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「カラノワレモノ」 (Kara no Waremono)
“Fragile and Empty”
I might enjoy thinking, but damn it’s difficult figuring out where to start with this episode. Kuzu produced several major developments this week, each important in finalizing where this story is headed. The central development of course was Akane, where we received further information regarding her personality. Although I thought the earlier flashback succinctly summarized Akane with the boyfriend stealing, this week fleshed out that aspect by reinforcing how childish Akane is. The girl in a sense never emotionally matured beyond her teenage years, she still sees relationships as pure desire where the objective is garnering the most attention. Love for her is just a tool to receive this attention and flaunt it to the competition (i.e. other women).
Understanding this aspect is important for explaining Akane’s utter confusion at Narumi. Considering Akane has little to no experience with long-term, monogamous relationships—let alone a relationship venturing beyond lustful sex—it makes sense she cannot see what Narumi is doing. Contrary to Akane’s belief the guy has a sex drive—like all men—but Narumi does not want her for sex, he wants her for a wife. This in my opinion is where those sexless dates and that cuckold remark especially were born from. Narumi does not possess some strange sexual fetish, rather he wants Akane to know he’s willing to accept her flaws because that’s what long-term lovers do: accept each other in all ways. Narumi here is proclaiming acceptance of Akane’s inclinations and willingness to look beyond them in order to showcase his husbandly credentials. Personal opinions aside (I believe Akane is not marriage material in the slightest), Narumi’s proclamation further solidifies his surprising maturity while showing just how immature Akane truly is.
On the other side we have Mugi in what is proving to be a battle of the wills. I always thought Mugi was predestined to suffer once he screwed Akane, and such tribulations were born out here. Mugi’s lust guaranteed Akane could emotionally spin him effortlessly, while Mugi’s basal desire to change Akane ensured he would keep returning after every failure. It’s why Mugi overthought a simple kiss, and why he initially kept halfheartedly trying for a single date. Mugi in effect was mentally working through the same kind of feelings which Hanabi struggled with for most of the season. As Hanabi discovered and acted on regarding Narumi (i.e. the confession) though, Mugi now too realizes the only way out of his self-made pitfall is to change himself. This is where Mugi’s assertive demand for a date arose, a final attempt to move above and beyond his current status with Akane. While there’s always a chance Akane may respond in kind given her shock at the actions of Narumi and Mugi both this week, I do not expect Mugi’s newfound assertiveness will really change anything between her and him. With no shift in perceptions likely, I think Mugi will finally break things off with Akane next time and return back to the waiting Hanabi.
With only two episodes remaining, Kuzu has largely peeled its relationships down to three pairings: Mugi-Akane, Mugi-Hanabi, and Akane-Narumi. How these three pairings are resolved will determine the ending we receive. While I can guess how the first will end considering the above, the key will likely lie with what Narumi does next. Narumi’s openness and acceptance this week indicates he is serious about courting Akane, and it’s not unlikely he may make a move (i.e. marriage proposal) on her soon. If Akane gets such an offer, what will she do? How would Mugi react, and how would Hanabi take it? The possibilities of where this story is heading intrigue the hell out of me, and I honestly do not know what the final choice will be. Just have to wait and see what next week brings.
This hits home too hard. All I’ve met are versions of Akane. Beautiful, youthful people have all the dibs at life. They just naturally ooze potential and competence… you can’t even hate them. Even if they backstab you. Because once you do, you’ve already lost in the post pitiful fashion.
Pancakes, you sure did laid out all the things i never realized about Narumi this week. At first i was all, wtf is this guy doing?! And of course, my opinion about Akane remains the same: shes a narcist aka slut, so theres no changing in her. But after i read your thoughts about Narumi, i cannot believe i didnt realize that! Maybe i’ve been preparing my mind to label the male in this show either a scumbag or disturbing. But i guess i forgot that Narumi is nothing like these guys.
And our boy Mugi, i think im giving up on him. I hope he ends up with no one. He knew hes getting himself into a terrible mess but ends up addicted to it but at the same time, begging to be save. I mean, in the end, hes just addicted to have sex with older girls like Akane and his senpai. Sick maniac. I wanna pity him and understand his situation but god, he just has to rebound back to Akane all over again and making that contradicting monologues inside of his head. As a viewer, i find this rather tiring to follow :/
Im not giving Hanabi to such douche, who knows he’ll revert back to his old sick hobby and dumps her over some sexy hooker all over again.
Sigh….are we gonna go through Akane and Mugi route again next week? Since its their “final” date, so erm…hmm :/ Please get this part over asap and give me back Hanabi and Moka…and no more Ecchan pls…
Would be fun if the one that is not scum is the only one that gets his wish granted. That irony of the shows title.
I’m sure from what just happened, that it’s inevitable that we get some more Akane and Mugi moments next episode. Won’t spoil anything, but lets just say I’m interested in how others view it.
Haha yeah Narumi initially had me floored with his remarks too, but once I remembered him talking about marriage with Hanabi the whole scene clicked. Narumi really is the only “pure” one here, and mostly because his thoughts remain conspicuously absent from the audience. I would bet if we knew what Narumi was thinking that he would be more in line with the rest of the cast.
Really like hearing Akane’s inner thoughts throughout the episode. Both her manipulative parts and the part that was utterly confused by Narumi. For me, it puts something into perspective. I believe she has something in common with the other three characters, that is loneliness. She may get a thrill from looming over other girls, but what she really wants is probably company. Most of the guys she’s been with are probably after her body. She then cuts them off before they get bored of her, just to prevent the pain of getting cut off herself. Guys that say they’ll leave their significant other for her? Well there’s no reason they won’t do the same thing to her in the future, so she cuts them off too. The few that may not be just after her body, she cuts them off early because of boredom. This here is where I believe Narumi has an advantage. Hanabi’s infatuation with him is what keeps Akane around him. The impossibility of the relationship means it isn’t as easy to break, thus keeping Akane around him longer than normal. That time is what probably made her subconsciously realize something.
There’s also something amusing about Mugi’s realisation that to change someone, first you need to change yourself. Akane is already changing, so that gives the question: will Akane’s changes change Mugi or will Mugi be able to change himself and change Akane?
Overall, I loved how adapted this episode.
Personally I’m not sure if it’s “true” loneliness (i.e. like Hanabi experiences) on Akane’s part. Her entire existence is largely wrapped in the attention she receives, as soon as someone stops providing her attention they become worthless because they then invalidate her existence. It’s basically a solipsistic mindset because this applies to both men and women—Akane enjoys crushing other girls, but primarily because their jealousy and anger verifies she “is” someone.
This IMO is why Narumi got to her so much, he deviates so heavily from her predetermined script that his actions themselves become interesting, a stubborn mystery to solve. Akane wants to know what that deviation is, and will stick around until she can square the circle. Naturally this gives Narumi time to actually induce feelings within her because of his uniqueness, something Mugi cannot accomplish because for all his newfound assertiveness, he remains stuck in her framework.
I thought Narumi was far from being mature. More like I don’t see how he’d want a true relationship with a woman he really doesn’t know at all, thought it was super superficial from his part. I would probably buy all the “don’t care if you screw with other people as long as you are my wife” stuff if he really, really knew her. Like even if he can see what she really is, why would he want to marry her. It seemed to me he was the less mean of them, but the craziest, since he didn’t even have a good connection to Akane and she wasn’t being herself the time they spent together.
It can be difficult throwing off feelings at the best of times, even when you discover the other person’s “actual” personality. Mugi after still lusts for Akane even though he knows what she’s like, and Narumi for all we know might think her innocent act is her true self (i.e. the sexual escapades are not her fault, she’s been taken advantage of, etc.). Many people will find any excuse to hold onto their interests.
Personally I agree completely that Narumi should have no reason to want her after such a bombshell, but I think his acceptance was written in to contrast how childish Akane really is. While Narumi sees love as a long term prospect, Akane remains caught up in the teenage mindset where a relationship lasts as long as it’s profitable (i.e. garners attention for her) and no more. It’s why I stated Narumi was the mature one here, he’s taking his relationship seriously while Akane treats hers like a disposable coffee cup.
Never make a hoe a housewife that simple.
You known you liked any particular anime when you continued watch it from first episode till latest episode as fast as you can.
For this anime,Relationship between characters is complex. I can’t read inside mind of characters and predict the next move. At some scene I think so next step should be… but It’s not happened as I expect at all.
I like this anime.