AnimeSuki Forums

Aqua Knight · 2012-08-05, 17:51

Damn, I accidentally read the spoilers on some other forum...

Anyways, Yui and Iori are my favourite girls, while I still don't like Inaba.
I also like Taichi and I think that the other male Aoki?? is kinda undeveloped as a character,yet which is a bit sad.

Also a question - did the light novels end or they are still being continued together with the plot?

Shit, I still regret reading spoilers...

HandofFate · 2012-08-05, 19:07

I fine with the body switching stopping now, it may seem like there's lots of potential, but there's only so many times you can play the 'go in wrong toilet card'

The bodyswitching was never really the focus anyway, it was just the gimmick for the volume.

I wonder if this series targets closet sadists....since we're pretty much all getting enjoyment watching these 5 innocent teenagers being put through torture and turmoil.

Elestia · 2012-08-05, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by HandofFate

....since we're pretty much all getting enjoyment watching these 5 innocent teenagers being put through torture and turmoil.

I'm pretty sure that's point for any kind of drama.

Triple_R · 2012-08-05, 19:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by HandofFate

I fine with the body switching stopping now, it may seem like there's lots of potential, but there's only so many times you can play the 'go in wrong toilet card'

There's a lot of other places that they could have went with this premise... but only if the show was willing to become significantly darker and/or R-rated.

In a way, Heartseed is right - The tight friendship between these five ultimately makes this situation more boring than if one or more of them was willing to exploit the situation for morally questionable ends... and simply put, none of them were willing to.

In a way, what this opening arc really shows is just how loyal these five are to one another, as friends. The worst the guys did was act cute while they were one of the girls. And the girls didn't do anything out of the ordinary while they were one another or one of the guys. Well, except for the big kiss in this episode, but that was obviously under extremely extenuating circumstances.

kazzuya13 · 2012-08-05, 22:21

The best episode so far. Great drama that it almost seems like the epic end

Arturia Polaris · 2012-08-05, 22:39

Ok so here's my review of the whole series after 5 episodes.

11/10

The concept is very fresh. Characters are extremely likable, voiced by great people who can change their voices according to the person inside the body. OP/ED are excellent.

Slice of Life, Romance, Supernatural. This is like fine cuisine, and I can tell because I'm a writer. The way Iori entered the room was similar to what Inaban would have done once she enters. It is presented that Iori could "change" personalities herself, so she changes even her way of speaking.

It's all about the Checkov's gun. You need an excellent source material (the light novel, which I have not touched) and a person that can take that and put it into anime.

Did I mention that the OP and ED are light like the show should be? It's not something that pumps you up for combat like Fate/Zero should, It's cute and heartwarming.

And the way the ending is handled in episode 5 just shows how good the whole crew behind this piece of art is.

Extremely talented.

I'm definately enjoying this and as I said, this is going into my top works.

Cheers;
Arturia

SPARTAN 119 · 2012-08-05, 22:45

Greetings from a motel in Cedar City, Utah. Anyway, I managed to find a Youtube upload of Kokoro Connect ep 5 and watch it on my Ipad. Overall, I'm glad Iori was all right. But, as I said, I kind of expected Iori to survive, her being a major charcter integral to making Kokoro Connect such an amusing series.

As for Heartseed, I can see two possible motives. Either he is doing this for his own amusement, or that this is some sort of anthropological or psychological experiment.

Silvance · 2012-08-05, 23:15

Great episode overall. Two love confessions in one episode. lol. I didn't expect that one.
I'm much more curious now regarding how Taichi developed that kind of mindset after seeing his reaction in the hospital. I hope it's revealed soon.

Ah, I can't wait for next week. I hope we get to see what kind of punishment Taichi will receive from Inaba. haha.

asteron · 2012-08-06, 01:33

Ehh. I didn't really like the episode at all -_-
It basically wen't down like this:

Show: Hey something totally fucked up is about to happen that will change everything!
Me: Whoa.. really?
Show: LOL no. J/K
Me: Pffff.

How exactly are you supposed to get excited about a return to the status quo? Total let down.

Qilin · 2012-08-06, 02:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by asteron

Ehh. I didn't really like the episode at all -_-
It basically wen't down like this:

Show: Hey something totally fucked up is about to happen that will change everything!
Me: Whoa.. really?
Show: LOL no. J/K
Me: Pffff.

How exactly are you supposed to get excited about a return to the status quo? Total let down.

While I share your lack of enthusiasm about the episode, I wouldn't go so far as to say that the status quo remained unchanged. In fact, I believe that the episode marked significant progress in the relationships between the characters, particularly that of Taichi and Iori. This being a character-focused show, that about as good a development as we're going to get.

~~Pocari_Sweat~~ · 2012-08-06, 06:40

Not meaning to crash the party, but didn't like this episode anywhere near I should have. And it goes back to what I said in previous eps about the whole body swapping elements feeling "tacked on" and completely random in its mechanics. It was consolidified in concrete this episode by Heartseed effectively admitting that he's a troll and he's forcing the characters to go through misery "for da lulz". If that isn't a idiotic, stupid premise/logic then I don't know what is one. I'm not exactly watching Kawamori x Okada here.

It's a pet peeve of mine, but I really don't appreciate why a lot of slice of life/drama animes have to add in supernatural elements. In more cases then not, it damages the series for me. Classic example - Clannad After Story, which absolutely DESTROYED the ending. Ano Natsu's sci fi/alien elements also hurt it more than it did good, particularly in the last 2 eps. Natsuiro Kiseki was guilty of this too, which pretty much resorted to solving any plotholes it had with "the rock". Heck even the e-famous Haruhi Suzumiya suffered for me considering I cool story bro'd the whole sci-fi/Haruhi being God premise and enjoyed it purely for the dialogue and character interactions.

Now not saying this episode was bad. In fact, it had the majority of the good elements that followed through from previous episodes. The real key strength of Kokoro Connect is in its characters and drama that is actually worth something (actual issues such as attempted rape, divorce, lack of trust due to past betrayal etc.). In short, it's engaging and significant. But I do wonder if this body swapping gimmick was needed in the first place and definitely question why a "troll" like Heartseed has to come along and put everyone in misery for his own amusement. I wouldn't have mind if the body swapping gimmick was a just a side element, but now it seems to be coming to the forefront, which I thought I would appreciate if explained well, but in this case it isn't and it's hurting my enjoyment. It's seriously feeling like Ano Natsu all over again in that respect.

There are some exceptions however, the most notable ones coming into mind being ef tale of memories and Natsume Yujinchou, whereby its supernatural elements weren't just gimmicks but integrated into the premise was explained adequately and most importantly used in a significant way that goes beyond a "gimmick".

Maybe it's just me but I definitely respect it when shows of this genre try to make it good without resorting to somewhat "pointless quirks", relying purely on its premise and/or characters to make it interesting. It's the primary reason why I cannot enjoy this as much as say I'm enjoying Hyouka or Tari Tari this season and definitely less compared to Sakamichi was last season or what Usagi Drop and Wandering Son was last year. No halfass supernatural gimmicks in those stories, just pure characters and premise to drive the shows to excellence.

TL;DR - If you're gonna put in supernatural elements into a slice of life/drama series, do it properly and don't half ass it like it is here in Kokoro Connect because it's hurting what is an ambitious teen drama that is actually dealing with interesting and significant issues.

EDIT: Another thing I forgot to add is that Kokoro Connect is dangerously heading towards "melodrama" territory. Now, although melodrama isn't bad per se, the tension must be developed priorhand, used sparingly (don't just spam melodrama scene after melodrama unlike a certain anime that aired last year) and most importantly, has to have the right precise timing. Though I prefer it just doesn't go that direction in the first place since "genuine", "subtle" dramas are already rare enough in the anime medium and I'm really liking the balance it has atm. And most anime do melodrama poorly in the first place.

Shimapan · 2012-08-06, 07:23

Well played out episode. I doubt Balloon Vine did this with the intent to harm anyone, it seems he does everything just for his personal entertainment. As he said later, he had everything already planned out beforehand. Had he wanted to actually kill someone, he could've easily done so, e.g. by having someone jump off a high building or the likes.

However, as killing or badly hurting someone would mean less entertainment for him, he's unlikely to do that. He just wanted to see their reaction to a (supposedly) extreme situation, without actually really harming anyone. He even took care that her mobile didn't get wet.

Now after the random body switching, which could've served as some sort of testing out things, there could be more deliberate body switching, e.g. a girl and a boy switching bodies when waking up. While one stays in that other gender's body for several days, the other cycles through the remaining persons and wakes up every day in a different body.
How does one cope with being someone of the opposite gender for several days on end? Even mundane everyday things might be much more complicated. For the other, how does one cope with being in someone else's body every day? I see identity problems coming up.

For Taichi, I think he has a strong underlying trauma responsible for his "selfless freak" behaviour. Quite possibly, someone close to him (perhaps a sister or brother) came to harm, and he regards himself responsible. As a result, he developed the wish to help others around him no matter what, to compensate for not helping that close person back then (due to inability, inaction or whatever).

Qilin · 2012-08-06, 08:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

TL;DR - If you're gonna put in supernatural elements into a slice of life/drama series, do it properly and don't half ass it like it is here in Kokoro Connect because it's hurting what is an ambitious teen drama that is actually dealing with interesting and significant issues.

This right here reflects my feelings about the episode.

While I appreciate what it's doing with its current cast characters, the jarring inclusion of supernatural elements into an otherwise decent story dilutes the story's overall impact for me. Of course, when I say "supernatural elements", I'm talking mainly about Heartseed's role in the story. For now, he's an unnecessary outsider that serves no further purpose than to act as a catalyst for significant plot events with no apparent motivation aside from finding amusement. It's hardly surprising that I would label him as a walking plot device than as an actual character, especially seeing how his presence clashes with the rest of the series.

Well, it's not like I have anything against the use of sci-fi elements in a show like this, but I believe it's more a matter of implementation. My issue with this show's use of such elements is how they serve no further purpose than to instigate bizarre plot twists, leading to some uncomfortably contrived situations. There's just something aesthetically unpleasing about it for me, perhaps the lack of subtlety in its delivery.

SPARTAN 119 · 2012-08-06, 08:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by asteron

Ehh. I didn't really like the episode at all -_-
It basically wen't down like this:

Show: Hey something totally fucked up is about to happen that will change everything!
Me: Whoa.. really?
Show: LOL no. J/K
Me: Pffff.

How exactly are you supposed to get excited about a return to the status quo? Total let down.

While I was pretty sure Iori would survive, I didn't expect it necessarily to be resolved in one episode. Now that I think about it, it was a bit of a cop out ending, exactly as asteron stated. On the other hand, if Iori did die, its not like it wouldn't be something seen before, i.e. Madoka. That said, Heartseed may still be a more Kyubey-like character, with some hidden motive.

Blonto · 2012-08-06, 10:46

Personally I liked that they included a supernatural element into the show, but that was when I assumed 12 eps would be devoted to body switching. I thought learning more about the cause of body switching (Heartseed's true motivations, goals or relationship with others of his kind) would expand the story and set it apart from other stories that use the trope. It would have to be handled very carefully so as not to overshadow the main cast, but bits and pieces here and there would give another level to the story. That's one of the things I loved about Haruhi. We are only given hints about Yuki, Mikuru and Koizumi's world, but those little hints give you an idea that there's something much bigger going on behind your regular plot about the students' lives.
It would be annoying going through the whole series of weird but regular events happening without any semblance of explanation, but if you introduce this little aspect of the story, I would like it to at least move one step from where it was at the beginning.

Guardian Enzo · 2012-08-06, 11:35

Isn't it a bit late to be complaining about supernatural elements in this story, though? It's not as if they haven't been part and parcel of what's going on right from the beginning,

Arturia Polaris · 2012-08-06, 11:47

I'm assuming that HeartSeed = Baloon Vine.

In any case I don't think that Balloon Vine has any other motive than teaching these guys a lesson and making them grow. He is trying to make the group grow, a disfunctional group of individuals who disfunction themselves.

I think the best way to put this thing into words...

Consider that the five characters are engines. However the engines need a fuel source to start working. Balloon Vine is providing this fuel for the engines to start moving, and their lives to start going forward.

At the moment of the start of the series, every character has a wrench on one of their cogs preventing them to move forward, and since the hood is down, the others cannot unstick the wrench. Balloon Vine is swapping the engines of each car around, making the car grab speed, and then switching back the old stuck engine. With the car moving, but the engine stuck, the inertia will break the wrench stuck, and the car will be able to move again.

So yeah, that's my car metaphor.

I'm really enjoying the show, this isn't the time to throw the melodrama clusterbomb.

Cheers
Arturia

EDIT: This is mere conjecture. I believe that the ending of Episode 5 is the actual ending of the first novel. If you listen closely to the dialogue at the end, and everything, it's as though a cycle has gone by. And it's all smiles and happiness. We know there's something like 8 novels out now, so I believe that we just got through the first novel. Anyone here who read the actual content minds confirming this theory?

I believe that few books treating about slice of life end on a downer ending, and this novel which I'm sure the writer may not have speculated wildly about, had to end on a good note, and it does. Iori and Taichi getting together, Everyone having fun in the club room... Just think about it.

Lantern · 2012-08-06, 12:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arturia Polaris

EDIT: This is mere conjecture. I believe that the ending of Episode 5 is the actual ending of the first novel. If you listen closely to the dialogue at the end, and everything, it's as though a cycle has gone by. And it's all smiles and happiness. We know there's something like 8 novels out now, so I believe that we just got through the first novel. Anyone here who read the actual content minds confirming this theory?

I believe that few books treating about slice of life end on a downer ending, and this novel which I'm sure the writer may not have speculated wildly about, had to end on a good note, and it does. Iori and Taichi getting together, Everyone having fun in the club room... Just think about it.

What you mean by cycle? As in like a single complete story that fulfilled itself with a closure? But yes this is the end of Volume.1

In any case, you might want to check the LN thread Here since we can't mention anything about the novel in here. Be warned that it's a mine field of spoilers over there.

Forsaken_Infinity · 2012-08-06, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Isn't it a bit late to be complaining about supernatural elements in this story, though? It's not as if they haven't been part and parcel of what's going on right from the beginning,

Exactly. It was part of the premise. Deal with it.

Arturia Polaris · 2012-08-06, 13:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lantern

What you mean by cycle? As in like a single complete story that fulfilled itself with a closure? But yes this is the end of Volume.1

In any case, you might want to check the LN thread Here since we can't mention anything about the novel in here. Be warned that it's a mine field of spoilers over there.

I mean, a novel has a build up, a "problem" and a resolution. I believe that the writer of the novel started this and the HUGE problem was going to be what happened in episode 5. As for the "cycle" thing. I believe that they all thought it was going to be the end.

Hence episode 6 : And then it happened again. or somesuch.

Arturia

PS: Thanks for confirming my theory :=)

2012-08-05, 17:51	Link #841
Aqua Knight Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Age: 31	Damn, I accidentally read the spoilers on some other forum... Anyways, Yui and Iori are my favourite girls, while I still don't like Inaba. I also like Taichi and I think that the other male Aoki?? is kinda undeveloped as a character,yet which is a bit sad. Also a question - did the light novels end or they are still being continued together with the plot? Shit, I still regret reading spoilers... __________________ I can’t sleep tonight…fish girl, sing me a song! Last edited by Aqua Knight; 2012-08-05 at 18:41.

2012-08-05, 19:07	Link #842
HandofFate Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006	I fine with the body switching stopping now, it may seem like there's lots of potential, but there's only so many times you can play the 'go in wrong toilet card' The bodyswitching was never really the focus anyway, it was just the gimmick for the volume. I wonder if this series targets closet sadists....since we're pretty much all getting enjoyment watching these 5 innocent teenagers being put through torture and turmoil. __________________ ...

2012-08-05, 22:39	Link #846
Arturia Polaris Good OP Hunter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Argentina	Ok so here's my review of the whole series after 5 episodes. 11/10 The concept is very fresh. Characters are extremely likable, voiced by great people who can change their voices according to the person inside the body. OP/ED are excellent. Slice of Life, Romance, Supernatural. This is like fine cuisine, and I can tell because I'm a writer. The way Iori entered the room was similar to what Inaban would have done once she enters. It is presented that Iori could "change" personalities herself, so she changes even her way of speaking. It's all about the Checkov's gun. You need an excellent source material (the light novel, which I have not touched) and a person that can take that and put it into anime. Did I mention that the OP and ED are light like the show should be? It's not something that pumps you up for combat like Fate/Zero should, It's cute and heartwarming. And the way the ending is handled in episode 5 just shows how good the whole crew behind this piece of art is. Extremely talented. I'm definately enjoying this and as I said, this is going into my top works. Cheers; Arturia __________________ Arturia's Writing Den My fanfiction works include: Tari Tari: Past and Present, As the Gentle Breeze Blows Little Busters: Bird's Song Sword Art Online: Vanquishing of the Laughing Coffin My own works include: Social Fact

2012-08-06, 06:40	Link #851
~~Pocari_Sweat~~ <em style="color:#808080;">Disabled By Request</em> Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Australia	Not meaning to crash the party, but didn't like this episode anywhere near I should have. And it goes back to what I said in previous eps about the whole body swapping elements feeling "tacked on" and completely random in its mechanics. It was consolidified in concrete this episode by Heartseed effectively admitting that he's a troll and he's forcing the characters to go through misery "for da lulz". If that isn't a idiotic, stupid premise/logic then I don't know what is one. I'm not exactly watching Kawamori x Okada here. It's a pet peeve of mine, but I really don't appreciate why a lot of slice of life/drama animes have to add in supernatural elements. In more cases then not, it damages the series for me. Classic example - Clannad After Story, which absolutely DESTROYED the ending. Ano Natsu's sci fi/alien elements also hurt it more than it did good, particularly in the last 2 eps. Natsuiro Kiseki was guilty of this too, which pretty much resorted to solving any plotholes it had with "the rock". Heck even the e-famous Haruhi Suzumiya suffered for me considering I cool story bro'd the whole sci-fi/Haruhi being God premise and enjoyed it purely for the dialogue and character interactions. Now not saying this episode was bad. In fact, it had the majority of the good elements that followed through from previous episodes. The real key strength of Kokoro Connect is in its characters and drama that is actually worth something (actual issues such as attempted rape, divorce, lack of trust due to past betrayal etc.). In short, it's engaging and significant. But I do wonder if this body swapping gimmick was needed in the first place and definitely question why a "troll" like Heartseed has to come along and put everyone in misery for his own amusement. I wouldn't have mind if the body swapping gimmick was a just a side element, but now it seems to be coming to the forefront, which I thought I would appreciate if explained well, but in this case it isn't and it's hurting my enjoyment. It's seriously feeling like Ano Natsu all over again in that respect. There are some exceptions however, the most notable ones coming into mind being ef tale of memories and Natsume Yujinchou, whereby its supernatural elements weren't just gimmicks but integrated into the premise was explained adequately and most importantly used in a significant way that goes beyond a "gimmick". Maybe it's just me but I definitely respect it when shows of this genre try to make it good without resorting to somewhat "pointless quirks", relying purely on its premise and/or characters to make it interesting. It's the primary reason why I cannot enjoy this as much as say I'm enjoying Hyouka or Tari Tari this season and definitely less compared to Sakamichi was last season or what Usagi Drop and Wandering Son was last year. No halfass supernatural gimmicks in those stories, just pure characters and premise to drive the shows to excellence. TL;DR - If you're gonna put in supernatural elements into a slice of life/drama series, do it properly and don't half ass it like it is here in Kokoro Connect because it's hurting what is an ambitious teen drama that is actually dealing with interesting and significant issues. EDIT: Another thing I forgot to add is that Kokoro Connect is dangerously heading towards "melodrama" territory. Now, although melodrama isn't bad per se, the tension must be developed priorhand, used sparingly (don't just spam melodrama scene after melodrama unlike a certain anime that aired last year) and most importantly, has to have the right precise timing. Though I prefer it just doesn't go that direction in the first place since "genuine", "subtle" dramas are already rare enough in the anime medium and I'm really liking the balance it has atm. And most anime do melodrama poorly in the first place. Last edited by Pocari_Sweat; 2012-08-06 at 09:06.

2012-08-06, 07:23	Link #852
Shimapan Try me! <3 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Germany Age: 40	Well played out episode. I doubt Balloon Vine did this with the intent to harm anyone, it seems he does everything just for his personal entertainment. As he said later, he had everything already planned out beforehand. Had he wanted to actually kill someone, he could've easily done so, e.g. by having someone jump off a high building or the likes. However, as killing or badly hurting someone would mean less entertainment for him, he's unlikely to do that. He just wanted to see their reaction to a (supposedly) extreme situation, without actually really harming anyone. He even took care that her mobile didn't get wet. Now after the random body switching, which could've served as some sort of testing out things, there could be more deliberate body switching, e.g. a girl and a boy switching bodies when waking up. While one stays in that other gender's body for several days, the other cycles through the remaining persons and wakes up every day in a different body. How does one cope with being someone of the opposite gender for several days on end? Even mundane everyday things might be much more complicated. For the other, how does one cope with being in someone else's body every day? I see identity problems coming up. For Taichi, I think he has a strong underlying trauma responsible for his "selfless freak" behaviour. Quite possibly, someone close to him (perhaps a sister or brother) came to harm, and he regards himself responsible. As a result, he developed the wish to help others around him no matter what, to compensate for not helping that close person back then (due to inability, inaction or whatever). __________________

2012-08-05, 22:21	Link #845
kazzuya13 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012	The best episode so far. Great drama that it almost seems like the epic end

2012-08-05, 22:45	Link #847
SPARTAN 119 Unleashing the Homu-Rage Join Date: Apr 2010	Greetings from a motel in Cedar City, Utah. Anyway, I managed to find a Youtube upload of Kokoro Connect ep 5 and watch it on my Ipad. Overall, I'm glad Iori was all right. But, as I said, I kind of expected Iori to survive, her being a major charcter integral to making Kokoro Connect such an amusing series. As for Heartseed, I can see two possible motives. Either he is doing this for his own amusement, or that this is some sort of anthropological or psychological experiment.

2012-08-05, 23:15	Link #848
Silvance Storm Vanguard Graphic Designer Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Type-00	Great episode overall. Two love confessions in one episode. lol. I didn't expect that one. I'm much more curious now regarding how Taichi developed that kind of mindset after seeing his reaction in the hospital. I hope it's revealed soon. Ah, I can't wait for next week. I hope we get to see what kind of punishment Taichi will receive from Inaba. haha.

2012-08-06, 01:33	Link #849
asteron is the unknown factor Join Date: Feb 2006	Ehh. I didn't really like the episode at all -_- It basically wen't down like this: Show: Hey something totally fucked up is about to happen that will change everything! Me: Whoa.. really? Show: LOL no. J/K Me: Pffff. How exactly are you supposed to get excited about a return to the status quo? Total let down.

2012-08-06, 10:46	Link #855
Blonto Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Age: 31	Personally I liked that they included a supernatural element into the show, but that was when I assumed 12 eps would be devoted to body switching. I thought learning more about the cause of body switching (Heartseed's true motivations, goals or relationship with others of his kind) would expand the story and set it apart from other stories that use the trope. It would have to be handled very carefully so as not to overshadow the main cast, but bits and pieces here and there would give another level to the story. That's one of the things I loved about Haruhi. We are only given hints about Yuki, Mikuru and Koizumi's world, but those little hints give you an idea that there's something much bigger going on behind your regular plot about the students' lives. It would be annoying going through the whole series of weird but regular events happening without any semblance of explanation, but if you introduce this little aspect of the story, I would like it to at least move one step from where it was at the beginning.

2012-08-06, 11:47	Link #857
Arturia Polaris Good OP Hunter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Argentina	I'm assuming that HeartSeed = Baloon Vine. In any case I don't think that Balloon Vine has any other motive than teaching these guys a lesson and making them grow. He is trying to make the group grow, a disfunctional group of individuals who disfunction themselves. I think the best way to put this thing into words... Consider that the five characters are engines. However the engines need a fuel source to start working. Balloon Vine is providing this fuel for the engines to start moving, and their lives to start going forward. At the moment of the start of the series, every character has a wrench on one of their cogs preventing them to move forward, and since the hood is down, the others cannot unstick the wrench. Balloon Vine is swapping the engines of each car around, making the car grab speed, and then switching back the old stuck engine. With the car moving, but the engine stuck, the inertia will break the wrench stuck, and the car will be able to move again. So yeah, that's my car metaphor. I'm really enjoying the show, this isn't the time to throw the melodrama clusterbomb. Cheers Arturia EDIT: This is mere conjecture. I believe that the ending of Episode 5 is the actual ending of the first novel. If you listen closely to the dialogue at the end, and everything, it's as though a cycle has gone by. And it's all smiles and happiness. We know there's something like 8 novels out now, so I believe that we just got through the first novel. Anyone here who read the actual content minds confirming this theory? I believe that few books treating about slice of life end on a downer ending, and this novel which I'm sure the writer may not have speculated wildly about, had to end on a good note, and it does. Iori and Taichi getting together, Everyone having fun in the club room... Just think about it. __________________ Arturia's Writing Den My fanfiction works include: Tari Tari: Past and Present, As the Gentle Breeze Blows Little Busters: Bird's Song Sword Art Online: Vanquishing of the Laughing Coffin My own works include: Social Fact Last edited by Arturia Polaris; 2012-08-06 at 12:07.