Second Term Episode 25 Discussion

[Catgirls]

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Wait, does the Bloody Mary Faction mean what I think it means

...will get you this...

Wait, does the Bloody Mary Faction mean what I think it means :eyespin:

[hi no ken Jebus]

:heh:What in all that is holy is going on here...

Harima has to draw more manga so he asks Yakumo for help. However tenma shows up instead because yakumo was busy. So Itoko leaves the 2 of them alone so they can spend time together:heh:. Meanwhile back at the tsukamoto household, yakumo hopes her plan for harima and tenma to get along works since she knows he likes tenma. Iori knocks down a bunch of photo albums and yakumo looks through them until she sees a picture of her hold a book about a ghost. She searches for the book and reads the story.

The story of the ghost is that he lived with a soul and then he got separated from it and goes out to search for it. Anyway tenma cooks for harima and after dinner she falls asleep in harima's room. Her sleeping habits cause harima to remember how he fell for her and he ends up in a similar situation. Episode ends with the ghost of the little girl appearing to yakumo and saying if she's ok with things since she also likes harima:heh: The title for next ep . and the preview :heh:.

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4131/sr2g25yb2.th.jpg (http://img130.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sr2g25yb2.jpg)

[Freeter]

Episode ends with the ghost of the little girl appearing to yakumo and saying if she's ok with things since she also likes harima :heh:

Onigiri revelation FTW :D

*watches Flaggers immediately retaliate with the "IT'S ONLY FILLER!" comments* :heh:

[Asianknight82]

its just showing that Yakumo liking Harima, not Harima liking Yakumo. Theres no surprise there, just hinting at the obvious, so theres no reason to retaliate as you said.

[Eri]

10/10 : I loved that funny episode. :D But it seems the next episode will be the end of the anime ("." is the title of the next episode)... Hope I'm wrong. :(

[Deathkillz]

its just showing that Yakumo liking Harima, not Harima liking Yakumo. Theres no surprise there, just hinting at the obvious, so theres no reason to retaliate as you said.

actually its quite a big surprise cause even tho hinted it wasnt 100% confirmed that yakumo likes harima...not anymore after this ep ;)

[akurashy]

misleading episode... damn preview of ep 24.. *kicks the can*

but oh well XD


Tenma is staying with harima to finish the manga, it seems yakumo have work to do if i'm not wrong,
well we all know harima's reaction on this so don't need to even write it XD, okay so itoko left harima alone with tenma wishing him good luck,
now we go back to yakumo, where she seem to be working on some papers, then takes a break to drink a cup of coffee, iori enters the house with its paws full of mud and yakumo cleaned iori's paws. after that iori ran into some books that were piled up, did a mess, and now yakumo saw a photo album when tenma and her were little.
and a weird thing.. that looks like.. the city with no people(from chobits, except that it doesn't have similarities, just me saying), well going back to harima once again, they seem to be talking but since i skipped some parts i didn't get most of it.

now we are back on how harima fell in love with tenma, tenma is sleeping in harima's bed, and she wraps her arms on his neck, and say "i love you", and a power outage, reminds you of the ova doesn't it :p

and going back once again with yakumo, the ghost appears, but i'm seeing that the ghost is looking more like yakumo, i don't know why :|, so she says "you like harima" etc etc"


but man. i wonder what going to happen now, since that damn ghost appeared once again, will yakumo actually go for it? ,

[JarOfMayo]

Seems like it will be another anime original ending... well if anything like Season 1... not a very conclusive one maybe. ;)

Though I think the SR the Anime still has potential in a 3rd season (plenty of material still), well... nothing wrong with it ending here. Makes my effort to keep up with the manga so much more worth it. :p

[BOZZY]

Well this is School Rumble, who knows the whole can end up being a dream or something, remember how Season One ended with it all being part of Harima's manga or something?

I have a feeling it might not be a conclusive end, but I have this tinge of doubt that it might end up a conclusive ending.

I'm hoping that it ends with a Onigiri ending... even though I am both a Onigiri fan and Flag fan...

[Sexalicious]

Onigiri revelation FTW :D

*watches Flaggers immediately retaliate with the "IT'S ONLY FILLER!" comments* :heh:

IT'S ONLY FILLER!

Just kidding! :)

[kenjiharima]

The manga based Yakumo stretching...

[ichigoismyhomie]

just finished watching my raw. wow.....awesome episode i think. after reading the spoiler, i wasn't expecting there would be quite a few funny things happen in this one. It ended up being better than my expectation. definately better than last one. even though there's lots of progress between tenma and harima on this episode, i do sense a big understanding coming up for the last episode. Just like the flag arc on the manga. With this kind of progress KJ making the way this anime end, it really bugs me thinking how it will be.

I think the biggest question now is wether KJ will wrap it up for good or leave it for season 3. I don't know about y'all, but I do wish for the second option.

Now all i need is just sit back and relax until the subbed version is arrive.

[JarOfMayo]

I think the biggest question now is wether KJ will wrap it up for good or leave it for season 3. I don't know about y'all, but I do wish for the second option.

Personally, I was under the impression that all these fillers/Anime Originals since Eri's Arranged Marriage Arc were entirely to stretch material out to the beginning of 3rd Term in the manga. So I too think its likely for that second option.

[dieseltrain]

well to me Yakumo's character type needs to have somebody to bring up a point like the ghosting asking her if its ok to give Harima to Tenma to even find her real feelings. I'm beginning to think all the flag faction action was a smokescreen while slowly developing Onigiri faction. Flag faction has had lots of moments compared to Onigiri, but the most memorable action was when Yakumo gave Harima cookies.

[kenjiharima]

Well no ofense to Flagers, but Yakumo was right at one time, that Eri treats Harima badly. But Eri we cannot deny the old saying the more you hate the more you love. And as for Yakumo start as friends end up as lovers.

[Swampstorm]

well to me Yakumo's character type needs to have somebody to bring up a point like the ghosting asking her if its ok to give Harima to Tenma to even find her real feelings. I'm beginning to think all the flag faction action was a smokescreen while slowly developing Onigiri faction. Flag faction has had lots of moments compared to Onigiri, but the most memorable action was when Yakumo gave Harima cookies.
It's fairly easy for you to make this sort of claim at this point in time in the anime, at a point where the anime seems to be completely diverging from KJ's manga, seemingly towards an Onigiri ending. Based on what we've seen throughout the manga and most of the anime, though, it's more of the reverse.

I would caution you against celebrating too early, though. The last few episodes from last season made use of cryptic episode previews and unusual episode titles. The True Oudou revelation at the end of Ep.25 S1 seemed to point the series towards an obvious Oudou conclusion, and bits of Harima's first meeting with Tenma were mixed in to make the trick all the more convincing. All of these elements are present in this episode as well - the cryptic epsode titles and previews are back, we have an Onigiri conclusion at the end of Ep.25 that points straight at a clear Onigiri ending, and Harima's first meeting with Tenma is thrown once more into the mix. There's nothing to say that similar trickery isn't at work, here.

Contrary to popular belief, Harima's choice isn't at the centre of the series - the story is built around the problem of Karasuma's departure. I would be fairly surprised to see an ending that didn't tie up that aspect of the story (especially considering the anime original sequence in Ep.22 with Karasuma's gift). In addition to that, we would need to see Tenma resolve her feelings for Karasuma, Harima resolve his feelings for Tenma, Yakumo to answer the ghost's question and to determine if she really has feelings for Harima, Yakumo to make Harima aware of those feelings, and Harima to discard his feelings for Tenma and switch over to Yakumo. This also assumes that there's no need to tie up any loose ends for Flag, as well. Either way, that's a lot of revelations in just 20 minutes.

Oh, and the next episode summary is up on the SR site. :heh:

Well no ofense to Flagers, but Yakumo was right at one time, that Eri treats Harima badly. But Eri we cannot deny the old saying the more you hate the more you love. And as for Yakumo start as friends end up as lovers.
Eri treats Harima the way Harima treats her. She simply reacts to his actions. We tend to see her actions as mean more often than not because we percieve her as a tsundere, and try to force her actions to fit into the stereotype.

[kenjiharima]

Ep.26 the final episode of School Rumble

# 26: [.]
漫画の原稿を描き進めるうち、ひょんな事から初めて播磨と出会った時の記憶を蘇らせてしまう天満。窮地に立 たされた播磨は天満にすべてを告白しようとする。しかし、そんな二人にさらなる衝撃が待ち受けていて・・・ ！

[Lumine]

"Tenma's memories when she meet Harima for first time are revived while drawing the manuscript, Harima can't continue hiding his secrets and start to confess everything to Tenma. However, a further impact wait them...."

I had a bad feeling....

[akurashy]

"Tenma's memories when she meet Harima for first time are revived while drawing the manuscript, Harima can't continue hiding his secrets and start to confess everything to Tenma. However, a further impact wait them...."

I had a bad feeling....

I don't know why but i also have a bad feeling...

if they do a stupid ending (by stupid i mean tenma not getting it and ending with nothing) i probably be ranting for a while =/

[Owaranai Destiny]

It's fairly easy for you to make this sort of claim at this point in time in the anime, at a point where the anime seems to be completely diverging from KJ's manga, seemingly towards an Onigiri ending. Based on what we've seen throughout the manga and most of the anime, though, it's more of the reverse.

It doesn't seem all that impossible that the anime could be diverging from the manga, but considering that this is an important part of the plot....Well, you could call this a strange twist.

I would caution you against celebrating too early, though. The last few episodes from last season made use of cryptic episode previews and unusual episode titles. The True Oudou revelation at the end of Ep.25 S1 seemed to point the series towards an obvious Oudou conclusion, and bits of Harima's first meeting with Tenma were mixed in to make the trick all the more convincing.

I never count my chickens before they hatch, but cryptic as they are, I certainly hope the episode could just turn it to be like what the preview implied once in a while. :heh:

All of these elements are present in this episode as well - the cryptic epsode titles and previews are back, we have an Onigiri conclusion at the end of Ep.25 that points straight at a clear Onigiri ending, and Harima's first meeting with Tenma is thrown once more into the mix. There's nothing to say that similar trickery isn't at work, here.

It's the most obvious thing to think once you put the pieces together with the help of season 1's first ending, but what's there to say that it might be different instead as well?

Contrary to popular belief, Harima's choice isn't at the centre of the series - the story is built around the problem of Karasuma's departure. I would be fairly surprised to see an ending that didn't tie up that aspect of the story (especially considering the anime original sequence in Ep.22 with Karasuma's gift). In addition to that, we would need to see Tenma resolve her feelings for Karasuma, Harima resolve his feelings for Tenma, Yakumo to answer the ghost's question and to determine if she really has feelings for Harima, Yakumo to make Harima aware of those feelings, and Harima to discard his feelings for Tenma and switch over to Yakumo. This also assumes that there's no need to tie up any loose ends for Flag, as well. Either way, that's a lot of revelations in just 20 minutes.

That's one thing I'd agree. one episode is too short a time for everything to be wrapped up. It all certainly smells very much like a repeat of season 1's ending, but as of now we can only speculate and assume.

[kauldron26]

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah!!! looks like the producers and writers had the balls and the sense to give a resolution to the story! something that money-hungry mangaka seems to have forgotten. please let the resolution be bitter-sweet... harima and yakumo all the way.

~sigh~ looks like school rumble has been saved from the utter retardation of repitious misunderstandings. please dont let me be wrong.

[ichigoismyhomie]

i'm pretty sure the season finale gonna end up with one (or more) stupid mistake by either harima or tenma that will mess up all these mood they have in this episode. I say "AYE" for 3rd season......i could probably settle down for OVA for a lil bit. But KJ gotta put valentine and kyoto arc into motion or i'll be pissed.

I can't wait to see yakumo's answer to the ghost. I'm sure that i'm not the only person that want to know the answer. Come to think of it, how did the ghost know about yakumo and harima? could it be that the ghost been stalking them? kinda creepy don't ya think?

[Asianknight82]

Theres gonna be a clash of Yakumo, Eri, Tenma and Harima, an all out brawl of emotions... yeah right, something tells me its gonna be a inconclusive ending. Tenma is still in love with Karasuma, theres no way she'll drop all her feelings and switch just like that in one episode. She'll turn him down, and he'll get depress and it'll end with a Harima x nobody.

[Sexalicious]

If episode 26 is the ending for the entire School Rumble anime then it's going to be a pretty poor ending in my opinion. Too many questions and situations that need answers and resolutions to fit within ONE episode. A third series would be great. Tie up all those many loose ends, finish up the story.

[kenjiharima]

School Rumble is a slow starter, but remember season1? It was a great finish!!! Even the OVA it wanted us to see more school rumble 4 ever!!! ^_^

[Owaranai Destiny]

If episode 26 is the ending for the entire School Rumble anime then it's going to be a pretty poor ending in my opinion. Too many questions and situations that need answers and resolutions to fit within ONE episode. A third series would be great. Tie up all those many loose ends, finish up the story.

Agreed. It most certainly points to a continuation, especially with all those stunts SR has pulled on us (Karasuma being an alien :heh: ) It would be nice if Yakumo does get to clarify her feelings about Harima, though.

[Amirali]

School Rumble is a slow starter, but remember season1? It was a great finish!!! Even the OVA it wanted us to see more school rumble 4 ever!!! ^_^


Even as a School Rumble fan , I can't say the first season ending was good. It was literally a complete joke / dream sequence that resolved nothing. While a open ending can be worthwhile sometimes, that's only if it raises new questions or teasers. (And no, "Is Karasuma an alien?" is not a serious possibility that was opened by that episode :P) .Disappointingly, the Season 1 finale added zero storyline progression from episode 25.

That said, I'm looking forward to the end this time. Yeah, they won't be able to seal the series but I'm looking forward to some Oudou / Onigiri/ Flag teasers that will set the stage for a terrific finale either through OVAs or a third season. I loved how they're exploring Yakumo's feelings, and it would be terrific if they built on that next episode.


P.S: Harima, If you're referring to the last 5-6 episodes of season 1 as being good, rather than the finale, than I might agree with your opinion.

[Arkhan]

Come to think of it, how did the ghost know about yakumo and harima? could it be that the ghost been stalking them? kinda creepy don't ya think?

I've always thought that ghost is not real. It's a part of the inner world of Yakumo. I think it represents her supernatural condition and, at the same time, her inner fight to clarify her own feelings. I think there's a link between her powers and her love feelings, at least that is what have been hinted.
Do you remember the episode when Harima stayed at Tenma and Yakumo's home? Yakumo sees Harima drawing and for a moment she confuses him with her father. I thought that was a hint of her feelings. But now it's like it has fallen in oblivion. Just like the words Yakumo says to Eri during the play. I hate when hints lead to nothing. It is as if the author doesn't care very much about the story.
Anyway, I haven't watched this episode yet, so I can be wrong about that ghost. I'm eager to watch it!

[miko tian]

i don't really care what kind of blatant mindgames season 2 is gonna end with ... all i know is ... it better be GODLY >:D

i was stabbing myself in the feet with a scalpel and slapping myself silly as soon as the last ep of season 1 had me going, i can only suspect similar amounts of mindgames for this ep.

sadly, it might be getting predictable :(

... so perhaps, maybe they'll do NOTHING or something SO crazy ppl will be like WTF? SEASON3 PLS?

[Matt Soulblade]

OMG IM SCARED.
Seriously. Dont let me down SR :( bring me a good ending ok?

[Bamse]

i did not like this episode at all :(


harima x eri plz

but i guess that will never happend

[Deathkillz]

...i really liked this ep...the pace and content that it showed was light hearted but serious on harima's feelings towards tenma...
its been a while since ive fully enjoyed an ep...it kinda ended on a cliffhanger...wht would yakumo do? ite getting my hyped up for the final ep :D
i liked the picture story...it had a strong sense of meaning and was very deep...it resembled yakumo and tenma right?
imo i think the end would be good :D the produces cnt afford to make it crap as it would completely destroy SR's rep (which is already going down sadly)
still i stand by yakumo x harima :D

[metronome]

hmm
what a twisted episode, especially for the manga reader

behold, bad stupid ending is coming like before~~ season 3? no doubt!

[Arkhan]

I've finally watched the fansubbed episode. Although it doesn't follow the manga, I've enjoyed it til the last minute. I felt like I was watching SR S1 again.

- The seiyuu of the ghost is the same as that one who tells the tale "The city with no people" in Chobits.

- Yeah, I'm pretty sure that ghost is a manifestation of Yakumo, it's her alter-ego, the part of herself who's afraid to be alone.

- The tale about Otamachan and Urechan is not as obvious as I had expected. In my opinion, the characters aren't representations of Yakumo and Tenma, as some of you have said. It's just a story about loneliness, just like "The city with no people" in Chobits. In fact, I'm seeing quite a resemblance between Yakumo and Chii from Chobits in this aspect: both of them are doomed to be in solitude because of their special conditions.

After watching the preview, I think everything's gonna be another twistful joke, and there's going to be a "san gakki".

[Amirali]

I finally saw the fansub.............I loved the episode, especially Harima and tenma interacting. ("I will follow you to the end , Harima-kun!!". That was seriously cute. ) It was also a rare chance to see some scenes from Yakumo's perspective ; normally she seems so opaque and mysterious, the otherworldly princess ,whose feelings you can only get glimpses of. I guess it is a deviation from the past episodes (and the manga) which often keeps her feelings clouded, but they didn't change the status quo on confessions made/ relationships formed. They're just tackling directly what has already been heavily hinted at, for example, that Yakumo likes Harima . In my book that's good storytelling; you have to show your hand at some point :)


Anyone else think Yakumo looked really sad earlier in the episode sitting all alone at home, recording that show on the VCR while waiting for Tenma to come back home?


Arkhan: Your interpretation sounds logical.......... that ghost could represent the part of her that's afraid to be alone. Yakumo's telepathy powers make it difficult for her to draw close to anyone; she's always seemed cut off from people other than her sister.

[Sinestra]

I loved this episode i didnt think it would be as funny as it was. However i smell something fishy and its not Harima's pen. Those bastard writers are setting us up for something i know it. If this is the end it s going to be pretty poort. Im pretty thinking were not going to get a resloution or its going to be some stupid weird dream thing. I am happy that we get conclusive evidence for Yakumo's feelings. As much as i would love either a YakumoXHarima or a EriXHarima (prefer Yakumo) i dont think we going to get either. My vote is for a season 3 or OVA's

[Red_eyes]

Actually I don't think Chii's condition doomed her to be alone. After all, people were getting obssessed with persocons. I don't know why, I was a bit disappointed from this episode, except for the end. The ghost looks scarier than before! Awaiting the conclusion =)

[Sorrow-K]

Contrary to popular belief, Harima's choice isn't at the centre of the series - the story is built around the problem of Karasuma's departure.That's a fascinating way to look at it and while it does justify that Karasuma's departure needs to be dealt with, I don't agree. Harima is the central character and there's no question IMO that this is his story. But I do agree that the initial conflict in the story (all those episodes ago) was Karasuma's departure... but while it does need to be resolved eventually, I see it more as a side story when compared with Harima's dilemma. Stories evolve with time... at the beginning it may have centered on Tenma and Karasuma but now it's about Harima.

I agree with those that think there won't be a conclusion at the end of this series. There's just too much unanswered and left open, and this series has hardly spent a great deal of energy tying up its loose ends. Whichever season SR does choose to conclude in (whether it be the next, or perhaps the fourth or even the fifth), we will know far before the end that it is the final series, simply because loose ends will begin tying up.

I don't like it, but that's the truth. It's very much a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." SR ending in an inconclusive fashion will no doubt sour fans (like myself) that like solid conclusive endings, yet SR simply can't have a conclusive ending because there's too much still left for it to do and characters to explore.

[Arkhan]

Actually I don't think Chii's condition doomed her to be alone. After all, people were getting obssessed with persocons.

Yes, you're right. But when I was talking about loneliness I was thinking more of the search for love.


Contrary to popular belief, Harima's choice isn't at the centre of the series - the story is built around the problem of Karasuma's departure.


I've never thought of that event as the centre of the series. I think it's just a way to establish a timelimit, a point in time when all the dramatic tension will be released.
The centre of the first season was the love triangle between Karasuma, Tenma and Harima. But with the second season, the centre of the series is not so obvious. Now with this last two episodes they seem to want to bring back that centre. But in the manga the situation is totally different.

[kaply]

karasuma needs to never be heard from again, hanai needs to just disappear as well. Just because both of these guys interfere with the tangle that exists between yakumo, eri and tenma. They also appeared so one sided and boring to me.

[Avacado Burger]

There's no way that this can be resolved in one last episode, so I smell a Season 3 on the way (But I hope it ends with Season 3). I just hope they finish it with a bang, and as vague as S1's ending.

Personally, I think that ghost is Yakumo's repressed feelings, manifested in physical form. She seems like the type that would bottle in her feelings.

[i0td]

An enjoyable episode. Even though this wasn't what most of you Flag and Onigiri fans were hoping for with the season coming to a close (less that pesky ending), a little Oudou action is always fun to watch. It definitely reminded me of all the Tenma-Harima misunderstandings that were so abundant in the first season. Of course, there never ends up being any serious development, but what happens is fun and entertaining nonetheless. For me, this episode carried a nostalgic feel to it, for the most part a regression towards all things prevalent at the beginning of the last season. Having said that, I believe the season finale will be something similar to what we've watched previously.

On a side note, I'll admit that I am probably one of the few who do not care as much concerning how things will end up with Harima, who he will end up with. Am I saying that I'm ignoring all the romance evident in the series so far? No, but I have just felt that School Rumble has always been, for me at least, a comedy over a romance. Romance is crucial to the creation of this plot as we've seen from season one episode one, I do not doubt that. However, with close to two seasons worth of episodes that point out otherwise, we find that romance supplements the comedy, not really the other way around. Romance and its failings are what generate yet another air of comedy in this series. I'm not trying to being completely critical on this issue, because of course, like everyone else, I agree that it will definitely be nicer to end it with some definite pairings. But it is just that as long the romance doesn't prevail and Harima never ends up with anyone, and as long as material allows for it, whatever laughs can just keep on coming.

[ichigoismyhomie]

Season 3......HERE I COME.......weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Swampstorm]

That's a fascinating way to look at it and while it does justify that Karasuma's departure needs to be dealt with, I don't agree. Harima is the central character and there's no question IMO that this is his story. But I do agree that the initial conflict in the story (all those episodes ago) was Karasuma's departure... but while it does need to be resolved eventually, I see it more as a side story when compared with Harima's dilemma. Stories evolve with time... at the beginning it may have centered on Tenma and Karasuma but now it's about Harima.
I won't disagree with you on the fact that a shift in focus has taken place. Still, Karasuma's character and his departure are still very much important to Harima's story. Harima's choice of girl isn't particularly important - what's important is how he chooses to address his feelings for Tenma and how he deals with his rivalry with Karasuma.

Karasuma is a foil for Harima's character - his tendency to outclass Harima whenever the they face off allows us to explore Harima's weaknesses throughout these two seasons. Implicit in all of their interactions, whether they be real or imagined, is the idea that if Harima can some how "defeat" Karasuma, he can "win" Tenma's heart.

In this sense, the girl that Harima ends up with isn't as important as the way in which Harima chooses to deal with Karasuma. If Harima ends up in a relationship with Tenma, for example, the challenge is in his ability to overcome his inferiority complex towards Karasuma. Or, if he gives up on Tenma, the challenge could be in his willingness to see Tenma's needs and place hers before his - which would require him to acknowledge Karasuma in the process. A third alternative could have Harima continue in line with Ep.22, making him a complete anti-hero in his quest to sabotage True Oudou. Regardless of how things play out, the conflict between Karasuma and Harima is a major issue running throughout both seasons, and it would be awkward to simply sidestep the issue after it has recieved so much development.

I don't like it, but that's the truth. It's very much a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." SR ending in an inconclusive fashion will no doubt sour fans (like myself) that like solid conclusive endings, yet SR simply can't have a conclusive ending because there's too much still left for it to do and characters to explore.
Well, you're bound to get a fairly conclusive ending, either way. If anything, though, you can take comfort in the fact that the characters have progressed throughout the series - perhaps not in the ways that we originally envisioned them, but they have all matured to an extent. That, in itself, makes the journey worthwhile - at least for me.

I've never thought of that event as the centre of the series. I think it's just a way to establish a timelimit, a point in time when all the dramatic tension will be released.
I agree. Rather than using the word 'central', I should have used the term 'climactic'. The conflict between Harima and Karasuma is central to Harima's character development, though. A series conclusion should attempt to address that issue in at least some form or the other.

[SonicMonkey]

Just a few points:

1 - The ghost is just a ghost. Or a "whatever". We've seen tenma talking to it during the OVA for goodness sake. For all we know it's an alien. Don't read too much into it.

2 - Wow Yakumo likes Harima? Color me surprised. Not. This isn't any sort or relevation.

3 - The story is at the same point it was several series ago. So long as Harima only has eyes for Tenma, it doesn't matter who likes him, neither of them are going to win. Especially Yakumo. Eri may be the kind of girl to go after someone she wants regardless of what happens, but Yakumo seemingly knowing that Harima has a crush on her sister is a huge penalty for her.

4 - This season is going to end with the next episode, but then I'd be willing to bet that so long as the interest is still high (i.e. people can make money off it) we will get atleast some OVA's or another full season. The story is far, far from complete and there is no way to come to a satisfying conclusion in the last episode at this point in time.

If anything, this episode seemed to have some progress for the oudo path, but i have a sneaky suspicion that in the last episode any understanding gained between the two will be squandered in the last episode :P That just seems to be the way that SR works, atleast for now.


I dunno but I find it funny that people are talking on and on about Yakumo when the last scene with Harima in it has him standing over a sleeping Tenma, in the dark, without his sunglasses on, just like their first encounter that led to her running out the door. That's a major cliff hanger in my book and it's seems to have been totally ignored by a lot of people :P

Think of the possibilities here? ^_^

[Deathkillz]

2 - Wow Yakumo likes Harima? Color me surprised. Not. This isn't any sort or relevation.


well i would say that its the first time that yakumo actually realised her feelings for harima...its kinda "when reality hits home" kinda thing so i do find it significant...

[sunny_ta]

3 - The story is at the same point it was several series ago. So long as Harima only has eyes for Tenma, it doesn't matter who likes him, neither of them are going to win.

It's always possible that Harima may move on. If he confessed to Tenma and Tenma replied that she loves only Karasuma, Harima would most likely be obligated to move on.

But one never knows with the School Rumble original material. For all we know, the mood could be shifted from Harima's disappointment to Yakumo-lovin'. :eyespin: (my god that smiley is awesome.)

[taichikun14]

i'm sure harima would never move on from tenma... but wow i loved this episode so much!! it was soo funny and actually let the story roll again instead of stupid lag episodes like the whale/cruise episode... harima finally got some guts and made some sort of move on tenma!!:heh: hurray!!! and i love how sweet harima is with her...eating her disgusting cooking, not telling her that she's completely f#$%^ng up his manga, not taking advantage of her EVER (he even looked away when he put the blanket back on her)... harima is so awesome! i hope tenma sees that somehow!! ...man i hope there's not some stupid misunderstanding that makes harima look like a perve again though...:(

i bet there'll be a season 3... you can't wrap everything up in one episode unless it was a joke like the first season's finale.

[Potatochobit]

i cant think of any other show that was able to pull off something like the first seasons ending. that is some great material.

[KaneDragon]

well i would say that its the first time that yakumo actually realised her feelings for harima...its kinda "when reality hits home" kinda thing so i do find it significant...
Hey, those are the ghost's words, not hers.

A sudden blackout an appearance of the hair-rapist (Hmm... that was hawt. :p ) ghost saying you're in love with someone? Yeah, I can see why Yakumo would be a little surprised.

Of course, it would be sweet if she really were, but I don't know.... ;_;


School Rumble is going nowhere. At least the first season had that lead in to the pseudo-ending, which was pretty amusing. I've been keeping up with the manga--is there really much more they can draw on?

[Owaranai Destiny]

Hey, those are the ghost's words, not hers.

It can still 'hit home', especially if it is something she hasn't really discovered for herself but is true (assuming that it is indeed true, that is), espcially so since we've been seeing her denying it in the first and second season.

A sudden blackout an appearance of the hair-rapist (Hmm... that was hawt. :p ) ghost saying you're in love with someone? Yeah, I can see why Yakumo would be a little surprised.

Of course, it would be sweet if she really were, but I don't know.... ;_;

Currently, none of us knows whether she really does like Harima in that way and yeah, anyone would be surprised, especially if some'thing' from the not so distant past comes up again. Speaking of which, whatever the ghost might be, it doesn't seem so much of a coincidence that she appears at this time.

[DeathRaptor]

If I recall right, wasn't the ghost face different before? Now she looks a lot like Yakumo.

[kenjiharima]

Many of my friends are saying if there's gonna be a 3rd season it will be focused on Harim x Yakumo x Eri. XD XD XD

[Owaranai Destiny]

If I recall right, wasn't the ghost face different before? Now she looks a lot like Yakumo.

It might be your imagination...But if in the scenario where you are right, it might simply mean that the ghost could be part of Yakumo's consciousness....Or even a phenomenon that occurs due to her psychic ability to read minds. Anything goes.

[Anime Online]

I can't think of any kind of satisfactory romance ending for Term#02. Therefore, I propose that the last episode be another "Karasuma is an alien" fake ending.

[Owaranai Destiny]

Well, There's that. So many possibilities of how SR would end...or continue.:eyespin:

I've rewatched the episode, and found that the ghost's appearance might be pertaining to Yakumo's mental or emotional state, or the story she was reading (which might be something in relation to her relationships with the people she's closer to;) ). One way or the other, there will be something interesting happening in the finale, that's for sure, especially since Harima finds himself in a similar situation with Tenma those years back.

Side and unimportant note: Harima's eyes look kinda different from before...pointed at the ends...

[Arkhan]

I've rewatched the episode, and found that the ghost's appearance might be pertaining to Yakumo's mental or emotional state, or the story she was reading
[QUOTE]

That is what I've been thinking all the time, but then I read this:

[QUOTE=SonicMonkey]Just a few points:
1 - The ghost is just a ghost. Or a "whatever". We've seen tenma talking to it during the OVA for goodness sake. For all we know it's an alien. Don't read too much into it.


I rewatched the OVA and actually, after the first encounter between Yakumo and the ghost, Tenma is talking with "a ghost" at home (I say "a ghost" cause I'm not sure if it's the same ghost, since it takes the form of a flame), and we can only hear what she answers: "Yes, I like them". So the question seems to be the same one asked to Yakumo: "Do you like men?". Therefore, that flame ghost could be in fact, the same ghost.
However, it seems to be a joke. But I don't know what to think now. I usually prefers rational explanations rather than supernatural ones, but I admit that ghost could be anything.

I don't remember, is the ghost in the manga?

[Aidan]

Thi ep I give a 4, so close yet soooooooooooooo far.

[Deathkillz]

I've rewatched the episode, and found that the ghost's appearance might be pertaining to Yakumo's mental or emotional state, or the story she was reading

exactally wht i was thinking...imo the "ghost" is like another part of yakumo...something that has to do with her past...

[joshualimm]

I hope that the final episode will be all laughs, all to a climatic end. But now that we've seen the book, pictures of little yakumo, and the ghost... I'm guessing that:


Yakumo WILL go after Harima, and they'll use Yakumo's past with Tenma to drive her on. It'd be like... all this time, what Yakumo believed was true, is now... not so true anymore. Of course, this never really picked up in the manga, but now that we have a ghost ressembling Yakumo, trying to get her to open up and be honest with herself, I'm pretty sure that's how it might turn out, and the final episode just might focus on Yakumo. Not too funny that way, though if that were the case, I'd really like to have a comedic look on Yakumo's face, rather than a serious one when she get to the end of the page.

At least, if I WERE the director, with limited budget and time, and having derivated from the manga soo much, that's probably the easiest way to end a series: Change the main topic/focus to something/someone else(some sort of obstacle), and spend the rest of the episode dealing and fixing it. And by the end, everyone can sigh in relief, and BAM!, almost no one will be thinking about all the untied ends. Cheap, lighthearted, open ending, with some tint of conclusion, while keeping the possibility of a new season open (in case they want to try to cash in more on the series). Also, imho, the book-part would've been a pretty strong plot tool.



But anyway, I really CAN'T WAIT for the final episode...

[Owaranai Destiny]

I rewatched the OVA and actually, after the first encounter between Yakumo and the ghost, Tenma is talking with "a ghost" at home (I say "a ghost" cause I'm not sure if it's the same ghost, since it takes the form of a flame), and we can only hear what she answers: "Yes, I like them".

It does seem apparent that Tenma's rather direct when it comes to these kind of questions, isn't she?:heh:

So the question seems to be the same one asked to Yakumo: "Do you like men?". Therefore, that flame ghost could be in fact, the same ghost.

Hmm...Now that you mention it, it could be the same ghost, but how and why she would go and ask Tenma aside from the fact that Yakumo could not give her a definite answer is still a mystery. Besides, if she truly got her answer (whether that flame orb was the same ghost or not), she wouldn't be appearing in front of Yakumo, assuming that she's simply there for an answer.

However, it seems to be a joke. But I don't know what to think now. I usually prefers rational explanations rather than supernatural ones, but I admit that ghost could be anything.

There have been plenty of things you would think that should be serious, but turn out to be a joke in SR. :heh:

There aren't rational explanations for Yakumo's ability to sense any romantic feelings towards her, either, nor how the freakin' big fish pen shrunk enough to hit Harima's hand. Live and let live. :heh:

I don't remember, is the ghost in the manga?

There is, I think...In one of the b chapters. It was pertaining to Yakumo's loneliness or something...Can't remember clearly.

[Pakxenon]

Perfect episode. Though I love HarimaXTenma, I'm going to vote for a 3rd season. :(

[SonicMonkey]

Ok getting back to the ghost thing, I'm pretty sure it's not anything to be taken seriously, or even concerned about. If anything it's probably a dues ex machina, used to propell Yakumo along in the anime plot in regards to the fact that she has had very, very little manga development until somewhat recently, and much further out than the story arc of the current televised series.

I didn't like the ghost as a plot device, but when I think about it, it makes sense now. The reason for the ghosts existance: Bad writing by anime script writers :) Case solved.

People are still reading waaaay too much into silly little bits like that, but I suppose thats to be expected on internet BBS's :P lol

[Arkhan]

Ok getting back to the ghost thing, I'm pretty sure it's not anything to be taken seriously, or even concerned about. If anything it's probably a dues ex machina, used to propell Yakumo along in the anime plot in regards to the fact that she has had very, very little manga development until somewhat recently, and much further out than the story arc of the current televised series.

I didn't like the ghost as a plot device, but when I think about it, it makes sense now. The reason for the ghosts existance: Bad writing by anime script writers :) Case solved.

People are still reading waaaay too much into silly little bits like that, but I suppose thats to be expected on internet BBS's :P lol

Ok, I agree it could be as simple as a "deus ex machina" to force a response in Yakumo. They may have used the ghost thing as a cheap trick to make a fast ending. But only in the anime series.

As for the manga, the ghost only appears in a b chapter, as Owaranai Destiny has said. And it's not used to force anything, but to give more insight of Yakumo. Also, I'd like to point out that, in my opinion, and due to cultural reasons, japanese art (anime included) tends to use symbolization to handle inner conflicts.

Anyway, thank you for your skeptical point of view, I usually read too much into anime plots, although I know most of the time there's no intentional depth in that plots. But as you've said, this sort of discussions are very common on internet forums, and that's because they help to make interesting points of view of series (even although some series may not deserve that interest). After all, a fiction work is as rich and deep as the audience/readers want to render it.

[Sexalicious]

I tend not to bothered by the reality shattering aspects of School Rumble, such as some characters being insanely massive and having eye-lasers out of nowhere, Tenma's spoon bending, Yakumo's mind reading or the animals being much more aware than they shoud be.

The ghost bothers me though and I'd feel a lot happier if it turned out to be Yakumo's subconcious.

I'm hoping for a wacky ending. Something funny at least. Especially if it's anime original.

As far as this episode goes, it was definatly great to see some misunderstanding between Harima and Tenma and I liked the referencing to their first meeting. A solid episode, if unspectacular and slightly disappointing (considering the preview made me think something very important would happen).

[Mizuno]

the little story about the ghost/soul was touching, loneliness is the worst pain one could feel...

the whole episode was very well done. the humour was good as usual but it was intended to be a serious episode. one of the best episodes of this series.

[Amirali]

I didn't like the ghost as a plot device, but when I think about it, it makes sense now. The reason for the ghosts existance: Bad writing by anime script writers :) Case solved.

People are still reading waaaay too much into silly little bits like that, but I suppose thats to be expected on internet BBS's :P lol


Watning!!: No specific spoilers, but has some references to the manga.
It is a somewhat cheap device , but I think its harsh to blame the anime writers . They've been told to put together a meaningful ending involving Yakumo in two episodes, when the manga(and hence, the anime) hasn't focused on her much. Really, that's a near impossible task. Given the circumstances, there's no other option besides a deus ex machina to try and progress the story in a limited time span. If anything, one could blame the mangaka who provided the base material for not giving them more to work with, or the anime director for choosing to take the storyline in this direction when the foundation hasn't been solidly laid yet.

Anyway, as you point out, its not high art meant to be overanalyzed, and they manage to make it sufficiently interesting and watchable, especially for those who are emotionally invested in the characters. Is the story flow as smooth as it should be? Certainly not. But hopefully, if it goes to a third season there can be some synchronicity between where the anime wants to go, and what base material the manga provides it. At the moment, there seems to be some creative difference on how relationships are portrayed, (e.g, The Harima-Tenma handshake on Christmas, this epsode with Yakumo) and that takes away the smoothness of the story progression.

[psylentshadow]

I also do believe that the ghost represents Yakumo's conscience(sp?). I doubt it'll happen, but I'd like to see the answer to that question in the next episode for some concrete evidence. I liked the little picture book story they put in the episode...I'm suprised most people haven't put as much emphasis on that as they have the ghost. I think the story had a pretty significant meaning to it as well. I can't quite pinpoint it though...haha.

As most people have said on this thread, it will be difficult to end the story with just one episode as there are so many loose ends they have to tie up...

I'd like to see a season 3 just to wrap things up nicer. If it did have to end now I think I'd be happy if it went to Harima x Eri x Yakumo. There seems to be the most development with Harima x Eri or Harima x Yakumo. Harima could give up on Tenma and persue either...we could see Eri or Yakumo consoling and then spilling the beans...(assuming Yakumo likes him too). I don't see the Harima x Tenma thing working out just because she seems so dense and she seems overly obsessed with Karasuma. Originally I was rooting for Harima x Tenma, but after most of season 2 I switched over to Harima x Yakumo x Eri as you can probably guess. I mean, if season one ended without them saying that it was part of his manga, I think I would've been happy with that ending. But now that they've added so much depth with Eri and Yakumo, I don't think they'll be able to pull something like that off again.

[SchoolRumble Fan]

The episode 26 can't be the end, it's obvious
I want a 3rd season!

Is there a way to contact Jin Kobayashi? ^_^ (Email)

[kenjiharima]

Remeber the scene in the manga Yakumo cooked noodles for Harima? I think the directors switched Yakumo and Tenma's role here...now we know what happens if Tenma was the one who cooked for Harima LOL

[physics223]

To answer SchoolRumble Fan's question, no, KJ isn't a person that one can contact easily. It doesn't help that he's pretty much an introvert and a recluse, and not much is known about him or his life. He's a pretty private person.

Whatever happens, I hope for a decent Onigiri relationship improvement. :)

[BOZZY]

Just curious... but... After watching this...

Was this supposed to be a deviation of the episode where Tenma goes to Harima's place and finds out he lives with Itoko? Cause for the life of me I can't remember if the anime did that part, although I have a feeling they did the valentine's day arc but I can't really remember if they did or not.

[aliensporebomb]

Did anyone else notice:


-Harima gets experience firsthand that Tenma:
-Can't cook.
-Can't draw.
-Can't follow directions?

He may still be infatuated with her but even he was getting annoyed
with her brainless behavior.



Can't wait for the next one!

[Shredder]

Eri's still going to win, regardless of weird Chobits-like storybooks. Filler, filler, filler! I vote for season 3. Just keep it going forever like Naruto, one arc after another, maybe even some jutsus. Eri sexy/harem no jutsu for sure. I'll have to avoid spoilers very consciously.

Tenma can't do anything but ski. Maybe Harima has a thing for skiiers. Actually he didn't even see that did he, I can't remember. Yeah Tenma pretty much is no good at all, Harima's nuts. Might be interesting to have a tragic ending, Harima perishing saving Tenma.

[canza]

Contrary to popular belief, Harima's choice isn't at the centre of the series - the story is built around the problem of Karasuma's departure. I would be fairly surprised to see an ending that didn't tie up that aspect of the story (especially considering the anime original sequence in Ep.22 with Karasuma's gift). In addition to that, we would need to see Tenma resolve her feelings for Karasuma, Harima resolve his feelings for Tenma, Yakumo to answer the ghost's question and to determine if she really has feelings for Harima, Yakumo to make Harima aware of those feelings, and Harima to discard his feelings for Tenma and switch over to Yakumo. This also assumes that there's no need to tie up any loose ends for Flag, as well. Either way, that's a lot of revelations in just 20 minutes.

Oh, and the next episode summary is up on the SR site. :heh:


Eri treats Harima the way Harima treats her. She simply reacts to his actions. We tend to see her actions as mean more often than not because we percieve her as a tsundere, and try to force her actions to fit into the stereotype.

I'd actually love this anime series like crazy if the ending had EriXHarima, It would be just great....but if it was Tenma....I'd scream.....if it was Yakumo....meh....

Hope the creator chose Eri to be with Harima!!!! Crosses fingers....