Futago Matomete "Kanojo" ni shinai? Vol 03 - Legend of Futaneko! Yuzuki...
Volume 3 of Futago Matomete "Kanojo" ni shinai? (双子まとめて『カノジョ』にしない？) continues with a fascinating installment inspired by Japanese folklore. The story focuses on a trip taken by the twins, Chikage and Hikari, along with the protagonist, Sakuto, to the city of Futaneko.
Before discussing the legend, let us be direct. The volume is, of course, filled with romantic moments between the three and showcases the girls in their swimsuits. While Hikari’s look was cute, Chikage stole the spotlight for me; her black bikini was an amazing choice.
Problems were naturally present, as the group encounters Sakuto’s childhood friend and the source of his trauma, Yuzuki Kusanagi, along with the journalism club leader, Matori Kousaka, at a seaside shop. Apparently, a bear appeared and injured the current manager of the business, so they are doing their best to assist. The twins and Sakuto decide to help as well, leading to some work interspersed with the fun.
Sakuto’s teacher, Tachibana, even appears in this volume on the beach. Her character art, seen below, is genuinely striking, to the point that it makes you wonder how much of her presence is calculated and how much is truly just for relaxation. You can never be sure with her, especially given how she manipulated Chikage, Hikari, and Sakuto like pawns on a chessboard in previous volumes.
The legend goes like this. Long ago, a pair of twins was born in a large house: the older sister, Mitsuko, and the younger sister, Chikako. The twins were smart, gentle, and competent, attracting many marriage proposals from men. When they reached the age of 14, the girls began caring for a stray cat, and for two years, the three of them lived together as one.
Two years later, when the girls were 16, it was decided they would be married to a merchant and a fisherman. Naturally, the cat was unhappy about this, so it went between the sea and the mountains to ask the respective gods for the power to become human. The plan was simple: become human, make the twins fall in love, and convince their father to let them both marry him. The gods agreed to help but warned that if he failed, he would turn into a pebble.
The cat, now in human form, manages to make the twins like him by taking advantage of their sadness over the cat’s disappearance. However, the two girls begin fighting over him immediately afterward, eventually forcing him to accept the consequences of his actions and turn into a pebble.
This legend feels incredibly similar to the situation Sakuto currently finds himself in with the twins. I will not delve too deeply into spoilers, but I really liked how the story intertwined with Chikage's past regarding her cat, Mashiro, and the trauma resulting from it. I also want to point out that the twins blushing before a kiss was incredibly cute. If twin-sister yuri is involved, where do I sign up?
It was also nice to see Yuzuki and Chikage talking and opening up to one another. I remember mentioning that I wanted Chikage to find her own place and friends, just as Hikari did, and I wonder if Yuzuki could become that person for her. They seem to be similar in several ways and a good fit.
There is also a scene at the very end that implies there may have been another reason behind the fake confession Yuzuki made in the past. While nothing is certain yet, I am sure this will be a focus of future volumes alongside the progress of the main relationship. I look forward to reading more.
