HYD Final
So this movie is... pretty special. And kind of ADD. BUT IN AN EPIC WAY, STUPID MOVIE THAT I LOVE. But... as much as I love this movie, I'm kind of closing my eyes, sticking my fingers in my ears and just going "LALALALALALA~ THIS ISN'T HAPPENING LALALALA~" about certain parts of it because, man... this movie really hated on Makino's characterization at times :/ I-It wasn't especially kind to Hanazawa Rui (lololol the wedding scene), but I'm just going to touch on the Makino-centric things that have kind of been bothering me lately because I think it's messing with my play a little.
I'm not going to summarize the movie because lol I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT IN A COHERENT WAY. So this is mostly just me talking myself in circles about why I will totally glean stuff from the movie, but would never want to update (not that we can, VICTORY \o/)
orite, obligatory Spoilers! warning.
There were two scenes in particular that made me cringe for Makino's characterization A LOT. I understand that the writers had to exploit Makino's doubts and insecurities about her impending marriage to Domyoji to keep the "story" moving, and I am mostly fine with that as a plot device. She's marrying into the Domyoji name at 22, and with that comes the multinational financial corporation, a mother-in-law who might be Darth Vader, and being shoved into the public eye for her every move to be scrutinized by the media. That is intimidating and scary and Makino would feel jittery about that and admits to it in some of the earlier scenes. And in one scene she even tells Domyoji "I feel like I'm starting to understand your mother, Domyoji. They call her the Iron Woman, don't they? But I see now, she wasn't born like that. She had no choice but to become that way", which is worrying but still kind of IC for Makino.
BUUUUUUUT.
"WAUGH" Scene 1
So after Makino and F4 retrieve the ugly tiara stolen from them by a ninja by bidding on it in a black market auction (just. don't ask), they return to their hotel. Makino happens to stumble upon Hanazawa Rui talking to and shaking hands with that very same ninja. SUSPICIOUS. She goes to Domyoji, clearly kind of miserable about even suspecting Hanazawa Rui, and tells him what she saw. Domyoji rages, "You saw wrong!" and Makino quietly answers, "I... really don't think I did". Domyoji leaves in a huff and Makino looks after him, obviously upset. This is fine and IC and really kind of an improvement for Makino that she went to Domyoji to discuss it with him first. She's actually willing to depend on/confide in him a little, which I like!
Next she goes to look for Hanazawa Rui by herself and asks him in a very careful, quiet, non-accusatory manner whether he was just talking to someone in the courtyard. He denies it, and she knows he's lying because she saw the scene with her own eyes. SUSPICIOUS. And this, again, I am totally cool with because it really is the next logical step for her to "confront" him herself, and there was no yelling or anything. She was very... cautiously respectful, almost? I mean, I think Makino's trust in Hanazawa Rui is immense, so she's not about to go hurling accusations at him even if he is acting incredibly shifty.
And then we get the boat scene. The F4 make light of having spent craploads, and I mean craploads, of money on that tiara so Domyoji and Makino won't get murdered by his mother for losing it, and Makino snaps. She marches up to Rui in front of everyone, "Hanazawa Rui, I'm asking you one more time, weren't you talki-", before Domyoji angrily drags her away. Which... okay, g-getting into uncomfortable territory here, but I can still justify this because the suspicions and hurt at being lied to by one of her closest confidantes plus her fiance brushing off her very legitimate worries clearly had been building up inside her all day. I am even okay with Makino having that screaming match below deck with Domyoji about how "THEY'RE ACTING SUSPICIOUS!", "YOU'RE THE ONE ACTING WEIRD! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" because I really don't think she's entirely in the wrong for suspecting them. They were clearly acting sketchy!
But then, practically crying, she yells "Why are you believing them instead of me?! Are you saying you can't trust me?" Which um. Um. I understand that she's incredibly upset in this scene, but I really think Makino would never, ever pull a "Choose between me and F4!" thing, not intentionally. Which... this isn't really, but it's still a "buh" moment for me because she knows they've been best friends since they were in diapers and I don't think she would ever want to invade on that. And okay, I just changed my mind. I am annoyed that she doesn't trust Rui, Soujirou, and Akira more. This is F4 we're talking about! F4 with the motto "We'll always help Makino Tsukushi in her time of need"! So she is willing to blindly trust Sakurako and Umi-chan after the horrible things they subjected her to, but she can't trust F4 despite the fact that they have always come through for her?! (Domyoji is exempt from this by virtue of being Domyoji; she always seems to assume the worst of him in situations like this :/) And yes, Makino does get a tad irrational when she gets angry, but I really don't think she would want to put Domyoji in that position. She'd be incredibly upset if he tried to do the same with her, substituting Yuki for F4, and I can't imagine her being totally blind to that.
Edit, Nov 11: I just watched the movie with subtitles! And. Consequently feel EVEN WORSE about this scene now that I can actually understand the argument Domyoji and Makino are having on the boat. OH MY GOD MAKINO, THEY JUST DISHED OUT SIX BILLION YEN TO BAIL YOUR ASS OUT. SERIOUSLY, WHAT MOTIVE COULD THEY HAVE TO HARM YOU?! BE A LITTLE MORE GRATEFUL WILL YOU?!
So in conclusion, I hate this scene and am going to largely ignore the way it played out because I really don't think it fits in with her characterization. AT ALL.
"WAUGH" Scene 2
So after the fiasco described above, Domyoji and Makino are drugged on their private jet and dumped on a tropical, deserted island. Y-Yeah. Domyoji whips out his SURPRAISE BOY SCOUT SKILLS and makes the best of it, but it's a tough first few days (or weeks? I have no freakin' idea). On a particularly bad day, Domyoji returns to their cave-home to find her drenched, shivering and really miserable. He is endearingly concerned about her and she... snaps angrily at him in return. Um, what? Night falls and she says, out of the blue "I never should have agreed to marry you. This never would have happened" and then goes on to question whether they'd really be able to spend their lives together, aren't their values too different? Which clearly hurts like hell for Domyoji to hear, and he rebukes her before stalking off angrily in the rain, saying that they have to want it to work, and even now he has no uncertainties about spending his life with her.
So first. This kind of clashes with one of my favourite Makino-scenes in HYD2...
Tama: Really? She (Domyoji's mother) found out?
Makino: Yes.
Tama: Do you regret it?
Makino: I'm scared, but as for regrets... [happy/determined expression]
Tama: Yes, that's what makes you Tsukushi!
WHY DID THE WRITERS TAKE AWAY WHAT MAKES HER THE TOUGH WEED TSUKUSHI?!
AND UM. UM. It might just be that I am due for a canon review or that I am extremely biased because I love her character, but in my mind Makino is absolutely not this harsh and unreasonable. Yes she makes stupid, rash decisions. Yes, she sometimes says hurtful things without thinking it through or meaning it. Yes, she is sometimes irrational in her anger. But this is so far beyond any of what she did in canon (except maybe the rain!break-up scene, but that's an entirely different situation). Even though I may not always agree, I can easily understand why she acted the way she did and can usually manage to at least defend her actions. She sometimes takes things a little overboard, but she always has a justifiable reason. THIS SCENE, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL IS GOING THROUGH HER MIND. Or no wait, I do. IT'S THAT OTHER SCENE I LIKE TO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. Because really, aside from Domyoji not being able to say "I trust you more than I trust my best friends", he has pretty much been at his sweetest, most adorable, most reassuring, and most attentive in this movie. Seriously, this movie is like a love letter to him. So for her to lash out at him like this for things that really aren't his fault, especially when he's been proving himself, is just so grossly out of character for her.
And so this is another scene I am blatantly choosing to ignore because it doesn't make sense. I don't really want to incorporate it into my play.
"WAUGH" Scene 3
THAT SCENE WHERE MAKINO PUNCHES A BEAR IS RIDICU--
... yeah, no, who am I kidding? I LOVE THIS SCENE, EVEN IF IT MAKES NO SENSE AND OH MY GOD WRITERS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I don't care. Because. Makino punches a bear. A bear. This is absolutely the biggest "WTF" moment of the movie, a-and that's saying something.
I WILL TOTALLY INCORPORATE THIS INTO MY PLAY. Except not. ONLY YES. I don't know :/
Addendum: "WAUGH" Scene 4
Makino: Gee, I wonder how long we've been here?
Domyoji: Iunno... a month?
Makino: Hasn't it been longer than that?
Domyoji: Yeah, I have no idea.
Makino: I bet it's spring in Japan!
Domyoji: Oh yeah, your graduation from law school!
Makino: .... OH CRAP I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT
[they laugh]
Makino: Well I didn't take the finals so I guess I can't graduate!
Domyoji: Damn. I wanted to get married on your graduation day >:
Not a huge "rawr"-inducing scene, but it annoys me that Makino would take missing her finals and not graduating so lightly. I mean sure, in the face of everything they've had to deal with since the beginning of this weird journey, it's understandable that school was not in the forefront of her mind. But still! Four years of hard work and she's on the cusp of achieving one of her dreams and... "haha oh well" is her reaction? I'd expect more dedication than that out of Makino. BUT WHATEVER. STUPID MOVIE THAT I LOVE.
Okay, I am a unrepentant in my love for DomyojixMakino. And this whole movie is pretty much fanservice for DomyojixMakino shippers. I love a great many more things about this movie than just the OTP moments and the very pretty wedding scene, but I am too lazy to list/cap them all because then I will just never stop writing about this movie, and I need to sleep. So whee \o/
I love, love, loved that we got to see Domyoji and Makino interact normally, without so much of the DRAMATIC ANGST. They do still bicker constantly, but they sometimes don't fight and are just generally fluffy and adorable at each other. We didn't get a lot of this in the series, so I'm glad to have more "material" to base that off of now X3
Also, how much did I love that scene in Vegas with the F4 where Domyoji was all "Oh, so you guys came to help me, right?" and they were like "Nope. We're here to help Makino! Poor Makino!" while Makino went "I-I'm so grateful you guys, BAAAAAAW ;__;" and Domyoji fumed. I LOVED THAT SCENE. A LOT.
Oh yes, and the wedding scene.
God, I don't know. I just love them a lot ;o;
Comments, questions, "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG" opinons are all welcome! Because. It's 12AM and I have no idea what I just wrote =__=
I'm not going to summarize the movie because lol I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT IN A COHERENT WAY. So this is mostly just me talking myself in circles about why I will totally glean stuff from the movie, but would never want to update (not that we can, VICTORY \o/)
orite, obligatory Spoilers! warning.
There were two scenes in particular that made me cringe for Makino's characterization A LOT. I understand that the writers had to exploit Makino's doubts and insecurities about her impending marriage to Domyoji to keep the "story" moving, and I am mostly fine with that as a plot device. She's marrying into the Domyoji name at 22, and with that comes the multinational financial corporation, a mother-in-law who might be Darth Vader, and being shoved into the public eye for her every move to be scrutinized by the media. That is intimidating and scary and Makino would feel jittery about that and admits to it in some of the earlier scenes. And in one scene she even tells Domyoji "I feel like I'm starting to understand your mother, Domyoji. They call her the Iron Woman, don't they? But I see now, she wasn't born like that. She had no choice but to become that way", which is worrying but still kind of IC for Makino.
BUUUUUUUT.
"WAUGH" Scene 1
So after Makino and F4 retrieve the ugly tiara stolen from them by a ninja by bidding on it in a black market auction (just. don't ask), they return to their hotel. Makino happens to stumble upon Hanazawa Rui talking to and shaking hands with that very same ninja. SUSPICIOUS. She goes to Domyoji, clearly kind of miserable about even suspecting Hanazawa Rui, and tells him what she saw. Domyoji rages, "You saw wrong!" and Makino quietly answers, "I... really don't think I did". Domyoji leaves in a huff and Makino looks after him, obviously upset. This is fine and IC and really kind of an improvement for Makino that she went to Domyoji to discuss it with him first. She's actually willing to depend on/confide in him a little, which I like!
Next she goes to look for Hanazawa Rui by herself and asks him in a very careful, quiet, non-accusatory manner whether he was just talking to someone in the courtyard. He denies it, and she knows he's lying because she saw the scene with her own eyes. SUSPICIOUS. And this, again, I am totally cool with because it really is the next logical step for her to "confront" him herself, and there was no yelling or anything. She was very... cautiously respectful, almost? I mean, I think Makino's trust in Hanazawa Rui is immense, so she's not about to go hurling accusations at him even if he is acting incredibly shifty.
And then we get the boat scene. The F4 make light of having spent craploads, and I mean craploads, of money on that tiara so Domyoji and Makino won't get murdered by his mother for losing it, and Makino snaps. She marches up to Rui in front of everyone, "Hanazawa Rui, I'm asking you one more time, weren't you talki-", before Domyoji angrily drags her away. Which... okay, g-getting into uncomfortable territory here, but I can still justify this because the suspicions and hurt at being lied to by one of her closest confidantes plus her fiance brushing off her very legitimate worries clearly had been building up inside her all day. I am even okay with Makino having that screaming match below deck with Domyoji about how "THEY'RE ACTING SUSPICIOUS!", "YOU'RE THE ONE ACTING WEIRD! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" because I really don't think she's entirely in the wrong for suspecting them. They were clearly acting sketchy!
But then, practically crying, she yells "Why are you believing them instead of me?! Are you saying you can't trust me?" Which um. Um. I understand that she's incredibly upset in this scene, but I really think Makino would never, ever pull a "Choose between me and F4!" thing, not intentionally. Which... this isn't really, but it's still a "buh" moment for me because she knows they've been best friends since they were in diapers and I don't think she would ever want to invade on that. And okay, I just changed my mind. I am annoyed that she doesn't trust Rui, Soujirou, and Akira more. This is F4 we're talking about! F4 with the motto "We'll always help Makino Tsukushi in her time of need"! So she is willing to blindly trust Sakurako and Umi-chan after the horrible things they subjected her to, but she can't trust F4 despite the fact that they have always come through for her?! (Domyoji is exempt from this by virtue of being Domyoji; she always seems to assume the worst of him in situations like this :/) And yes, Makino does get a tad irrational when she gets angry, but I really don't think she would want to put Domyoji in that position. She'd be incredibly upset if he tried to do the same with her, substituting Yuki for F4, and I can't imagine her being totally blind to that.
Edit, Nov 11: I just watched the movie with subtitles! And. Consequently feel EVEN WORSE about this scene now that I can actually understand the argument Domyoji and Makino are having on the boat. OH MY GOD MAKINO, THEY JUST DISHED OUT SIX BILLION YEN TO BAIL YOUR ASS OUT. SERIOUSLY, WHAT MOTIVE COULD THEY HAVE TO HARM YOU?! BE A LITTLE MORE GRATEFUL WILL YOU?!
So in conclusion, I hate this scene and am going to largely ignore the way it played out because I really don't think it fits in with her characterization. AT ALL.
"WAUGH" Scene 2
So after the fiasco described above, Domyoji and Makino are drugged on their private jet and dumped on a tropical, deserted island. Y-Yeah. Domyoji whips out his SURPRAISE BOY SCOUT SKILLS and makes the best of it, but it's a tough first few days (or weeks? I have no freakin' idea). On a particularly bad day, Domyoji returns to their cave-home to find her drenched, shivering and really miserable. He is endearingly concerned about her and she... snaps angrily at him in return. Um, what? Night falls and she says, out of the blue "I never should have agreed to marry you. This never would have happened" and then goes on to question whether they'd really be able to spend their lives together, aren't their values too different? Which clearly hurts like hell for Domyoji to hear, and he rebukes her before stalking off angrily in the rain, saying that they have to want it to work, and even now he has no uncertainties about spending his life with her.
So first. This kind of clashes with one of my favourite Makino-scenes in HYD2...
Tama: Really? She (Domyoji's mother) found out?
Makino: Yes.
Tama: Do you regret it?
Makino: I'm scared, but as for regrets... [happy/determined expression]
Tama: Yes, that's what makes you Tsukushi!
WHY DID THE WRITERS TAKE AWAY WHAT MAKES HER THE TOUGH WEED TSUKUSHI?!
AND UM. UM. It might just be that I am due for a canon review or that I am extremely biased because I love her character, but in my mind Makino is absolutely not this harsh and unreasonable. Yes she makes stupid, rash decisions. Yes, she sometimes says hurtful things without thinking it through or meaning it. Yes, she is sometimes irrational in her anger. But this is so far beyond any of what she did in canon (except maybe the rain!break-up scene, but that's an entirely different situation). Even though I may not always agree, I can easily understand why she acted the way she did and can usually manage to at least defend her actions. She sometimes takes things a little overboard, but she always has a justifiable reason. THIS SCENE, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL IS GOING THROUGH HER MIND. Or no wait, I do. IT'S THAT OTHER SCENE I LIKE TO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. Because really, aside from Domyoji not being able to say "I trust you more than I trust my best friends", he has pretty much been at his sweetest, most adorable, most reassuring, and most attentive in this movie. Seriously, this movie is like a love letter to him. So for her to lash out at him like this for things that really aren't his fault, especially when he's been proving himself, is just so grossly out of character for her.
And so this is another scene I am blatantly choosing to ignore because it doesn't make sense. I don't really want to incorporate it into my play.
"WAUGH" Scene 3
THAT SCENE WHERE MAKINO PUNCHES A BEAR IS RIDICU--
... yeah, no, who am I kidding? I LOVE THIS SCENE, EVEN IF IT MAKES NO SENSE AND OH MY GOD WRITERS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I don't care. Because. Makino punches a bear. A bear. This is absolutely the biggest "WTF" moment of the movie, a-and that's saying something.
I WILL TOTALLY INCORPORATE THIS INTO MY PLAY. Except not. ONLY YES. I don't know :/
Addendum: "WAUGH" Scene 4
Makino: Gee, I wonder how long we've been here?
Domyoji: Iunno... a month?
Makino: Hasn't it been longer than that?
Domyoji: Yeah, I have no idea.
Makino: I bet it's spring in Japan!
Domyoji: Oh yeah, your graduation from law school!
Makino: .... OH CRAP I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT
[they laugh]
Makino: Well I didn't take the finals so I guess I can't graduate!
Domyoji: Damn. I wanted to get married on your graduation day >:
Not a huge "rawr"-inducing scene, but it annoys me that Makino would take missing her finals and not graduating so lightly. I mean sure, in the face of everything they've had to deal with since the beginning of this weird journey, it's understandable that school was not in the forefront of her mind. But still! Four years of hard work and she's on the cusp of achieving one of her dreams and... "haha oh well" is her reaction? I'd expect more dedication than that out of Makino. BUT WHATEVER. STUPID MOVIE THAT I LOVE.
Okay, I am a unrepentant in my love for DomyojixMakino. And this whole movie is pretty much fanservice for DomyojixMakino shippers. I love a great many more things about this movie than just the OTP moments and the very pretty wedding scene, but I am too lazy to list/cap them all because then I will just never stop writing about this movie, and I need to sleep. So whee \o/
I love, love, loved that we got to see Domyoji and Makino interact normally, without so much of the DRAMATIC ANGST. They do still bicker constantly, but they sometimes don't fight and are just generally fluffy and adorable at each other. We didn't get a lot of this in the series, so I'm glad to have more "material" to base that off of now X3
Also, how much did I love that scene in Vegas with the F4 where Domyoji was all "Oh, so you guys came to help me, right?" and they were like "Nope. We're here to help Makino! Poor Makino!" while Makino went "I-I'm so grateful you guys, BAAAAAAW ;__;" and Domyoji fumed. I LOVED THAT SCENE. A LOT.
Oh yes, and the wedding scene.
God, I don't know. I just love them a lot ;o;
Comments, questions, "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG" opinons are all welcome! Because. It's 12AM and I have no idea what I just wrote =__=