First Impressions / Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

「山口さんちの賢二くん」 (Yamaguchi-sanchi no Kenji-kun)
“The Yamaguchis’ Son, Kenji-kun”

From the sounds of this title, one would assume that the focus of this episode is on Yamaken. Although that is true, it’s also very misleading because I thought the latter half of the episode gave a great deal of character background to Haru as well. I do not claim to be a Yamaken or Haru fan because I think they both have their faults (as well as good points) and I think from a female perspective, it’s sometimes very hard to see both their intentions. Especially from Mitty’s POV, she’s someone who already lacks EI (or some people call it EQ) and although it might be very obvious from a third party (like Natsume), it’s very hard for Mitty to understand what’s going on with Haru and Yamaken. I want to dive a little deeper into these three individuals… and I’m sorry for stepping away from the other characters (for now) but hey! The majority of the episode was indeed focused on these three.

Starting with Yamaken who had a very brief introductory speech about his past… If there’s one thing that I give him credit for, it’s his honesty – with himself. He’s not necessarily very open about his affections towards Mitty, but at least he knows that he likes her which is better than being in self-denial. He also mentions that he has no problems getting girls; it must be the whole bad boy attitude plus he’s smart! Even Mitty isn’t blind to that, but it takes on a whole new meaning when the person you’re attracted to also says that they think you’re “appealing”. I think Yamaken likes Mitty because she’s different, but also someone that he’s grown an attachment to without realizing it. I mentioned before (in a comment somewhere) that if you go through life expecting people to treat you like a prince, and they always treat you like a prince… you won’t notice person A from person B. This is why Yamaken has no problems turning these people down. Mitty is different though because she treats him indifferently. To the point that he feels like he holds no spot in her heart/mind… And that leads to his competitive nature against Haru – for Mitty’s affections. I can’t tell you if he’ll succeed or not… (probably not since this isn’t a story focused on Yamaken) but from the state of things, Yamaken doesn’t sound like he’ll give up easily.

Haru’s past takes over halfway through and I was actually surprised to see so much of his history revealed this episode. And if I was more honest, I didn’t expect there to be so much drama in his past – not just with his brother, but clearly he’s had to move a few times. If I had to make a few predictions, I would guess that Haru’s mother passed away (probably giving birth to him) and thus why Yuuzan hates him so much – for taking away their mother. At the same time, Yuuzan and Haru are blood siblings and it’s hard to just neglect your younger brother. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to be Haru, and it seems like he has a lot of internal issues to deal with. I’m sure this has been discussed multiple times (either by commenters, bloggers or Haru/Mitty) so I will not overkill it. I only wanted to add that Haru probably sees Mitty as an escape from his past. She’s someone who doesn’t view him as violent or crazy (although she does see him as a rival in school) and best of all; I love how Mitty doesn’t judge. Luckily for Haru, Mitty also happens to return his feelings and that’s great reassurance to him that he has someone to depend on. Is it enough though? From personal observations, it seems like Haru is looking for more. He keeps saying “I want you.” and I’m sure that’s not in the sexual way (or is it? O_o)… he probably means that he needs her to be there. He likes her companionship, her company and he uses it as a way to avoid the thoughts and memories.

As for Mitty herself… I’ve said before that I love her. I love her sarcasm and her bluntness and just her overall uncaring exterior that seems to drive a lot of attention. Of course, Mitty’s already changed a lot since the first episode. She’s shown signs of concern and love and slowly (very slowly), I’m sure she’s going to start realizing that school is not always the top priority. In the meantime, it is – and what Yamaken and Haru don’t see is that, she’s not intentionally trying to hurt them, she’s just preoccupied. She doesn’t bring her lunch to avoid a date with you, and she’s not sitting in classes to make you jealous. You can also say that it’s her downfall for being so tunnel-visioned, because Mitty doesn’t have the best sense when it comes to relationships and empathizing with others (Natsume on the other hand is great at that in my opinion). This is where that “wall” comes in between her and Haru. What happens after the “I love you’s” have been said and you still feel a gap between the two of you? This is something that I feel has to be resolved by both Mitty and Haru. I’m definitely more interested in this aspect of their relationship than the third wheel (sorry Yamaken!) because a relationship is about more than just admitting your feelings. It’s how you carry on as a couple afterwards that determines whether or not you stay together.

Wow… that was a long post. I feel like in the process of discussing the psyche of Mitty, Haru and Yamaken I’ve missed out on a lot of the other characters as well so I’ll briefly mention them. Ooshima’s friend shows up… staring at Yamaken. Not quite sure what kind of role she’ll play but she’s in the OP so that must mean something! There’s also the ending piece with Natsume standing outside the batting range. I don’t see her as someone that would confess her little crush out loud, but I’m also scared that she’s turning a bit into a stalker. We’ll see how this develops later on because it might conflict with our groups’ handout spot.

Note: Zanibas is still alive and well folks! He’s just preoccupied with real life priorities so I’ve been assigned to write this week’s episode in his absence. Wish him the best of luck so he can get back to writing soon!

Full-length images: 13, 18, 19, 22, 24, 30.

 

Preview

Omake

58 Comments

  1. Thanks again for posting Cherrie! Stupid finals. I do like how this ended up though, because I’ve always thought that an extended female perspective on the show would be good to properly analyze the show. An excellent post Che, I’m happy you did this favor for me ^^.

    I do want to say 2 things though before I return back to study:

    1) Ooshima’s sister friend Yuu…her stare has something magical about it that it gives me chills. Maybe I’m just a sucker for plain short-haired girls (like Nanasaki Ai). D:

    2) I would like to propose a different explanation as to why Yuuzan resents Haru. As opposed to their mother’s death (which may be a factor, but not the primary one), he’s jealous of his natural abilities and also hates those traits of Haru that cause them to move so much. To support this, we should look at the earlier part of the flashback, where Yuuzan obviously has good intentions towards a very young Haru. However, as each snippet of the flashback progresses, Yuuzan slowly becomes more distant towards Haru, resulting in even Yuuzan standing in the rain…in his school uniform. One who has seen the latest episode of Sakurasou can see the parallel feelings of inferiority, specifically growing feelings extended over a long period of time. Rita and Yuuzan…they are strangely similar in character, with fake smiles and a warped desire to help out their loved one, yet suffering from their presence.

    Anyways, those are my short two cents before I have to study for Final #2. Have fun you guys! ^_^

    Zanibas
    Reply

    1. Yuu’s superhuman starring has no match. And it’s not eye-piercing menacing starring, but almost childlike curious-staring, which is why it’s even worse for the opponents. Even Haru can’t fight against it and run away scared (very funny omake scene of their first meeting during the winter festival for manga’s counterpart of next episode. Not sure if it would be included, but hope it does. Some omakes do get included like the spagetti scene this week).

      deathtogenericshows
      Reply

    2. 1) Ooshima’s sister friend Yuu…her stare has something magical about it that it gives me chills. Maybe I’m just a sucker for plain short-haired girls (like Nanasaki Ai). D:

      *Brofist*

      Short hair is HNNNNGGGG.

      junglepenguin
      Reply

    3. 1:15am!! It’s like you timed when my post would come up lol =P Jks!

      Hope you did well on your finals!
      I never saw the appeal of girls with short hair unfortunately =( I think all my girl-crushes have long hair… oh! Except Kei from ef and Saya from Blood+… those are the only two that come to mind right now o_o

      Cherrie
      Reply

    2. It’s more like her taste sucks because of 1.) there are no females influencing her clothing choices 2.) …who buys clothing from supermarkets… 3.) clothes has no correlation to studying.
      I wouldn’t say she dresses like an elderly lady, it’s more that they gave her the appearance of Shizuku from the back just to fool YA☆MA☆KEN (I don’t remember her in the manga).

      On another note, Shizuku’s “SOUR!” was adorable.

      Kiseki
      Reply

  5. This manga defied the conventional approach of shoujo manga in many ways. Rare it is to see a manga where people in love don’t go around the bush and just be direct about it – only this manga replace directness with brutal honesty. I kinda like this approach because of its freshness and all.

    TQ

    KF
    Reply

  6. I frame stepped that can throw – I thought it hit Mitty. But the dialogue seemed that it hit Yamaken?!

    Anyway, great post Cherrie – after reading it I (think I) realized something — Haru’s love for Mitty is very, very selfish.
    There’s a scene where he explains to Mitty one of the ways he’s holding back —

    I wanted to storm in[to] your
    class and mess everything up. — Haru

    IMHO, I kind of see it now, Haru has not offered to support Mitty in any way with what’s important to her. This is
    making Haru, for the amount of strength that he has, an unlikable person for me. She told him several times that
    her studies are important; but he doesn’t get it and continues to be a disruptive force in her efforts. I can appreciate
    Mitty’s tunnel vision approach to their relationship. The irony here is that, in her studies, she’s still just as alone
    as she was at the beginning of the series.

    Another thing I think the writers wanted to show was Yamaken’s appeal to girls is not the appeal Mitty sees in him.
    I think when she says “It just shows how much appeal you have.” IMHO she’s referring in ways that Haru’s lacking,
    not necessarily the appeal Yamaken sees in himself.

    mac65
    Reply

    2. Thank you! And I like where your thought process is going… yes, it’s true that I think Haru also is very narrow minded in his love for Mitty and it’s very suffocating in a sense.

      I think she appreciates the little things that he does (e.g. waiting for her to finish class, studying with her in the library etc.) but once he tries to do things that prevent her from studying (e.g. stopping her from going to class), she gets put off. I think there has to be more communication between the two of them and that’s pretty unusual considering how blunt and straight-forward Mitty is. Anyway, I also agree that Yamaken is very different when compared to Haru. She probably appreciates his subtlety (sometimes a little too subtle lol… omake scene) and doesn’t think of his affections for her as suffocating or too over-the-top.

      Cherrie
      Reply

  7. Oh my… even a slower episode like this is so full of emotions!
    First of all, poor Yamaken. Not only does he get to feel physical aggression from Haru, he is at the same time subjected to emotional barrage from Mitty who is completely oblivious to the effect her words have on the people… She can’t comprehend that when she states a fact “you are appealing” she can be read as much more…
    Second, Haru and glimpses of his past… definitely there is some troubled history behind him and Yuuzan… And he is stumbling when trying to communcicate his feelings to Mitty…
    Thirdly, Mitty herself, stumbling as well with expressing her feelings…
    Fourth, Who’s that darkly cute girl who keeps on catching Yamaken in awkward situations? And can there be more of a story ahead for her?
    Finally, brace for emotional impact, as Natsume imho is going to confront Mi-chan and confess, with predictable result of being shot down… Come on he’s adult guy who isnt interested in spending time in prison for romancing underages!

    ewok40k
    Reply

    1. Think of Mi-chan as The Fonz: the really cool guy that’s just there to help and look good. Still, I would like him not to shot down Natsume, as Sasayan is the Man of (no)Action right now, and because there’s something nice of those two togheter. I don’t know exactly what it is, but there’s… something…
      Yamaken is pragmatic and realistic (aside from tsundere), and it’s an interesting character to watch.
      As if Yuuzan wasn’t bad enough, he’s fallen completely into villian mode. No wonder why Haru really is holding into Mitty: his life (and sanity) depends of it.

      SeedStriker
      Reply

      1. I think people need to give Yuuzan a chance to explain himself as well. It’s a shame that we get to see so little of him and everytime we do, it’s under the pretense that he’s “the bad brother”. And in this episode, we only see glimpses of him through Haru’s memory so that’s clearly biased.

        I’d like to hear what actually happened from a non-biased POV (if possible). Probably Mi-chan knows the full story. Who knows… he could actually be really evil -__-‘

        Cherrie
        Reply

  10. I didn’t think of the mother’s death as being a driver for Yuuzan’s hate of Haru. There was a comment he made about “having to come here because of Haru”. If, as you surmised, their mother died in childbirth because of Haru, then maybe that forced them to live with the father or the father’s extended family. There was an implication that the family is actually rich and maybe life there was hell for them.

    I still find that Haru’s violent tendencies turn me off to him. He would be a sympathetic character otherwise, but having thoughts of tearing the arms and legs off of Mitty, even metaphorically, just make me feel like he needs to be institutionalized before he kills someone. Maybe that’s the metaphor of the spider thread. Without Mitty he’s going to do something really bad and he knows it. But in the story the thread snaps…

    bear
    Reply

    1. I thought along the lines of… Mother’s death –> Move away from home –> Yuuzan/Haru not liking their new home –> Brothers grow distant …. and I’m sure there has to be some tension there from either Haru or Yuuzan, just not sure where or why. I’m not sure where the violent tendencies come from; I’ve never really studied the origin of violence in psychology. But judging from Haru’s past, it might be his way of releasing pressure or stress and just solving problems in general.

      You’re right… he’s not a very sympathetic character anymore after last week and this week’s episodes. He’s gone from “boy with troubled past” to… “boy with anger management issues (and troubled past)” and it makes it hard for me to relate to him now. Nevertheless! I still think Mitty is his savior and that’s why he clings to her so much. The “spider thread” metaphor I think is used to represent his relationship with her. He brings up his fear of her leaving him and that thread probably means he thinks she’ll leave to be with Yamaken or even prioritizing school over him. It’s sad to think that he doesn’t trust (don’t think trust is a good word…) Mitty enough that he still clings on to her so much. She looks like someone that needs to space and it’s hard for her too since she’s so focused on her school work.

      Cherrie
      Reply

      1. If I remember the spider thread story correctly, Buddha lowered a spider thread down to hell to rescue a sinner that had done one good deed. While climbing the thread the sinners sees others climbing the thread and angrily says that it is his alone. At that point the thread breaks and all are cast back into hell. Haru sees himself as the sinner and Shizuku as the thread. All the people that are gathering around her are the other sinners climbing the thread. He’s afraid that somehow he will lose Shizuku due to the others. Yamaken obviously being one of them. What he doesn’t see is that if the story applies, trying to isolate her will be the cause of him losing her.

        bear
        Reply

      2. I’m back, but seriously don’t dislike me before I say anything. I’m certainly calm this time.

        I can understand why from a female perspective, Haru is clingy, over the top and does things the extreme way. I commented last blog post, so if you know, I’m one person who can definitely relate to Haru. Indeed he has anger management issues, just like I do. From the view point of others, we look like bastards who think we own the world and everyone should only pay attention to us, but that is not the case.

        You say he isn’t a sympathetic character, but I would say otherwise. His actions are supported by his own loneliness. He did not give anything Shizuku wants because he doesn’t understand the concept of love. He has never been loved except by Mi-chan’s mother whom unfortunately died leaving him alone. The reason for why Yuuzan hates Haru is explained by Zanibas already. It is not about their mother. Haru doesn’t hate Yuuzan at all. Yes this is spoiler so I won’t delve more into that part.

        Can you still say the same after knowing this? If you, who have been alone for most of your life, not understanding the concept of love and never experiencing much emotions, how would you deal with your first love? I had a hard time because I was the same as Haru, but I did try to give support to the girl I love. She however told me it’s none of my business. My “help” was not appreciated nor needed. I felt loneliness because I was ignored to the point I can’t take it anymore. It then drived me to be violent and had anger management issues. However I can tell you Haru won’t kill Yamaken or anything.

        I’m the same so I know, while people like us make threats, it is to defend ourselves. To protect our only source of happiness, however I have to tell you we’re straightforward and honest with our emotions. There is no way we would kill someone, we would hurt someone but not so much hurt them to the point where they end up in the hospital. If Haru has no self control, he would’ve killed Yamaken already.

        Extremist
        Reply

      3. Also, don’t speak of trust likely. Trust can be betrayed and Haru wouldn’t want that. Tell me, how many couples cheated on the other in this world despite the strong amount of trust? What do you say for the people who got betrayed? That they were too stupid to put in too much trust? Then for those who don’t trust, they have issues and are wrong on every level?

        Either way, Haru is going to be judged. Not to mention the way Yamaken treats him, he would obviously be much more hostile to others. Also don’t worry, Haru will mature as a character. He will stop doing that, if the anime ever reaches that part.

        Then you’ll see Haru in a new light. His past makes him who he is, while he have issues he is a sympathetic character. You can’t force someone to change immediately, you must understand why they do that and their mentality. I had issues and I did matured.

        I still kind of resent the girl I love for not even paying a single bit of attention to me though. Really, just 1 phone call and she’ll shut me down by telling me I’m only putting weight on her phone bills andddd she doesn’t say that to other boys. Always expecting me to be a hero and do something for her, but when I do she puts it down and doesn’t even appreciate it. I was looked down upon, to others, I have anger management issues, possessive, aggressive and violent.

        But then again I was under a lot pressure by the boys because of their constant flirting. I had not prevent her from enjoying her time with them, I only expressed my dislike in that she spends way more time than with me. I really hate how the guys laughed at me with one of them even saying he will send me to hell.

        I come off as someone who wishes to break relationship and friendships apart, but that wasn’t my intention. I only wanted them to respect my feeling albeit even just a little bit. The guys didn’t nor did she.

        Extremist
        Reply

      4. Was in a hurry that I didn’t spell check. I meant don’t speak of trust *lightly*

        People like Haru needs a bit more of care and attention for him to mature. There is just so many things he doesn’t understand. If I have to make an example to parallel him, it would be an abused puppy. The puppy did not have a great past with its previous masters and doesn’t trust as much. However a kindhearted person adopted it. As the dog grew and clings onto the person, he starts to find the dog annoying and starts to neglect it. The dog is once again alone, unwanted. Those feelings can be hard on it and the simple thought of being abandoned immediately crushed its heart. It starts to bite other people to prevent them from getting close to the master and the master ultimately ends up annoyed with it.

        The cover pictures and the OP shows Shizuku holding a chain around Haru’s neck right? So I think that is a subtlety in the anime an manga from the author. To sympathetize with Haru, you not only need to know his reasons, his past, you also need to experience something like this to understand why he is desperate. One thing positive is he will never lie, he is honest an straightforward. His actions are made up of good intentions sometimes, but can be misunderstood as a violent behavior full of malice like how people misunderstood my intentions.

        If people are wondering why Haru punched Shizuku in the past episodes and didn’t apologize, it’s because it was too sudden he doesn’t know how to deal with it. He obviously knows it’s wrong so don’t assume that he walks it off like a jerk and think nothing happened. He felt guilt but he doesn’t know what to do. Which is why he shift the blame on others, such as blaming Yamaken for dodging instead of just apologizing directly. For someone like him, he doesn’t know apologizing should be first thing to do, or rather he is too shamed to say it.

        Extremist
        Reply

      5. I understand that you empathize with Haru and it’s sad that your suffering with your problems. My concern is not that he has anger issues, it’s that he is seems quite capable of killing someone with premeditation. He came close with Yamaken. His hysterical strength is also a danger to everyone around him. If he manages to not kill someone on purpose he may do so by accident. The outline that was left on the wall is testament to that. He needs professional help.

        bear
        Reply

  11. I’ve got no idea if the mother thing might be true but for me it actually felt like the whole thing is Haru’s (family’s) fault. It seemed like at first Yuuzan got along well with Haru but after Haru started causing trouble for everyone and not even understanding what the problem with what he did was Yuuzan simply couldn’t stand him. It was already hinted a lot but especially after this episode it seems obvious that Haru has had some pretty bad psychotic tendencies for some time now. And if I’m understanding things right it seems like his father decided to move him away from sight and expected him to get better on his own instead of getting professional help. At this point we can only hope Shizuku can help him become a better person with time although one does wonder if Shizuku really has to help him just because he needs it.

    HakumeiJin
    Reply

  12. After watching this episode, I’m confused, the only question that I have in my mind is one thin, “what is the writer trying to do in this episode? To follow Yamaken or Haru’s story?”

    I love Yamaken and I express this often, the reasons, well, I think they are self-explanatory. I was Team Haru until the jelousy strikes in the form of violance, extreme violance. I loved how Yamaken almost looked scared of him, until he kicked his leg, saying he’s not intimdated by Haru. I want to see how that develops. We got to see their relationship as kids too, but there’s still something missy. Why do both Yamakin and Haru dislike Yuzan? We have yet to see that.

    Oh I am not decided! but I can see the anime wrapping up for some reason. Remember the begining of the story she says I Want to talk about x, y and z, and now I think we will get to that episode back, very soon.

    Thanks for your review! Where is the chart? I would put a little up from the down that was from last weeks.

    Cheers,
    Mi

    PS. I just realized that Mi-Chan is in the story :p oh wow xD I almost feel like we are one person, NOT! :p I cant wait for what Natsume might do next week.

    Mi-Chan
    Reply

    1. Unfortunately the chart is Zanibas’ (I don’t have an update for you) and hopefully he’ll be able to pick up again next week!

      I was also confused at first but you have to keep in mind that this story is about Mitty and Haru and not Mitty and Yamaken. I think the reason that they explain Yamaken’s story is because he adds a lot of depth into Haru’s. You see Haru’s past from another person’s perspective and it brings to light all this “change” that he’s going through. Haru doesn’t think he’s changed, but to the audience (and Yamaken), it’s obvious that he has in many ways. His violent tendencies are still there… but he’s learned to control them to some degree.

      Cherrie
      Reply

      1. It is obvious the story is about both Haru and Mitty, that I know, and Yamaken is just the guy that plays the guy that could have been a Haru but is not a Haru. I just have one wish that Haru’s past isn’t some really illogical past like some other stories I saw around, I hope it makes sense. The story of his past needs to justify his violence or else I’d totally sell Haru and vote for Yamaken. There must be a good damn reason why he is what he is, and until that is revealed, I’ll root for Yamaken. Hey you never know :p sometimes a story about X and Y doesn’t happen, the Z interferes. Sadly that’s not my wish, so I can’t wait to get some clarity on Haru’s past, so I wouldn’t condem his violence so much.

        Mi-Chan
        Reply

      2. Mi-Chan, it isn’t something that can be understood just by explaining. I’m pretty sure you still wouldn’t get the reason for his actions even after his past is revealed. For someone to understand, you need to feel the same amount of pressure and hate. So if I have to say, it’s more like your friends suddenly start hating you and being jealous of you when you have done nothing to offend them. Try and see if you can replicate that situations and isolate yourself. Have almost everybody speak badly of you because they suffer from inferiority complex. Until then, you won’t grasp the pain that people like us have went through.

        And no Yamaken isn’t a character that could’ve been a Haru but isn’t. Haru is supposed to be a character who went through several suffering and life experience that drives him to develop as a character. He isn’t meant to be the typical nice rich spoiled kid like other typical shoujo mangas. This actually reflects reality very well, we guys aren’t perfect. Girls can’t expect us to he perfect, it is through communication that a relationship can be maintained and build upon. This is what this anime is about. Yamaken won’t receive the same amount of development nor depth to his story. You can’t expect him to be the main guy. Sorry, he doesn’t come close following the concept of the story the mangaka wants to present.

        I can provide many insights on Haru’s character because I have to say I’m one that can definitely relate to him. My friends had never tried to understand me, I only have a few that understands and doesn’t judge me. Trust me, they’re great friends and they never hate me. They would get mad if I ever feel that I’m not competent enough to be their friend or I feel that they don’t treat me as one because deep down I know they care for me as a friend a lot more than others. My best friend however did not understand my view and decided to push all the issues onto me. So I don’t expect you to understand clearly, but let me make this point: don’t ever say to someone “The world is not yours, no one needs to care for your feeling”.

        That is one of the most bullshit thing I have heard from others and I know some people will spam this on Haru. We all have out lifes and our own world which involves our own feelings. We don’t own the world, but each of us have a little world which is our personal space. Saying shit like that means destroying one person’s world and telling them they have no rights as an individual and should become a robot devoid of emotions.

        Emotions are like a roller coaster ride. It goes up and down and spins crazily. It’s not easy for you judge easily nor face easily. People will commit wrong doings, but it is how they will deal with it later that matters. Haru will earn your respect in this department. He will change and he will deal with it maturely. You can’t help but feel for the poor guy later on. After Haru’s development is Shizuku’s development which is why you’ll feel for Haru. Shizuku will have some hard time understanding Haru’s feelings and Haru starts to be less straightforward in order to control himself. He has to hide his pain, you might even cry once you reach that part.

        I don’t believe this is much of a spoiler, since I didn’t spoil any contents, but if anyone still wish to bash me for it, feel free to.

        Extremist
        Reply

  17. Haru is a likeable character, even with his violent tendencies. Haru never had a normal childhood; a rich father figure that probably was never there to guide/discipline him, a brother that still is jealous of your natural talents/intelligence/wishes you never existed, a mother that probably died after you were born/never taught you warmth or love. It didn’t help that Haru was bullied by Yamaken and other children growing up nor did it help that the only people Haru probably loved up to this point (Yuzan and Mitsuyoshi’s mom) ended up hating him or died. With no one to teach him, is it surprising that Haru is emotionally and socially awkward, to the point of being childish? Given all that, I understand/don’t mind that Haru is violent and selfish. Aside from Mitsuyoshi, the only person Haru “loves” is Shizuku. Haru has changed consideraly since episode 1 because of her. Though it is slow, Haru is taking baby steps in his social development, which should have started when he was in elementary school. The same can be said with Shizuku. Through each other, they will learn to cope/deal with their painful pasts with each others support. Don’t worry, Haru will mellow out a little later =).

    Nugester
    Reply

    1. He’s obviously come close to killing someone a number of times. He’s certainly considered doing it to Yakamen. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a likable character according to his neighbors too.

      bear
      Reply

      1. I wouldn’t go as far to say that Haru is a serial killer or a murderer at all… but yes, it’s is proven that serial murderers are often very charismatic and friendly. It’s a way of “luring” in your target so they feel safe and comfortable around you. They’re also very smart! So uh… in that sense Haru does seem to fit the profile.

        BUT! I still think that Haru isn’t close to being crazy yet and that’s where Mitty comes in =) Nugester is right… although I don’t think Mitty and Haru have a lot of in common, it’s like they bring out the best in each other – complementary if you will.

        Cherrie
        Reply

      2. Didn’t mean to imply that Haru was going to be a serial killer, just that he is quite capable of killing someone because of his lack of self control. More like a Lenny from “Of Mice and Men” only with high intelligence.

        bear
        Reply

    2. Exactly right on mark!! Someone who actually understand the ordeals Haru had faced. For people bashing Haru, a relationship requires 2 people and not one. The fact that Shizuku still chooses him is already enough. They do bring out the best in each other and it is through meeting each other that they learn of new emotions. Haru doesn’t come close to a serial killer. You’re outta your mind kid!!

      You can’t blame Haru for the way he is and he is indeed mellowing out. With the help of his friends. Yamaken doesn’t help in this respect, he wants to piss Haru off more than anything and to steal Shizuku away from him. When someone is already in love, it is wise for a person to back off as respect to that individual’s feeling. Trying to make Shizuku fall in love with him at this point is already pointless. Yamaken lovers please don’t hate me, but in reality this is what you would do as well. I doubt anyone is actually cool with some guy constantly hitting on his girlfriend like its no big deal. While Shizuku and Haru isn’t dating officially, their relationship status is a such a point or nearly at it.

      Why are people so crazy about having to make them say “we’re dating” to confirm their relationship status? Do people not understand that couples can be formed without saying I love you, let’s date, be my boyfriend/girlfriend those kind of things? Feelings aren’t something that can be expressed completely with words. You can get into an relationship without asking the other about whether they want to date or not because they know of each others feeling.

      Do you know how to chase a girl/boy? You only ask the question “Will you be my girlfriend/boyfriend?” Only after you feel like a couple in each other’s heart already. That is how successful relationships work out. That feel needs to be there. There is no room for Yamaken. I might be harsh saying this, but deal with it. Shizuku’s heart is occupied by Haru. Saying that Yamaken has a chance and should try to steal her is stupid. Also I know the risk of using the word “steal”, but it is the word I will use. Shizuku is not a property, I’m not retarded so no one needs to point it out.

      Extremist
      Reply

  18. Can someone explain why they like Yamaken as an individual character (i.e. not factoring in any relationship to Haru or Shizuku)? I feel like others are seeing something that I’m just not and am just honestly curious to see what that is.

    spike
    Reply

    1. He’s collected, witty, easy to hang around and has a dere side that slips out once in awhile, making him an entertaining person. Who wouldn’t find him amusing? He pops out of bushes with that deadpan face, as if going “What? I didn’t get lost or anything. I just like popping out from bushes.”.

      See why he has followers? Not to mention that he’s fine with talking with everyone other than his group. In a word, he’s accommodating.

      Also, he’s rich.

      junglepenguin
      Reply

  25. I hope to learn more of Yamaken and Harus’ pasts. My guess is Yamaken got beat up by Yuuzan for bullying Haru, but otherwise I wonder why they drifted apart and then ended up basically strangers again.

    rufe
    Reply

  26. I guess some of you will understand Haru in the coming episodes unless it was only 12 episodes…spoiler~ his brother complex might be slightly straightened up because of a sudden yoshida family gathering..thanks to shizuku.(ok,it’s yuzan’s birthday).and i can tell that from the episode 1 up to the latest chapters haru had matured and lessen his weird habits..
    ok kindly liked this page..
    http://www.facebook.com/TonariNoKaibutsuKunOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn

    zwei
    Reply

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