Quote:
Originally Posted by Grifis
What Arata did has nothing with being "cool". He did what he believed was right. He didn't follow the rules therefore he must face the consequences. He wanted to take responsibility for his actions. He was doing the right thing, not trying to be "cool." Some people do things because it's right you know, not because they were trying to be "cool".
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Shinobu-chan's words, not mine: "I don't know what you did. / But stop acting cool and lower your head! / Beg them to let you play!"
We can argue about how well the word "cool" translates the Japanese social etiquette and ethic Shinobu is talking about. But she has a point, don't you think? Insisting on one's punishment, impeccable propriety, doing the right thing--these are still ways of showing off, of acting cool, which end up sometimes hurting others (Shinobu in particular: "Can you not disappoint me any further?"), and oneself (Arata wants very much to play.)
Viewers may admire Arata for doing the right thing, Taichi for trying to become a person who doesn't run away. That's fine, and certainly part of the point of the series. But I suggest that Suetsugu is also slightly impatient with all this rectitude. Shinobu makes her point: sometimes one needs to stop acting cool. It's a good lesson for Arata. Taichi should learn it someday.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirarakim
It's a mistake to think that Taichi's only feelings for Arata stem from Chihaya because they actually don't.
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Kirarakim is correct. Taichi's personal development arc, aimed at becoming a person who doesn't run away, stems directly from his memories of Arata calling him a coward. Chihaya and the romance figure only peripherally.