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「嬉しくて、楽しくて」 (Ureshikute, Tanoshikute)
“So Happy, So Fun”
Three episodes have passed, allowing more than enough time for Kotoura-san to at least show off some of its stuff. How’d it do? We’ll see below.
First thing’s first though–address the inevitable rage that’ll be directed at Moritani. Alright, it’s obvious that she’s effed up for sending her dojo admirers to beat up the guy she likes, I’ll give you that. She basically used the kindness of a group without caring about their scenario to “send a message” to Manabe…all without caring about the subsequent wounds her own dojo mates suffered. That’s messed up, unarguably so. Despite that, it’s much more beneficial to look past that disgusting grime, two positive messages have sprung from this scenario.
First, Kotoura is an admirable character for not brandishing her powers against Moritani. Whether or not she actually hates Moritani at this point is irrelevant–what matters is that Kotoura consciously refuses to exact a revenge against the people who antagonize her. Some commenters in episode one expressed in the comments how you would act differently in Kotoura’s scenario, becoming more pessimistic and retributive. One would expect that to be the natural reaction, yet Kotoura, despite all the shit that’s happened to her, has taken the morally high ground and chases after her source of happiness rather than say…crush the source of her sorrows.
This naturally leads to the second positive message: Moritani finally sees Kotoura as a person, except not just as a person. Moritani finally recognizes that Kotoura’s mental resilience and maturity far surpasses her own, rather than some rival that’s carelessly taking away her happiness. Her ego has finally cracked from the sword of public humiliation brandished at her throat, with her redemption and desire to reconcile resulting from said sword not striking her down. Of course Kotoura and Moritani will end up friends due to the OP/ED, but there’s more to the revelation than the obvious conclusion. This revelation is more important than in standard romantic comedy due to the other dramatic factors that still remain. Like I stated last episode, it seems clear that Mifune has not converted so quickly to become Kotoura’s true friend, but rather is putting up quite the deceptive layer to achieve her goals. With Moritani quickly sliding up to join Kotoura’s group of friends, we will be seeing an interesting shift, where Kotoura’s former enemy actually becomes her best friend while at the same time discovering the deceptive ploy of another. While I don’t doubt Mifune’s conversion in becoming a pure friend in the future, seeing her guise finally be lifted, to see her hidden atonement agenda behind the hidden layer be laid bare…that’ll be drama to look forward to in the future.
All of this setup would’ve made a wonderful climax to the third episode, except that the storyboarding and timing was definitely rushed. While it is worth applause for the staff to have created such a great story from the 4koma, the limitations of the 4koma have seriously shown themselves this episode. I would’ve preferred they have added original material to time the episode better, since most of the drama was compressed into a 10 minute segment, all concluding with some dramatic shifts that haven’t had the time to build up or settle in our hearts very long. The speed of the scenes only serves to make the drama more cheesier than it could’ve avoided, undermining Kotoura-san’s potential to becomes a truly amazing show. People rooting for the drama will find their hopes challenged today, perhaps lamenting at the show’s focus on comedy this episode and subsequent shifts towards a romantic comedy style. I would argue though that the comedy really isn’t that bad for the drama or itself and does serve a purpose, though subtle. A majority of the comedic scenarios portrayed in the show have served to reinforce two ideas in the show: Mifune’s efforts on being the most shrouded and misread character as I stated above, but also Manabe being the purest character (his jumps surpass Junichi’s in Amagami SS).
Although equipped with dirty thoughts that make Kotoura cringe every 5 minutes, Manabe’s consistency with his words and his mind make him one of the most reliable male leads I’ve seen in awhile. His character refuses to put up with shit, is always thinking of someone other than himself, and actually takes pride in the promises he make (as seen at the end of this episode). Judging from the reactions in the comments about Manabe, his ability to be open about everything while being free from ulterior motives makes him a role model of sorts to a good number of people, especially with his ability to react appropriately to any situation, whether comically to a love umbrella or seriously in the face of danger. His backbone is a trait sought after in many male leads, representing a certain competence that almost all of us can appreciate.
But alas, Kotoura is now gone, most likely back to her grandfathers or in the safety of a shrine, with a fourth of the show complete. Now is the time to ask: will you continue on with Kotoura-san, or have the hooks from episode one faded too much to continue? I for one will continue to blog this show to the end and I hope you do the same with continuing to watch and comment. Despite the pacing stumbles and the overdramatic moments, I believe Kotoura-san has defined itself from the rest of the crowd enough to be a keeper for its honest message, likable characters, and above all else daring attitude to bring this 4koma drama to life.
Full-length images: 4, 5, 9, 21, 24, 31, 34.
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I actually think its more convenient than anything considering the way the President and Muroto are using her telepathy instead of talking. Poor Manabe though.
I don’t know if I’m just stunned that Muritani actually managed to get dumber since last episode, but the drama didn’t feel that rushed or cheesy to me. The part the felt the most rushed was Mifune’s reveal that she’s STILL plotting something with Kotoura. And sorry, but I need to rage about Moritani anyways, because just when we thought that she might have learned a lesson last time, she proves to be dumber than I personally thought she could be. She sent students of her family’s dojo that love her like a sister/daughter after a highschool boy that she said was stalking her… wtf did she think was gonna happen?! Honestly, it’s incredible that the show is actually able to make me believe that she was, in fact, THAT dumb! The only way I see redemption for her is if she doesn’t allow herself to start a single conversation with Manabe until Kotoura comes back. Or confesses what she did to him.
The rest of the episode was great though! Wolf-Manabe is ever man’s inner desire spoken aloud, and it’s great that more than anything, Kotoura is able to accept that this is just who Manabe is, a kind guy with a dirty mind that still wouldn’t lay a finger on her without her permission. The end was a bit jarring, but I believe Kotoura would go that far after the life she’s lived. Everything is telling her things are only going to get worse, because that’s what life has been for her, and she wrongly sees herself as the problem. Disappearing is her honest way of protecting Manabe, and I’m honestly interested to see how one of my favorite male leads of all time will react.
Yay, I’m glad that I’m wrong about the pacing, at least from the first few comments. It’s good to be wrong sometimes as a blogger.
To address how it’s even possible for Moritani to not foresee these consequences, you do have to realize that she was basically embarrassed in front of her whole class, resulting in a whole rage of negative emotions that basically blinded her to do the stupidest of things. They aren’t justified through that thought process, but I can see where it’s possible. Emotions are a significantly blinding force in the right circumstances.
It’s those darn teenage hormones… Makin’ your emotions all wonky to the point where expressing your love for someone turns into killing them.
Yeah, I mean, the show made it believable for Moritani’s character, which I give it nothing but props for, but it still boggles the mind.
Four martial artists + stalker of loved one = hospital. What else did she think “rough him up” was going to get Manabe? I REALLY don’t get how she thought it was going to work to her favor aside from making Manabe suffer, which, if she really liked Manabe, she wouldn’t really want once she got off her “power high” or whatever. Once again, teenage girls are scary… >.<
Hell hath no fury….
my goodness, i was on the edge of my seat during that night scene, and i give props to the directors on this one. Actually in fact, considering the drama this show includes, i was worried that Moritani stooped far lower than she actually did and sent her henchmen after Kotoura instead.
But it’s quite revealing (and ingenious) about what it says about Moritani’s character. Even though she believed Kotoura stole the boy she liked, but sending the henchmen after Manabe instead showed that a.) her humiliation from last episode actually trumped her dislike of the girl and b.) most likely she views Kotoura as non-human or possibly a monster. How often does a girl divert her animosity from the girl who stole the boy she likes towards the boy she likes? Either the guy does something even more horrible or the girl is too infallible for intimidation. The way Moritani cowered from Kotoura was a great indication that she’s more afraid of her than spiteful.
Don’t think it makes a difference which one Moritani send her ‘henchmen’ after, both are equally unacceptable, besides it’s not like she could say her ‘scary’ stalker was a little girl.And her humiliation in the earlier episode was her own fault, so that doesn’t excuse her actions in this episode.
not once did i ever excuse her character. i don’t know where you got that idea from. and while both are unforgivable, in Manabe’s case, it was guys beating up on guy where Manabe fought back. Who knows what would have happened if Moritani was still angry at Kotoura and sent her henchmen after her. Rape was among the thoughts that mortified me, so yes, Moritani would be considered stooping lower than getting Manabe beaten up.
you make it sound like i’m defending Moritani, which is ridiculous, because bullies suck and she sucks for doing it. i do, however, find her character fascinating as it’s reflective of the human condition. Kotoura’s power is the presence of the unknown. People’s reaction towards the unknown are varied, but in Moritani’s case it’s fear and anger. I’m not saying if this reaction is right or wrong; I’m saying some people do react this way.
Moritani’s case is grounded in the type of actions that psychotic wives & husbands take out on each other, although that’s an extreme example. Some people find that kind of stuff fascinating, especially since its on TV so much. I find those types of stories boring as hell but that’s just my preference. Anime usually do a pretty good job at portraying mentally unstable people although they tend to oversimplify them like every other character type.
Too bad most anime have no concept of “crime”, unless it’s a function of the plot of course.
Her ‘henchmen’ were not necessarily evil or anything, they acted with the intent of protecting Moritani. She had to come up with the excuse of Manabe stalking her to get them to attack him. I don’t think she would have been able to come up with any excuse to get them to attack Kotoura.
She could have also feared that trying to get them to attack Kotoura would reveal her true intent and turn her “henchmen’ and others at the dojo against her(I imagine her father wouldn’t take what she is doing to kindly). Kotoura would also know the people attacking her were sent by Moritani.
After 3 episodes I can say this is currently my favorite anime of the season so far followed by Tamako Market.
@Bear
“hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”?
This statement is completely inaccurate.First, this doesn’t apply to the majority, only a minority of detestable human beings.Second, this isn’t something limited to women, there are plenty of instances where men do the same thing.Just because it’s popular doesn’t make a statement right.
@CrystalM
Lighten up. It was said in jest and was just a literary reference to a fictional situation in an anime where the main character can read minds for Gods sake. And besides, I was referring to the writer’s employing that trope. Come on, having a karate expert use her position and femininity to get some goons to beat up the boy that dissed her? How sexist is that?
It’s possible I’m being too serious here, but it’s so annoying to see quotes like this over and over again.Did you know the literary reference you mentioned is actually different in the original work it was used.
“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” — William Congreve from The Mourning Bride. So to make peace let me rephrase it to be just the first part of the quote? Appropriate and not sexist nor stereotypical.
Since you’re sensitive to these sorts of statements I’d recommend you don’t watch Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan. Talk about stereotyping.
I seriously thought Moritani couldn’t get any dumber & yet she does, so I’m throwing out everything. She’s now limitless in terms of how low she can get in my eyes. I’m expecting more BS from her in the future. I can’t even call her a bitch anymore, she just DUMB. Her actions can single handily make & ruin this show so I hope they use her utter DUMBness in moderation.
Loving this show. With it to the end.
Same. This is one of the better shows in an otherwise weak winter cour.
I don’t think the drama was all that rushed, I feel the drama helps us appreciate the lighter moments in Kotoura-san. After all, life isn’t all a drama. On a side note, I do agree that Kotoura could have become more villainous and abuse her power. However I believe the grandfather and priest played a major role in shaping Kotoura to become the angel she is and hope that the anime does touch on that.
Show Spoiler ▼
I must be ignorant at critically judging stories. I didn’t feel this was rushed at all. The timing to the story in and of itself seemed appropriate. You only have twelve episodes to work with (perish the thought… I hope this get reupped. It’s too good to kill it after 12 or 13). Muritani is most definitely detestable, but I could see this coming. There’s a female taking the guy you like. You view the female as lesser than human. Guy stands you up for said lesser being. You want revenge. BEAT HIM UP. And she had the resources to give him the slap in the face she thought he deserved.
Mifune gets my “shady character of the week” award. It may seemed rushed (I don’t think so), but there’s definitely something she’s hiding.
Ok, maybe I’m being naive. But I thought the conversation between Mifune and Daichi after the karaoke scene was how Mifune was trying to be a bad guy without really feeling what she says. Also from my understanding isn’t she trying to prove her mother’s abilities through the ESP club and Haruka, not something diabolical or the like. Then again it may just be my naivete.
On the other hand it didn’t feel rushed or overdramatic to me. Still loving the show as well as Haruka, Manabe is also awesome.
Ah, the difference between just being possessive of someone and actually loving someone.One is willing to hurt the person she supposedly likes to keep him to herself and to satisfy her own feelings of anger, while the other wouldn’t hesitate to leave him if she thinks her presence is hurting him.
This series touches so well on some facts of the human condition – it really grabs me deeply.
Striking out against someone you care(d) about – look at the number of ugly divorces there are.
Touching episode… Maybe the dark horse after all…
I thought this was the best episode so far, personally. It was like they adressed all the issues I had last episode, anyway.
For one, there were more moments of Manabe being a good, reliable friend and a competent character, rather than just being a punchline-spouting lout like in last episode. The pervy thoughts were still there, but there were less and they didn’t make the ‘overdone-joke’ meter in my head go ping this time. He’s just fun to watch, because while he’s kinda dumb and prone to pissing Kotoura off, he’s also got quite a backbone, being very serious about his resolve. Hell, he may be one of the better male characters of the seaons I’ve seen so far.
As for the drama, while the ‘schoolgirl gets some tough guys to hurt the protagonists’ is something I’ve seen a thousand times before, I though it was better executed than the previous timing. Pacing was a bit rushed, but they nailed their placement in my opinion; first build up the friendship with Kotoura and the people around them, then when you think everything is finally fine and dandy, make the drama happen near the end to leave at a sour note and create this cliffhanger. To me, it was a lot better than just haphazardly throwing it in somewhere near the middle. Not to mention it wasn’t over-the-top either; while Manabe got injured, it’s not like he’s in the intensive care or whatever, causing some ‘omg-he’s-gonna-die-but-not-really’ type drama. As for Kotoura…well, this show is technically about overcoming her trauma’s, so it’s no wonder she blamed herself. She is full of self-loathing after all, but the show could set itself up for some nice moments when Manabe comes to retrieve her.
I do have to say Moritani is stupid as hell and really, the writers will have to do quite a lot to make her redeem herself. Quite frankly, she’s selfish, possessive, cowardly and weak (in mind, anyway) and doesn’t really deserve even the slightest bit of attention from the boy she likes. And while she’ll probably go on to become a friend of Kotoura, I do hope she’ll get a clue and isn’t going to constantly get in the way of our couple as an annoying third wheel or I will truly desire to her burn.
And then there’s Mifune and Muroto. I don’t think Mifune is as evil as she wants to portray herself; manipulative as she may be, if she was truly a villain she would both have a more diabolical plan and her emotions would betray her, as I don’t think she has it in her to truly hurt people, considering how she’s reacted so far. And Muroto is a pretty funny guy, had to laugh at the way he was scaring the crap out of Kotoura. I also wonder what the complete story between these two is as well (besides the whole childhood friend thing).
I’m sticking with this show, anyway. It has managed to give me some strange attachment to it, where I actually want to kind of root for it, rather than just letting it go its course and just watch. Hell, the fact I feel compelled to analyze every part of it says enough. I guess that’s the nature of being a darkhorse show. It may stumble along the way, and screw up later (please don’t do that) but I’ll be along for the ride to the end.
Before the preview it felt like Manabe had made a wrong choice somewhere and ended up with the bad end to the common route before even getting into the meat of the story.
Since it seems to be continuing from here, the fact that she did actually do something to show how afraid she is of getting close to people instead of just thinking it made this episode better for me even though as you said the shifts between tone can be a little weird.
LOL @ your “be laid bare” cap.
I’ll definitely continue to watch this! As far as Moritani is concerned, I wasn’t as angry with her as I thought I would be. Manabe calling her out wasn’t going to change her attitude that much because a person like that doesn’t change from simply being called out, even if it’s done by the person she likes. In my opinion, this needed to happen and she needed to go through with it so that she could understand why her attitude had to change. Seeing the consequences of her jealousy definitely made her open her eyes, but beyond that, seeing Kotoura’s kindness despite everything showed her the stark contrast between Kotoura’s attitude and hers. Even though Manabe pointed it out before, I think she had to see it for herself.
Mifune… I don’t buy that she’s still “using” Kotoura just to get whatever it is she’s after. I think Mifune is trying to convince herself that she will use Kotoura no matter what, but isn’t doing a good job at it. Even if it started off that way, I think the conversation she had with Daichi shone a light on her true character. He called her a “bad actress,” especially as a villain. If anyone in the show at the moment would know her best, it would be him and I don’t think he buys her “cold, calculating villainess” act when Kotoura isn’t around. I think she feels a certain fondness/connection for/with Kotoura that she didn’t expect to feel.
Muroto, if anyone, knows Mifune. Probably much better than she knows herself. She wants to be a badass and coldly manipulative, but when push comes to shove, there is no way she could do something evil to Kotoura. Muroto, on the other hand, could do something that might hurt someone, but only if it served their long term good. The complexity of the characters is one of the things that really draw me to this show. Each of them have flaws but at the core are good people. The only problem with this show is that it won’t be long enough to really delve into each of the characters and their backstories.
Except the one paying the price for her said attitude to change is Manabe, who has done nothing else other than point out her own flaws.Considering this a anime I’m sure she will get off easy and Manabe being the ‘nice guy’ will probably just forgive her.
Why would Moritani do that ? O.o like seriously wtf
Cause it’s easier to lash out than it is to face your own flaws and insecurities? I haven’t had anyone beat the crap out of someone I like but I can tell ya, jealousy can make you do weird/bad things!
I still don’t get it how Kotoura said this -> http://puu.sh/1SebC
even though Manabe is like this http://puu.sh/1SeaO
I guess it’s all relative. He’s conscious, eating, and messing with the nurses. He could be in a coma on life support which is probably what she was afraid of. She also knows what he’s thinking so she probably has some idea of how he’s feeing.
After this episode, I dunno if Manabe is a “pure” character. Sure enough, he is AMAZING as the male lead, but the moment I saw him grin and clench his fist, I didn’t think “Oh, he’s fighting back because he’s being attacked.”, but thought, “This guy had a bad history of fighting.”. At least 2 of the guys he was fighting were both bulkier and taller than he was, and the 3rd guy was fat. There’s no way a high schooler could do all of that damage to 4 guys, whose 2 are members at the dojo(I dunno if the black belts are actual black belts, or just standard gi attire here) at once w/o SOME kind of skill. If this is true, it’ll be interesting to see what skeletons Manabe has in his closet, and whether they are as dark or is darker than Kotoura’s.
Remember, Manabe knows Moritani because he was fascinated by the fact that her family ran a dojo. My assumption was that he trained there at one time. He did damage, but he also got the crap kicked out of him, so it was a little more realistic than most situations like that are portrayed.
He didn’t seem “fascinated” at the fact that Moritani’s family ran a dojo. If he were “fascinated” by it, they why turn it down? It seems he was bragging about his martial arts ability and thought that she wanted them for her dojo. Originally, I thought this was a gag(i.e. he didn’t actually have any skills, just amazed that she consistently pestered him about it), but he may actually have been referring to skills he really had. And, while I understand what you mean about that situation being “realistic”, it still is a far stretch to think a mere high school kid could even damage these 4 guys(given what I said earlier) w/o being a beast at fighting, even though he lost in the end.
Show Spoiler ▼
@fruban
Yeah, in the first episode he shot her down and made the mental comment about his skills, but In the second episode in a flashback he came up to her in grade school and asked her if her family ran a dojo. When she said yes he said that was cool! So, at some point he must have been into karate even if it wasn’t her dojo he went to. As far as realism goes we’re watching a show where the main character can read minds. There’s realism and then there is realism. I’ll agree that four goons were major overkill on the attack, but then who knows how incompetent they are? The two of them did want to spar against a high school girl who is half their size.
@89006
In the manga wasn’t he knifed during the fight?
well give whole kotoura & manabe been talks in school which make hiyori more jealous on it.
so after kotoura alone time with daichi’s “wacky mind joke read” with got him tied-up it’s singing time & yea kotoura on singing cue the ugh of all it while hiyori still jealous some of her dojo students ask they want to help her?
next day mifune suggest kotoura make lunch for manabe so ok all look well til manabe just been “got” by hiyori’s dojo students yet he manage survive the beating give the “pain” attack.
yet when in school mention manabe is in the hospital cue hiyori in total SHOCK NO i did not want this to happen give kotoura read her & knew she was sorry & manabe all ok.
which seeing the damage happen cue kotoura run away from it.
I hope someone beats some sense into Moritani, literally.
Oof. I hope she’ll return to sense, but from within. Beatings solve nothing — they often reinforce antagonistic behavior.
Not necessarily, in my experience, when you make people realize pulling stuff like that does more damage to them, than to the other party they tend to be more reasonable.It’s not ideal, but it works just fine, plus, it’s much more satisfying.
you heard it here, Todd supports beating women. It’s much more satisfying to him
To be frank, this thread would be less likely to exist were Moritani a guy doing the exact same thing (asking dojo members to beat on someone). Moritani is quite possibly the strongest character in this show, only matched by Manabe himself. Beating on her wouldn’t be like beating on a defenseless character…so we mainly have our gender bias to blame.
While it’s not good to beat on people, it’s a staple we allow to seep into our drama for the sake of drama.
I’ll gloat just this once. In my younger days, I got in a serious fight with ‘some girl’ (currently my sister-in-law). We were both practicing aikido & she pretty much proved she was as strong as I was, although we just ended up beating the crap out of each other with hardly any aikido moves. That eliminated any gender bias I had up to then & we still fuss about it even now. Hell, if I didn’t move on to other martial arts she would still want to go at it.
Anyway I don’t care about how dumb the girl is. I wanted to put my fist through my LCD for the simple fact that she had others do her incompetent dirty work. I can’t imagine any person skilled in any martial art doing something like that. I can’t help but being politically correct here. I can’t even forgive that for being some bloody plot device. It completely invalidates Moritani’s character – even if she suppose to be unstable.
Not totally Megas. I mean sure, she did it to get back at Manabe for calling her out and letting the class know she’s a b*tch, but also in some twisted way, she was trying to open up a way for her and Manabe back together or drive him and Kotoura apart. Neither would do her any good if she did her dirty work herself. Moritani continued to be all about herself this episode, so it makes a little sense that she wouldn’t get her own hands dirty so she could “control the situation afterwards” or whatever, which she obviously didn’t think through past two seconds. Dumb woman is dumb.
@plushkin
Yes, plushkin, if it’s a woman like that then I totally support it and yea, it is satisfying.And unlike you I don’t consider someone’s gender to be of any relevance in this context.If it helps you understand any better then consider I view Moritani as a guy.
@Zanibas
It’s irrelevant if someone like that is able to defend herself or not, people shouldn’t pull stunts like that if they can’t face the consequences.
the consequences for Moritani’s actions are public humiliation and possible jail time. What you’re suggesting isn’t justice, it’s revenge, and it makes you no better than the people who actually beat you. And ironically, the fact that you beat them back instead of filing charges could mean that you could face possible jail time and public humiliation.
That’s simply a difference in the method you use.Whether it’s beating her up or having her go through public humiliation(plus jail time) it’s naive to think the victim’s feelings towards the perpetrator would be any different – if your going to be the better person then you should find a method to make the perpetrator realize her mistakes without making her suffer(unless if she’s incapable of realizing her own flaws without suffering).
As for the legal system, the ones who throw the first punch doesn’t have the luxury of turning to the authorities without they themselves getting exposed and even if they do, in my experience, the courts let both parties walk with a warning seeing as there’s no point to putting both parties in jail – legally both the perpetrator and the victim are at a disadvantage in this scenario.
I’m sure I mentioned earlier it’s not ideal but it works.
You don’t get what I mean, Aex. Martial artists at their core have to be selfish & self-reliant. They have to know enough about themselves to stay out of trouble & end trouble quickly. Her starting trouble invalidates her. However trying to inject logical devices to explain why she didn’t do it herself just makes you realize that it made NO sense whatsoever. Even though it was for the simple reason of driving those 2 apart, it’s so full of holes that I can easily prove that she would have induce the same result if she did it herself. Both would not do her any good.
Man. This and Tamako are fighting hard for best winter anime. And then there’s the spanner that Sasami throws in as well.
I was wondering if this was a good show to recommend a friend of mine because she likes shows like Sasami and Tamako while I dislike them.
I might have found a common factor.
I’m definitely sticking with this show until the very end. It’s nice to see a show that can balance drama and comedy. I agree that Manabe has been one of the most likable male leads I’ve seen in a while. He may have his face palm moments, but he’s always true to himself and those around him. That’s a trait I envy quite a bit. And now begins the grueling week ahead while we wait for a new episode of Kotoura-san lol.
Well, I wouldn’t call Manabe “the purest character (his jumps surpass Junichi’s in Amagami SS)”, Zanibas. I think that rather he’s one of the” most sincere” characters. I think there is a difference. For one thing, I don’t think when asked “pureness”, “sex” is not the first thing or second thing comes to mind on most folks. Nothing wrong with that; it’s just the way people have been brought up to associate that word with. But enough of that. It’s just a minor observation on my part.
So okay, this show is not exactly a revelation. And as I mentioned a few times already in the past, it probably won’t reach the shock-value it brought up with the first 12 min of 1st episode again -it was so over the top, uncharacteristic melodrama that it became awesome. So I can see how some can find shortcomings of the show since it’s kinda obvious -and they will.
But I give the show a credit for trying to be different (well it’s actually more in the case of trying to bring enough “different” elements into the mix, what appears to be sort of generic story-progression) and being generally entertaining. So far I’m willing to ignore faults, keep those things at bay, and keep watching.
If deathtogenericshows-san said this is good enough, then this is good!
Alright, probably a poor choice of words here, but I’m unclear about what you mean, so I’ll just state what I meant here:
In terms of what I mean by purity, his mind lacks a tendency to hide any negative emotions (which are heroically “negaative) and any emotions he doesn’t display publicly are purely out of empathy for Kotoura. Hence I think of him as a pure character…despite what the connotation may currently be.
It’s good that you’ve found a show that you’re willing to stick with generic! It’s not something I hear from you often, no offense meant. :3
Hm. I think I have to agree completely on that last paragraph – this show actually tends to follow bog-standard conventions… and then throws total curveballs at you when you least expect it. Interesting. Some of the credit for that definitely has to go to the direction and the storyboarding, though.
It’s better than a number of the shows this season, anyway – an achievement given that, as you say, it really isn’t anything that original.
Don’t tell me that this episode is just the “Bad End” and they are gonna re-do the story with another ending next week (just like the galgame animes)…
Just when I thought things were light, this show crushes me again. I think it hit me extra hard because I watched Psycho Pass right before this…. I needed to be uplifted 🙁
My order too! Kotoura-san always comes after Psycho-Pass and the show did a good job of cheering me up…until the second half. D:
– Drama felt a little forced
– Pace was rushed at parts
– Certain scenes were awkward
But what the heck, I don’t know why I feel so darn satisfied. This may not be a technical masterpiece, but it sure has won my heart. Kotoura-san tops my list for the season.
I don’t understand how characters in the show think. But heck, I still LOVE it. It’s just plain enjoyable. I was laughing my ass off at the karaoke scene.
Good episode. Cheers for Moritani finally starting to regret her actions.
Seriously…if I had to wait another week just to throw a tantrum every time she gets screen time because of her stupidity and pettiness, she’ll forever be irredeemable. She’s got ALOT of things to do to make up for her actions.
I wished the ending hadn’t left off like that…I felt it was way too soon for her to choose to disappear. Hopefully it’ll get resolved soon enough because I really like the comedy moments of this anime!
On another note, it’s probably just me but I totally thought my video player froze when they hesitated outside after the karaoke. I need to take those awkward pauses a lot better.
As far as the three-episode test is concerned, I think this show already got me at episode 2. The new one is still good, and still builds up some drama and tension despite the overused gags and all the trolling Haruka got from the club members. Not to forget how fast it felt. I mean, three episodes down and it’s like I’m watching something that’s events of the last few episodes.
Manabe is a ridiculously nice guy, despite his perversions. Heck, he was able to hold himself out against FOUR guys. At least that proves that what he said in episode 1 of him having prowess in karate was no fluke. Haruka, on the other hand, is a ridiculously nice girl (hence, they’re really meant for each other) for confronting Moritani like that. Has she been broken so bad her entire life that she thinks every single thing is her fault? I seriously did not like her going away considering that Manabe already bared himself to her. And fuck yes, Yuriko. That’s exactly how I expect her character – despite feeling sorry for herself from last week, she still remains to be devious.
Still, I enjoyed this episode for what it shown, and I’ll definitely follow this until the end.
Keima(TWGOK) is that you.
Now I could be putting too much thought into this but the moment I saw Manabe grin and clench his fist, I thought, He appeared to have history of fighting or violence in his life. After all there is no way a normal high schooler could get into a 4 on 1 fight with trained members of a dojo without some sort of skill or experience. If this is true, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of secrets Manabe has in his hidden in his past.
Episode 1 suggests Manabe knows karate. Check that scene where Moritani invites him to her house and he declines thinking that she is just after his “skills”. So yeah, it would make sense at least, as to how he was able to fight back despite being outnumbered.
Yeah, I was still surprised when the dojo guys showed up all beat up, cause I had taken his internal boasting about his karate ‘skills’ to be just puffed up guy boasting. And even when he pulled out that smile, like he thought he was going to open a can of whoop-ass on them, I was *still* expecting him to be completely ineffective. And then we find out that he *did* open an extra-large can of whoop-ass on 4 dudes who had already gotten the drop on him.
Just another unexpected turn in this show that wants to defy so many conventions.
Exactly as I thought =03. No idea why my earlier comment got negged, but it’s exactly as I thought. It would be nice if Manabe was all sunshines and rainbows, but as other chars have revealed, everyone has a skeleton in their closet. It’s can’t be as simple as “he knows karate”. I almost thought his “I’m glad Kotoura wasn’t there” comment wasn’t just because of her safety, but also because he didn’t want her to see him be so aggressive.
Moritani as Zanibas says- just isn’t mature yet. She acts like a 12 year old- acting impulsively without thinking about the consequences. Kotoura is one tough cookie- anyone else subject to that kind of abuse would be a candidate for taking their own life. Taking the high road takes a very mature person that has the ability to exercise an extraordinary amount of self restraint. Even at my age it’s not always the easiest thing to do. This is one of the reasons I enjoy Kotoura’s character so much- she gets the emotional crap beat out of her yet she still comes out caring about others- and even more so about others than herself.
This show has completely caught me off guard and I am thoroughly enjoying it! I do like how there is a darkness to it all. I just hope the reveal is not some hidden robot under the school that Muroto-Sempai is building so that Kotoura can pilot it. … hmm actually, I wouldn’t mind that so much. 😀
Calling out the bitch bully and telling her that she’s shit?
Openly declaring in front of the class about the other girl that he likes in front of the girl that likes him back?
Holding it down against four guys in a punch out?
Sticking out for this cute little girl who is socially awkward?
That’s why he’s named Manabe. He has MAN in his fucking name.
Simple logic of this alpha male:
MAN + Abe = Manabe
Clearly the fight was too awesome to show.
Three episode verdict?
Kotoura-san was on my weekly watch list after the first 5 minutes of episode 1…
I personally feel the drama and comedy is balanced quite well for Kotoura-san but I agree that the “4koma-ness” of the show does rush the plot a bit. However, I find it understandable given the show is only 1-cour.
We need more Manabes in the world. Who knows how many girls with psychic powers are out there that is being treated like shit by society?
This show is surprising, convention-breaking, and extremely enjoyable. There’s no way I’m dropping this show.
Moritani… I really hate this kind of character. I was thinking she could still be redeemed but after this episode I won’t like her even if she takes a bullet for Kotoura.
I wish this kind of characters were kicked out of the story once they redeemed themselves but I guess she is going to be there until the last episode.
I guess she is going to help Kotoura somehow she might even become more of a “real” friend than the blue haired witch. The problem with this Anime is that even if Moritani ends up defending Kotoura from Mifune (I still don’t know if she is up to something bad or not) then Mifune is also going to end up being redeemed and everyone is going to be happy forever till the end of times. I hate how Manabe and Kotoura get hurt the most just for being themselves and even the others behave like scum they still get hurt less.
I like this anime but the cuteness doesn’t make up for the rage. I only hope Moritani apologizes to Manabe and not only to Kotoura but knowing Manabe he is just going to say: “You sent a bunch of guys to kick my ass because you are retarded?” “Don’t worry, I only stayed in the hospital for a couple of days, I’m still peeing blood, I cry every night from the pain but I am not able to hate you because I’m too good of a guy”
Agreed. I don’t give a bloody piss about how they’ll try to redeem Moritani. She’s already dead. I haven’t actually hated too many anime characters in my lifetime but she’s so low she doesn’t even deserve my hate. It’ll be wasted on her. She needs to be chained to a tree for a few 0-degree winter nights.
She get any worse and I’ll whole her in the same light as the psychotic bitch that stabbed her ex 25 times, shot em in the head, left his body in a bath tub, & claimed it was in self-defense. I’m being sarcastic but she really is approaching that level of retardation. Locking her up now will save a lot of lives.
To those who read the manga, how does Moritani pay for her actions here? Do her classmates find out and shun her as a delinquent who gets her henchmen to beat people up? Does her dad find out that she used dojo students to settle her personal grudges(When they show up for practice all bruised up it wouldn’t be hard to figure out they’ve been in a fight)? Or none of the above?
I’m sorry, but.. Having watched Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai, I just can’t take Daichi seriously whenever he tells Manabe to not be so perverted.
Guh, sometimes I dislike the fact that I recognize every single VA regardless of their role..
I dunno about the pacing of the drama though I thought it seems to move along well.
It would feel rushed if only they make Moritani suddenly switch into nicey-nicey sweet-rivally girl that she’s depicted to be in the op/ed in the next episode without some trials of redemption (and some revenge time dealt back on her – for the fans at least).
Manabe is a pervy simpleton. But I like him, his honesty is something to be envied.
He doesn’t resist when pushed, or rather he doesn’t avoid conflict. If something needs doing/saying he just goes out and does it.
It seems like the only people who can tease him (and Manabe doesn’t mind to be teased by) are his friends in the ESP dan. Kinda shows how relaxed he is around them, how he can enjoy himself without having to worry about others.
I just came across an interesting piece of information that was cut ii of the anime.
Turn out in the manga version Moritani actually told her dojo goons that Manabe raped her and didn’t want to tell her parent because she felt they’d be ashame. So she asked her goons to beat him up for her. They of course tried too but Manbe put up such a good fight that one of them pulled out a knife and stabbed him. The reason Moritani freaked out afterwards was because she asked them beat Manabe up not try to kill him.
That’s what I thought I had read. Couple that with an earlier comment that said that he was on a respirator in the hospital and it creates a much darker picture which makes Kotoura’s reaction more understandable. She believes she almost got her friend killed.
The whole episode would have been more emotional if all of that were shown.
Moritani coming up with that lie that Manabe raped her will make her character more irredeemable than it already is.
It’s also important to note that Kotoura’s little “I forgive you” speech toward Moritani didn’t happen until after Manabe found Kotoura. In that time Moritani was so weighed down by the guilt of almost killing Manabe she had a nervous break down that pretty much killed her mentally. I think it was said she was going to killherself but I don’t know for sure because I can’t find that part of the manga.