「好意と迷惑」 (Kōi to Meiwaku)
“Love and Annoyance”

Wow, if this wasn’t all contained within one episode, I might have gotten a hernia out of rage.

The fumbling around that’s been building up the past few episodes, or hell, since New Year’s last season, comes to a climax of one hell of a misunderstanding. I still can’t believe it, but the two LITERALLY CONFESSED to each other, and both of them STILL took it the wrong way. That’s got to be the most nail-biting scene of the year. I laughed at the predicament, but my gut inside was still slowly twisting from frustration.

This was pretty much me before Sawako’s meltdown:
“Oh snap, he confessed!”
“Wait, why did he say that?”
“Oh snap, he confessed.. again!”
“@$*#&@ STOP SAYING THOSE THINGS KAZEHAYA”

It hurt to watch three guys laughing that Kazehaya’s statement had to have meant they were just friends, and Sawako submitting to it all nailed the coffin. The episode was full of tense moments that had me hanging onto every word, since the two dense lovebirds kept rattling off misunderstandings like pros. It’s absolutely baffling and ironic how many times Kazehaya confesses, and it doesn’t even really change anything, even though we’ve been wanting someone to do it for so long. You know what doesn’t make too much sense though? If you were Kazehaya, and you were at the point where he said, “but our likes aren’t the same are they,” wouldn’t you be a bit suspicious at how much the girl in front of you that supposedly doesn’t “like you like you” is crying so much? Sawako may be socially inept, but Kazehaya should’ve recognized that maybe she’s crying so much because SHE misunderstands you. All he had to say was, “it’s too bad you don’t love me as well.” Instant fix man!

I’m a bit on the fence about this one. While I’m glad the author continues to prove that misunderstandings don’t have to be drawn out pointlessly, she still uses them as plot devices more often than I’d like, and with the main plot milestone being the love between our two protagonists, it’s a pity for me that it suffers as “rehashed material.” Nonetheless, the concept for this predicament makes a ton of sense for Sawako, since it directly feeds from her character’s core personality that Chizuru explained perfectly. Thankfully, Sawako’s got the best friends ever watching her back like a hawk, as Yano-chin and Chizu-chan quickly calmed the rage beast within me far before the episode ended. They single-handedly break down her character, tell her off, and planted the idea that maybe, people like her simply because they like her. And Chizuru’s the one that actually did something this time!
I love this show. 😀

The next half of this “arc” should feel a lot more fresh, as we’re now past the more formulaic “unbroken tension” to the many possible results of “broken tension.” That probably doesn’t sound much different, but Sawako has a bit of a goal now. Surprisingly, Kent turned out to be just a simple clueless guy that stuck his nose where it shouldn’t have belonged, but Kurumi might have other plans. Everything is now broken into pieces, and since Kazehaya now believes Sawako doesn’t love him, this creates the perfect opening for Kurumi to strike and show how “available” she is. The title of the next episode seems to tell that Sawako may be too chicken at first to do anything just yet, as she still harbors self doubts. What a depressing episode after Valentine’s day huh? Ganbare Sawako. ;_;

 

Preview

48 Comments

  1. I am in the middle of watching this episode.. but I really really don’t get it!
    Is this some kind of advanced next generation misunderstanding or are they just retarded? I can’t see how you can get this all wrong.

    Well I’m gonna continue watching/continue raging…

    maxhyppla
    1. It’s like this.
      Sawako thinks Kazehaya likes her only out of pity and maybe as a friend.
      Kazehaya thinks she never really wanted his help or anything.
      So their “likes” are completely reversed, he thinks she likes him only as a friend, and she thinks he likes him only as a friend. The dialogue, “our likes aren’t the same” was perfect in the sense that it works both ways. Assumptions man. Damn them assumptions.

      1. Also gotta remember where she is coming from…

        A year ago she had 0 friends and everyone ran when they saw her out of superstition so its almost incomprehensible for her to think that someone actually likes/loves her for being her. If Kazehaya had used a different 4 letter L word this misunderstanding would never have happened.

        But thats what makes this a story we want to watch I guess. I love this series and when Show Spoiler ▼

        Karmafan
  2. This show infuriates me to the point of taking hour long breaks between watching parts of the episode, but it’s what makes the relationships all the more satisfying in the end. I mean, through all these misunderstandings and rage, it feels damn good when there’s even just a tiny fluff scene.

    teisey
  3. Ahaha, I think I’m the first person here to say that I wasn’t angry. I was crying. I’ll admit that. I’m a guy who cried to a shojo anime. Not that I haven’t done that before… but you know… how could you not when Chizu started to cry too! Anyway, like I said… this show INVENTED misunderstandings. Though people on the nets who’ve read the manga (was considering it but ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to now due to the anime) keep saying the same thing. “I know what happens so I wasn’t as mad.”

    It’s impossible to avoid the whole misunderstanding thing due to Sawako… it sucks but I’ve come to terms with it. It doesn’t get stale for me, just the incredible wait we’re given before these two get together. But it’ll be worth it when it happens. Honestly, I’m loving this show more and more and for the simple fact that it made me cry, and pull on my heart strings every week, I’m starting to consider this Madoka’s only competition for best show this season in my heart.

    Also……… Ayane is SERIOUSLY going to be such a great mom when she grows up! Seriously, I wish I had a best friend like her and Chizuru when I was in high school.

    Solarguardian
      1. Which reminds me, someone told me they didn’t cry while watching Clannad after watching the whole thing. I just couldn’t believe it at all. I cry watching Kimi Ni Todoke, but like it’s more like tearing. I bawled while watching Clannad.

        Solarguardian
      2. I wanted to cry with manliness when I saw Sawako break down like that. If they showed her crying any longer than they did in that scene, I sure would have lost it. Actually I welled up enough to wipe but didn’t let my manly tears out cuz I was in public and people would’ve thought I was a retard. (Damn NY’ers) D’x She cried so hard too.. I could barely stand it. Barely.

        Shirt
  4. You know what’s frustrating? The fact that we have to wait a few more weeks for something to actually happen lol… cuz we all know they’re just gonna be moping around in the next episode.

    Nice thought process btw haha. Can’t believe he still managed to screw up after saying he liked her how many times. Way to go Kazehaya. You just HAD to add that extra sentence about the likes being different.

    tamaririn
  5. I think the story would feel more for lack of a better word mature if the character flaws were more darker. I like the show it has its moments but sometimes it feels like there being forced together. Give me a reason why she is made for him and him for her. Cuz right now I dont feel nothing special when I think of them with one another.

    infinite
    1. That is definitely a legitimate problem that romance sometimes like to glaze over. To be fair, you don’t really choose who to love, it just happens sometimes, hence the description as “falling” in love. I explained how Sawako is an untouched maiden last post, and that it’s like a perfect match for the perfect popular nice guy, but I like to think the two just fell for each other, simple as that. People like Kurumi can’t accept it, but hey, love isn’t fair.

      1. That is very true love is uncontrollable. I thought about it and at first I was looking at them with eyes of experience and thats the wrong eyes to see them with. This is there first time liking anyone more then just a friend. The first time is the most confusing. After saying that this must be how Yano sees it.

        infinite
  6. I vote KnT as the most frustrated show of the year…
    nothing even changed after confession?! I mean misunderstanding is good, but too much misunderstanding is something else all together…
    though I am glad that our socially awkward Sawako has the best friend in the world 🙂
    hopefully things won’t be as depressing from now on, but from the title next week, it might still be bad 🙁

    jrj
  7. If it’s so “rageful”.. go read the manga up to the end of the school fest, you’ll feel better. That is, if you don’t mind getting the anime spoiled. I just hope the current season gets to that point. otherwise, the anime watcher won’t stop the rage. ^^

    MrRei
  8. You know even when Kazahaya confesses he says “Ore Kuronuma suki da” if I got that correct. He has never called her Sawako even at such a critical time. She might have taken the words more to heart if he had been more personable about it.

    One thing I’ve noticed in reading about the Japanese language is that sentence structure is such that you have to know the context to know what the sentence is about. Sentences by themselves without a context can often mean many different things. Here we have two characters who have each built a context that is diametrically opposed to each other. Each is assuming the other is on the same page so the result is total misunderstanding.

    bear
  9. AHHH! I finally thought they were getting somewhere in the relationship but so much for that. It was so freakin frustrating when the confession were getting misinterpreted. I sort of predicted it though because there was still 6 episodes left and the plot couldn’t go that they dated each other and broke up later. Anyways, can’t wait until the end of this serie. I really do hope Sawako and Kazehaya get together.

    Zangkin
  10. I was raging at when Kazehaya and Sawako were talking one on one. They both mean the same thing but they both think that each other is saying something different. RAGERAGERAGE.
    The part where Chizu yelled at Sawako brought a tear to my eye though. It was so heartfelt and really brings to light the problems that keep occurring. The flashback to the bridge scene where Ayane and Chizu talk was a really nice touch

    koager
  11. Only anime I watched when 2 characters confessed to each other but they don’t end up in a relationship in a snap. The frustration is killing me. On a side note, do you think Kent and Kurumi would make a nice couple? I also noticed these characters’ name start with the letter K: Kurunoma, Kazehaya, Kurumizawa and Kent.

    conyo985
  12. I know Kent had good intentions when he did/said all that unnecessary things, but I felt sorry for him in this episode. Not just him but all three of them. Well, definitely more for Kazehaya and Sawako since if they can’t overcome this hurdle, they can start. Anyways,
    1 – Kent’s somewhat confession turns out as a comfort and only that to Sawako. (If given a few more seconds in that conversation, I was hoping Sawako would say that she only loves Kazehaya before he comes.) So his confession is forgotten by Sawako I assume.
    2 – Seeing how Sawako was confessed to earlier before Kazehaya did it, I could understand why Sawako would misunderstand his confession to be the same. (IMO I thought Sawako should feel happier hearing it from Kazehaya if she didn’t linger on that “fact” he has someone he likes (herself not knowing it’s her, but now Kent knows it)/ on what Kent said.
    3 – I think Ayane hold back telling the truth behind Kazehaya’s confession was because Sawako ultimately needs to clear up this misunderstanding herself and deal with it. Chizuru probably feels Sawako’s pain better than Ayane IMO.
    4 – Pin getting kicked was hilarious because he was no help at all and he deserved it for laughing at Sawako.
    5 – At this point, Sawako and Kazehaya not only feel their “likes” to each other are different but it’s also bothersome to the other.
    6 – I would be very saddened if they both give up like the next episode suggests.
    Sorry for this longest post I made…I’m just very frustrated with how it turned out. DX

    Rika
  13. Show Spoiler ▼

    Now that I got that out of the way, I can’t believe I MARATHONED up to this episode only to go on a freaking emotional roller coaster.

    Kent deserves a punch to the face. Kurumi needs to fall into a hole. Pin is probably the only minor character who even remotely came close to not being a complete idiot.

    Garrrrrrr. I think I’m gonna be angry at Takuto the next time I hear him. -Breaks into cold shivers-

  14. The confession bombs gave me a glint of hope that the train finally starts to move, until the most awkward of misunderstandings appear and put everything into reverse gear. So damn close and yet…..

    T.K.
  15. It just occurred to me that if Kazahaya instead of asking these abstract questions just asked it the way Chi did:
    “Sawako, how exactly do you like me and why? ” they could stop all this beating around the bush and get it straightened out. Figured it would take Chi (the supposedly slow one) to get it right.

    bear
    1. And Chizu just told him not long ago he doesn’t get where she’s coming from, first love you don’t see anything clearly lol, if he was clear headed i’m sure he would have asked more questions. When you fear the worst sometimes you just assume it’s here already and run off to bawl.

      Breedo
  16. The ball to take the relationship to the next step is finally rolling, and gathering speed.
    Also, next week, Kurumi redeems herself more than a little when

    Show Spoiler ▼

    anon_dude
  17. What an awesome show this is. Somehow, the creators have managed to spend 30 episodes building the most precarious tension and then get all viewers to rage at the show just when they get what they’ve been asking|begging|screaming for.

    As I read some of these comments, I can hear Sam Kinison screaming, “Say it! Just say it! Say it!”

    And they did. Finally. And all the rage is still there. Now what is everybody supposed to scream at the TV?

    Anyway, now that the glacier is broken, I can’t wait to see what Kurumi has in store for us. I’m sure it’ll be delicious. What a great show.

    Mockman
  18. FUUUUU I totally jumped out of my seat when Kazehaya confessed, and then confessed again, and again, after the second time i knew something wasn’t right… and then I continued to be baffled/frustrated at how they think they “misunderstand” each other. And how about when Shota gives us the gem of “but our likes aren’t the same” right after Sawako gives him the nod of approval. Why did he have to just kill it like that! They need some sense shaken into them. >.<

    But this just to show how good of a series this is. Everyone is in either shambles or raging after each episode. Pathos ftw.

    neko
  19. I cant watch this show any more. I’d rather pull my hair out and rip off my nails!
    I’ll be following where this anime ends up on this blog. FFS, misunderstandings shouldnt be the main plot line of an anime… 🙁

    Botagar
    1. I cant watch this show. This episode really came off as pretentious. It feels like theyre trying hard to represent some deep emotional themes. but atleast for me it just ain’t working.

      And I feel theyre wasnt enough contained in this episode. I mean think about it what really did happen. That guy confessed, there was a misunderstanding and then she goes cry for the rest of the episode.

      blash
  20. It seems like it could have been any guy that stood up for Sawako, and she would have fell in “love”. All I hear is “He’s the only guy that was nice to me and he’s popular”. (Pretty much everything necessary to make a loving relationship.=_=)

    Kent, I thought would make a better match for Sawako but his confession turned me off, it was as if Kent was seen as too good a match and the writers decided to turn him to some sleezy jerk.

    I already disliked Kazehaya because of his wayward and cowardly approach to dealing with his feeling towards Sawako. He gets angry when another guy talks to her and was pretty adamant about Sawako not showing her “smile” to anyone but him. (Typical wife-beater characteristics.)

    In short, I don’t think Kazehaya and Sawako make a good match at ALL, they have nothing in common and I’m sure if someone gave either of them a “how much do you know about your lover” quiz, they would fail miserably.

    Swift

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