Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai

「雨男、じゃないぞ」 (Ame Otoko, Janai zo)
“I’m Not a Rain-bringer”

This is a good romantic setup. When I was previewing this series, I called out how there were four main male characters and four main female characters—convenient. But that cast list did not contain Charles. Now the equilibrium has been thrown off, and it adds needed uncertainty to the series. Pin x HINA and Yui x Yamashita Ken are still potentially fine (though Yamashita Ken’s current crush of an older woman still means trouble ahead for that one), but Teresa x Mitsuyoshi now has a major roadblock, and we can’t be sure how it will end up. Will Teresa go back to Larsenburg and marry Charles as she planned? Will she date Mitsuyoshi for a while? Will they want to but never do? Something else? The suspense is killing me! Which is a spice this series needed. An excellent addition.

Better yet, it appears I was completely wrong about one pairing. Alec x Kaoru was never working for me, and it now appears that they weren’t meant to be—or, if that’s going to develop, it’ll happen later on rather than them being forced together due to plot. No, there’s a new ship in town, and it’s Alec x Charles, and I’m so on board! Anything that can get Alec blushing is a good thing, but they also have such great chemistry. (And Kaoru knows what’s up, and looks poised to act as a shipper on deck (trope!), yeeeesss!) Not that there isn’t some for Charles and Teresa, but it really does seem more like that of childhood friends, or perhaps cousins (I’m still giving odds to them being somehow related, especially after Kaoru’s comment about the two looking somewhat alike). They seem like platonic friends, and while friendship is an excellent foundation for a married relationship, “platonic” ain’t ideal. There are far more sparks flying between Teresa and Mitsuyoshi—and if he were a ruffian, I’d say that Teresa should stick with Charles. But Mitsuyoshi is a good man too. Chemistry is important.

And they really do have chemistry, which is why I wish Alec hadn’t crapped all over the moment by letting her fears get the better of her. She’s being ruled by both her duty and her fear for Teresa’s safety, and in doing so she’s putting Teresa in a cage. She’s unable to see Teresa as the adult she is, to truly internalize that, because she’s still afraid of the almost-drowned girl she once was. The sad thing is that Alec’s fear is bending Teresa’s life in a direction she may not want it to go, and though Alec is doing it with the best of intentions, they’ll both end up less happy if Teresa can’t break the spell. It’s like when your parents urge you to take the safe job rather than the fulfilling (but riskier) one you’d be better at. They’re doing it because they love you, but they’re still wrong.

Next episode looks like it might be a Yui x Yamashita Ken time. Hopefully, because I suspect the Teresa x Mistuyoshi angle will remain on a slow boil until it suddenly boils over.

My SECOND novel, Freelance Heroics, is available now! (Now in print!) (Also available: Firesign #1 Wage Slave Rebellion.) Sign up for my email list for updates. At stephenwgee.com, the latest post: Forbidden Island, coast to coast.

Full-length images: 14.

 

Preview

12 Comments

  2. Teresa is giving a feeling that she doesn’t really like to get married to Charles…but now I’m curious if she will actually pick duty or freedom…though with her attitude it does look like she will choose Duty…the only thing that can change her mind is probably Tada…if he did try to convince Teresa

    Tada’s parent(or grandparent) having relationship with Charles/Teresa might actually add to some drama since we got another hint that Charles know about them and there’s the nanny of Teresa

    ricz
    Reply

    1. They still are in the “just Friends” harbor. even if both blush. It is just on Tada’s face you can read “what if there is more to it?”, but he is afraid to ask and lose this friendship

      Worldwidedepp
      Reply

    2. I noticed the parallel between the nanny and Jii-chan-san as well. Teresa was introduced to Rainbow Shogun by somebody. Maybe it was her … and maybe there’s a connection between the two wise old folks as well. Ufufu~

      And it ain’t Tada’s place to convince Teresa of anything of the sort. Only she can make that decision (one made harder by how Charles appears to be a good man). She just needs to break free of Alec’s fear so she can make the choice properly, whatever she decides.

      Stilts
      Reply

  3. The story so far seems to be giving off hints on something more to their origin than meets the eye.

    Something bad happened to Teresa/Charles/Mitsuyoshi 10 years back.
    Teresa’s nanny and Mitsuyoshi’s grandpa and the northern star.

    *Plot thickens*

    Jax
    Reply

  4. For me, this episode is the one that convinced me this is essentially a modern remake of the 50’s movie “Roman Holiday”. Given that, and the imagery/symbolism of the ED, I think it’s safe to say Teresa will ultimately pick duty.

    EwanG
    Reply

    2. I wouldn’t be surprised if she picks duty at this point. In fact, I’d be more surprised if she doesn’t. Though that may not mean marrying Charles. We’ll see…

      (I’m so happy that there’s finally real uncertainty in where this is going!)

      Stilts
      Reply

  6. Found it interesting that the last shot was Teresa looking up to the North Star. For both Tada and Teresa, they look up at the star when they feel lost and unsure of which path to take.

    To have that scene show up after re-affirming her decision to Alec to finish school abroad in Japan and go back to her country and marry Charles…

    Girl’s got some internal struggles right now.

    simerz
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *