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How Do We Relationship? #5
How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 5
Shy Miwa has always dreamed of finding love, but living in small-town Japan made finding the right match difficult—especially since she likes girls! Even going away to college didn’t seem to help, until one day her outgoing classmate Saeko suggests they might as well start dating each other since it’s not like either of them has other options.
Trying to keep their failing relationship going was putting a huge strain on both Miwa and Saeko. Now that they’ve broken up, they can focus on being friends and all the things the future might have in store. And for Miwa, that means finally telling Shiho how she feels. But is she ready for what her confession might unlock?
Trying to keep their failing relationship going was putting a huge strain on both Miwa and Saeko. Now that they’ve broken up, they can focus on being friends and all the things the future might have in store. And for Miwa, that means finally telling Shiho how she feels. But is she ready for what her confession might unlock?
200 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 2020
18 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
September 16, 2023
Yea….I think I’m done
It’s too toxic. It’s the fact that she took advantage of Miwa at her lowest point so that she could “control” her. There’s a line between unhealthy relationships and abuse and I’m sorry but this read as abusive. For my mental health, I’m just going to drop the series. It’s not worth continuing on to see if the characters grow not when I literally hate one of them.
It’s too toxic. It’s the fact that she took advantage of Miwa at her lowest point so that she could “control” her. There’s a line between unhealthy relationships and abuse and I’m sorry but this read as abusive. For my mental health, I’m just going to drop the series. It’s not worth continuing on to see if the characters grow not when I literally hate one of them.
May 28, 2022
[Content Warning: Talk of Suicide]
Now that the title should be a more generalized “we” or possibly How Did We Relationship?, Miwa and Saeko are moving on to new loves. Or… are they? Grab your mop and bucket because this is going to get very, very messy…
Even with some big dramatic swings, this volume nails the complex emotions of breaking up and trying to stay friends and also the revelation that people are not always going to do what’s in anybody’s best interest.
It all starts innocuously enough - Saeko’s potential new romance with her coworker gets derailed by somebody else and you can see that’s definitely going to be a thing, plus the most sexually free member of our cast gets a great chapter explaining her nature while also calling out the double standards of slut-shaming.
All the while, Saeko is making some comments that imply she might not have been nearly as ready to end things as it seemed and our two leads have a very nice friend moment. Plus, Saeko encourages Miwa to go after Shiho, her high school crush that broke the two of them up and suddenly there’s blood in the water.
Oh, it all seems fine. Good intentions, at least, but everybody knows where they go. Turns out that Shiho kind of knew about Miwa’s feelings and they spend a very pleasant vacation that has a hell of an aftermath. It’s one thing to be rejected because of who you are, but to instead be given the boot because of what you’d be together is a whole other kettle of fish. It’s mostly Shiho rejecting herself, but she doesn’t seem to realize how she’s rejecting Miwa as a person at the same time.
What this volume does incredibly well is pay off the previous four. There was always something kind of missing from the previous volumes, but now I feel like they were just getting the pieces in place for this, the real story. I bet if I re-read the whole series I would spot a lot more signs of what happens here.
In fact, it’s obvious in retrospect that Miwa’s self-esteem issues ran a lot deeper than even she might’ve realized and the blow from the Shiho situation, combined with her unfortunately timed desire for independence from home, has left her with very little by way of a social safety net.
At first her complete meltdown seems very overwrought, but looking back on the past, no, this makes perfect sense. Her utter despair is brutal to behold and the way Saeko comes through for her, yet Miwa then takes advantage of, is complicated.
It’s complicated because these two still have some interest in one another, but their intent becomes murky and dubious. Miwa wants to make herself feel better any way she can, which unfortunately for her is essentially codependence, while Saeko uses her act of kindness in a way that is oh-so-terrible, yet shockingly believable for her own personality.
This whole last section is fraught and complicated and difficult and as accurate portrayal of depression as I’ve seen lately. Miwa feels like she has absolutely nothing left and that turns the situation between the two completely on its head.
For her part, Saeko recognizes the damage she’s done after the fact, but she sure doesn’t realize the extent until the end of the book, which closes with a conversation that wouldn’t be out of place in a horror movie.
She’s also balancing this with her growing affection for her coworker; the two of them grow even closer towards the finish of the story, but even that is tainted by memories of Miwa, as Saeko is slowly recognizing the things that she did wrong when they were together.
It’s so, so messy, but it’s fascinating and has a car crash intensity that’s all the more impactful because we had a lot of time to get to know these two as people and a couple and now we have to see them moving forward through a real tangle. Where this is going, I think I know, but I could be wrong. I certainly have no idea how it’ll get there and that feeling after so many formulaic books (even some very good ones) is amazing.
5 stars - this series finally spread its wings in this volume and achieved a complexity that I had been waiting for and did it by going down one of the darkest paths it could. A good series has finally achieved a greatness I wasn’t sure it had in it and it was definitely worth the wait.
Now that the title should be a more generalized “we” or possibly How Did We Relationship?, Miwa and Saeko are moving on to new loves. Or… are they? Grab your mop and bucket because this is going to get very, very messy…
Even with some big dramatic swings, this volume nails the complex emotions of breaking up and trying to stay friends and also the revelation that people are not always going to do what’s in anybody’s best interest.
It all starts innocuously enough - Saeko’s potential new romance with her coworker gets derailed by somebody else and you can see that’s definitely going to be a thing, plus the most sexually free member of our cast gets a great chapter explaining her nature while also calling out the double standards of slut-shaming.
All the while, Saeko is making some comments that imply she might not have been nearly as ready to end things as it seemed and our two leads have a very nice friend moment. Plus, Saeko encourages Miwa to go after Shiho, her high school crush that broke the two of them up and suddenly there’s blood in the water.
Oh, it all seems fine. Good intentions, at least, but everybody knows where they go. Turns out that Shiho kind of knew about Miwa’s feelings and they spend a very pleasant vacation that has a hell of an aftermath. It’s one thing to be rejected because of who you are, but to instead be given the boot because of what you’d be together is a whole other kettle of fish. It’s mostly Shiho rejecting herself, but she doesn’t seem to realize how she’s rejecting Miwa as a person at the same time.
What this volume does incredibly well is pay off the previous four. There was always something kind of missing from the previous volumes, but now I feel like they were just getting the pieces in place for this, the real story. I bet if I re-read the whole series I would spot a lot more signs of what happens here.
In fact, it’s obvious in retrospect that Miwa’s self-esteem issues ran a lot deeper than even she might’ve realized and the blow from the Shiho situation, combined with her unfortunately timed desire for independence from home, has left her with very little by way of a social safety net.
At first her complete meltdown seems very overwrought, but looking back on the past, no, this makes perfect sense. Her utter despair is brutal to behold and the way Saeko comes through for her, yet Miwa then takes advantage of, is complicated.
It’s complicated because these two still have some interest in one another, but their intent becomes murky and dubious. Miwa wants to make herself feel better any way she can, which unfortunately for her is essentially codependence, while Saeko uses her act of kindness in a way that is oh-so-terrible, yet shockingly believable for her own personality.
This whole last section is fraught and complicated and difficult and as accurate portrayal of depression as I’ve seen lately. Miwa feels like she has absolutely nothing left and that turns the situation between the two completely on its head.
For her part, Saeko recognizes the damage she’s done after the fact, but she sure doesn’t realize the extent until the end of the book, which closes with a conversation that wouldn’t be out of place in a horror movie.
She’s also balancing this with her growing affection for her coworker; the two of them grow even closer towards the finish of the story, but even that is tainted by memories of Miwa, as Saeko is slowly recognizing the things that she did wrong when they were together.
It’s so, so messy, but it’s fascinating and has a car crash intensity that’s all the more impactful because we had a lot of time to get to know these two as people and a couple and now we have to see them moving forward through a real tangle. Where this is going, I think I know, but I could be wrong. I certainly have no idea how it’ll get there and that feeling after so many formulaic books (even some very good ones) is amazing.
5 stars - this series finally spread its wings in this volume and achieved a complexity that I had been waiting for and did it by going down one of the darkest paths it could. A good series has finally achieved a greatness I wasn’t sure it had in it and it was definitely worth the wait.
June 8, 2022
Really appreciate that the author isn't afraid to make her characters messy and even unlikeable at times. Not ones written to be like "evil" or whatever, just complex humans who make bad choices. And then not pulling punches when it comes to writing the consequences of their actions. I felt like where the last one was a little filler-y this one was definitely back on track with the lesbian drama lmao.
February 17, 2022
The new status quo is a little disorienting and heartbreaking and confusing and frustrating and certainly something I'll be returning to for the next volume.
February 10, 2022
I really do love this series! It's so good and it manages to keep capturing how riven by emotions we are. And how easily we get swept by them and how we make certain decisions based of them. I like the way it captures grief and sadness but also this interesting mixture of jealousy and anger, and how even tho Saeko's feeling all those she manages to come back to her senses and realize what she's doing is petty and she wants to apologize to Miwa but there's jut too many emotions all at ones between those two. And I love how we get to see them in different environments, it's about their relationship but we see how it is affected by their other relationships and the other things going on in their lives and how those change them. It feels very emotionally raw.
Just, my favorite manga series. *cheff kiss*
Just, my favorite manga series. *cheff kiss*
July 27, 2021
Nein nein nein nein nein nein... dieses Ende! WTF. WHY? In was für eine creepige Richtung entwickelt sich denn das plötzlich?
"Hallo, wir haben uns mit unserer unbedachten Beziehung völlig kaputt gemacht, wie wäre es, wenn wir uns noch weiter zerstören, manipulieren und ausnutzen?"
Irgendwie unschön zu sehen, wie dieser Beziehungsversuch von Miwa und Saeko sich aktuell in eine absolut toxische Richtung entwickelt. Ich verstehe, das beide ihr Päckchen zu tragen haben, aber jetzt ruinieren sie es wirklich.
"Hallo, wir haben uns mit unserer unbedachten Beziehung völlig kaputt gemacht, wie wäre es, wenn wir uns noch weiter zerstören, manipulieren und ausnutzen?"
Irgendwie unschön zu sehen, wie dieser Beziehungsversuch von Miwa und Saeko sich aktuell in eine absolut toxische Richtung entwickelt. Ich verstehe, das beide ihr Päckchen zu tragen haben, aber jetzt ruinieren sie es wirklich.
October 9, 2022
Haven't seen a manga depict the gradual shift and transformation that occurs throughout the various stages of a relationship so well before. Characters are always changing and becoming new versions of themselves in a very natural and nuanced way. This is like the Sopranos of gay musician manga.
Speaking of, I'm sad that all the music stuff has been put on hold. I get it, narratively, but I hope it comes back soon.
Speaking of, I'm sad that all the music stuff has been put on hold. I get it, narratively, but I hope it comes back soon.
May 3, 2022
wow i am definitely not liking whatever this direction is going
June 15, 2025
shit got real im excited
March 10, 2025
Miwa visits her ' first love ' in the hopes of sharing her feelings towards her.
Then it gets dark...
Then it gets dark...
May 28, 2022
Ahhh I loved the drama in this volume so much. I liked seeing Miwa and Saeko's complicated interactions, Miwa's lingering feelings towards Shiho, and their dynamics with all the other side characters in their lives. Also, the art is so expressive! I don't think I've talked about that aspect of this manga before but I really love how the character designs (usually) look distinct and how their emotions come through on their faces.
February 10, 2022
Such a tangled web being weaved, by so many spiders...
Miwa is unsure how to act around Saeko. They used to date, but are now "just friends". Saeko encourages Miwa to go see her high school friend that she's had a crush on for several years so Miwa boards a plane, and goes to see the girl she loves and wants. Things get complicated, though. The school friend figures out what's going on before Miwa can confess. Once Miwa does confess, she is turned down, but not for the reasons she expected. So Miwa returns home & basically becomes a shut-in. She quits school, she quits the band, and she's sick on top of all that. Finally, with some goading from the band, Saeko goes to check on Miwa. Miwa refuses to let her in, but Saeko finds a way to sneak in and barges into Miwa's new apartment. Day after day Saeko visits Miwa, cooks for her, cleans, and they talk. One night, one thing leads to another, & the two girls spend a night of furious passion. Saeko leaves the next day, deciding she'll just use Miwa for sex. But then, after talking to a female coworker who also likes women, Saeko feels like trash for using Miwa. She's determined to tell Miwa she's sorry. Thinking Miwa is still depressed, Saeko is startled when Miwa throws the door open, is dressed & groomed, says welcome home to Saeko, and embraces her. Saeko, is to say the least, shocked. What's going on?
Miwa is unsure how to act around Saeko. They used to date, but are now "just friends". Saeko encourages Miwa to go see her high school friend that she's had a crush on for several years so Miwa boards a plane, and goes to see the girl she loves and wants. Things get complicated, though. The school friend figures out what's going on before Miwa can confess. Once Miwa does confess, she is turned down, but not for the reasons she expected. So Miwa returns home & basically becomes a shut-in. She quits school, she quits the band, and she's sick on top of all that. Finally, with some goading from the band, Saeko goes to check on Miwa. Miwa refuses to let her in, but Saeko finds a way to sneak in and barges into Miwa's new apartment. Day after day Saeko visits Miwa, cooks for her, cleans, and they talk. One night, one thing leads to another, & the two girls spend a night of furious passion. Saeko leaves the next day, deciding she'll just use Miwa for sex. But then, after talking to a female coworker who also likes women, Saeko feels like trash for using Miwa. She's determined to tell Miwa she's sorry. Thinking Miwa is still depressed, Saeko is startled when Miwa throws the door open, is dressed & groomed, says welcome home to Saeko, and embraces her. Saeko, is to say the least, shocked. What's going on?
January 22, 2026
eeeee!!! saeko horny villain arc!! The ending of her hooking up with Miwa and using her for lust was awesomeeee. I lowkey love Miwa being the one in the dumps, groveling and heart broken. Saeko deserves to be the one on top!! Yuria's gf at the beginning was so sexy. It is so cute to see Yuria and Saeko be cutie and flirty with each other. Saeko deserves someone sweetie and someone who matches her energy. Even though of course i want Miwa and Saeko to be together ultimately, but this is nice. I love Rika embracing her slut lifestyle. When she said that when men its an accomplishment to have a high body count but with her/women, it is supposed to have a deeper meaning, girl ate that up!!! Shiho is so like ugh. You know you're leading her on and then Miwa confesses AGAIN and again you're just a wimp. glad you fucked Miwa up though, she needed a wake up call. also i think she just liked the old image of Shiho in her head, being able to make up for her younger self.
December 23, 2024
After the twists and turns of the last volume, this one doesn’t let up on the tension. This is a moment in the story in which the plot could potentially go in many different directions, and new developments in the drama do continually occur. The character work is quite in-depth as the author doesn’t shy away from complicated depictions of imperfect people struggling to make connections.
September 11, 2023
seriously this is ridiculous i cannot do this like i dont know how to rate this?? it hasnt even been that long since i read vol 4 i just genuinely do not understand what is happening??? ??hello????? 3.4 stars i feel?? or maybe 2 I LITERALLY DONT KNOW IM SO CONFUSED
March 16, 2023
Oooh this was originally going to be 3 stars from me, but I loved the dark and twisty turns it took at the end!! So excited to see where this is going—definitely not what I expected.
May 14, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
March 9, 2024
This one took a dark turn at the end. Not sure that I really liked it. We'll see what the next volume holds.
November 24, 2024
saeko GIRL
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March 18, 2026THESE PEOPLE ARE TERRIBLE
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March 20, 2026tienen todos los issues estas chicas
January 27, 2022
Liked it better than Vol 4. But Miwa is still acting like a young Teen and not a 19 year old young adult...but on the other Hand, Saeko is more self reflecting her behaviour which is good.
July 20, 2022
The series reaches a turning point in how it approaches its characters and their relationships with a fifth volume that really transforms this often lighthearted series into a strong exploration of depression, of LGBT treatment in Japan, and totally shifts into a more mature work.
Miwa reconnects with a former friend and someone whom she has liked for years only to be rejected in such a way that reflects the entrenched homophobia in society as her friend doesn’t reject her but what they would be as a couple, unintentionally rejecting Miwa as a person. This causes her to spiral into a depressive episode as she isolates herself and only through Saeko does she maintain a tenuous connection with the outside world.
Saeko here both uses her and is used by her and their relationship, though ended, still has some mutual feelings. That’s going to get worse before it gets better. Saeko meanwhile is drawing closer to a female coworker but any progress made here is threatened by what happens with Miwa.
This is decidedly darker than the prior four volumes and the characters, especially Miwa, really experience a dark night of the soul. In a way though this is a good direction for the series as it reëvaluates the relationship in the title. How do we relationship? How do we connect with other people, with ourselves, and with society? There’s a new arc coming and it promises to easily elevate this series into one of the better yuri series.
The new arc also sees new covers designed for the series and they are much nicer on the Japanese editions. I hope the later English editions will use them too.
Miwa reconnects with a former friend and someone whom she has liked for years only to be rejected in such a way that reflects the entrenched homophobia in society as her friend doesn’t reject her but what they would be as a couple, unintentionally rejecting Miwa as a person. This causes her to spiral into a depressive episode as she isolates herself and only through Saeko does she maintain a tenuous connection with the outside world.
Saeko here both uses her and is used by her and their relationship, though ended, still has some mutual feelings. That’s going to get worse before it gets better. Saeko meanwhile is drawing closer to a female coworker but any progress made here is threatened by what happens with Miwa.
This is decidedly darker than the prior four volumes and the characters, especially Miwa, really experience a dark night of the soul. In a way though this is a good direction for the series as it reëvaluates the relationship in the title. How do we relationship? How do we connect with other people, with ourselves, and with society? There’s a new arc coming and it promises to easily elevate this series into one of the better yuri series.
The new arc also sees new covers designed for the series and they are much nicer on the Japanese editions. I hope the later English editions will use them too.
November 28, 2022
2.5
The first half was great! I loved it. I thought this volume would finally get more stars. Like maybe 4 even.
The trip to Shiho was nice and I also loved the chapter where Rika and Miwa talked about romance in public. I also loved that kiss.
But well... the second half... gosh, no.
I really dislike Saeko. It was so nice not having her on the pages when Miwa visited Shiho. So refreshing.
And then she’s back...
At first it was nice how she took care of Miwa. And her food looked delicious.
But the end... ugh nah...
Miwa isn’t any better in the 2nd half tho. Like wtf happened? She can’t be that depressed over what Shiho told her, right?? There must’ve been another thing that happened on her way home.
The first half was great! I loved it. I thought this volume would finally get more stars. Like maybe 4 even.
The trip to Shiho was nice and I also loved the chapter where Rika and Miwa talked about romance in public. I also loved that kiss.
But well... the second half... gosh, no.
I really dislike Saeko. It was so nice not having her on the pages when Miwa visited Shiho. So refreshing.
And then she’s back...
At first it was nice how she took care of Miwa. And her food looked delicious.
But the end... ugh nah...
Miwa isn’t any better in the 2nd half tho. Like wtf happened? She can’t be that depressed over what Shiho told her, right?? There must’ve been another thing that happened on her way home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2022
This series gets worse with every volume.
December 14, 2023
ERM WHAT THE HELLLL IS GOING ON 😭👎
April 13, 2024
2.5/5 stars
okay, it's getting toxic, now. i'm not sure i'll be continuing this. the sex scene at the end made me feel sick, one of the characters is so abusive and it just gives me the ick.
okay, it's getting toxic, now. i'm not sure i'll be continuing this. the sex scene at the end made me feel sick, one of the characters is so abusive and it just gives me the ick.
July 12, 2024
Yeah. No. I’m done. I was invested in some of the characters and some of the relationships, but Saeko is just a nonsensical b-tch who abandons her girlfriend for no discernible logical reason.
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December 29, 2025Madre mía paco
July 29, 2025
Saeko's worst qualities came out in full force by the end of this volume and it is... disturbing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews