The third volume of Tamifull’s How Do We Relationship? manga is all about Saeko taking steps to overcome her inhibitions in the bedroom, followed by a glimpse into Miwa’s past as she is reunited with someone she was close with.
This volume contains chapters nineteen through to twenty-seven.
Front cover of the third volume of How Do We Relationship?, featuring Miwa, Saeko and the other Band Club members
Miwa and Saeko are loving the couple life, but a miscommunication in the bedroom proves to be more of a threat to the easy rhythm of their relationship than either thought possible. After all, the past is hard to leave behind, especially when Miwa is invited to a reunion with some of her high school friends, including the first love she never really got over.
Part of Miwa’s past is laid bare in this volume of How Do We Relationship?, in contrast to Saeko, who is actively hiding part of her past from Miwa. No matter how curious Miwa gets about it, Saeko just avoids the topic – and that only adds to a list of things that troubles Saeko in her relationship with Miwa. One particular obstacle is her self-consciousness about being on the receiving end in more… intimate moments.
Miwa does her best to try and help Saeko overcome that whole thing, but it seems that Saeko has a pretty strong mental block. Much of this volume sees Saeko fretting over that, as well as the things she has not been sharing with Miwa.
One of the band club members, Tsuruta, also gets a little focus on this volume. In particular, he deals with the feelings he has for Miwa. Miwa’s total lack of interest in guys meant that whole thing was doomed from the start, but hey, at least Tsuruta considers his fellow band club members when figuring all that out.
Perhaps the most interesting thing to come from this particular volume though is the reveal of Miwa’s first crush, and how she discovered she liked girls. Miwa wasn’t able to recognise her feelings for the other girl, Shiho, immediately.
Shiho definitely had a rough time of it back then; what we learn about her family makes them seem pretty awful. Her parents were so controlling of her life, and they’d only really lavish praise on her sister with her high achievements.
Miwa coming into Shiho’s life definitely seemed to make it much brighter for her. Shiho’s an interesting character, and her reunion with Miwa only reignites those feelings that Miwa was developing for her back then.
Miwa was convinced she’d got over her, but it doesn’t really seem to be the case. Hopefully, though, she’ll be able to move on properly and focus on Saeko. Who knows, though? Yuri manga sure do love their drama…
Still, though, another enjoyable volume of How Do We Relationship?. It definitely sits up there as one of my favourite yuri manga; it’s nice to have a story about an established couple. Sure, there’s drama sometimes, but that only makes things more interesting.
Rory Muses 