This could have been longer, okay.
→ I have been ignoring pretty much everything lately and I have felt sort of neglectful, but it's also not my fault. Let me recreate a conversation I had, late one night:
Siobhan: So, I have a new theory.
Becky: Oh? *side-eyes*
Siobhan: In fact, it is perhaps better described as a cunning plan. Because I have a new theoretical (and CUNNING) means of potentially making you do what I want you to. :D Just talking about the things I want you to watch/read/play is all very well, of course. And occasionally it works. But I've thought of a method to combine it with that I'm sure will up my success rate. Any guesses? :D
Becky: Fly out here, tie me to a chair in an abandoned warehouse and refuse to let me go until I read/watch what you want?
Siobhan: Well, that is one possibility. It's a bit extreme, though.
Becky: What's your idea then? :| Is it--
Siobhan: Plus you are cunning like a fox, and may turn the tables to make me write fic.
Becky: Write fic until I'm forced-- :D :D :D I love it when that happens.
Siobhan: No, no. Although, again, that's a possibility, for when I have more time. My idea is called... "pixiv".
Becky: ..... *backs up slowly, keeps giving the side-eye*
Siobhan: My evil plan is to SPAM YOU with fanart of whatever it is I want you to consume. :D
Becky: .... *inches away* .....I don't think that would work....
Siobhan: See, I think it might, because otherwise you wouldn't sound so worried. >D
Becky: ..................I'm not worried....
Siobhan: Also, if I'm telling you about how awesome something is, and then I'm showing lots of really pretty pictures of gorgeous women and hot guys and cute animals and shippy moments, or whatever, you will be WEAKENED. I think this method is almost tailored to you. I'm willing to try it on Mari also, but I think it will have the greatest effectiveness on you. It is like pokemon. You used pixiv against Becky! It was SUPER EFFECTIVE!
Becky: Becky used SCREW YOU SIOBHAN YOU'RE A HOORFACE against you! It's not very effective.... ;___;
→ Then she proceeded to share a bunch of Kimi ni Todoke fanart and, okay, part of it is that I felt guilty that I'd shoved so many series on her and I've been really bad about watching her stuff in return, but I still call WITCHCRAFT! SHE HAS SOME SORT OF EVIL WITCHCRAFT POWERS AND SHE IS USING THEM FOR-- well, I don't know if it's evil or good, but I watched 9-12 of KnT that night, then 13-25 the next day, and then the entire second season the day after that, despite my generally lazy attitude towards getting stuff watched these days.
WITCHCRAFT!!
But at least I'm getting caught up on my backlog, sort of.
I haven't started the manga yet, nor will there really be a lot of SPOILERS but you never know. (Actually, wait, yes, there's a lot of spoilers here.) I'll probably at least reference stuff up through the end of the second season of Kimi ni Todoke.
One thing I did find, watching everything in a rush like I did, I think the pacing of it worked better for me. If this had been a series I was trying to watch week to week, I might have gone a little crazy at all the near misses and all the misunderstandings between Kazehaya and Sawako, especially when they came so close so many times. It was a little hard between the ending of the first season and the beginning of the second season, when they seemed poised to actually move forward, after the adorableness of their visit to the shrine and KAZEHAYA HOLDING HIS HAND OUT TO HELP HER DOWN THE STEPS OMGGGG SO CUTE, but then... new character shows up, more misunderstandings, they start growing apart, AAAARGH, FRUSTRATED RAGE. And that was even when I had the next episode on hand!
Up to that point, however, I actually thought the pacing was pretty good. With a lot of couples, I might have been more frustrated, but I think it worked with Sawako because she was barely ready to have such intense feelings for Kazehaya, I don't think she was at all ready to be in a relationship. Kazehaya and Ayane both seemed to realize this the most, that things had to be taken at a pace that Sawako was comfortable with, because otherwise it just wouldn't work. She couldn't see Kazehaya as an idol, she couldn't be scared of him, she had to be ready to take those steps on her own, rather than everyone shoving her into it, otherwise she never would have been ready for her own sake. Sure, it was hard to watch sometimes, but it helped that Ayane was just as frustrated as the rest of us.
The get-together was absolutely lovely--I was prepared for the heartbreaking scene of "Your like is different from my like." misunderstanding and I knew it was temporary, but it still was so hard to go through. Seeing both of them so raw and hurt and knowing how pointless it was, because they were both wrong! And then the scene in the classroom, where Sawako says she likes him, she likes him, she likes him, and Kazehaya finally starts to get a clue! And confessing in the middle of the schoolyard again! And finally, finally outright saying their feelings in words that can't be misunderstood!
And the thing that really makes it work even better is that Kazehaya is actually a real person, too! He's impatient and kind of selfish and wants things only his way and sometimes he is a COMPLETE DORK. Oh, seeing him get embarrassed and realizing, oh, there's a real person in there, not just this perfect smiling boy. I am FOREVER IN LOVE with the cool, suave, seemingly perfect boys who are actually TOTAL DORKS and get embarrassed and have people tease them into neon-bright blushing.
This is why Pin is the best ever. The best ever. Because he DELIGHTS in teasing Shouta, especially since Kazehaya has known him since he was little and just. Pin thinks it's great fun to torture him and I AM IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT. Also, it's never not amazing to watch Ayane torture Pin right back with ghost stories and, ohhhh, I want that ship to happen, STAT. P.S. Pin should wear his hair down more often, because he's kind of super hot with it draped over his eyes that way. :9
Speaking of the other ships! Ryuu and Chizuru! I LOOOOOVE THEM. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I LOVE SERIOUS BOYS WHO ARE TOTALLY GONE ON THE LOUD, ENERGETIC GIRLS. I love how Ryuu is forever getting sucked into these things because Chizuru just drags him right along, I love how he's completely honest to the point of being blunt and almost hurtful when Chizuru talks to him about her feelings for Tooru and how he thinks she should just get over him, but it helps galvanize her out of her depression when Tooru is getting married.
I agree with Siobhan that this manga is one of those that... I mean, it's not necessarily one that eats my brains and drives me into the fandom (though, I wouldn't complain, either) but what makes it great is more that... it inspires ~* feelings *~ when I read it. I get totally squeaky and flaily over the right scenes and I just want the best for everyone ever! I get invested and this series is really good about drawing that out of me.
Other stray observations:
» I was surprised at how much I liked Kento, because he came around at a really bad time (just after the New Year's visit to the shrine, where Kazehaya and Sawako had gotten closer) and it took awhile to get a real read on him. But I think he really was trying to help (because, from the outside, it could seem like Kazehaya was hurting her more than anything, if he didn't step back, given how much Sawako was coming to like him) and I think he genuinely thought Sawako was nice and fun to be around and I think he was genuinely on the verge of developing feelings for her. In his own way, even if his actions caused a lot of pain, he at least got them moving again.
» I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be intrigued by the idea of Kento/Kurumi or not. They made a point of having them interact (and one of his earliest scenes was saying that he thought Kurumi was cuter now that she was more open about her hostility) but... where Kurumi is at, she's nowhere near ready for a relationship with someone else. I'm not opposed to the idea, but... not for probably quite some time. But, also, I don't want something sweet or cute, I hope they annoy the hell out of each other. ♥
» Actually, I loved Kurumi all the way around. I've really come to have a lot of fondness for her character type, the girl who never gets the guy, because she's the obvious choice, because she's pretty and popular, and yet stuck in that role. She has no real friends because they're all jealous of her or blame boys for liking her, she'll never get the boy she likes because he just doesn't feel that way about her, she has to hide her real personality (which is sharp and prickly at times, even if she's actually a really sweet girl, too) because she has to play her part. Man, I loved her so much. And I loved her rivalry with Sawako, with how badly she wanted to hate Sawako and yet... she never really could. That scene on the rooftop, after Sawako and Kazehaya were dating, where Sawako doesn't apologize or thank her, just tells her what happened, that was one of the best.
Because, yes, their relationship was about a boy. This is a shoujo manga that's about romance, after all. But it was also about them and how they interacted.
» Speaking of which, I adore that the storylines on the show are often about the girls and their friendships with each other. Sawako's relationship with Kazehaya is often a driving force in the show, but it's not always about that, it's also about Sawako's journey and their friendships on their own. I know that's standard for a shoujo manga like this, but I don't care! I never get tired of it! And I love that Chizuru and Ayane start off seeming like they could... I don't know, like they could fade into the background as Sawako opened up and maybe got more "normal" friends.
But they're her best friends and Sawako would never give them up, no matter how much she makes friends with other girls, too. And I love that, frequently, it's about Chizuru's problems or Ayane's problems (well, not that she shares as much, because Ayane takes care of her shit), that it's not just solely revolving around Sawako and her issues.
» That episode where Tooru comes home and Chizuru meets his fiance and finally cries after she tells him that she likes him and then Ryuu puts an arm around her to comfort her (because she asked for it) and it was this incredibly pretty shot of the two of them on the dock? MY HEART. MY HEARRRRRTTTTTTT.
» During the sports festival, when Kazehaya sees Sawako talking with Ryuu, then grabs her arm and runs off with her in a fit of jealousy? SO ADORABLE. I'd always thought he was nice, of course, and I liked the relationship that was obviously going to happen at some point, but I think that's about when I started really liking Kazehaya as a character. Because he did things that were less than perfect! Same with his jealousy over Ryuu having caught the ball that was headed for Sawako's face--he knew that he just wasn't in the right position, that Ryuu was closer, that there was no way he could have gotten over there, that it didn't even mean anything, that it was just a friendly thing to do. And yet he burned with jealousy! When another boy (like Kento) would show interest in her, he would be so jealous, he'd hardly be able to sit still or even stay in the same room!
He handled it as well as he could, he never tried to push himself on Sawako or tried to manipulate her or keep her from anything, he never exploded in anger at her (because it was never her fault or anything), instead he was just... a really jealous teenage boy, trying to deal with his feelings for this girl he likes so much. I LOVED HIM SO MUCH FOR THAT.
» PIN. PIIIIIIIIN. Asking if Shouta has really been direct and asked Kuronuma to go out with him, so Kazehaya works up the nerve and Pin hides behind him to ask, "Kuronuma, will you marry me~?" and SAWAKO ASKS FOR TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT PLEASE and Pin tortures Kazehaya that she might say yes and then he'd have to explain, except Sawako just meant, "Please give me time to think about it." in the sense of, "Please give me time to fantasize about it." and just. PIN IS THE BEST EVER for making that happen. Especially Kazehaya's "I... I need to go find a hole to hide in." because he's dying of embarrassment. ADORABLE. SUCH AN ADORABLE DORK.
→ So, I watched Madoka Magica 11-12, which means SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS for the ending.
That was... well, I'm not sure what to make of it, honestly. In a way, I sympathize because I'm not sure there was an ending that would have been perfectly satisfying for me--a happy ending would have felt like a copout, a tragic ending would have been depressing, a bittersweet ending felt like it was mediocre. They'd sort of painted themselves into a corner, in a lot of ways.
There were some aspects of it that I really liked, though. The explanation of why Madoka had so much potential--"One's potential as a magical girl depends on the misfortune she's destined to carry." and, because of all the timlines being focused on her, all those timelines piled up and piled up until she had god-like potential. I briefly wondered, well, didn't Homura go through all of that and actually remember it? But she wasn't really at the center of the wish, it wasn't her that caused the loop to repeat, it was what happened to Madoka that decided that. So, I can accept that.
It was also nice to see some really excellent action scenes again, especially Homura vs Walpurgisnacht, because that was one hell of an epic fight right there. Right from the beginning, when all her guns rained down around her, to when she started time just long enough to launch her weapons, to killing the familiars as she ran through them, Akemi Homura was hardcore.
On the other hand, I kept waiting for some explanation of the Walpurgisnacht, for the origin of her to tie into the whole situation with these girls. Such a powerful witch seemed like it must have been tied into all of that, right? Homura's words of, "Why can't I beat her? No matter how many times I try...!" made me wonder--was Homura Walpurgisnacht somehow? Could she not beat it because it was like trying to beat herself? No matter how much stronger she got, Walpurgisnacht only got stronger, too? I had half-formed ideas floating around in my head... and then nothing!
I appreciated all the Homura/Madoka scenes, they were definitely the OTP of the series, and I loved that Madoka made her universe-breaking wish and that she remembered all of what Homura went through for her, and they even got to do naked space hugging after Madoka changed the rules of the universe.
But it also brought up so many questions--why didn't Madoka just wish away the need for magical girls at all? Because Sayaka and Kyouko are still dead. Was she just not that powerful? Was it just an imperfect wish? I read a comment on the Star Crossed Anime Blog that said:
On the other hand, there was another comment just below that one:
Plus, I'm not really sure what the final part of the ending even meant. I can accept that the demons that were popping up were a more indirect manifestation of the grief of humans (since that's always been around), so there were still demons to fight, just not directly against the girls that used to be magical girls, but... what was the ending with Homura in the desert meant to be? Was that what the world looked like a few years from now? (Given that she didn't seem to be aged that much.) Was she traveling somewhere else in the world? Was she going somewhere to find Madoka? Was that the demon version of a world inside the witch's barrier? (I suspect people just got too hyped up over this and it was just meant to be the world they fought inside until they defeated the demon.)
I don't mind Homura's powers being different (since there was no Madoka actively there for her to make a wish around) because they seemed like they were tied to Madoka's powers somehow, and I don't mind that Homura only seemed to half-remember Madoka but didn't seem particularly bothered by it, and I don't mind that Homura kept her cool and distant personality despite that that was based on stuff she shouldn't remember now, but I did mind the feeling of... I don't know, like the ending was sort of just thrown together. Parts of it were really awesome, but after the tension that they built up in episodes 8 through 10, this felt like a bit of a let-down.
Maybe I need some more time to absorb it or even rewatch the whole series now, I'm not sure. It wasn't a bad couple of final episodes, but it wasn't the knocked out of the park ending that I wish they'd come up with, either. But, who knows, maybe it leaves enough room for a sequel or something, given that there's certainly still a lot they could do with the characters and where they are at the end of the series.
→ I also read the end of Totally Captivated (I'd read How to Live with a Beast awhile back, but I recently finish the Final Episode stuff, all the post-series chapters and doujinshi), which means SPOILERS for all of that.
Man, it was kind of a hard read, in a lot of ways. Ewon was in a hell of a position--the mother that left him to die in the woods called, her husband died and Ewon is thrown into a tailspin because of this. He doesn't even consider her a mother anymore, he didn't consider that man a father, but he's drawn to the scene anyway... only to see his little sister there, too. And, because Ewon is Ewon, she comes to stay with him and Mookyul for a month. It's difficult, but eventually the month ends... except it ends in chaos, because Ewon and Nabin's mother tries to kill herself and Nabin feels completely alone and unwanted. So, Ewon will go live with them for her sake, not for their mother's sake. But that means leaving Mookyul, because he can't be in two places at once--leaving Mookyul for a family that abandoned him, while Mookyul has always stayed with him.
It's a nearly impossible situation because Nabin doesn't deserve to stay with a mother who can't handle her, but Ewon doesn't deserve to have his life ripped away from him after he's been so hurt, and Mookyul doesn't deserve to have the person he loves ripped away from him, either.
I can't say I was entirely happy with the ending, that Ewon paid off the debts and would pay for the things that Nabin needed, but wouldn't have contact with them otherwise. I realize that no one was there for Ewon, but Nabin could have used her brother, even just someone to talk to, because god knows she was feeling completely unwanted, unloved, and a burden to everyone. If Ewon had said that she could text him whenever she needed to, I think I might have felt better about it. At the same time, I sort of understand--it would be a constant pulling at him and Ewon wasn't strong enough to keep from letting it drag him down. And what good would he be if he let himself fall into all that darkness again?
So, I can live with it. Especially since there was a lot of really good stuff, too! Like Ewon finally being able to tell Mookyul that he loves him. I really enjoy series where both parties are equally invested in the relationship, but especially when the seme is deeply invested and you could see that with Mookyul all throughout Last Episode. He tries really hard to keep a lid on his temper, he held back from pouncing on Ewon while Nabin was there, but he could see the way all of this was going (and he was right about it) when Ewon was getting drawn back into his family drama and finally it just... exploded. I loved that he just directly laid it on the line for Ewon--does Ewon think that he doesn't get hurt? that he'd be okay with losing the person he loves? that it wouldn't drive him insane? and Ewon realizes that, yeah, this person has just as much darkness in his life and filled it up with Ewon.
And, sure, it's fun for the relationship aspect of it, but I also loved that because it's great characterization for Mookyul. Even if he's posessive and often times an asshole, he obviously deeply loves Ewon and that's not a secret. He's not supposed to be a kind character (even if he is, in some ways), but it's always been clear that he loves and needs Ewon, he says so himself frequently.
So, of course, I loved the ending, with Ewon coming back and saying he's completely broke, so hyungnim has to take care of him for the rest of his life, okay? And finally, finally is able to tell Mookyul that he loves him, which (in another moment that I loved) makes Mookyul cry briefly and it's just... I am such a sucker for a story where two people are that wrapped up in each other like that.
But I think my favorite moment had to be just after Ewon got the first call from his mother, he ran back home and launched himself at Mookyul, koala hold style, and just Would. Not. Let. Go.
MY HEARTTTTTT, OKAY.
Siobhan: So, I have a new theory.
Becky: Oh? *side-eyes*
Siobhan: In fact, it is perhaps better described as a cunning plan. Because I have a new theoretical (and CUNNING) means of potentially making you do what I want you to. :D Just talking about the things I want you to watch/read/play is all very well, of course. And occasionally it works. But I've thought of a method to combine it with that I'm sure will up my success rate. Any guesses? :D
Becky: Fly out here, tie me to a chair in an abandoned warehouse and refuse to let me go until I read/watch what you want?
Siobhan: Well, that is one possibility. It's a bit extreme, though.
Becky: What's your idea then? :| Is it--
Siobhan: Plus you are cunning like a fox, and may turn the tables to make me write fic.
Becky: Write fic until I'm forced-- :D :D :D I love it when that happens.
Siobhan: No, no. Although, again, that's a possibility, for when I have more time. My idea is called... "pixiv".
Becky: ..... *backs up slowly, keeps giving the side-eye*
Siobhan: My evil plan is to SPAM YOU with fanart of whatever it is I want you to consume. :D
Becky: .... *inches away* .....I don't think that would work....
Siobhan: See, I think it might, because otherwise you wouldn't sound so worried. >D
Becky: ..................I'm not worried....
Siobhan: Also, if I'm telling you about how awesome something is, and then I'm showing lots of really pretty pictures of gorgeous women and hot guys and cute animals and shippy moments, or whatever, you will be WEAKENED. I think this method is almost tailored to you. I'm willing to try it on Mari also, but I think it will have the greatest effectiveness on you. It is like pokemon. You used pixiv against Becky! It was SUPER EFFECTIVE!
Becky: Becky used SCREW YOU SIOBHAN YOU'RE A HOORFACE against you! It's not very effective.... ;___;
→ Then she proceeded to share a bunch of Kimi ni Todoke fanart and, okay, part of it is that I felt guilty that I'd shoved so many series on her and I've been really bad about watching her stuff in return, but I still call WITCHCRAFT! SHE HAS SOME SORT OF EVIL WITCHCRAFT POWERS AND SHE IS USING THEM FOR-- well, I don't know if it's evil or good, but I watched 9-12 of KnT that night, then 13-25 the next day, and then the entire second season the day after that, despite my generally lazy attitude towards getting stuff watched these days.
WITCHCRAFT!!
But at least I'm getting caught up on my backlog, sort of.
I haven't started the manga yet, nor will there really be a lot of SPOILERS but you never know. (Actually, wait, yes, there's a lot of spoilers here.) I'll probably at least reference stuff up through the end of the second season of Kimi ni Todoke.
One thing I did find, watching everything in a rush like I did, I think the pacing of it worked better for me. If this had been a series I was trying to watch week to week, I might have gone a little crazy at all the near misses and all the misunderstandings between Kazehaya and Sawako, especially when they came so close so many times. It was a little hard between the ending of the first season and the beginning of the second season, when they seemed poised to actually move forward, after the adorableness of their visit to the shrine and KAZEHAYA HOLDING HIS HAND OUT TO HELP HER DOWN THE STEPS OMGGGG SO CUTE, but then... new character shows up, more misunderstandings, they start growing apart, AAAARGH, FRUSTRATED RAGE. And that was even when I had the next episode on hand!
Up to that point, however, I actually thought the pacing was pretty good. With a lot of couples, I might have been more frustrated, but I think it worked with Sawako because she was barely ready to have such intense feelings for Kazehaya, I don't think she was at all ready to be in a relationship. Kazehaya and Ayane both seemed to realize this the most, that things had to be taken at a pace that Sawako was comfortable with, because otherwise it just wouldn't work. She couldn't see Kazehaya as an idol, she couldn't be scared of him, she had to be ready to take those steps on her own, rather than everyone shoving her into it, otherwise she never would have been ready for her own sake. Sure, it was hard to watch sometimes, but it helped that Ayane was just as frustrated as the rest of us.
The get-together was absolutely lovely--I was prepared for the heartbreaking scene of "Your like is different from my like." misunderstanding and I knew it was temporary, but it still was so hard to go through. Seeing both of them so raw and hurt and knowing how pointless it was, because they were both wrong! And then the scene in the classroom, where Sawako says she likes him, she likes him, she likes him, and Kazehaya finally starts to get a clue! And confessing in the middle of the schoolyard again! And finally, finally outright saying their feelings in words that can't be misunderstood!
And the thing that really makes it work even better is that Kazehaya is actually a real person, too! He's impatient and kind of selfish and wants things only his way and sometimes he is a COMPLETE DORK. Oh, seeing him get embarrassed and realizing, oh, there's a real person in there, not just this perfect smiling boy. I am FOREVER IN LOVE with the cool, suave, seemingly perfect boys who are actually TOTAL DORKS and get embarrassed and have people tease them into neon-bright blushing.
This is why Pin is the best ever. The best ever. Because he DELIGHTS in teasing Shouta, especially since Kazehaya has known him since he was little and just. Pin thinks it's great fun to torture him and I AM IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT. Also, it's never not amazing to watch Ayane torture Pin right back with ghost stories and, ohhhh, I want that ship to happen, STAT. P.S. Pin should wear his hair down more often, because he's kind of super hot with it draped over his eyes that way. :9
Speaking of the other ships! Ryuu and Chizuru! I LOOOOOVE THEM. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I LOVE SERIOUS BOYS WHO ARE TOTALLY GONE ON THE LOUD, ENERGETIC GIRLS. I love how Ryuu is forever getting sucked into these things because Chizuru just drags him right along, I love how he's completely honest to the point of being blunt and almost hurtful when Chizuru talks to him about her feelings for Tooru and how he thinks she should just get over him, but it helps galvanize her out of her depression when Tooru is getting married.
I agree with Siobhan that this manga is one of those that... I mean, it's not necessarily one that eats my brains and drives me into the fandom (though, I wouldn't complain, either) but what makes it great is more that... it inspires ~* feelings *~ when I read it. I get totally squeaky and flaily over the right scenes and I just want the best for everyone ever! I get invested and this series is really good about drawing that out of me.
Other stray observations:
» I was surprised at how much I liked Kento, because he came around at a really bad time (just after the New Year's visit to the shrine, where Kazehaya and Sawako had gotten closer) and it took awhile to get a real read on him. But I think he really was trying to help (because, from the outside, it could seem like Kazehaya was hurting her more than anything, if he didn't step back, given how much Sawako was coming to like him) and I think he genuinely thought Sawako was nice and fun to be around and I think he was genuinely on the verge of developing feelings for her. In his own way, even if his actions caused a lot of pain, he at least got them moving again.
» I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be intrigued by the idea of Kento/Kurumi or not. They made a point of having them interact (and one of his earliest scenes was saying that he thought Kurumi was cuter now that she was more open about her hostility) but... where Kurumi is at, she's nowhere near ready for a relationship with someone else. I'm not opposed to the idea, but... not for probably quite some time. But, also, I don't want something sweet or cute, I hope they annoy the hell out of each other. ♥
» Actually, I loved Kurumi all the way around. I've really come to have a lot of fondness for her character type, the girl who never gets the guy, because she's the obvious choice, because she's pretty and popular, and yet stuck in that role. She has no real friends because they're all jealous of her or blame boys for liking her, she'll never get the boy she likes because he just doesn't feel that way about her, she has to hide her real personality (which is sharp and prickly at times, even if she's actually a really sweet girl, too) because she has to play her part. Man, I loved her so much. And I loved her rivalry with Sawako, with how badly she wanted to hate Sawako and yet... she never really could. That scene on the rooftop, after Sawako and Kazehaya were dating, where Sawako doesn't apologize or thank her, just tells her what happened, that was one of the best.
Because, yes, their relationship was about a boy. This is a shoujo manga that's about romance, after all. But it was also about them and how they interacted.
» Speaking of which, I adore that the storylines on the show are often about the girls and their friendships with each other. Sawako's relationship with Kazehaya is often a driving force in the show, but it's not always about that, it's also about Sawako's journey and their friendships on their own. I know that's standard for a shoujo manga like this, but I don't care! I never get tired of it! And I love that Chizuru and Ayane start off seeming like they could... I don't know, like they could fade into the background as Sawako opened up and maybe got more "normal" friends.
But they're her best friends and Sawako would never give them up, no matter how much she makes friends with other girls, too. And I love that, frequently, it's about Chizuru's problems or Ayane's problems (well, not that she shares as much, because Ayane takes care of her shit), that it's not just solely revolving around Sawako and her issues.
» That episode where Tooru comes home and Chizuru meets his fiance and finally cries after she tells him that she likes him and then Ryuu puts an arm around her to comfort her (because she asked for it) and it was this incredibly pretty shot of the two of them on the dock? MY HEART. MY HEARRRRRTTTTTTT.
» During the sports festival, when Kazehaya sees Sawako talking with Ryuu, then grabs her arm and runs off with her in a fit of jealousy? SO ADORABLE. I'd always thought he was nice, of course, and I liked the relationship that was obviously going to happen at some point, but I think that's about when I started really liking Kazehaya as a character. Because he did things that were less than perfect! Same with his jealousy over Ryuu having caught the ball that was headed for Sawako's face--he knew that he just wasn't in the right position, that Ryuu was closer, that there was no way he could have gotten over there, that it didn't even mean anything, that it was just a friendly thing to do. And yet he burned with jealousy! When another boy (like Kento) would show interest in her, he would be so jealous, he'd hardly be able to sit still or even stay in the same room!
He handled it as well as he could, he never tried to push himself on Sawako or tried to manipulate her or keep her from anything, he never exploded in anger at her (because it was never her fault or anything), instead he was just... a really jealous teenage boy, trying to deal with his feelings for this girl he likes so much. I LOVED HIM SO MUCH FOR THAT.
» PIN. PIIIIIIIIN. Asking if Shouta has really been direct and asked Kuronuma to go out with him, so Kazehaya works up the nerve and Pin hides behind him to ask, "Kuronuma, will you marry me~?" and SAWAKO ASKS FOR TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT PLEASE and Pin tortures Kazehaya that she might say yes and then he'd have to explain, except Sawako just meant, "Please give me time to think about it." in the sense of, "Please give me time to fantasize about it." and just. PIN IS THE BEST EVER for making that happen. Especially Kazehaya's "I... I need to go find a hole to hide in." because he's dying of embarrassment. ADORABLE. SUCH AN ADORABLE DORK.
→ So, I watched Madoka Magica 11-12, which means SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS for the ending.
That was... well, I'm not sure what to make of it, honestly. In a way, I sympathize because I'm not sure there was an ending that would have been perfectly satisfying for me--a happy ending would have felt like a copout, a tragic ending would have been depressing, a bittersweet ending felt like it was mediocre. They'd sort of painted themselves into a corner, in a lot of ways.
There were some aspects of it that I really liked, though. The explanation of why Madoka had so much potential--"One's potential as a magical girl depends on the misfortune she's destined to carry." and, because of all the timlines being focused on her, all those timelines piled up and piled up until she had god-like potential. I briefly wondered, well, didn't Homura go through all of that and actually remember it? But she wasn't really at the center of the wish, it wasn't her that caused the loop to repeat, it was what happened to Madoka that decided that. So, I can accept that.
It was also nice to see some really excellent action scenes again, especially Homura vs Walpurgisnacht, because that was one hell of an epic fight right there. Right from the beginning, when all her guns rained down around her, to when she started time just long enough to launch her weapons, to killing the familiars as she ran through them, Akemi Homura was hardcore.
On the other hand, I kept waiting for some explanation of the Walpurgisnacht, for the origin of her to tie into the whole situation with these girls. Such a powerful witch seemed like it must have been tied into all of that, right? Homura's words of, "Why can't I beat her? No matter how many times I try...!" made me wonder--was Homura Walpurgisnacht somehow? Could she not beat it because it was like trying to beat herself? No matter how much stronger she got, Walpurgisnacht only got stronger, too? I had half-formed ideas floating around in my head... and then nothing!
I appreciated all the Homura/Madoka scenes, they were definitely the OTP of the series, and I loved that Madoka made her universe-breaking wish and that she remembered all of what Homura went through for her, and they even got to do naked space hugging after Madoka changed the rules of the universe.
But it also brought up so many questions--why didn't Madoka just wish away the need for magical girls at all? Because Sayaka and Kyouko are still dead. Was she just not that powerful? Was it just an imperfect wish? I read a comment on the Star Crossed Anime Blog that said:
- The reason the reorganized universe still has manifest demons is because Madoka, although a God, received her universal powers through a single wish. Her wish was to erase witches before they were born. Her wish was not to erase all evil, all sadness, from ever occurring. In short, her wish was imperfect, and thus so is the world born of her wish.
On the other hand, there was another comment just below that one:
- So they actually set up for this earlier in the ep when madoka was talking to kyubey. Kyubey mentions how having wishes granted is normally impossible and obviously would have consequences. Previously those consequences were that they would turn into witches and “curse” people once their “hope” died. In the last ep Homura says that “we still have curses”; indicating that the price of the wish are those curses and that those curses simply have a new vessel (those things that she’s fighting). In other words, the author set up an ending where good is fighting evil, hope vs “anti hope”, aka “demons”, aka “curses”.
Plus, I'm not really sure what the final part of the ending even meant. I can accept that the demons that were popping up were a more indirect manifestation of the grief of humans (since that's always been around), so there were still demons to fight, just not directly against the girls that used to be magical girls, but... what was the ending with Homura in the desert meant to be? Was that what the world looked like a few years from now? (Given that she didn't seem to be aged that much.) Was she traveling somewhere else in the world? Was she going somewhere to find Madoka? Was that the demon version of a world inside the witch's barrier? (I suspect people just got too hyped up over this and it was just meant to be the world they fought inside until they defeated the demon.)
I don't mind Homura's powers being different (since there was no Madoka actively there for her to make a wish around) because they seemed like they were tied to Madoka's powers somehow, and I don't mind that Homura only seemed to half-remember Madoka but didn't seem particularly bothered by it, and I don't mind that Homura kept her cool and distant personality despite that that was based on stuff she shouldn't remember now, but I did mind the feeling of... I don't know, like the ending was sort of just thrown together. Parts of it were really awesome, but after the tension that they built up in episodes 8 through 10, this felt like a bit of a let-down.
Maybe I need some more time to absorb it or even rewatch the whole series now, I'm not sure. It wasn't a bad couple of final episodes, but it wasn't the knocked out of the park ending that I wish they'd come up with, either. But, who knows, maybe it leaves enough room for a sequel or something, given that there's certainly still a lot they could do with the characters and where they are at the end of the series.
→ I also read the end of Totally Captivated (I'd read How to Live with a Beast awhile back, but I recently finish the Final Episode stuff, all the post-series chapters and doujinshi), which means SPOILERS for all of that.
Man, it was kind of a hard read, in a lot of ways. Ewon was in a hell of a position--the mother that left him to die in the woods called, her husband died and Ewon is thrown into a tailspin because of this. He doesn't even consider her a mother anymore, he didn't consider that man a father, but he's drawn to the scene anyway... only to see his little sister there, too. And, because Ewon is Ewon, she comes to stay with him and Mookyul for a month. It's difficult, but eventually the month ends... except it ends in chaos, because Ewon and Nabin's mother tries to kill herself and Nabin feels completely alone and unwanted. So, Ewon will go live with them for her sake, not for their mother's sake. But that means leaving Mookyul, because he can't be in two places at once--leaving Mookyul for a family that abandoned him, while Mookyul has always stayed with him.
It's a nearly impossible situation because Nabin doesn't deserve to stay with a mother who can't handle her, but Ewon doesn't deserve to have his life ripped away from him after he's been so hurt, and Mookyul doesn't deserve to have the person he loves ripped away from him, either.
I can't say I was entirely happy with the ending, that Ewon paid off the debts and would pay for the things that Nabin needed, but wouldn't have contact with them otherwise. I realize that no one was there for Ewon, but Nabin could have used her brother, even just someone to talk to, because god knows she was feeling completely unwanted, unloved, and a burden to everyone. If Ewon had said that she could text him whenever she needed to, I think I might have felt better about it. At the same time, I sort of understand--it would be a constant pulling at him and Ewon wasn't strong enough to keep from letting it drag him down. And what good would he be if he let himself fall into all that darkness again?
So, I can live with it. Especially since there was a lot of really good stuff, too! Like Ewon finally being able to tell Mookyul that he loves him. I really enjoy series where both parties are equally invested in the relationship, but especially when the seme is deeply invested and you could see that with Mookyul all throughout Last Episode. He tries really hard to keep a lid on his temper, he held back from pouncing on Ewon while Nabin was there, but he could see the way all of this was going (and he was right about it) when Ewon was getting drawn back into his family drama and finally it just... exploded. I loved that he just directly laid it on the line for Ewon--does Ewon think that he doesn't get hurt? that he'd be okay with losing the person he loves? that it wouldn't drive him insane? and Ewon realizes that, yeah, this person has just as much darkness in his life and filled it up with Ewon.
And, sure, it's fun for the relationship aspect of it, but I also loved that because it's great characterization for Mookyul. Even if he's posessive and often times an asshole, he obviously deeply loves Ewon and that's not a secret. He's not supposed to be a kind character (even if he is, in some ways), but it's always been clear that he loves and needs Ewon, he says so himself frequently.
So, of course, I loved the ending, with Ewon coming back and saying he's completely broke, so hyungnim has to take care of him for the rest of his life, okay? And finally, finally is able to tell Mookyul that he loves him, which (in another moment that I loved) makes Mookyul cry briefly and it's just... I am such a sucker for a story where two people are that wrapped up in each other like that.
But I think my favorite moment had to be just after Ewon got the first call from his mother, he ran back home and launched himself at Mookyul, koala hold style, and just Would. Not. Let. Go.
MY HEARTTTTTT, OKAY.