We Never Learn (2020)

[ぼくたちは勉強ができない]

Volume 19

Author/Artist: Taishi Tsutsui
Publisher: Jump Comics

Synopsis:
Despite her pledge to support Takemoto and Ogata's romantic pursuit of Yuiga, Furuhashi is unable to suppress her own feelings.

Story/Characters:
After being disappointed with how the Ogata ending played out, I wasn't expecting much satisfaction here, but I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike with Ogata, Furuhashi doesn't have a side character to steal her spotlight and she has a genuine conflict to resolve. In Ogata's case, there was never any sense of hesitation like with Takemoto or Furuhashi, so there really wasn't much to work with (on a surface level, at least). However, with Furuhashi trying to support Takemoto and Ogata, there's a big hurdle for her to overcome. The general sequence of events is much like Takemoto's ending, only the point of divergence is Yuiga's injury while heading out to the Center Test. Instead, Furuhashi takes the hit and the two bond further while Yuiga takes care of her. We continue through Valentine's and the ski trip, leading into the big confession moment. I like Furuhashi's internal conflict, but I wouldn't mind if there was a little more external conflict as well. I'm guessing the idea is that Tsutsui doesn't want to risk the girls' image by having them more actively fight for Yuiga's affections. On the one hand, it speaks to how close they are as friends that they'd rather withdraw than go for an all-or-nothing gambit, but it does significantly lower the stakes (not that this series is about high-stakes character drama). We close on a date with Yuiga and Furuhashi where things don't go according to plan until we get our big payoff to tie a ribbon on it. It's sweet.

Art:
The art is good as ever. If you like a blushing Fuminocchi, you'll get loads of that. And of course we get the big payoff, so yay.

Conclusion:
This volume shows us how these alt routes should be done. The focus is firmly on the featured character and there's a significant emotional conflict to overcome. While Rizurin is my personal favorite, I felt Fuminocchi was probably the best match for Yuiga and had the best on-page development for their relationship. If the next couple endings follow more in this pattern, I'll be happy. Consider adding this one to your collection.

Rating:
Own It