I'm finally returning to this series after far too long, and man...if I wasn't quite sure how I felt about Haru as a character before, I definitely know now. I want to give the poor thing a hug. Themes of being unappreciated and unwanted have always been strong in The Elder Sister-Like One, but they take on a different tone, now that we've learned where Haru came from, and just what her relationship (or lack thereof) is to Ryou, Yuu's uncle. She makes a big show of brushing it all off with an "why would an immortal being care about the acts of hairless apes" type of argument, but I think she's trying to convince herself of that, more than anyone.
Speaking of, we also learn just what Ryou was trying to do with all his rituals and summoning circles in the storehouse basement. And that is heartbreaking in a different way. Whether he actually was in love with Youko, or if she was so close in his heart that he really did think of her as a sister, his obsession with bringing her back is destroying him. And that's not even getting into the complex past between Ryou, his brother, Youko, and Yuu.
The Elder Sister-Like One continues to be far better than a series that at a glance could be dismissed as "sexy Lovecraftian waifus" has any right to be. Whether human or not, these are some complex characters dealing with truly profound heartaches of different sorts. Come for the eldritch horrors and fanservice. Stay for the unexpectedly well-executed drama.
More of a 3.5 star rating; I really like that in this volume we finally got to learn more about Yuu-kun’s uncle and why he was put into into the hospital. I got a bit worried that his return to the home would disrupt how things were but I’m really glad that they didn’t. This volume also has me interested in exactly what are Chiyo’s abilities since she apparently wouldn’t have been able to grant Yuu-kun’s uncle’s wish. I’m very curious and excited to read the next volume.
When uncle and nephew meet under the view of their demonic sister like beings.
For those that have not read this series before and might consider it I thought I might point out a few things before talking about it. First there is a reason there is a warning on the cover explaining it has Explicit content as the ladies of the story are basically elder gods/demons who are able to manipulate their forms to create an assortment of shapes that sometimes catch the protagonist (who appears younger) in some ecchi situations, 2ndly although Chiyo and Haru are not really sisters to the characters in the book that does the playfulness they exhibit may give those weary of incest to avoid the series anyway, 3rdly being more about connections between characters and slice of life with a twist the books are not exactly thick with plot or content so they tend toward a quick read, and finally for those that actually do think they will get into flirty older sisters with eldritch horror origins (although they look perfectly human most of the time) the Mangka has also created a more hentai doujinshi that you can find online that takes steps beyond the playful flirting moments and focus more on what if Yuu decides he doesn't need a sister and she decides she needs a little more Yuu.
Yuu's uncle, Ryou gets a lot of screen time in this book as he awakens in the hospital and returns home at last. The truths of why Yuu was able to accidentally summon Chiyo, the daily life of Haru along with how she came to be in this world, and the relation of Haru and Yuu's past. Sisterly love was never this intense before it got a H.P. Lovecraft upgrade. :)