|
I think this is one of the situations where having read the manga is probably a detriment to enjoying the anime on its own terms. I'm glad I'm not burdened with that.
To me the most important part of Kaoru's encounter with his mother was that it made him see how much more complicated adult life really is. In just a couple of moments he came to understand that one could recover from having a broken heart and even laugh about it. I think he also could see how his own adolescent emotional struggles paled in comparison to the mature heartbreak that his parents had experienced. Like Arya, I didn't judge Kaoru's mother to be the "guilty party." Both his parents clearly expressed their sadness over the failure of their marriage whatever the reasons. I also don't think it matters much why they split up. From the point of view of the anime story, that's all in the past and not really relevant to where Kaoru is today.
I, too, have a view of Kaoru as, if not selfish, then most certainly self-centered. That's not uncommon in adolescence, of course, but he seems decidedly so. The stolen kiss is just the most obvious example. His annoyance that Sentarou decided to tag along on the trip to Tokyo is another. Kaoru is such a rigid personality that he simply cannot seem to accept that Sentarou cares about him, so much so that he spends what little money he has to accompany his friend on a trip that he, correctly, realizes might be emotionally difficult for Kaoru.
I thought it was especially poignant when Sen's sister tells Kaoru that she's playing by herself because her friends were all at cram school. That one sentence tells us so much about her and Sen's family situation and their obviously limited prospects for the future. One of the things that most impresses me about this show is the economy with which it is presented. A line here, a glance there, and paragraphs of exposition are expressed. I could do with a bit fewer blushing marks though. Sometimes it feels a bit heavy-handed as in the whole sequence in the shop.
i was left wondering who was taking care of Sentarou's younger siblings while he and his sister were at the music shop.
|