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Old 2012-12-04, 14:20   Link #481
Kirarakim
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Perhaps I came too hard on Haru as a character in my previous post, yes there is certainly some interesting room for development here.

However my issue is I think I am supposed to be invested in the romance at this point and because of this episode (although it was never my main attraction to the series to begin with) I just can't. Haru's actions/attitude made me not just somewhat apathetic to the main romance it made me even dislike it.

Do I think Haru will probably grow, yeah honestly I would be surprised if he didn't but I am just not getting anything positive out of Mitty/Haru right now and yet that is supposed to be the main heart of the series.
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Old 2012-12-04, 19:19   Link #482
Arya
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I have to echo the other posters about Haru. He is my only problem of the show. Sadly. Because I'm enjoying the show, but the main couple. And I like Mitty. She is lovable. Simply I can't get why she is still in love with him. I can't feel it. Basically I would prefer to see her pairing with everyone else, and lately obviously Yamaguchi Haru is still one-dimension character to me. Or at least, he didn't progressed at all on the romance side nor on himself. After ten episodes is a bit of a problem with this kind of character.

Anyways I really like the other characters, the moments that they are all together are the best parts for me. Sadly Natsume, the reason why I kept watching this show at first, now has a crush on ... Haru's cousin, wth!?? I was rooting Sasayan x Natsume from the beginning. I like a lot Oshima too anyways, so I would be satisified even with that pair

BTW, how many episodes has Tonari?13 episodes? Sorry if it has been already asked many times
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Old 2012-12-04, 21:15   Link #483
ReaperxKingx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Casey View Post
I think there's a nice dichotomy between the way episode 9 shows Haru at his best, and the way that episode 10 shows Haru at his worst and his ugliest. Particularly, I'm glad that the show is willing to make Haru genuinely controversial at times, unlike some anime where a rough-around-the-edges character is given lip service as being a 'bad boy,' but never does anything worse than make the occasional snide remark, unfailingly doing the right thing in every situation and never acting in a way that might lose the support of the audience. One of the main points of the story is seeing Shizuku save him from a very dark place, and I think it's great that Haru's anger and bitterness and paranoia manifests itself in ways that are legitimately loathsome at times and make the viewer uncomfortable or develop mixed feelings towards him, rather than the author playing it completely safe and never crossing the line beyond 'lovable rogue' territory. Haru has the later stages of the story after he's started to heal emotionally to be a rational, considerate, well-adjusted person. In the meantime, I want the darkness inside him to be palpable and to be put through the wringer, because Haru's personal journey will be all the more fulfilling if we're made to feel the bumps ourselves as he goes down that road, and we'll be all the happier for Haru's leaving behind the dark place he's been stuck for most of his life if we're forced to spend some time in there as well.

And even though so much focus is put on how scary Haru is whenever he gets angry (which of course he is), Shizuku just might be his equal. For as detached and dispassioned as Shizuku's normal day-to-day persona is, she has really intense emotions whenever she gets worked up... I'd probably try to pick at her if I was Haru just because she's sexy when she gets mad.
I have to agree with you, it appears you already read the manga as well. You seldom find characters like Haru in any anime, it is kind of refreshing to see it. Other anime have bad guy types to the exaggerated level or not enough "bad" in them. Here we have Haru, he is a type of character that haven't been explored in the anime world.
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Old 2012-12-04, 21:54   Link #484
NoemiChan
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The two couples keep on running around the bush with their love-hate relationship...
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Old 2012-12-04, 22:14   Link #485
Dr. Casey
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirarakim View Post
Perhaps I came too hard on Haru as a character in my previous post, yes there is certainly some interesting room for development here.
Nah, you were levelheaded as always. My post actually wasn't meant as a counterargument against yours (I was more just throwing in my two cents since everyone else was talking about it), I totally get where you're coming from.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReaperxKing
I have to agree with you, it appears you already read the manga as well.
Nah, I've actually yet to read the manga; I'm much more of an anime guy, though I really like this series and will jump ship to the manga if ever it seems as though this won't get a second season. I'm glad you agree, though. ^^

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Old 2012-12-04, 22:17   Link #486
ReaperxKingx
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Originally Posted by Dr. Casey View Post
Nah, you were levelheaded as always. My post actually wasn't meant as a counterargument against yours (I was more just throwing in my two cents since everyone else was talking about it), I totally get where you're coming from.



Nah, I've actually yet to read the manga; I'm much more of an anime guy, though I really like this series and will jump ship to the manga if ever it seems as though this won't get a second season. I'm glad you agree, though. ^^



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Thanks, am glad that you stray from the pack and looked at it positively. Most people ask for characters that have big issues so it is kind of surprising for the reactions towards Haru so far.
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Old 2012-12-05, 01:17   Link #487
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Oh Haru, he can't help but keep digging his own grave. Way to completely nullify all the progress he just made lol
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Old 2012-12-05, 06:40   Link #488
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Meh it beats around the bush... I didn't particularly like Haru's character , i was neutral about him but it's getting annoying + the serious part with Yamaken was a -1 for me...
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Old 2012-12-05, 10:08   Link #489
HandofFate
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I think Haru's character-type is pretty common in shoujo manga.

Actually they tend to go way more on the deep end. For some reason shoujo girls can't help but fall in love with their abusive, would-be rapists in shoujo mangas.

Not to say that Haru is that far on the deep end, but close to it. But there's a good number of shoujo male leads that make Haru's action seem like a saint.
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Old 2012-12-05, 10:18   Link #490
Sackett
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Casey View Post
I think there's a nice dichotomy between the way episode 9 shows Haru at his best, and the way that episode 10 shows Haru at his worst and his ugliest. Particularly, I'm glad that the show is willing to make Haru genuinely controversial at times, unlike some anime where a rough-around-the-edges character is given lip service as being a 'bad boy,' but never does anything worse than make the occasional snide remark, unfailingly doing the right thing in every situation and never acting in a way that might lose the support of the audience. One of the main points of the story is seeing Shizuku save him from a very dark place, and I think it's great that Haru's anger and bitterness and paranoia manifests itself in ways that are legitimately loathsome at times and make the viewer uncomfortable or develop mixed feelings towards him, rather than the author playing it completely safe and never crossing the line beyond 'lovable rogue' territory. Haru has the later stages of the story after he's started to heal emotionally to be a rational, considerate, well-adjusted person. In the meantime, I want the darkness inside him to be palpable and to be put through the wringer, because Haru's personal journey will be all the more fulfilling if we're made to feel the bumps ourselves as he goes down that road, and we'll be all the happier for Haru's leaving behind the dark place he's been stuck for most of his life if we're forced to spend some time in there as well.

Agreed. I was especially refreshed by the way Mitty reacted. Instead of the usual shojo logic of jealous = he likes me = I'm flattered, or even the "I'm angry and flattered at the same time" this was a case where it just pissed off the female lead. Considering the spider silk symbolism it makes it even more clear that Haru's actions are disturbing and scary, not cool or sexy at all.

It's a much better take on the typical shojo bad boy then you usually get.

It also should make us wonder why Mitty is so attracted to Haru. Mitty seems like she has it together, but maybe Mitty is as messed up as Haru, just in different ways.

For one thing... considering her mother and father's relationship it wouldn't be surprising for Mitty to be attracted to a man she feels needs her to take care of him. Is that healthy?

On the more positive side Haru has really shaken Mitty out of her friendless world and is the catalyst behind all the new friends she has made.
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Old 2012-12-05, 10:35   Link #491
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Originally Posted by Sackett View Post
It also should make us wonder why Mitty is so attracted to Haru. Mitty seems like she has it together, but maybe Mitty is as messed up as Haru, just in different ways.
I thought that has been fairly obvious for a long time. Opposites attract. Mitty can't help but be attracted to Haru's spontaneity. There's also the fact that the hyper-competitive Mitty is unable to stand how Haru consistently outperforms her academically despite putting in next to no effort in school. It forces her to question her priorities in life. And in so doing, she realises the primary cause of such self-reflection: Haru.

So, there's an element of gratitude in her feelings towards Haru, for not leaving her alone, unlike almost everyone else in her life until she met him. Like you observed, there's no denying that Haru is the main reason Mitty now has friends, people she once thought she could do without.
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Old 2012-12-05, 12:12   Link #492
Haak
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That was a decidedly dark twist they threw in there at the end with Haru, but I love the Spiders thread motive they were playing up. And I'm also glad we finally saw hints of NatsumexSasayan development.
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Old 2012-12-05, 15:29   Link #493
Kirarakim
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Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf View Post
I thought that has been fairly obvious for a long time. Opposites attract.
Only in fiction is this true. In real life psychological studies have shown you are more likely to be attracted to someone who is more similar to you. But I guess "opposites attract" is supposed to create a more interesting narrative.


Also Mitty was happy Haru was jealous of her. She blushed when she asked him. What she didn't like was when this jealously led him to getting possessive and trying to order her around.

Anyways I do like Mitty a lot as a main heroine, she's different and has a great personality.
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Old 2012-12-05, 20:31   Link #494
Wild Goose
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Been marathoning this show. Can't believe i missed out on it earlier. Not really much I can add to the above, except that somehow, Mitty and Haru holding hands gets a more powerful feel than their kiss. Weird, but I can't say I dislike it.

Also, amusingly enough, Mitty's dad is played by Takehito Koyasu, who plays the Big Bad of the current SAO story arc, lol.
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Old 2012-12-06, 03:34   Link #495
Hiroi Sekai
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This gives you all a reason to go watch Aoi Bungaku now. :3

Even getting close to the end, the series keeps improving. I love it.
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Old 2012-12-06, 04:18   Link #496
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Also, amusingly enough, Mitty's dad is played by Takehito Koyasu, who plays the Big Bad of the current SAO story arc, lol.
Dio > 2D moustache twirling villain from SAO.
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Old 2012-12-06, 13:15   Link #497
Master Chibi
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I am enjoying this show, but it's a game of ping pong at this point. I want to cheer on from the sidelines but half the time I feel like it's a false alarm.
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Old 2012-12-07, 18:35   Link #498
Dr. Casey
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arya
Haru is still one-dimension character to me. Or at least, he didn't progressed at all on the romance side nor on himself. After ten episodes is a bit of a problem with this kind of character.
I think the speed of Haru's character development is just about where it should be, personally. It's true that Haru hasn't changed much, but we're still early in the series, not much time's passed in-universe, and Haru honestly hasn't been given much reason to change all that much yet, he hasn't done much soul searching and hasn't gone through many character-changing experiences. Haru's become a happier person since meeting Shizuku, but his underlying psychological damage hasn't healed much yet nor has his emotional instability gone away, and I think it would feel artificial were his character written any other way. People are certainly capable of changing a great deal if they're determined to change, they can do so surprisingly fast in fact; but reaching that point still tends to be a rocky road just the same (and Haru isn't even making a concerted or deliberate attempt to change himself in the first place, which makes the subconscious healing process Shizuku is making him go through that much slower), and though someone can improve their day-to-day fairweather mindset relatively quickly, it's not until quite some time later that they've healed enough where their deepest emotional vulnerabilities can be poked at without throwing them back into an unstable state, as Yamaken did with Haru.

And the final episode is slated for Christmas Eve.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sackett
It also should make us wonder why Mitty is so attracted to Haru. Mitty seems like she has it together, but maybe Mitty is as messed up as Haru, just in different ways.
I wouldn't say that Shizuku is as messed up as Haru - he's still far and away the champion in the arena of being emotionally damaged, far as this series is concerned - but I think she's definitely in need of some help herself. The lonely, empty years she spent glued to schoolbooks hurt her worse than she realizes, I think.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirarakim
Only in fiction is this true. In real life psychological studies have shown you are more likely to be attracted to someone who is more similar to you.
Hm, that makes sense. There's some personality traits opposite of mine that I would like in a mate (mainly traits I don't particularly like about myself or think make me boring), but a girl that's completely my opposite when it comes to tastes, personality, and standards for what a relationship means to them (I'm more the hopeless romantic type)... yeah, we'd be totally incompatible.
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Old 2012-12-07, 20:48   Link #499
Sackett
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I think it's worth pointing out that Haru and Mitty aren't opposites. At least not in most things.

Both are highly intelligent.
Both of them are anti-social.
Both of them have trust issues.
Both of them are very straightforward and blunt.
Both of them have messed up families
- bad relationships with the father
- absent mother

Now they are opposite in that Haru is reactive, spontaneous, and explosive, while Mitty is proactive, deliberative, and restrained. However, I think the issues above tie them together more than their differences separate them.
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Old 2012-12-08, 15:25   Link #500
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I am not sure if I am alone in this, but having watched 10 episodes of this anime, I still couldn't feel the chemistry between Haru and Shizuku. I suppose my feelings stem from how Haru has a rather childish or to term it better, straightforward manner of approaching Shizuku, while the latter for most part is somewhat aloof which I am not very comfortable with. This discomfort may come from my experience of reading or watching various shoujo mangas/animes whereby the heroines are either explosive/expressive/get pissed off easily or the shy type who needs to be protected. I am also not sure if the seiyuus are to be blamed for this. Their voices are just so emotionless and bland. It's like a bored broadcaster reading aloud the daily news. Maybe that's the way they interpret the characters, who knows? I guess I still need time to accept Shizuku and Haru. I must say, I think the former is more suited with Yamaken.
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