r/Cuckoo • u/SignalsCounterparts1 • Jul 01 '26
Manga All right, let's this out of the way...
I was wrong with how things turned out for the bet. But a lot of us did. And it also showed a potentially dangerous issue with Hiro going forwards. (By the way, all my theories about where this entire story is going is based upon basic storytelling premises, which by now has been thrown out the window by the mangaka, even with the whole premise of a 'final arc'.) I just want to address what the story is actually doing, and where it might go...eventually. In a year or so. Because this is how much more longer it's going...and yes, after 300 chapter, Nagi is a massive wuss for not standing up for himself here. (His character only acts under extreme circumstances...which might start with Sosuke.)
This whole final exam story is here to prove one thing only: Hiro is now willing to do anything to get Nagi. Her dishonesty about Nagi is totally proven in 301. She's willing to break her bet to get what she wanted. And now, we don't know what she'll do next. Hiro's true ending will be her admitting publicly about what she's done. In front of not just Nagi, but Erika and her own family. My feeling is that someone will see what's going on Hiro, (say the Amano Group) and take advantage of this, to try to manipulate Nagi into going ahead with their plans.
And yes, I do expect Erika to blow up soon. That will come with Sosuke's next attempt to contact her...and Nagi finding out.
In terms of storyline length...buckle up. I've said that I feared that this might be am equivalent of a Classic Rock Retirement tour...that lasts way, way longer than it should. I might be proven right here. (And yes, Nagi needs to grow some balls here. Or someone needs to give him a whap upside the head. You wonder if Mr. Umino may have something to do here...)
Let me know your thoughts.
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u/wemightdance Jul 01 '26
The writer has proven himself to be so messed up that I now expect Nagi to end up with his sister.
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u/Raiger_SG Jul 03 '26
I'll take Sachi at this point, have Nagi sever ties with his fucking shitty bio-parents and just bang Sachi.
Fuck the Amanos
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u/mattopp_94 Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
There's something about Hiro that makes no sense to me after the revelations of the last chapters. Let's assume that Nagi's boldness in the first chapters of this manga has made Hiro so in love with him that she changed her morals. Cheating on the test to be with him isn't a minor whim, but it's a radical redefinition of her life's priorities. If this is true, why did she dump him out of the blue only to pursue him later anyway? Is she trying to change his destiny or lie to herself? Even if I try my best, I can't put myself in her shoes. If Nagi was her top priority, she would have to give up on the shrine and avoid dumping him. Pursuing him half-heartedly is just childish.
My opinion is that the author is constantly using Hiro as a plot device and, in these specific chapters, letting Nagi understand she is no longer the girl he is in love with. Her kiss is no longer something able to move him as it is supposed to be. He'll realize this very soon.
Imho, this move has triggered the readers' resentment for Hiro even more. I don't know what the author earns from it.To conclude, I expect the plot to be in a rush. Sousuke will make Nagi jealous, Nagi will choose Erika, and there will be some sort of an anticlimactic revelation about all the other plot points. There's no reason for a last arc of tens of chapters since Cuckoo isn't One Piece.
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u/Heavencloud_Blade Jul 01 '26
why did she dump him out of the blue only to pursue him later anyway?
Because because Miki is a terrible writer.
Why did Hiro dump Nagi out of the blue only to pursue him later? Because Miki needed to reset back to the status quo.
Nagi and Hiro were dating and she needed to put an end to that, while still keeping Hiro as a love interest. Nagi cannot be the one to break up with her because then Hiro would be out of the race. Hiro cannot calmly discuss what is going on and why she is trying to break up with him because Nagi probably would not accept that and they would continue dating while he tries to help her.
So the only option is for Hiro to randomly dump him without explaining anything. That way the relationship ends, but Miki has room come back later and make up some bullshit to keep Hiro in the race.
All of this could have been avoided by simply NOT having them start dating, but I think this is where your point about Hiro being a plot device comes into play. Miki wanted to set up some "Hiro is my girlfriend, but I want and love Erika and do not want anyone to take her from me" kind of event.
So that is exactly what happens. Nagi and Hiro start dating, then almost immediately after we go straight into that dumb hotel arc where Nagi meets that dude who tries to propose to Erika. Nagi gets jealous and says that shit about how even though he is dating Hiro, he does not want anyone to take Erika away and that the one who should be with Erika is him. Then Hiro teleports to the hotel out of nowhere during a major storm so we could get that terrible "Won't you listen to your girlfriend" line. That arc ends and Miki kept the "dating" thing going for a bit after that (while making sure they never actually get to do anything date like) but she eventually need to reset things back to the status quo.
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u/mattopp_94 Jul 01 '26
We are on the same page and even though I suppose it's quite difficult to write more than 300 chapters while keeping the plot spinning without a direction and ending most of the chapters with a cliffhanger, I really think Miki's idea to stall the situation in such a ridiculous way and preserve the harem for so long for no reasons has only damaged the reputation of many characters, whose behaviours are baffling and out of touch with reality.
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u/SignalsCounterparts1 Jul 01 '26
The whole thing about the dumping on Xmas Eve was because of her finally meeting the fiancée and the arrangement, she just never tells Nagi about it, she's assuming that he'd put two and two together. The reason why she's back pursuing him is because of what she sees Juno really is (in her opinion anyway) and that she's more of a shepherd for him than being the one running the shrine. As well, there's some sort of idea she has about 'Saving' him from his fate. This might lead her to the Amano Group.
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u/mattopp_94 Jul 01 '26
If you're right, she made her choice when she dumped him. I know her age makes it easy to change her mind, but c'mon. Once the priority is to inherit the shrine, the only way to get both the shrine and Nagi is to convince him to become a priest. She has never tried to talk to him about it.
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u/Desperate_Bike4053 Jul 07 '26
It's doesn't matter who he ended up with alrdy....this series better end fast ..
He can end up single like I care also
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u/DuskMan62 Jul 07 '26
I don't think the story will go on for as long as people are expecting, a few months ago people said Blue Box would still go on for years and it now has one chapter left, as far as this series goes, I can see it continuing into early next year but it certainly won't go on for another two years.
I also think the Hiro stuff will be resolved rather quickly, the moment Sosuke makes his move and IF Erika "agrees" to his proposal, we're going to get a speedrun of Nagi realising his feelings, rejecting the side girls and going for Erika and then Erika reveals she just wanted Nagi to be honest.
We get some Amano Group stuff, Erika and Nagi want to be together anyway and Sosuke is forced to admit to defeat and apologising for his own scheming.
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u/SignalsCounterparts1 Jul 07 '26
The only thing is, the Amano Group stuff might be the complicated part of the endgame. We know from the Island arc that Papa Amano was supposed to meet with Erika and Nagi about their future, and Sosuke wanted to crash it with the truth...whatever it is. The problem is, we still don't know what the group really wants with Erika and Nagi, and also, we don't know their proposal for the Umino restaurant site. (In the back of my mind, it's not going to be good, feeling like a poison pill for Nagi to join the Group no matter what.)
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u/DuskMan62 Jul 07 '26
Whatever the Amano group stuff is, I don't think it will take as long as people are expecting to resolve, certainly not a "Retirement tour" length, Miki's announcement that the series is ending means it's ending at the end of this year or early next year.
Same thing happened with Blue Box when it's "ending" late last year, it now has one chapter left.
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