I feel bad for Gaki for having his disappointment, but I feel that she was pretty clear from the get-go that she wasn’t that interested in an actual relationship with him. Still not a fun thing to witness.
As long as he’s not a dick about it he can be as upset as he wants.
And from someone who’s tried: You can’t let people down easier. They take it as hard as they take it, and that’s all you can do. Emotions are dumb that way.
Man, and I’ve been on the other end of that scenario. I’ve told guys outright that I’m not interested and to leave me alone, and they still wanted to think that just meant I’m playing “hard to get” or something. It was easier said than done to cut them out of my life entirely.
Not that this is the same situation. I mean, I doubt Gaki is that kind of dude. And while yeah, Mary should’ve been a bit more straightforward about her feelings (or lack thereof) towards him, I can also see why she didn’t. It’s hard being in a “relationship” with someone who’s totally into you but you care nothing about.
I’m crying, how much clearer did she need to be? And she’s not kissing Fragile for the audience, she’s doing it for HER.
She never texted back, sounded disinterested when Gaki talked about taking things further, etc. Like, I feel bad for the guy, since he’s sweet and I’d like to see him succeed in the smooch department, but he really needed to take the dang hint. Really this is GOOD for him, because now he’ll stop pursuing someone who isn’t into him and wasting his time. He can find someone who is enthusiastically into him, and that is cool.
Yet she still has sex with him without clearly defining their relationship, that’s called leading someone on. She was a total asshole towards him, if she didn’t want him she should not have gone back to him for sex and she could have said straight out that she didn’t want to be with him. Earlier they explained that Gaki wasn’t the type of person to have sex without a relationship, so of course he would be someone who would want that but I guess he shouldn’t be looking for it with someone who uses him like a rag doll and throws him away when she’s done. I think you don’t see how shitty this is because Gaki is a guy, but imagine this situation flipped, I’ve seen a lot of women complain about this exact situation, the girl gets all worked up thinking they are in a relationship . So I still firmly believe that she’s a dick.
Just jumping in here, but I think “having sex without clearly defining a relationship” doesn’t count as leading someone on cause it’s not like Mary lied about anything. Just cause someone SAID that Gaki doesn’t have sex without a relationship doesn’t mean she knew that was true. She might have thought that since he was totally okay with her making a pass and getting busy that his friends were wrong. He could’ve said No or Let’s date first, so how’s that her fault?
I’m not saying this played out right or that no one’s wrong, but blaming it all on Mary doesn’t sound fair. Sometimes shit just happens.
In an ideal world, after Arthur said Gaki was only into relationships, she should have made things clear. But I like that complexity of storytelling. She was busy and distracted and wrapped up in herself and she used him. Does that make her a bad person? No, it makes her nuanced. Love it.
Poor Gaki. He really did try — Mary’s apathy isn’t his fault (and I wonder, a little, if her apparent coldness has to do with her blood transfusion. She didn’t *seem* to be terribly callous beforehand.)
Not that it’s on Mary to make a relationship work if it isn’t happening for her, but I think it’s a lot better to be honest and up-front about your feelings, rather than being passive and lackluster. Not fair to the other person in the relationship, at that point. If you’re unhappy, say so.
(I’m not viewing her kiss with Fragile as being intentional cheating — I think that it was something in the moment, after a traumatic experience. Not that she may not have been attracted to Fragile beforehand, but I don’t think that she made a conscious decision to pursue her without talking to Gaki, and likely breaking up. I could be wrong, but that’s how I’m reading the situation.)
Poor guy shouldn’t have to witness it, while holding a bouquet, though 🙁
If I recall rightly, at the beginig of her thing with Gaki she wass cear that she wanted it just to have something normal in her life… well being in a unsatisfactory relationship and cheating is pretty common these days. But yeah Gaki should’t have had so high expectations and Mary shouldn’t had let him have’em 🙁
Poor Gaki… 🙁 But it was pretty clear from the beginning that Mary really wasn’t interested in any relationship past the basics. :/ He’ll get over it. Hopefully. Either that or Fragile might reject her; you never know until the kiss ends. 😛
First, the sad part. I’m personally glad for Mary and it is pretty obvious that she will be happier this way (hm, I think if Fragile wanted somehow to reject Mary, she wouldn’t answered the kiss), but still it is not right to go just “oh, I don’t love you at all, but in NO DAMNED WAY I will tell you about it. Let’s just sin together so that I would have my portion of normality in this mad life. You can of course have some hopes and feelings towards me, but I will still never say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ until one day you see me kissing in the street. You’re free to feel ruined and upset”. And here comes the happy-shipper part. I’m not saying that Mary DOESN’T DESERVE happiness, cause she really had hard times (getting killed and almost-killed and so), so let’s wish her some sweet kisses before the creepy microwave) And, as Gaki is going to the labs, he may find another pretty biter but of his age and take her (him?!) home heroically. He/she will fall in love with the saviour and they all will live happily ever after. -Happyend-
(Stop. Forgot about Kenichi. Still have to ship him with someone. Hm. Hmmmmmm. No idea)
Kenichi seems vaguely serial-killer-ish to me… do we really want to set him up with someone just to find out he’s a murderer hiding with… supernatural vigilantes?
AW NO. i forgot about him ;-; i mean he should have got the hint that she didnt want a relationship with him, but she should have told him out right when she noticed he wasnt getting the hint. poor gaki.
Awww. Poor Gaki. I mean, I’m happy that Mary is with someone she’s actually attracted to, but I still feel bad for him because he seemed really smitten with her.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO This is just cruel ç_ç Fuck you Red Wedding! There’s a new heartbreaking scene in town!
I’m slightly baffled by all the people saying ‘Poor Gaki! Mary is so cruel!’ (something which has been going on ever since her attraction with Fragile became clear…). I mean, I thought Mary’s apathy towards a real relationship with Gaki was pretty obvious. Any time a girl responds to ‘Date night?’ with anything less than ‘FUCK YEAH MOTHERFUCKER LET’S DO THIS YOU ME AND WINE AND WE WILL KICK THE SHIT OUT OF ROMANCE’ I think might be an indication that they’re really not interested.
Add in that Mary knows Gaki is both a vampire and a pyrokinetic (or I assume she knows…) and that adds an extra layer of ‘DO NOT WANT’ to her not wanting to make him angry. I mean remember, there is that whole angle to consider when it comes to Mary turning down Gaki, and given the writer’s, I’d be surprised if they hadn’t considered it.
That’s why I said, in my comment (which I won’t repeat in its entirety, since it’s on this same page), “Poor Gaki. He really did try — Mary’s apathy isn’t his fault”, AND “Not that it’s on Mary to make a relationship work if it isn’t happening for her, but I think it’s a lot better to be honest and up-front about your feelings, rather than being passive and lackluster.”
I feel bad that Gaki is hurt, because his feelings are genuine, and it’s unnecessarily painful to find out that your relationship is over, by *seeing the person who just stood you up on a date kissing someone else in the street.*
Did Mary intend him to see it? No — she probably had completely forgotten that he’d been waiting for her, given that she just went through a *near-death experience*, and is doing the very natural thing of attempting to connect with another human being afterward.
I do think that she’s behaved a bit callously toward him, though. (If you are FRIENDS with someone, and you’re sleeping together, and they obviously have feelings toward you and are trying to turn it into a dating relationship, the kindest thing to do is to stop having sex with them, since it only fuels the crush/attraction.)
I don’t think that it’s a moral imperative or that she’s a bad person for not having done it, but I do think that she was feeling apathetic enough that it was obvious to the readers, so . . . why agree to the date, and why keep having sex?
I feel good for Mary, that she’s made a move on someone who she feels physically and emotionally attracted to. I hope it works out — Fragile is a fascinating character, and I look forward to seeing more of her. And I’m all about queer relationships (and gender-and-sexual-minority characters), trust me. ^__^
I hope that things go well for her — I’m not vilifying her.
I *also* am heart-hurt for Gaki’s shattered hopes . . . he has come off as a very sweet, slightly-awkwardly-caring person, who has a dirty and difficult job, and a talent that may not be incredibly easy to live with . . . and he really seemed to fall for Mary.
It’s got to be hard to find someone who is interested in having a relationship with someone who has to be secretive about their job, their abilities, and the majority of their life.
He’s not exactly going to be able to have a serious, emotionally-intimate relationship with a “normal” girl/boy, unless there is some reason why they’re able to become a part of his secret world — and it’s not like C.E. seems especially open to letting non-supernatural humans in on their operation.
That’s probably why Mary hit him like a ton of bricks — she’s a seemingly-sweet (I say “seemingly” because she does seem to be dealing with some personality changes since the transfusion) girl who has been thrown into their world through an act of violence.
She appeals to his protective instincts, and she initiated a sexual relationship with him (IIRC, she made the first move), and *she’s a supernatural person who isn’t a mass murderer*, which isn’t exactly a common thing in his life right now.
He can be honest with her, she isn’t repelled by who he is or what he does — that’s got to be attractive. And he’s obviously *very* attracted.
None of this means that she has to return his affections . . . just that it’s hard to be let down, whether or not it’s anyone’s “fault” or anyone is to blame. And that’s why a lot of people are having sympathetic feelings toward him.
There’s no need for anyone to demonize Mary — I think that a lot of people are just putting themselves in Gaki’s shoes, since this page was from his viewpoint.
Am I missing something here? People are saying “Mary shouldn’t cheat” but, uh, as far as I know, they had one date scheduled and that was it. Mary didn’t owe Gaki a single thing. It sucks to be Gaki; it was a really unfortunate that he showed up just as Mary and Fragile were kissing, but I wasn’t under the impression that they were a couple at all.
It’s not Mary’s job to manage Gaki’s expectations, either. A lot of people are saying “she shouldn’t have let him get his hopes up,” but Mary’s not in control of what goes on in Gaki’s mind. We’ve seen very little of Mary’s and Gaki’s interactions, but Mary’s basically said “nope” the entire time. What else was she supposed to do?
At the same time, if you organise a date, the expectation there is that you do owe it to them to see it through, or at least be upfront with them if you change your mind.
Also, there’s been implications they’ve slept with each other on more than one occasion, so Gaki can be a little more forgiven for thinking they were dating.
To be fair, Mary didn’t commit to anything, neither did she organize a date. Gaki asked if she wanted to do something, she reluctantly said “Maybe”, so he more or less set himself up for disappointment by jumping the gun.
*nods* That’s where I am with it — when you’re in a sexual relationship with someone who you consider to be a friend, it’s not very kind to treat them callously/obliviously/apathetically when they clearly have feelings for you. It would have been better for her to *stop sleeping with him,* if she’s not interested.
She’s not an evil person for not having done so (and, honestly, she seems to be dealing with some level of dissociation/personality alteration since the blood transfusion), it’s just a thoughtless way to treat a friend.
I feel bad for Gaki because that is an AWFUL way to get your hopes shattered — but I don’t blame Mary for not being interested in a relationship with him. Wish she could have told him verbally, rather than standing him up and then kissing someone else in front of him . . . but she hadn’t exactly planned for an afternoon of running for her life from hellish supernatural creatures, either.
Emotions are high, and connecting with another person after a near-death experience is a pretty natural thing for people to do. Happens all the time, in real life.
I think we can be pro-Gaki (because he does seem like a really sweet guy) without being anti-Mary. Some people aren’t going to work out as a couple, and that doesn’t require placing blame on either party.
Oh, dear, dear Gaki. I’m going to go ahead and suggest that we don’t blame anyone for this- not Mary for finding someone she’s genuinely attracted to in both ( I assume) an emotional and physical sense or Gaki for being smitten with Mary and getting his hopes up for a grand romance. Of course there are conflicting emotions, but I’ll just be happy for Mary and Fragile and sad for Gaki and be on my merry way.
THIS ONE, BASICALLY. Srsly the amount of people eager to blame the woman in this comment thread, I stg. OTL
I feel mega bad for Gaki, because HE’S SWEET and I want him to be happy! But I also don’t prioritize his happiness over someone he had a bit of a crush on. He isn’t entitled to Mary, and some readers are really acting like he is!
AUGH GUYS JUST BE HAPPY ABOUT THE LADY SMOOCHING gaki will get a cool arc later okay
I know a lot of ppl are going to get on me for this but it is her falt she said to him a few pages ago yes fine whatever i’ll go out with you. sure she may not have been that in to him but she could and should have said that.. she kinda lead him on. i’m happy for her if this is what she wants but it’s cold to go from “ok i’ll try it” to bam to bad for you. i know that’s not what shes doing really but that may be how it feels to him. but hey it’s just a comic book a good one but still.
Mary said no such thing, though. She never said yes. She said “maybe”, which isn’t a no but it’s not a yes, either. Every time he brought it up she would brush him off.
I for one find the panel order on the bottom not very clear to read. I still haven’t figured it out, because is Gaki seeing the message on his phone and then sees Mary and Fragile in the background or is he seeing the two and then he receives the message? I am a bit confused…
Awwwwwww, Gaki. I thought this would happen. Poor you ;_; You’re my favourite character, don’t worry *hugs*
BUT YESSSSSSS FINALLY MARY X FRAGILE I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR KISSSSSSSSSSSSSS
That’s why I said, in my comment (which I won’t repeat in its entirety, since it’s on this same page), “Poor Gaki. He really did try — Mary’s apathy isn’t his fault”, AND “Not that it’s on Mary to make a relationship work if it isn’t happening for her, but I think it’s a lot better to be honest and up-front about your feelings, rather than being passive and lackluster.”
I feel bad that Gaki is hurt, because his feelings are genuine, and it’s unnecessarily painful to find out that your relationship is over, by *seeing the person who just stood you up on a date kissing someone else in the street.*
Did Mary intend him to see it? No — she probably had completely forgotten that he’d been waiting for her, given that she just went through a *near-death experience*, and is doing the very natural thing of attempting to connect with another human being afterward.
I do think that she’s behaved a bit callously toward him, though. (If you are FRIENDS with someone, and you’re sleeping together, and they obviously have feelings toward you and are trying to turn it into a dating relationship, the kindest thing to do is to stop having sex with them, since it only fuels the crush/attraction.)
I don’t think that it’s a moral imperative or that she’s a bad person for not having done it, but I do think that she was feeling apathetic enough that it was obvious to the readers, so . . . why agree to the date, and why keep having sex?
I feel good for Mary, that she’s made a move on someone who she feels physically and emotionally attracted to. I hope it works out — Fragile is a fascinating character, and I look forward to seeing more of her. And I’m all about queer relationships (and gender-and-sexual-minority characters), trust me. ^__^
I hope that things go well for her — I’m not vilifying her.
I *also* am heart-hurt for Gaki’s shattered hopes . . . he has come off as a very sweet, slightly-awkwardly-caring person, who has a dirty and difficult job, and a talent that may not be incredibly easy to live with . . . and he really seemed to fall for Mary.
It’s got to be hard to find someone who is interested in having a relationship with someone who has to be secretive about their job, their abilities, and the majority of their life.
He’s not exactly going to be able to have a serious, emotionally-intimate relationship with a “normal” girl/boy, unless there is some reason why they’re able to become a part of his secret world — and it’s not like C.E. seems especially open to letting non-supernatural humans in on their operation.
That’s probably why Mary hit him like a ton of bricks — she’s a seemingly-sweet (I say “seemingly” because she does seem to be dealing with some personality changes since the transfusion) girl who has been thrown into their world through an act of violence.
She appeals to his protective instincts, and she initiated a sexual relationship with him (IIRC, she made the first move), and *she’s a supernatural person who isn’t a mass murderer*, which isn’t exactly a common thing in his life right now.
He can be honest with her, she isn’t repelled by who he is or what he does — that’s got to be attractive. And he’s obviously *very* attracted.
None of this means that she has to return his affections . . . just that it’s hard to be let down, whether or not it’s anyone’s “fault” or anyone is to blame. And that’s why a lot of people are having sympathetic feelings toward him.
There’s no need for anyone to demonize Mary — I think that a lot of people are just putting themselves in Gaki’s shoes, since this page was from his viewpoint.
Oops! Pardon the double-post — for some reason, this didn’t show up as a threaded reply to Jade, the first time around. I can’t edit/delete it — sorry about that!
I don’t think Mary is evil or anything. I mean, yeah it would have been nice if she had been clearer, but humans are pansies. They don’t want to rock the boat/hurt other people’s feelings. And yeah, Gaki did set himself up.
But it still doesn’t lessen the pain. This hit me right in the heart, owwwwww. Poor guy.
Oh, goddamit.
Ahhh man. . . I completely forgot about him T_T
I feel bad for Gaki for having his disappointment, but I feel that she was pretty clear from the get-go that she wasn’t that interested in an actual relationship with him. Still not a fun thing to witness.
She still might’ve let him down a tad easier. You can’t blame him for being a tad annoyed.
As long as he’s not a dick about it he can be as upset as he wants.
And from someone who’s tried: You can’t let people down easier. They take it as hard as they take it, and that’s all you can do. Emotions are dumb that way.
Man, and I’ve been on the other end of that scenario. I’ve told guys outright that I’m not interested and to leave me alone, and they still wanted to think that just meant I’m playing “hard to get” or something. It was easier said than done to cut them out of my life entirely.
Not that this is the same situation. I mean, I doubt Gaki is that kind of dude. And while yeah, Mary should’ve been a bit more straightforward about her feelings (or lack thereof) towards him, I can also see why she didn’t. It’s hard being in a “relationship” with someone who’s totally into you but you care nothing about.
I’m crying, how much clearer did she need to be? And she’s not kissing Fragile for the audience, she’s doing it for HER.
She never texted back, sounded disinterested when Gaki talked about taking things further, etc. Like, I feel bad for the guy, since he’s sweet and I’d like to see him succeed in the smooch department, but he really needed to take the dang hint. Really this is GOOD for him, because now he’ll stop pursuing someone who isn’t into him and wasting his time. He can find someone who is enthusiastically into him, and that is cool.
Yet she still has sex with him without clearly defining their relationship, that’s called leading someone on. She was a total asshole towards him, if she didn’t want him she should not have gone back to him for sex and she could have said straight out that she didn’t want to be with him. Earlier they explained that Gaki wasn’t the type of person to have sex without a relationship, so of course he would be someone who would want that but I guess he shouldn’t be looking for it with someone who uses him like a rag doll and throws him away when she’s done. I think you don’t see how shitty this is because Gaki is a guy, but imagine this situation flipped, I’ve seen a lot of women complain about this exact situation, the girl gets all worked up thinking they are in a relationship . So I still firmly believe that she’s a dick.
Just jumping in here, but I think “having sex without clearly defining a relationship” doesn’t count as leading someone on cause it’s not like Mary lied about anything. Just cause someone SAID that Gaki doesn’t have sex without a relationship doesn’t mean she knew that was true. She might have thought that since he was totally okay with her making a pass and getting busy that his friends were wrong. He could’ve said No or Let’s date first, so how’s that her fault?
I’m not saying this played out right or that no one’s wrong, but blaming it all on Mary doesn’t sound fair. Sometimes shit just happens.
In an ideal world, after Arthur said Gaki was only into relationships, she should have made things clear. But I like that complexity of storytelling. She was busy and distracted and wrapped up in herself and she used him. Does that make her a bad person? No, it makes her nuanced. Love it.
NO. I did not expect this thrown in my face today, no dodging gear in please, help, I- sjadfsipjdiaj. NO. Take it back.
Poor Gaki. He really did try — Mary’s apathy isn’t his fault (and I wonder, a little, if her apparent coldness has to do with her blood transfusion. She didn’t *seem* to be terribly callous beforehand.)
Not that it’s on Mary to make a relationship work if it isn’t happening for her, but I think it’s a lot better to be honest and up-front about your feelings, rather than being passive and lackluster. Not fair to the other person in the relationship, at that point. If you’re unhappy, say so.
(I’m not viewing her kiss with Fragile as being intentional cheating — I think that it was something in the moment, after a traumatic experience. Not that she may not have been attracted to Fragile beforehand, but I don’t think that she made a conscious decision to pursue her without talking to Gaki, and likely breaking up. I could be wrong, but that’s how I’m reading the situation.)
Poor guy shouldn’t have to witness it, while holding a bouquet, though 🙁
mary always knew gaki’s feelings about her, she should had stoped it from the begginig before something like this could happen
If I recall rightly, at the beginig of her thing with Gaki she wass cear that she wanted it just to have something normal in her life… well being in a unsatisfactory relationship and cheating is pretty common these days. But yeah Gaki should’t have had so high expectations and Mary shouldn’t had let him have’em 🙁
Poor Gaki… 🙁 But it was pretty clear from the beginning that Mary really wasn’t interested in any relationship past the basics. :/ He’ll get over it. Hopefully. Either that or Fragile might reject her; you never know until the kiss ends. 😛
I hope to God that Fragile doesn’t reject her, I’ve been shipping those two since they shared a panel together….
Do you see that embrace? No way is she getting rejected. Hoooo boy.
Noooooo poor Gaki!!! I mean, he was gonna find out, but I was hoping it was going to be through some kinder way…
SUIT YISUS!
You poor fool. My sympathy goes out to you.
I’m so sad for Gaki
First, the sad part. I’m personally glad for Mary and it is pretty obvious that she will be happier this way (hm, I think if Fragile wanted somehow to reject Mary, she wouldn’t answered the kiss), but still it is not right to go just “oh, I don’t love you at all, but in NO DAMNED WAY I will tell you about it. Let’s just sin together so that I would have my portion of normality in this mad life. You can of course have some hopes and feelings towards me, but I will still never say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ until one day you see me kissing in the street. You’re free to feel ruined and upset”. And here comes the happy-shipper part. I’m not saying that Mary DOESN’T DESERVE happiness, cause she really had hard times (getting killed and almost-killed and so), so let’s wish her some sweet kisses before the creepy microwave) And, as Gaki is going to the labs, he may find another pretty biter but of his age and take her (him?!) home heroically. He/she will fall in love with the saviour and they all will live happily ever after. -Happyend-
(Stop. Forgot about Kenichi. Still have to ship him with someone. Hm. Hmmmmmm. No idea)
Kenichi seems vaguely serial-killer-ish to me… do we really want to set him up with someone just to find out he’s a murderer hiding with… supernatural vigilantes?
Nooooo ;o;
Ehhh he can do better. >_>
And they weren’t really in an emotional relationship…at least not on her part.
AW NO. i forgot about him ;-; i mean he should have got the hint that she didnt want a relationship with him, but she should have told him out right when she noticed he wasnt getting the hint. poor gaki.
Awww. Poor Gaki. I mean, I’m happy that Mary is with someone she’s actually attracted to, but I still feel bad for him because he seemed really smitten with her.
Awww man, I feel sorry for the guy. 🙁
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO This is just cruel ç_ç Fuck you Red Wedding! There’s a new heartbreaking scene in town!
I’m slightly baffled by all the people saying ‘Poor Gaki! Mary is so cruel!’ (something which has been going on ever since her attraction with Fragile became clear…). I mean, I thought Mary’s apathy towards a real relationship with Gaki was pretty obvious. Any time a girl responds to ‘Date night?’ with anything less than ‘FUCK YEAH MOTHERFUCKER LET’S DO THIS YOU ME AND WINE AND WE WILL KICK THE SHIT OUT OF ROMANCE’ I think might be an indication that they’re really not interested.
Add in that Mary knows Gaki is both a vampire and a pyrokinetic (or I assume she knows…) and that adds an extra layer of ‘DO NOT WANT’ to her not wanting to make him angry. I mean remember, there is that whole angle to consider when it comes to Mary turning down Gaki, and given the writer’s, I’d be surprised if they hadn’t considered it.
Agreed. I also don’t remember either of the two out right stating that they were a couple. It was just Genki asking if she wanted have date one night
That’s why I said, in my comment (which I won’t repeat in its entirety, since it’s on this same page), “Poor Gaki. He really did try — Mary’s apathy isn’t his fault”, AND “Not that it’s on Mary to make a relationship work if it isn’t happening for her, but I think it’s a lot better to be honest and up-front about your feelings, rather than being passive and lackluster.”
I feel bad that Gaki is hurt, because his feelings are genuine, and it’s unnecessarily painful to find out that your relationship is over, by *seeing the person who just stood you up on a date kissing someone else in the street.*
Did Mary intend him to see it? No — she probably had completely forgotten that he’d been waiting for her, given that she just went through a *near-death experience*, and is doing the very natural thing of attempting to connect with another human being afterward.
I do think that she’s behaved a bit callously toward him, though. (If you are FRIENDS with someone, and you’re sleeping together, and they obviously have feelings toward you and are trying to turn it into a dating relationship, the kindest thing to do is to stop having sex with them, since it only fuels the crush/attraction.)
I don’t think that it’s a moral imperative or that she’s a bad person for not having done it, but I do think that she was feeling apathetic enough that it was obvious to the readers, so . . . why agree to the date, and why keep having sex?
I feel good for Mary, that she’s made a move on someone who she feels physically and emotionally attracted to. I hope it works out — Fragile is a fascinating character, and I look forward to seeing more of her. And I’m all about queer relationships (and gender-and-sexual-minority characters), trust me. ^__^
I hope that things go well for her — I’m not vilifying her.
I *also* am heart-hurt for Gaki’s shattered hopes . . . he has come off as a very sweet, slightly-awkwardly-caring person, who has a dirty and difficult job, and a talent that may not be incredibly easy to live with . . . and he really seemed to fall for Mary.
It’s got to be hard to find someone who is interested in having a relationship with someone who has to be secretive about their job, their abilities, and the majority of their life.
He’s not exactly going to be able to have a serious, emotionally-intimate relationship with a “normal” girl/boy, unless there is some reason why they’re able to become a part of his secret world — and it’s not like C.E. seems especially open to letting non-supernatural humans in on their operation.
That’s probably why Mary hit him like a ton of bricks — she’s a seemingly-sweet (I say “seemingly” because she does seem to be dealing with some personality changes since the transfusion) girl who has been thrown into their world through an act of violence.
She appeals to his protective instincts, and she initiated a sexual relationship with him (IIRC, she made the first move), and *she’s a supernatural person who isn’t a mass murderer*, which isn’t exactly a common thing in his life right now.
He can be honest with her, she isn’t repelled by who he is or what he does — that’s got to be attractive. And he’s obviously *very* attracted.
None of this means that she has to return his affections . . . just that it’s hard to be let down, whether or not it’s anyone’s “fault” or anyone is to blame. And that’s why a lot of people are having sympathetic feelings toward him.
There’s no need for anyone to demonize Mary — I think that a lot of people are just putting themselves in Gaki’s shoes, since this page was from his viewpoint.
Cheating not cool :T
Am I missing something here? People are saying “Mary shouldn’t cheat” but, uh, as far as I know, they had one date scheduled and that was it. Mary didn’t owe Gaki a single thing. It sucks to be Gaki; it was a really unfortunate that he showed up just as Mary and Fragile were kissing, but I wasn’t under the impression that they were a couple at all.
It’s not Mary’s job to manage Gaki’s expectations, either. A lot of people are saying “she shouldn’t have let him get his hopes up,” but Mary’s not in control of what goes on in Gaki’s mind. We’ve seen very little of Mary’s and Gaki’s interactions, but Mary’s basically said “nope” the entire time. What else was she supposed to do?
At the same time, if you organise a date, the expectation there is that you do owe it to them to see it through, or at least be upfront with them if you change your mind.
Also, there’s been implications they’ve slept with each other on more than one occasion, so Gaki can be a little more forgiven for thinking they were dating.
To be fair, Mary didn’t commit to anything, neither did she organize a date. Gaki asked if she wanted to do something, she reluctantly said “Maybe”, so he more or less set himself up for disappointment by jumping the gun.
*nods* That’s where I am with it — when you’re in a sexual relationship with someone who you consider to be a friend, it’s not very kind to treat them callously/obliviously/apathetically when they clearly have feelings for you. It would have been better for her to *stop sleeping with him,* if she’s not interested.
She’s not an evil person for not having done so (and, honestly, she seems to be dealing with some level of dissociation/personality alteration since the blood transfusion), it’s just a thoughtless way to treat a friend.
I feel bad for Gaki because that is an AWFUL way to get your hopes shattered — but I don’t blame Mary for not being interested in a relationship with him. Wish she could have told him verbally, rather than standing him up and then kissing someone else in front of him . . . but she hadn’t exactly planned for an afternoon of running for her life from hellish supernatural creatures, either.
Emotions are high, and connecting with another person after a near-death experience is a pretty natural thing for people to do. Happens all the time, in real life.
I think we can be pro-Gaki (because he does seem like a really sweet guy) without being anti-Mary. Some people aren’t going to work out as a couple, and that doesn’t require placing blame on either party.
Poor Gaki.
But hey, it’s always possible to take a third option… as it were.
Oh, dear, dear Gaki. I’m going to go ahead and suggest that we don’t blame anyone for this- not Mary for finding someone she’s genuinely attracted to in both ( I assume) an emotional and physical sense or Gaki for being smitten with Mary and getting his hopes up for a grand romance. Of course there are conflicting emotions, but I’ll just be happy for Mary and Fragile and sad for Gaki and be on my merry way.
THIS ONE, BASICALLY. Srsly the amount of people eager to blame the woman in this comment thread, I stg. OTL
I feel mega bad for Gaki, because HE’S SWEET and I want him to be happy! But I also don’t prioritize his happiness over someone he had a bit of a crush on. He isn’t entitled to Mary, and some readers are really acting like he is!
AUGH GUYS JUST BE HAPPY ABOUT THE LADY SMOOCHING gaki will get a cool arc later okay
Agreed, very much so 🙂
EVERYBODY WE MUST FIND A NEW LOVE INTEREST FOR GAKI.
An excellent and wonderfully positive idea!
I know a lot of ppl are going to get on me for this but it is her falt she said to him a few pages ago yes fine whatever i’ll go out with you. sure she may not have been that in to him but she could and should have said that.. she kinda lead him on. i’m happy for her if this is what she wants but it’s cold to go from “ok i’ll try it” to bam to bad for you. i know that’s not what shes doing really but that may be how it feels to him. but hey it’s just a comic book a good one but still.
Mary said no such thing, though. She never said yes. She said “maybe”, which isn’t a no but it’s not a yes, either. Every time he brought it up she would brush him off.
I for one find the panel order on the bottom not very clear to read. I still haven’t figured it out, because is Gaki seeing the message on his phone and then sees Mary and Fragile in the background or is he seeing the two and then he receives the message? I am a bit confused…
Awwwwwww, Gaki. I thought this would happen. Poor you ;_; You’re my favourite character, don’t worry *hugs*
BUT YESSSSSSS FINALLY MARY X FRAGILE I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR KISSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Gaki uses Android. I like him better now 🙂
That’s why I said, in my comment (which I won’t repeat in its entirety, since it’s on this same page), “Poor Gaki. He really did try — Mary’s apathy isn’t his fault”, AND “Not that it’s on Mary to make a relationship work if it isn’t happening for her, but I think it’s a lot better to be honest and up-front about your feelings, rather than being passive and lackluster.”
I feel bad that Gaki is hurt, because his feelings are genuine, and it’s unnecessarily painful to find out that your relationship is over, by *seeing the person who just stood you up on a date kissing someone else in the street.*
Did Mary intend him to see it? No — she probably had completely forgotten that he’d been waiting for her, given that she just went through a *near-death experience*, and is doing the very natural thing of attempting to connect with another human being afterward.
I do think that she’s behaved a bit callously toward him, though. (If you are FRIENDS with someone, and you’re sleeping together, and they obviously have feelings toward you and are trying to turn it into a dating relationship, the kindest thing to do is to stop having sex with them, since it only fuels the crush/attraction.)
I don’t think that it’s a moral imperative or that she’s a bad person for not having done it, but I do think that she was feeling apathetic enough that it was obvious to the readers, so . . . why agree to the date, and why keep having sex?
I feel good for Mary, that she’s made a move on someone who she feels physically and emotionally attracted to. I hope it works out — Fragile is a fascinating character, and I look forward to seeing more of her. And I’m all about queer relationships (and gender-and-sexual-minority characters), trust me. ^__^
I hope that things go well for her — I’m not vilifying her.
I *also* am heart-hurt for Gaki’s shattered hopes . . . he has come off as a very sweet, slightly-awkwardly-caring person, who has a dirty and difficult job, and a talent that may not be incredibly easy to live with . . . and he really seemed to fall for Mary.
It’s got to be hard to find someone who is interested in having a relationship with someone who has to be secretive about their job, their abilities, and the majority of their life.
He’s not exactly going to be able to have a serious, emotionally-intimate relationship with a “normal” girl/boy, unless there is some reason why they’re able to become a part of his secret world — and it’s not like C.E. seems especially open to letting non-supernatural humans in on their operation.
That’s probably why Mary hit him like a ton of bricks — she’s a seemingly-sweet (I say “seemingly” because she does seem to be dealing with some personality changes since the transfusion) girl who has been thrown into their world through an act of violence.
She appeals to his protective instincts, and she initiated a sexual relationship with him (IIRC, she made the first move), and *she’s a supernatural person who isn’t a mass murderer*, which isn’t exactly a common thing in his life right now.
He can be honest with her, she isn’t repelled by who he is or what he does — that’s got to be attractive. And he’s obviously *very* attracted.
None of this means that she has to return his affections . . . just that it’s hard to be let down, whether or not it’s anyone’s “fault” or anyone is to blame. And that’s why a lot of people are having sympathetic feelings toward him.
There’s no need for anyone to demonize Mary — I think that a lot of people are just putting themselves in Gaki’s shoes, since this page was from his viewpoint.
Oops! Pardon the double-post — for some reason, this didn’t show up as a threaded reply to Jade, the first time around. I can’t edit/delete it — sorry about that!
As someone who has been in Gaki’s shoes. Ooouuch.
I don’t think Mary is evil or anything. I mean, yeah it would have been nice if she had been clearer, but humans are pansies. They don’t want to rock the boat/hurt other people’s feelings. And yeah, Gaki did set himself up.
But it still doesn’t lessen the pain. This hit me right in the heart, owwwwww. Poor guy.
I’d seriously date Gaki <3 Two Brits together eyyyy 😉
Hah had a feeling it wouldn’t work out for him (or is that just what I wanted to happen)
Oww.. My heart.
I just want to hug poor Gaki. 🙁