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A review by readingfrankly
Blue Flag, Vol. 8 by Kaito
3.0
Welp.
Who let Kaito publish that last chapter, huh? That was a f*cking mess.
*Warning for implied spoilers*
Listen, I went into this series with the right expectations I think, and low ones at that. I wasn't expecting the perfect gay happy ending across the board. And I think the author made it clear from the beginning he wanted to write this story realistically. Not idealistically. Which is fine. That said, I think the readers would have been a lot happier either just leaving the story where it ended at chapter 53, and/or leaving it there and then the time skip not being that horrible first person POV thing that was super confusing and instead just doing a lil something and showing everyone happy.
you know what I'm offended by?Making the one character who was lesbian end up married to a man- FOR WHY?! I had accepted that she had no desire to confess her feelings to Futaba, and I think that's okay. Not everyone would have been happy with it, but again, I think it's a realistic and understandable choice. But you don't have to go and make the woman marry a freaking MAN when she literally was depressed and angry the whole series because she was struggling with her attraction to women and only women. I can't accept that. Not that it's impossible for someone who had previously thought they'd never be attracted to the opposite sex to have it happen after all (see Taichi) but it felt really crappy for her. Does that mean she never came out? Did she just bury that part of her because she didn't want her family or the world to be disappointed in her? Ugh.
I just kinda hate everything about what came after chapter 53. We see Futaba struggling with her choice of what university to go to, and we never find out what happens. We find out that they broke up and don't know why and the worst part is that they stopped being friends and stopped talking. I was confused as to whether Taichi also stopped talking to Toma too or not. Futaba and Taichi were awkward at best dating each other, and to me it was more realistic that if they broke up it would be because they realized they were happier as friends and their life paths were taking them in different directions and dating long distance wouldn't make them happy anyway. How hard is it to draw that in a few panels instead of this long, drawn out confusing AF thing at a wedding no one cares about because no one knows Futaba's husband and so we don't care. Show us them in the middle or end of college instead, just freaking happy. I don't need to see them old and with strangers. You're doing too much. As for Toma and Taichi, of course I wanted them to end up together, but it's just not fair to the reader to make that leap and not give us literally anything.
I cared about these characters, and we spent 8 volumes getting invested in them as individuals and their friendship. The ending of chapter 53 solidified that. So then to give us this time skip where everyone is barely friends anymore, 2 of them married strangers.... it's crap. Give me a happy and thriving Futaba growing some flowers. Give me Masumi with her girlfriend. Give me a shot of Toma and Taichi walking down the street holding hands. Then end the freaking volume.
So, yes. If I look at the story as a whole up until the end of chapter 53, it's a lot better, but I can't not be super upset the author ended it the way they did, and it sours my opinion a lot of this volume. But overall, I still loved this series. I love these characters. I related a lot to Futaba and she made such growth throughout the series. Her friendship with Taichi was adorable (sometimes platonic friendship is just better). Masumi deserved better. I wish we had gotten to see more of what Toma was thinking and feeling. The author kept him so mysterious and I was left with some questions. Taichi was great. Mami was, too.
Kensuke can eat dirt.
Who let Kaito publish that last chapter, huh? That was a f*cking mess.
*Warning for implied spoilers*
Listen, I went into this series with the right expectations I think, and low ones at that. I wasn't expecting the perfect gay happy ending across the board. And I think the author made it clear from the beginning he wanted to write this story realistically. Not idealistically. Which is fine. That said, I think the readers would have been a lot happier either just leaving the story where it ended at chapter 53, and/or leaving it there and then the time skip not being that horrible first person POV thing that was super confusing and instead just doing a lil something and showing everyone happy.
you know what I'm offended by?
I just kinda hate everything about what came after chapter 53. We see Futaba struggling with her choice of what university to go to, and we never find out what happens. We find out that they broke up and don't know why and the worst part is that they stopped being friends and stopped talking. I was confused as to whether Taichi also stopped talking to Toma too or not. Futaba and Taichi were awkward at best dating each other, and to me it was more realistic that if they broke up it would be because they realized they were happier as friends and their life paths were taking them in different directions and dating long distance wouldn't make them happy anyway. How hard is it to draw that in a few panels instead of this long, drawn out confusing AF thing at a wedding no one cares about because no one knows Futaba's husband and so we don't care. Show us them in the middle or end of college instead, just freaking happy. I don't need to see them old and with strangers. You're doing too much. As for Toma and Taichi, of course I wanted them to end up together, but it's just not fair to the reader to make that leap and not give us literally anything.
I cared about these characters, and we spent 8 volumes getting invested in them as individuals and their friendship. The ending of chapter 53 solidified that. So then to give us this time skip where everyone is barely friends anymore, 2 of them married strangers.... it's crap. Give me a happy and thriving Futaba growing some flowers. Give me Masumi with her girlfriend. Give me a shot of Toma and Taichi walking down the street holding hands. Then end the freaking volume.
So, yes. If I look at the story as a whole up until the end of chapter 53, it's a lot better, but I can't not be super upset the author ended it the way they did, and it sours my opinion a lot of this volume. But overall, I still loved this series. I love these characters. I related a lot to Futaba and she made such growth throughout the series. Her friendship with Taichi was adorable (sometimes platonic friendship is just better). Masumi deserved better. I wish we had gotten to see more of what Toma was thinking and feeling. The author kept him so mysterious and I was left with some questions. Taichi was great. Mami was, too.
Kensuke can eat dirt.