AnimeSuki Forums

Frontier · 2020-05-09, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Why does Rikuo owe Haru reciprocal affection? He's entitled to like whoever his heart tells him to like.

I don't think he owes it to her to reciprocate her feelings, that's why I feel bad for her, but I think she does deserve a little more consideration for her feelings.

Guardian Enzo · 2020-05-09, 23:31

Maybe he deserves not to be hit in the head with a milk crate.

serenade_beta · 2020-05-09, 23:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Maybe he deserves not to be hit in the head with a milk crate.

The good old days when the girls would punch the guy into the stars just because she feels like it.

Frontier · 2020-05-10, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Maybe he deserves not to be hit in the head with a milk crate.

Her reaction was a very strong emotional outburst. I don't think she needed to hit him but I think how she was acting was very human.

Kanon · 2020-05-10, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Maybe he deserves not to be hit in the head with a milk crate.

Maybe he wouldn't have been hit in the first place if he had been upfront with her and treated her with a little bit of consideration. Haru is fine with him not reciprocating her feelings and would probably let go if he got with someone, what ticked her off is that he deliberately hid this from her and then claimed it was none of her business when they've been hanging out for more than a year.

Neither of them deserved what happened to them in that scene.

Guardian Enzo · 2020-05-10, 18:36

False equivalency FTW.

Haru has been belligerently stalking Rikuo since Day 1, with no prompting from him. He's done nothing to lead her on - at worst, he's given up on trying to push her away because she's clearly an immovable object. So obviously, when she physically assaults him it must be his fault.

Frontier · 2020-05-10, 18:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

False equivalency FTW.

Haru has been belligerently stalking Rikuo since Day 1, with no prompting from him. He's done nothing to lead her on - at worst, he's given up on trying to push her away because she's clearly an immovable object. So obviously, when she physically assaults him it must be his fault.

I don't count visiting him often as stalking. People do that with people they have crushes or feelings for all the time. Maybe it's a little aggressive or annoying if he's vehemently not interested but I don't see it as deplorable. It's a far cry from stalking in my opinion.

I don't think Rikuo has ever tried to push her away. He just kind of accepts her existence and doesn't really act on it one way or another because of how wishy-washy he can be.

I'm not saying she was justified to hit him but I think the whole outburst came out of all her bottled up frustration from how he's treated her feelings all this time (or lack there of).

Kanon · 2020-05-11, 07:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

False equivalency FTW.

Haru has been belligerently stalking Rikuo since Day 1, with no prompting from him. He's done nothing to lead her on - at worst, he's given up on trying to push her away because she's clearly an immovable object. So obviously, when she physically assaults him it must be his fault.

He hasn't given up on trying to push her away, he's accepted her as part of his life. That's what the whole getting sick in the rain arc was about. Saying this didn't concern her was uncalled for. She threw a tantrum at first but when he explained she calmed down, it's only when he threw that line in her face that she went off.

I'm not sure what you'd call their relationship, but Haru isn't his stalker (anymore). And she clearly is important to him as seen in the Minato arc, even if he'll never show it.

Kanon · 2020-05-16, 16:08

When Haru said it'll be her treat when she ordered the beers, was she talking only about the beers or the whole meal? Because if that's the latter, she shot herself in the foot with her previous order

(no way she normally eats this much, she totally did it on purpose)
Anyway, this proves once again that Rikuo cares about her, since he went out of his way to invite her to mend things. He could have easily just no contacted her, which would have actually been a more normal attitude coming from him. As Shinako later pointed out in the episode, he's not very forward.

On the Shinako and Rou side of things, not much has changed. He's still starving for her attention and love, and she is still reminded of his brother when she looks at him. She may be able to move on, but Rou is probably the worst candidate possible. I thought her breakdown was a step back for her, until the ending. We'll see how this goes, but it's too early in the story for the final couple to be decided. Curious to see how Haru and Rou will react. It seems to me that as long as it were Shinako, Haru was ready to accept defeat, but when faced with the actual fact, it might be different. Rou? He's going to be pissed for sure.

The special ending was pretty brilliant. Game over? Maybe not, she has the option to continue.

Wandering Soul · 2020-05-16, 17:43

That video game ED doesn't bode well for Haru, though maybe she'll surprise us in the end

While things have been patched up between Rikou and Haru, Rou and Shinako's situation has only deteriorated. It's officially reached the point where they can no longer ignore things. Curious to see what'll come of Shinako and Rikou's talk

kk2extreme · 2020-05-16, 18:00

The story starts in late 90s right judging from the technologies shown?

Frontier · 2020-05-16, 18:58

It's good that Rikuo seems to finally be making some progress as a photographer, even if it means he might finally quit his job at the store to commit to it full-time. Haru seems happy at the prospect of him realizing his passion, if maybe a little sad she won't see him at the store anymore

.

When your buddy tells you he's getting married and wants you to be his photographer. I guess that's a good way of giving Rikuo more professional experience

.

Those girls immediately killing Rou's hopes with Shinako was utterly hilarious

.

Wow, Rou really did grow and fill himself out. How much of a time-skip we talking here

?

I guess Rou is fine with being his brother if it means he can be with Shinako

.

Shinako seems ready to move on, or to at least have someone in her life to help her move on, and the episode titled "Premonition of a Couple" ends with her inviting Rikuo into her apartment. I'm not expecting things to get lewd, but things seem to definitely be heading towards a relationship upgrade between Rikou and Shinako. Of course, given we have 11 episodes left, I imagine it's going to be much more complicated then that

.

So the new Ending is an arcade game of Haru's love life? It ends on a pretty tragic note, showing Haru losing Rikuo to Shinako, but considering how they changed the past Ending's to reflect the content of the episode, I wonder if the events of the game will change depending on the status of the relationships in each episode

?

Decel · 2020-05-16, 19:45

I liked that video game ending. The whole episode feels like a transition in which everyone (except Haru, but she's been a sidekick this episode) is ready to move on.

Didn't realize we had 11 episodes left though. I'd understand this development if it was a typical 11-13 ep cour, but with 18 there's margin to add complications to the various storylines...

Marcus H. · 2020-05-16, 20:43

It's time to take the plunge!

This episode is basically the universe telling everyone (except Haru) that it's time to go to the next level.

Rikuo has rediscovered his passion for photography and is slowly moving away from his convenience store work (that symbolized his lack of direction in life). He is a bit fidgety about doing camera work, but it's only because it way different from doing things as a hobby.
Rou had several reminders about advancing "to the next stage", but the general consensus is to take things easy. Instead, he did what he thinks is best for him and stuck to his impatient character. Interesting how this is entirely the opposite of what the universe wanted to say to the other characters.
Shinako realized that her way of moving on from Yuu thus far is half-assed, and... all along, she had been waiting for someone to whisk her away. It turns out that this someone is Rikuo, but she wanted him to take the advantage the entire time. Being distant from Rou may be necessary, as she doesn't seem well-prepared to fully move on from Yuu.

Quote:

Originally Posted by "Circles" by Post Malone

I dare you to do something
I'm waiting on you again
So I don't take the blame
Run away, but we're running in circles
Run away, run away, run away

Totally bad signs ahead for Haru as shown in the new ED.

GAME OVER
Continue?

Guardian Enzo · 2020-05-17, 00:05

I don't know how much more clear it could be that Rikuo has no romantic feelings for Haru. He's doing nothing to lead her on, either - it's a fantasy she chooses to keep believing (like Rou). Sadly for the rugrats, neither one of them has a chance in Hell.

serenade_beta · 2020-05-17, 01:19

The biggest problem with the new ED.
The incredibly noticeable gasping the singer does before every line.

Hah! *sings*
Hah! *sings*
Hah! *sings*
Hah! *sings*
Hah! *sings*

The previous ED had a good atmosphere, but this one, the atmosphere is filled with carbon dioxide.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kk2extreme

The story starts in late 90s right judging from the technologies shown?

The manga originally started in 1997, so, yes.

TinyRedLeaf · 2020-05-17, 01:28

Shinako's invitation to Rikuo to come up to her apartment at the end was so loaded that it's effectively a chance for him to go from zero to home-run in a single night.

I'm fairly certain though that Rikuo would be sensible enough not to go that far even if the opportunity presents itself. It was a moment of vulnerability for Shinako, so it would feel so wrong to exploit it. That said, it was also a crucial step forward on her part, to finally recognise that she's been waiting all along for someone to pull her away from her place of loneliness.

The Reddit thread is all abuzz about the ominous "game over" hint for Haru, but like Guardian Enzo, I never felt she had a realistic chance to begin with, however endearing she may be with audiences in general. Like Ryou with Shinako, Haru doesn't really know Rikuo, and it remains a mystery how she even got infatuated with him in the first place. Given what little we've seen so far, I strongly suspect it has a lot to do with an idealised image she had unwittingly projected onto him. It is very sweet to see how she fawns over him but I can't help but feel it's all misdirected.

It's a similar situation with Ryou. It's very painful watching him flail, because it's also very clear that he doesn't really have Shinako's best interest in his mind, however much he may claim to want to protect her. It isn't her he wants to protect; it's his memory of his childhood life with her and his brother that he wants to protect. And, unlike Rikuo, he doesn't even have enough maturity to hold himself back in the face of rejection. It's rude and thoroughly selfish. But then again, love is selfish, so his behaviour is understandable, if not really acceptable in my opinion.

Circling back to Shinako, I would say that she had all along been attracted to Rikuo since the time when they were undergraduates. They spent so much time together and had such obvious chemistry that even their friends believed they were a couple. But Shinako was too weighed down by grief to move forward, and Rikuo, lacking self-confidence, never pressed the issue either, so they simply meandered on and never progressed to the next level.

The ball is in Rikuo's court. What would his next step be? I'm looking forward to it.

As for Haru, I'm still waiting to find out more about her backstory. There is something complex behind the cheerful facade, and I think the real side of her personality would be far more compelling than her current persona.

Guardian Enzo · 2020-05-17, 02:00

Of all the potential relationships in this series, Rikuo and Shinako is the only one that's based on something genuine and real. Both Rou and Haru are pursuing a fantasy - though at least in Rou's case, he knows the person in question and isn't basing everything on a random encounter the other party doesn't even remember.

That said, I still think there are huge obstacles in Rikuo and Shinako's path. His self-doubt, her chains to the past and potential guilt over breaking them, and the possibility that she's unconsciously doing this to try and force herself to move forward rather than out of genuine attraction to Rikuo. But compared to what Rou and Haru are basing their chances on, that's relatively manageable.

As for Haru I think it's very obvious that she's overcompensating for loneliness and probably depression. Her entire persona is a fabrication designed to make her seem edgy and genki. I find her the least endearing of the main cast by a comfortable margin, but she's certainly easy to feel sorry for.

Kanon · 2020-05-17, 12:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

As for Haru I think it's very obvious that she's overcompensating for loneliness and probably depression. Her entire persona is a fabrication designed to make her seem edgy and genki. I find her the least endearing of the main cast by a comfortable margin, but she's certainly easy to feel sorry for.

She obviously has some issues she's trying to hide, but I don't think her persona is entirely fabricated. As for her standing no chance, at the moment, that's definitely the case. But 10+ episodes from now? I'm not so sure. A lot can happen.

Frontier · 2020-05-17, 19:00

I think everyone in this love rectangle has an idealized view of the person they're attracted too, not just Rou and Haru.

I don't think they'd be making a move on Rikuo and Shinako now if it was the immediate endgame, especially with as many episodes as there are left. Although it will probably end up being a point of character development for all four involved.

2020-05-16, 16:08	Link #89
Kanon Kana Hanazawa ♥ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: France Age: 37	When Haru said it'll be her treat when she ordered the beers, was she talking only about the beers or the whole meal? Because if that's the latter, she shot herself in the foot with her previous order (no way she normally eats this much, she totally did it on purpose) Anyway, this proves once again that Rikuo cares about her, since he went out of his way to invite her to mend things. He could have easily just no contacted her, which would have actually been a more normal attitude coming from him. As Shinako later pointed out in the episode, he's not very forward. On the Shinako and Rou side of things, not much has changed. He's still starving for her attention and love, and she is still reminded of his brother when she looks at him. She may be able to move on, but Rou is probably the worst candidate possible. I thought her breakdown was a step back for her, until the ending. We'll see how this goes, but it's too early in the story for the final couple to be decided. Curious to see how Haru and Rou will react. It seems to me that as long as it were Shinako, Haru was ready to accept defeat, but when faced with the actual fact, it might be different. Rou? He's going to be pissed for sure. The special ending was pretty brilliant. Game over? Maybe not, she has the option to continue. __________________

2020-05-16, 17:43	Link #90
Wandering Soul Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: America	That video game ED doesn't bode well for Haru, though maybe she'll surprise us in the end While things have been patched up between Rikou and Haru, Rou and Shinako's situation has only deteriorated. It's officially reached the point where they can no longer ignore things. Curious to see what'll come of Shinako and Rikou's talk __________________

2020-05-16, 18:58	Link #92
Frontier Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013	It's good that Rikuo seems to finally be making some progress as a photographer, even if it means he might finally quit his job at the store to commit to it full-time. Haru seems happy at the prospect of him realizing his passion, if maybe a little sad she won't see him at the store anymore . When your buddy tells you he's getting married and wants you to be his photographer. I guess that's a good way of giving Rikuo more professional experience . Those girls immediately killing Rou's hopes with Shinako was utterly hilarious . Wow, Rou really did grow and fill himself out. How much of a time-skip we talking here ? I guess Rou is fine with being his brother if it means he can be with Shinako . Shinako seems ready to move on, or to at least have someone in her life to help her move on, and the episode titled "Premonition of a Couple" ends with her inviting Rikuo into her apartment. I'm not expecting things to get lewd, but things seem to definitely be heading towards a relationship upgrade between Rikou and Shinako. Of course, given we have 11 episodes left, I imagine it's going to be much more complicated then that . So the new Ending is an arcade game of Haru's love life? It ends on a pretty tragic note, showing Haru losing Rikuo to Shinako, but considering how they changed the past Ending's to reflect the content of the episode, I wonder if the events of the game will change depending on the status of the relationships in each episode ? __________________

2020-05-16, 19:45	Link #93
Decel Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Canada	I liked that video game ending. The whole episode feels like a transition in which everyone (except Haru, but she's been a sidekick this episode) is ready to move on. Didn't realize we had 11 episodes left though. I'd understand this development if it was a typical 11-13 ep cour, but with 18 there's margin to add complications to the various storylines... __________________ 2006- The year of the invasion of the Suzumiya Haruhi avatars and signature logos

2020-05-17, 19:00	Link #100
Frontier Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013	I think everyone in this love rectangle has an idealized view of the person they're attracted too, not just Rou and Haru. I don't think they'd be making a move on Rikuo and Shinako now if it was the immediate endgame, especially with as many episodes as there are left. Although it will probably end up being a point of character development for all four involved. __________________

2020-05-16, 18:00	Link #91
kk2extreme Your wife is hot... Join Date: May 2008 Location: At your house fixing A/C	The story starts in late 90s right judging from the technologies shown?

2020-05-17, 01:28	Link #97
TinyRedLeaf Moving in circles Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Singapore Age: 49	Shinako's invitation to Rikuo to come up to her apartment at the end was so loaded that it's effectively a chance for him to go from zero to home-run in a single night. I'm fairly certain though that Rikuo would be sensible enough not to go that far even if the opportunity presents itself. It was a moment of vulnerability for Shinako, so it would feel so wrong to exploit it. That said, it was also a crucial step forward on her part, to finally recognise that she's been waiting all along for someone to pull her away from her place of loneliness. The Reddit thread is all abuzz about the ominous "game over" hint for Haru, but like Guardian Enzo, I never felt she had a realistic chance to begin with, however endearing she may be with audiences in general. Like Ryou with Shinako, Haru doesn't really know Rikuo, and it remains a mystery how she even got infatuated with him in the first place. Given what little we've seen so far, I strongly suspect it has a lot to do with an idealised image she had unwittingly projected onto him. It is very sweet to see how she fawns over him but I can't help but feel it's all misdirected. It's a similar situation with Ryou. It's very painful watching him flail, because it's also very clear that he doesn't really have Shinako's best interest in his mind, however much he may claim to want to protect her. It isn't her he wants to protect; it's his memory of his childhood life with her and his brother that he wants to protect. And, unlike Rikuo, he doesn't even have enough maturity to hold himself back in the face of rejection. It's rude and thoroughly selfish. But then again, love is selfish, so his behaviour is understandable, if not really acceptable in my opinion. Circling back to Shinako, I would say that she had all along been attracted to Rikuo since the time when they were undergraduates. They spent so much time together and had such obvious chemistry that even their friends believed they were a couple. But Shinako was too weighed down by grief to move forward, and Rikuo, lacking self-confidence, never pressed the issue either, so they simply meandered on and never progressed to the next level. The ball is in Rikuo's court. What would his next step be? I'm looking forward to it. As for Haru, I'm still waiting to find out more about her backstory. There is something complex behind the cheerful facade, and I think the real side of her personality would be far more compelling than her current persona.