I didn't expect this series to get quite so dramatic. Either at all or, if it did, not at least until the penultimate episode leading into the finale. Not at the two-thirds of the way through point.
Narizor said:From my perspective, what Anna did a few episodes back to keep the shop from closing was more selfish than what Kanata did. It's understandable because it's a place that helped her during her childhood, but there were aspects that a 16-year-old girl wouldn't understand (like economic and financial issues). In the end, it worked out for her. This is just my opinion, but for the reasons mentioned above, I was frustrated with how Anna behaved in the end.
Agreed. I found it in a way quite rude, closed-minded, and downright hypocritical on Anna's part, considering her recent past behavior where not only was the cause she (understandably) broke off from the group and initially isolated to try and fight and tackle herself a more self-interested one (not saying that as a bad thing; it's just a fact), but in practice her way of going about doing it was also a lot more standoffish and confrontational, basically attempting to push other members of the group like Suzuha away telling them it was none of their business, until they essentially all teamed up in unison to exert some positive pressure on her to force her to open up, let them in, and allow them to try and help her.
Kanata, by contrast, had what at least she perceived as a completely selfless, altruistic desire in mind - to help others as she had similarly been helped in the past. And the way she went about doing it was basically trying not to bother anyone and cause as minimal disruption to the others' schedules after they said they were overworked, or their followers' and fans' hopes and expectations as possible, trying to handle it all on her own and use up her own time and energy if the others were not able to. Keep in mind that she also has a psychological medical condition (yips). Arguably not as serious and grave as Megumi's, but that's a separate matter. Sure, it was unrealistic in the long run for her to keep up by herself balanced with her activities with the whole group, school, sleep, and everything else. And it can be called foolhardy. But it was certainly not malicious and can also be called selfless and idealistic.
Also, not at any point did she ever attack or insult any of the other girls for feeling like they needed a break or to turn down some requests. She just took on the extra burden in secret and in silence. So her being attacked at the end feels extra undeserved. Although, in fairness, it was mainly just Anna. All of the other girls - even the stoic and stern Suzuha who could be confused as cold or unempathetic (even if we know it's not the case due to seeing her internal PoV in the earlier episodes) - were surprisingly chill, understanding, and willing to wait and hear her out.
Although, on the other hand, I have to say, that it actually makes Anna a more interesting character. Because when she was first introduced - especially in the very first episode - she very much gave off the impression of someone who was the ever-genki, bubbly, vibrant, loud, cheery, and overly-friendly girl who gave hugs, wanted to talk to and make friends with everyone, and knew no Japanese social boundaries. Sometimes that's okay, but characters like that can also get annoying and old hat if they're too one-note depending on the individual specific character in question, the show, and how it's all executed. Didn't expect a character like her to get extra dimensional depth within a few episodes in a cheerleading Slice of Life.
Edit: Actually, I do have one criticism of something Kanata did this episode. Not her clandestine solo cheerleading adventures. That was maybe naive and not well-planned out, but well-intentioned, coming from a very pure and hopeful place, and beautiful to see her try and do whatever she could. No, the criticism is of her running out on Megumi during their spat when Megumi yelled in frustration that she couldn't even be there to enjoy their middle school championship victory as she was stuck laying in a hospital bed. If she wants to be there for a friend, she needs to allow her to express negative emotions without running away from them. Sick people especially have a lot of suffering to deal with and that was obviously coming from a place of a profound sense of frustration and loss on Megumi's part for missing out on a piece of the days with her team, her school days, and her youth. All due to illness. People in that situation cannot just pretend it's all sunshine and roses all the time or be expected to bottle it all up internally. But I feel like Kanata is herself in a fragile psychological state where she can't really deal with that. She wants to see everyone happy around her and if they're not, pretend they are, or she feels like she herself will unravel. |