[Potential Spoilers: Episodes 1-13]
What... what is wrong with most of you people? v.v
This anime is pissing me off more than School Days, which at least had a fitting ending. I'll actually be mildly uplifted if they fit a 'nice boat' ending into this series somehow... >.> ...It's the anime that finally forced me to make an account for this site because I couldn't stand silently by while everyone else prattled on like a Twilight fan club.
The only thing that's keeping me in this anime is that I like all the peripheral stuff that's happening around the main characters, which is usually amusing and keeps my attention enough that it will probably force me to finish the rest despite my disgust. I lost any investment in this show's main premise, i.e. the supposed ‘relationship’ growing between Kotoko and Naoki, ever since episode 7‘s terrible ending. I’d have no problem with the guy if he just turned down the confession and that was the end of it. I’d have no problem with the girl if she cried herself to sleep for a few nights after being turned down by her first love before learning to move on. But no, then we wouldn’t have this ’fabulous’ series, would we?
Instead the situation is dragged out kicking and screaming as Naoki treats Kotoko like crap and never gives more than a few passing glimpses that he might be even halfway human and know how to act with a little tact, let alone being a nice guy which I can‘t recall him ever hinting at in any of his actions up to this point. All the while Kotoko is strung along by her feelings and like some dumb clod she continues to endure the constant dehumanizing abuse because maybe, just maybe, Naoki will stop treating her like an insect and after that love obviously can’t be far behind, right? Finally a little realization seems to seep its way in that maybe Naoki isn’t such a nice guy when he publicly humiliates her by treating her feelings as a public joke. But when it seems like she’s finally realized that this guy is toxic and she needs to get away, he totally forces himself on her and steals her first kiss, just so he can string her along some more. By the way, isn’t that like the second time he’s teased her with implied rape? The first time was at the house in Naoki’s room and now he forces her to kiss him. Keep staying classy, Itazura… -.-
But even that didn’t flip my rage switch all the way into permanent ‘on’ position, because there was a faint sliver of hope. If Kotoko eventually did realize that Naoki was no good for her and tried to move on with her life, forcing the guy to undergo some real personality changes and solid character development throughout a portion of the series as he has to try and win back her affections then I would have consented and given this series a pass. But no… *sigh* …nope, apparently all the massive prick had to do was gradually realize “Hey, that girl I’ve treated like garbage and publicly gone on record as hating for the last umpteen episodes of this series is starting to grow on me a little. Good thing she‘s so head over heels for me that I can have her anytime. Might as well give her a shot, I guess.” There hasn’t been a single scene between the two of them where Naoki’s done any more than treat her with a modicum of decency (i.e. thanking her for helping his brother get to the hospital that one time for instance, something that doesn’t indicate that he’s a nice guy or treating Kotoko any better but that he simply knows when to show a little gratitude when someone saved the life of a member of his family). Now if the preview to the next episode is any indication they’re going to hook up from here on out. Yup, no character development, no retribution for how Naoki’s been acting since the beginning of the series. He likes her now and that makes everything okay.
I mean, am I missing something here? This is a shōjo series primarily aimed at a female audience, not a genre I’m particularly familiar with. Is this the kind of relationship girls like to see in anime? Are these the kinds of characters you want to cheer for? A thoroughly love struck airhead, blinded by her feelings to the point of battered woman syndrome, and a guy who keeps her around just so he can string her along and abuse her? I only ask because this is mildly reminding me of the early episodes of Kaichō wa Maid-sama! (a series I had to drop early on because there wasn’t enough interesting stuff happening on the sidelines to keep my attention after I gave up caring about the relationship plotline, so I have no idea if it gets better or not), one of the few other shōjo I have any experience with. I normally shrug off anime that I don’t like because, hey, it’s just a show, you either like it or you hate it and then you move on. But if this forum is any indication of what real life people think of this show and it’s events than it’s more than a little depressing.
As an amusing tidbit and lighter note on which to close that demonstrates a distinct contrast between shōjo and male-oriented anime: the character model used for the male lead in this anime would make a very convincing villain in your standard shōnen/seinen. Don’t believe me? Compare him with Raito from Death Note for starters. The intelligence, the charisma, the cold personality, the tendency to use and abuse people. Hell, they’re drawn the same, just look at their cynical soulless eyes. |