Suzuka

[ccardoso]

Originally Posted by aikming

The anime covers chapter 1-72 of the manga pretty much exactly. If interested, you can skip & start reading from chapter 73, currently up to chapter 129.

Thank you for the answer pal!

[Vulcannis]

Originally Posted by robotes

Also, some ppl consider Yamato as being selfish for only doing things what he thinks is right for him to do. Now just imagine urself in his situation where your girlfriend doesn't tell you crap about anything. You ask her questions but she doesn't even give hints. Now what do you do?

Why, get out of it of course (assuming a similar relationship to theirs, at least.) But of course Yamato's new at relationships and is still immature, so it's to be expected that he would try his best to tough it out. That doesn't make him any less selfish though. But don't take that as a condemnation of Yamato's character, either... I find the guy annoying, but he is a nice guy and in general tries to do the right thing. He's just too young yet to do a good job at it.

Interestingly Suzuka picked the same choice I would...

Originally Posted by Mentar

To the people saying that we mustn't judge Suzuka because we don't know her perspective.

Excuse me, but no. Actions speak louder than words. If you feel that you can come up with a credible explanation how you can justify to be in a relationship and to

I completely agree, which is why I never said not to judge Suzuka. Judging based upon the knowledge one has is, well, reality and the way it should be done. So judge away. But to not keep in mind that we've only seen one side of the story, and a story filtered through wonder boy's perceptions at that, is just plain intellectual laziness.

Originally Posted by Mentar

Those, my friends, are the plain _facts_. In my most humble opinion, it's flat-out impossible to cook up any "reason" to justify only half of this. That's why I'm not holding my breath to learn of any justification for the past, but rather an indication that she has _changed_ for the better.

Oh, those are facts alright. But they're still just a small piece of the puzzle. There's plenty of other facts that we simply haven't been privy too. Consider, the story is being told from Yamato's point of view: it's quite possibly (I think likely) that there are things we haven't seen, that are important, simply because Yamato didn't see or realize their importance. And then there's all the stuff we don't know because Yamato wasn't present at all, like Suzuka's trip home and to America. It's great that we can get such an emotional feeling from what he have seen--kudos to the mangaka--but I for one am enjoying the knowledge that there's so much more to the story that we could know, some of which could greatly skew our impressions so far.

Originally Posted by Arkhan

Well, I expressed the same opinion several chapters ago. After all, the audience tends to empathize with the main character, cause we know his most intimate feelings. But then Mentar warned me (and know he/she has pointed it out again) that Suzuka's actions are enough to judge her. And I think actions are important, but sometimes the intentions behind those actions are important too. That's the difference between a mistaken person and a bad person.

Exactly. Suzuka's actions so far, or at least Yamato's perceptions of them, have painted a very bad picture of her. I'm just hoping we get to see some insight into them before the story wraps up. I for one don't think she's an awful person despite all she's done (or not done.) That said I wouldn't wish a relationship with her on anyone.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but yes, I do call that image posted from chapter 112 of the manga by Scorpio 3.14 a "sick, heartbroken smile." Anyone who sees it as a happy smile, in context, is letting their attitude toward her cloud their judgment, in my opinion. EDIT: We should probably both take into account that this mangaka has a lot of trouble with faces. Everything and everybody tends to look alike, unfortunately.

In the bit I read last night, I noticed that when Yamato was deciding to go over and tell her he wanted to keep on (and ended up not saying anything), he admitted to himself that he didn't listen to what she said. From Suzuka's point of view, I think it's been a struggle from the first to get Yamato to take her seriously and actually do the things he knows she likes, like be serious about track. That phase didn't last very long before he went off doing his own thing, working to get a computer for some silly idea of sending letters, but not actually communicating during the time they really had. It's like he loves his image of her but not actually her.

And sure he didn't say anything that night she was packing because he was in shock, but that's just from his point of view. The fact remains that he didn't say anything, so Suzuka didn't hear anything. Suzuka had just been feeling him drifting away over the summer. As for him going out to see her practice, do you mean at Christmas at the special camp? If so, coming back from that was also the first time she saw him with Yui, and Yui embracing him, was it not?

I think the mangaka has given us too little of Suzuka's inner dialogue, so we don't really know where she's coming from. But I believe that many guys here are seeing this too much from the guy's point of view, and not taking Suzuka seriously as a human being rather than an "ice queen" or some other pejorative caricature. Sure, that's how Yamato felt, but Suzuka was trying to live her own life: doing track, studying, enjoying Yamato's company when he was actually trying to be with her as part of her life and doing the things that seemed worthwhile to her. She was not trying to be an "ice queen." Her emotions governed her as Yamato's governed him. Remember, in the first part of the story, she was cold to him despite her growing feelings, because she didn't want to feel disloyal to her dead sempai. Don't count that period against her.

Sure, she could have communicated more. But this is Japan, remember, where people expect everything to be "understood" and not have to be spoken. In this case, I think Suzuka may have had a right to expect Yamato to see what he was doing: ignoring her during the precious time they had left. But he is really a stupid guy.

Remember also that I am a fan of Yui. I think Yui and Yamato are the best match. But I feel sure that there is more to Suzuka's attitude than the mangaka is making clear yet, and I definitely want to defend her to the extent I can, since there is so much antipathy to her that I believe will turn out to be largely misplaced when the facts are known -- as happened once before. She is far from the easiest person in the world to get along with, but I believe she is fascinatingly complex, with strong emotions under great pressure inside her. I just wish we could see more of what is going on in there.

[ccardoso]

I read the manga till the last chapter avaible... the 129.
Well what can I say... it was better if I stopped at the anime plot because I got quite annoyed by Asahina again. Well I'm sure I'm not the only one around here but at the end of the anime she seemed a little matured, but she revealed herself as the usual moody bitch, and perhaps she got even worse.
Yamato isn't an angel of course: he's really slow and sometimes I would like to give a punch to him in the face, but he worked really hard for Asahina's sake and he tried to keep up with the club activities as well to mantain his promise to Asahina. Of course he got really tired and wasn't able to perform as well as in the past and Asahina only criticized him, without taking into account his efforts and not giving him any possibility to explain the various misunderstanding which arose as the time progressed.
When she went to America she reached the top of her bitchness: Yamato ran there saying he was sorry for forgetting her birthday and saying he loved her, but all that bitch was able to answer is "you idiot". If a situation like that would have happend to me I would have punched her very hard in the face, not caring that she was a woman and that prison would be waiting for me.
Some behaviours hinted that Asahina had some other motives to go abroad: well no matter what they were if she doesn't tell Yamato what they are she can't except him to know about them. I don't know what they were (if someone knows please tell me) but if it was really only for her forgotten birthday then Asahina reached a new top for her bitchness, because Akitsuki was really busy in that period working and training (all for her sake).
If I was Yamato I would try to get together Asahina again just to have sex with her and then dumping her for good, crushing her physically and emotionally. No matter what reasons she has to my eyes she changed roles: from the moody girl of the anime to the moody bitch of the manga who only deserves to be crushed to make her bite the dust like she did to Yamato more than one time.

Leaving apart the moody bitch, what's about the confusion about the three other girl? I'm talking about the restaurant girl, Honoka and Saki. I can understand his doubts about the restaurant girl, but he could have gone out with Honoka again... too bad he was too late, poor slow guy.
I hope he will stop being hopeless and spinless and go out with that Saki girl, she seems really a nice girl to me, even if Maki wouldn't be bad too. Asahina should be avoided at any costs, because she's radioactive.

[hi no ken Jebus]

this week....

Spoiler for ch 130:

Saki's week is up and they are throwing her a goodbye party. Yamato goes shopping with asahina for stuff they need. Yamato asks her why she went to America, asahina says the reason she did was because Yamato complimented her high jump. Next day Yamato takes Saki to the train station, she tells him to go for Seijou because he still likes asahina and Saki leaves.

[LCeh]

Thanks for the translation hi no ken Jebus.

Spoiler for 130:

So, as we all predicted, Saki becomes a plot device that helps to push Suzuka and Yamato closer. Now that she is disappeared, I think we will finally have some quality time of Suzuka and Yamato alone.

Looks like the story is about wrap itself up as well.

[Hydex]

Lol..will the mangaka ever stop introducing new charcters to throw them away 3 weeks after??

[Arkhan]

Originally Posted by ccardoso

I read the manga till the last chapter avaible... the 129.

So you've already read the manga till the last chapter...That's pretty fast!

Originally Posted by hi no ken Jebus

this week....

Spoiler for ch 130:

Saki's week is up and they are throwing her a goodbye party. Saki goes shopping with asahina for stuff they need. Saki asks her why she went to America, asahina says the reason she did was because Yamato complimented her high jump. Next day Yamato takes Saki to the train station, she tells him to go for Seijou because he still likes asahina and Saki leaves.

Spoiler for ch 130:

She went to America just because Yamato complimented her high jump!? What a stupid reason if that's the real one.

[npal]

^LOL... the mangaka must take some time off, something's amiss here.

[Boulayman]

This isn't really a spoil but I want to try out the spoil function since I don't know how to do it ^^

Spoiler:

Well, then the Manga will definitely end soon. Pretty much all the loose threads are taken care of. Now it is time for the grande finale

edit: Thanks for the help aikming
edit2: Sweet, works like a charm ^^

[aikming]

Originally Posted by Boulayman

This isn't really a spoil but I want to try out the spoil function since I don't know how to do it ^^

[/spoil]Well, then the Manga will definitely end soon. Pretty much all the loose threads are taken care of. Now it is time for the grande finale [/spoil]

you forgot the "er" in the spoiler. Also no "/" for the opening

[Mentar]

Well, I hope that we're all wrong and the story is NOT just wrapping up. It would be pretty anticlimactic in my eyes. And I'd certainly require quite a bit of convincing that the Yamato-Suzuka pairing has more going for it than the plain "I just love her, can't help it" on which this romance was based so far.

[ccardoso]

Originally Posted by Mentar

Well, I hope that we're all wrong and the story is NOT just wrapping up. It would be pretty anticlimactic in my eyes. And I'd certainly require quite a bit of convincing that the Yamato-Suzuka pairing has more going for it than the plain "I just love her, can't help it" on which this romance was based so far.

I still can't believe how dumb Yamato is of thinking about Suzuka again. I understand how she wanted to go to US to train, in fact I don't object against that but I'm highly disappointed in how the events went in the month immediately before Suzuka's departure, not to mention at the airport...
Yamato can be slow, this is quite obvious, but he worked really hard for Suzuka and all she did was lying to him, criticizing him and at the end dumping him twice (at their house and at the airport with that final "idiot").
Note that I know she had hidden reasons to go to America but, no matter what they are, she had no rights to treat Yamato in the way she did.
I hate Suzuka with my heart because her behaviour is really too much bitchy!
It was better if I stopped at the anime plot.

[physics223]

WOOHOO! HOORAY! Let the cycle begin anew. /sarcasm

[TwilightHack]

Oh geez. That was really sucky in my opinion... Saki didn't even fight for anything, her character served little purpose.

What a pity, bringing in such an interesting person with so much potential... only to get rid of her quickly like that.

[Ronbo]

Don’t dismiss Saki so quickly! I feel we’ll be seeing her again real soon.
If Yamato is serious about track then he doesn’t need to be chasing after Suzuka! He needs to be chasing after his rival instead! The best way to do that is to train along side of him so that he can constantly improve his times. In order to avoid the distraction of having Suzuka around I see Yamato going to Toutodai instead of going to Seijoudai.

[tritoch]

And then Yamato goes to Touto just because.. he's uhh.. dull.

[sazan fan]

Originally Posted by Ronbo

If Yamato is serious about track then he doesn’t need to be chasing after Suzuka! He needs to be chasing after his rival instead! The best way to do that is to train along side of him so that he can constantly improve his times. In order to avoid the distraction of having Suzuka around I see Yamato going to Toutodai instead of going to Seijoudai.

Well... you could also say the opposite. For Yamato to take track seriously he needs to compete against his rival by attending different schools. And instead of seeing Suzuka as a distraction, her presence alone should be enough motivation for Yamato to accelerate even more. (I have nothing against what you wrote... simply trying to present the opposing view... for objectivity I suppose...)

But... either way, the manga is starting to feel like save by the bell (college years) getting a bit long for such a "trivial plot".

[Clarste]

Okay, here are his options, and their positive features:

Toutodai:

- Close
- Easy to get in to
- He has friends there already
- Has another friend (Saki) planning on going there
- Great track facilities
- A team of supportive-looking people anticipating him

Seijoudai

- Suzuka
- Probably pretty good track facilities, considering that Suzuka chose it

Going to Seijoudai would kind of advertise how he weights these things, wouldn't it? As someone who wants to see Suzuka work for her relationship, Yamato following her like a puppy looks like a very, very bad thing. I can sort of see why people don't want this to drag on too long, but I'd be really annoyed if it ended the way it is right now. Good developments take at least some time...

[hi no ken Jebus]

See this is what you get when you rush things. Anyway correction to the spoiler above Yamato goes with Asahina not Saki.

Anywho guess might as well add a little more but still doesn't change the fact I gagged while reading this...

Spoiler:

As yamato and asahina come back from shopping she asks him about Touto. He says Arima annoyed him but everyone is nice and what not. She tells him that's great he should go for it instead of seijou. After that they go into reminsce mode and she says she's surprised he made captain of the team. Yamato says it was because he was chasing after her because she would have thought he'd quit after she left. After he asks to take a break, she mentions the first time she arrived they also went shopping like this and how they met. He says he complimented because he thought she'd be happy. She then says she was and that's why she went to america. Then next day saki leaves after telling him to go for seijou since asahina is that girl he can't seem to forget about.