[Kari Izumi]

Originally Posted by FuzzyWuzzy

I saw this a while back, around two years ago but I stopped at episode 40. Now after watching the last 7 episodes, it was disappointing that I didn't get any closure whatsoever. This is why I hate anime that uses the manga for their source material. Can't get a decent ending with closure.

Actually, the anime stopped where it did because they ran out of canon material to use. Short of pulling some filler arc out their ass (which would have failed SO hard with this particular series' nature), there wasn't any other good place to end.

Nobu and Hachi's relationship didn't really get better or get any development whatsoever.

I don't think it was meant to, from the more recent chapters. And while I thought that between Takumi the rapist and Nobu that the latter was the far safer choice, both he and Hachi need to grow up if their relationship was going to work. Hachi has a track record of staying with the man who'd fight hardest for her instead of helping to fight for a relationship. This in part is exactly why Shouji and she split up, but she never even considered that until her final run-in with him when she's pregnant and engaged, and it's too late for anything to happen between them.

My only disappointment is how since Hachiko's marriage she had her personality subsumed into the role of the 'missus', and entirely lost her independent action. She became a much less interesting character as a whole. But maybe that's just a realistic protrait of women and marriage in Japan.

I think one critical flaw for Hachi to over come wasn't so much her lack of independence as her selfishness and being inconsiderate of others.

A big point is how demanding of others she is, especially Shouji...she'd whine about him not spending enough time with her, but then she'd blow off dates to fangirl Nana. Hachi kept forgetting that this is a guy who REALLY had to work his way though school and wasn't just in Tokyo with time to spare. She really expected people to take care of her and give things to her without doing much of anything to earn that. That was in large part why I think she "dumped" Takumi for Nobu...Nobu was the one who she thought could give her the fairy tale she wanted, and she was just as quick to leave him when Takumi came to her rescue when she learned she was pregnant.

Overall, I think the last few chapters since her pregnancy have made Hachi a far more likeable character to me. Not that I didn't love her in the early days, but in spite of Takumi's...um, questionable treatment at times, the relationship she has with him is one where she's really gotta pull and realize that it won't be all about her.