[zebra]

Originally Posted by Sphire

'Gentlemen, shall we take this outside?'

More like - take to a different thread? lol

Originally Posted by Sphire

At times, especially nearer the end, I felt it was Tenma that moved the plot along, or it was her character that made things tolerable.

I agree specially with the example you gave. But for most of the series Tenma served as a pesonified reset button and I think the hate originates from there.

I liker her, but she wasn't that interesting as a character. Good hearted and kind, but at the same time naive and too oblivious to notice the consequences of her actions. She gets redeemed for it by being so pure hearted and stubbornly insisting to fix it or apologize and be forgiven - no matter what it takes. Even if she has to pull a Seymour and wait a whole night in a snow storm as you said

Originally Posted by Sphire

Nice points. Though I have to admit I'd have hated it if Harima got over Tenma so quickly. His character would seem so flimsy if so. I think(or hope) it would take a lot to change him, which is alluded to in SRZ. No one ever said one-sided love can't be true love. But for it to be true, it should take a lot to break/overcome it. Otherwise again, it'd just be another rom drama(I'm looking at you Toradora! gawd I hated the ending in that show).

Oh I wouldn't have liked it either if he had been over her quickly - but as we see in SR - YEARS. Flippin' years! And he's the same love sick idiot despite the foreshadowing and built up that led in another direction. And it's been stated that he left and went travelling to become a better man and artist - yeah right.

You know, I used true love for a reason.
I don't see how onesided or not makes a big differences here. By the end of the series they are very close, so lack of knowing each other isn't my argument. The way Harima's 'love' for Tenma was portrayed - it just wasn't believable for me. We do see the moment he falls for her, but we never see him going beyond that feeling he stubbornly insisted from then on. He never goes "Oh that's why I fell for her, she's such a nice person" or anything similar genuinely.

He just puts her on that shrine of his and worships her - that's why I said it's more like an obsession than real love. Harima totally goes blind if she's involved in anything. Similar to Imadori who is totally obsessed over big breasts but still starts to care for the 'flat' Karen. I always thought it's Harima's stubbornness and deep rooted longing for acceptance and love that leads him to pursue Tenma so much (don't forget how happy he is secretly when someone praises him or how he loves to be part of a group).

He liked her sure, but true love? Not as I see it. Specially, when I remember how her always acts towards her and just likes to forget Karasuma. Or better ignores anything that could be harmful to his mental picture of a happy family

I'm not claiming I must be right and you wrong - I just interpret it differently :3

Toradora just went downhill from somewhere in the middle. One of the series that were eaten by their romance plot and forgot about the comedy. Taiga's rage fits didn't help much.

Originally Posted by Sphire

As for Harima's feelings towards the girls. I agree not much is known, but I did love it when Yakumo confessed, and Harima replied with a comedic gag because of misunderstanding it, but the underlying message was that Harima knew exactly what Yakumo said, but didn't want to hurt her by outright rejecting her, which he would have done. Shows how classy a guy Harima is (though as I typed this, I remember there being a scene in that 'three who were slashed' show about how Mangoku rejects a girl in a similar fashion(maybe without the gag))

Again interpretation. I don't see any sign of him knowing. And if he does the more I don't like the way he behaves towards her. Don't forget he just leaves without a word in the end. I just think he's that dumb.

Originally Posted by kenjiharima

Another reason why I want a whole new cast of SR characters and old ones can just make an omake, or probably it happened at the time of SR, but all have a different storyline.

Next generation like DBZ? XD