School Rumble manga (raw discussion only)

[Waven]

Well he has a point... he doesnt necessarily need a girl to get over with his broken heart, it's just the easiest way and the most appealing for most people

[Visiroth]

Originally Posted by HayashiTakara

I hate to admit this.. but the next few chapters is whats going to make or break FLAG, my heart is racing...

Go in expecting the worst, I say. It's better to be pleasantly surprised than unpleasantly surprised.

Someone on 2ch very kindly colored the key scene for us:

Spoiler:

[Freeter]

Originally Posted by Visiroth

Spoiler:

Yup, that's all I needed to see. Flag ending all the way....unless Jin decides to sit on that big 'RESET' button till the last moment.

For all you Flaggers out there, you'd better pray Tenma doesn't crash the party

[Dr_Tom]

Originally Posted by Freeter

Yup, that's all I needed to see. Flag ending all the way....unless Jin decides to sit on that big 'RESET' button till the last moment.

For all you Flaggers out there, you'd better pray Tenma doesn't crash the party

don't worry, I'm prayin.

[Visiroth]

Originally Posted by Freeter

Yup, that's all I needed to see. Flag ending all the way....unless Jin decides to sit on that big 'RESET' button till the last moment.

For all you Flaggers out there, you'd better pray Tenma doesn't crash the party

As much as I'd like to share your optimism, I'll believe it only if I see it. Eri has a long, long history of getting shafted. I know that she is well overdue for some happiness, but never again will I throw my faith into a 22p special!

So if you'll excuse me, I won't be leaving the shelter of my zetsubou until it's good and safe.

[HayashiTakara]

Eri is pretty much the female version of Harima if you really think about it. Both characters are constantly getting the shaft throughout the series... it can only end with things finally working out. I really just don't see School Rumble having a bitter sweet ending.

Eri's tears and behavior in the recent chapter is bound to make Harima think, I can feel it!!!

[Visiroth]

Originally Posted by HayashiTakara

Eri is pretty much the female version of Harima if you really think about it. Both characters are constantly getting the shaft throughout the series... it can only end with things finally working out. I really just don't see School Rumble having a bitter sweet ending.

The difference is, of course, that Eri is always one rung below Harima on the chain of mishaps. When Harima chases after Tenma who chases after Karasuma, it's Eri who ends up with her hair ruffled. When Harima charges at Karasuma in the lion costume, it's Eri who gets thrown along with him off the cliff. Things rarely work out without a hitch, wherever Eri is concerned.

Originally Posted by HayashiTakara

Eri's tears and behavior in the recent chapter is bound to make Harima think, I can feel it!!!

Eri tended to Harima's wounds during the Kyoto trip as well. He tends to miss the point if things aren't spelled out to him.

As far as Harima can tell, Eri's reactions seem to be the result of the accusations that he threw at her alone. He has no idea about the frustration that's been mounting in Eri over the past month in her inability to cross the barriers that have been placed between them. The problem here, the same as in the past, is that Eri isn't the sort of person to simply tell Harima what she's done for him.

There was heavy irony when Harima accused Eri of having shallow feelings and not understanding what he was going through, even though their situations were directly parallel. That was the perfect moment to set him straight; but instead, Eri just sits and takes it. In my eyes, that doesn't bode all that well. If Eri isn't going to set Harima straight, then who will?

[HayashiTakara]

Sou, maybe? She seems to like being extremely blunt and direct with Kenji.

The only other person who has a good insight on Eri is Yakumo, her rival... who knows, Yakumo could walk in on Harima being agitated and find out its about Eri, and being the good girl that she is, could explain everything to him.

[Waven]

Don't think there will be much interference or help from other characters now. This situation is down to just the both of them now... no tagteam or whatever, it's a plain one-on-one close and personal. Remember, the only good moments they had together were when they were alone. Well its just my prediction anyway, everything can happen though KJ somehow fails to suprise me the last chapters, besides im starting to miss the comedy part of SR, love and drama is fine since we all waited for it but i sure hope it doesn't end with this kind of mood even if it will be a happy ending.

[HayashiTakara]

I don't mind a joke, but if they leave everything with Harima unresolved I'll be pissed that I've wasted years on this... I hate unresolved endings, it pisses me off to no end.

[kenjiharima]

Harima has reverted in this bad ass delinquent ways. Without Tenma he just fights and doesn't care about anything else. He says what's in his mind and has no respect what so ever. Hate him now or not he's just being a delinquent.

Personally I like this Harima.

Spoiler:

[gekko]

nah, i prefer sunglass-harima look. its funnier

[Swampstorm]

Originally Posted by kenjiharima

Harima has reverted in this bad ass delinquent ways. Without Tenma he just fights and doesn't care about anything else. He says what's in his mind and has no respect what so ever. Hate him now or not he's just being a delinquent.

I don't think that's true. Harima fought to lose.

It's not that Harima doesn't care. The delinquent lifestyle represents a world in which nobody cares for him. In that place, his suffering feels complete.

Eri's arrival challenges this on two levels. Firstly, her point about Harima getting into fights in order to escape from his feelings of rejection forces Harima to face up to his emotional pain. Secondly, her arrival with the bandages is proof that someone does care, however much Harima would like to convince himself otherwise.

The accusations that Harima hurls at Eri are a means of convincing himself that she couldn't possibly understand nor care for him. Those words hit really home, however, given the similar nature of Eri's own situation and feelings for Harima.

Originally Posted by Waven

Don't think there will be much interference or help from other characters now. This situation is down to just the both of them now... no tagteam or whatever, it's a plain one-on-one close and personal. Remember, the only good moments they had together were when they were alone. Well its just my prediction anyway, everything can happen though KJ somehow fails to suprise me the last chapters, besides im starting to miss the comedy part of SR, love and drama is fine since we all waited for it but i sure hope it doesn't end with this kind of mood even if it will be a happy ending.

That makes sense. Whatever challenges those two overcome will have to be through their own strength alone. In a sense, this scenario puts to the test all of the lessons that both Harima and Eri have learned. But it's going to be pretty tough.

[Shadowfox79]

Man seems we've been getting some serious FLAG material lately. Can't wait for chapter 271. In the meantime, the newest b chapters are up. Though b61 really took me off guard, with the Tea Club talking about Hanai's situation with the other girls (Yakumo, Mikoto). However, the ending really made me go WHAT??!!

Spoiler for Ending of b61:

Well turns out that Akira was a bit rough on Hanai and kinda pushed him out. The other girls were saying how much Akira is nitpicking on the guy, so she goes out to apologize to him, but she just wants to flick her finger on his forehead as a means of forgiveness for some things Hanai said. So he bows down then...................
..............................................
..............................................
Akira kisses him instead, and of course Hanai is freaking out. She ends it with asking Hanai to take care of her next year with a smile.

Good lord, where the hell did that come from?? I guess this makes sense if she were trying
to push Hanai away from her with her insults towards him. Maybe she didn't want to get close to him because she's good friends with Mikoto and wants her to be happy. But I guess things were a bit different this time. Man this has just opened up a new faction, what are we gonna call the Hanai x Akira faction now?? Surprise Kiss faction?

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by Shadowfox79

Man seems we've been getting some serious FLAG material lately. Can't wait for chapter 271. In the meantime, the newest b chapters are up. Though b61 really took me off guard, with the Tea Club talking about Hanai's situation with the other girls (Yakumo, Mikoto). However, the ending really made me go WHAT??!!

Spoiler for Ending of b61:

Well turns out that Akira was a bit rough on Hanai and kinda pushed him out. The other girls were saying how much Akira is nitpicking on the guy, so she goes out to apologize to him, but she just wants to flick her finger on his forehead as a means of forgiveness for some things Hanai said. So he bows down then...................
..............................................
..............................................
Akira kisses him instead, and of course Hanai is freaking out. She ends it with asking Hanai to take care of her next year with a smile.

Good lord, where the hell did that come from?? I guess this makes sense if she were trying
to push Hanai away from her with her insults towards him. Maybe she didn't want to get close to him because she's good friends with Mikoto and wants her to be happy. But I guess things were a bit different this time. Man this has just opened up a new faction, what are we gonna call the Hanai x Akira faction now?? Surprise Kiss faction?

Well, that was unexpected.

[The Sandman]

Originally Posted by Kaisos Erranon

Well, that was unexpected.

I'll say. Although hasn't that been floating around as a crazy theory for some time now...

I'd also say that the likelihood of the manga continuing into the next school year has increased. No way this new plot thread can be wrapped up neatly in just a few chapters.

[ichigoismyhomie]

Originally Posted by Kaisos Erranon

Well, that was unexpected.

i would never thought Hanai would be this popular among the ladies.

I just lost my respect towards Harima now. Hanai pretty much had more actions and female fans than harima...most of all....he got the kiss from Takano.

Harima's (supposedly) fans:
-eri
-yakumo

Hanai's fans:
-inaba
-Suou
-Yuki (the nerdy girl with glasses)
-Takano.....with a DIRECT KISS too


GOD SPEED hanai-kun, GOD SPEED

[-Ajax-]

Game. Set. Match. Hanai

lol he is a pimp! Inaba is seriously getting cuteness points, but Suou is a hard girl to beat.

[ichigoismyhomie]

Originally Posted by -Ajax-

lol he is a pimp! Inaba is seriously getting cuteness points, but Suou is a hard girl to beat.

inaba might be cute and unable to compete with Suou....but we got new contender in this match....TAKANO...FTW.

i'm very sure that Takano's skills can match up with Suou's quite easily. in fact, i wanna see Suou reaction if she saw/found out about the kiss from Takano. MUWAHAHAR Just when i was about to give up on School Rumble for Harima being such an EMO fag.......things get spicy

[Waven]

Why is everyone ignoring the fact that this kiss happened in a b-chapter? I don't recall anything happening in a b-chapter that made it into the main plot and become a serious topic. I really do think it was just another way of teasing him by making his state of mind even more confused. Of course i could be wrong but it seems very unlikely to me that the kiss really meant that Akira likes Hanai this way.