Quote:
Originally Posted by karice67
Hm...if that's what it ultimately is, then I think that gaining Chihaya's respect is important too (in terms of karuta, at least).
Personally though, I feel that Taichi's goal is to ultimately become someone that he himself can be proud of.
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True, but Arata sets the terms for what it means for Taichi to become "proud of" himself, by naming Taichi a coward, in fourth grade, and later, in Fukui. Taichi's goal of becoming "someone who doesn't run away" relates directly to these two incidents.
And it is Arata who makes excellence in karuta the standard of Chihaya's respect, of course.
Arata is an ideal; but that does not mean he is idealized, an unrealistic or impossibly perfect character. He is simply a capable, strong person. For example, he sets his goal of moving to Tokyo, inspired by the memory of his Christmas phone conversation with Chihaya; makes the deal with his parents that he can move to Tokyo if he wins the nationals; and then he seals the deal by beating Shinobu. Think of how he is with Taichi, when he tells him he's going to win the tournament and move to Tokyo. He's a little aggressive--he puts his hand on Taichi's shoulder; he's self-confident; there isn't a trace of boast in his words. And think of how the animation depicts him after he's won, when he's on his way back into the hall for the closing ceremony: we see him from from below and behind, looking up at his shoulders as he walks away. The image emphasizes his physical presence--since we can't see his face, we look instead at his back, his shoulders, made the more imposing by the fact we're looking up at him. All of this is to suggest Arata is a man. A manly man, in fact.
Taichi also is a person who has set a goal for himself this year, and accomplished it. He has finally lifted himself up into Class A. He is no less a man than Arata. But he is a different kind of man. In contrast to Arata, who plays karuta serenely, and accomplishes his goals apparently without anxiety, Taichi is beset by inner turmoil and doubts, and finds his game drops a level whenever Chihaya is around. More than than, Taichi has the particular heroism of the man who experiences and endures failure, in karuta, and in love, without giving up. There are the heroes who win: that is Arata. Then there are the heroes who lose: that is Taichi.
I suspect a lot of the fan shipping arguments stem from which of these two kinds of persons the shipper identifies with and prefers.