(L+CR) Golden Time

[Haruyasha]

Ya'll keep insulting Linda. It's painfully obvious she's the true route. Just compare Linda and Kouko's character development, the difference is literally day and night.

Likewise, Linda also holds the childhood friendship card ...

And what is it? The Law of the Childhood Friend ... The childhood friend with deep connections to the protagonist always end up together. If it doesn't happen, there will be an OVA that makes it happen.

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by Haruyasha

Ya'll keep insulting Linda. It's painfully obvious she's the true route. Just compare Linda and Kouko's character development, the difference is literally day and night.

Likewise, Linda also holds the childhood friendship card ...

And what is it? The Law of the Childhood Friend ... The childhood friend with deep connections to the protagonist always end up together. If it doesn't happen, there will be an OVA that makes it happen.

Oreimo disagrees.

As for insulting Linda, aside from the guy just now, nobody's insulting Linda. And whether the difference is day and night, well I disagree that Kouko's had no character development while Linda's supposed to be so much different. But well, we just watch and see how it unfolds.

[Xero8420]

Originally Posted by Haruyasha

Ya'll keep insulting Linda. It's painfully obvious she's the true route. Just compare Linda and Kouko's character development, the difference is literally day and night.

Likewise, Linda also holds the childhood friendship card ...

And what is it? The Law of the Childhood Friend ... The childhood friend with deep connections to the protagonist always end up together. If it doesn't happen, there will be an OVA that makes it happen.

Not all childhood friends would definitely win, though. Chances are, they would eventually end up the same with the rest. Romance is a complicated topic to understand, yeah.

@SigUp
A few other animes disagreed too.

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by Haruyasha

Ya'll keep insulting Linda. It's painfully obvious she's the true route..

Ehh? Why is the anime titled "Golden Time"? It should've been "Old Times"...

Just compare Linda and Kouko's character development, the difference is literally day and night.

LOls... Koko's blonde and Linda's brown or maroon... yeah.. but its night and not day.

Likewise, Linda also holds the childhood friendship card ...

And what is it? The Law of the Childhood Friend ... The childhood friend with deep connections to the protagonist always end up together. If it doesn't happen, there will be an OVA that makes it happen.

I am a strong supporter of The Law of the Childhood Friend but compared that to the Law of Anime Cover Girl Wins or First Girl Meets Wins, Koko is obviously the MAIN, DEFAULT ROUTE.

P.S. Don't make me say some example that childhood friends lost in the end... that'll give me a dead flag from the higher ups again...^^

[rpapo]

Originally Posted by NoemiChan

Ehh? Why is the anime titled "Golden Time"? It should've been "Old Times"...

In Japan, "Golden Time" is also the expression for "Prime Time", as in the best time of the day (or in this case, life). Keep in mind the context: they just got done with the torture of college entrance exams that occurs in the last year of high school, but they haven't started the next torture: the job search which occurs in the last year of college, and then the everlasting torture of Japanese work life: 10-12 hour days, 6-7 days a week.

[Benigmatica]

Spoiler for Episode 9:

This love triangle is getting more complicated now that Banri regained his memories! Which girl will he choose now?

On the other hand, I feel sad that Linda's brother got NTR'd!

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by Benigmatica

Spoiler for Episode 9:

This love triangle is getting more complicated now that Banri regained his memories! Which girl will he choose now?

On the other hand, I feel sad that Linda's brother got NTR'd!

Still 15 episodes ahead, so we have lots of drama before us.

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by rpapo

In Japan, "Golden Time" is also the expression for "Prime Time", as in the best time of the day (or in this case, life). Keep in mind the context: they just got done with the torture of college entrance exams that occurs in the last year of high school, but they haven't started the next torture: the job search which occurs in the last year of college, and then the everlasting torture of Japanese work life: 10-12 hour days, 6-7 days a week.

I was actually joking...

Golden Time = Golden Hair = Koko

Old Time = Old Friend = Linda

[musouka]

Originally Posted by Haruyasha

Ya'll keep insulting Linda. It's painfully obvious she's the true route. Just compare Linda and Kouko's character development, the difference is literally day and night.

I wouldn't say that in the slightest. In episode four, Kouko sees Mitsuo doing nothing so much as laughing with Chinami, storms over, and tells him that she considers talking to other girls "cheating". In this episode, after figuring out that there used to be something between Linda and Banri (my money's on that she heard their conversation), she still smiles at Linda and tries to be upbeat around Banri until she can't take it any more.

I think a lot of people assume that since the lovey-dovey aspect of Banri and Kouko's relationship felt artificial, then the feelings behind the relationship were artificial too. But that isn't necessarily the case. Kouko is a huge proponent of "the power of positive thinking", so she has a tendency to steamroll through her own worries and concern to project how she wants things to go. This episode was an important step in their relationship, because Kouko admitted that she's been worried the entire time they've been together, and Banri was able to comfort her. Hopefully, this means Kouko will settle down a little and understand that Banri is able to support her even when she's not 100% cheerful.

Well, you know, if Banri's memories don't do something to make the burgeoning relationship trainwreck first. (I'm trying to avoid thinking about it, because my heart just aches every time I think of the damage he could do to Kouko, haha!)

Thought probably the part that made me the most sad in this episode was when Kouko was repeatedly asking him if he loved her, then she asked if she was annoying him by doing so. I understand that someone having their feelings questions can be hurtful for the person in question, but Kouko was so obviously miserable that it made me feel horrible to see just how worried she was that her understandable fears would make Banri hate her...

[Shinji103]

Well, LQs of the upcoming Megami and Nyantype scans are out, and don't count on seeing any Golden Time girls.

[Phantom]

What disturbed me in the latest episode was that when Banri was comforting Kouko, he never really did say, "I love you." I guess actions speak louder than words but it still gets on my mind as if it was a foreshadowing. Well, it must be a red Herring or something. I hope I am wrong, however.

[Flower]

Originally Posted by Michael Jung

What disturbed me in the latest episode was that when Banri was comforting Kouko, he never really did say, "I love you." I guess actions speak louder than words but it still gets on my mind as if it was a foreshadowing. Well, it must be a red Herring or something. I hope I am wrong, however.

Yeah, I kinda felt he handled that scene pretty insensitively, to be honest....

[AmeNoJaku]

Ep.9: Nice ideas, but with a corny execution make me laugh rather than empathize... and the subs don't help either

At least, the story is moving fast enough, instead of lingering too much in some cheap drama. On the other hand, should they had more capable writer(s), they could have taken advantage of the story ideas with a slower pace... but we'll never know

[User68604]

Originally Posted by Flower

Yeah, I kinda felt he handled that scene pretty insensitively, to be honest....

pretty much explains why she was "sick" the following day as well

[Guardian Enzo]

For me, Kouko's character has gotten plenty of development. It's her relationship with Banri that's had basically zero development.

What I'm waiting for is for GT to start making the case that Kouko's relationship with Banri should in any way be considered on a level playing field with Linda's. The narrative structure has been very odd - it just seems as if everything that's been done builds up the emotional connections between Banri and Linda, and triviializes them with Kouko. I don't deny the superficial evidence is that Kouko is the default route, but the series sure has a funny way of showing it.

[l.kostas]

Originally Posted by Michael Jung

What disturbed me in the latest episode was that when Banri was comforting Kouko, he never really did say, "I love you." I guess actions speak louder than words but it still gets on my mind as if it was a foreshadowing. Well, it must be a red Herring or something. I hope I am wrong, however.

I think it's that. He did tell her he loves her after he offered her the towel and she asked him, but she kept asking him all those questions and she cried, so he huged and kissed her in the end. As for what happened next,

Spoiler for that scene at the light novel:

after that kiss we go directly at Banri having regained his memories. Linda didn't withdraw in her house again. The flashback is the volume 3 prologue.

[Phantom]

Originally Posted by l.kostas

I think it's that. He did tell her he loves her after he offered her the towel and she asked him, but she kept asking him all those questions and she cried, so he huged and kissed her in the end. As for what happened next,

Spoiler for that scene at the light novel:

after that kiss we go directly at Banri having regained his memories. Linda didn't withdraw in her house again. The flashback is the volume 3 prologue.

I do not know much about the light novel so it seems that it is structured differently to me.

On the other hand, Banri is just getting swept by Kouko's pace here. Not there is anything wrong with it or anything, but in my opinion, a relationship doesn't last long if it is driven by one person. Then again, it IS anime so it might work well after all. *shrugs*

[pagan poor]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

For me, Kouko's character has gotten plenty of development. It's her relationship with Banri that's had basically zero development.

What I'm waiting for is for GT to start making the case that Kouko's relationship with Banri should in any way be considered on a level playing field with Linda's. The narrative structure has been very odd - it just seems as if everything that's been done builds up the emotional connections between Banri and Linda, and triviializes them with Kouko. I don't deny the superficial evidence is that Kouko is the default route, but the series sure has a funny way of showing it.

Maybe part of it is because they have 2 cours to get to around to Kouko.

[Flower]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

For me, Kouko's character has gotten plenty of development. It's her relationship with Banri that's had basically zero development.

What I'm waiting for is for GT to start making the case that Kouko's relationship with Banri should in any way be considered on a level playing field with Linda's. The narrative structure has been very odd - it just seems as if everything that's been done builds up the emotional connections between Banri and Linda, and triviializes them with Kouko. I don't deny the superficial evidence is that Kouko is the default route, but the series sure has a funny way of showing it.

I see what you are saying, but I wonder whether or no Banri's attempts to come to terms with his past and his relationship with Linda then in particular could be considered a sort of re-entry into a mine field through which he must pass before being able to truly come to love Kouko?

His primary (as far as we know) relationship experiences happened with Linda before the accident (both good and bad). He lost his memories then, but was able to sort of skate along and survive or exist or develop or whatever, but had had much difficulty (quite understandably) in going any deeper. His encounter and falling for Kouko, followed almost simultaneously yet slightly behind re-encounter with Linda sorta swirled together and resulted in the messy storm Banri is having a terrible time sorting out. Perhaps sometimes he did not even know where to begin?

Maybe another way to say the same thing is that he is headed in a right direction generally, but needs to deal with a lot of things directly related to heading in the right direction in the right way. So the very fact that he is wrestling with where to "place" what he experienced with Linda in both his heart, mind and... umm... life experience, I guess... is in and of itself a part of the process of Banri beginning to put his relationship with Kouko on the same level of emotional authority, if you will.

Unfortunately the problem is that whole realm is intertwined with his accident, memory loss and occassion of his identity being shaken, and that lends extra pain and difficulty to everything. Hence, the necessary but extraordinarily unpleasant mine field where the rubber is forced to meet the road for Banri.

[musouka]

I think what you have to keep in mind is that what we're getting from Banri and Linda are situations they've already went through. Yes, there's no comparing an established relationship with one that's just beginning, but the flashbacks aren't connected with Banri as he is now in any meaningful way (yet?). They're set up as parallels or contrasts to the relationship he's in with Kouko.

In fact, one of the parts I liked most about this episode was an odd little echo, for lack of a better term. One of the things Kouko asks Banri is "will you be with me forever", which is then "answered" by Banri in the past--except he's speaking to a totally different girl! That tells me that Banri has that capability, but as long as he insists upon being incomplete and running for his past, he'll never be able to achieve that with Kouko (or Linda, if you prefer).