LordWolfeye said: Probably one of the best episodes so far. Definitely exceeded my expectations in how they resolved things after that last episode (Rin actually got smart about things and really stepped up and did the right thing in all situations. He especially gave the right reasoning for leaving, which last episode seemed really abrupt and bad timing as the first thing he says when he got back). This would be a good last episode; I hope the real last episode now does not disappoint.
I'm really happy that someone else felt this way about this episode. I know shippers everywhere are upset about him moving out, but it is absolutely the right decision. Kaede hated herself. (And before saying anything else, this is not healthy; you can't love someone else if you hate yourself. It just doesn't work like that.) And not only did she hate herself, but she was obsessed with Rin. So anytime Rin did something that pushed him closer to another girl, Kaede began to hate herself even more and felt like she wasn't deserving of love. THIS IS NOT HEALTHY BEHAVIOR. Forgive me for using all caps there, but I felt like this point really needed to be stressed. Rin continuing to live with Kaede was only hurting her. And not only was it hurting her, she was beginning to actively hate herself. Do you really think Rin living with Kaede in spite of this would have helped her out? I don't think so. Kaede needs Rin to move out so she can start to love herself. Otherwise, I don't want to think about what she may end up doing. People who hate themselves can't really be happy. Even if Rin were to dote on Kaede, I don't think she would truly be happy; instead she would still be trying to do everything she could to please Rin, even at the cost of herself. And that isn't what a healthy relationship looks like.
Anyways, I apologize for going on a little rant here. (Unfortunately, it seems like the majority of my posts are this way...) But the point that I'm really trying to get across here is that Kaede isn't healthy. And getting into a relationship with Rin wouldn't solve these problems; in fact, they would more than likely only serve to make things worse. Rin had to move out. If he stayed with Kaede, he would only end up making her mental state even worse. And more self hatred is the absolute last thing that she needed. I honestly hope that Rin moving out will help Kaede to start to like herself again. (Yes, I know they're fictional characters, but for some reason, I've ended up really attached to these characters and worrying about their wellbeing. I honestly hope that in the future all of these characters were able to find happiness. Well, I guess there's only one way to find out though.)
Oh, and this is just a side note, but seeing the sheer amount of people wishing death on these characters legitimately worries me. I can understand being upset if the characters you want to be together don't end up with each other. I've felt that way too. But wishing a character death because he didn't choose your girl is kind of disturbing in my opinion. I know I'm probably making enemies by writing this, but oh well. Also, I can understand hating Rin for some of the stupid choices he's made throughout this anime, but keep in mind: he didn't do these to intentionally hurt someone. And not only that, Rin actually manned up and admitted his mistakes. He's even actively working to make things better. In my opinion, that makes him better than the large majority of harem protagonists out there. (There are definitely better ones, but Rin definitely deserves some credit.) |