Gravity always gets me down.
Last Friends 10:
RUKA LIVES!!!!
RUKA IS ALIVE!
RUKA STILL EXISTS!
RUKA BREATHES AND CRIES AND WEARS TIGHT PANTS! WHILE ALIVE!!!
*wiggles in glee and happiness and joy* Thank you, show. Provided you don't kill her by a speeding train in the last five minutes of the finale, I forgive you for tragically ignoring all the lesbian makeout opportunities.
Previously on Last Friends, Sousuke was a crazy asshole with control issues. Ruka's response? Grab the hard metal stand of a broken lamp and swing. GOD, I love her.
At least it's really *well done* angst. Ruka runs through the streets clutching her shirt to her chest, dodging odd looks from pedestrians, then rushes in a store like a whirlwind, grabs a shirt at random, and finally breaks down in the dressing room. Her shaking fingers can't even do up her buttons. Juri better win an award for this role.
Oh my gosh, this scene. Michiru's like "if I move out, everyone will be left alone," which is, you know... true, but Ruka says she can't let Michiru live on her own, it's too dangerous with Sousuke lurking about.
I repeat: everyone is so tense and afraid they freeze when the doorbell rings, they're all sitting around with fresh wounds from Sousuke's attacks, but Ruka doesn't want Michiru to leave because she's worried she'll get hurt. *violently heartmarks* THAT is love.
OH MY GOD OH MY GOD
Ruka talking about her love for Michiru while Michiru overhears outside the door!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHH
"From the very beginning... my feelings for her... weren't only friendship."
AND SHE RUNS AWAY.
OMG OMG she finally puts all the pieces together, all the comments and Ruka's behavior and AHHHHHHH.
Okay, I totally don't understand this reaction. She told Ruka she wasn't in love with Takeru, it's pretty obvious she was falling for Ruka herself-- right? But then she's all "I can't return Ruka's feelings." I can't decide if she isn't interested after all, or if she meant "I can't act on my feelings because (insert contrived, probably self-blaming reason here)."
a;fsdkfljadklfjdf ACCEPT YOUR INNER LESBIAN, GODDAMNIT.
Thank you, show, for the lovely shot of Takeru's face as Ruka tells her father "I'll never like men." Really, it wasn't angsty enough.
dsk;jsdlf Michiru finds the good luck charm she gave Ruka in Sousuke's apartment, and confronts him, because it isn't like he's a crazy abusive psycho who reacts violently and unpredictably when pressed-- oh wait. *weeps for drama stupidity*
BRAGGING about holding Ruka down and how helpless she was. TO MICHIRU'S FACE. Seriously, how the fuck are people still sympathetic to this shit?
AND MICHIRU FUCKING SLAPS HIM!!!!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh, my god, I lived that pleasure through her.
And when Sousuke freaks out and throws her to the floor (I didn't see that coming! OH, WAIT) Michiru yells at him to stop... and freaking pushes him back. "I don't belong you to anymore!"
God, this is what I was waiting for. We've watched her slow crawl to self-esteem and self-sufficiency, and she still has miles to go, but this isn't the same Michiru we saw in the first episode. She doesn't just take the abuse because she has nowhere to go and no one to support her. At first I didn't understand why Sousuke raped her again -- why the show would make that decision, I mean -- we certainly don't need any more reason to hate him. Then I realized just how different the two scenes are. The first rape, Michiru is uselessly pleading for him to stop, but can't put up any real fight. This time, the scene blacks out on her scream, which is both horrifying and proof of how far she's come. She struggles. She does not accept it.
And then we get this scene. "Don't hurt my friends ever again... if you can swear this, I'll stay here with you. And as many times as you want, I'll let you do this."
I seriously almost started crying. They just proved how strong she's become, that she can not only stand up to Sousuke, but push back. And Sousuke tears that all down with "You don't care what happens to them?" Michiru is willing to give up everything to protect her friends the only way she can.
Fuck everyone who calls her weak, or useless, or dense. Fuck you guys in the face.
"Why are you crying, Michiru?" WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?
I... am undecided how to feel about this scene. On one hand, I'm not made of stone, I can feel sympathy for someone so obviously in pain. And I think it was nicely done-- the pictures, the crying, the artful angles of despair.
On the other hand? Seriously? Seriously? After everything he's done? After he raped, stalked, abused, and manipulated Michiru, after he beat and strangled and humiliated Ruka and put his hands and mouth all over her just to break her pride, after he outed her deeply personal problems to a magazine with no shame whatsoever, after he went on a single-handed reign of terror to ruin everything and everyone around Michiru so she would come back to him-- all in this episode alone? We're supposed to feel sorry for him because he can cry? Because he was a raised by a single mother? I think this scene would've been a lot more effective, oh, eight episodes ago, when it was possible to believe he was a redeemable human being. Or maybe they should've laid off the trauma and abuse for forty-five minutes so at least it wouldn't be so fresh in our memory. Poor abusive boyfriend, it must feel so terrible after you've raped someone. Poor unloved psycho, rejected by the people he beats over the head with crutches.
It bothers me because Sousuke has never shown ANY REMORSE WHATSOEVER. He's never once apologized or given the slightest sense of guilt for the terrible things he's done. Five minutes ago he was gloating to Michiru's face about his sexual assault of her best friend. Am I supposed to believe he's overcome with shame now? Because I don't. I think if Sousuke has any regrets in this scene, it's not that he abused his girlfriend and tormented her friends and crushed their dreams, it's that Michiru doesn't love him back. He's only upset because he and Michiru aren't the fucked-up family he wanted them to be -- he doesn't care about the horrible things he's done to get there.
If the show had taken the "why are you crying??" route earlier, presented him as a fundamentally broken human being who wanted, but couldn't sustain a normal relationship because of his own issues, I might feel something more for him. Instead, we got ten episodes of Sousuke the ruthless jackass, coldly deciding the best ways to break anyone in his way. And I just can't be moved by his manpain after that.
Then again, I must be one of three people on the internet who doesn't hail Ryo as a God King for his ability to leak eyedrops on cue, so I might be biased.
In short: woobiefiction failed.
.......... cause when you're a Johnny, you're a Johnny to the last. This has to be the first frilly suicide I've ever seen.
Good job, dude! Because it'd be too considerate to leave the house before you slit your wrists. No, let's let Michiru wake up from her rape and find you collapsed in your own blood. A++ in asshole, man.
... and he's bleeding symbolically all over a wedding dress. One last punch to your already emotionally devestated girlfriend! HOW AWESOME.
*collapses* There's still another episode left, and I don't doubt this show will put us all through the emotional wringer one last time, but it feels like everything after this will be cake. Angst-flavored cake, maybe, but now that the death isn't hanging over our heads, I feel FREEEE.
RUKA LIVES!
RUKA LIVES!!!!
RUKA IS ALIVE!
RUKA STILL EXISTS!
RUKA BREATHES AND CRIES AND WEARS TIGHT PANTS! WHILE ALIVE!!!
*wiggles in glee and happiness and joy* Thank you, show. Provided you don't kill her by a speeding train in the last five minutes of the finale, I forgive you for tragically ignoring all the lesbian makeout opportunities.
Previously on Last Friends, Sousuke was a crazy asshole with control issues. Ruka's response? Grab the hard metal stand of a broken lamp and swing. GOD, I love her.
At least it's really *well done* angst. Ruka runs through the streets clutching her shirt to her chest, dodging odd looks from pedestrians, then rushes in a store like a whirlwind, grabs a shirt at random, and finally breaks down in the dressing room. Her shaking fingers can't even do up her buttons. Juri better win an award for this role.
Oh my gosh, this scene. Michiru's like "if I move out, everyone will be left alone," which is, you know... true, but Ruka says she can't let Michiru live on her own, it's too dangerous with Sousuke lurking about.
I repeat: everyone is so tense and afraid they freeze when the doorbell rings, they're all sitting around with fresh wounds from Sousuke's attacks, but Ruka doesn't want Michiru to leave because she's worried she'll get hurt. *violently heartmarks* THAT is love.
OH MY GOD OH MY GOD
Ruka talking about her love for Michiru while Michiru overhears outside the door!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHH
"From the very beginning... my feelings for her... weren't only friendship."
AND SHE RUNS AWAY.
OMG OMG she finally puts all the pieces together, all the comments and Ruka's behavior and AHHHHHHH.
Okay, I totally don't understand this reaction. She told Ruka she wasn't in love with Takeru, it's pretty obvious she was falling for Ruka herself-- right? But then she's all "I can't return Ruka's feelings." I can't decide if she isn't interested after all, or if she meant "I can't act on my feelings because (insert contrived, probably self-blaming reason here)."
a;fsdkfljadklfjdf ACCEPT YOUR INNER LESBIAN, GODDAMNIT.
Thank you, show, for the lovely shot of Takeru's face as Ruka tells her father "I'll never like men." Really, it wasn't angsty enough.
dsk;jsdlf Michiru finds the good luck charm she gave Ruka in Sousuke's apartment, and confronts him, because it isn't like he's a crazy abusive psycho who reacts violently and unpredictably when pressed-- oh wait. *weeps for drama stupidity*
BRAGGING about holding Ruka down and how helpless she was. TO MICHIRU'S FACE. Seriously, how the fuck are people still sympathetic to this shit?
AND MICHIRU FUCKING SLAPS HIM!!!!
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh, my god, I lived that pleasure through her.
And when Sousuke freaks out and throws her to the floor (I didn't see that coming! OH, WAIT) Michiru yells at him to stop... and freaking pushes him back. "I don't belong you to anymore!"
God, this is what I was waiting for. We've watched her slow crawl to self-esteem and self-sufficiency, and she still has miles to go, but this isn't the same Michiru we saw in the first episode. She doesn't just take the abuse because she has nowhere to go and no one to support her. At first I didn't understand why Sousuke raped her again -- why the show would make that decision, I mean -- we certainly don't need any more reason to hate him. Then I realized just how different the two scenes are. The first rape, Michiru is uselessly pleading for him to stop, but can't put up any real fight. This time, the scene blacks out on her scream, which is both horrifying and proof of how far she's come. She struggles. She does not accept it.
And then we get this scene. "Don't hurt my friends ever again... if you can swear this, I'll stay here with you. And as many times as you want, I'll let you do this."
I seriously almost started crying. They just proved how strong she's become, that she can not only stand up to Sousuke, but push back. And Sousuke tears that all down with "You don't care what happens to them?" Michiru is willing to give up everything to protect her friends the only way she can.
Fuck everyone who calls her weak, or useless, or dense. Fuck you guys in the face.
"Why are you crying, Michiru?" WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?
I... am undecided how to feel about this scene. On one hand, I'm not made of stone, I can feel sympathy for someone so obviously in pain. And I think it was nicely done-- the pictures, the crying, the artful angles of despair.
On the other hand? Seriously? Seriously? After everything he's done? After he raped, stalked, abused, and manipulated Michiru, after he beat and strangled and humiliated Ruka and put his hands and mouth all over her just to break her pride, after he outed her deeply personal problems to a magazine with no shame whatsoever, after he went on a single-handed reign of terror to ruin everything and everyone around Michiru so she would come back to him-- all in this episode alone? We're supposed to feel sorry for him because he can cry? Because he was a raised by a single mother? I think this scene would've been a lot more effective, oh, eight episodes ago, when it was possible to believe he was a redeemable human being. Or maybe they should've laid off the trauma and abuse for forty-five minutes so at least it wouldn't be so fresh in our memory. Poor abusive boyfriend, it must feel so terrible after you've raped someone. Poor unloved psycho, rejected by the people he beats over the head with crutches.
It bothers me because Sousuke has never shown ANY REMORSE WHATSOEVER. He's never once apologized or given the slightest sense of guilt for the terrible things he's done. Five minutes ago he was gloating to Michiru's face about his sexual assault of her best friend. Am I supposed to believe he's overcome with shame now? Because I don't. I think if Sousuke has any regrets in this scene, it's not that he abused his girlfriend and tormented her friends and crushed their dreams, it's that Michiru doesn't love him back. He's only upset because he and Michiru aren't the fucked-up family he wanted them to be -- he doesn't care about the horrible things he's done to get there.
If the show had taken the "why are you crying??" route earlier, presented him as a fundamentally broken human being who wanted, but couldn't sustain a normal relationship because of his own issues, I might feel something more for him. Instead, we got ten episodes of Sousuke the ruthless jackass, coldly deciding the best ways to break anyone in his way. And I just can't be moved by his manpain after that.
Then again, I must be one of three people on the internet who doesn't hail Ryo as a God King for his ability to leak eyedrops on cue, so I might be biased.
In short: woobiefiction failed.
.......... cause when you're a Johnny, you're a Johnny to the last. This has to be the first frilly suicide I've ever seen.
Good job, dude! Because it'd be too considerate to leave the house before you slit your wrists. No, let's let Michiru wake up from her rape and find you collapsed in your own blood. A++ in asshole, man.
... and he's bleeding symbolically all over a wedding dress. One last punch to your already emotionally devestated girlfriend! HOW AWESOME.
*collapses* There's still another episode left, and I don't doubt this show will put us all through the emotional wringer one last time, but it feels like everything after this will be cake. Angst-flavored cake, maybe, but now that the death isn't hanging over our heads, I feel FREEEE.
RUKA LIVES!