Second Term Episode 16 Discussion

[Potatochobit]

the itoko bit was a teaser, and yeah it got the job done.

[wingdarkness]

@ Swampstorm- First off if ya wanna debate then let's debate...No need for false pleasantries or happy faces with each sentence...Just say what you need to say...I welcome body-blows in addition to fun back and forth...

Now lets begin...

Spoiler for loooong response so SR members beware!!! xD:

Originally Posted by Swampstorm

People who befriend animals are not necessarily pure and tender. I think that Harima is a fantastic character, but he is still one who primarily relies on force and power to get his way. His character growth lies in learning to build relationships with others.

Yeah people are not necessarily pure and tender for having a connection with animals, but in the context of SR Harima's connection to animals is specifically shown to express that side of his personality (In contrast to the delinquent stereotype his character embodies from the start)...Yakumo's ability to relate with animals and her percieved pureness of character is built in relationship to Harima to show that both have a quality that attracts kindness from animals...Overall in many folklores and legends the ability to garner acceptance or relationships with animals (or have the ability to easily tame them) speaks to the pureness and lack of ill-intentions toward them...So that was the main point I was trying to express...

Actually, his current struggle is in admitting to himself that she does have a good side. Also, you just called SR a harem anime, which directly contradicts one of your later points.

Iyiyiiiii...

a component of harem-anime is used in various aspects of the show...So when I say the Eri-Harima-Yakumo-Tenma-Kurasama, etc. pairings and couplings use a by-product of harem anime for funny or serious relationship situations I mean exactly that, not that the show is specifically 100% HAREM...C'mon you gotta learn to navigate the argument...Just because I say the sky is blue doesn't mean sometimes it's not orange or red...Comparatively SR having many harem-ish situationals doesn't mean that's all the show consists of...So neatly fold that contradiction and place it in your back-pocket...

Originally Posted by wingdarknes

Other than Yakumo I don't ever really see Harima act in his truest personality around girls of interest (Which is comfortability)...Obviously there is gonna be a sexual-angst there because both characters are asthetically sexy....Obviously I'm basing all these conclusions on the anime...

Are you sure? I'm talking about Eri after Yakumo...You took that out of context it seems...

You just called it a harem anime yourself, a few lines earlier.

As if I even have to say it again, but if you think this is winning the debate for you sobeit...

I can see why people try to classify elements of the show in terms of the familiar harem structure, but you distort the story in the process. Harima has a harem of one, right now.

Anyone watching this show understands pretty much what I am talking about..If you think me discussing the harem aspects distorts the show..Then your view of the show is distorted...I believe every person here is capable of understanding the harem aspect of the show without having to totally classify it under that heading...You give your fellow forum members far too little credit...

Well said, but absolutely irrelevant to the discussion on harem elements in the show.

Well it's kind of hard to rationalize with you when you simply say the reverse of what i just said and put a smiley after it ...The relevantcy in discussing it lies in the ecletic nature of the show...Which basically means SR has alot of elements that relate with many genres of anime...

After all, "Harem" is a Japanese word in the same way that Harima is a Japanese name.

So I guess you agree with me ..Nice deflection...

Harima's obsession with Tenma is relevant, but Tenma's obsession with Karasuma is equally relevant, if not more so.

Now you want to talk about irrelevant statements there you go..What does that have to do with you pretty much ignoring (or slighting) Harima's ridiculous obsession with Tenma?? (as expressed as currently as last episode)...My only point is that for this whole Eri-thing to work out it would seem quite ingenuous for Harima's feelings toward Tenma to totally dissapear or be absurdly pushed aside for that to happen...

Actually, I read these events about eight to nine months ago. So yes, I am writing this all in retrospect. It doesn't matter if we turn out to be right or wrong, down the line - what matters is our willingness to constantly challenge our old beliefs and assumptions as they become outdated. I used to view the series as a Flag-Onigiri-Oudou harem, at one point. When I saw consistant evidence that contradicted that idea, I abandoned it and looked for a better one.

Good for you...It's quite natural to read many things into a character you enjoy...I'll agree that Eri does have alot of character interactions that are more realistic or that gives cashe to her character others don't necessarily have, but whether or not that is a deep expression is up to the person who recieves it...You love Eri for a reason...I simply don't see the same depth to your reasonings...and it seems to me her character can be changed and shaped basically at will to serve the show's harem or relationship aspects...kapeeesh...

Every character can be made to fit into some form of archtypical description. Archetypes are unrelated to the originality of a character.
Complexity is different from character depth. Complexity pertains to the little details that we get into why a character works. Depth refers to the vividness of the character being portrayed. Godai from Maison Ikkoku is an excellent example of a character with "depth". He fits perfectly into the archetype of "loser hero" (that has been done to death), but as the series progresses, you see him continually grow and mature as a character. At the climax of the series, he makes an powerful speech that really shows the journey he has made to become a mature character (and defines the series,too). Older romance animes were more about that "journey" to maturity. Eri, likewise, undergoes a similar journey. You can load up a character with little details to make them more complex, but character depth requires true artistry.

Wow you are really sippin the Kool-aid...I can't hate, we all love certain characters for certain reasons...But Eri's character IMO doesn't even get the proper amount of screentime to compare favorably with characters I consider to really have intense depth of character(In all honesty when compared to the volume of anime I've digested she is a serious light-weight)...I really think you are reading too much into it, but to each their own...Like I said a character like Eri couldn't hold a show together on her back like Miyzawa in "His & Hers"...She simply doesn't have enuff plot driving skills nor does the show conform to her aspect soley (I mean this is a comedy after all even with it's ecletic nature...Recently I'm starting to veiw Tenma as the centerpiece performer of this show)...I love SR but I think you are setting yourself up for disaster diving into this intense romanticism of unearthly complexities you think you see in an arguably non-primary character on an overtly comedic anime...

Just saying ...

Is it preferable to look at the series from a shallow perspective?

You can look at this anime seriously as hell and still not see all you see...I enjoy SR because it is a very creative and witty show that operates under the assumption that it's an outrageous spoof-comedy, then to boot it's a HS relationship comedy aswell...most of the enriching seriousness the show displays is routinely followed by gut-busting comedy...So I don't think it's a question of viewing it from a shallow perspective as much as viewing it for what it is...If one were to read your examination of Eri's character and nothing else you'd think this was some "coming of age" self-realization HS drama and not a character-based ecletic comedy...

Eri is primarily concerned with attitudes and perspectives external to herself. Harima is primarily concerned with his own internal attitudes and perspectives. That's the interaction that's being observed here. You've seen her give up on Harima on about three different occasions, to date - because she thought that he was interested in Mikoto, Tae, and Yakumo, respectively. She actively avoids those conflicts, even at the expense of her own feelings.

The acid test here is to see if Eri is acting "out of character". If you can point out other ways in which Eri is being inconsistant, then we can take a look at them.

I won't deny some of the merits you have in exploring her character, but it's certainley not extensivley clear to me based on SR...I still see Eri as a character within a set archeatype that is far from so overly-complex than I can't figure her out...The Chidori at the beginning of FMP! ain't the same one at the end of TSR...The Naru at the beginning of Love hina certainley isn't the same as in the final Ova and in the tradition of those type of characters Eri is becoming softer and more vulnerable...Also more receptive to things she didn't want to be receptive to when we were shown the more prissy, yet aggressive side of her personality...At this point in the show's history I am neither perplexed nor amazed by her current development...

^it is what it is...

[Asianknight82]

No matter what any of you say, you wont convince the other any different. What it seems to me, is that you guys are extremely biased towards your favorite character. I personally dont care much for Yakumo, she's abit too boring for my taste, I at first didnt like Eri, cause I thought she was one of those mean rich b*tches, but as time went on, I grew to love her as a character and now Im routing for her all the way. Whats the point in arguing when there is nothing to prove other than your own bias opinions? And thats exactly what it is, opinion.

The arguement can go on for several thousand posts with the same points from both sides constantily repeated. Lets just end it with a I like Yakumo / Eri, call it done.

Oh, School Rumble is not a Harem anime. For a Harem anime to work, there has to be several girls interested in the main protagonist, while the main protagonist is only interested in one of the several girls that is interested in him. In SRs case, Harima is interested in a girl who has no interest in him whatsoever and is interested in a different guy, and is infact going well relationship wise with the other guy. So far there is only one solid confirmation as to who has a romantic interest in Harima and that is Eri, Yakumo still sits on the maybe section. As I see her interact with Harima, its more along the line of her not being able to refuse helping someone out but has potential to grow into something more, its her nice girl mentality, At this point I dont think Yakumo is interested in romance. Beyond those 2, the other girls have 0 interest in Harima. The Nurse dont count, as she already gave up on Harima on season one after seeing Harima with Eri.

A good example of a harem anime is Love Hina, where Naru, Mikoto, Shinobu, and that one chick i forgot her name >_< the one with the big tits, and Kentaro's adopted sister, are all in love with the main char. another example is Ranma, where theres Ukyo, Shampoo, Akane, and Kodachi are after Ranma. I can go into other series as well, but they will all point out to at least 4 or more females all interested in the main character. Well, I think I made my point about Harem animes.

[wingdarkness]

Originally Posted by Asianknight82

...

^Oh be quiet...

Address the arguments at hand or go home...

I just love these people that pop out of the weasel hole, push the pedal to the metal and jump all in the Kool-aid when they don't even know what flavor it is...I have made some comprehensive points and arguments...I'm no fan boy of anybody in particular...I put my time in to make what i deem is a credible discussion and analysis...So either specifically address my points or go fly a kite...My goodnes...If you don't see a component of harem anime in the eclectic mix that is SR I'd make a doctors appointment...

I swear when people just jump out of the woodworx trying to discredit me it really tics me off...Like I'm learning something from you...Pick a quote, any quote and address me properly...I'm beyond ready to combat anything you may bring...

[Asianknight82]

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

^Oh be quiet...

Address the arguments at hand or go home...

I just love these people that pop out of the weasel hole, push the pedal to the metal and jump all in the Kool-aid when they don't even know what flavor it is...I have made some comprehensive points and arguments...I'm no fan boy of anybody in particular...I put my time in to make what i deem is a credible discussion and analysis...So either specifically address my points or go fly a kite...My goodnes...If you don't see a component of harem anime in the eclectic mix that is SR I'd make a doctors appointment...

I swear when people just jump out of the woodworx trying to discredit me it really tics me off...Like I'm learning something from you...Pick a quote, any quote and address me properly...I'm beyond ready to combat anything you may bring...

Wow, simply wow, you have an ego problem or something? Are you starved for a pissing contest? Want to show off who has the biggest e-penis. Just admit to your being biased, theres no pride over the internet. You obviously prefer Yakumo, therefore trying your very best to argue against Eri, as would an Eri fan would refute against those who are trying to push Yakumo.

[biomy]

i'm gonna tell you out of the woodwork that the internet is serious business, mister, and anonymous does not forgive

and in fact bbl i am going to come up with a longwinded post that is longer than anything you have ever seen due to your insane pomposity

maybe after i have finished my jack daniels

[SonicMonkey]

I swear when people just jump out of the woodworx trying to discredit me it really tics me off...Like I'm learning something from you...Pick a quote, any quote and address me properly...I'm beyond ready to combat anything you may bring...

Ok wow. Just wow.

[ichigoismyhomie]

errrrrrrrrr..............i think the topic has went wayyyyyy off the subject. aren't we suppose to discuss ep 16, not arguing whos right and whos wrong?

cmon now......lets go back to the topic.......


i say..............back dimples is the hottest thing i've seen from eri.....

[thundrakkon]

Peace, harmony, and hail School Rumble. We all love our character/characters, and we all see School Rumble from our perspectives. To say one does not see any depth in a character is just as harsh as saying you should go home if you can't debate the current issue.

You see what you want to see and believe what you want to believe. What I see is just as relevant as what you see, and often times, just as right. And in the end, I would not try to judge you any less for your beliefs or the differences in your thoughts. To judge that I do not see depth in characters is a bit judgemental, considering the sheer amount of characters I have seen in the past and how they compare to your current character full of "depth."

As wingdarkness stated, SR is a great comedy with some drama thrown in. Heavy drama has never been the focal point of SR, and as such, does not have some of the character depth in other dramas, such as KOR, which is listed as a drama.

If you think Eri is such a great character with so much depth, then good for you. In your perspective, she is, but probably not from a lot of other people's perspective. I for one, believe Eri is a great character, as well as Yakumo and Tenma, who blends in with the cast of characters SR has to make the series as awesome as it is. I just don't see her like how you see her.

[Xinil]

Back to what ichigoismyhomie was saying about the whole quote between Yoko and Itoko...I took it as a complete joke. I thought that perhaps they knew that 10583 guys were watching them, so instead of being harassed by them, they decided to play out being lesbians. Maybe I'm just over analyzing though and they really are. Kinky. :-D

Can't wait for ep 17. I'm still torn between Harima x Eri or Harima x Yakumo. I just can't decide. One ep I'll lean toward one way, and then the next ep I'll be on the other side! Arrgg.

[ichigoismyhomie]

Originally Posted by Xinil

Back to what ichigoismyhomie was saying about the whole quote between Yoko and Itoko...I took it as a complete joke. I thought that perhaps they knew that 10583 guys were watching them, so instead of being harassed by them, they decided to play out being lesbians. Maybe I'm just over analyzing though and they really are. Kinky. :-D

Can't wait for ep 17. I'm still torn between Harima x Eri or Harima x Yakumo. I just can't decide. One ep I'll lean toward one way, and then the next ep I'll be on the other side! Arrgg.

hm...........dammit.....i wish itoko is my cousin......lol third cousin apart that is...... stupid harima. how can he scared to such a fine, beautiful, and kinky creature like that.

about leaning toward yakumo or eri........im with u on that bro. The past couple episode has been messing with my brain on who to choose between the two. but next one seems to be leaning toward eri.

[snkkid]

Originally Posted by Asianknight82

Oh, School Rumble is not a Harem anime. For a Harem anime to work, there has to be several girls interested in the main protagonist, while the main protagonist is only interested in one of the several girls that is interested in him.

No one is saying that SR follows a strict harem formula, it's just you and Swampstorm taking whats being said to literally. What is being said is SR has an element of harem-ness to it which to certain degree is true it's just more complicated than that.

Originally Posted by Asianknight82

In SRs case, Harima is interested in a girl who has no interest in him whatsoever and is interested in a different guy, and is infact going well relationship wise with the other guy.

Are you kidding me/us? as of current (which includes the manga) Tenma's relationship with Karasuma is not much different than it is with Harima's relationship to Tenma.

Neither have yet to tell how they truely feel but both have got closer as "friends" to the people they are interested in.

So no it isn't going well for Tenma (in the love or confession department), how can it be when she is acting desperate and "so obvious" with Karasuma for the majority of times. As of current the relationship between Tenma and Karasuma is nothing more than friendship and Karasuma needs as much it as he can get as far as i'm concerned.

What you said about her not have any interest what so ever in Harima at all well we don't know that for sure. She may subconsiously harbour feelings for Harima. Starting all the back when they where both young and Harima first met Tenma when Harima saved her, she shouted out that she loves someone in her sleep (she fainted from the sight of Harima's cut on his back).

She's has suppressed those feelings because:

1. Misunderstanding the situation in the past.
2. She doesn't recognize Harima as her (perverted-)hero and thus she thinks she has never seen her hero ever again so she has to move on, especially because of no. 1.
3. Combined with 1 & 2 she tops it off or seals the deal with a new infatuation in her life.

If Harima could ever confess his feelings and explain everything to Tenma plus she finds out the other times that she has been helped/saved by Harima when she didn't know it was him (even when she did) i'm pretty certain she would have second thoughts just as much as Harima could have seconds thoughts about Eri, regardless of that it would be a major event in the manga anyways.

Even if the above wasn't the case, just having someone confess to another who initially has no interest in them (since there have never looked/thought about the other person in the that way before) could easily make that person think about it. What i'm saying is the fact she isn't currently interested means very little if at all.

[Asianknight82]

Well, I say things are going well between Tenma and Kurasama because whenever they are together Kurasama acts much more "human", he's able to talk about thigns and such he even said so himself some episodes ago, and when Harima tells him to go to Tenma cause its her birthday, He runs to her house. I say that is going well.

And here, the link to the definition of a Harem Anime.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harem_anime

[Red_eyes]

Does anyone other than me think that season 1 was just so much better than season 2? Maybe because everything was so fresh...

[Onizuka-GTO]

Originally Posted by Red_eyes

Does anyone other than me think that season 1 was just so much better than season 2? Maybe because everything was so fresh...

nope.

Series 01 was good, but neaer the end it got worse, as the plot didn't advance at all.

Series 2 remedy that and is much better off, plus series 2 follows the manga much more closer and therefore in my opinion much better.

[kenjiharima]

Originally Posted by ichigoismyhomie

hm...........dammit.....i wish itoko is my cousin......lol third cousin apart that is...... stupid harima. how can he scared to such a fine, beautiful, and kinky creature like that.

Remember Harima got shot in the head by Itoko a couple of episodes back? That scares me!

Harima is immortal! He's still alive after taking a bullet to the head!

[Truth-kun]

^

Actually, if you considered the Survival game Arc, ALL OF THEM ARE IMMORTAL! I can't imagine a decent human being not getting seriously injured by getting shot in closed quarters with a BB/Airgun. Theres one scene, "the other guy" was shot point blank in the head by Eri's butler. I think one could kill or seriously damage someone that way. @_@

In any case, its always good to debate, just as long as the emotional level is kept at a minimum. We all love School Rumble, so why get our heads hot by it? In the end, you cannot instantly shove your opinion on the other, and vise versa, so there is no point in getting all angry and hotheaded about it. The most important thing, is that you get your opinions across, and still keep the level of respect that rational individuals should have.

[Swampstorm]

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

Yeah people are not necessarily pure and tender for having a connection with animals, but in the context of SR Harima's connection to animals is specifically shown to express that side of his personality (In contrast to the delinquent stereotype his character embodies from the start)...Yakumo's ability to relate with animals and her percieved pureness of character is built in relationship to Harima to show that both have a quality that attracts kindness from animals...Overall in many folklores and legends the ability to garner acceptance or relationships with animals (or have the ability to easily tame them) speaks to the pureness and lack of ill-intentions toward them...So that was the main point I was trying to express...

The point that I was trying to make was that much of the main cast of SR have multifaceted personalities. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "pure", but it's hard to categorize a character into exlusively having good or evil intentions. Everyone knows that Harima has done acts with both selfless and selfish intent, in the past. I don't see what Harima's relationship with animals has to do with this.

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

a component of harem-anime is used in various aspects of the show...So when I say the Eri-Harima-Yakumo-Tenma-Kurasama, etc. pairings and couplings use a by-product of harem anime for funny or serious relationship situations I mean exactly that, not that the show is specifically 100% HAREM...C'mon you gotta learn to navigate the argument...Just because I say the sky is blue doesn't mean sometimes it's not orange or red...Comparatively SR having many harem-ish situationals doesn't mean that's all the show consists of...So neatly fold that contradiction and place it in your back-pocket...

Actually, I'm saying that this show has no harem element at all. A love triangle is not the same thing as a harem - otherwise every romantic anime would also be a harem anime. Harems are relationship webs where everything links back to a central point - the harem male. Let's relax that definition a bit, though, and try to describe SR as a series of interconnected harems. The problem, however, is in deciding who the central element of the harem is. For example, do I say that Tenma is a part of Harima's harem of Tenma, Eri, and possibly Yakumo or do I say that Harima is a part of Tenma's harem of Harima, Tougou, Karasuma, and Nara? Is Mikoto a part of Asou's harem of Mikoto and Sara, or is she a part of Imadori's harem of Mikoto, Mihara, Lala, and Karen? How do we decide the minimum number of people needed for a harem - should it just one? Two? Five? Do we only count characters who are interested, or do we also count characters who the harem centre is interested in?

The point I make here is that your "harem" is a completely arbitrary construction. Anyone can rewrite the relationship web in terms of a different set of harems, depending on their personal perspectives. By treating Harima's "harem" as if it were a real structural element of the anime is akin to presenting your opinion as if it were fact. I'm challenging the "harem" approach because it presents the series as a strange form of sporting event, where fans root for their favourite pairing to win. By contrast, SR isn't so focused on the "competition" as it is on describing a growing series of relationships. Viewing this series simply in terms of "winners" and "losers" can make the series grow sour on you.

Here's a partial layout of the relationships, as done by otacu from EFCPO:

Spoiler:

http://efcpo.altervista.org/home.php...naggi&sub=Info

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

Are you sure? I'm talking about Eri after Yakumo...You took that out of context it seems...

It is circular. You say that Harima is natural around Yakumo (conclusion) because his relationship with her is a comfortable one (premise). You presuppose what you seek to prove.

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

As if I even have to say it again, but if you think this is winning the debate for you sobeit...

Actually, I was just having some fun with you, here. It's a bad habit of mine.

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

Anyone watching this show understands pretty much what I am talking about..If you think me discussing the harem aspects distorts the show..Then your view of the show is distorted...I believe every person here is capable of understanding the harem aspect of the show without having to totally classify it under that heading...You give your fellow forum members far too little credit...

As I stated in earlier, any attempt to classify this series in terms of harems is absolutely arbitrary, and is a matter of personal opinion.

Your statements "Anyone understands..." and "You give your fellow forum members too little credit..." are unnecessary. Let's play with rhetoric instead of with politics, shall we?

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

Now you want to talk about irrelevant statements there you go..What does that have to do with you pretty much ignoring (or slighting) Harima's ridiculous obsession with Tenma?? (as expressed as currently as last episode)...My only point is that for this whole Eri-thing to work out it would seem quite ingenuous for Harima's feelings toward Tenma to totally dissapear or be absurdly pushed aside for that to happen...

You really don't expect Harima to get together with Eri with just this one story arc, do you? It's a process of growth. Harima makes some vital concessions in this story arc, and so does Eri. Seeing that in the absence of filler, we're bound to have a consistant dose of Flag in the remaining episodes, this is just one of a long chain of events that draw them closer together.

Karasuma is relevant because he turns the Oudou situation into a deadlock, giving Flag a chance to develop.

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

Good for you...It's quite natural to read many things into a character you enjoy...I'll agree that Eri does have alot of character interactions that are more realistic or that gives cashe to her character others don't necessarily have, but whether or not that is a deep expression is up to the person who recieves it...You love Eri for a reason...I simply don't see the same depth to your reasonings...and it seems to me her character can be changed and shaped basically at will to serve the show's harem or relationship aspects...kapeeesh...

Unless you can refer back to the series and show me how her character has been "shaped", I'll have a hard time seeing the reasoning on which your last point was based. Show me the percieved inconsistancy, and I'll show you the episode references that make it consistant.

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

Wow you are really sippin the Kool-aid...I can't hate, we all love certain characters for certain reasons...But Eri's character IMO doesn't even get the proper amount of screentime to compare favorably with characters I consider to really have intense depth of character(In all honesty when compared to the volume of anime I've digested she is a serious light-weight)...

After all, she's only been the main focus of most major story arcs to date:

Spoiler for Crisis/Catharsis Setup of Story Arcs to Date:

Beach Vacation Arc:
Characters: Mikoto, Eri, and Harima
Conflict: Eri vs. Mikoto -> Jealousy
Resolution: Fireworks Scene

Tea Club Trip Arc:
Characters: All Major Characters
Conflict: None -> Mostly a set of comedic incidents and gags
Resolution: None (See above)

Sports Festival Arc:
Characters: Tae, Eri, and Harima.
Conflict: Eri vs. Harima & Eri vs. Tae -> Haircut, Jealousy, Injury.
Resolution: (Eri - Harima): Apology and Dance, (Eri - Tae): Clarification on Tae's relationship with Harima

Now these next two are a little different from the way that they look at a first glance.
Manga Writing Arc:
Characters: Yakumo, Eri, and Harima.
Conflict: Misunderstanding, Jealousy.
Resolution: Limo scene

This story arc begins with Eri thinking over the dance from the end of the last story arc. She concedes that Harima made her happy (for just a moment), but she dismisses the relationship as being impossible. At this point in time, if nothing else happened, then the story would come to a lull, and the relationship would fail to progress. Of course, that never happens. Eri can't get jealous over Tae now, since things have been cleared up between those two. Who can we turn to in order to give Flag a push in Tae's absence?
We get introduced to the conflict when Eri discovers Yakumo's 'relationship' with Harima. At which point Eri, while jealous, seems to give up. Interesting enough, in the manga, while the bulk of the story in this arc appears to be about Yakumo and Harima's relationship (this is quite possibly riceball's strongest story arc, up until now), the riceball scenes are juxtaposed with images of Eri looking pensive. The mangaka goes out of his way to show us that the situation is temporary. In addition, by showing Eri in various degrees of angst alongside the riceball scenes, we are constantly reminded that, even though riceball is making progress for the time being, we should really be sympathizing with Eri rather than celebrating.
The final point is in the conclusion. The manga story arc ends with the limo scene - where Harima notes that he doesn't have a girlfriend. The tension that was set up through the fake riceball relationship is lifted, and Eri regains hope. The net goal of this story arc has been accomplished - now, instead of dismissing the relationship as impossible, Eri shows an interest in the possibility that it might work out.

School Play Arc:
Characters: Yakumo, Eri, and Harima
Conflict: Eri vs. Yakumo -> Jealousy and Misunderstandings
Resolution: Afterparty - Clarification on Yakumo's relationship with Harima
If you read the last section, this one should be fairly simple. In the climax, we're faced with another "Oh no! Is Eri really gonna give up?" moment. This gets resolved by the Afterparty, which is analagous to the talk with Tae in the infirmary and the Limo scene for the last two story arcs, in order.

Basketball Arc:
Characters: Mikoto and Satsuki
Conflict: Satsuki, Mikoto, Asou love triangle, and Basketball team vs. Outcasts
Resolution: See Above
Well, this story arc is fairly short, and sets the stage for a side character pairing as a follow up to the School Play afterparty. Overall, it serves as some dramatic relief.

Sleepover/Omiai Arc:
Characters: Yakumo, Eri, and Harima
Conflict: Eri is in danger of leaving for England/Getting Engaged
Resolution: Harima to the Rescue?!

In between story arcs, we have a series of one-shot gag chapters that don't really advance the plot or introduce in a conflict. Harima and Tenma's birthdays are tied in to the Sleepover arc, but they don't introduce in any conflicts - they just set the story arc up. This is taken from another post of mine elsewhere, so it's a little rough. It should give you a rough idea of what I'm pointing out, though.

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

Recently I'm starting to veiw Tenma as the centerpiece performer of this show)...I love SR but I think you are setting yourself up for disaster diving into this intense romanticism of unearthly complexities you think you see in an arguably non-primary character on an overtly comedic anime...

I'm not saying that the show is necessarily serious or focused (which is one of the reasons why I'm skeptical about the relevance of Onigiri, with it's one sided, serious nature.) SR is a balance of comedy and plot - it isn't entirely plotless, like Azumanga, nor is it a serious romantic drama - it's a mixture of the two. For that reason, Flag serves as a centrepiece for the show. Tenma is an excellent comic, but she isn't a plot driven character, either - we depend on her being the same old Tenma throughout the series. Even her romance with Karasuma, while touching, tends to fade into the background as a purely structural element of the story. Rarely does her relationship with him lead to conflicts that drive the story - those conflicts are found elsewhere - with Eri and Harima.

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

So I don't think it's a question of viewing it from a shallow perspective as much as viewing it for what it is...If one were to read your examination of Eri's character and nothing else you'd think this was some "coming of age" self-realization HS drama and not a character-based ecletic comedy...

Remember Karasuma's final speech, in Ep.26 S1? Tenma asks if this is all a dream, and he replies that they are all in a dream - a dream called "youth" - and someday, on awaking from that dream, the memories would still remain. Seeing as they used those lines to wrap up Season 1, yes, I would say that this is, at least in part, a coming-of-age story. If you look at it, many of the jokes poke fun at the absurdity of adolesence, in general. SR is a comedy about human nature, at its heart.

Originally Posted by snkkid

Are you kidding me/us? as of current (which includes the manga) Tenma's relationship with Karasuma is not much different than it is with Harima's relationship to Tenma.

Neither have yet to tell how they truely feel but both have got closer as "friends" to the people they are interested in.

So no it isn't going well for Tenma (in the love or confession department), how can it be when she is acting desperate and "so obvious" with Karasuma for the majority of times. As of current the relationship between Tenma and Karasuma is nothing more than friendship and Karasuma needs as much it as he can get as far as i'm concerned.

Actually, Ep.3 S2 was a big turning point in this regard. At the end, Karasuma revealed to Tenma that he really does have strong feelings on the inside - he's just unable to express them around others. He also mentioned how she helped him open up. Tenma x Karasuma is easily one of the strongest relationships right now.

Originally Posted by snkkid

What you said about her not have any interest what so ever in Harima at all well we don't know that for sure. She may subconsiously harbour feelings for Harima. Starting all the back when they where both young and Harima first met Tenma when Harima saved her, she shouted out that she loves someone in her sleep (she fainted from the sight of Harima's cut on his back).

She's has suppressed those feelings because:

Misunderstanding the situation in the past.
She doesn't recognize Harima as her (perverted-)hero and thus she thinks she has never seen her hero ever again so she has to move on, especially because of no. 1.
Combined with 1 & 2 she tops it off or seals the deal with a new infatuation in her life.

If Harima could ever confess his feelings and explain everything to Tenma plus she finds out the other times that she has been helped/saved by Harima when she didn't know it was him (even when she did) i'm pretty certain she would have second thoughts just as much as Harima could have seconds thoughts about Eri, regardless of that it would be a major event in the manga anyways.

Much of this seems to be speculation on the future. Anything could be possible, in the future. The problem is that there is nothing to suggest an interest at present. To assume that Yakumo has a "subconcious" interest in Harima is equally premature. Why not wait for the interest to manifest, before jumping to conclusions?

Here's a test, though. If Harima and Yakumo's relationship has some basis in at least friendship, then they will continue to associate with each other, even in the absence of having a manga to write together. Otherwise, it would simply be a relationship of convenience, wouldn't it?

Originally Posted by Redeyes

Does anyone other than me think that season 1 was just so much better than season 2? Maybe because everything was so fresh...

I think that's a side effect of the recent decentralized focus that started with the Basketball arc. The story should be fairly strong from here on.

[miko tian]

i don't particularly agree that season one was better than season two. it's kinda hard to compare them. season one strongly focused on tenma/harima from harima's point of view, but by season two, things get much more complicated, and the story shifts so that there is more development of side characters. also, season two allows us to get a stronger glimpse at how different characters interact, leading to immense amounts of misunderstanding and hilarity.

season two definitely has it's moments. to say that it feels recycled is a bit unfair, i think, because it definitely threw us a lot of curveballs

[Deathkillz]

Originally Posted by Truth-kun

^

Actually, if you considered the Survival game Arc, ALL OF THEM ARE IMMORTAL! I can't imagine a decent human being not getting seriously injured by getting shot in closed quarters with a BB/Airgun. Theres one scene, "the other guy" was shot point blank in the head by Eri's butler. I think one could kill or seriously damage someone that way. @_@

come to think of it does anyone know where the blood came from? even if they were using fake blood were they also pretending to die? O.o