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「それから」 (Sorekara)
“And Then”
The Parting of Ways
Graduation partially assuaged my concerns in a semi-useless fashion. Those anxieties were suddenly reintroduced when Chinatsu couldn’t resist dipping her hands into Akane’s cookie jar, followed by a turbulent date ensuing between Kotarou and Akane. Despite my frequent complaints of unnecessary drama in previous episodes, I’ll happily gobble my damn words up today. Because this episode, I lived for it.
Getting angry at Kotarou for not trying to comfort a crying Akane… for not trying to hug her in the reassurance that she was no burden to him… for not pursuing after her as she ran off with tears streaming down her face into the sunset. If you saw my live reaction, you could probably pinpoint the moment my heart fell apart into two pieces.
To top things off, It was so sad seeing Akane contemplating whether or not to leave the sweet potato plushie behind on the window sill. I can understand that maybe the memories of Kotarou were too painful. But for me, the sweet potato plushie helped them get together, and represented so much about their relationship. I honestly thought everything was over, but a couple of things allowed me to hope yet again.
Sorekara
“The true substance of love lies in the act of howling words of love with a desperation of a man jumping into the high seas” – Dazai
“13.70”, Akane’s record time for finishing the 100m sprint, was a heartfelt expression of love from Kotarou. It was such a direct and effective way of communication and helped to convey his true feelings to Akane. Some of that was previously lost in the clouding of emotions arising from anxiety and jealousy, but a genuine love pierces through all the obstacles that stands in its path. “13.70” may not rival the best pieces of literary work, but remains a magnum opus by virtue of the sheer emotions it could elicit from people, myself included.
Chinatsu actually redeemed herself towards the end, and I wouldn’t even begrudge her for the way she conducted herself throughout the series. In hindsight, Chinatsu’s actions were not irrational. They were what you would expect from an adolescent inexperienced regarding love and romance, and a similar sort of confusion was often noticeable in Kotarou and Akane as well. She decided to confess despite knowing that she’d most likely be turned down. But at the same time, she cared a great deal about her friendship with Akane. In the end, she showed Kotarou’s “13.70” to Akane, ultimately putting her friendship before her personal feelings.
He ran like the wind, like never before, as if his life depended on it. And as the train pulled out of the station, I knew Kotarou was living on borrowed time. His howl of ‘I love you’ acted as the climax of the episode, and had me tearing up all across the board. Did anyone else notice Akane finishing Kotarou’s sentence, on the miracle of having someone reciprocate your love? As the final shot pans to a beautiful moon hanging in the sky, signifying the poetic expression of love championed by the series, this would have been close to a perfect ending.
Epilogue:
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Hatsukoi – A General Conclusion of Sorts
Ladies and gentleman, the dark horse of the spring season triumphantly rears its head one last time. My coverage gamble paid off incredible dividends, and words cannot describe how I feel right now as this amazing journey comes to an end. Tsuki ga Kirei is easily my most emotional invested series of the season. Sure, it may not be a messiah that the industry currently needs, or the first thing that comes to mind when people ask me about anime. But it was a promise come true from the age of yore, that finally arrived to the jubilation of eagerly awaiting anime fans. It was the thing we didn’t realise we had all been secretly waiting for, forgotten amidst bygone dreams that were unfulfilled in the wake of disappointment.
I cannot recall a show in recent years that successfully evoked the melancholic tinges of first love in the way Tsuki ga Kirei does. The chains and shackles forced upon the industry by the conventions of modern anime are completely thrown out of the window this time around. It was so lovely following Kotarou and Akane all the way through to the end. There weren’t excessive internal monologues, and the melodrama was played out effectively in a way that you would expect of real life. They were just young, shy and inexperienced lovers. And it is here that I want to make a distinction between mere attraction and unconditional love. A difference that can be expressed as spur of the moment rush as opposed to a defining feeling that gravitates around a singularity. You will notice I didn’t start calling their feelings for each other ‘love’ until a lot later, because what they initially had was an interest or attraction, that managed to successfully develop into feelings of true love.
People tout that the whole ending is unrealistic, tempting me to say ‘Just shut up and enjoy what you’re given’. Instead, I’ll try and offer some form of reasoning that does not give discourse to uncivilised discussion. Perhaps in a casual sort of relationship, that may be the case. But we’ve clearly seen that this relationship has been special from the get go. I may be spouting nonsense here, but I do believe there are people who you would give the whole world for. The red string of fate well and truly guided Kotarou and Akane together. There were moments where I expressed doubt towards the two resulting from communication issues, potential third party interferences like Hira and Chinatsu, and potential problems like having to maintain a long distance relationship. The two continued to find a way just like they did in Kyoto, and I always knew deep inside my heart that they would ultimately end up together.
I would have been satisfied nonetheless even if the series had concluded in a bittersweet way, just short of the credits. If it makes sense, I would have held Tsuki ga Kirei in higher esteem for making a brave choice, despite the fact we wouldn’t get the desired ending. But I’m very thankful towards whoever read the script, went to the toilet to cry, before suggesting a happy amendment agreed upon by everyone else. You can feel the love felt by the creative team towards their characters, that they refuse to sacrifice the happiness of Akane and Kotarou for the sake of adding ‘value’ to the story, in whatever way it may be arbitrarily defined. For this reason, the circumstance permit for an exception to the incorporation of a Deus ex Machina which I would otherwise disapprove of. Plus, it had been alluded to all along in the various LINE message sequences that varied week upon week in the ED theme.
Hopefully, Tsuki ga Kirei sets a new trend with its resounding success in my eyes, and presumably the eyes of many others. It is wholly possible for a wonderful and thoroughly engaging story to be told, without lazily depending on the crutches of modern cliches and tropes. I can’t claim that I can relate to our characters once they got together. My experiences are pretty much limited to failed attempts at romantic courtship, and past that stage, I have no more memories to relive. But you know what? That doesn’t stop me from really enjoying Tsuki ga Kirei. Just because I myself didn’t get this happy ending myself, doesn’t mean I wouldn’t wish it away from others. At the moment, I’m wondering whether or not it is worthwhile to hold out in the hopes of eventually seeing love successfully come to fruition. But would it be worth waiting on something down to the whims of a chance that may never come to pass? Perhaps this naïve optimism can only bring unhappiness for most, but I’m truly a dreamer who agrees with the answer that Tsuki ga Kirei came up with. I believe in finding happiness at the end, even if it means waiting for a really long time.
I’m really glad they got their happy ending. 🙂
Me too Fabio. It actually might not have been the best ending, when it comes to Kotarou’s writing. I could totally imagine Kotarou becoming depressed because of the experience, giving him better inspiration for kickstarting his literary career. Still, I’d take love over a fortified literary career anytime.
I wanna join in on this gush fest over this show because Oh my ever loving Lord so good.
So perfect, so. much. perfect.
AOTY contender, I said what I said.
I’ll go out on a leg, and say it probably won’t contend for anime of the year. Simply because the autumn season is already looking pretty stacked, and a properly adapted Mahoutsukai no Yome should beat this out.
My anime of the season would probably be Sakurada Reset at the moment, which I would heavily recommend people give a try. It offers very different things from Tsuki ga Kirei, so your mileage may vary. But yes, this show did very little wrong in a way that makes it possible to call it perfect, while I would have to call Sakurada Reset flawed because of a slow start.
I didn’t know the same group (or at least a portion of the group) made Yosuga no Sora. I commend YnS for showing that teenagers do hookup and think about sex, pretty much like Nagahara and Setsuko in this series but much more… visual. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who disliked Yosuga no Sora because of you-know-what.
Just binged the entire season in the last 24 hours so I couldn’t comment on the earlier posts but I really like your writing style, Zaiden! I also 100% agree on your comparison to Clannad: After Story regarding the family angle. Clannad: AS is one of my favorite anime series along with Ano Natsu de Matteru, AnoHana and Mirai Nikki.
Really hoping we get a one-episode OVA to get a glimpse on their grown-up lives. I know we already got closure in the epilogue but I’d appreciate a proper one similar to Steins;Gate!
Everything flows, everything fits, and everything comes together beautifully to form one of the best romance anime in recent times. It’s subtle but powerful, authentic and real. I daresay Tsuki ga Kirei will never be topped by another romance anime for a long time, because the bar has been raised to new heights.
Hey ET, pretty much agree on everything you said on what makes Tsuki ga Kirei stand out compared to other recent romances. In recent years, I can’t think of a romance that can contend, simply because so many of them have particular flaws weighing them down. The last anime I saw with a clear grasp on handling romance was probably either Nagi no Asukara or White Album 2, and even then a strong argument can be made that they still fall short of Tsuki ga Kirei in this regard.
Give it half a year. Mahoutsukai no Yome stands a fighting chance when it releases in autumn.
A brilliant series with a perfect ending.Having lived through something similar myself it was a very emotional experience.Happy endings do happen and long distance relationships can work and i am very glad that they got the ending they deserved all along.
Hey goddessofwings. Glad to hear things worked out for you! Further lends to my anecdote, where I said this ending isn’t as unrealistic a claim as some people have put it. Hope your happiness continues!
https://randomc.net/image/Tsuki%20ga%20Kirei/Tsuki%20ga%20Kirei%20-%2012%20-%2057.jpg
I’m glad they didn’t have Shinkai ending! This very last scene will forever be burned in my memory.
Yeah One Pinch Man, imagine if we got Shinkai’d *nervously laughs*
100% agree, and actually makes me wonder who I’d find on the other end of that red string. Hopefully won’t lead me into the world of 2D.
will you ever leave me?…no
will you ever betray me?…no
will you ever forget me?…no
will you ever stop loving me?…no
the moon is beautiful…yes
relevant song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Its been a while since i was **** **** hahaha!
Dang, you got me too XD
They could’ve really fooled me with that ending, but I’m so very glad it turned out the way it did. These 2 beautiful souls have always been fated for each other. No one else could’ve made them feel the way they did each other. I’m both happy and jealous, and that’s a sign of a very well executed young love story. Beautiful and positively heart wrenching, to the very end.
I also loved how LINE was a character in its own right, delivering their feelings almost as if they were direct. Like a dedicated and faithful messenger between them. Such a great use of instant phone messaging in anime.
They almost got me yoloalchemist. Good thing I was so shell shocked that I let the ending theme play out. Can’t say I’m that jealous, but my heart definitely wrenched for the two multiple times. I just wanted things to work out between them, and I was happy when they finally did.
Also, I thought it was very good how they portrayed the rewards of a healthy relationship. Counterbalances the moral degradation Kuzu no Honkai caused.
Expected a Shinkai ending. Was disappointed.
Watched a happy expected. I was not disappointed.
Mix feelings all over the damn place.
You can be disappointed at not getting something you wanted, while not being disappointed at receiving something you weren’t expecting. It’s the surprise that makes it worthwhile.
Thanks for the coverage on this epic anime, Zaiden. Omg, i’m at lost for words…I haven’t seen such a beautiful anime for years, hands down one of the best I’ve ever watched! Aptly used poetic metaphor & phrases, gorgeous scenery and the best part of all, they got the happy ending and even marriage!!! kyaaahhh!!! I’m so glad it didn’t get shinkai-ed. This show is the very embodiment of what i always hoped to see in Shinkai’s movies.
No problem Celestine. The pleasure was completely mine. I really couldn’t help but think I’d won the RandomC coverage lotto, when I got to watch Tsuki ga Kirei every week. Also, the weekly comments from people just as passionate about the show, if not moreso, were even better. It’s always fun discussing these kind of things with like minded people ^_^
ふんふん～
If Zaiden can tear up over this, then I wonder how his kokoro would react once he reads what I concocted. Probably a trip to the ICU wwwwwwwww
Anyways though, I must commend in some way how this story was told. I only look at the reviews from afar throughout the weeks but at least there weren’t any ridiculous developments, that- that would’ve been in bad taste ( ; _ ; )
Man, Nishizawa Mihashi. Glad to have you back around the block. The memes dried up, an unfortunate byproduct of the demanding end of season/start of season schedule. But next time, I’ll be better prepared, and they’ll be back soon for sure. Bigger and better.
Thank goodness for that. I don’t think I could have taken really disrupting curveballs.
Well, when you need to do maintenance on the engine, you gotta take a break y’know? Even finished my KitKat stash to go along with it~ Rest assured, that the Anime Industry Corporate Raider has returned with a fully charged vengeance meter of over 9000~~~
And oh yeah, the memes… Uuuhhhh… Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh…. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… IMSOSORRYIFORGOTABOUTTHEDANKZAIDENMEMESPLISDUNKILLME. I AM GOMEN ｡･ﾟﾟ･(>д<)･ﾟﾟ･｡
Oh no my friend, the creators wouldn’t dare. Not when they’re trying so hard to get amped on the love drug they brewed~~~ The results, they speak for themselves
Awwwh! Beautiful ending, though I was holding out for Chinatsu to get Kotarou at the very end. Frankly, I always preferred her in some way. She genuinely appeared to really like him probably even more than Akane showed. Moreso, I admired how she went about revealing her feelings to both Akane and Chinatsu, being cautious and also quite determined.
Definite anime of the season in my book.
While I never held out for Chinatsu myself, I can see why other people would support her. She was much better at expressing herself compared to Akane, and did a better job of communicating with Kotarou, poor communication being what caused most of the problems in the series between Akane and Kotarou.
However, I think there’s more to be taken from the series than observing things at face value. While on the surface, it may have seemed that Chinatsu was more interested in Kotarou, Akane’s feelings were born from the really thoughtful things Akane did to her that must have meant the world. e.g. Finding the sweet potato plushie she used to relieve her anxiety after she lost it, telling her she was fine the way she was after she lost her race. I can’t recall much of what he did for Chinatsu, and even supposing Chinatsu was more interested nearer to the start, attraction is what it is.
The nicest person who could potentially form a better match might be attracted to you, but it wouldn’t mean much if you didn’t reciprocate. That’s just how the chemicals work. It’s irrational, does not give way to reason, and moves about freely. Even then, it’s not the genuine article. I don’t think I could say Chinatsu loved Kotarou, and would say people are definitely conflating it with attraction.
On the other hand, Akane didn’t really ‘love’ Kotarou at the start of the series. But that matured into a wholesome and genuine love, so no complaints there on my end.
You know a show has you truly emotionally invested when a series of still illustrations has you sobbing uncontrollably from happiness.
Any tears during the illustrations that I had, were residue from the final scene where Akane and Kotarou gave that synchronised inner monologue on the miracle of their love. You could really feel how much parting really hurt them.
Your Name
Tsuki Ga Kirei
2017 is the year bittersweet is over and the year love wins
Hey Hellstorm901! I watched Your Name last year, since it released early in the UK, so for me it wouldn’t count under this year. Enjoyed it, but ended up preferring Koe no Katachi.
Other than that, when you speak of love winning, I think you’re forgetting about Kuzu no Honkai and the upcoming Netsuzou Trap 😛
Nice to see a glimpse of what happened after they stay in a long distance releationship. They even got married. And a baby!! awwww. You predicted it Zaiden! I can’t believe we really got to see a happy ending.
I don’t know where to start…well actually I do. First of all thank you so much for this lovely final post. I already shed so many tears while watching the last episode but reading all of this made me shed another tear just because I felt pretty much the same as you did with this finale.
That scene at the river was so was devastating I shed many tears involuntarily. She’s not only scared of beeing seperated, but also her fear is about finding out just how much distance remains between herself and Koutarou. And that it is a distance that she may not be able to overcome. I thought It wasn’t really her problem that he didn’t tell her about the confession, rather than that things like these more likely happen a lot more once they seperated and they have no chance of feeling connected otherwise and of course putting your trust into each other is easier said than done I guess.
Agree. I face-palmed when she started getting all emotional and crying and he was just staring at her as if that would help!
As for Chinatsu I have no doubt that she knew she had no chance. However She still confessed, and I sure didn’t saw it coming that she would toss herself right in his arms. Personally I really have a problem with how she took advance of their situation (even if she wasn’t aware of it). And for a moment Kotarou did hesitate..
If this wasn’t the ending already and would somehow be continued in high school this would be a real drama here. But gladly this isn’t the case anymore. However I’m not a huge fan of confessions by characters who only say it because they want to find closure these things usually don’t end well for both sides… but she was so serious about it and I really liked that about her afterall.
I don’t really have much anything else to add here. This was a perfect finale for a really good series. I was expecting so many different things, most of them didn’t happen but I sure wasn’t disappointed, instead I was surprised how a series about kids and their experience with first love can be so beautiful and touching. This show could have gone in every direction but what they did in the end was really wonderful. I like happy endings even more anyway.
Thanks again Zaiden. I had lot’s of fun watching this show and beeing able to express my thoughts here!
What can I say about my prediction. They don’t go about calling me a prophet for no reason, even though the 18+ magazine from Episode 1 never showed up again for the sake of getting cheap laughs at Kotarou’s expense.
The pleasure is mine. I was lucky to have the opportunity to cover this series, and even luckier to have awesome commenters across the board. Maybe I didn’t cry as much as you did, but it’s pretty difficult to get me all sentimental. The river scene didn’t get me so much as the synchronised thoughts as the train left the station, because they have become one of the same soul. Seeing them get torn apart unwillingly tore me apart too. There were so many feels to be had.
I think Kotarou’s hesitation came from being unwilling to brush Chinatsu off and hurting her feelings, but proceeding anyway. Plus, it’s like a nightmare to hear from a good friend who confesses to you. Akane also hesitated too, and I’d chalk it down to coming up with the best response in a difficult situation, where you might be in danger of losing a good friend if you navigate it poorly.
That said, I respect Chinatsu for being serious, and not complaining in spite of her rejection. She carried herself gracefully, unlike Hira, who took to calling out Kotarou as his inferior.
As you point out, what made this finale so good in hindsight was that they could have done anything and still have it be perfect. This is the mark of a series that has been well developed all the way to the end. With a stable foundation in place, there is little that can go wrong, and I knew that the boat could no longer be rocked 1-2 episodes before the end. They decided to go for the happy ending, which was definitely deserved for characters as well fleshed out as Kotarou and Akane.
Again, the pleasure was mine, and thank you for following my coverage to the very end! It was fun discussing week in and week out with you through the comment section, and it always allowed me to view the series from a far broader perspective that sometimes challenged my preconceived opinions in certain places.
Feel free to express your thoughts more often, and in any place you like. I understand the fear of not having your writing read, because you want to feel proud about your hard work, and for other to take notice too. When no one does, it’s a pretty crushing feeling. There will be times where that happens, but it will never take away from the quality and effort of your work. And if you don’t stop trying, eventually someone will take notice. So never lose heart. Anyways, see you next time round! 🙂
Oh and, Zaiden, you had some really great coverage for this show! Your future as an RC blogger is already looking bright. Hope you’ll stick around for long 🙂 Thank you truly.
Now where is my Akagami no Shirayukihime season 3?
My coverage may have been great, but these comments truly helped keep me going with the quality. I already thanked you yoloalchemist in your earlier comment, but let me thank you again. We had some truly good discussions in past episodes that I really enjoyed. The pleasure was mine 🙂
Sadly, I cannot answer your question about Akagami to Shiroyukihime S3, though you should check out Mahoutsukai no Yome later this year.
Lol it’s ok Zaiden, I was just kidding about Shirayukihime S3 as an ending text for my comment (even though TBH, a 3rd season of that anime is the one and only thing that can fill the void Tsuki ga Kirei will surely create in me after its end).
And yes, I’m most definitely looking forward to Mahoutsukai no Yome. That anime should be watched on TV through a Crunchyroll app, cuz you know Wit Studio deserves at least that much 😉
I am so glad that they got their happy ending. I was a bit worried that they would just leave the ending like that without them ever seeing each other before Akane gets on the train. But aw man, the ending was so heartwarming.. It’s so sad that I won’t be watching this show next week.
Thank you for covering this show! Looked forward to it every week :3
Tell me about it! I’m already feeling a hole in my heart knowing there won’t be any more of this. But it is the finest conclusion one can hope for at the end of the day.
Hey Lunascha!
Gonna go on a tangent here, and say that I actually remember you as being one of the people who commented on the prospective bloggers post around the cycle I joined RandomC.
To be honest, I actually hadn’t thought about applying because I was so busy with university, and my exams were coming up. However, I chose to follow my heart and ended up joining RandomC anyway. One of the best decisions I’ve made, and a dream come true.
I don’t know whether you actually ended up applying or not, but just wanted to say that commitment matters way more than anime skills, writing skills or knowledge. Those skills can be developed a lot more easily, and naturally come as you write more often. So you should definitely write more extensive thoughts to further develop those kinds of skills. There is no replacement for experience, even if that experience is a rejection.
Also, failing an application is never the end of the world. Pancakes himself had to apply 2-3 times and is probably the current star of our writing team, in terms of getting both quantity and quality of posts. Old Stilts-sempai may be rough on the feedback, but it’s a tough kind of love which certainly gets you further in life. Plus, the feedback only gets tougher once you get the gig. So if you’re scared of feedback before you even the land job, then you may be surprised at how much worse it gets in the actual thing. I jokingly complained about getting savaged by Stilts near the start of the season, but it has done me so much good and I really do appreciate it. (But don’t tell Stilts I said this. He’ll probably take it as a good reason to dial up the savagery!)
Anyway, this comment goes out to pretty much everyone else who has a view to mind of applying in the future. If you choose not to give up, just like how Kotarou didn’t give up on Akane, a heartwarming ending await you. Also, the pleasure of covering Tsuki ga Kirei is mine. It will be difficult to fill up the hole it left in my life :'(
Using webnovel as love letter,masamune-sensei will be proud.
https://randomc.net/image/Tsuki%20ga%20Kirei/Tsuki%20ga%20Kirei%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2055.jpg
That Line message was so hilarious…kotarou trying to bribe his wife with ice cream…so economical
This was better, because we got to see some excerpts from it. We didn’t get anything from Masamune’s love letter novel to Sagiri 🙁
Pregnant women have random cravings. I wouldn’t be too surprised if ice cream was one of them. My favourite flavour is probably vanilla, though a tropical Solero is nice on a hot and sunny day.
Speaking of which, you can see the silly smile glued onto Kotarou’s face at seeing his wife in a traditional dress, reflected from the mirror behind Akane!
For an original Anime series, this is really well done. Better than many others I’ve watched. (looking at you, Glasslip) May also be the best romance Anime I’ve ever watched, considering I don’t watch a lot of these anyway.
Too bad they covered the ends for this series. I don’t mind a sequel where they do long-distance love. Oh well, time to move on from this masterpiece!
Yo Kaineng, funny you bring up Glasslip. I alluded to it in the 8th episode. Those glass chimes really could have been something, as we got to see in Tsuki ga Kirei. It’s a shame that PA Works fudged that one up, though I feel more inclined to blame Okada Mari that time around.
Obviously there are better shows, that was never the question, but I certainly don’t remember another show that has specifically developed romance better.
I wouldn’t have minded a sequel, but I also think it would be wise to lay the series to rest. There is no shortage of sequels that ruining legacies. The violent seizures that I get when recalling Eureka Seven AO…
Mari Okeda had nothing to with Glasslip.
I hate how shows like this really portray a really nice ideal version of romance. It’s nice that they met while so young. I wish I could meet people like that, but now that I’m 25, I feel that my prime has passed, and events are just slipping out of my hand.
Right to the end, the moon is indeed beautiful
It was indeed.
And let me take this moment to apologise. I’d meant to write a Frame Arms Girl finale, but ended up flaking out. I ask for your forgiveness XD
As someone who has been in a long distance relationship for six years (4 hour car drive apart), this series pleases me so much. I could not have asked for a better ending.
Hey Crunchie. It would be too much of a coincidence if you were actually the partner of goddessofwings, another person who commented on this thread about a successsful long distance relationship.
Glad that the happy ending reaffirmed your notions, and I wish you all the best!
I’ve read through all the comments repeatedly throughout the day, and it really doesn’t fail to bring a smile to my face every time I do that. Thanks everyone! It means a lot to me, because the completion of Tsuki ga Kirei marks the first show I finished coverage of on RandomC. I will take the time to reply to everybody’s comments individually later, but I’ve got some work to finish before I get around to that.
Great to have you a readership in you guys all around, and hope you can continue supporting RandomC for a long time to come! 🙂
Thank you for your good work, Zaiden! I’m waiting for your next coverage 😀
It’s great to have you here Zaiden 😀
Ugh that annoying and disconnected 10-years-later prologue trope.
Let’s be real: This can only happen in Japan. it’s small and homogeneous enough that even if one lived in Hokkaido and the other lived in Okinawa, it wouldn’t be that much of a problem. (That’s what, San Diego to San Jose?) Plus, shinkansens do make life spectacularly easy.
I would say that using this romance-drama method to promote Line (imagine Snapchat or Facebook doing the same) is extremely tacky. I know advertisements are supposed to sell lifestyles… but this series conditioned me to shudder whenever I think that people’s relationships on now dependent on these social media platforms.
FYI, LINE was almost a character in its own right.
It’s complicated really. But generally speaking in Japan, LINE is generally used for close relationships. That’s the number one thing that has almost become a deeply entrenched norm in itself. Twitter is where all the shitposting and whatnot occurs and it’s still the biggest platform there due to the nature of the language and outlook regarding relationships. They also use Facebook but in an non-frequent manner. Then there’s the usual blog services like Mixi, which are still surprisingly popular. Whatever the case may be, ever since LINE launched after the Touhoku earthquake it has become a strong indicator of Japanese identity in a way, so I wouldn’t be surprised if what you see of LINE in this show becomes an extremely integral narrative mechanism from which the plot is developed from.
It’s the price of the ticket genius. It costs about like 40USD per trip. And you expect a student to take Shinkansen to and fro every week?
@ Bored_Onlooker
These kids are obviously going to have part-time jobs. As many kids do nowadays. And if they really want to keep the relationship alive, they’re going to have to make sacrifices. Plus, don’t students get discounts? These kids are literally traveling from like the San Fernando Valley to West LA. Not exactly a voyage. Also, why do they have to meet every week? Their necessity to see each other will decrease as the three-month honeymoon period ends and they have to put their studying and exams as top priority.
Dude, 40$ is a MASSIVE understatement man… If it really is a trip from Hokkaidou to Kyuushu, you can easily expect to pay upwards of 700USD, and that’s not counting the ferry ride/plane ride to the Okinawas once at Kyuushu. Seriously though, most people outside of Kagoshima prefecture would rather take a plane there man. But maybe I’m reading this wrong and it’s a trip from Tokyo to somewhere close to Tokyo. Usually don’t cost too much but they cost a lot though…
I mean up to 700USD, my mistake
PO, the stuff you say can be pretty controversial, but they are fair opinions that I ultimately respect. You should keep commenting, but keep an open mind to other view points. A strong point is one that considers and incorporates the best aspects of multiple views.
I don’t think it’s unrealistic that social media can define romances in a modern age. You know, teenagers are already awkward creatures that need all the help they can get, so having an easy way out that can be relied upon is massively helpful. Totally not speaking from personal experience here, of course.
Also, not sure if people have noticed, but Akane is pretty much just moving to the other side of Tokyo. Kotarou wouldn’t have to go that far or pay too much to visit her, as I would imagine the transport system in Tokyo is integrated. Then again, I’m imagining it would be pretty similar to TfL where it might not be, because I would only have to pay a pittance to travel all the way around London, even if the journey takes 2 hours one way.
Not exactly sure what’s controversial.
I just like to keep it real.
And not blindly enjoy things.
Is this series horrible?
No it isn’t.
Do I have to pretend I’ve enjoyed the characters?
No I don’t.
Hey PO! From an outsider’s perspective from seeing you comment on other posts, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed that you seem to court controversy.
Of course, there’s going to be a mainstream opinion that definitely won’t necessarily suit everyone’s taste. At times, there’s merit in going against the flow, but it should be done so in a rather constructive way. That way, people can see the reason behind your opinions. For example, I would quite like to know if there’s anything more to your views, or if they are simply how you feel. In which case you reserve the right to express your opinion, but I would like to see it be more substantiated to a certain extent.
ahhh this heals me from the scar of sukasuka
Me too. And add Kuzu no Honkai to that list.
I don’t know about the haters about them being able to have their happy ending after a long distant relationship for probably 3 to 6 years but they have 52 weeks in a year to meet up face-to-face and cuddle, bar the 365 days access to line. There are also several long holidays in Japan as well as semester breaks. They even managed to have a vacation together.
And what more can Akane ask for from her man. Azumi does so much heavy lifting to maintain their relationship like having a part time job just to earn the money to pay the train fare and expenses of their dates; having to commute 4 hours back and forth just to see her once a week.
On Kotarou’s side, all his efforts are really worth it coz he have a very doting girlfriend waiting for him when they meet every weekend. Kisses would be really plenty and probably even the kinky stuffs. Akane is also pulling all the stops just to spend time with him too in private.
Praise be the Bullet Train and LINE
and prolly even the local love hotels.Yeah Reikakou, screw the haters!
Jokes aside, I don’t know why cynical people would have continued watching the show expecting a bad ending, after going through all those feel good moments. Ya’d have to be a masochist!
Jokes jokes aside, pls no lewd. These two are forever pure in my mind, and I’d rather just think that they held hands to poof out a baby.
So like in real life, you like a girl but she still love her long distance boyfriend. Hard to break up.
Love conquers all, unless it’s a childhood friend, or your love 🙁
Best commercial ever
Definitely not an exaggeration
Thanks for your coverage Zaiden
You’ve probably not seen Frame Arms Girl, the 12 episode series that came out this season, dedicated to advertising figurines. Let me tell you, that one was a blast.
Anyway, thank you zeroyuki92 for following me until the end, and the pleasure was mine 🙂
Love Stories…
Show Spoiler ▼
Haven’t commented on this site since OMNI and Divine were around, but it has to be said that this show deserves all the praise it has gotten. Apart from occasional animation quality drops in certain episodes and weak character developments for Chinatsu and Hira, this is a very good show.
And to think that the makers of this show made Yosuga no Sora back when I was an avid anime watcher?
All is well.
Hey McLXIX! I discovered Random Curiosity towards the end of 2009 when OMNI and Divine wrote their best of anime post. This was pretty near the end of OMNI’s time at the site, so I don’t have a great recollection of what he was like. Times have certainly changed, that’s for sure.
Studio feel. did also go about making Yosuga no Sora. However, the production staff was quite different back then. So I probably wouldn’t go as far as saying the makers are shared, though there is definitely a direct association by corporate name.
All is well, and I hope there will be more occasions where you comment in the future, McLXIX!
Honesty and simplicity – how to tell an inherently endearing story
MizuDori, that’s for sure! But I can’t help but think that if the industry was saturated with honest and simple shows, people would want something else. Hence I wonder if the success of Tsuki ga Kirei is merely a backlash against the current trends in the anime industry.
Just finished watching the anime today. I hope you continue to blog about anime shows like this.. but will enjoy anything you put out @Zaiden. Thank you for the ride. I honestly would of not watched your show if it wasn’t for you. Appreciate you very much, the people here, and RC.
Just finished it! I really wanna buy this on DVD! In some ways, Kotaru’s actions are kind of understandable. I’d probably do the same thing if I were in his shoes. Being socially awkward, in middle school no less, I’d really have no idea on how to interact, so with a girlfriend, that would make things really difficult. In the end, everything worked out, and I really enjoyed the series. I wish I could have that kind of experience.