[Diodati]

I'll post in here then, I should really be doing my work, naughty Tempest!!

Originally Posted by Tempest

OKay, so would it have been better if it was Miss Maria saving her? Or maybe Natsuki or another teacher? Or maybe it would be better if they didn't have the rape thing going on in the first place?

Honestly? If they were going to address the rape issue (and it's definitely crossed the mind of many a viewer in regards to Otome nanos) then I think they could have come up with something far better than this. The Tomoe aspect is not cliche, I suppose not (although the argument is definitely there for her simply being a headcase for the sake of a plot device when it comes to this development) but the way it played out was. They could have found hundreds of alternative ways for Tomoe to instigate this plot - but the one they specifically chose was for a specific result i.e. Arika/Sergay closeness - that over any other issue (incl. rape or showing how nuts Tomoe is)

Of course it's unlikely Arika would have been raped either way - but I do personally believe the entire thing was used by Sunrise to throw Arika and Sergay into another extreme experience whereupon ''Arika is able to confirm how much she likes Sergay'' (in whatever delusional state that may be)

And that they use rape to do that? Isn't that a little, hmm, crude at best? Are people going to watch this and think the wider issues were addressed or just remember the CHEESE that came afterwards?

If this is too 'cliche' for anyone, then they are watching the wrong show. This may well be the 'cement' for Arika in regards to her own knowledge of her 'feelings' for Sergay, however misplaced and misunderstood on her part they may be. We don't even know the REAL reason why she thinks she's falling for Sergay - we're just basing off what her own interpretation of her feelings are. We don't even know the REAL reason why she thinks she's falling for Sergay - we're just basing off what her own interpretation of her feelings are.

All this is very true, but you're missing my point on it. I don't care what the 'real' reason is. This probably makes me different to many others - I'm not in an uproar about Sergay/Arika itself, I don't care if the feelings are real or if they're not. I'm disappointed it's fallen to a plot that has developed from the melodramatic crap..urm conventions that dominate so many anime shows. They just stuck it in there for the sake of it - and you're willing to argue about the points that it serves - and I'm stuck in the mindset on the ones that it wastes.

Maybe I AM watching the wrong show then, although I never had a real problem with it up until last episode. I knew from the opening episode that the genki character would eventually be put through the wringer but I was hoping it wouldn't be through the obligatory dippy angle that this is.

The crazy thing is I'm not actually concerned about this Sergay/Arika thing - I like both characters and I did like their moments pre-13. And as cliche as it all is - I don't mind if it's interesting cliche lol. But sadly this isn't.

Originally Posted by Nightengale

some of you are forgetting this is Arika's show. We're supposed to see what things she's going through, not what Mai Otome is going through.

Maybe that's my real problem with it then...