(L+CR) Sakura Trick

[Kazu-kun]

^ You're thinking way too much. It's just a 4-koma. Kotone will deal with her problems when the time comes, and she'll get her happy ending.

The real issue is that we probably won't get to see that in the anime.

[Kismet-chan]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

^ You're thinking way too much. It's just a 4-koma. Kotone will deal with her problems when the time comes, and she'll get her happy ending.

I agree with this. As much as I LOVE to scrutinize stuff myself, this series isn't the place for it. The Kotone x Shizuku situation will iron itself out.

The real issue is that we probably won't get to see that in the anime.

Yeah... Some small part of me hopes that we will. Fingers crossed for Shizuku stealing Kotone away right in the middle of the wedding ceremony post-graduation!

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Random Wanderer

Except, you know, they do. Anime and manga have been rather strongly influenced by western values. It is not hard to find some where individuality and freedom of choice is praised over blind conformity. The fact that that is not really the true Japanese cultural attitude isn't really relevant: these are entertainment media. A form of escapist literature: not reality. They can show people getting a happy ending by doing things that people might want to do in real life but can't, because they are fiction.

Nowadays all media is influenced to some extent by other media, but I find this series distinctively Japanese. We live in a global village, But IMO the reason that makes you think there is some kind of "individuality and freedom of choice" influence in manga it is simpler than that, all works of fiction (no matter the date or place) have some degree of fantasy that help the plot to deviate from the social norm, but as I commented several pages ago, Sakura Trick has no fantasy elements whatsoever, it does not take place in the future or the past, it does not take place in another planet or a parallel universe, it does not have super-science nor supernatural elements, it is just modern average life in japan by a average group of teenage girls (Kotone's family is the small exception since they are rich) that just happen to like kissing (there plot does not even dwell even for an instant into the woes of being lesbian, it is all fluffy), this series could be so easily be done in live action and the only special effects would be in the scene of the jump at the veranda, everything else is normal. So I see no elements that would push the plot towards an out of the social norm, unless the author pulls a Medaka and changes genres at the middle of the manga run.

[silvercover]

you know guys, just cause its comedy, doesnt mean the situation wont be resolved.
but also due to comedy, it wont really end up badly for the characters and probably be happy.

if you want me to name a comedy 4koma, id say working!!! has got it done.
its got a ton of issues to play up the drama/comedy, and it looked like no resolution was going to happen. however, they apparently get done:

Spoiler:

for example, the issue of yamada and her being a run away.
it took a damn long time and several chapters, however, they finally got it resolved and yamada is going back to her family. not sure though if she really leaves the cast, as the latest chap ended up with that. she could show up again in a few chaps or after a long time...
it was happy mind you, as its comedy. yamada was able to reconnect with her family.

then apparently there's jun and yachiyo, the chapters havent been translated yet but apparently they do really get together.
also, I actually havent seen it yet, I only know this due to a title thread in mangafox directly stating "yachiyo and jun get together in XXX chapter". cant remember the number, but iirc it was about 100+ chapters away... really, that's how long it was when the thread first showed.

[J the Drafter]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

^ You're thinking way too much. It's just a 4-koma. Kotone will deal with her problems when the time comes, and she'll get her happy ending.

The real issue is that we probably won't get to see that in the anime.

Maybe. Nothing like that has actually been indicated or implied though, so I'm certainly not going to take it for granted.

[iSuckAtWriting]

I'm not finished with this show yet, but unless something goes wrong in its last two episodes I won't be changing my mind on it. The entire show has this prevailing sense of urgency for the characters to have as much fun as possible, because so often we get reminders the school is closing down, there won't be underclassmen for Haruka and co. to look after, or it'll be the last time Mistuki and Yuu are in the same school.

And speaking of, it's pleasantly surprising how much of the stage Mitsuki has taken. I'm more interested in how the budding triangle between her, Haruka, and Yuu is going to play out than the Kotone and Shizuku's problems.

The problem with Kotone and Shizuku is, compared to the Sonoda sisters and Haruka, they're predictable on the personality side. Mitsuki's move from jealous sister to unknowingly in love is smooth, and Haruka and Yuu aren't set in a clear path of top and bottom; sometimes it's Yuu being the aggressor, and at other times it's she who acts like a clingy jealous girl despite calling Haruka as such, and yet nothing about their behavior is out of character; in other words, they're well-rounded. They're believable.

Kotone and Shizuku tend to fall into old archetypes of top and bottom, as in I don't think I've seen Shizuku act playful or Kotone not being the aggressor, or what have you. The serious talk between Kotone and Shihzuku at the ~middle of the show should have been a warning sign, but of course a bit later we find out Kotone's has impending drama, and this reminds me of old molds where the smiling lady turns out to be using a facade. A little more roundedness or development and I might care for them as much as the story wants me to. Otherwise, it's out of left field.

Thankfully, Kotone and Shizuku have somehow been less important than even Mitsuki, and the show would be worse for it otherwise. Mitsuki's not the kind of character I take a liking too superficially, so kudos to Silver Light for making this darkhorse shine more light on this otherwise brilliant show.

[Kazu-kun]

Personally, I can't stand Mitsuki. Her character rings hollow to me, and so does her crush on Haruka, which comes out of nowhere. No only that, but the so-called love triangle she brings to the picture is pretty much pointless, as she doesn't stand a chance. It really isn't a triangle at all.

To put it simply, she's just a gag character. If somehow she ends up serving a larger purpose before the end, like helping to strengthen the relationship between Haruka and Yuu, then I least her existence won't be totally meaningless. But that's all. Other than that, she really is just a butt for jokes and a fanservice girl.

Kotone and Shizuku may have less screen time, but they have more depth. We knows their fears and anxieties, so there's a real story to tell there, if the author chooses to do so (and I think she eventually will). But even if she doesn't, they're still much better characters than Mitsuki will ever be.

[iSuckAtWriting]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Personally, I can't stand Mitsuki. Her character rings hollow to me, and so does her crush on Haruka, which comes out of nowhere. No only that, but the so-called love triangle she brings to the picture is pretty much pointless, as she doesn't stand a chance. It really isn't a triangle at all.

To put it simply, she's just a gag character. If somehow she ends up serving a larger purpose before the end, like helping to strengthen the relationship between Haruka and Yuu, then I least her existence won't be totally meaningless. But that's all. Other than that, she really is just a butt for jokes and a fanservice girl.

Kotone and Shizuku may have less screen time, but they have more depth. We knows their fears and anxieties, so there's a real story to tell there, if the author chooses to do so (and I think she eventually will). But even if she doesn't, they're still much better characters than Mitsuki will ever be.

Mitsuki started tailing Haruka and Yuu to keep track on the latter, then started thinking about Haruka more and more but managed to remind herself she's just in a play or wants to greet her happy new year, and as of episode 10 seemed to be completely unaware she was talking about Haruka the entire time she was talking about Haruka and Yuu's possible relationship. Steady progression for the comic relief in a show that's soothing and silly. She matches the show.

Kotone and Shizuku are watered down versions of the kind of conflict I'd see from a more serious anime and aren't compelling enough to make the drama worth anything, not when the reveal at episode 7 is a mood whiplash that undermines what the show is without giving anything believable in return. They're their for the sake of the show trying to be serious when it has a tighter grip on soothing and silliness. Good development can work in a limited amount of time (Diamond Daydreams and Time of Eve do this, just to name a few), but considering the Sonoda sisters and Haruka have substantially more screentime, I'm convinced the author's best strength for writing this story is to rely on familiarity over time than anything else.

Kotone and Shizuku have the more dramatic story, but I wouldn't mistake that for being better. And yes, Mitsuki's chances are zero, but the draw here is how the author is going to make her step down from the love triangle while not changing what the show is.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by iSuckAtWriting

Mitsuki started tailing Haruka and Yuu to keep track on the latter, then started thinking about Haruka more and more but managed to remind herself she's just in a play or wants to greet her happy new year, and as of episode 10 seemed to be completely unaware she was talking about Haruka the entire time she was talking about Haruka and Yuu's possible relationship.

Mitsuki was already crushing on Haruka since the second time she saw her. Like I said, it comes out of nowhere and it rings hollow.

not when the reveal at episode 7 is a mood whiplash that undermines what the show is without giving anything believable in return.

I don't think that's the case. This series a whole is pretty lighthearted but it does have its serious moments. Even Haruka and Yuu have some serious moments from time to time. I think Mitsuki's more of mismatch for the overall tone of the show than Kotone and Shizuku. The series may be a comedy, but her antics are a little more over the top than the rest imo.

Kotone and Shizuku have the more dramatic story, but I wouldn't mistake that for being better

At the very least it makes them more interesting. I'm not interested in Mitsuki's pointless crush in the least, because I'm not invested on her feelings. They seems shallow to me.

[iSuckAtWriting]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Mitsuki was already crushing on Haruka since the second time she saw her. Like I said, it comes out of nowhere and it rings hollow.

I don't think that's the case. This series a whole is pretty lighthearted but it does have its serous moments. Even Haruka and Yuu have some serious moments from time to time. I think Mitsuki's more of mismatch for the overall tone of the show than Kotone and Shizuku. The series may be a comedy, but her antics are a little more over the top than the rest imo.

At the very least it makes them more interesting. I'm not interested in Mitsuki's pointless crush in the least, because I'm not invested on her feelings. They seems shallow to me.

Mitsuki didn't show any serious signs of liking Haruka until the end of episode four. It doesn't have HaruYu or KotoZuku's backstory, maybe, but the development after that is a lot smoother than Kotone and Shizuku's problems. Combined with Mitsuki's screentime advantage, and KotoZuku's problems aren't being treated as seriously as they should be.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by iSuckAtWriting

Mitsuki didn't show any serious signs of liking Haruka until the end of episode four.

I don't remember which episode was, but she was already crushing on Haruka after the first time she saw her during the student council meeting. When she almost caught them kissing, she was already into her.

but the development after that is a lot smoother than Kotone and Shizuku's problems.

That's not development, just a succession of gags.

KotoZuku's problems aren't being treated as seriously as they should be.

That's true, but I think it's an ongoing plotline. Mitsuki will be put on a bus after her graduation. Kotone and Shizuku will stay, so there will be plenty of time for development.

[iSuckAtWriting]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I don't remember which episode was, but she was already crushing on Haruka after the first time she saw her during the student council meeting. When she almost caught them kissing, she was already into her.

That's not development, just a succession of gags.

When she caught them kissing she was flustered over how to thank her and might as well have seen her for the first time. The gags also went back and forth between her thinking about Yuu and thinking about Haruka, then there's episode 10 where she only talks about the latter. That's an attention to detail to make those jokes relevant.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by iSuckAtWriting

When she caught them kissing she was flustered over how to thank her and might as well have seen her for the first time.

She was into her even before that point. If you didn't get the hints that's a problem on your end, but it was pretty obvious to me.

The gags also went back and forth between her thinking about Yuu and thinking about Haruka, then there's episode 10 where she only talks about the latter.

No, it was always mostly about Haruka. Even at the time she asked Yuzu and Kaede to keep an eye on them, she was talking mostly about Haruku. Makes you wonder why Kaede didn't notice it back then.

[iSuckAtWriting]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

She was into her even before that point. If you didn't get the hints that's a problem on your end, but it was pretty obvious to me.

No, it was always mostly about Haruka. Even at the time she asked Yuzu and Kaede to keep an eye on them, she was talking mostly about Haruku. Makes you wonder why Kaede didn't notice it back then.

I'd be flustered too if my first meeting with someone involved them crashing into my chest. Can't remember if she thought about Haruka and Yuu equally, but I did say her thoughts went back and forth between them.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by iSuckAtWriting

I'd be flustered too if my first meeting with someone involved them crashing into my chest.

But you're not a manga character. In her case, she was already into her back then. And the reason is because she was impressed by Haruka's dedication to her friend (who ended up being Yuu) during the student council meeting. So it's not like I don't understand why Haruka caught her eye, but it still seems too convenient and shallow considering it happed so soon and she was Yuu's sister. The whole thing is contrived as hell.

[iSuckAtWriting]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

But you're not a manga character. In her case, she was already into her back then. And the reason is because she was impressed by Haruka's dedication to her friend (who ended up being Yuu) during the student council meeting. So it's not like I don't understand why Haruka caught her eye, but it still seems too convenient and shallow considering it happed so soon and she was Yuu's sister. The whole thing is contrived as hell.

I took Mitsuki's response to Haruka's dedication as just as an internal "awww," with her infatuation happening more over the short time she started tailing them.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by iSuckAtWriting

with her infatuation happening more over the short time she started tailing them.

We get more of a confirmation then, but her crush was pretty much at first sight. The hints were obvious.

[Biohazardous]

Don't forget Yuu has been talking about Haruka all the time to Mitsuki. This made her want to finally see the girl her sister couldnt stop talking about when they had the student council meeting.

[iSuckAtWriting]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

The hints were obvious.

So, Kotone and Shizuku are better characters than Mitsuki despite the reveal of their problems being an out of nowhere mood whiplash since the story didn't do the job of properly building up to those problems which they could have accomplished with more screentime or tighter storytelling in its limited amount of time, while Mitsuki has had the time to make her antics relevant to what she feels about Haruka and her eventual lack of catching herself about her feelings has a worse foundation despite the hallway meeting with Haruka being a sign so obvious as opposed to something so sudden?

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by iSuckAtWriting

So, Kotone and Shizuku are better characters than Mitsuki despite the reveal of their problems being an out of nowhere mood whiplash since the story didn't do the job of properly building up to those problems

I think you just don't pay attention. There were tons of hints about Kotone and Shizuku's situation from way back. The fact that Kotone was staying at Shizuku's place for some reason, the fact that she was always putting so much emphasis on making the best of the few years of high school they have together. Kotone's revealed to have a fiancée in episode 7, and it feels like it makes a lot of sense considering all the previous hints. And then episode 10 shows how much this actually affects Shizuku, so there is a pretty good progression.

All in all, I think they did a pretty good job building up this little storyline even though they didn't have much screentime to play with. It was developed through little moments, and this is just the beginning. I think this is an ongoing plot that will probably keep building up like this till the end of the manga.

Mitsuki has had the time to make her antics relevant to what she feels about Haruka and her eventual lack of catching herself about her feelings has a worse foundation despite the hallway meeting with Haruka being a sign so obvious as opposed to something so sudden?

It was sudden because that's actually when she fell in love. Right there. All the supposed "built-up" afterwards was just a meaningless succession of gags. The only time when Mitsuki was more than stupid gags and fanservice was when she tried to help Yuu to make up with Haruka. That was a good moments because it was the first time we saw her actually doing something for her sister. Unfortunately, most of her "characterization" revolves around her meaningless feelings for Haruka. If she was developed around her relationship with Yuu, she would be a lot more interesting, because that relationship gives her actual depth: in that episode she wasn't just a gag character, she was a thoughtful and caring older sister. That was cool. Too bad that side of her doesn't get much attention.


This goes to show that screentime doesn't necessarily make a character more relevant of interesting.