Kimi no Iru Machi (A Town Where You Live)

[Mentar]

Originally Posted by HayashiTakara

How long have you been watching anime and reading manga? About 90-95% of the time childhood love = destine love. And this series is no different.

Haruto didn't even remember her at all. And Eba didn't start their relationship with "it's meeee, missed me much?"

Yes, I fully expect them to end up with each other, but based on developments after that. I'd be surprised if her faint childhood memory of Haruto would have been the cause for her rejection of Kazama. Possible? Absolutely. But not "pretty obvious" to me, as you put it.

I'm not faulting him for trying, I'm faulting him for putting a bitch move to attain it. He doesn't deserve to have a girlfriend.

Er, what? I can't parse that. First of all, we don't know firsthand what he did, other than that he told her that he'd die in a year, and that he asked her to become his GF. If the first is true, then how can you not fault him for trying and at the same time calling doing exactly that "a bitch move"? Or did he forfeit asking her to become his GF by telling her the truth about his health?

Not knowing about Haruto means nothing. Get the girl with effort, get her to fall in love with you, just as Eba did to get Haruto. Not pull out some sob story.

Let's first find out what really happened, I'd say. Alot of conjecture flying around.

I'm just being realistic here. I was optimistic about Kazama at first, but after seeing this shit, my hate lid popped off.

So either he may ask her to become his GF _or_ he can tell her about his medical condition? Mutually exclusive? Whether or not he milked this to coerce her into accepting him is something we don't know for sure yet, so I'd suggest we keep an open mind

[cyberdemon]

Also think of it like this. Yuzuki was shy and couldn't make friends. Kazama befriended her and gave her the courage to go out and make more. If she hadn't met Kazama do you think she'd have the courage to go to Hiroshima and chase Haruto eventually making him her boyfriend? She probably would've just tried to put up with Rin's torment. Fact is, even her own love life with Haruto was all because of what Kazama did for her.

[Rickketik]

wow...

I'm seriously surprised people are really buying all this bullsh*t..

[disposablehero92]

Originally Posted by Kinku

I totally hate Kazama using his illness for his advantage over Eba...BUT why cant Eba just be close friends with Kazama during his illness rather than be his "Girlfriend". All she had to say to Kazama that she has a boyfriend now and all she can do is be by Kazama side just as a friend. Either way the story really didnt pan out really well... been better if Eba was force to go out with a rich dude than guilt trip to go out with a sick perseon

but that the thing he BEGED for her to be his gf while he was sick not his friend, she already was his friend, but he was begging for her as a gf

[Darknemo2000]

Originally Posted by cyberdemon

Also think of it like this. Yuzuki was shy and couldn't make friends. Kazama befriended her and gave her the courage to go out and make more. If she hadn't met Kazama do you think she'd have the courage to go to Hiroshima and chase Haruto eventually making him her boyfriend? She probably would've just tried to put up with Rin's torment. Fact is, even her own love life with Haruto was all because of what Kazama did for her.

And because of that she feels the need to go out with him and destroy her own love life?

That is retarded my friend, totally retarded.

Yeah I may feel in debt, I may feel pity but love is completely different feeling than that, and if I am putting pity or debt before my love then my love was never strong to begin with.

No matter what excuses you throw (and Seo is not even throwing good excuses to begin with) this is the truth, like it or not.

Eba never really loved Haruto, she may have had a crush, but considering how easy she was to abandon this feeling it was never love, juts a fickle passing by emotion, nothing else.

[Arturro]

@Mentar - I agree with 85% of what you've said on last few pages. I suppose in next few years my "agreement rate" with yours words will rise to 95%
@KLGChaos - "full support". I couldn't give you a rep, sorry.

After reading last few pages of this topic, I started to feel... old. Like a geezer.
KNIM is a manga about teenagers for teenagers. When one is a teenager:
- love is overwhelming feeling, something lasting forever. One either love enough to die for love, or not love at all;
- teenager is immortal, death is something happening to others - old people mostly. Teenager knows that if he will face a death, he will be heroic and proud (and will survive);
- people should be rational and logical. People could be irrational only if overwhelmed by true love or deadly hatred - if so, anything they've done is explicable;
- teenager knows what he (or others) are feeling. When one told that he is in love, he either is in "true love" or is an evil schemer. Teenagers is never wrong about his/her feelings.

When Eba went to live with Haruto, she was already in love with him. With a boy, she hasn't seen for years... For many readers it's a proof of "true love", a childhood GF, a destined one. For me it was temporal affection of unsecure girl to her hero. That affection ended. I don't want to said, she never loved Haruto, she did, but it was not everlasting love, just affection. Most probably she still has some feelings for him, but Haruto is no longer her "number one". Eba is not in "true love" with Kazama, nor she is just dating him out of pity. He is dating Kazama, because he is her friend, he is dying, and she started to feel affection to him. IMO she feels something different to Kazama than what she was feeling to Haruto. Kazama is for now her "number one", the most important person on the world.

I agree with Mentar - Eba will be mad angry at Haruto. From her point of view, she sacrificed herself for well being of both Haruto and Kazama, and now Haruto is destroying all, because of his selfishness.

[Muyasuki]

Wow, other than Asuka, I didn't really like 91 at all. Let's say Eba's reason was actually valid. From what she is saying, she is only going out with Kazama because he is dying. This actually makes it a lot worse. Stuck going out with someone you do not love is a horrible feeling and will only foster the feeling of hatred in Eba for Kazama. Other than that, I agree with what most people say: this was a case of horrible writing and had been telegraphed by a lot of people before hand.

Really, it would have been better if Haruto really had given up on Eba or at the very least said, "And what did you plan to do after he died?". Really, when ever alternative female is more appealing then the lead, you KNOW you gotta problem. The only thing this chapter did was make me like Kazama less.

[HayashiTakara]

Originally Posted by Mentar

Haruto didn't even remember her at all. And Eba didn't start their relationship with "it's meeee, missed me much?"

Yes, I fully expect them to end up with each other, but based on developments after that. I'd be surprised if her faint childhood memory of Haruto would have been the cause for her rejection of Kazama. Possible? Absolutely. But not "pretty obvious" to me, as you put it.

No, she didn't but she already knew who he is and the past they shared. That's the only thing that is important.

Er, what? I can't parse that. First of all, we don't know firsthand what he did, other than that he told her that he'd die in a year, and that he asked her to become his GF. If the first is true, then how can you not fault him for trying and at the same time calling doing exactly that "a bitch move"? Or did he forfeit asking her to become his GF by telling her the truth about his health?

Let's first find out what really happened, I'd say. Alot of conjecture flying around.

So either he may ask her to become his GF _or_ he can tell her about his medical condition? Mutually exclusive? Whether or not he milked this to coerce her into accepting him is something we don't know for sure yet, so I'd suggest we keep an open mind

It is a bitch move, he used sympathy. She would NEVER have agreed if he never told her that. She's just not interested in him romantically.

We already know he begged with his excuse like the little bitch that he is. There's nothing else to know.

On top of which, he's not taking into consideration of how much pain he'll cause if Eba did end up falling in love with him within that time span. He's after self-gratification, it's a good thing Haruto came to Tokyo.

You're basing your assumptions on the "what if's", I'm just taking it by face value at this point. This series has proven itself to be very simplistic without any complex interwoven intricacies. I would beg to not look too deeply into it.

Although if I end up being wrong, I'll concede, at this point though I'm very sure what is shown is how it played it out. They usually don't show "flashbacks" if it's false.

Spoiler for snip:

Originally Posted by Arturro

@Mentar - I agree with 85% of what you've said on last few pages. I suppose in next few years my "agreement rate" with yours words will rise to 95%
@KLGChaos - "full support". I couldn't give you a rep, sorry.

After reading last few pages of this topic, I started to feel... old. Like a geezer.
KNIM is a manga about teenagers for teenagers. When one is a teenager:
- love is overwhelming feeling, something lasting forever. One either love enough to die for love, or not love at all;
- teenager is immortal, death is something happening to others - old people mostly. Teenager knows that if he will face a death, he will be heroic and proud (and will survive);
- people should be rational and logical. People could be irrational only if overwhelmed by true love or deadly hatred - if so, anything they've done is explicable;
- teenager knows what he (or others) are feeling. When one told that he is in love, he either is in "true love" or is an evil schemer. Teenagers is never wrong about his/her feelings.

When Eba went to live with Haruto, she was already in love with him. With a boy, she hasn't seen for years... For many readers it's a proof of "true love", a childhood GF, a destined one. For me it was temporal affection of unsecure girl to her hero. That affection ended. I don't want to said, she never loved Haruto, she did, but it was not everlasting love, just affection. Most probably she still has some feelings for him, but Haruto is no longer her "number one". Eba is not in "true love" with Kazama, nor she is just dating him out of pity. He is dating Kazama, because he is her friend, he is dying, and she started to feel affection to him. IMO she feels something different to Kazama than what she was feeling to Haruto. Kazama is for now her "number one", the most important person on the world.

I agree with Mentar - Eba will be mad angry at Haruto. From her point of view, she sacrificed herself for well being of both Haruto and Kazama, and now Haruto is destroying all, because of his selfishness.

I'm not sure what you're basing on this from. The whole Eba not in love with Haruto bit... This is a Shonen romance, it's important for the female to have feelings for the male lead otherwise she'll be unworthy.

[DragoZERO]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

It would have helped if we'd have seen more of that flashback, i mean she could easily support him and not have to date him. Just seems like more of that conversation should have been covered seeing as how important it is to the story.

I am hoping we get the full scoop of that story by the time this is all over.

Originally Posted by Mentar

Er, no. At least it's definitely not obvious for me. Kazama pursued Eba in middle school, when she hadn't even SEEN Haruto. So unless you believe in the "met as kids, forever in destined love since" spiel (which I don't), Haruto had zero impact on the rejection.

I don't think Yuzuki was in love love with Haruto from their first meeting but I think, and like to think, that it left a large impression on her. I think she asked to go to Hiroshima because of what Haruto told her when they were children. Yuzuki may have, and probably did have, other reasons for turning town Kazama but it is nice to think Haruto was a big part of it.

[Sinestra]

Even though Eba should have said told Kazama she had a boyfriend when he asked her out. I forgot to ask what person in their right mind would want to be with someone who they know does not love them? I guess my mind just does not work that way. Even if i was terminally ill i could ask someone to be with me when i know they dont have those feelings for me. Eba could have given her his support without being his girlfriend. But like Mentar mentioned she is rather "simple" so in her mind i guess this was the way she thought was best to support him.

The other point is why did Kazama have to bring up the terminally ill part when he asked her out? I personally think its cheap and Mentar might be on to something. Im starting feel like him that maybe Kazama is not terminally ill. Something is not right with this whole set up and i just cant pin it down. But when you start piecing things together starting from when Eba went back to Tokyo the first time. The lines between fact and if start to get really skewed.

I think he is sick but its not terminally im at about 55% sure of this.

[Terrestrial Dream]

Originally Posted by Soviet

No, if you add the emotional part it becomes even harder to see how saying yes to such an absurd request is possible. I have a girlfriend, still going strong after 6 months. I love her. Now I'm trying to imagine that a really good female friend of mine pulls a Kazama.
...
...
...
Why did she not ask me to rob a bank, I'd rather do that to make her last year awesome. I'm sorry. There is a reason I'm dating my current girlfriend and not her. If you would seriously be able to say yes, well, can't have been that great of a bond.

The fact that Kazama helped her when she was lonely plays a quite a large part. When someone is alone and has no one to talk to it gets really depressing. I am sure because of this Eda is truly grateful towards Kazama. Factor this with a last wish of a person like Kazama then it almost feels like an obligation to do something for him.
And your scenario really can't be compared to Eda's situation.

[Kinku]

If Eba pretending to be Kazama Girlfriend just to make him feel better than thats make the whole relentionship mess up to start with. Eba just dating Kazama because she feels she own him since he helped her in middleschool, its nothing more than just being loyal to a friend. If Kazama wasnt sick im preatty sure She be dating Haruto still rather Kazama.

IF Eba did felt something for Kazama .. it would be because she can't think a future without Kazama being there.

[astrallionheart]

Originally Posted by DragoZERO

Your keyword, flashback, answers your question. That's what Kazama was then, he has surely changed since then.

Hmm...never saw it that way. I guess I also take the love in these mangas for granted, immediately assuming it's true love and all, since that's what it usually is. But Yuzuki definitely fits the bill of a girl who would always have a boyfriend. I knew girls and guys who were always going out with someone. It's like they didn't know how to be alone or something. This also supports Rin's original impressions of Yuzuki too.

Aoi barely remembered Yuzuki. Plus you can't expect a pimp to remember all of his whores.

This I agree with. Rin likes to further her agenda but she doesn't straight up lie. She told Haruto she dislikes Eba because she's always toying with guys--"seducing them" as she said. Rin was pretty emotional about this so I can't see why she would lie about this to start with.

I'm pretty sure Eba's "been around the block" if you get what I'm saying.

While most girls we've seen in the story have been pretty reserved about their feelings, Eba's been a pretty casual girl in regards to Haruto; seems like she has plenty of experience with guys.

And the whole thing about Kazama helping Eba open up--LOL. The first day she walked into Hiroshima she was already the most popular girl in school. That is the most unlikely excuse ever.

[Kinku]

I thought Eba was popular because she came from Tokyo city? Consider its a small town highschool i would figure someone from a big city would probably be talk of the town.

I dont think Eba one of the girls that needs a boyfriend all the time. If that was the case she would had gone out with kazama before he was sick. I think she more like a dumb blonde if anything else .....

[astrallionheart]

Originally Posted by Mentar

Eh? "True love"? *blinks*

I can't blame the manga for having people so totally misconstrue what happens in the story, then. There never has been any "true love" between them, there never even was a single phase in which they'd have been a relaxed, regular couple. Initially, it was a one-sided attraction from Eba while Haruto was dreaming about Nanami. Then, Eba faded into the background while Haruto tsundered around until he was about to lose Eba returning to Tokyo. He finally got his act together and in a highly pressured scene, managed to get Eba to agree for a LD relationship, which they rather struggled through uneasily. Finally, Haruto botched their RL meeting.

"True love". Please.

Yeah, I don't get why people think Eba is in love with Haruto? Again, he desperately wanted to keep contact with Eba, while she basically just walked out the door with her back turned.

The only reason she agreed to do a long distance relationship was because she has a compassionate personality and couldn't turn him down when he was so desperate at the end. Eba pity-dated Kazama, unless people think she is bipolar, the long distance relationship with Haruto was just pity dating. This would be consistent with her personality--not saying it's bad, it shows she has trouble turning down people who need help. The problem is, leading Haruto on ended up hurting him more.

Oh please, just because you met someone as a child (and not even remember), you don't have a romantic history with them. It's obvious that Kazama was trying to get Eba to date him way before Haruto even knew that she would re-enter his life. That's what I meant with "longer history".

Yeah, she credits Kazama for turning her life around. If anything, she would have stronger romantic feelings for him than some interesting kid she met for one day in her childhood.

[DragoZERO]

I really am going in circles here. I don't know what to think and everyone makes such solid arguments and all. I can't stay put.

And I hate the idea of Yuzuki having gone around the block, no matter how realistic it is. And I know how idealistic that is.

[astrallionheart]

I have no sympathies with Kazama, sick or not. The dude goes on karaoke dates during the day ala Hattori from Suzuka.

For all we know, he could've played the illness card over and over already. Look, I'm not judging him--if he really only has 1 year to live and use that to party around a bit, all the power to him. But Haruto has every right to take Eba back, because frankly, the Kazama is a player and Haruto's been through a lot of shit for Eba and owes no excuses to Kazama.

[HayashiTakara]

I don't get how the impression of Eba always having boyfriends came about. Kazama chased after her throughout middleschool and we found out she was rather timid back then and she came to Hiroshima right when H.S. started. It doesn't fit anywhere in the timeline, unless of course you're suggesting she was whoring about in primary school.

Besides, Shonen law for females #1: they must be a virgin. if the girl isn't pure than she isn't worthy of being with the hero. If this was a Seinen or Jousei than it'll be different.

[astrallionheart]

Originally Posted by HayashiTakara

I don't get how the impression of Eba always having boyfriends came about. Kazama chased after her throughout middleschool and we found out she was rather timid back then and she came to Hiroshima right when H.S. started. It doesn't fit anywhere in the timeline, unless of course you're suggesting she was whoring about in primary school.

Besides, Shonen law for females #1: they must be a virgin. if the girl isn't pure than she isn't worthy of being with the hero. If this was a Seinen or Jousei than it'll be different.

Yeah, but isn't 2 guys, 1 girl unusual for shounen? I think that means Seo is moving out of the mold (getting a lot of haters in the process), so typical stereotypes don't necessarily apply.

And Eba's been lying repeatably already, what makes her new story any more legitimate

[astrallionheart]

You know what I really want to see?

Haruto knocks on Kazama's door one morning and he opens the door slowly and answers groggily. Haruto looks through the crack in the doorway and sees Kazama's bed. The sheets move around a bit and a Eba's head pops out: "close the door Kyosuke-kun, it's so cold!"