Quote:
Originally Posted by james0246
Additionally, unlike other viewers, I have no problem with Menma's tears. As far as I'm concerned, the writers have more than justified her frustrations and fears (frustrations at being unable to change anything; fears at not knowing herself and not remembering what she has wished for), and her tears simply exemplify what any human (or ghost) would feel in her situation.
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Her frustrations and fears may be justified, but that doesn't mean that her tears are.
If crying is the
only coping mechanism a character has for dealing with frustrations and fears, that doesn't say much about that character, in my opinion.
Always keeping emotions bottled up isn't healthy, no, but Menma is displaying the opposite extreme. Neither extreme is good, in my opinion.
But what it says about Menma is actually secondary to the impact that her very frequent crying is having on many viewers.
In drama, it's important to know when to "pick your spots", so to speak. It's important to know when to go for something bold and loud, and when to go for something subtle and merely suggestive.
By having Menma crying every episode, the balance between the two is off. Subtlety is entirely lost (at least when it comes to Menma), and bold/loud scenes are overrepresented when it comes to her. The viewer grows accustomed to the bold/loud scenes, and they basically don't seem "special" anymore.
In my opinion, non-comedic scenes where a character cries profusely should be emotionally powerful, but that requires not overusing such scenes. Basically, many viewers are getting desensitized to Menma crying. I know that I am.