[Mentar]

This post have been tempting me to reply several times, before I thought better of it and closed the window again. But there's just too much meat on the bones to skip on it ... in other words, good one, even though I happen to disagree with most of your conclusions - NOW.

In fact, were I 20 years younger today, I might have written most of this myself, with the fire of decency and idealism in my veins. However, since I was exposed to a situation with alot of similarities to Mitsuki's (while others were completely different), I've got to say that life experience changed my mind in many key aspects. And since you took quite some time to write down your thoughts, I wanted to offer some - let's say food for thought in return.

Originally Posted by Tarot

Weakness as an excuse
Mitsuki says it herself, she’s a weak person; but still, she tries her best to look after someone she cares about. Granted, she isn’t too bright and consequentially the way she goes about it is completely wrong, but she is trying. I have to give her credit for that.

I assume that by the "completely wrong" you mean moving in on Takayuki after a year of waiting? Okay, but I'd keep some circumstances in mind here:

1) When she did it, Takayuki was completely tilting. He just carried a comatose patient out of her bed, and he was forbidden to see Haruka again.
2) He was tilting after she did exactly what I think you wanted Mitsuki to do
3) The likelihood that Haruka would wake up again AT ALL was very slim after a full year.
4) Seeing a person you (secretly) love fall apart is bloody painful.

The part I really didn't understand though, is where instead of (upon realizing her fallacy) trying to correct it and take steps to become a stronger person, she willingly decides to remain a weak person and kind of 'try to have things work even so.' To me, that is a total mistake. It felt like she was too unwilling to try and solve (at least her) part of the problem herself, and let things play out the way they will.

That's lofty theory, but in real life, things are very different. Before I misunderstand you here, please elaborate what exactly you mean by "becoming a stronger person". Should she to pamper Takayuki like before, hoping he won't turn insane completely (he was clearly close)? Should she confess to him openly, but not force herself on him - rather give him time to think and come around himself? Should she call it quits and leave him to his own devices, forcing him to grow up and regain some independence again? Learn to overcome her own nightmare of guilt and unfulfilled longing and just take everything with a smile?

What exactly should she do, in your opinion? What would make her a "stronger person" in your eyes?

And one comment early on: I wouldn't really consider Mitsuki "weak", because at least she's actively _doing_ something. Some good things, some questionable things, some stupid things, but at the very least she's eventually acting on her problems. It was her who scrapped her own life plans to take responsibility and care for Takayuki. It was her who forcibly tore him away from the comatose Haruka to learn to live again. It was her who was pushing Takayuki to start leading the life of an adult again. It was her who followed her senpai's stupid advice to cheat on Takayuki to make him jealous and force a decision. And - most importantly - it was her who called it quits when it seemed obvious to her that she was indeed just a surrogate for Haruka after all these years. A "weak" person would have kept hanging on and lamenting. And a "weak" person wouldn't have survived the year of hell (this is something I personally know about very well)

Now, that's fine if she decides to do that, but then IF that is indeed what she decides, she has no right to feel sorry for herself/whine about it later. The part that really irritated me, is that she does (whine/pity herself).

That was a VERY realistic part of the show. No matter how "strong" you pretend to be, when you see your personal life unraveling before your eyes, you cannot evade feeling sorry for yourself. It's just impossible. The only question is whether or not you remain passive or if you pull yourself together and ACT on it, to somehow resolve the crisis. And keep in mind, she did. SHE did, nobody did it for her.

Taking Responsibility
Point-blank, almost everything both Mitsuki AND Taka did was half-a$$ed. This is just my personal preference here but if you're going to do something, for god sakes, do it right (or at least mostly right).

*cough*

I sincerely hope that you never happen to come into a comparable situation. Keep in mind, Mitsuki gave up an extremely promising swimming career to care for the invalid Takayuki. She obviously kept him afloat for a full year to a staggering degree, without laying any claims on him. You call that "half-assed"? I mean, for real?

Things like these put some extreme strain on you, not just financially/vocationally, but also emotionally. I know this from harsh personal experience. You'll also always be confronted with disappointments, because the one you care for doesn't show any progress at all. On bad days you wonder what you're doing all this for because it's natural that your efforts aren't recognized or even rewarded, it's more likely that you're exposed to ridicule and hostility for doing it. And heck, if I'd have had a reason to develop a guilt syndrome like Mitsuki, I'd probably have snapped myself

So the big question is, what should she have done? She was clearly at the end of her own strength to maintain the mask - rewatch the scene in ep5. That's no conniving calculating bitch deciding that NOW is the right moment to strike, that's a vulnerable young girl who sees the guy she loves go to hell in a hopeless situation.

At the same time, you can find yourself in a self-imposed responsibility situation you can't shed like a snakeskin even if you wanted. What if you just don't have the strength left to continue to pretend and need to leave the limbo? Either by being accepted or by being rejected, and consequently to disattach yourself again?

In other words, today I'd be very careful with words like "half-assed". What Mitsuki did in the first year was very extreme. I believe all this requires more than your idealistic self seems to realize.

Long story short, Mitsuki needs to learn how to take some god dang responsibility for her actions.

I don't consider her "responsible" for Haruka's accident by delaying Takayuki. I think I should better say that because some strange esoterics have been construing such a connection in the past. And as I outlined before, her actions go WAY beyond anything what realistic "taking responsibility" warrants. And whoever disagrees here needs to grow up and see the world a bit.

If you’re willing to put your feelings ahead of your (comatose) friend’s and go after her boyfriend, then by all means, do so—it’s your choice.

Keep in mind, Takayuki was on the way over the brink, and visibly, Mitsuki was too. Would Takayuki have been alive if Mitsuki had disattached herself and left him to his own devices, in order to get away from the hurt she couldn't take herself anymore? Would that have been "stronger"? What should she have done, hm?

I’m not judging, I’m not saying right or wrong, all I’m saying is that don’t prioritize yourself above your “best friend” and then pretend you didn’t. Take some responsibility and do the right thing.

Which is?

Also by the way, if I'd be comatose in the hospital, I wouldn't want my partner to suffer like a dog for a year or longer. Hell no. I'd feel like a selfish bastard if I did, and demanded from her that she waits for me no matter what. And guess what, even Haruka doesn't really blame Mitsuki for it, as we learn in the anime. Why do you?

To wrap it up, we read the ep5 scene completely differently. You consider it a disgusting exploitation of a particularly weak moment in Takayuki's life, executed in cold blood with the purpose to finally take what's rightfully someone else's, because you always wanted it. I see it more than the crack of the self-worn facade which couldn't go on after seeing Takayuki get worse and worse over the course of the year, and who couldn't lie to herself anymore.

We're relatively close about Takayuki. I don't like him at all ... but at the same time I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. His reactions are all too natural and realistic - those who are pampered the most realize it the least. What made me so irate was primarily the lack of appreciation, and the lack of consideration for BOTH girls. If you want a "weak" character to spank, pick him. At least, in the very last episode (and only there) he redeemed himself to a major degree by giving about the only credible reason for picking Mitsuki there is: He realizes what she did, what he did, and that it's time for him to finally get his act together and do his part.

So, as a closing thought, the beauty of the show is that there were no real "bad guys", and yet we're treated to a wonderful first-rate train wreck. And while you're generally right with your "One should/shouldn't do that" comments, I invite you to consider the mitigating circumstances. I believe that you're a bit too optimistic about how easy or difficult it is to just DO what's "right" in crises.

Just a thought.