Quintessential Quintuplets [Manga]

No worries! I really like reading your analysis, not least because my thoughts tend to line up with yours, it seems. It does seem like, with things like the fireworks and Seven Goodbyes, the one who's had the most 'special' moments with Futaro so far is definitely Nino. That could change in the next few volumes, but we'll have to see. I do think Nino is my current front runner.

The other thing is that I've never been a fan of the bride's hair style, but I just can't imagine Itsuki's (in)famously messy, anime-ish hair getting trimmed and prepped to ever look like the bride's. It just doesn't work in my head. I can easily imagine any of the other girls doing that to their hair.

Also, there's a couple of reasons so many people are fine with Yotsuba as the bride.

1. She's so danged likable anyways, and she's always supported Fuutarou from the start. She's a whole bunch of people's second or third choices. It might not be the best fit for the plot, but she's well-liked enough that at least we can see her as a good fit for a bride, if not the bride. 2. If you look carefully, she's been there in basically all of the plot-critical moments. She might not always have an active role, but she's usually there in some capacity. 3. The sweet-hearted, happy-go-lucky types rarely win these things.

Also, another thing that I keep coming back to: Raiha's charm during the camping trip. Nino brought it back to him, and he's seen wearing the charm both in the present day and the wedding flash forward. I think it's a major point in Nino's favor, but even if it isn't, it means something.It's the right combination of "too weirdly specific a detail" and "otherwise unnecessary to the plot" to just be an accident in my mind.

And since Rena has reappeared after this past chapter, I find it interesting that the charm Rena/Itsuki gave him was lost in his efforts to save Nino from drowning. There's some interesting symbolism at work there, especially if you contrast it with the charm Raiha gave him and Nino brought back to him. Also, the bride before she gets her haircut looks like Nino to me, and even afterwards, although I could see it being Miku or Yotsuba with some work. But that's just me.

And if the bride is Nino, then I think the remainder of her plot development will have to focus on her learning how to calm down and balance her love for Fuutarou with his own personality and concerns. Fuutarou's development will focus on him finding out the importance of love either way.

One final thing that sticks out to me about Nino as a candidate for the bride: she expressly made it clear after the bath towel/harem court incident that she'd never accept him, even if her sisters hated her. That frames her character development, to me, completely around accepting all of him, tutor and person. Itsuki's similar statement only went as far as never accepting his teaching. That might be reading too much into things, but it's the subtle details that set things apart in this series. Figuring out the signal from the noise is what's important, and the signal, to me, leads to Nino, or away from Itsuki at least. Unless Negi wants to demonstrate how wrong I am.

Edited by Outinthecold on Mar 27th 2019 at 4:25:05 AM

I think its unfair to claim everyone is against Itsuki just because she is first girl, I think its more correct to say "People can't believe Itsuki would be the bribe EVEN THOUGH she is the first girl"

Yep.

I do see the general sentiment against her is that she's the first, and the "obvious" (and therefore boring and predictable) choice.

But to this thread's credit, the points here are better justified.

The only thing really holding Nino back as the likely bride is her own aggressiveness atm. If her development isn't over, then hopefully she realizes that she doesn't have to force her feelings for something to happen. If she learns that, then I can see her being the bride ultimately.

I don't dislike Itsuki as a character. My objection to her being considered the front runner is that so much of the argument for her is based on her being the first girl. If Fuutarou had met one of the first four quints before her on their first day at his school we wouldn't be having this argument, and we probably wouldn't even consider her a major contender.

Being the first girl the male lead meets (or, more specifically, that we're introduced to him meeting) is usually a prime marker of being the winner, but I'm not persuaded based on the development given to her so far that Negi's going that route.

The first two or three volumes certainly play with the idea of the importance of the first girl enough to put it in your head, but things gradually start to shift as the series progresses, especially during Seven Goodbyes. If the series had developed and positioned her the way the early chapters did, then I'd view her chances differently, but by the end of the midterms arc, Nino ends up assuming some of Itsuki's role of being the intermediary between Fuutarou and their father while much of the romantic development shifts over to the budding Fuutarou-Miku-Ichika triangle. Yotsuba, meanwhile, is just kind of there like she always is or off playing sports.

Heck, even during the festival arc, Itsuki was a rather small player after the "date". She plays no bigger role than Ichika, Miku, and even Ichika's manager in helping Fuutarou decide how to characterize his relationship with them, and Nino usurps her at the end to provide the first real expression of thanks she (Nino) gives him (Ichika kind of gets the last word in there though). And frankly, having Nino be the first one he brings to the rooftop is an odd choice of a way to develop someone if she isn't secretly or obviously the main girl.

Itsuki's primary role after the first two or three volumes seems to be more about helping Fuutarou make peace with his past, but I don't necessarily think that leads to romance or especially her winning. Itsuki helps him deal with his past, but a decent amount of Nino's development is oriented towards both his and her future, especially since she can't find a way to say a definitive goodbye to Kintarou, which opens the door to the coming confession, and he ends up losing Rena/Itsuki's charm.

That's why I'm troubled by an Itsuki ending. Just as Miku and Ichika have been tied together so much, I think Nino and Itsuki are as well, and it would seem to require rewriting or overwriting a good chunk of the development given to both girls to deliver an Itsuki ebding. I'm not sure how you do that and make it truly satisfying.

I can still see paths to a Miku or Ichika ending (I could at least hate-read the latter) that would be varying levels of satisfying, and Yotsuba's been in the vicinity of so many plot points that it's hard to rule her out completely.

Sorry for all the words, heh. I break apart books and author's arguments (albeit nonfiction) as part of my living, so turning this to my leisure pursuits is a natural progression, I suppose. Doesn't make me right, and I'm fully prepared to have lots of egg on my face when I get proven wrong.

Edited by Outinthecold on Mar 27th 2019 at 10:48:38 AM

I hate walls of texts, but I think this one isn't really packed with useless padding. It's pretty accurate imho.

Goddamn, Tell me how you really feel :V

Sorry for not making paragraphs that don't align with your preferences.

Edited by BlackYakuzu94 on Mar 27th 2019 at 3:12:42 PM

1) I wasn't answering you.

2) It was praise.

Edited by Tenzen12 on Mar 27th 2019 at 8:40:57 PM

It just like you were passive aggressively taking a jab at my walls of text.

If I read that wrong, I sincerely apologize. Passive aggressiveness is kind of a thing on this board.

You do tend to be pretty aggressive sometimes, Tenzen. "I hate walls of text, but at least this one doesn't suck ass" isn't the most constructive contribution.

I have the same problem Ririchiyo Shirakiin of Inu X Boku SS had: I am very wordy. I don't do a lot of short responses, heh. I have lots of thoughts that need to get out of my head and they must get out NOW!

Walls of text is one of internet discussion "sins". It usually means lack of consideration on contributor part. I don't think there is anything wrong in saying that. And yes that is general statement not targeting anyone.

That said Tropers/Outinthecold post certainly was wall of text but it was packed with good arguments and it would be shame cut parts of it just for sake of better formatting.

At the very least you can offer advice if it bothers you such as letting posters know they can put walls of text behind folders.

Did I just get baited to reading a wall of text and then nothing.

It depends on the subject and the reader; it's more about the quality of the words rather than the quantity.

To be fair, I never stated it was going to be a wall of text.

I just read some funny meme regarding the latest chapter

Itsuki: I disguise to help you get over your past

Several month later

Futarou get over his past

Itsuki: Hey, don't you want to know who i am?

Futarou: Fuck off

Itsuki: suprise_pikachu_face.jpg

Btw I read theory on Reddit. When Fuutarou claimed to be tired of qui t's pretending to be each other, he might also refer Ichika scam and that he is aware it wasn't Miku all along.

I don't think Fuutarou's that clever.

Also, I saw that meme and had a good laugh.

Do you guys see this as the series soft-confirming Itsuki having a thing for him? Or does she just want Fuutarou to notice her so that he'll finally know the truth, because the guilt of keeping it from him is eating her from the inside?

I don't think anyone can comprehend Itsuki motives. It's probably just RNG.

man a go-toubun gacha would be the piss

spend 100 dollars to get a chance to get the Yandere Knife Miku SSR

As far as I can tell with Itsuki, she's spent most of the series being more or less friendly with him. If she has romantic feelings for him, they weren't very strong until a couple of chapters ago. That's one of the big reasons why I just can't see her being the kisser. Seeing her actions since the midterms arc as romantically oriented requires reading a crapload into them, stretching the limit of rationality with your interpretations.

I just don't see how you set up both Nino and Itsuki like they have been and make Itsuki the Bride. You can do it and have Ichika, Miku, or Yotsuba be the Bride, but a lot of Nino's development comes at the expense of Itsuki in many ways, because Nino fills the role that likely would have been Itsuki's in those situations. That's especially true for rescuing Nino at the end of Seven Goodbyes, the times Nino has stood up to her father for Fuutarou, the charm stuff during the camping trip, and other things.

But bottom line: she seems motivated by some concern for Fuutarou and by a desire to resolve her sisters' conflicts. It remains to be seen what becomes of that, but the best read I can get for her is that her actions aren't necessarily romantic. It would be inconsistent with her development so far to make it outright romantic. At any rate, I still think she makes the most sense as a decoy to throw us off figuring out the real bride. She might set up the final pairing, or help provide the final okay for that pairing to happen.

But leaving her so inscrutable makes it hard to tell. That's what aggravates me so much. I don't see how you get her as the bride without stretching the interpretation of a number of moments to the limits of plausibility.

Edited by Outinthecold on Mar 29th 2019 at 9:48:05 AM

If Itsuki was the bride, it would have to be something you would go back and read the series to notice in hindsight. Really, I notice whenever she's the focus, people get really antsy and insecure lol.

But at the moment; I think she's mainly concerned about everyone. She wants Fuutarou to enjoy his trip and she wants her sisters to stop fighting over him. So I guess her plan is to drive a wedge between Fuuts and the others to stop this shit?

You did just do leading comment there though. Like, anybody who is like "What, no, people don't become insecure about it" seem like they are insecure about ti