Love Shuffle eps 5 and 6 - the non- Kairi/Ojiro edition (well - mostly. They snuck in)
Despite my last night's post, I do love other aspects of the show.
Tara-chans! It really is one of my favorite things, that Yukichi actually found a friend. He needs one so badly. In real life, I'd feel worried to be dating him because he is so needy and so lacking in realization of limits of what to do or not to do, but he is learning and he is so sweet being mean to him would be like punching a puppy. I am worried that the guy Mei likes is him (because she said she doesn't like Masato, Kei is obviously out, so it leaves either Ojiro or Yuki. If it's Ojiro, good luck going against Suicide Girl but while I think she and Yuki could work, I don't want Yuki to lose Kei's friendship!
While boys are playing:
Gals are talking. I love that Airu dislikes Reiko (makes sense, she is so forthright) and Reiko is amused. Mei is being ladylike but with little pins-and-needles. And Kairi is her usual headcase (though much more interactive than she used to be. Still, she only really comes alive with Ojiro).
My love for Kei is MIGHTY. Really, Mei brings out the worst in him - with her, he is weak, indecisive, timid, just - no. Because he is such an amazing guy.
I mean, he managed to make Kairi smile -
This is a little Mei flashback. You know, I found myself irritated with her in this episode. She keeps jerking Kei around which is just cruel - she does not mean to, but she is thoughtless. First she is all "oh, the job is killing your spirit so I don't love you any more for it" then he leaves his job because of it and she is "what is wrong with you, didn't you think of the future?" WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, WOMAN - PICK ONE! I think that is the root of the problem - she doesn't know what she wants herself and so keeps leading Kei around and around - I think she is really not in love with him any more but she remembers being in love with him so she tries to rationalize her current lack of interest in his job crushing his spirit or being irresponsible or what but none of these are true fixits for the situation so that is why she is always dissatisfied. Not to mention that I adore Kei beyond reason and I like Mei (still) but they are one of the worst possible couples for each other. They don't talk! Not about anything that matters - Kei found out her reasons from friends because she doesn't talk to him at all, but he is also no saint - he takes decisions without consulting her. He and Airu talk about everything but even Masato and Ojiro know more about what's bothering him or is going on than Mei does! They just don't click - I can't see how they ever functioned.
I found out that Mei actress was the one who played Sara (Soujiro's first love) in Hana Yori Dango. This made me SQUEE. So have a little Mei/Ojiro moment from ep 3 which filled me with nostalgic glee.
Ojiro and Airu (from ep 2 here) could have been pretty hot...But then I think either one of them has chemistry with rocks and trees.
Airu and Kei - the most compatible, the most functional ones of the bunch. I love that they really talk about everything - he is always at his best around her and she is always most happy and they always encourage or joke or mock. I love them.
Poor poor Kei.
Masato's office is freaking creepy - I bet he's got bodies stashed in the back :) I also found it interesting that he seems to tell Kairi that people like Ojiro don't really care so they won't be affected much (presumably by her suicide) - is this some sort of tacit "it's OK to kill yourself, don't worry about making the guy sad" speech? (maybe if in a messed up way in his head Ojiro = his lover, he wants him to know the kind of left-behind grief the Doc himself felt?). Or is he projecting his bitterness about his dead lover on Ojiro (because the lover's killing himself is percieved by Masato as selfish and uncaring). Or maybe he just hopes that if Kairi offs herself, Ojiro would be upset and will need comforting of a fun variety? :) I kid with that last one of course but the whole situation is bizarre. I am still puzzled as to why he wanted to set up a guy who is a dead ringer for his dead boyfriend with a girl who is actively suicidal like that same dead boyfriend.
Reiko is mindbogglingly gorgeous.
Have a smirky Ojiro:
Airu tells Kei she likes him but of course he does not believe it - she did just play a practical joke with a fake confession for him. She is like the boy who cried wolf.
Kei looking for work. He wants a job with a dream - good luck in this economy.
See, they bring out the best in each other - compare it to the toxic scene with Mei:
Ojiro so knows who Airi is sweet on - but Kei is oblivious :P
See, it's scenes like this that make me angry with Mei - she likes someone - fine, but to keep talking about it to Kei is cruel. She is not doing it on purpose but she is thoughtless.
And we close on Masato looking at Ojiro. Even if we (along with Kei and Airu) didn't just discover that his dead lover was (a) a man and (b) looked freakily like Ojiro, this gaze would definitely give it away.
