Air - Questions and Answers!

[Samatarou]

Originally Posted by Wuya

Well i just finished all the series, main arcs to summer special..

I must say my favorite was the first 1-7 epi's, as a lack of understanding took a bit toward the end, not to mention the sadness and lack of yukito in person.

I liked the early eps best too, it gets too depressing later on. There's plenty of sadness in the early eps too, but it's more constructive in that things get resolved, even though the resolution is bittersweet in the case of Minagi & Michiru. Mind you, after reading all the interpretations of the series that offer hope for Misuzu and Kanna, I intend to rewatch the later episodes to see if I can see them in a better light than I did originally, when Misuzu's victories—having a happy summer for once; making a friend—seemed so pitiful in comparison to the price she paid.

[Rengemaru]

Kinny Riddle: Thanks for the info!

Originally Posted by Samatarou

when Misuzu's victories—having a happy summer for once; making a friend—seemed so pitiful in comparison to the price she paid.

Might seem pitiful at first, but it really shows how kind and modest Misuzu is. Instead of asking for a long happy life, she was just satisfied with a short but extremly happy one (from her point of view). When I first watched it I got really depressed too and sometimes when I hear aozora or watch the ending I cry. But in general, I could never ask for a better ending than this one (although I didn't like Yukito staying as humen in the movie)

[Skyfall]

Originally Posted by Rengemaru

Kinny Riddle: Thanks for the info!


Might seem pitiful at first, but it really shows how kind and modest Misuzu is. Instead of asking for a long happy life, she was just satisfied with a short but extremly happy one (from her point of view). When I first watched it I got really depressed too and sometimes when I hear aozora or watch the ending I cry. But in general, I could never ask for a better ending than this one (although I didn't like Yukito staying as humen in the movie)

Her life was far from a happy one, even from her POV. The only amount of happiness she experienced was with the arrival of Yukito. She was distant with her "mother", and she had no friends at school, despite wanting to have some. (She was close to crying/very depressed at one point when she came out of the school).

While the curse might have been lifted in the end, and the next reincarnation might have a happy life, as far as Misuzu herself is concerned - her life was nothing short of tragic.

[Kinny Riddle]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

Her life was far from a happy one, even from her POV. The only amount of happiness she experienced was with the arrival of Yukito. She was distant with her "mother", and she had no friends at school, despite wanting to have some. (She was close to crying/very depressed at one point when she came out of the school).

While the curse might have been lifted in the end, and the next reincarnation might have a happy life, as far as Misuzu herself is concerned - her life was nothing short of tragic.

But in the end it still ended happily for her - and that was enough.

[Skyfall]

Depends whether you consider kicking the bucket a happy ending

[Kinny Riddle]

Originally Posted by Skyfall

Depends whether you consider kicking the bucket a happy ending

It's a bittersweet ending, tearful but definitely not sad.

[Deathkillz]

yea i wouldnt call it sad as there does seem to be hope...unlike other series where an end means a definite end ~ air ended in a hopeful way...on of these days no matter how long mizuho will be saved ~ "it may take another thousand years...but one day...surely" ~ bittersweet indeed *tears up thinking about it*

[Rengemaru]

Bitter to us, sweet to Misuzu, from our view her life was tragic. but to her, she died with a smile on her face. And as everyone is saying, this alone is enough to make this ending a happy one.

[Skane]

Misuzu's ending is neither happy nor sad, but a mixture of both. Which is why it feels all the more wretched.

Spoiler for Air(TV)'s ending:

She got to reconcile with Haruko and succeeded in making a friend via Yukito (if not lover). Two things that had eluded her prior to the start of the anime's timeline.

I actually consider her "Mama" scene with Haruko to be more emotionally powerful than the "Goal" scene, because it highlighted so strongly on the bonds between her and the only "mother" she ever got to know in her brief lifespan (her biological father can go jump off a cliff for all I care).

(Oh man, I'm getting teary-eyed and sniffle-nosed just from recalling that "Mama" scene as I type this. I guess that how badly affected I was from it. )

The tragedy comes about from the fact that Misuzu did not get to "enjoy" these developments for the long-run. It was a brief spark of happiness before she passed away, and yet... and yet she was already more fortunate than her predecessors, in that she got to experience it at all.

And so, in the end, while we may feel gutted by her death, we can take some measure of comfort in knowing that she died happy, really happy.

Cheers.

[celcius]

Skane, I blame you for these tears that you started just by mentioning ep.11. *sniffle*

I agree wholeheartedly regarding ep.11, and the ending. I feel like I'll just rephrase what the previous 5-10 posts or so. xD;

Spoiler:

Anyway, I think everyone more or less agrees that it's a bittersweet ending; in that Misuzu nor Yukito could not alter her fate ultimately, but at least she reached her goal. Misuzu didn't really want anything else rather than companions, and seeing her finally be able to get there is just satisfying. As long as she's happy, I'm happy.

Ep.11 is the time where Misuzu finally reaches her goal more or less, so I believe it really is the more powerful scene. Ep.11 was also better directed; how the scene played out- the silence, the visuals, the music - everything is just perfect.

Additionally, I can't really say that knowing the ending at the back of my mind didn't help me brace myself and prepare for ep.12.

*sniffle* This is what I don't like about replying to Air topics. *blows on a tissue*

[Wuya]

I watched the movie 2 times now... and that means i HAVE TO watch the anime series again...

...

...

...

oh man time to show that unmanly side...

i must wait till that summer day where im all alone in a quiet room so i can have a AIR air-a-thon and then tear up...

no one must see me...
if they do... i must get rid of them... -.-;

[zrdb]

I honestly almost cried at ep.12-Misuzu is definetly a tragic character-guess that's why I'm attracted to things like Air and Kanon,I won't touch things like Grave of the Fireflies though.

[Vyis]

Hi , i am new here . However base on the TV series , i don't think that the curse have been broken in the end . it still continue to cause the little girl to suffer (there is one episode that yukito meet the little girl , and take her home together with misuzu . Misuzu said that the girl have some illness and will go to hospital *i assume that little girl is the one base on same color of hair and hair style .), but this time is different from misuzu . The little girl have someone to be with her . the little boy i think is yukito reincarnate , be by her side , with previous life memory to support her . The little girl have a new beginning , and she accept treatment unlike misuzu . So i think yukito did able to help misuzu at the end .

[Kinny Riddle]

Originally Posted by Vyis

Hi , i am new here . However base on the TV series , i don't think that the curse have been broken in the end . it still continue to cause the little girl to suffer (there is one episode that yukito meet the little girl , and take her home together with misuzu . Misuzu said that the girl have some illness and will go to hospital *i assume that little girl is the one base on same color of hair and hair style .), but this time is different from misuzu . The little girl have someone to be with her . the little boy i think is yukito reincarnate , be by her side , with previous life memory to support her . The little girl have a new beginning , and she accept treatment unlike misuzu . So i think yukito did able to help misuzu at the end .

The girl you mentioned going to hospital is NOT the girl seen in the ending.

That girl, who appeared in episode 2 while wandering away and ended up hugging Yukito's new doll, had to babysit her. Her name is Shino Saika. And if you look carefully, she has green hair.

Later in episode 10, when Sora is seen trying to drag the dinosaur doll near the temple, Saika's mom (who resembles Nayuki a lot ) and her sister Maika came to the temple to pray for Saika's health, again they have greenish hair.

In episode 12 in the final scene, the little girl has dark hair, so that's definitely not Saika. Just because Saika goes to hospital does not mean anything. Saika, Maika and her mom does not even have an illustrated appearance in the game, and if they're the same person, do you think Kyo-Ani, with their reputation, wouldn't have made sure they have the same hair colour?

While you've already correctly guessed, as have many before you, that the girl and boy in the ending are the reincarnation of Kanna/Misuzu and Ryuuya/Yukito, I believe the curse has been lifted, as Misuzu was finally able to depart with happy memories, allowing Kanna's soul to reincarnate with a new beginning. This is based on what the boy was saying "To them (Misuzu and Yukito), cruel days, but to us, a new beginning". From their conversation, maybe the girl doesn't remember her past lives, but the boy seemingly remembers something, which was why he said "Farewell" to Misuzu and Yukito.

[Vyis]

OIS . Thanks . i didn't see the episode for second time because i'm afraid of ruin the good felling about this series when i know what gonna happen next . Sorry because i didn't check correctly .

[Minoto]

Originally Posted by Vyis

OIS . Thanks . i didn't see the episode for second time because i'm afraid of ruin the good felling about this series when i know what gonna happen next . Sorry because i didn't check correctly .

Don't be afraid to watch it again -- it won't have the same feeling of mystery that it did the first time, but it some ways, later viewings are even more rewarding than the first. There's a lot of foreshadowing in the early episodes, and many moments that might have seemed strange the first time you saw them will take on a whole new meaning when you see them again, this time knowing the entire story.

[celcius]

I just had a thought after re-watching Air. Do you guys think that the kids on the beach may actually be a reincarnation of the previous pair?
I did think at first that it was Ryuuya and Kanna, but if the curse was broken I don't see why the boy would say "To them cruel days" =/

[FatPianoBoy]

Originally Posted by celcius

I just had a thought after re-watching Air. Do you guys think that the kids on the beach may actually be a reincarnation of the previous pair?

That was always my understanding of that scene.

[Kinny Riddle]

Originally Posted by celcius

I just had a thought after re-watching Air. Do you guys think that the kids on the beach may actually be a reincarnation of the previous pair?
I did think at first that it was Ryuuya and Kanna, but if the curse was broken I don't see why the boy would say "To them cruel days" =/

Look at the ED animation for the 2 AIR in Summer special episodes. Kyo-Ani specifically replaced the boy and girl holding hands as seen in the logo and final scene with that of Ryuuya and Kanna holding hands. So yeah, you could say they've (that includes Yukito and Misuzu) reincarnated with a clean slate this time, without the curse. As I've mentioned before, the boy seems to remember, and hence his comment "To them cruel days, to us a new beginning".

[flightinthesun]

did anyone else like the part where uraha basically asked ryuuya to sleep with her? to have kids to carry on the legacy? ace. his face.
but i also thought he was like in love with Kanna so that confused me...:/
i absolutely adore air to bits by the way and believe the curse was basically broken because of all the happy memories the girls (mostly misuzu but also kano, michiru, minagi etc.) brought for Kanna and that the kids are a reincarnation. (the reflection of what the boys says in relations to the kanna, ryuuya and uraha's dream to live by the sea.