[physics223]

Originally Posted by Raiza Sunozaki

I was really impressed by this episode. Last episode gave us a definite confirmation of Watashi's determination, but as it is in the Tatami Galaxy, the episode that follows another is as much a contradiction of the previous as it is a continuation. I found this was stressed more so in this episode, as Watashi's determination definitely carries on, but his determination is misled by temptation and corruption that he ends up backtracking farther than he got in three episodes of advancing.

This has been the theme throughout the nine episodes. Each succeeding episode is a reaction to the previous one. It must be noted that he already attained the rose-colored life he imagined this episode: he was beside many beautiful women, popular, and known in the university. The problem is, the rose-colored life is the only thing he thinks he wants and he alienates what his heart really desires.

Throughout the three women arc, he slowly and steadily was given increasingly obvious hints that his happiness, if not his beloved rose-coloured life, was always there in front of him, waiting for him to grasp it. As several people have said before, for Watashi, happiness does not lie in his goal, his "rose-coloured campus life." In fact, there is never any happiness to be found at the end of a trek. That is satisfaction. Happiness is found along the way, something that must be looked for, not received. And if you have been successful in looking for happiness, once you reach your satisfaction, happiness will be there for you, but not because you finished.

Happiness does not lie in his goal because it is impossible to attain. The journey is only a celebration of pain and suffering because his target is an impossibility. It is not something that can be realized through hardwork, passion, or patience: it is just something that is unreachable.

His mind obstructs what his heart already sees. He denies reality because he wants to chase the impossible. He uses his choices as his excuse to not face reality, but when he runs out of choices and sees the truth about Ozu he still cannot face it.

As physics has mentioned, Higuchi's line on the rose-coloured campus life (or the lack of it) was brilliant and shows the man's carefree ingenuity. But I found the scene showed more of Watashi's inability to accept reality over his rose-coloured reality. While he was abducted shortly after, it felt like he was only along for the ride, not doing anything, not trying to do anything, just watching. He couldn't accept that this was reality, so he rejected it and did nothing.
And in the end, he shut himself away in his own tatami galaxy.

Mmhmm.

On a side note, I'm hoping this series will have a happy end, but looking at Watashi's cowardly and incompetent personality, I'm starting to have my doubts.

It will. I have faith.

Originally Posted by Theowne

Tatami Galaxy truly just keeps getting better and better. I echo all the sentiments about the speeches and monologue towards the end. And I also really loved how they tied the 3-women arc back to Akashi. I hope so much that the ending will be as wonderful as it deserves to be....my anticipation and expectation is high. I think we have a new benchmark for underappreciated gems...

I don't like to jinx the series I watch since it was tragic with what happened to Toradora. But I am as hopeful as you are.

Also lets leave the comparisons away....Cross Game and Tatami Galaxy are both great series for different reasons....

I never said they weren't!

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

I really doubt that cowardice and incompetence is really his core personality. If his actions have shown anything, often skewed and misdirected as they are, it's that when it comes down to a getting his rose-colored utopia he will do what it takes and not back down even if he has to resort to devious ends. If he really was an incompetent coward then he would have fucked up his life at the start and wallowed into despair for the rest of every episode. It's really only in episode 9 that his despair at his condition really manifested into something concrete that all of us can see.

I am sorry, he is quite a coward. He is determined, driven, and passionate, but he's always been a coward with his different incarnations and that is the reason why he has not yet grabbed upon the opportunity that hangs in front of him. He is a coward because he cannot face reality and only escape to impossible ideals. I'm not knocking on his diligence: he is very much persistent and hard-working, but it does not change the fact that he is a coward. If he wasn't, he wouldn't escape into the excuse of a different choice or a possibility but face life head on. By finally choosing to face real world and the demons that pervade it can he only be called to be decisive and thus courageous.