2010-04-04, 22:54 | Link #62 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 35
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Usui development has finally arrived starting with around ch. 42...we're currently right in the middle of it, so the wait might be even more painful once you get there.
Although I like the idea of a one chapter per episode pacing, story-wise ch. 32 probably is the best climax to close off the season. I'm having trouble thinking of any better story points in the 24-26 range, so I'm guessing we probably will end up with a couple chapters stuffed between episodes. 32 really is wonderful though, so yeah I'm hoping for that as well. |
2010-04-05, 00:03 | Link #63 |
Yami no Ou
Join Date: Dec 2003
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I hope we go past 32, as part of the charm of Maid-sama is the fact we get to see Usui and Misaki grow together after they've acknowledged each other's feelings.
That and i want that damn Pocky scene. And the hug scene. And the date. Damn, I'm greedy, but I want it all animated, and based on chibi Usui being in the ending, we will see them. |
2010-04-05, 00:23 | Link #64 |
Udon-YAAAAAAAA
Join Date: Jan 2008
Age: 35
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the pocky scene was by far the best thing. especially with Misaki pulling Usui's tie, you could tell her true feelings. then the hug scene. it was done so well contrasting with You's.
yeah, upon watching the ED, you can see they get to the fireworks..
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Last edited by germanturkey; 2010-04-05 at 00:37. |
2010-04-05, 23:19 | Link #65 |
Udon-YAAAAAAAA
Join Date: Jan 2008
Age: 35
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man, there's so much to discuss about this manga but no one to discuss it with is there any word on how long its supposed to run? they'll probably splice in the election and the corresponding events in chapter 39 somewhere near the end i'll assume. since the manga is still on going, they'll probably leave it open ended but with a resolute "they're a couple" statement. which leads me to think the couple competition/fireworks chapter.
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2010-04-06, 02:14 | Link #66 |
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Hamburg
Age: 54
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I think we should be able to predict the ending point after 5-6 episodes, to see how speedy they progress.
If they end with the fireworks, they'll have a fairly sweet conclusion, but it would also be sad - because this is the starting point where KWMS kicks up its game considerably. |
2010-04-15, 14:14 | Link #68 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 35
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It's impossible. 1) Tora is the same age as Usui, and 2) Usui's brother is half-British. Furthermore, if we listen to Usui's description of his background, his mother (and therefore his half-brother) was part of a prominent British family, not Japanese like the Igarashis.
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2010-05-15, 21:04 | Link #75 | |||||
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 35
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(Sidestory 3 would also be much better placed in it's proper story context along with ch. 15-17.) Quote:
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In terms of the skipped material, Spoiler for principle character for ch. 15-17:
lol, anyway... Quote:
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Back to the Gary-Stu thing though. You're right about Usui being the solution to the chess challenge dilemma being very predictable, but like I mentioned, Usui's experience in playing chess means in fact a tiny bit more than Usui apparently simply being good at everything. Spoiler for hint as to Usui's background:
Last edited by Sol Falling; 2010-05-15 at 21:17. |
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2010-05-16, 02:40 | Link #76 | |||||||||
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Hamburg
Age: 54
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Okay - I have been a bit quiet over the last episodes in order to avoid getting into pointless tiffs over trivialities, but I'm afraid it can't be avoided anymore. Too many misleading statements here I need to confront.
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And especially on the latter, the development is certainly more gradual in the anime compared to the manga, which is often a little haphazard-jumpy in this aspect. Quote:
And in my opinion, the fact that not everybody is so totally fanboying for Usui yet is an indication that the anime is doing just fine. Because objectively, Usui _is_ acting like a jerk - particularly from Misaki's perspective. We'll get to that later. Quote:
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Spoiler for I need to spoilertag this, since it discusses the story progression in a general, non-specific way:
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2010-05-16, 10:34 | Link #77 | ||||||||||||
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 35
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You might do well to provide some actual examples of haphazard/jumpy development from the manga, for that matter. If you actually follow the development, it shouldn't be jumpy at all. With the 'early kiss' issue you brought up above, for example, ch. 5 actually establishes the developmental frame for like the next several dozen chapters. That's what makes chapters 1-4 setup and introduction (and most of the rest of the first ten chapters too for that matter), and chapters from maybe 9 and up development. Throwing interpersonal development chapters smack in the middle of the introduction doesn't make the story more gradual at all. Quote:
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Furthermore, one of the principle things that makes Usui a likeable character in the first place is that he's a good lover. He appeals to girls, and he appeals to the part of guys that wants to make girls happy. Attractiveness is one key factor in this. The more attractive you are, the more happy your girlfriend will be to be with you. That's why properly conveying Usui's hawtness should be an obvious priority. Quote:
We shouldn't even be talking about Misaki's perspective in the first place though--my statement was: from the audience's perspective, Usui should never appear jerkish. If even Misaki implicitly assumes Usui's harmlessness/good intentions, then for we the audience, that should apply even moreso. You yourself admit that, in basically any instance where Usui appears to be acting like a jerk to her, he is in fact usually acting for her benefit. As observers given third person insight into Usui's character, if the story is being communicated correctly, this pattern should become more than obvious. With regards to your spoiler: Spoiler for response:
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As far as your interpretation of the scene being about Usui 'coming onto' Misaki, the actual characterization surrounding that exchange makes it anything but. Usui had no intention of making implications of any kind towards Misaki--the manga context shows he was simply bringing her back to reality. Misaki had been babbling on about how awesome it was to dress like a guy and have girls fawning over her, her cluelessness as to otaku/fujoshi culture blinding her as usual. Usui's actions were nothing more than a reality check as to what she was really saying. The fact that Usui obviously was not deriving any of the amusement he supposedly gets from harassing Misaki is what makes this obvious; incidentally, this is also what makes Misaki take him seriously, and why there was no 'stop harassing me' outburst from her in the manga. Usui's supposed 'jerkiness' here (the criterion I'm using is disrespect for Misaki's desires, wellbeing, or comfort boundaries--I won't accept any semantics fiddling) thus should naturally be nowhere present. Anyway, you also seem to be talking about Usui 'presenting himself as a non-discriminate kiss-snatcher' like it's a jerkish action in itself. Please explain to me how? Go back to what I wrote a couple posts ago about how that was an action made strictly for Misaki's benefit. Do you really think Usui ever actually pushes Misaki anywhere she doesn't want to go? This anime version of events might, by accident, have supported this particular claim as to Usui's jerkishness, but it has no basis within the actual non-rushed manga story. Quote:
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Last edited by Sol Falling; 2010-05-17 at 23:44. |
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2010-05-16, 18:43 | Link #78 | ||||||||
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Hamburg
Age: 54
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Only the important parts.
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Spoiler for Major spoiler, stay away if you don't know the manga. Really.:
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Now what the anime has been doing was to sort the chapters in a way that Usui does NOT look like a whimsical-spontaneous stalker anymore (in the manga, he had started to take notice of Misaki end of c1 and confessed and jumped off the roof at c4 - which is pretty crazy in MY opinion. In the anime, he at least had spent more time with Misaki and understood her a bit more). So, if you regret this change, so be it - your prerogative. I prefer the anime version, which shows a more believable development timeline. Quote:
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What constitutes "genuinely upset" with him, then? Physical violence? Tears? Shouting? Or only if all of that happens combined at the same time? You make it sound as if Usui's constant efforts to get under Misaki's skin are just playful happy escapades of a lovey-dovey couple. They are NOT. Misaki is constantly struggling, HARD. She is constantly upset with him, but she doesn't always make a big issue out of it, because she DOES gradually develop feelings for him. However, the way he continues to treat her - what he does and does NOT - never gives her peace of mind. Quote:
Essentially, Usui is concentrating on his own pleasure of messing with Misaki and watching her struggle. The asymmetry of their relationship is emphasized by the fact that the normal ending to their tiffs is that Usui is smugly smirking while Misaki is usually angrily yelling and all too often embarrassed and frustrated, sometimes down to tears. Yes, Usui will intervene whenever Misaki is about to get in trouble. And Usui is FINE with these endings: It's not like they're in a loving relationship in which you make sure that before going to sleep, you kiss and make up. Take ep7 for example: Had Misaki not shot him down - quietly and bitterly - he would have gone home satisfied that he had showed her. With his bare-chested attack on Misaki, who was still shaky due to her "reset misunderstanding" that Usui consciously created. A true jerk indeed. It's one thing to tease who you love (and Usui DOES love her, but he consciously refuses to take over the duties of a lover), but I dislike the emotional strain which he constantly puts on her. Because for Misaki it's NOT just all fun and games. She is constantly struggling, a hamster in Usui's lab. A beloved hamster, for sure. But he's no keeper of her conscience and sanity. Quote:
So, in a nutshell: I'm guilty of being a jerk, too. I enjoy the Usui-Misaki tiffs, though I have to admit that I feel strong pity for Misaki, in particular in the latest chapters. But your worship of Usui is so extreme that we'll have to agree to disagree: It's not J.C.Staff's "fault" that Usui is a jerk for many people (including me). The original story does that just the same. |
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2010-05-16, 19:35 | Link #79 |
Yami no Ou
Join Date: Dec 2003
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In the interest of my time and for the sake of not turning this topic into a war of words between three passionate fans of Maid-sama, I'll refrain from explicating the bulk of my view points or clarifying my stance on this current discussion, but I will say this much:
For the most part, as I've read through these messages, I've been inclined to agree with you, Mentar, and write off a lot of Sol's complaints as being nit-picky (which is saying something, considering how nit-picky I am with Maid-sama myself), but as far as this particular line of discussion is concerned, I don't think you could be further from correct and I think Sol actually managed to hit the bull's eye for this episode. A lot of Usui's characterization was completely bungled, and I feel his aggressiveness was portrayed far more negatively than it was in the manga counterpart, particularly the scene the anime saw fit to cut out and lightly insert into the locker room scene instead. The normal ending to their tiffs is Misaki being rendered to tears or frustrated? Excuse me? As someone who's likely read every major chapter at least 15 times, I am absolutely perplexed as to where you pulled that crazy bit of misinformation from. The only correct description of Misaki's reactions during their NORMAL spats is embarrassment, since issues of love are things she's still new to and has trouble expressing in a honest way. But tears and frustration? For the sake of my aforementioned time and not delving into spoilers, I'm not going to dig any deeper. But Sol is absolutely correct. There are only a few moments where Misaki is genuinely upset with him, and let's not employ the juvenile tactic of obfuscating what the term includes and excludes, as it's pretty self-explanatory. In most cases, Misaki's "angry reactions" are simply embarrassed reactions. Even in one of the few times she's genuinely upset, at least in the case with this episode, if you refer to the manga chapter from which the scene is borrowed, she appears to immediately regret her harshness after the scene concludes....but alas, I cannot expand my argument on this front until the series itself expands. And you're crazy if you think the anime doesn't make Usui look like a "whimsical-spontaneous stalker" moreso than the manga. It's not even close. |
2010-05-17, 16:03 | Link #80 | ||||
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Hamburg
Age: 54
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Repeatedly invading someone's private space is extremely rude. Doing so while pinning someone against a wall or a tree is even worse. But no, Usui has to even do all of it with a naked chest. The right term for that is _sexual harassment_ where I come from. Remember the scene where the falling ladder hurts Misaki's arm? Usui could have easily approached her normally and asked her to let him look at her arm. What does he do instead? Pin her against the wall, lean in and tell her to strip. What do you call that? Let's call Usui what he is: He's a stalker, repeatedly sexually harassing Misaki, and he loves to tease and embarrass her. And he actively _enjoys_ messing with her and causing her sometimes to even punch and kick him. From Misaki's point of view he even added "indiscriminate sexual predator" to his crime list. In one word: He's acting like a huge jerk. It's what he DOES which is causing some people to be less than enthusiastic about him. Misaki, who is on the receiving end of his harassment _does not like it_. This is not "embarrassment" over "issues of love", as if this was something she would fundamentally enjoy. It is annoyance over Usui's repeated misdemeanor. It will take a LONG time before Misaki will develop an increased tolerance for Usui's attacks and before she'll get used to Usui's constant help and support for her, leading her to grow reliant on it (beginning around c20). Also, Usui will tone down some and show more consideration for her. But until the current manga chapters he will never lose his possessive and monopolizing streak. Quote:
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Now don't get me wrong: There are redeeming qualities to Usui, too. And without his behaviour, the story wouldn't work the way it does. But I refuse to ignore his uglier traits by simply pretending that he's a flawless guy that everyone would have to love. He isn't, FAR from it in fact. And if you seriously don't know why, reread c47. Last edited by Mentar; 2010-05-17 at 16:25. |
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