Second Term Episode 16 Discussion

[ub96]

I've always considered myself on the onigiri faction side....but after this episode and what could happen in 17, i just dunno anymore

i might have to become a flagger~

[DrewGSR]

Hahaha, this episode was great. Harima farting i the bath was hilarious. Looking forward to next weeks ep. I definately enjoyed it since im a Harima x Eri fan.

Harima did look pretty cool without his sunglasses. They need to change his hair back to the short spiked hair look which he had after Eri shaved his head in season 1. I think that was his best look. Short spiked hair style with or without sunglases would make him pimp.

[Maximum Burst]

Originally Posted by DrewGSR

Short spiked hair style with or without sunglases would make him pimp.

Unfortunately, he'll probably never do that because he'd look like how he was when he had that bad experience with Tenma all those years ago, and that's something he's been trying to hide from her.

[Shredder]

Originally Posted by DrewGSR

They need to change his hair back to the short spiked hair look which he had after Eri shaved his head in season 1. I think that was his best look. Short spiked hair style with or without sunglases would make him pimp.

Short spiked was tight, like when he was younger. I like the shades though, they distinguish him from everyone else. This ep was fun overall, however some of Eri's parts were kinda serious. I want to see some more of her usual smartass self. Great turn in the series though, it's flag time! Miko also grew on me in this ep, as she did in the date/arcade ep. I like her a lot, although maybe in a friendly sense.

I agree with what someone else said that Eri wasn't herself in this ep--she's been out of it for several eps now. I suspected there was some kind of marriage thing going on; was she meeting some suitor at the nice restaurant several eps ago? I don't think Miko likes Harima at all, she's just being a mischievous matchmaker between mutual friends, as girls are prone to do. It's def Miko/Asou as a side pairing.

I thought I saw some Eri blush in the next ep--can't wait! I think Tenma's funny as hell, I'm having temptations to defect to Correct Path faction unless Eri starts to show some pizazz. I'm not too cool with all the depression and funk stuff. Oh I forgot though, she doesn't know it's Harima yet. Here's to ep17 then

[Deathkillz]

soo late but ive finally watched it >.< it was great...
itoko at the start was hot but then a snowman O.o
tenma is as cold hearted as ever...psyco look in her eyes while sharpening that knife...
i cried for eri >.< she is so obviously in love with harima...welldone for miko to ask that question
i loved eri in this ep...even tho shes depressed i know things would turn out in the end harima just needs to cheer her up...and next ep wtf "fake bride" O.o

[Swampstorm]

Originally Posted by kauldron26

As happy as i am about this episode, i just hope the story goes somewhere and doesnt end up being a whole bg misunderstanding and then everyone goes back to their daily lives with some funny stuff here and there. As much as i love this show, i want to see characters grow. for 40 episodes now its all Tenma-chan, Tenma-chan, Tenma-chan. If Harima doesnt start growing im just going to give up on the show. i love Harima and School rumble, what makes an anime great are its characters and their growth. For 40 episodes its all "will harima confess?? will harima confess, wll harma confess, will harima confess?? its becoming episodic. But thankfully this episode opens the door to new possibilities, and im really happy. If everything past this episode doesnt affect any character in anyway, and its back to the same old formula and antics, then i guess im off the School Rumble boat. Great ride though.... i just want a destination.

If you're viewing the entire series with the assumption that Tenma is the main protagonist, then you're probably not going to see very much progress. Tenma is primarily a comic character, and much of the humor associated with her character depends on Tenma behaving in the usual, predictable way. As a result, the episodes where her character gets the spotlight (especially the early episodes of Season 1) tend to have the feel of a gag series (like Azumanga). The main running plotline, however, is based around Eri's character, which starts at around Ep.10 of Season 1. Eri, by contrast, is a dynamic, growing character who maintains a balance of both comedy and drama. If you review the storyline from her angle, you'll find more than enough character depth and development to keep you occupied. I'd easily rank her alongside classic characters like Ayukawa Madoka of KOR in that regard.

Originally Posted by gimmecash

I know why SR has no ending, the author wants more money.

Based on the available interview with KJ, I'd tend to disagree with that statement. Remember, the central conflict that was introduced from day 1 of the series was Karasuma's departure in March, at the end of the school year. Right now, the series is only in December in terms of the anime (February for the manga). Things will start coming together, soon enough.

Originally Posted by thundrakkon

Yakumo only reads people's minds when they exhibit strong desire/love for her. Tenma was only thinking about how to keep Harima away, so it did not fit the criteria necessary for Yakumo to read her mind. Besides, Yakumo has not read anyone's all season long. Besides, she was trying her best to ask what is going on and keep Harima, but Tenma was too stubborn, and as older sister, had the right kick him out. As a traditional woman (Yakumo), you don't defy your elder's (in this case, Tenma) decisions in the Asian culture, even if you don't agree with it.

There aren't any consistant rules that govern when Yakumo's mind reading ability kicks in. For the most part, it's a plot device that kicks in whenever the mangaka sees fit. Yakumo could read Tenma's mind when she had to choose between the two ingredient cards in Season 1, and yet there was no strong love/desire present at that point in time.

While I'm aware that Yakumo was initially introduced in the series as the ideal traditional woman, I think it's an oversimplification to say that she strictly adheres to that standard (as a matter of fact, I also think that there's another character that fits that stereotype more closely, but I'll leave that one for next week ). Yakumo does question Tenma's ideas and rebels against them on a number of occasions throughout the series. As you saw in the incident concerning the editor in S2 Ep.15 and the dog in the OVAs, Yakumo is more than capable of taking action when it suits her. For the most part, however, she doesn't feel the need to rebel against the requests of others. You'll probably need to view the storyline about the Tsukamoto sisters' childhood if you want to understand the underlying nature of their relationship. It's quite different from what you might expect.

Originally Posted by thundrakkon

Eri did not appear like her usual self in this episode. Usually a lot more perceptive, she seems clueless and non-chalant at times. I guess it has to do with the drama surrounding her right now, but it still feels like its not really her in this episode.

You're right about the fact that Eri seems different. A significant portion of this story arc is dedicated towards challenging many of our prior perceptions of Eri's character. Early on in the series, many of us were initially led to believe that Eri was a selfish, spoilt, rich girl with the typical tsundere insecurities. With this episode, you see a different side to her character being brought to the forefront. The most important point to note here is Eri's overwhelming concern for everyone else's needs. Eri is worried about imposing on Mikoto, and tries to shoulder her burdens in secret. She's also concerned about her parents desires, and feels that she must sacrifice her own desires to satisfy their wishes. During the bath scene, Mikoto asks Eri about her relationship with Harima - at which point she brings up the other established pairings: Mikoto and Asou, Nagayama and Tanaka, Madoka and Shigeo - and how she envies their position, which is something that she feels is impossible for her to attain with the upcoming omiai. With these words, not only do you see the extent to which Eri has fallen in love with Harima, but you also see just how much Eri is willing to sacrifice for the happiness of others. This is selflessness - and if you look back through the series, you'll find plenty of smaller incidents which were showing just this very quality in her, all along.

Typically, Eri takes the spotlight whenever Harima is around, so most of our experiences with her involve her reacting to Harima in some form or the other. This episode gives Harima and the viewers a chance to see Eri from a fresh perspective, free from all of the initial prejudices that initially clouded our vision. Instead of her pride and her anger, we see the inner fears and troubles that she tries to conceal behind them - and we see the genuine feelings that Eri has for those around her. Eri is clueless here because she needs to be. This is so that we can see her with her guard down - to see her for who she really is. With this storyline, expect to see quite a few dogmas shattered - not just those of the viewers, but those of Harima, as well.

Originally Posted by Shredder

I agree with what someone else said that Eri wasn't herself in this ep--she's been out of it for several eps now. I suspected there was some kind of marriage thing going on; was she meeting some suitor at the nice restaurant several eps ago?

The dinner in Ep.12, with an individual named Hayashi, is unrelated, to the best of my knowledge (for all we know, the guy might even be her father). Eri's dinner was not a part of the original manga. If I'm not mistaken, Eri doesn't know anything about her potential suitor at this point in time.

Originally Posted by Shredder

I thought I saw some Eri blush in the next ep--can't wait! I think Tenma's funny as hell, I'm having temptations to defect to Correct Path faction unless Eri starts to show some pizazz. I'm not too cool with all the depression and funk stuff.

Eri has always been a blend of drama and comedy. Undergoing hardships and difficulty is part of the process by which she overcomes her weaknesses and insecurities, and brooding helps to build up dramatic tension for these conflicts. These story arcs follow a crisis/catharsis routine - dramatic tension is built up, and then released at the climax of the story. Even the dance at the Sports Festival was preceded by a set of difficulties that the characters had to overcome. What's more - this story is even bigger.

If you're mainly interested in someone to provide entertaining faces and comedy, Tenma is a more consistant choice. Personally, I'm more a fan of sap than gags, so my preference is for Eri.

[mangatron]

You know, my favorite character is Eri-chan. At first I thought it was just her hair (refer to this post about why I think so ) Then I realized, that ever since School Rumble's birth it was just plain her. You know, her character. Her attitude. Her emotions. and this episode was very much something I've been waiting for since late in the first season. Ever since the Harima confession (manga and anime versions) I don't really recall an episode like this about Eri-chan. I'll admit I was practically cheering and laughing the whole episode. I mean, Harima without glasses, Eri-chan in the bath, and Mikoto in the mix, I really enjoyed this episode. I don't think I could've asked for more (other than a kiss between the two ), but there were some things that made me think.

-I'm kinda forgetting how Harima first looked with that mustache and goatee. Of course, I could just look in the mirror and say "oh, there's my goatee and mustache"
-You know, something caught my eye the moment it went on screen: a box cutter. ......yes, I said that, a box cutter. Now, you may not think how important that item is, but that moment when Mikoto threw it at Harima, I noticed it as quickly as it appeared and disappeared off screen. So what's my babbling about a box cutter? Well, I was chatting with someone on IRC (I believe it was in #aquastar-anime), and we were talking about Shuffle, reviving the KKK club with free 1/8 scale Kaede winter uniform figures, and the chat went to the point where the guy mentioned "that" box cutter. You know, the suicide weapon in the Shuffle! anime/game. Now, I'll admit, that when I first got wind of that box cutter being used in Shuffle!, that totally changed the way I view box cutters in this world. Yes, in the real world. Now I never look at box cutters the same way again. Now, everytime I see a box cutter, I think "he should've died. The bastard should stabbed, not slit. Dmn he was such an idiot " (yes, I end up chuckling to myself at the end. So, the moral of my babbling is: Shuffle!. You changed the way I view box cutters. lol.
-Itoko-sensei. Man, I just wish she was at the beach instead of the mountaintops wait, I don't have to call her sensei. I'll just call her Itoko-neechan! lolololol
-There's a crisis in the real world: There is not enough Eri-chan figures! Come on Kobayashi Jin, bribe that Monsieur Bome!
-All this that I typed, was there a single thing about the episode, or was it me ranting?

Ah, I feel like raiding the broadcast station and helping myself to episode 17 already

[ichigoismyhomie]

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

...and next ep wtf "fake bride" O.o

hm.....could it be eri will ask harima to be her fake husband to avoid the pre-arranged marriage? Im prety those manga people know what will happen. gaaaah.........all i can do is let my imagination running wild until ep 17 come......

poor hareeema.......he kept getting beat up by suou. how did suou deal with nakamura at the end? did she get beat up by nakamura or the other way around? I kinda feel sorri for yoshidayama getting beat up by that fat butler..........but why did he wear his hair like that? kinda gay

but again.................eri got back dimples............that's hot i love girls with back dimples......

[kauldron26]

even if it seems that harima and eri might end up together, with his tunnel vision for tenma, i can see the writer and director dragging this show for forever to make more money and better ratings. If u look at haimas character for the past 40 episodes towards tenma and Eri, its gonna take some huge shit for him to suddenly be into Eri. And i can see the creators of this show making that happen like 4 seasons later. ~sigh~ my biggest fear is that this show will end up becoming generic. We all watch this show, not only for the comedy and antics, but also for the characters and their journey. If they never change and keep doing the same thing over, and over, and over again, a show that i once labelled "one of the greatest animes ever" will just end up being mediocre. one can only hope that we can see some progress in character development that affects the whole show, and not insignificantly. As happy as i am about episode 16, i have some sort of dread because it might end up not meaning anything episodes down the line.

[Swampstorm]

Originally Posted by ichigoismyhomie

poor hareeema.......he kept getting beat up by suou. how did suou deal with nakamura at the end? did she get beat up by nakamura or the other way around?

Seeing as they didn't actually meet before the end of the episode... you'll need to wait on that one.

Originally Posted by ichigoismyhomie

I kinda feel sorri for yoshidayama getting beat up by that fat butler..........but why did he wear his hair like that? kinda gay

Yoshidayama's normal hairstyle is spiked up. The only times that you see him with his hair down are when he uses the public baths, in Ep.4 S2 and Ep.16 S2. I'm guessing that he ties off his hair because he lacks the hair products to spike it back up until he returns home.

Originally Posted by ichigoismyhomie

but again.................eri got back dimples............that's hot i love girls with back dimples......

I posted a number of stitched composite screenshots for Ep.16 at WF, one of which has those back dimples. I'm not sure if I can post them here, though.

One thing I like about these later stories is that Eri (moreso than anyone else) gets drawn in so much more detail, especially from this point on. Take this, for example:

Originally Posted by kauldron26

even if it seems that harima and eri might end up together, with his tunnel vision for tenma, i can see the writer and director dragging this show for forever to make more money and better ratings.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a sort of deadline for all of this. Karasuma is supposed to leave in March. We're currently in December, just before Christmas.

Originally Posted by kauldron26

If u look at haimas character for the past 40 episodes towards tenma and Eri, its gonna take some huge shit for him to suddenly be into Eri.

Hmm... sounds like a plan.

Originally Posted by kauldron26

And i can see the creators of this show making that happen like 4 seasons later. ~sigh~ my biggest fear is that this show will end up becoming generic. We all watch this show, not only for the comedy and antics, but also for the characters and their journey. If they never change and keep doing the same thing over, and over, and over again, a show that i once labelled "one of the greatest animes ever" will just end up being mediocre.

Part of the problem is that much of the current romance genre in anime seems to be geared towards shorter series (ahh... instant gratification). Older series, like KOR and Maison Ikkoku tend to drag on at times, but they come together brilliantly by the end. Romance isn't really supposed to be goal orientated - it's not about "getting the girl" so much as it is about watching characters interact and build relationships together. It's more like gardening than a sporting event.

SR is on the right track, especially with Eri's character development. Harima, too, seems to pull his act together at the right times, so I'm fairly confident that he can live up to his full potential.

Originally Posted by kauldron26

one can only hope that we can see some progress in character development that affects the whole show, and not insignificantly. As happy as i am about episode 16, i have some sort of dread because it might end up not meaning anything episodes down the line.

This story arc is still relevant, even today. Don't worry about that.

[Red_eyes]

Mikoto was so sweet in this episode, I think she's possibly the most kind-hearted of all the characters of SR. However, one question - when Mikoto asked Harima to stay at her house and Harima said he can't owe Mikoto another favor, which favor in the past was her referring to? I don't remember Mikoto helping Harima out. Also maybe I have forgotten, but since when did Mikoto know Eri liked Harima?

[ichigoismyhomie]

Originally Posted by Red_eyes

.......but since when did Mikoto know Eri liked Harima?

since she saw harima accidentally confessed to eri way back on season 1. then it all develop to the flag dance........and everything tumbling down from there on.

about the favor from mikoto? i kinda forgot but i think it was somewhere on season 1. go back and search for it, but im sure swampstorm will know the answer.

he/she is like SR sensei for us underling SR fans.......

hail swampy

[Swampstorm]

Originally Posted by Red_eyes

Mikoto was so sweet in this episode, I think she's possibly the most kind-hearted of all the characters of SR. However, one question - when Mikoto asked Harima to stay at her house and Harima said he can't owe Mikoto another favor, which favor in the past was her referring to? I don't remember Mikoto helping Harima out.

Well, she did help him pick up the tissues that he dropped, just a few moments earlier.

Originally Posted by Red_eyes

Also maybe I have forgotten, but since when did Mikoto know Eri liked Harima?

It's hard to say for sure. She's been a witness to a number of Flag incidents (including Harima's confession in Ep.10 S1), and she could have figured it out early on fairly easily, from the argument with Eri in Ep.14 S1. She definitely has it figured out by at least the start of Season 2, since she teases Eri about Harima in Ep.1 S2.

[ChainLegacy]

For the first time in a while, I really can't wait for the next episode to air... Ah, this was brilliant, and I agree that Eri is one of the show's best characters. The comedy in this episode was great and the character interactions were too, but next episode looks like it has the potential to blow this one out of the water. I hope, like kauldron26 pointed out, that this episode will lead somewhere and it won't turn out that the events simply do not impact Harima or Eri all that much.

[SonicMonkey]

I feel like some of you guys are being a little bit too premature about the whole "the mangaka is milking the series" conspiracy theory here.

Someone else above compared Eri's development as being similar to Madoka's in KOR, and I can kind of see that. Also that series took 48 episodes, 8 ovas and 2 movies to finally reach a very nice and satisfying conclusion and it was, at heart, a much simpler story since the two main characters atleast knew that they loved each other.

Personally I feel the pacing of the SR anime has been really good so far, I don't know if it will continue through another season like that or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did. The thing that is nice, is that the cast of the anime/manga is so large and filled with such diverse characters that it's kind of ok if the story meanders a little bit.

Maybe people are just used to more modern series where everything gets solved/finished in 13 or 24 episodes or so, but to me some of the really good romantic comedy animes have actually been really long - even if SR is destined currently to pass up KOR in length here pretty soon, it'll take it quite some time to catch up to Maison Ikkoku's 96 episodes and I believe... one ova and movie?

So I guess my point is... hey these things take time So long as the mangaka finishes up the series in a satisfying way, I'm more than willing to enjoy the ride.

[Deathkillz]

Originally Posted by Red_eyes

but since when did Mikoto know Eri liked Harima?

my best guess was when in the first season eri had that dance with bald harima its pretty telling (why would eri dance with some so ugly? not anymore since his hair is back )

[Anime Online]

I see School Rumble as more comedy than romance actually. After 42 episodes (Term 1 and 2 added together), I can no longer delude myself into believing that there is some kind of actual romance plot. Rather, the romance hints are used to launch the comedy by making the misunderstandings hilarious.

The romance in School Rumble feels very one-sided and static. Harima is very funny when he tries all kind of ways to confess to Tenma. Sadly, he is no closer than he was since Episode 1, Term 1. Hanai likes Yakumo, but he's probably doomed to failure. As for Yakumo, she seems to like Harima, but the show seems to want us to keep guessing.

It is understandable that any romance development would be extremely slow-paced, since it could disrupt the comical chemistry of the show. At least School Rumble delivers well when it comes to comedy.

[Forever]

Originally Posted by Red_eyes

Mikoto was so sweet in this episode, I think she's possibly the most kind-hearted of all the characters of SR. However, one question - when Mikoto asked Harima to stay at her house and Harima said he can't owe Mikoto another favor, which favor in the past was her referring to? I don't remember Mikoto helping Harima out. Also maybe I have forgotten, but since when did Mikoto know Eri liked Harima?

Well as Eri's best friend, i suppose Eri might have hinted to mikoto many times or maybe she told her already...

[Deathkillz]

Originally Posted by Anime Online

I see School Rumble as more comedy than romance actually. After 42 episodes (Term 1 and 2 added together), I can no longer delude myself into believing that there is some kind of actual romance plot. Rather, the romance hints are used to launch the comedy by making the misunderstandings hilarious.

The romance in School Rumble feels very one-sided and static. Harima is very funny when he tries all kind of ways to confess to Tenma. Sadly, he is no closer than he was since Episode 1, Term 1. Hanai likes Yakumo, but he's probably doomed to failure. As for Yakumo, she seems to like Harima, but the show seems to want us to keep guessing.

It is understandable that any romance development would be extremely slow-paced, since it could disrupt the comical chemistry of the show. At least School Rumble delivers well when it comes to comedy.

i feel the same...the romance has been sideplotted now its more down to trying to get romance but failing in a funny fasion (with the help of harima)
btw has anyone noticed that karasuma (SP?) has disappeared somewhere? had a quick glimpse of him this ep (in the snowman costume -.-) but now hes completely gone off and we no longer see tenma doing anything to attract his attention...heck i dnt even see him anymore

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by mangatron

You know, my favorite character is Eri-chan. At first I thought it was just her hair (refer to this post about why I think so ) Then I realized, that ever since School Rumble's birth it was just plain her. You know, her character. Her attitude. Her emotions. and this episode was very much something I've been waiting for since late in the first season. Ever since the Harima confession (manga and anime versions) I don't really recall an episode like this about Eri-chan. I'll admit I was practically cheering and laughing the whole episode. I mean, Harima without glasses, Eri-chan in the bath, and Mikoto in the mix, I really enjoyed this episode. I don't think I could've asked for more (other than a kiss between the two ), but there were some things that made me think.

-I'm kinda forgetting how Harima first looked with that mustache and goatee. Of course, I could just look in the mirror and say "oh, there's my goatee and mustache"
-You know, something caught my eye the moment it went on screen: a box cutter. ......yes, I said that, a box cutter. Now, you may not think how important that item is, but that moment when Mikoto threw it at Harima, I noticed it as quickly as it appeared and disappeared off screen. So what's my babbling about a box cutter? Well, I was chatting with someone on IRC (I believe it was in #aquastar-anime), and we were talking about Shuffle, reviving the KKK club with free 1/8 scale Kaede winter uniform figures, and the chat went to the point where the guy mentioned "that" box cutter. You know, the suicide weapon in the Shuffle! anime/game. Now, I'll admit, that when I first got wind of that box cutter being used in Shuffle!, that totally changed the way I view box cutters in this world. Yes, in the real world. Now I never look at box cutters the same way again. Now, everytime I see a box cutter, I think "he should've died. The bastard should stabbed, not slit. Dmn he was such an idiot " (yes, I end up chuckling to myself at the end. So, the moral of my babbling is: Shuffle!. You changed the way I view box cutters. lol.
-Itoko-sensei. Man, I just wish she was at the beach instead of the mountaintops wait, I don't have to call her sensei. I'll just call her Itoko-neechan! lolololol
-There's a crisis in the real world: There is not enough Eri-chan figures! Come on Kobayashi Jin, bribe that Monsieur Bome!
-All this that I typed, was there a single thing about the episode, or was it me ranting?

Ah, I feel like raiding the broadcast station and helping myself to episode 17 already

Hiya Lolitron, haven't seen you in while what happen?

I agree with Itoko sensei, we need see more of her. A hot spring ep would be the best.