such a bittersweet ending ugh ||

[runic plank]

Finished Vol 1 || What an interesting story. I loved Shiva and her Teacher's relationship. Why is shiva immune with the cursed? ||

[surreal garnet]

Just finished reading Vol 11

I accidentally read Ch 50 for the last volume and posted my thoughts with my Vol 10 post, but I'm copy/pasting my thoughts for it here so it's easier to access

Ch 50 ||This story is getting more and more convoluted. Is Shiva and everyone he came across just figments of his imagination? Wtf is going on? And now "Shiva" is actually asking for the soul back so she can be Shiva again? So they really are just going to keep exchanging the soul back and forth?||

Ch 51 ||Lol really? They really are just gonna keep exchanging souls until it's all gone? And that ending to this chapter...I don't even know what this means! What is happening? I'm so confused. ||

Ch 52 ||Just when I thought Shiva will actually come back in the form of the little girl, it turns out to be another hallucination by the vessel that used to be Shiva. I'm really feeling like the author doesn't know where to go with the story in these last few chapters and it's turning into a whole "it was just a dream", "it was all in your head" kind of thing. 😡 ||

Ch 53 ||Hold on, hold on, hold on!! I thought there was a Vol 12? Why does this chapter says THE END?? Is this the end?? It was all in Teacher's head????!!! There's no resolution for the rest of the story??? The Insiders???? That mysterious cloaked figure?????!!!!! The fighting gods????!!!! What is this??!! ||

I don't understand anything

I scrolled up to look at what other people thought about Vol 11, and I still don't understand anything ||I'm very unhappy with the last couple of volumes tbh. I feel like I've been taken for a ride, for what my expectations were for the story, how it started so well and got so thrilling, but that last two volumes feel like a total copout. And what is Vol 12 if this is the ending? || I don't have access to Vol 12 at the moment, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it easily (library is having issues) but at this point I'm not sure if I should even bother?

Oh wait, I just took a closer look at Vol 12's cover and apparently it's for side stories. So the main story is done 😭 I'll still try to join for Vol 12 if I can get a copy, but if not, at least I'm not dying to find out if there's more to the main story. ||I'm still very disappointed || and I think I need more time to process my feelings

[frail urchin]

I’m actually low-key nervous to finish this series

[surreal garnet]

Lol sorry!!

[frail urchin]

Nono it’s ok! I’m just hoping I’ll find it meaningful and not confusing

[surreal garnet]

I hope so too, I don't want you to feel how I feel ❤️

[halcyon timber]

||awe Haze it is completely understandable and I get you so much on it!! I think I would be as disappointed or upset if they did not provide an explanation at least on Shiva's and Teacher's existence. But the ending left me empty too TT. Like I swear it could have been a volume longer for a better wrap-up.||

[chilly loom]

I need a break from #1278280334781321317 so will be starting Vol.7 now

[chilly loom]

Ch.31
||It’s interesting how these soldiers have so quickly learnt to weaponise their own bodies and be so strong. Is Teacher really Albert though? This manga series really has me on edge, I hope Teacher gets to Shiva on time ||

Ch.32
||No way, the curse’s affecting Shiva now?? ||

Ch.33
||Those panels where Teacher has this inner turmoil white/black text was quite interestingly done||

||Nooo Teacher, hope you won’t do what I think you will ||

[chilly loom]

Ch.34 and final thoughts
||I’ll relieved he didn’t go through with it but did Shiva follow them along and watch the whole thing? Also after quite narrow an escape, Shiva being left alone again like her expressions
This series is really taking a sad and dark turn||

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@torpid sentinel,@frail urchin,@surreal garnet,@jagged summit,@chilly loom,@halcyon timber,@icy wolf,@gritty jewel,@hardy orchid,@unborn hill,@charred ledge,@small sapphire,@runic plank

this is the end of volume 7
the people who have finished and discussed are
Abi, Haze, Avialia, Lemondrop, Ctrl-altmer-del, Jpuzzle, Amanda, Hanzy

i will give everyone 24 hours to read it last minute or write down their thoughts

Here are some questions and as always remember to use spoiler bars and mark what volume the spoiler is from

1. Most of the manga is in black and white do you think that suits the manga or would you rather have read it in colour?
2. Describe your feeling reading this manga in one word
3. Would you be interested in Br’ing any other manga or comic? is so which one?

[icy wolf]

1. Ye, it does suit it quite well. Leaves it easier to find and see the diffrence between || Outsiders and non outsiders||
2. Why
3. I would. NOt sure which one tho

[unborn hill]

omg i completely lost track of time, ill be reading this tonight then

[jagged summit]

1. (spoilers for up to Vol. 11 so click at your own peril) ||I think it does suit the story, especially for the ending of the last chapter in Vol. 11 where we have the main characters trying to co-exist in a different way, outsiders vs insiders, and how at the end of the day everything isn't black and white thematically. I thought it was a really nice contrast||
2. ouch
3. I would! I'd have to have a think about what would be good to do though

[torpid sentinel]

1. I think Black and White suits it, so anything that needs to stand out can stand out with just a little color. It also makes some of the panels in the Deluxe copies that are in color softer, for lack of better description.
2. Intrigue I guess? I’m along for the ride.
3. I would have to think about it. Would probably say yes for something this length or shorter tho

[candid sundial]

1. Ya I thought this series used the dark panels particularly well
2. ||bittersweet||
3. Dorohedoro?

[surreal garnet]

1. Yeah, I agree that having it in black and white totally suits the manga ||especially with the duality theme of the story, even if it wasn't explored fully in the end 😭 ||
2. ||Bewildered ||
3. Yes! I'd love to! I don't know which ones though. The ones I've known and loved, I've already read, and I don't know very much about manga/comics in general

[unborn hill]

vol 7 chap 31: ||i love how expressive the artstyle is despite it being so simple. like you cant see teachers face but from his pose and how his body looks you can tell hes shocked nd kinda freaking out||

chap 31 again ||this guy is by far the creepiest character to me. wtf||

wow ok chap 31 ||was a dark one. did not expect the guy to get ripped limb from limb but still be alive thats disturbing||

vol 7 chap 32 ||nothing much to say except the MOVEMENTTT god i love this artstyle sm you dont understand its so dynamic||

vol 7 chap 32 ||ok shiva almost dying nd being cut by the other solider? im distraught but these 2 panels made it all better||

chap 32 end ||WHAT THE FUCKKK WAIT IS SHE TURNING INTO AN OUTSIDER?!?!?! OH MY GOD?????????||

vol 7 chap 33 ||ive not said much about this chapter but oh my god i love it the emotion, the angst. TEACHER IM SURE ITS NOT YOUR FAULT SHES TURNING. the line "i will become as monsterous as i must" is such a hard line, im stealing that for later, thats fire||

chap 34 ||GET HIS ASS TEACHER!!!!!!! GET HIS ASS!!!!!!!!!!!||

chap 34: ||i forget teacher is actually technically a monster nd this panel reminded me lmao||

chap 35 ||theres smth about teacher just holding his foot thats hilarious to me, i think its a trauma response because im so stressed with where this is going my brains tryna find anything i can to laugh at ||

forgot to spoiler it lmao

vol 7 done nd im distraught the 2 bonus mini comics at the end made it better though LMAOO ||this was probably my new favourite volume, holy shit i loved the art of this part so much. i loved the art of every part of this so far, but this one was just different. it was so dynamic nd expressive nd just UGHH SO GOOD. teachers mini mental breakdown was also amazing, the colour contrasts used there was absolutely peak nd i loved it|| 5 stars obviously, im going straight onto chapter 8 even if im tired idc i cant stop

[unborn hill]

1. nooo i love how its just in black and white. it really makes it distinctive i think
   2)distraught. or adorable, depends on whether im reading the chapters or the bonus little comics at the end
2. id be down!!! id love to reread cowboy bepop, but theres a tonne of manga/comics on my tbr so who knows

volume 8 time

vol 8 chap 36 ||no comments just ||

chap 36 ||there wont be a lot of commenting im tired af but i wil in fact just be crying ||

chap 36 ||THE GASP I JUST GASPED HOLY FUCK??????????????? SORRY NOT SORRY TO MY FLATMATES BUT IM GOING THROUGH SOMETHING EMOTIONALLY WHAT THE FUCKKK TEACHER NO????????????????????????? SHE JUST ASKED YOU NOT TO LEAVE HER AGAIN ND YOU PULL THIS SHIT||

chap 37 ||NO!!!!!!!!! NOT OH WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TEACHER ARE YOU KIDDING ME||

chap 37 ||so shivas forgetting too? not fully but she doesnt remember teacher giving her his soul? theyre both forgetting things. thats terrifying i dont like this ||

[chilly loom]

I'm going to binge Vol.8-12 todayyy

[steep perch]

Volume 12 hasn't started yet

[chilly loom]

ohhhh, thanks Amanda! I'll read until 11 then

[halcyon timber]

1. I always prefer colour especially in fantasy-setting manga/comics. But I am used to reading black and white manga and with the contrast of shiva (white) and the teacher (black) its fitting more than usual
2. bittersweet
3. yes for sure!!! I am up for almost any manga/comics for buddy read so count me as interested hahaha

[unborn hill]

i fell asleep w my laptop on my lap the comic still open last night LOL time to get through vol 8 nd 9 i think
chap 39: ||shiva seeing memories of her time with teacher when shes about to get sacrificed im gonna cry ||

||out of the memory panels his has to be my fave its so funny, teacher looks so cute here ||

volume 8 done ||OHH MY GOD ok so many questions, who the hell is the person who gave shiva her boots nd talked to her, the king clearly knows theres something wrong in killing her. tbh i wouldnt be surprised if the king was the person who gave her her boots back. no one else wouldve known that shed said she had no one left to talk to/leave a msg for after her death so... maybe hes out of the weird coma thing||

ALSO ||TEACHER'S TURNING INTO A TREE NOOO FFS||

chap 41 ||thats disturbing as hell oh my god... all those people becoming trees||

chap 42 ||WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT SHIVA IS POSSIBLY TEACHERS ACTUAL DAUGHTER?!?!? THAT EXPLAINS WHY HES SO PROTECTIVE OVER HER HOLY SHIT MY MIND IS BLOWN||

chap 44: ||LMFAOOO SHIVA YESSS RUNNN||

[unborn hill]

volume 9 done ||ok i dont really cry at books or anything but im genuinely lying in bed crying right now oh my god. i dont even know how i feel its just. sad teacher in tree form moving his hand so it rested on her face, SHIVA THEN TURNING INTO A FUCKING TREE TOO LIKE ARE YOU SERIOUS i dont even care about the whole thing with the heavenly father basically creating the outsiders nd being the one that planted the insider in the village that lead to teacher/albert turning nd shiva losing her family NO I JUST CARE THAT TEACHER IS P MUCH DEAD ND SO IS SHIVA WTF|| 5 stars im finishing vol 11 today im determined, i dont think i physically can stop now

chap 47: im so locked in rn nd invested you dont understand ||this is about to get me started crying again oh my god||

chap 48: ||teacher knew the people who lived in his first house before him. jesus they seemed so happy too GODDDDDDDDDD WHY CAN THIS NOT BE HAPPYYYY I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY FFS ||

end of volume 10 ||ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!!!!!!!!!?!?! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED IM LOSING MY MIND ok so what youre telling me is that "shiva" has never really existed, shes just a soul a black child stole who then took control over the form nd took over with her memories. so shiva isnt and never was some heavenly father blessed person or anyone special, she was just a black child who stole a soul and said soul took over. what the fuck. SHE ALSO IS THE ONE WHO CURSED TEACHER ykw i support him possibly trying to break her apart thats a valid reaction.|| 5 stars again ill never give this series any lower, nd if i do something is seriously wrong

[unborn hill]

i had to stop and pretend to be a normal person since the maintenence guys for my building had to come to my room to sort smth out but im back nd reading vol 11

[unborn hill]

WAIT i misunderstood ||ok so the outsider took teacher/alberts soul. his soul manifested essentially in this outsider as shiva who is presumably his daughter (so like his actual daughter and wife are likely dead, but his soul created a version of his daughter to help him keep his humanity or something? as he was losing it while looking for his wife and daughter) and now he gave up his "soul" and gave it to the black child, his whole soul is back together, so now "shiva" is in him because she was part of his soul, and its all rejoined back together now? maybe??||

[unborn hill]

im done. jfc im done nd i understand why everyone keeps saying this is bittersweet

im not the same man i was when i started reading this holy shit, im not the same man as i was last night before i started vol 7

[halcyon timber]

definition of bittersweet yes TT

[unborn hill]

even coming up to the end i was like ||well if he choses to see shiva again, isnt that just sweet if they go back to the old cottage together and its all back to the way it was? but then i finished the volume nd realised we never actually find out if he choses to see her again or not since we just see her speech bubbles nd i was just like "Nope nvm i get it now this is extremely bittersweet||

for my own mental health ||im chosing to believe albert chose to see shiva again and they live happily ever after as father and daughter ||

[halcyon timber]

thats exactly what I saiddd- ||I prefer that ending to the other ||

[unborn hill]

i still think that ||"shiva" being his soul is a representation of his daughter that he lost. like she was his "heart" and his whole being. i just think that interpretation is a really sweet one||

[unborn hill]

RIGHTTTT ||the idea that he lets the vessel go, lets it return to mother and doesnt even try to see shiva again is just painful. albert talking to himself, being alone in the house basically lowkey hallucinating her is a really funny mental image if i dont think about it too hard ||

[chilly loom]

Starting Vol. 8 now

Ch.36
||NO TEACHER NOOOO you can'tttt Shiva's going to be all alone ||

Ch.37
||no no nooo this isn't what I signed up forrr, where's the cute little sweet manga this is hard||

||The text font change noooo ||

Ch.38
||Did he never let go of his soul because he held strongly onto it because of his will to be there for his daughter?? Atp I'm kinda certain he's her father, like only a dad could go this extent So now he's like a black child right? Like not going to turn into a tree for sure right? ||

||Shiva really doing her all poor thing ||

||no no no noooo this is sooo saaad ||

Ch.39 and end
||Wow no how cruel to end at that panel???? The King doesn't seem half as bad like just resigned to follow what's been assigned but feels bad too like aghhhhh
This manga's turned so dark and heart wrenchingly sad ||

[chilly loom]

Vol. 9
Ch. 41
||Is this stranger guy that person with the King perhaps? Was he Albert's friend? I mean he'd been one of the residents of the purged town so perhaps this guy does have his doubts about the 'Holy' bs and wants to help?||

Ch.42
||Oh it's the kinggg! I thought it him first but like wasn't too sure considering his super weakened state||

||Way to end the chapter
If he's been dead for 6 years, Shiva was only a baby then... explains how she got lost thereafter ||

Ch.43
||Oooh we're getting the whole lore now||

||Wow okay, interesting concept of flesh and soul||

||COME ONNN, not the King tooo noo, like I knew it was coming but no pls no ||

[frail urchin]

I’m gonna catch up with these tomorrow

[frail urchin]

Vol 10 “Revelations”
Ch 46 || oh that was really well done with obscuring Albert’s face through all the panels in different ways. Really enjoyed getting a peek at his family, and it seems like Shiva could actually be Teacher’s child. Oooh!||
Ch 47 || I like that we are finally getting more of Teacher’s backstory and how he became an outsider. I am a bit confused though about the timeline… if Shiva is his daughter, where has she been for all this time? With her auntie I guess but still that’s a long time for Teacher to be on his own as an outsider. You would think that the soldiers would have made him move on somehow||
Ch 48 || so that’s how they got the cottage. There are times when this book reminds me of historical events like the Holocaust, and how people can be incredibly, cruel at the same time that others are being heroically kind. Seeing the soldiers murder the old man and his grandson was not surprising, but it was terribly tragic. Also, I think the boy was reaching out to Teacher to be cursed and I think things could’ve gone very differently if Teacher had taken his hand||
Ch 49 || OK so this is all twisting back-and-forth on top of itself. Shiva was originally the outsider who turned Albert into an outsider, but by doing so became human? That puts a whole different spin on him, trying to prevent her from being cursed. I like how Teacher is shown to have ultimate compassion for Shiva when he finds her as a seemingly human child, even though he doesn’t think he wants to be vulnerable to caring for someone again and I think that’s what makes him the most human||

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@chilly loom,@jagged summit,@surreal garnet,@frail urchin,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@candid sundial,@runic plank,@halcyon timber,@icy wolf,@gritty jewel

The BR for volume 12 starts in 5ish hours (OMG i can believe this manga is over soon im going to cry)

As always with this its hard to find questions since there is so many announcements during this mangas BR but i will try

1. Did you see the ending of volume 11 coming or was it a surprise?
2. Do you read any books that are similar to this one?
3. Do you have any favorite artists? if yes who?

PS quick reminder to everyone that there is only a week left untill the br for volume 8 ends so if anyone still needs to finish it then you have untill then

[jagged summit]

First chance I get to read Vol. 12 I am

1. It was a surprise but it made sense to me
2. No, but after this I really want to
3. Art or illustrators? For art I don't have one and don't really look at art too much. I'll have to have a think about illustrators.

[jagged summit]

The timestamp says this starts in 2 hours for me

[candid sundial]

1. Honestly I wasn’t sure what to expect for the ending but I liked it! ||there are still many loose ends but I like the overall “harmonious” vibes as teacher reconciles with different parts within himself ||
2. Not usually but I love exploring with OBC!
3. Matisse

[jagged summit]

okay I wanted to wait until 1am because I think the clocks have changed so we should be good now

for the final volume

Chapter 1: ||Shiva trying to sneak out unsuccessfully. Please, she's so cute||

||I don't care what's canon, that's his child for sure||

||Okay that little story was super sweet. I love that she feels comfortable enough with him that she can just fall asleep like that. I love that he loves her so much (he does) that he'll go out and make flower crowns with her. They just make me so ||

Chapter 2: ||Outsiders can't eat or sleep, but Shiva.... thinking about volume 11 is just gonna give me a headache.||

||I don't like milk but Shiva has the right idea that you need food, drink, and a book if you're gonna stay up all night.||

||I love her childlike whimsy and how it makes him see the world differently too.||

||Honestly I could take five million of these little snippets into their lives together.||

Chapter 3: ||Drawing with him as a bonding exercise 😭 they're my family for real.||

||He drew her?? I'm gonna be sick out of love and happiness ||

Chapter 4: ||There being a ladder right then but she still asks for him to pick her up and he does. Albert, best girl dad I know.||

||She called him smelly and he immediately rectified it. It's the little things that matter 🫶 ||

Chapter 5: ||He's wiping her face. I'm not gonna survive him properly acting like her dad.||

||idk Shiva, when I eat I just feel sleepy instead||

||Her teaching him how to pinkie promise 🙂 the fact they'll probably never be able to pick apples together 🙃 ||

Chapter 6: ||I've never built a snowman before but I'd build one with them||

||She put horns on the snowman so it would look like him I'm not gonna survive||

||'I pray that many more peaceful, happy days are yet to come.' why would you do this to me? That's just plain mean.||

Bonus: ||omg yay, they did get to pick apples together! I'm hoping that's actually real and not something Albert made up||

Finished. I'm gonna miss this series so much and I can see myself rereading it in the future. ||This volume was so sweet and it was nice to see them having cute little family moments together, especially after the heaviness of the last few volumes. Honestly I could read about them forever but I think it's super sweet how this is basically like a fanfic-esque wrap-up of the series. It was just so warm and cosy and I love both of these characters so much.|| 4.5 ⭐

[torpid sentinel]

1. I actually haven't read volumes 10 or 11 yet, but now that this BR started I can knock 'em out tomorrow or Friday.

2. Similar in general, not pointing to a specific thing? Yeah probably, but it finds me rather than I look for it.

3. Monet I guess? But my favorite painting rn is 'Esmeralda' by Arthur Bowen Davies

[surreal garnet]

1. ||I didn't expect that ending, no, and I'm still sad about it||
2. No, I don't think I've read any books similar to this one.
3. Um... Can I say Bob Ross? I love him!

I'm not sure that I'll be able to get Vol 12; it's not available on the website so I'll have to look elsewhere. Since the main story is finished already I might just let it be, but if I can find a copy before the deadline then I'll just as well finish it. Either way, I enjoyed reading it with all of you. Thank you so much for hosting this, Coffee and Amanda! ❤️

[icy wolf]

I havnt even goten time to read volume 11!!!!

[halcyon timber]

1. It was a surprise
2. I read quite a few visual novels and manga, but nothing like it no
3. Oh god too many to list, impossible to choose.

[chilly loom]

I'm going to read Volumes 10 & 11 today
Can't keep them off any longer, I need to know

[chilly loom]

Ch. 46
||Finally getting Albert's backstory and I feel both and
For a minute there I thought the little boy in the first couple panels to be Shiva's older bro before realising ||

[chilly loom]

Had to take a break cuz of some chores but now I'm bacl
Ch.47||
Why is this so heartwrenching Albert's emotions, Shiva being not herself anymore like ugggghhh, I can't take this ||

Ch.48
I keep getting distracted or have people needing my attention ugh ||but this old grandpa here all's not lost in the world I see. This manga always takes me to the bleakest side and then the touch of humanity serves as this tiny beacon of light and hope each time. Like it really knows how to mess with my emotions ||

[chilly loom]

||ugh
I spoke to soon didn't I ||

Final thoughts on Vol.10
||WHAT WAS THAT???! No seriously whaaaa-? I didn't sign up for this like no wth's going on???? Shiva's lying? But she's only a kid so I can't expect her to create that long a tale This is getting messed up in a different way now like wow. I was NOT expecting that
The bonus chapters thoughhhh, so CUTE. Took an edge off of me ||

Onto Volume 11 now

Ch. 50
||I'll never stop admiring the way this manga's done like such simplicity but it does so well in conveying emotions and feels?? Like these panels with the inner monologue? My heart is sad and in deep pain but my brain is fully stimulated and highly impressed at how well this mange's been done||

Ch.51
||Wait what?? ||

No way, was that then end>?

Okay no I'm broken apparently but ||why did it all have to be like bittersweet and like whole mindfuck kinda way Idk idk I loved it but like Idk how I feel right now and there weren't any bonus chapters to help process my emotions either like what was that?? ||

I need to read everyone else's thoughts now because like ||that could NOT have been it
I mean yes Vol.12 but it's like bonus stuff and not actual continuation of the storyline so aaadhebjsn,||

[chilly loom]

same here ngl,|| parts of it has me reeling confused but yet I'm so deeply affected by it all that I'm definitely considering a reread rn||

[chilly loom]

yessssss
||This series really turned on me with that twist like what do you mean Shiva was a part of him all along??? Here I was conjuring up these happy images of a dad and daughter reuniting, dad's love not allowing him to give up on her and then wtf like that's you all along?? Like no, I still can't accept that to be the true end ||

[chilly loom]

||Agreeeeeee, it brings the phrase beautifully haunting to mind and like the panels are SO well done!! My mind wants me to believe it was all his imagination at the end but my heart doesn't accept that ||

||I feel so empty and like hollow inside. I need a proper resolution
Why did I think this would be a cutesy manga when it's anything but ||

Okay, hanzy's self-generated ending because I need some closure - ||The so-called "black child" Shiva turns out to be another manifestation of the Outsider curse who had its sights set on tormenting Albert (Teacher) as a twisted form of retribution for abandoning Shiva and leaving her to face her trials alone. However, what begins as a punishment stretches out, escalating to cruel extremes. Realising this, Mother steps in, giving the black child a smack on its butt and helping restore lost souls and Teacher's soul is finally returned to him. Shiva had been kept hidden and safe all along. Reunited, Shiva and Albert return to the realm of the Insiders, their bond stronger than ever, and resolve to work alongside the Outsiders, striving for peace and unity between their fractured worlds.

Meanwhile, the priest gets unalived, clearing the way for a new era under a lovely new King(or maybe a Queen cuz they seriously seem to lack female leaders). Together with their people, and research work and support groups led by Shiva and Albert, they pave the way toward a hopeful, lasting peace.
The end ||

Okay, I found a reddit post that kinda helps a little but ||I'm truly broken and hollow and need something happy sappy ||

[chilly loom]

1. NOPE, not at all
2. I don't I stray far off of them but get trapped occasionally
3. Not really no... at least none that come to mind rn

[unborn hill]

1. I think retroactively I can understand it nd see it coming but actually reading it I had NO idea ||I'm still emotionally reeling tbh ||
2. not really, this was a first for me!
3. its kinda basic but I love banksy's work. specifically his one piece of the british parliament but full of chimpanzees

[unborn hill]

I was ||so excited for the "he's actually her dad" reveal so when it didnt come I was distraught, I'm so glad i wasn't the only one looking forward to that specific ending || my theory is still that ||shiva is like a "what if his daughter was able to grow up" nd she was always part of him despite her presumably dying ||

[jagged summit]

volume 12

[torpid sentinel]

Volume 10:
-Chp 46- ||Calm, then storm||

-Chp 47- ||Even in this state, she wants to be near Teacher 😭. I feel like the old man at the end is going to be a Frankenstein situation, where he’s blind but then someone comes in and is like “WTF MONSTER!!!!”||

-Chp 48- ||I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop with the old man. The grandson hasn’t said anything yet and doesn’t look too excited about hosting Teacher, so I feel like he has something to do with it.

NOPE IT’S JUST AS BAD.||

Chapter 49- ||There are SO many metaphors you could make with the “You accepted me. How could I do anything but accept you in the same way?” conversation.

OH WHAT BRO NOOOO
WHAT
The art with placing the head/face on Albert is really cool enough

I can’t say I’m MEGA surprised that Shiva’s existence was complicated but I have questions that I can’t put into words (but I know that one for sure was “Then what was up with Outsider Auntie/Grandma?”)

Honestly, that’s a reasonable reaction from Albert||

||Learning that The-Thing-That-Was-Once-Shiva-But-Was-Also-Never-Shiva was the one to turn him into a Black Child, I can’t blame him||

[chilly loom]

I thought I’d distance myself a little before going into 12 cuz I’m too consumed by the series rn
Started Before We Forget Kindness instead

I’ll get to 12 tomorrow

[torpid sentinel]

Volume 11:
-Chp 50: ||I don’t trust Ex-But-Also-Wasn’t-Shiva asking for the soul. Not one bit.||

-Chp 51- ||I really don’t like the emphasis on “cold” or that Albert could drown. Also, the end of this chapter is one of the few times that I wish there was more color because it’s hard to tell what I’m looking at in some of the panels after Albert grabs Ex-But-Also-Wasn’t-Shiva’s hand. He must feel like he lost her all over again.||

-Chp 52/Final Chapter ||Is Shiva just a piece of him now, in a “exist mentally but not physically” way? Is that why we can “hear” her but not see her?? Actually, that’s what I’m going to go with.

What a bittersweet ending. Going back to the places he stayed with Shiva, then it ending at the same tree stump where the series started. I hope he can be at peace now.||

[jagged summit]

re Chapter 52: ||That was what I thought as well, that Shiva is now a part of him||

[torpid sentinel]

Volume 12, or what I’m going to call “Emotional Decompression Stop To Prevent Emotional Nitrogen Bubbles”

-Dear 1- || ||
-Dear 2- ||Teacher rediscovering the childlike wonder. Been there, man.||
-Dear 3- ||okay hang on now WHAT is up with Auntie?? Since Shiva’s an extension of Teacher, is it all false memories or some sort of Child-Child communication to just go along with it?????||

Edit- Nevermind for Dear 3. I went back and looked at the Wiki because I forgot way more than I thought and that ||she really did raise Shiva for a bit||

-Dear 4-

-Dear 5- || ||
-Dear 6- ||The expressions Shiva makes are just the best. Ending the “Last” Chapter with “I think it’s time to bring this journal to a close” is a nice touch.||

My favorite musician also released a cover of the song Siúil a Rún yesterday, which is a nice little bit of serendipity

[steep perch]

Okay im going to start volumme 10 now

Chapter 46 ||that was so sad ||

Chapter 48 ||its always the saddest scenes that are the most beatiful in this manga ||

[steep perch]

Finished volume 10 || im so confused so shive was always a black child but then she took alberts soul when he was dying and to make him not turn into a tree she gave him a part of her? And then because of alberts soul she ended up taking the shape of an insider baby and slowly ended up losing her memories of bring a black child? But then what did teacher give shiva uf he dudnt have a soul? Was it the part of herself that she gave when she took his soul and then at last she both gave him her sould and that piece back? I feel like im currently just one big question||

Also volume 10 || i cant believe how gorgeous this frame is I want I as a poster this manga makes me want to draw again||

Well I'm going to start volume 11 now

[steep perch]

I havent really commented because I'm mostly just sitting like

Chapter 52 ||Okay so shivas vessel fell in live with Albert and thought hey let's make a child because that's how I understand it this was not the way I expected stuff to turn and im not sure I like it||

Finished volume 11 ..... I need to gather my thoughts and read other people's comments before I'm writing my final thoughts and read volume 12

Okay um final review of volume 11 I guess
|| Im feeling so mixed about the ending because like it was very fitting and emotional but at the same time I kinda wanted more answers though I did say while reading one of the earlier volumes that I expected them to not be answered so I'm not exactly surprised I want to believe that shiva was there but I dont think so when I looked at the final panels but at the same time I think that teacher would want to take the small chance that Shiva could live on so I'm just not sure I think I want to reread these books in like a year and see if I can pick up on some of the stuff that I missed since it was so confusing at times also it seemed like the empire was breaking down since people were begining to live outside the walls so I'm guessing this might be the start of a new era where the outsiders and insides will merge more ||

Starting volume 12

Dear 1 ||Shiva I being a cutie as always though it's a little weird after finding everything out in volume 11 ||

Dear 1 ||Okay hear me out.... Teacher ||

Dear 2 ||I love seeing these small ways that shiva has brought life into teachers world again ||

[jagged summit]

||The way I was gonna post a hear me out about him in #book-talk a couple of hours ago but chickened out ||

[steep perch]

Lmao but he really do be fine sometimes

Dear 3 ||Omg shiva is so cute with how encouraging and happy she was with teachers drawing ||

Dear 4 ||this actually made me laugh ||

[halcyon timber]

starting volume 12! I hope I finish reading it full of joy and smiles (cope)

ch.1 - ||THE MEDICINE - I presume thats why this is a bonus chapter, cause there are hints at the teacher's past life/self ||

||AND THE FLOWER CROWN||

[steep perch]

Finished volume 12
||WAIT WHAT in the bonus dear they picked apples wouldn't that have been after the event of volume 11 does that mean that we have a confirmation that Shiva survived?||
Final thoughts on volume 12
||there isn't really alot to say since this volume was mostly just cute stories but I really enjoyed them I could read forever about shiva and teacher just going about their day to day stuff because they are so cute||
I'm going to give these last 3 volumes 4 stars since I didn't enjoy them as much as some of the other volumes but it's still overall a manga I will highly recommend and it has become one of my favorite reads of 2024

[candid sundial]

just got my vol 12! starting tonight... probably

[jagged summit]

🫶

[halcyon timber]

ch.3 - ||auntie cameo lets goo ||

ch.4 - ||im not crying, you are ||

ch.5 - ||it is what it is a quote I live by ngl||

finished volume 12 - ||tearing up again and its ufnny cause this wasn't heavy or emotional, but it is sad that the journey is over and we did not get the ending we hoped for. But I enjoyed reading the series with all of you guys! I am rating the whole series 4.5/5 stars, since it delivered exactly what I wanted and actually began my journey on visual novels/manga a year ago so it has a special place in my heart for sure||

[candid sundial]

Vol 12, 1 ||it’s so good to see Shiva again! I miss her mischievousness!!||

||Very cool panel split of Shiva exploring teacher’s room!||

2 ||Shiva in a night cap is so adorable!!||

||appreciating the little things like a starry night - I love moments like these ||

3 ||teacher drew Shiva drawing low key teacher is really good at drawing lol||

[candid sundial]

4 ||wait a minute I thought Shiva cannot touch teacher.. what’s going on??||

5 ||shivas face when she couldn’t get the apples is so cuuuute! ||

6 ||shiva and teacher rolling the huge snowball had me in giggles||

Wait no I want more!!

Bonus ||apple pie a throwback moment ||

Finished!! ||I love these slice of life stories- they really released the tensions towards the end of the main series and I love how light and happy and nostalgic they feel. I love we get to revisit the main characters and have them framed in happier circumstances ||

[icy wolf]

So I finnished volume 11. I didnt have WiFi so I will write my notes and thought over to discord as soon as time

[icy wolf]

Chapter 50: ||Pretty panel||
||This is sad. Yet I feel so upset. This is suopose ti be sweet ish. Maybe sad but not in this way. Shiva should just stay a girl.||
||I get how teacher is so upset and kinds conflicted tho. Plus, this chaoter be kinda confusing me. It jumps too much around so I feel throwed around||

Chaoter 51: ||I do love the whole soul explenation it was quite lovley to read and see||
||I am struggeling to get what is real and what is not, as in like a flashback or somethng||

Chapter 52: ||Opening panel is nice||
||The black child aka Shiva asking to go into mother and we finnaly get to see and experinece the more abstarct consepts of this series a little more. I find it pretty||
||Ok, now I am crying, just this is so sad and beutiful||
||Just please, I am crying this is way too wounderful||

Final chapter: ||This is just beuitiful. All these pictures of some rooms yet more and less people and kinda a lookback of the entire series||

[runic plank]

Vol 2; Chap 7 || It is weird why the outsider doesn't know much about it. But the deep water is interesting. ||

[runic plank]

Vol 2; Chap 9 || and that's where the title came from. I really love their relationship, how they care for each other. But still no idea how/why she is immune with the cursed. Patiently waiting for the explanation. ||

[runic plank]

Vol 2 || finally, her auntie showed up. But... will Shiva be safe inside? Reading the next one. ||

[runic plank]

Finished Vol 3 || this is getting more suspicious. Now I'm confused as to where Shiva came from. The attacked happened so fast I don't even know how her auntie was infected. Moving on to the next one. ||

[frail urchin]

Vol 11 “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust”
Ch 50 || this is such a betrayal and sudden grief for Teacher. I feel like he’s going to go through all the stages, starting with denial in this chapter. I still want to understand the whole curse thing, and why everyone seems so uninformed about it, how it started, how there’s no cure||
Ch 51 || aw poor Teacher back in the empty cottage. This does feel a bit like the bargaining stage, with him trying to decide about what to do with his piece of the soul that could become Shiva. I don’t like that. He’s gone back under the water to chase her down tho. Interesting that she was able to lie to him, apparently according to the other “black children”||
Ch 52 || There is so much symbolism in this whole series around the act of physically touching another, especially holding hands which feels like the first stage of intimacy. And I wonder if this curse is just symbolic of death and our inability to maintain spiritual connection when the physical bond breaks||
Ch 53 || oh my goodness that was just lovely. The idea that when people meet, they inevitably impact each other‘s lives and sometimes that’s positive and sometimes that’s negative but you need both in order to have … everything. The final image of the two of them lying in the flowers holding onto the Daisy chain was utterly perfect||

[last plinth]

@frail urchin,@steep perch,@icy wolf,@jagged summit,@surreal garnet,@halcyon timber,@gritty jewel,@chilly loom,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@hardy orchid,@small sapphire,@runic plank

Hi everyone the br for volume 8 ended so you all know the drill
The people who have finished and discussed are
Abi, Haze, Avialia, Lemondrop, Ahri, ctrl-altmer-del, jpuzzle, Amanda, Zander, hanzy
As always if I have missed you then ping me and show me where you discussed it

[frail urchin]

Vol 12 “Simpler Times: side stories”
1 ||I think it was really smart of the author to decide to finish up the series with a more tender and lighthearted collection of stories from the characters in their past. I particularly like remembering how delightful Shiva found everything she encountered. The panels with her dancing around the big table were really well done. And aw the flower crown||
2 || having to go to sleep at night is frustrating. If I had it up to me. I would totally stay up every night and do all the things and sleep in the day. And the things that Shiva chooses to do are just adorable. I think that reminding Teacher of the stars could have made them both feel so small and insignificant, but instead she points out the constellations and their interconnectivity, which feels important against the bigger themes of the series||
3 || as someone who has very minimal artistic talent, but who really appreciates the creations of others, this one is a little bittersweet for me. As a kid I used to try to draw, but I was never very encouraged and was often in fact told it was no good. And as an adult, I find that my mindset is completely closed off to even trying that kind of creative outlet. Music, singing and dancing were more my thing, so at least I had that lol||
4 || OK this was just kind of silly. But I’m glad that he decided to take a bath. Cuz ew ||
5 || I like how the visuals are giving us an indication of where these side stories land within the bigger scope of the series. For this one, I was a little bit worried when they touched hands, but obviously they are beyond that part of the story.. poor Shiva tho and her grumbly tummy so hoping for apple pie||
6 || It’s good to remember that even when times are tough and complicated, there are still times that can be pure and simple. By building the snowman together, they are having a small moment which is still so big in their hearts||
Bonus || YAY for apples!! ||

This is a very comforting and perfect way to end this series imo

Thank you Coffee & Amanda for bringing it to OBC! I would not have picked it up otherwise, and I really loved it

[jagged summit]

So I watched the anime earlier today and I don't think it did the manga justice at all

[halcyon timber]

what did the anime cover?

https://tenor.com/view/the-girl-from-the-other-side-totsukuni-no-shoujo-smile-gif-11583385304483644474

[jagged summit]

I think it was most of the volumes but considering it was only 70 minutes long it cut a lot out

bye bye volume 9

[steep perch]

oh yeah fuck i need to do the final repport

[steep perch]

**Making a list of who has finished and discussed thanks for the insparation coffee **

Volume 10:'Abi, Jpuzzle, Avialia, Ahri, Haze, Zander, Lemondrop, Hanzy, Ctrl-altmer-del, Amanda

Volume 11: Abi, Ahri, Jpuzzle, Haze, Hanzy, ctrl-altmer-del, Amanda, Avialia, Lemondrop, Zander

Volume12: Abi, ctrl-altmer-del, Amanda, Ahri, Jpuzzle, Lemondrop

If you are missing from the list then please ping me and show me where you discussed i am unfortuanly human and do make mistakes

[steep perch]

using my staff powers for the greater evil good and pinning it

@unborn hill sorry for the ping but im not sure if you read volume 11 yet i think i saw you comment a little but i didnt see any final thoughts but i could be wrong

[chilly loom]

I’ll get to 12 when I feel a little less overwhelmed chasing after BRs

[steep perch]

No rush

[unborn hill]

oh shit I'm so sorry did I not send a final thoughts? I'll do that when I get home!! currently out but I can double check, I thought I had but tbf I wouldn't be surprised if I'd forgotten to hit send on it

[steep perch]

You might have done it and I just missed it tbh

[unborn hill]

omg wait I didn't I just double checked, I'll do that when I get home, my bad!!! I think I talked a bit about my interpretation of the ending but that's it. I was probably so emotionally destroyed by the ending I forgot HAHA

[last plinth]

@jagged summit,@steep perch,@icy wolf,@halcyon timber,@frail urchin,@torpid sentinel,@chilly loom,@surreal garnet,@unborn hill,@gritty jewel,@hardy orchid,@primal oar,@candid sundial,@runic plank,@undone carbon

Hi everyone
we have now reached the end of volume 9 which means we are 75% through this manga

I have made a post and pinned it with all the people who have finished and discussed so if your name isnt on there then i have missed you sorry so please let me know and show me where you put your final thoughts

here are some questions (sorry if they are basic i have no creativity)

1. ||When you think or speak of teacher/albert which name do you call him by||
2. ||Would you say that the king is a good person why/why not?||
   im not sure when these spoilers happen so i would reccomend not opening them untill you finish volume 11

Also guys did you know that Siúil, a Rún is from a traditional irish song and means Walk, my love
https://youtu.be/ogdxae_2uj4?si=_fDX1I5K-xwXWC_R

also also the people who finished volume 9 and will be getting the points are
Abi, Avialia, Lemondrop, Ctrl-altmer-del, Ahri, Haze, Jpuzzle, Amanda, Zander, Hanzy

[last plinth]

Something went wrong! Please try again later

[candid sundial]

1. He’s always “teacher” to me
2. From what I remember, ||the king did choose to do the right thing at the end? Maybe he was just cowardly||

[unborn hill]

1. ||he'll always be teacher in my heart but i do like the name albert for him it suits him ||
2. ||i think he is, personally. we obvs know that the outsiders arent particularly bad or good, just kinda neutral but he isnt kinda omni-present like we are as the reader.|| spoilers for up to vol 12 next but ||even if he wasnt a "good" person in vol 9, i think by vol 10 nd 11 he 10000% redeemed himself by sacrificing himself in the end. truly peak character redemption i loved it||

[unborn hill]

my thoughts for vol 11, they may be a little vague since its been a while since i finished this LOL but ||god in retrospect i loved this ending, i think it was done really well. i wouldve loved some closure obviously nd like knowing for sure what happened and what Albert chose but personally i think leaving it open was a good narrative choice. dont ask me to explain why im not sure but it just. feels right? its an interesting way to end it nd i think the very abstract nature of the ending in general, with the stuff with the outsider who "was shiva" and shiva being part of alberts soul, its not a surprise that the ending turned out like that too|| all that being said, i fuckin love this manga so much nd its really stuck with me nd probably will forever. i cant remember which volume its from but i know its a later one (like 9/10/11 way) though this isnt a huge spoiler/give anything away. just a quote from teacher i really liked so open at your own discresion lol. but he basically says ||"I will be as monstrous as I need to be."|| just so fire, its inspired a scene in my own current writing project too teehee i just loved it so much 5 star volume nd 5 star manga in general, i love it!!

[icy wolf]

I have yet to read volume 12. Plus I am honestly a little scared to. I am not sure I am ready for this to be over yet

[steep perch]

Is this thoughts for volume 11? Because I'm still not sure if I can give you the points for both vol 11 and 12 if you don't give any specific volume 11 thoughts

[halcyon timber]

1. always teacher
2. I would consider ||him as a good person yes. and if he somewhat wasnt, he had a great redemption imo ||

[unborn hill]

oh shit I meant volume 11 not 12 I haven't read 12 yet my brain was clearly not working yesterday omfg I can't really think of anything else to say about it vol 11 besides that without rereading so its totally OK if you still can't give me the points, that my bad

[unborn hill]

I meant to respond to this sorry I'm still half asleep

[steep perch]

no i can totally give you the points for that thats plenty of stuff

[surreal garnet]

So I've double checked with my library and they don't have volume 12 so I think I won't be reading it and my journey with this series is done. Thank you so much Coffee and Amanda for hosting this series! I had a lot of fun reading the books with all of you and I really enjoyed this format. I'm excited for more possible BRs like this in the future! ❤️

[frail urchin]

I recommend reading it tbh

[frail urchin]

1 ||Teacher. Always||
2. || coward tbh, and clearly not effective at protecting anyone, making decisions, or inspiring good leaders||

I wondered about the Gaelic! This is so cool!

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@frail urchin,@surreal garnet,@jagged summit,@torpid sentinel,@icy wolf,@chilly loom,@unborn hill,@candid sundial,@halcyon timber,@gritty jewel,@runic plank,@undone carbon

The BR for volume 10 has ended today
if you are unsure if you will get points then you can check the pins for a list of people who have discussed and will get points

[jagged summit]

bye bye volume 10

[icy wolf]

Byeeeeeee.

[chilly loom]

Was lovely BR-ing you Vol.10
Thank you for ||shattering my heart ||

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@surreal garnet,@torpid sentinel,@frail urchin,@candid sundial,@jagged summit,@runic plank,@icy wolf,@halcyon timber,@unborn hill,@chilly loom,@gritty jewel,@undone carbon

Hello Everyone!

This is lemondrop - taking over the engagement for this BR of vol 11 which is going to end on Dec 23, so we have a little over a week left. Is anyone still reading this one?

Volume 11: (please lmk if we missed anyone)
Finished: Abi, Ahri, Jpuzzle, Haze, Hanzy, ctrl-altmer-del, Amanda, Avialia, Lemondrop, Zander
Started: ??

A few more questions:
What do you think is meaning of the main title: The Girl from the Other Side?

Do you think this story would have resonated with you the same way if it had been prose rather than a manga?

Do you think the author was ||fair with the readers in the plotline of this whole series? What questions remained for you after the last chapter?||

Thanks!

[gritty jewel]

Vol 7: started reading again and this page was just lovely

[halcyon timber]

my heart

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@surreal garnet,@torpid sentinel,@frail urchin,@candid sundial,@jagged summit,@runic plank,@icy wolf,@halcyon timber,@unborn hill,@chilly loom,@gritty jewel,@undone carbon

Hello!

Vol 11 ends tomorrow. Please lmk if you need an extension. Thanks!

[jagged summit]

We're almost at the end 😭

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@chilly loom,@jagged summit,@frail urchin,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@candid sundial,@runic plank,@halcyon timber,@icy wolf,@gritty jewel,@undone carbon

Hello Everyone!

This is lemondrop again - taking over the engagement for this BR of vol 12 which is going to end in about 2 weeks on Jan 6. Please lmk if you need more time.

Volume12:
Finished: Abi, ctrl-altmer-del, Amanda, Ahri, Jpuzzle, Lemondrop
Started: ??

A few questions:
Why do you think the author chose to end the series with this format of short stories?

Would you read anything else by this author?

Have you seen the anime? (I’ve heard it’s pretty different)

Happy Reading!

[unborn hill]

I can't get ahold of volume 12 in time which I'm really sad about this is the end for me unfortunately then so this has been really fun!!! even a month or two later this manga has still stuck with me nd I'm really glad to have read it with you all

[candid sundial]

The short stories sort of lightened the mood, which I really appreciate

YES. I love the art style!!

Nah

[icy wolf]

I need to sit down and read the last book soon. I keep being distracted with other

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@surreal garnet,@torpid sentinel,@frail urchin,@candid sundial,@jagged summit,@runic plank,@icy wolf,@halcyon timber,@unborn hill,@chilly loom,@gritty jewel,@undone carbon

Hi all,

Volume 11 is officially done. Will be submitting the report shortly. I loved reading this with all of you! Thanks for joining!

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@chilly loom,@jagged summit,@frail urchin,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@candid sundial,@runic plank,@halcyon timber,@icy wolf,@gritty jewel,@undone carbon

Hello all,

The BR for vol 12 ends on Jan 6. Is anyone needing an extension? Please lmk!

Thanks!

[icy wolf]

Oh, I gotta read this real soon then

[chilly loom]

Shoot I forgot about this!

Thanks for the reminder!! Getting to it today

[icy wolf]

Vil 12
Dear 1: ||I find it extremely cute when Shive wanted to go outside and wasn't allowed. Her just exploring the room, this was all just extremely cute||

Dear 2: ||Star watching. I have not done that in so long. These stories makes me just love the dynamic between them so much more||

Dear 3: ||AUNTIE!!!
I LOVED the picture of Shiva when she is sleeping. Was nice to look at||

Dear 4: ||I almost forgot how rain smells now. Like I know I know when it does but still||

Dear 5: Waiting, just how I agree ||Waiting for fruit season can be HARD||

Dear 6: ||Awe, so cute it is so cute. And now the journal id at a close and he is happy. The rest of the series didn't happen||

[frail urchin]

sorry for the ping, but did you get to this?

[chilly loom]

I diiiid! Thank you for the ping actually, I had completely forgotten to update here

[chilly loom]

Sorry I couldn’t share thoughts while reading, hope it’s okay to share just my final thoughts

||I’m super glad that I didn’t read Vol.12 right after finishing Vol.11 because had I done that, I might have still been wallowing in my grief and not been able to appreciate this little gem of a volume and assume my own little happy ending to the story. This was just everything wholesome and nice about the series. The sweet little interactions and dynamics between Shiva and Teacher, the normal everyday, even AUNTIE’s being there made it all feel so natural and kinda domesticated in so wholesome a way. There’s so much relatability like I was quite a night owl as a child (more of an afternoon person now) and the things she wants to do and everything felt so adorable and cute. I love that Teacher gives in sometimes yet also does a bit of gentle parenting. I’m glad this series had one final glimpse of happiness through this Volume because now I can happily resume my own little fantasy where Teacher’s Shiva’s dad and Auntie’s alive and they all get to live as one happy family (5 stars)||

[jagged summit]

thank you for hosting amanda and lemondrop

[candid sundial]

Thank you both for hosting!!!

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@chilly loom,@jagged summit,@frail urchin,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@candid sundial,@runic plank,@halcyon timber,@icy wolf,@gritty jewel,@undone carbon

Hello Everyone!

This BR for vol. 12 is officially over. And that means our journey with this evocative manga is now complete. Thank you all for joining us along the way, and thanks to Coffee and Amanda for getting it rolling in the first place. I really enjoyed it and I never would have even known about it without these BRs. Domo arigato

Here is who I have for vol 12 points:
Finished: Abi, ctrl-altmer-del, Amanda, Ahri, Jpuzzle, Lemondrop, Avialia, Hanzy

[halcyon timber]

https://tenor.com/view/the-girl-from-the-other-side-totsukuni-no-shoujo-smile-gif-11583385304483644474

[chilly loom]

Thanks for introducing me to the series Coffee, for continuing it on and hosting the other books Amanda, and for bringing it to a close Lemondrop! I loved this little journey we’ve been on together, it was so much fun and I loved being ||smitten together and also sad and heartbroken||. Such a wholesome journey really, hugs to all!