Ayakashi Triangle

Eh it seems to be by same artist as Black Cat and To Love Ru judging by google, so I figured out someone will make thread for this eventually. Had to google who was artist since something from art seemed kinda familiar somehow, never read To Love Ru so maybe its just commonly used art by professionals or I remember from covers or pictures?

That said kinda wondering what direction will this one go to.(title sounds like love triangle thing? Dunno if that is the case yet though) I've read manga lately that has been surprisingly progressive, so I'm curious if this is just gender swap fetish manga, or actually takes it seriously. Like if I wasn't cynical about these type of manga in general, I'd assume all the set up about cat thinking that "Oh crap I'm about to be first boss monster in romance story, I don't want that, hah take that" is set up for him just being old fashioned and it changing nothing :p I mean might still be the case but yeah not sure how seriously story will take it.

So is groping (from that particular person at least) going to stop?

‘My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’

I'd assume so. As crass as a lot of the fanservice is, I guess the author had second thoughts about a supporting character being such a lech.

(Also, unless posting picks up, we may as well keep discussion in the general Shonen Jump thread.)

Putting aside general sexual content (which is a lot higher at points than the first chapter suggested, and sometimes rather skeazy), Ayakashi Triangle is in some ways more progressive than a lot of Gender Bender manga.

The biggest thing is that the story generally (at least implicitly) acknowledges Matsuri's gender as not dependent on his body. Matsuri's transformation is persistent, long-term, and possibly permanent. He's also female-presenting, if only pragmatically. However, he unreservedly self-identifies as male, feels zero pressure to act feminine, and the official translation consistently refers to him with male pronouns when someone knows and isn't hiding his past.

I'd say the biggest knock on the series in this sense is the degree to and manner in which Matsuri is sexualized. The manga shows him undressed/exposed a lot more than any other character, which I don't take too much issue with, as it's generally him being apathetic to exposing himself (also he's the only character whose nipples we see, which is kind of hilarious in a stupid way). A trend that's less established, but potentially way worse, is that he's more likely to be felt up against his will or otherwise sexually humiliated.

New chapter out. Mini-arc villain has been dealt with. Suzu is thirsty for our fundoshi boy.

They're pulling a very "eat you cake and keep it too" thing with Shirogane giving Suzu crap, but it is honestly nice to have a lead in a shonen manga who would like to have sex without being portrayed as super lecherous/promiscuous.

I'm weirdly pleased they took the opportunity to see male Matsuri shirtless, mostly because it was kind of silly how he was fully clothed in the first chapter, then down to his underwear within ten pages of being turned female. (Also, he's drawn with nipples, which I don't think Yabuki ever did for males in To Love Ru.)

I mean, not gonna lie, Matsuri has one heck of a bod.

I like that Suzu is the Covert Pervert in the relationship here. Usually girl-next-door types like her are portrayed as pure and innocent in romcoms, while the "horny" girls are outright Shameless Fanservice Girl.

That Suzu looks proper on the outside but actually thirsty is a nice breath of fresh air.

Jump are making comic dubs for the first chapter(s) of some of its new series, which includes the first three chapters of Ayakashi Triangle. Above is the first half of chapter 1, here is the second half, and chapters 2 and 3 are upcoming.

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Keep in mind the casts of these are usually newcomers that probably wouldn't return for a major adaptation, so it more tells you what kind of voice the character could have.

I don't have any major issues with the voices per se, but think it's better if both of Matsuri's forms share the same voice actress (oddly, they gave him a third VA for the flashback instead of using female Matsuri's actress). Otherwise all those internal monologues would either sound completely different than his speech (which would be very jarring) or exactly the same (which makes no sense).

There's chapter 2, and here is chapter 3.

Despite the aforementioned issue, I rather like female Matsuri's voice. They went with a Contralto Of Danger rather than a Tomboyish Voice, which I think fits his personality better.

(P.S. The thumbnail for the chapter 2 image has changed at least three times between that upskirt from near the end of the chapter and Suzu blushing over Matsuri. Personally, I much prefer the second one.)

@Chapter 23: I've heard people who look at Suzu's role as King of Ayakashi and think of Kamichu!. Though I think Yabuki is drawing from Yamato Gensouki, his first manga, which was about a young empress and her bodyguard.

Got to see a lot of more of those friendly little ayakashi. Fun fact: Tanumaro's tea kettle-tanuki design is a reference to Bunbuku Chagama, a fairy tale about a tanuki that disguised itself as a tea kettle.

Things certainly were very steamy. That Matsuri could have broken out of that illusion at any time if he hated it that badly was quite an "out" to write.

The kettle-tanuki design is adorable. Also really really loving Suzu becoming the King of Ayakashi.

I’m digging Suzu actively using Omokage, it handily lets her go on adventures while (technically) attending school.

It’s a silly purpose for existence but it’s what makes it charming. Like something out of folklore

Matsuri feels free to act vulnerable, cheerful, or even affectionate to Ninokuru. He doesn't act like that around Suzu or even his own grandpa.

It's part of the comedy that Matsuri acts so trusting while Ninokuru is secretly suppressing his lust, but I think it makes sense. Matsuri thinks he has to hide any feelings that would burden others; he wants to always be seen by Suzu as a reliable protector and by Seigen as a worthy heir. But he expects his senpai to be stronger, so he hasn't felt like he has anything to prove since the moment they met.

In any case, it is very wholesome.

There’s no way Matsuri will pick Ninokuru over Suzu. His orientation remains Suzu-sexual.

Time for OT3

God, I hope we get some good (preferably SFW) fanart of that, even if it takes years.

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Someone on twitter pointed out how Matsuri clinging to Soga looked familiar◊, and I can't unsee it.

Yo, it's like they knew people shipped Ryoga and Fem!Ranma and are going all in with it

A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.

I've read a bunch of gender-bender manga, though I lose interest in most before the end. Ironically, I've almost never liked the male love interests, but I love the idea of Matsuri and Soga as a couple, even though I don't want or expect them to end up together.

I don't know if that's speaking to the actual story, or some kind of meta-underdog effect born from my own contrarianism.

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I agree with the manga's translator that Muga is hot.

Chapter 26: "Oh right, this is an ecchi manga. Better toss in a random upskirt shot."

Anyway, important question: Does it still count as being into monsterboys if you want a human-looking alien to abduct you?

Seigen says humans forget about even the supernatural events they can observe because they don't believe they're possible. Now that Lu is completely convinced aliens are on Earth, and can do things people would think are "magic", maybe she'll have a greater awareness of the supernatural, even if it's because she's mistaken as to its origin.

Lu's occult interest has been a fun way to include her in ayakashi-based plots, even though she's ignorant of everything. Hopefully, we'll get something with Yayo soon—perhaps she'll get the more mundane plots with Matsuri, since she's thoroughly a disbeliever.

Maybe she thinks he's in A Form You Are Comfortable With, which is like infinite monsterboy potential.

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An earlier concept for Matsuri's ninja suit was somewhere in this week's issue. Instead of baggy pants, it had spats like he wore for Reo's diagnostic, but with small openings on the side. It'd be a cute alternate without the hip windows, but I still prefer parachute pants.

Oh no, Shirogane!Matsuri is going to get a lot of use, isn’t he?