[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I don't think he has changed that much really.

If a male classmate had given Taichi the Kid a letter to pass on to Chihaya, I think that Taichi the Kid would have discreetly opened it up, read it, and if he determined it to be a threat to his chances at romance with Chihaya, he would have tore it up and thrown it in the garbage when the person who had given him the letter wasn't looking.

Taichi the Teenager receives a text message from Arata to pass on to Chihaya, and he actually does so in spite of how it certainly can't help Taichi's chances with her.


That's the key change and difference. Taichi is much more of a decent human being now than he was as a kid, imo. I like Taichi now, but I don't see the point in glossing over how jerkish he was as a kid. Much of what I now like about Taichi, and find interesting about him, is how far he's morally developed from where he was as a kid.

But what hasn't changed (and I'm glad this hasn't changed) is his core personality. He's still very socially aware, he still tends towards being image-conscious, he still holds the same views towards competitions in general.

ThereminVox put it best with "I really appreciate the consistency of character. He's grown a lot since being a little creep in grade school, but it's not like he's another person."

Bingo. He's a nicer and more decent person, but he's the same person, and you can feel that with his mannerisms, his predispositions, and his general practicality.

But Taichi's real turning point is right now. This experience as a team member, and president at that, is what's going to shape him up into someone who can see the real value in winning a competition. The series is largely about that, so I wouldn't say "the show is clearly about Chihaya" myself. If anything, I'd say the show is about "Chihaya and Taichi", since the interaction between them is the major driving element of their character development.

I think we will see more changes in Taichi, as some of the ideas his mom drilled into him will soon be effectively challenged and perhaps even defeated.

Competitions are more interesting when there's some doubt as to their outcome, and when real effort is needed to even have a chance of achieving victory in them. Then, should victory be achieved, it'll feel all the more rewarding than it would be if you had easily and predictably cruised to it.

That's a key counterargument to the ideas that Taichi's mom imparted on him, and I suspect that this is something he may soon learn.

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

Perhaps among male fans, I've noticed when it comes to character bashing there is definitely a gender bias.

Hence female characters tend to get hated by female fans & male characters by male fans.

Good observations.

I think people generally find it easier to identify directly with a major same-gender character than with a major opposite-gender character. There are exceptions to this, of course, but it is a common tendency I think.

So for some male fans (including myself) it's a bit easier for me to put myself in Taichi's shoes and ask myself "Would I do what he's doing?" than it is for me to put myself in Chihaya's shoes and ask myself "Would I do what she's doing?".

When the identify-with character is handling things at least as good as you think you yourself would, you'll support and probably like that character, and that's why I support and like Taichi now. But when the identify-with character is handling things worse than you think you yourself would, that's when criticisms tend to rise to the surface, and so can even hatred of the character if there's a large gulf between the character's actions and what you think you would do if in that character's shoes.

So being the "identify-with character" is actually as much a curse as it is a blessing (if not more of a curse than a blessing). Such a character will tend to get judged more thoroughly (and at times harshly) since that character is more likely to be measured against the viewer's own personal standards for good/understandable behavior. Should the character pass the test, s/he can become an all-time favorite (this, I think, is a key reason why Kyon of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is so popular with many male fans of the show; he passes this test for most male fans of the show). Should the character fail the test, though, s/he often becomes despised and hated on (this, I think, is why many male anime fans - including myself, I admit - tend to think lowly of your average harem anime male lead).

Now, with Chihaya, she simply needs to be fun and entertaining in order for me to like her. I don't identify directly with her, so it's not like I consistently ask myself "Would I do what she's doing?".


With all of this in mind, this is also why I think male/female fans can split widely on moe characters. Male fans often simply need to find the moe character to be fun and/or entertaining and/or endearing, while female fans are more likely to evaluate that character on the basis of what they would do if in her shoes.


To get back to Chihayafuru, I more or less agree with you on Taichi as he is now, as a teenager. He's a very well-rounded character, with a good mix of likable qualities with enriching character flaws (some of which double as good hurdles for him to overcome in time, I think).


On the whole romance conflict issue, I'm actually not that convinced of Chihaya-Arata at this point. Arata has been "off screen" for a long time now, during which the bond between Chihaya and Taichi has been steadily developing and growing. Basically, Taichi now has a bit of a headstart on Arata, imo.

There's no substitution to simply spending time with the person you're in love with, and it's here where I see the narrative possibly favoring Taichi over Arata. I didn't feel this way two or three episodes ago, but I do feel this way now, as Arata has remained a shadowy off-camera presence more than I had thought he would (I'm fine with this though, it'll make his eventual return that much more eventful).