I’m playing clean-up in my files this week and this book, which is the final volume of the series, had been put aside for several reasons. The main one was that a friend of mine was really into it and planned on reviewing it for us on Okazu, but she died of COVID in 2021 and was never able to do so. So, I spent a year avoiding this series like the plague I associated it with. A little over a year ago, I finally was able to finish the series in Japanese. Today I’m holding up my promise to Claire Monserrat Jackson and reviewing A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow, Volume 9, by Makoto Hagino.

Konatsu and Koyuki have come a very, very long way since they first met. Koyuki has begun to understand the people around her, and allow herself to be part of a group. Konatsu is still not entirely sure she’s communicated everything she wanted to say to Koyuki, but is definitely sure that the other girl is very important to her.

Their final school festival together is a culmination of these two refrains. Even when her classmates’ behavior is a little frightening to Koyuki, she is able to understand that they don’t mean to hurt or scare her. And when she comes to the Aquarium Club’s cafe, she completely understands Konatsu’s message to her, in the form of a frog and salamander pancake combo.

Koyuki graduates and is off to the big city.

In an epilogue, we learn that Kaede’s big sister is a famous model and she thinks that Kaede has the chops to be one, too. Poor Fuyuki. But he finds an interest in photography…so maybe they will meet again after all.

When she comes to Tokyo to visit, Konatsu learns that Koyuki absolutely understood her message to her…and, at last, the older girl is able to respond. This salamander and frog need each other and they want to be together. As I said in my review of the Japanese edition, they will not be heading into the future together, but they will be there for one another. Whether their relationship develops into more than friendship will depend on many things. I see it as a possibility, not a probability. Upon re-read, I call it a fairly high possibility. ^_^

Regardless of any romantic possibility, this series was a very gentle look at the relationship between two young women. It was worth reading for that alone, but I’m also glad that the ends leaves room for recognition of intimacy and desire to have the other person in their lives.

Ratings:

Art – 6
Story – 7
Characters – 8
Service – 0
Yuri – 5

Overall – 8

I sincerely hope the Nagahama High School Aquarium Club got  lot of new members from this series. It looks like they do a lot of cool stuff, in this article from earlier this year!