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「二人の決心」 (Futari no Kesshin)
“Their Resolution”
You’ve got to believe in the power of love!
The plot still has a lot to prove in terms of material and integration of some story points (lol Ryou), but dammit if the romance isn’t satisfying to watch! Nothing feels more satisfying than having two people that feel the same way on the same page, because one can only contend with the mating dance for so long. I have to say I’m pretty satisfied with most of the romance offerings this season has to offer since most of them hit all the right notes without having to defer to those annoying, contrite gimmicks that made me swear off shoujo romances in the first place. It’s always far more compelling when conflicts in a relationship are rooted between the individuals themselves and the progress is framed around their discoveries of one another rather relying heavily on external influences/events to help a relationship along. Because in that case, how much of it involves actual emotion? I don’t want to root for a pairing because everyone else in the show wanted them to be together; I want to root for them because they want to be together. Relying on gimmicks to produce romance tends to lessen the impact of the actual relationship – the presentation of the material shifts focus away from the persons involved and more onto the contrived situations for the laughs. Not all rom-coms are guilty of this of course, but personal taste just leads me to avoid the genre in general. I want something with a bit more gravitas in the storytelling, which Hiiro no Kakera is capable of (when it comes to its characters, that is).
Many people might not come to the same conclusion about this show, but anime watching always comes down to personal preference. It’s too bad many people are avoiding Hiiro because of the “otome” label/”otome adaptation curse” – it really is one of the better written romances in a while, held back by the curse of its genre. I hope the people who read my posts on Random Curiosity at least feel the same way as I do, and that my drivels are in any way adding to the experience. Hiiro no Kakera really has become near and dear to me over the course of its run, and it’s always fun to give its elements a thorough thought after each episode. The characters are dynamic and rife with conflicts that constantly catapult them from one point to another, and seeing such consistent and constant growth is rewarding from a viewer’s perspective.
Also, not strictly related to the post itself, but I would like to take the time to publicly apologize. Random Curiosity has a long-standing reputation of being quick while being able to provide high-quality posts. I realize that lately my posting schedule has been rather erratic, and it is a disservice to those who want to read about the shows they watch as quickly as possible. There’s no point launching into a long-winded explanation about late posts – they’re personal issues and it’s not like it changes anything: a late post is a late post. So why apologize? Because I at least want to make it clear that I consider my position in RC as a privilege. When I’m late with my posts, I really do feel bad and want to get it out as soon as possible. It’s just that circumstances at the time don’t permit me to put out my best work, and even if it’s late I want to make sure my posts maintain the level of quality that I can put out during normal circumstances. Is that stubborn? Maybe. But I’ve always written with an extremely personal perspective that prioritized analysis of certain points (characters, in particular) instead of rehashing plot points, and anyone who’s read my posts can tell I fully enjoy and love a show. All the writers enjoy and love their shows I’m sure, but it’s not a feeling that any of the other writers can fully replicate. So despite my lateness at times, I do hope that you, the readers, will understand it’s not without reason and continue to read my posts at Random Curiosity.
Full-length images: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 36, Preview 01.
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MY FAVOURITE EPISODE SO FAR! 😀
Takuma standing with the sword in front of Tamaki defending her…kyahhh! <3
So much Takuma/Tamaki shippy goodness. I approve :).
Thanks for all your hard work BakaMochi! You’re one of my favourite writers and all the time you spend on posts really shows in how well written and insightful they are and I’d rather wait awhile than settle for a quick and dirty write up. 🙂
I second this! Now we only need a Strobe Edge, Yumemiru Taiyou, and Dengeki Daisy anime and then I can die happy. *A*
By the way, don’t apologize for being late. Your posts are great and always worth the wait. You’re awesome! ♥
@BakaMochi
actually, i was wandering wat happened to my reading material on K 😛
but really, there’s no need to apologize to anyone for being late(although it’s a nice touch), it’s not like you HAVE TO write a review, if anything the readers(including me) should be grateful tht someone actually takes their time to write and prepare posts like this for the shows they love.
Aw BakaMochi, thank you so much for taking the time to write quality posts for all us viewers. I’m always looking forward to them! I understand how personal issues can really set back a lot of things in your life. But your apology is greatly appreciated as are all your posts! ^^
And I have to agree with your assessment of Hiiro no Kakera. The character/relationship development in this show is fantastic and well worth watching. I certainly enjoy rooting for Tamaki and Takuma every week! It’s hard not to lol. So now that the romance has officially been turned up, I can’t wait for the final episodes.
i’m consider this one of the better otome games adaptions because they actually have the guts to let Tamaki choose a guy (yay Takuma!) instead of beating around the bushes. now if only next year’s Utapuri can do the same thing.
late or not, a post is a post is a post. and i love reading all your posts. thanks for all the hard work!! ^_^.“
LOOK! Takuma and Tamaki’s love-love moment~
I just noticed – Takuma’s facial expression became soft when he HUGS Tamaki, don’t you agree? KYAAH! Just as what you’ve said I also like the romance of this anime because it was not soooo cheesy at all. The romance just happens to be there and not just because it needs to be there. Romance between these two characters was properly displayed and developed as the show goes since season 01 and what’s great is that it became evident in season 02.
By the way, even though I’ve watched the anime already I still visit your blog (this post) because I enjoy reading it. What’s more great is that I always agree on what you have written especially your personal views on this anime. Thank you very much for spending your time to at least write this post. I’ve been reading it since season 01 of this anime. Thank you!
I like this series because offer a opportunity to men without “outstanding character”, in other word, independently of the magical setting, anyone could have that type of sentiments and a erratic behavior (you make mistakes and you know that the most probably it’s that you are wrong), but at the same time, one can make a great effort (in his mid) for what one loves.
I don’t mind the posts being late, I just lose my thoughts about the recent episode that I watched when the time passes. Anyways, it’s quite exciting where the story is going towards. Tamaki and Takuma “eloping” is doki-doki.
Where are episodes 9 and 10? Are you going to post them soon?
It seems this series and K removed from Current Series list.
I wonder Bakamochi is having problem so she is unable to blog anymore?
I hope she can fix the problem and blogs thems soon.
Did this series get dropped? such a shame.