[IchigoWanhandured]

Originally Posted by cloudninja

Just finished this series recently so I just wanted to vent for a bit. Please forgive the long post as doing this tends to make me feel better once I vent.

The end of chapter 144 along with 145 was when Junpei decided to start dating Nishino again but he did'nt decide with a clear head. In chapter 143 there was a misunderstanding where people thought Toujou had a boyfriend and when Junpei tried to talk to her she ran off because she had just taken off her bra and he bumped into her, so she was embarrassed and took off. He thought she was avoiding him which was true but not for the reason he had thought and later saw her run to her brother who he thought was her boyfriend. It shocked him because he did'nt think that there was another guy who knew her as well as he did and what about the 3 years he had spent liking her. He was thinking that maybe she had liked him (Junpei) but seeing her run into the arms of another guy put doubt in his mind and he felt hurt because he thought she had already chosen someone else over him. Later he walked to Nishino's cafe workplace without realizing it and while talking to her he was thinking that he should'nt have seen Nishino while his head was still messed up. But when she offers herself to him he takes the opportunity and says he wants to go out with her again.

I'm disappointed that such a misunderstanding helped push him into making that decision. His state of mind over his disappointment at his situation with Toujou probably made him tired of everything and so since he thought there was only one good option left instead of two, he took it. It's like he was tired of his own indecisiveness and decided to make a choice at that time and stick with it. Toujou did'nt know that Junpei was dating Nishino again until chapter 149 when he tells her that, still thinking that Toujou had a boyfriend. The misunderstanding about her brother was'nt cleared until chapter 151, so I think about 2 weeks passed before the misunderstanding was cleared. It was too late at that point because he had spent time shifting his feelings over to Nishino and had probably tried to forget about Toujou. I think he felt it was too late and he should live with his decision.

While re-reading chapter 163 I was struck by how much regret there was for both Junpei and Toujou. Junpei was wondering if Toujou still had feelings for him because he did'nt know what happened when they had fallen asleep while studying. She told him that she had given him a kiss and could now move on and Junpei in his thoughts was embarrassed at himself for only appearing to have moved forward when he had not. So he was still wavering at that point. Even when she was walking away he thought out "turn around one more time" then "no, don't turn around" as he cried, so he had not moved on from his feelings for her yet. She was crying as well as she walked away so it was maybe just a brave front she was showing him by saying she had moved on. I wonder what would have happened if she had not said that she had moved on. He later cried as he thought back on how Toujou was probably the only one who could make him feel anything was possible and how they would probably be together now if they had realized each other's feelings earlier.

Toujou's only weakness was her shyness which prevented her from confessing until it was too late. She was otherwise perfect for Junpei. He was attracted to both her body and mind plus they shared similar dreams and inspired each other in their pursuit of their respective fields of writing and filming. Junpei deserves a large share of the blame too because of his indecisiveness despite a large window of opportunity during the manga to confess himself. All it would have taken was a confession by either one and everything would have fallen into place. In chapters 135-136 Junpei said to himself that if her movie confession had been real then he would have had no problem choosing, because Toujou was the one he was thinking about most around that point in time.

Anyway I guess it's like life where misunderstandings can snowball and lead to consequences that people regret. Junpei himself at the time had known that he should'nt have seen Nishino in a messed up state of mind while Toujou unfortunately probably never knew that the misunderstanding about her brother played a major factor in Junpei's decision. The lesson is that it's hard to live with regret over things that you should have done so at least give it a try instead of being passive over something you really want to happen.

I just wanted to vent because it kind of messes me up for a day or two when I feel sad over what happens to a character I like, so please forgive the long post. It makes me feel better. I like Nishino too but I wish Junpei's decision was clear-headed and not influenced by a misunderstanding like that because it seems so unfair to Toujou after all the time they've spent together.

This is an excellent "read and comment" of how things unwound in the plot. Maybe Junpei really was tired of his indecision. Although, I must add that feeling things out with the people you like is only natural (and all the more difficult in the case of Junpei). Finding love is tricky, don't you think...liking someone leaves the door open, but entering the doorway to find love can really rattle a person, especially for Manaka who's young and uncertain on how serious relationships are (then again that's part of the magic - what makes romantic relationships exciting and sometimes scary, moreso in the Asian context?)

I must apologize if some you have already read the thoughts I wanted to share in some other threads/websites. I'm posting it below, because Ichigo 100%'s plot has made a deep impression on me, please bare with me gomen!

Hello, it's August 2009 now, and I just read this incredible manga last week. I'm done with it, but not over the emotions of it. The ending really hit the spot. Being in my late 20's, the characters' experiences through their mid-schooling until their days of working as career people really reminded me of the great memories and even disappointments I had when I was young. The manga made me wish I was young again! More than anything, it emphasizes how precious time is and how you have to make a lot of memories with those close to your heart.

Although some of the people here have been bashing the manga's ending and the mangaka (A GIRL, A SHE, so don't even say it was some fanboy fantasy of schoolgirls swarming one guy), I thought all the girls were too good and lovable that alot of readers were rooting for different characters, yes they were that well conceptualized. It makes you feel as if you were put in the shoes of Manaka. All of these girls were wonderful and it's somehow true that when you're young, you think that if you choose someone as your girlfriend, it really does mean that you close yourself off to the other girls who could have been the other half of your heart. It was just so difficult for Manaka to choose one girl because it means the girls who he spent all the great times and memories with would have to move on with their lives. Manaka is indeed GREEDY hehehe, as Nishino also is. Maybe in Western society, things may have seemingly moved too slow, but first time relationships are always special and even overwhelming (all the more for Asians). Again we should give regard and make a delineation between LIKE and LOVE. You may occasionally get LIKE, but LOVE it's a rare moment that two people try to find, perhaps a convergence of timing, atmosphere, emotions, words, actions, whatever.

As for the best moments, I would say that it would be these:
1) When Manaka hugged a 'Satsuki in despair' during their 1st movie in the inn they stayed in. Although the scene's start was just a bit sleazy to invoke some romance, it eventually lead to me realizing how Satsuki tried hard to create a 'moment' between her and Manaka (throughout the manga). Sometimes, love can be found in a moment and the spark is hard to ignite, especially when you're in the "FRIEND ZONE". Satsuki wanted Manaka to see her as a woman he can love, not a girl buddy.
2) When Nishino and Manaka went to a park, where Nishino sat on a bench and Manaka was crouched in front of Nishino and they had their real first kiss and they had that incredible exchange of words about GREED and how the first kiss wasn't enough and Nishino wanted some more! GREED! hahahaha! Damn, I wish I had a romance like that with a Nishino Tsukasa-esque girl
3) The final scene, where an older Tsukasa Nishino arrived and remarked to an older Manaka how excellent it was that Manaka was early. And Manaka said if Nishino can become Manaka's girlfriend again (after that clean slate agreement they had) and Nishino replied, "Will you excite me again?" and that scene where the camera on the ground was shooting them together (with Manaka carrying Nishino in his arms)
4) Nishino Tsukasa pull-up was a good scene
5) When the unraveled Aya Toujou was sitting behind Manaka during the Izumazaki (err whatever spelling it is) High entrance exams
6) When Aya Toujou was lying in bed, feeling relieved that she got her groove back in literature writing and she didn't need to worry of losing Manaka (and their conversations) forever. This is sadly the one-way love thing -> until she finds another heart to love and reciprocate the feelings back to her - and ohhh I bet she learned her lesson

I would have to say though, that it was apparent during the early chapters that Toujou was losing out, because most of the memories of Manaka were with Nishino. All we got from Aya Toujou were tons of awkward moments with Manaka. Maybe the mangaka herself or someone she knew was like this when she was young, never assertive to tell a guy she likes him (perhaps a nuance in a Japanese girl's psyche? or even regardless of age) Well, you reap what you sow and hindsight is always 20-20

To be this old and feel these feelings, I think this would be therapeutic. Whenever I want to feel that feeling I guess I'll just look for these parts in the manga. hehehehe

Damn these really make my heart weaken, like the first time I really felt that feeling of falling in love. Yes, not LIKE, I'm referring to FALLING IN LOVE.