In my review of Volume 10, I said, “I’m ready for something to lighten up.” Welp, Volume 11 of Tsukiatte Agetemo Iikana ( 付き合ってあげてもいいかな) by Tamifull is not that volume. And here’s the thing…not every relationship people have is a good one or the “right” one. Sometimes things just don’t work out, even if you like someone a lot.

Miwa is trying to understand Tamaki, and Saeko is trying to understand Yuria, and in both cases, they really need to sit down and have it out with their partners. And, they do…but is it enough? For Saeko and Yuria, maybe, but the resolution may not be to stay together. But something is festering into an ugly thing between Miwa and Tamaki, and I really cannot understand what it is at all. I get not being sexually compatible, but this doesn’t even feel like that anymore, although their incompatibility is the vehicle for it.

When we start to hear about sexual mismatches among others in the band, I admit, I checked out of the story. If absolutely nobody in this story is having a good time, why am I reading it?

And then the volume ends in a very bad place that makes shockingly little sense, except as a way to flog how much Tamaki and Miwa are not in sync, but in the grossest, most appalling way. I think, at this point, I don’t really care what happens to anyone in this story, except that I hope they graduate and move on, quickly. This is how we kill perfectly decent relationships.

Again, the best part of the volume is how Saeko and Miwa have become very good friends to one another. There has been some discussion on the Okazu discord, about whether the two of them might get back together, but I am firmly in the “I hope not” camp on that. Lovers can be important, but friends are even more so. Also very good was Tamaki’s band performing live, to very positive reception. It’s just that everything after that was ugh. ^_^;

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 6
Characters – 8
Yuri – 8
Service – 7 CW on the end of the book for sexual assault survivors

Overall – 6

Volume 12 is out this month and it appears that it is going exactly where you expect it will. I sincerely hope that the end game here is not Saeko and Miwa getting back together.