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KaitoDash said: And I think kids can understand what their parents tell them to do and what will happen if they don't do it. Do it or not, they can understand teachings. But Wakana does not seem to understand her mother's teachings. I don't blame Wakana though. Her mother wasn't straightforward enough to make her understand while she was just a kid. But now she is not a kid anymore. It should be time for her to understand her mother, not running like a coward. I don't think understanding is the issue. The issue is music reminds her of her past self which she hates. Therefore she hates music. Accepting something isn't easy, especially if that something is the ugliness inside you. I'm pretty sure most of us hate something about ourselves. |
| I can't say my lack of sympathy for Wakana lowered after this episode. I still don't like her but at least it's clear from where did she came and why she is like this. This I accept, not that I understand her actions (present, because in the past she didn't know about that sickness so she could be bratty... most of us were) - geting rid of piano is somehow acceptable but this whale/dolphin thing? That didn't felt right for me. |
| Oh no. She is falling into depression. I can't believe she is uptight way from the start. I thought it is because of her mom's death... but she is uptight way before that. This series is becoming better. Can't wait to see the drama on the next episode. 5/5 |
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| Little Wakana was adorable but man, she was a real bitch later on, her mother was lying in the hospital and she still behaved like that. Did you see Sawa and Konatsu dancing, that was hilarious? |
fullmetal_adam said: The people hating on Wakana don't understand anything with more depth than a teaspoon. Did you even consider the possible reasons behind her behaviour? We know Wakana was close to her mother when she was young. What changed? Well, her mother got sick, and her parents lied to her about how serious the illness really was. Perhaps without being told, she knew her mother was gravely ill, but couldn't deal with the thought of losing her. People deal with grief in different ways. She tried to push her mother away and distance herself emotionally using school and exams as an excuse. Was it a good thing to do? No, but it was a human thing to do, and she's filled with regrets now because of it. "It was a human thing to do." What does that even mean? You would have done it? It's certainly not what everyone, or even the majority of people, would have done. I don't think I would have, and others, like myself, dislike Wakana for her approach. Simple as that. There is no misunderstanding, or lack of depth of understanding, as you put it. I'm not saying it's unforgivable, it just lessened my liking of her. Also, she should have figured out what she wants from all that reminiscing, but somehow she is still trying the escapist approach. I'm just going to attribute that to bad writing; they just had to have her give away what's most important only to want it back in the epic conclusion to a character building arc. -Tsukkomi said: People are hating on Wakana because she was a bratty bitch? Come on, in the flash back, she was like, 14. She's like a real teenage girl. While it may not necessarily be a good thing, the creators did a great job at making things seem more realistic. Again, no. Not all people with parents like hers (there's a big difference between a rich upbringing that makes you self-entitled and genuinely kind parents) go through such a phase, I'd even be willing to bet that most don't. If they do it's more like, "ugh, you're embarrassing me Mom," not "where the fuck is my raincoat?? Go die Mom. Oh, wait. You already are." Yeah, her Mom failed a bit by letting herself get walked on, but it's still shocking that Wakana didn't realize what she was doing. |
JoshJul 30, 2012 8:15 AM
LoneWolf said: @Josh makes me sad to call myself Canadian. |
| no gif of wakana's mom playing the piano with wakana's stunned look? i'm sad |
Post-Josh said: "It was a human thing to do." What does that even mean? You would have done it? It's certainly not what everyone, or even the majority of people, would have done. I don't think I would have, and others, like myself, dislike Wakana for her approach. Simple as that. There is no misunderstanding, or lack of depth of understanding, as you put it. I'm not saying it's unforgivable, it just lessened my liking of her. Also, she should have figured out what she wants from all that reminiscing, but somehow she is still trying the escapist approach. I'm just going to attribute that to bad writing; they just had to have her give away what's most important only to want it back in the epic conclusion to a character building arc. Humans do stupid things sometimes when emotions are involved. It doesn't have to make sense. Logic can go completely out the window. You don't seem to have as much empathy for Wakana. Unless you've been in her situation, you don't know what you would have done. I'm imagining her actions as more of a coping mechanism than a conscious, rational choice. In which case, I don't see her as simply being a mean brat like many others here. Ultimately, I think it makes her character more interesting. That seems fairly obvious. I suspect the father just put the stuff into storage, knowing she would regret getting rid of it eventually. |
| Oh boy, i always knew exams and school whatsoever was a serious business in Japan, but this episode just took it to the extreme. They didn't want to worry Wakana because she had entrance exams coming up, so they didn't tell her her mother was suffering from deadly sickness? That's... well, sick in itself. I really don't see how positive points of this decision could overcome negative ones. And as a result, Wakana quit music for good, that also proves how awesome of a decision it was. Wakana was a cheeky brat then, you can't justify that, but look at her past made it easier to symphatize with her. Doesn't change the fact i still don't like how she is now, but she became just a bit more likeable. Great episode anyway, loved Sawa, Konatsu and Wien cheering for Badminton-kun. |
| レッツゴー ED イケイケゴーゴー |
| This was a great episode and really emotional Wakana and her mother cared a great deal about each other. What took me most was that Wakana never knew that her mothers illness was so serious she never knew why her mother was trying so hard to be together with her to make some nice memories with her. Which must really have been painful on both of them. Is a school exam really so importuned that your willing to cast everything aside for it that your not even telling your own child that your fattily ill so that she can focus more on them. I think that's taking it a bit to far it would have been better for both of them if Wakana knew the situation even if she wouldn't have been able to focus on her exams. Wakana could have made some good memories with her mother and her mother could have spend more time with Wakana, now Wakana is left with a feeling of guilt since she didn't know her mothers intentions. Exams might be importuned but you can retake them however you have only one mother and when she is gone she is gone for good no one can replace her. I don't think what Wakana is doing now isn't good either removing everything that reminds her of her mother is something she definitely will regret. I hope she realises this before it's to late. Then there is the cat Dora where could it be, cats can be hard to find at times and even disappear for a few days but here it seems something more serious is implied i hope they find it tho. Wakana can't use any more sorrow. |
| This was such a great episode. I teared up in the end quite. |
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fullmetal_adam said: Humans do stupid things sometimes when emotions are involved. It doesn't have to make sense. Logic can go completely out the window. You don't seem to have as much empathy for Wakana. Unless you've been in her situation, you don't know what you would have done. I'm imagining her actions as more of a coping mechanism than a conscious, rational choice. In which case, I don't see her as simply being a mean brat like many others here. Ultimately, I think it makes her character more interesting. That's not completely true and it is not just logic going out the window, it's emotion as well. In situations like this her response is abnormal, and thus her actions are unjustified. I have empathy for her losing her mother, but the thing is, there is nothing to suggest her parents would not have brought her up to be an extremely compassionate and empathetic person. You can always argue it's someone else's fault, but I'm inclined to think that, given every opportunity to do so, she couldn't even conjure a shred of empathy for her mother and that's on her. Also, never really got the "you haven't been there" argument. Sure, I don't know what I would have done, but I think I can safely assume it would have been quite different. |
LoneWolf said: @Josh makes me sad to call myself Canadian. |
Post-Josh said: That's not completely true and it is not just logic going out the window, it's emotion as well. In situations like this her response is abnormal, and thus her actions are unjustified. I have empathy for her losing her mother, but the thing is, there is nothing to suggest her parents would not have brought her up to be an extremely compassionate and empathetic person. You can always argue it's someone else's fault, but I'm inclined to think that, given every opportunity to do so, she couldn't even conjure a shred of empathy for her mother and that's on her. Also, never really got the "you haven't been there" argument. Sure, I don't know what I would have done, but I think I can safely assume it would have been quite different. I'm quite sure there are a lot of things you don't get...Everything I said went completely over your head. You have no understanding of psychology. |
| I didn't directly address your points because you said nothing of interest. If you think "humans are effected by emotions, she's just being a human" is a brilliant psychological analysis that explains everything, then I don't know what to say. Other than jog on, mate. |
JoshJul 30, 2012 11:08 AM
LoneWolf said: @Josh makes me sad to call myself Canadian. |
| Wakana is a bitch >.< |
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| Or it could be the Vice Principal! That would be a good WTF moment. Though she will probably have to do something for it, knowing the VP... YEAH!! The vice principal did seem like she was besties with Waka's mother. |
| although the episode started off entertainingly with the choir club cheering on tanaka (and my budding tanaka x sawa ship hehe), the rest was quite saddening... looks like we finally got a wider glimpse as to why wakana quit music. i hope by next episode she realizes just how much music means to her and how it can change a person for the better. it's getting frustrating with her being able to abandon music and throw away her piano so easily like that. fingers crossed for a wonderful next episode with the club rescuing wakana from her gloom! |
| I was kinda pissed off at Wakana for being so mean to her mother, but I really cried at the end because I feel bad for her.. Gotta remember to be nice to my own mom too :/ |
| Well, I realise that the main thematic of this anime is music and singing, but they are trying too hard to overpush it into everything and its starting to get annoying. Its not the answer to every problem, and there are more important things in life than music. If music was the only way Wakana's mother could interract with her daughter, thats just sad. No everyone is obliged to love singing. You cant push your intrests onto your children or friends. This anime is trying to make music the universal solutions to all problems. Well, its not, there is NO such thing, sadly. Otherwise I like the way relationships are growing among the main characters. Slow and steady. Taichi and Sawa will make an exellent couple, the more they learn about eachother the more they like eachother. So lets hope the anime gets out of its music only thematic, cose it has a lot of potential. |
| Such a sad episode. She gets rid of all her mother's belongings and lost poor Dora too. I'm pretty sure she's going to regret getting rid of the piano. :( As for the flashbacks; Wakana was pretty cold towards her parents back then. Only after her mother gets sick she starts to regret it. More drama next time. D: |
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| Wow lot's of Touching Scenes and Flashbacks Seeing a rage puberty and a very cheerfully mother in contrast There were some beautiful background scenes as well |
KaitoDash said: Kurogashi said: KaitoDash said: It has taken years after her mother's death and she still cannot understand what her mother tried to teach? That's such a flawed logic. Why? Because take a look at yourself. Did your parents tell you to do your homework and study hard when you were a kid? If so, do you study hard now? And I don't mean cramming before an exam to get a 75%. I mean, study weeks, or even months in preparation for exams. Did your parents tell you to stop watching TV so much? How come you're watching so much anime; it's TV, no? Wouldn't your time be better spent learning a new skill? Accounting? Programming (i.e. making a website)? A new language? People do not change easily. This is why childhood basically shapes who you become. I won't deny that some people eventually evolve into something better, but this isn't always the case. And if what I said doesn't apply to you, then I take back what I said. However, what I said still applies to a lot of people out there, from friends to co-workers, and of course, including myself. I don't think what you said applies to Wakana's situation. Of course, people don't do what they don't like even though their parents told them to. But do you really think Wakana hate music? I don't think so. Her mother tried to tell her not to take musics seriously and learn to enjoy it. It's not anything like study seriously. And I think kids can understand what their parents tell them to do and what will happen if they don't do it. Do it or not, they can understand teachings. But Wakana does not seem to understand her mother's teachings. I don't blame Wakana though. Her mother wasn't straightforward enough to make her understand while she was just a kid. But now she is not a kid anymore. It should be time for her to understand her mother, not running like a coward. Wakana is finding out all kind of things that her mother, and father, who is still around, never told her. It is understandable that she would be horribly confused at this point. She never knew that her mother wrote music professionally, she thought it was just something she did for fun. She never knew that her mother's choir club had won a national competition, that she was close to the vice-witch, that Sawa's mother was also a friend of her mom's, etc... When her mother was still alive, they didn't tell Wakana about her illness. It seems that, while her parents are certainly loving, they were not particularly kind and very secretive. I'm sure they were trying to "protect her", but it is still a poor choice to hide something as important as a life threatening illness from your own child. I have some experience with this, as my wife's grandmother hid her breast cancer from her entire family, including avoiding going to the doctor about it, in order to avoid upsetting people and by the time she went to a doctor it was too late to do anything about it. My wife's reaction to her grandmother's death had a good deal of anger mixed in with the sorrow. fullmetal_adam said: The people hating on Wakana don't understand anything with more depth than a teaspoon. Did you even consider the possible reasons behind her behaviour? We know Wakana was close to her mother when she was young. What changed? Well, her mother got sick, and her parents lied to her about how serious the illness really was. Perhaps without being told, she knew her mother was gravely ill, but couldn't deal with the thought of losing her. People deal with grief in different ways. She tried to push her mother away and distance herself emotionally using school and exams as an excuse. Was it a good thing to do? No, but it was a human thing to do, and she's filled with regrets now because of it. I don't know about the unconsciously pushing mom away thing, but I understand where you are coming from. I think it was more likely something to do with: OrochiPL said: Oh boy, i always knew exams and school whatsoever was a serious business in Japan, but this episode just took it to the extreme. They didn't want to worry Wakana because she had entrance exams coming up, so they didn't tell her her mother was suffering from deadly sickness? That's... well, sick in itself. I really don't see how positive points of this decision could overcome negative ones. And as a result, Wakana quit music for good, that also proves how awesome of a decision it was. Wakana was a cheeky brat then, you can't justify that, but look at her past made it easier to symphatize with her. Doesn't change the fact i still don't like how she is now, but she became just a bit more likeable. Great episode anyway, loved Sawa, Konatsu and Wien cheering for Badminton-kun. Yes, the exams she was studying for weren't end of year exams or mid-terms, they were high school admittance exams. High school, and even middle school, in Japan are much more competitive than they are here in the US. Different schools have different entrance requirements, including exams and interviews, more like US college applications instead of US high school. Unless you want to go to some sort of fancy private school or something, US high schools take everyone. They have to! In Japan, high school is not compulsory and even the public schools can refuse someone admittance. In general, there are tiers of schools, with the higher tier schools being more competitive and harder to get into. A school like the one in Tari Tari, especially in the music program, would be fairly competitive. As a graduate of the music school,students probably get preferential treatment by the finer music colleges in the country. Obviously, Wakana went into the music program at the start of high school, right after her mother died. It took two years for her to quit the music program because it just hurt too much to be doing the things that she associated with her mother and that she denied her mother in her last months, because she was concerned about getting into the school of her choice. She didn't even know that her mother even went to the same school, let alone that she was the leader of the choir club, friends with the vice-witch, or writing songs way back then. Even though she has started to get curious about her mother's high school years, that doesn't change the fact that making music is still far too painful for her. That is where her friends will come in. I just can't wait to see how they do it! AlexGK said: Otherwise I like the way relationships are growing among the main characters. Slow and steady. Taichi and Sawa will make an exellent couple, the more they learn about eachother the more they like eachother. So lets hope the anime gets out of its music only thematic, cose it has a lot of potential. Yes, they do make an excellent couple. They are kindred spirits, both have goals that are likely to be far fetched, but if they support one another, it is likely they will be closer to making those dreams come true! I love the scenes with the two of them together! Sawa teases him so gently! If he hasn't realized her feelings for him are starting to bloom, he is a bigger idiot than he seems! |
zensunniJul 30, 2012 2:23 PM
Now blogging at TheZenOf Mysterious Girlfriend X Anime Fan Club - It's about more than drool! Tari Tari Fan Club - Hyouka Fan Club - Chitanda Eru Fans Club~ |
| Well I was looking for a reason for her to not like music, but I didn't see anything...it's like she didn't like it from the start and she was being so mean to her mother while she was still alive :S Also WHO THE HELL dislikes music!! that made me so mad D: I would've love for a music loving mother (mine doesn't give a rat's ass, only my father) who could teach me how to play the piano. |
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xMusicMohawk said: Well I was looking for a reason for her to not like music, but I didn't see anything...it's like she didn't like it from the start and she was being so mean to her mother while she was still alive :S Also WHO THE HELL dislikes music!! that made me so mad D: I would've love for a music loving mother (mine doesn't give a rat's ass, only my father) who could teach me how to play the piano. It wasn't that she didn't like music, it was that she and both of her parents were concerned about her exams. Yes, her mom wanted her to chill a bit and do some songwriting, but she also didn't want to tell Wakana how serious her medical condition was because of her exams. In a way, the "lets take a break from studying and write some music", in light of the letter she got from the guys in the Condor Queens, came off as a very selfish thing to me. I'm sure that Wakana was getting pressure from all angles of society to do well on her exams. Her parents were so concerned about them that they lied to her about her mother's health. Then, all of a sudden, mom is all "Hey! Let's write some music!" To Wakana, that must have seemed irresponsible, just like her mother forgetting to put out her raincoat when she had asked her to, etc... What her mother was really trying to do was to satisfy her own dreams of writing music with her daughter, without actually letting her daughter know why it was so important to her. Wakana is not to blame for her mother failing to trust her with the knowledge that her musing writing time was much more limited than Wakana had any reason to believe it was! The fact that she is now blaming herself and, yes, hating herself for being mean to her mother and refusing to do what she wanted, especially now that she knows that she had been dreaming of writing music with her daughter since she was born (which explains why she looked so flippin' sad at the end of the previous episode!) is what is criminal! Her parent's attempt to "protect" Wakana has totally backfired and made Wakana hate music, since it is so painful for her to participate in. Worse than that, she is seriously depressed and is a potential suicide risk, in my opinion. Depression is a serious, serious thing! Self-accusatory depression is the absolute worst kind! She will need her friends in the very near future! |
Now blogging at TheZenOf Mysterious Girlfriend X Anime Fan Club - It's about more than drool! Tari Tari Fan Club - Hyouka Fan Club - Chitanda Eru Fans Club~ |
| Although I highly doubt it will happen, it would be interesting to see the turn this show would take if Wakana commits suicide as the preview could be suggesting. |
Redfoxoffire said: Although I highly doubt it will happen, it would be interesting to see the turn this show would take if Wakana commits suicide as the preview could be suggesting. Agreed. I don't see it happening either, but it would be extremely interested and imo, really powerful. A suicide at this point would essentially render everything that has happened so far obsolete. All the proceeding events would go from lighthearted and fun to shallow and sickeningly unimportant. We'd be left asking where it all went wrong. If dealt with properly, it could turn a very average show into something actually worth watching. A boy can dream? |
LoneWolf said: @Josh makes me sad to call myself Canadian. |
| I was not expecting a sad episode like this. It gave out a nice message and the way they transitioned from current events to flashbacks was simply stunning. Great episode. |
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| She was such a bitch to her mom, like seriously, I got so pissed. |
Eksta said: She was such a bitch to her mom, like seriously, I got so pissed. Yeah..I totally rage quit. Her mother was so nice and caring for her, never getting angry, and she doesn't give two-cents a fuck about her mother wtf.. |
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| I wonder how many people would drop at this episode, after seeing Wakana's attitude. I, for one, wouldn't though, as now it actually cleared up for a (hopefully) brighter path. While I wasn't totally agreed at what she did to her mother, I still would let it go after I realized she felt regretted about it. Now, would I have to wait until EP13 that you'll come and sing with the group? Please don't ... |
 Toshino Kyoko!!! |
| I'm now supporting Taichi x Sawa |
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| I sympathise Wakana, that must be really hard for her, she being too serious on her mom and couldn't get a proper relationship and regret for refusing all her mother kindness |
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| Wakana's mother was playing the piano so enjoyably & that fish made by so her was so cute too.Too bad she died. |
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Day2Dream said: KaitoDash said: And I think kids can understand what their parents tell them to do and what will happen if they don't do it. Do it or not, they can understand teachings. But Wakana does not seem to understand her mother's teachings. I don't blame Wakana though. Her mother wasn't straightforward enough to make her understand while she was just a kid. But now she is not a kid anymore. It should be time for her to understand her mother, not running like a coward. I don't think understanding is the issue. The issue is music reminds her of her past self which she hates. Therefore she hates music. Accepting something isn't easy, especially if that something is the ugliness inside you. I'm pretty sure most of us hate something about ourselves. If you really think she honestly hates musics, then I have nothing else to say because I see it differently. But if she can't accept it, then that is obviously something that annoys me the most in this episode. Not easy, sure, but has to be done. zensunni said: Wakana is finding out all kind of things that her mother, and father, who is still around, never told her. It is understandable that she would be horribly confused at this point. She never knew that her mother wrote music professionally, she thought it was just something she did for fun. She never knew that her mother's choir club had won a national competition, that she was close to the vice-witch, that Sawa's mother was also a friend of her mom's, etc... When her mother was still alive, they didn't tell Wakana about her illness. It seems that, while her parents are certainly loving, they were not particularly kind and very secretive. I'm sure they were trying to "protect her", but it is still a poor choice to hide something as important as a life threatening illness from your own child. I have some experience with this, as my wife's grandmother hid her breast cancer from her entire family, including avoiding going to the doctor about it, in order to avoid upsetting people and by the time she went to a doctor it was too late to do anything about it. My wife's reaction to her grandmother's death had a good deal of anger mixed in with the sorrow. I have to disagree that Wakana's parents keeping silent about illness was a poor choice. Sure, she would be confused by the time her mother passed away, but now, she is about to graduate from high school and should be able to understand her parents being protective if she is mature enough. My father also suddenly passed away by the time I was still a brat just like her and I had to get over it on my own because my mother was so busy working alone. And just when I got over it, my mother was hit by a serious breast cancer that she hid from me for years. I had to understand that she didn't want to trouble me when I was working on exams. So I'm spending great time with her now while she's still alive and kicking, living life to the full extent. Life goes on. When you are hit by bad things, just cry and move on. Most likely what Wakana will do in the next episode. |
KaitoDashJul 31, 2012 3:18 AM
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| Her mum was such a nice person...Also I'm fearing the worst for the cat. As for Taichi, I'm liking his competitive spirit & how he is uncompromising. It was good to see him succeed to an extent in his match. |
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| I really did like this episode, even though it made my cry a little. So sad. We don't realize what we have until it's gone. I hope the cats okay though. When, Wakana's mom plays the piano it makes me feel better. I created a video about it, if you guys want to check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoDhSwDlvJs&feature=g-u-u :)) |
| Very sad end of ep, very well done. -MgZ_ said: Sad episode. Dora the explorer is lost >_> And lol yeah, thought the same. |
| The end was sad... |
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| Great story developing as well about Wakana's past . This episode kind of shows you have to treasure the people you love as long as you have them by your side :( |
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| Great episode, I wasn't expecting something like this. Next episode will be even more dramatic but it should have a happy end with the others cheering her up. |
I almost never read discussions after I made my post, if you want to reply PM me or post on my profile page. |
OS_Christina706 said: I teared up during the scene when Wakana was crying after finding about her mother's death :/ A very sad episode. That was my main problem with this episode. I should have been in floods at the end, but they cut to credits. It takes a lot more to be emotionally invested in Wakana because she's such a detached character. Had they brought her character into sharper focus in the beginning I would have been loving this series. Detachment is an understandable human response to death of a loved one, but unfortunately, it doesn't make for a great television character. |
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fullmetal_adam said: The people hating on Wakana don't understand anything with more depth than a teaspoon. Did you even consider the possible reasons behind her behaviour? We know Wakana was close to her mother when she was young. What changed? Well, her mother got sick, and her parents lied to her about how serious the illness really was. Perhaps without being told, she knew her mother was gravely ill, but couldn't deal with the thought of losing her. People deal with grief in different ways. She tried to push her mother away and distance herself emotionally using school and exams as an excuse. Was it a good thing to do? No, but it was a human thing to do, and she's filled with regrets now because of it. That would have made a great character development, but unfortunately, the story never hinted that Wakana ever knew. So this is all speculation at this point and not merits of the actual show |
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Redfoxoffire said: Although I highly doubt it will happen, it would be interesting to see the turn this show would take if Wakana commits suicide as the preview could be suggesting. I could see a suicide attempt, and that may actually happen, but not a successful suicide. If she attempts suicide and her friends save her, then help her come to grips with her problems, it would be a good story line. However, I would rather not see her go that far down. It is obvious that she is depressed, her friends have recognized it, many of her teachers and friends' parents have recognized it, I expect that her father does too, but I am not too sure about that. I hope it doesn't go as far as an actual attempt! KaitoDash said: Day2Dream said: KaitoDash said: And I think kids can understand what their parents tell them to do and what will happen if they don't do it. Do it or not, they can understand teachings. But Wakana does not seem to understand her mother's teachings. I don't blame Wakana though. Her mother wasn't straightforward enough to make her understand while she was just a kid. But now she is not a kid anymore. It should be time for her to understand her mother, not running like a coward. I don't think understanding is the issue. The issue is music reminds her of her past self which she hates. Therefore she hates music. Accepting something isn't easy, especially if that something is the ugliness inside you. I'm pretty sure most of us hate something about ourselves. If you really think she honestly hates musics, then I have nothing else to say because I see it differently. But if she can't accept it, then that is obviously something that annoys me the most in this episode. Not easy, sure, but has to be done. zensunni said: Wakana is finding out all kind of things that her mother, and father, who is still around, never told her. It is understandable that she would be horribly confused at this point. She never knew that her mother wrote music professionally, she thought it was just something she did for fun. She never knew that her mother's choir club had won a national competition, that she was close to the vice-witch, that Sawa's mother was also a friend of her mom's, etc... When her mother was still alive, they didn't tell Wakana about her illness. It seems that, while her parents are certainly loving, they were not particularly kind and very secretive. I'm sure they were trying to "protect her", but it is still a poor choice to hide something as important as a life threatening illness from your own child. I have some experience with this, as my wife's grandmother hid her breast cancer from her entire family, including avoiding going to the doctor about it, in order to avoid upsetting people and by the time she went to a doctor it was too late to do anything about it. My wife's reaction to her grandmother's death had a good deal of anger mixed in with the sorrow. I have to disagree that Wakana's parents keeping silent about illness was a poor choice. Sure, she would be confused by the time her mother passed away, but now, she is about to graduate from high school and should be able to understand her parents being protective if she is mature enough. My father also suddenly passed away by the time I was still a brat just like her and I had to get over it on my own because my mother was so busy working alone. And just when I got over it, my mother was hit by a serious breast cancer that she hid from me for years. I had to understand that she didn't want to trouble me when I was working on exams. So I'm spending great time with her now while she's still alive and kicking, living life to the full extent. Life goes on. When you are hit by bad things, just cry and move on. Most likely what Wakana will do in the next episode. First off - bummer, man! Sorry to hear about both your dad and your mom. As I mentioned earlier (I think... maybe it was another forum...) my mom died when I was in my early 30s. It was very sudden and there wasn't any aspect of them hiding it from the family either. Her illness crept up on her, and her doctors, just as much as it did on the rest of us. By the time they actually diagnosed what was wrong, there was nothing they could do to stop the progression of the disease. That was tough, but I can't imagine how tough it would have been if I was still in my teen years. (My dad just died last year, 15 years after my mom.) The situation you describe is similar, but it lacks the aspect that I think was a mistake on the part of Wakana's fictional family: Time. It sounds like your dad deid suddenly with no warning, like my mom. Your mom, while she kept her condition hidden from you, told you about it with enough time for you to spend some quality time with her now, which is priceless. Wakana's parents knew she was ill with plenty of time to let a bright young girl like Wakana know what was happening and give her time to come to grips with it while her mother was alive, but chose to keep it secret in order to keep her focus on her exams. The school she was applying to is filled with people who loved Wakana's mother. I think a better approach would have been for the mother to talk to the principle and vice principle and let them know the situation so they could take the family circumstances into account in their admission decisions, perhaps allowing Wakana to take her exams later or discounting any poor scores she might have gotten due to spending more time with her dying mother. They had influence with these people, why not use that influence. Sure, if Wakana found out about it she would have been angry, but it would have been better than the type of self-accusatory depression she is suffering from now! I think the key thing is that different people respond to things differently. The reaction that Wakana had to her mother's death, leading up to her withdrawal from the music program and her current depression, is very much in line with the way the character has been presented. Should she be able to handle things better now? Maybe, but it is in line with her character to be struggling with it. Even after her mother died, it doesn't seem that her father told her anything about the reasons he and her mother chose to keep the illness a secret or about her mother's past. She is just now finding out about how her mother really viewed the world and just coming to realize what her mother's desire to write music with her in her final weeks on earth actually signified. That was provided by the letter the Condor Queens gave her, not by her father. The knowledge that her mother's attempts to get her to write music were, essentially, her mother's attempts to show her how much she loved her, even though she still didn't tell her that she was going to die soon, is a perfect storm for a descent into the depths of depression. The fact that she is withdrawing from everything, music, her friends, etc... is a big, giant red flag. Luckily for her, Sawa, Konatsu, and Wien have all recognized it. Now they need to act upon it and come to the rescue! plushkin said: OS_Christina706 said: I teared up during the scene when Wakana was crying after finding about her mother's death :/ A very sad episode. That was my main problem with this episode. I should have been in floods at the end, but they cut to credits. It takes a lot more to be emotionally invested in Wakana because she's such a detached character. Had they brought her character into sharper focus in the beginning I would have been loving this series. Detachment is an understandable human response to death of a loved one, but unfortunately, it doesn't make for a great television character. I was in tears when they cut to the credits. The break/sob in Wakana's voice when she said "I'm sorry... mom..." was heartbreaking. I personally think they developed the character perfectly. They presented the behavior that everyone else saw, the standoffishness, the withdrawal from activities with friends, the reticence to be engaged by friends, and the total refusal to be drawn into anything that involves singing. Then they showed us the why behind all of it. If they had shown the why first, it would have been boring. Instead it intrigued us. Why does Wakana not want to be involved in music? Why is she so insistent? Why is she withdrawing when her friends are obviously trying to get closer to her? Sure, we already knew her mom was dead, but if we knew all the details, there wouldn't have been any reason to tune in next week to find out what makes Wakana tick. If they had shown us all the details at the beginning, there wouldn't have been any dramatic tension. |
Now blogging at TheZenOf Mysterious Girlfriend X Anime Fan Club - It's about more than drool! Tari Tari Fan Club - Hyouka Fan Club - Chitanda Eru Fans Club~ |
| I'm curious to see what their approach will be with other characters/stories because so far to me at least Wakana is a much more human character in how she goes about living than the others. |
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