Kawashima Ami ❤ Toradora! ❤ not reservedcameracrushAugust 10 2011, 16:44:57 UTC
Personality (cont.): This leads to many people saying she seems mature and adult-like. Minori states that Ami has worked in the world of adults and sees things differently from the rest of the students, and must be very patient to put up with them. Ryuuji is the only one who believes Ami is childish, for her eating habits (which involves gorging on sweets) and because he notices that she doesn't take care of herself very well. Ami agrees with the latter opinion, which may be why she eventually develops a real crush on Ryuuji. She also appreciates him for being a challenge (not fawning over her), his genuine care and concern, and because he treats her like one of his peers. She wants to be accepted for who she is.
So, the breakdown goes as such: you get a pure-hearted mask, then a condescending jerk, then someone who basically sounds like a reliable adult stuck with a bunch of kids on a sugar high, with some blending between the lines. For instance: if you ask her to do something she doesn't really want to, she'll act indignant and stubborn, but for her friends it is a reoccurring theme for her to help them anyway. It's all about keeping an image- not letting anyone get anything too easily, even if she does care. In this manner, she's unexpectedly nice from time to time, like when she finds Taiga's notebook and makes sure no one looks through it for embarrassing details. She makes sure to do all her good deeds as nonchalantly as possible, so people don't notice. Most people won't make it past her initial mask anyway.
This maturity ends up making her the most stable of the three love interests. She spreads her initial drama, but never actually breaks down like Taiga or Minori do. From time to time she looks solemn and distant (which is quickly covered up), and at worst she starts a bitch fight with Minori over what a coward she is. But much like the other two girls, Ami has a bad habit of hiding who she is. Unlike the others, she's consciously aware of it and understands herself well.
She keeps her own feelings under a tight lock, and is the only one who does not ultimately confess her love to Ryuuji. She helps Taiga get with him, and forces Minori to confront her own emotions, but keeps her own private. The most she says on the subject is under her breath when she wishes Ryuuji would start over with his set distinctions of romantic interests, so maybe he could give her a second chance. In the end, she puts aside her love with a smile, asking him to confirm that he loves Taiga and accepting that she has a good friend who will never be a romantic option. It's also revealed that Ami had planned on dropping out after the stalker case was done, but felt a sort of kinship towards Taiga and wanted to make sure she didn't get hurt.
Ami's progression is almost tragic. She pretends to be a caricature of herself for most of her life. Eventually, she puts it away for her friends, but even the one she loves can't comprehend her true feelings. By series end Ami is truly content with her new group and treasures them, frequenting the territory of gentle smiles, but her story is a bittersweet one. Her subtlety and talent with smoke and mirrors makes sure no one is as close to her as she is to them, and she deals with her problems without letting anyone else know they even exist.
An important side note for a darker setting like Mayfield: Ami is a heroine from a comedy love drama. She gets flustered when her shoes get dirty, and at bugs and icky-ness. She's a 17-year-old girl who, despite her maturity, tears up from fear and trembles after confronting a physically harmless stalker. She'll put up a brave front, but the macabre atmosphere is probably going to affect her.
This leads to many people saying she seems mature and adult-like. Minori states that Ami has worked in the world of adults and sees things differently from the rest of the students, and must be very patient to put up with them. Ryuuji is the only one who believes Ami is childish, for her eating habits (which involves gorging on sweets) and because he notices that she doesn't take care of herself very well. Ami agrees with the latter opinion, which may be why she eventually develops a real crush on Ryuuji. She also appreciates him for being a challenge (not fawning over her), his genuine care and concern, and because he treats her like one of his peers. She wants to be accepted for who she is.
So, the breakdown goes as such: you get a pure-hearted mask, then a condescending jerk, then someone who basically sounds like a reliable adult stuck with a bunch of kids on a sugar high, with some blending between the lines. For instance: if you ask her to do something she doesn't really want to, she'll act indignant and stubborn, but for her friends it is a reoccurring theme for her to help them anyway. It's all about keeping an image- not letting anyone get anything too easily, even if she does care. In this manner, she's unexpectedly nice from time to time, like when she finds Taiga's notebook and makes sure no one looks through it for embarrassing details. She makes sure to do all her good deeds as nonchalantly as possible, so people don't notice. Most people won't make it past her initial mask anyway.
This maturity ends up making her the most stable of the three love interests. She spreads her initial drama, but never actually breaks down like Taiga or Minori do. From time to time she looks solemn and distant (which is quickly covered up), and at worst she starts a bitch fight with Minori over what a coward she is. But much like the other two girls, Ami has a bad habit of hiding who she is. Unlike the others, she's consciously aware of it and understands herself well.
She keeps her own feelings under a tight lock, and is the only one who does not ultimately confess her love to Ryuuji. She helps Taiga get with him, and forces Minori to confront her own emotions, but keeps her own private. The most she says on the subject is under her breath when she wishes Ryuuji would start over with his set distinctions of romantic interests, so maybe he could give her a second chance. In the end, she puts aside her love with a smile, asking him to confirm that he loves Taiga and accepting that she has a good friend who will never be a romantic option. It's also revealed that Ami had planned on dropping out after the stalker case was done, but felt a sort of kinship towards Taiga and wanted to make sure she didn't get hurt.
Ami's progression is almost tragic. She pretends to be a caricature of herself for most of her life. Eventually, she puts it away for her friends, but even the one she loves can't comprehend her true feelings. By series end Ami is truly content with her new group and treasures them, frequenting the territory of gentle smiles, but her story is a bittersweet one. Her subtlety and talent with smoke and mirrors makes sure no one is as close to her as she is to them, and she deals with her problems without letting anyone else know they even exist.
An important side note for a darker setting like Mayfield: Ami is a heroine from a comedy love drama. She gets flustered when her shoes get dirty, and at bugs and icky-ness. She's a 17-year-old girl who, despite her maturity, tears up from fear and trembles after confronting a physically harmless stalker. She'll put up a brave front, but the macabre atmosphere is probably going to affect her.
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