It occurs to me sometimes when reading Otoyomegatari that being Mori Kaoru’s editor has to be either one of the easiest jobs in manga, or one of the hardest.  To read her work is to get the sense that no one is telling her what she should and shouldn’t do, she just does what she wants.  And really, why would you tell her not to do that?  And it’s a given that no editor in his right mind is going to mess with her art.  Do you just sit back and let the pages come, or do you try and do your job even when you know it’s a job no one could really do?

There’s been a distinct slowdown in the narrative lately (both on the page and in the publishing), with a sense of idyll presiding for the most part over the past several chapters.  Whether this is a planned interlude, just Mori-sensei getting the bug to experiment a little or placeholding because she’s stuck on something with the plot I have no idea.  As I noted last time it can be a bit frustrating when you only get one chapter every six or eight weeks to have it be an 8-page omake, especially when that was preceded by some very fluffy chapters to begin with.  But then, no mangaka can do idyll like Mori.

This chapter is rather different in a couple of important ways, though once more almost nothing happens.  First of it’s full-length (23 pages), thank goodness.  And it takes the rather gratifying tack of giving us a glimpse of all the major storylines at once, which is a clever way to keep everyone connected when you have so many different settings that it’s often months or even years between visits.  I don’t care as much about some of these threads as others, but I still appreciate the chance to see what everyone (well, most of the major everyones anyway) is up to.

The theme here is basically just what the chapter title suggests, everyone having a slow day with nothing to do.  Among the highlights, Mr. Smith reminiscing about his days as a boy in Blighty, sneaking a book to the park so he can keep reading when he’s supposed to be getting some exercise.  Amir doing absolutely nothing but singing a made-up song, and Karluk going with one of her brothers to watch wild horses.  And then there’s probably the most interesting look-in, Sami and Sarm with the hellcat sisters, none of whom we’ve seen in at least a year.  They’re amusing as ever, but I have to say – I do find it a bit of a stretch that two married couples that age wouldn’t be able to think of something to do if they were stuck inside on a windy day.  I mean, seriously – it’s not much of a leap, is it?