[Mentar]

My last note on this issue, before I leave Sorrow-K to his sorrows.

Originally Posted by Sorrow-K

Ok, I read the spoiler and I've watched another episode and my opinion hasn't really changed. Ignore the comedy for a moment, because I think it's really bad.

I disagree, I have alot of fun. But then you didn't like the comedy in Yamato Nadeshiko either. Simple case of personal preference, I guess.

But the gimmick of having Ayako as an extreme-extreme tsundere is trite. The charm of tsundere-ko is that they have that defensive barrier and they exhibit it to all, equally, but then someone comes along and slowly breaks down that barrier with time.

That's another clear case of the old "the anime doesn't do things the way I want them to, so it sucks" trap in which you've fallen. In general, you're right of course, that's the basic "tsundere" template. But this anime isn't an entry in a "most typical tsundere ever" contest, it's an independent piece of work. The creators are very aware of that too, see their description of "Megadere", which properly names her behavior towards Mamoru

Therefore - at least for me - the charm of this show is not the chipping away of the defenses of the icy female bishoujo by the male lead, but rather watching and enjoying the extreme disconnect between her behavior towards him compared to the rest of the world. Gradually learning what warped Ayako like this. And on the other hand, how Mamoru grapples with the obvious mismatch between him and her, and how he (and his family, see later) are going to overcome this. And last but not least of course, this is a dream material for lonely souls who would just LOVE to be a Mamoru too, having a gorgeous, sweet, smart, rich and yet unpretentious ojousama head over heels for them ^_^

That's what the show is about. It's okay if it doesn't suit your personal tastes, but that doesn't make it a bad anime by any means. In fact, I give it alot of credit for taking the old tsundere template and giving it a NEW twist (splitting the Tsun for the rest of the world and (Mega)Dere for the male lead), exploring the possibilities. In my book, that's called "original".

The whole point isn't the "dere-dere" stage, it's the journey the characters take to get there, the struggle the male protagonist has to undergo to win the tsundere-ko's heart. In this case, it wasn't any of the attributes or actions of Mamoru that won, Ayako, but his

Spoiler:

supernatural powers.

That cheapens the whole romance if you ask me, almost as if he's inadvertantly

Spoiler:

controlling her mind and emotions.

Now, now. You demanded an explanation why someone like Ayako would fall for someone like Mamoru within 10 seconds, and decreed that it was BS. To which I replied that actually, there was even a logical reason for her extreme reaction which the story explains later. I didn't say that this was the only reason. Just like others have said before, there's more to Mamoru than just that, especially his genuine sweetness in dealing with her (who we're still going to learn has had a particularly ugly childhood). We can appreciate his struggles, because he knows that their linkup seems absurd. But that's one of the points of these show. Or, as a programmer would say, "It's no bug, it's a feature".

As a closing word, initially I'd find myself in stitches every time Ayako loses it and goes on a rampage. And I absolutely savor her Megadere side aswell. In the early stages, she's the clear star and stealing the limelight. With progressing time, the focus shifts back on Mamoru who gradually proves to be more than just a cute stuffed doll. And in the later episodes, especially with the introduction of Emerenzia, I can see the good-natured silly comedy shift into something slightly more serious.

I'll certainly stay aboard ^_^