(L) Suzuka

[meteo]

I think I'm the only one not impressed by the ending...

- the Ice Queen suddenly melting? What happened, global warming?
- her 'cutest look' was nowhere near the cutest
- I would not want someone I'm dating to answer me in a graveyard... (that's just creepy)

[Vexx]

<shrug> I saw bits "melting" through much of the series .... the more she melted the angrier she got because she was carrying a flame for the deceased. If your main competition is a dead man, having her do what she did provides the most impact and evidence that she really is moving on. You do know that such places only contain the ashes of the departed, right? And that Buddhism doesn't view a memorial to the memories of loved ones as "creepy" .

As to "cutest" look... I've not been happy with the art and animation since the first ep....

[Epoq]

Originally Posted by meteo

I think I'm the only one not impressed by the ending...

If you read a page or two back (though I don't blame you for not doing so) you'll note that I was not only un-impressed by the ending but by the entire show.

[EternityOfPain]

I also disliked the ending. I felt is was very incomplete. When I began watching the series I was expecting a good romance and sports mix but of course good mix's never happen. In the end it fails in both catagories. The show as a whole just was bad >_<

[ayyo]

haha @ sig.

Despite it all, imo Honoka-chan's arc was sort of alone worth watching.

Although I got no facts to back me up, I think the main reason they only went for two seasons is because the manga is still going on and they don't have enough material for another season. Who knows, they MIGHT make a sequel to continue the anime but 13 more episodes of the ice queen lead and honoka-chan submitting might break my limiter.

[ShikaShika]

I think the anime chose a good place to end. I think it tied up the relationship in a nice way, leaving no real questions (at least not to me). I never expected the sports part to go anywhere, since I figured from the beginning that the show wasn't really about that anyway. It was just a plot device, and as such it didn't really interest me (nearly as much as Yamato and his romantic life did).

[npal]

Oh well... If you ask me, he should have stayed with Honoka and forget that cold $#@$% of a female lead People can be so stupid

Honoka FTW

[ForeverGoNe]

Originally Posted by npal

Oh well... If you ask me, he should have stayed with Honoka and forget that cold $#@$% of a female lead People can be so stupid

Honoka FTW

Well said.

I was wondering, why didn't he just stay with Honoka instead? If in fact, it should be the other way around where Honoka's love isn't worthy for that of Yamato.

[npal]

Originally Posted by ForeverGoNe

Well said.

I was wondering, why didn't he just stay with Honoka instead? If in fact, it should be the other way around where Honoka's love isn't worthy for that of Yamato.

Yup. I mean he did say all those nice things to her, went out of his way to be good and all that. I mean, it's not like he was indifferent or anything. I can understand the "in love with Suzuka" part, but come on, she was practically toying with him any way possible (especially when he finally hooked up with Honoka) and was cold most of the time (for whatever reason), you have to be a blockhead to continue in that way when you can get someone who really likes you and you like, ok maybe not so much as first love or whatever grand romance you might have had, but you like her nonetheless and you feel pretty nice being with her. Ok, so he was more or less flawed as a boyfriend, but ok, people learn from their mistakes and he was trying to learn, so it would have been ok. But whatever, if he likes ice, he can as well have the fridge girl

[Cruzer]

i guess yamato could just feel that suzuka had a strong reason for not going out with him, and you cant blame him rememebr in the laundromat where she made him stay and eat with her, and then went shopping with him , and then went to the bridge with the bellflowers, and then stayed one more day, comeon gotta feeel sorry for him its not his fault, and it was his first love. isnt that romantic enough. sure it would have been good to see him stay with honoka, but his first love was always there remeber when they picked the same song number, all those things just kept on poping up its just showing us its not always that easy though it may look dumb from an outsiders point of view.

[npal]

I am perfectly aware of the utter stupidity a guy can display in the whole "first love" stuff, been there, done that, although MY options were more limited than his. I usually don't have alternatives, so I can't really say. I CAN remember however that I'm neither a complete doormat nor a complete fool. If I had a Honoka opening somewhere, my Suzuka in that occassion could pretty much go to hell
Love and insanity go hand in hand most of the time anyway It takes a wise person to take the insanity part in logical amounts. But I guess we have to make all those stupid decisions to learn from our mistakes. In Yamato's case though, he'll never learn since he did get Suzuka in the end

Oh well, he'll always be an idiot, and an oppressed one, too

[Vexx]

I guess Yamato wins points for persistence in target acquisition and execution ... but so did Captain Ahab .... I probably would have gone the Honoka route myself given the same circumstances. However, in my case in high school --- I was so focused on my target I completely missed other incoming signals that might have been interesting. Some regrets in paths not taken but pretty happy with the one taken over the long run.

[Cruzer]

love is in the eye of the beholder nothing much we can do. and i an relate to Vexx.

[tabun]

Indeed. Love is beyond logic. The moment you accept this fact is the moment you can enjoy a show with decisions as seemingly weird as in Suzuka.

Although it can be pretty fun to discuss wether a decision was good or bad, or making a guess on the outcome, deciding if the show was good or bad based on the decisions of the characters is, excuse my rough wording, stupid. It's the same as saying (and I am straying a bit off topic here) that one of the Star Trek movies was bad because that darn Captain Kirk decided not to stay in the star dock. What an idiot! Or, to go along with Vexx' "Ahab" example: Would there have been a story to tell in Moby Dick without the Ahab conflict? Yes, a rather uninteresting travel report on a whale-hunting ship. Wohoo!

Honoka is the maybe strongest character of Suzuka, no questions asked, but what fuels the show is not "oh, I can't get the female lead, so I'm just going the easier route", but it is Yamato somehow staying focused on the girl of his dreams (and the problems derived therefrom).

Cheers

[npal]

Originally Posted by tabun

Indeed. Love is beyond logic. The moment you accept this fact is the moment you can enjoy a show with decisions as seemingly weird as in Suzuka.

Although it can be pretty fun to discuss wether a decision was good or bad, or making a guess on the outcome, deciding if the show was good or bad based on the decisions of the characters is, excuse my rough wording, stupid. It's the same as saying (and I am straying a bit off topic here) that one of the Star Trek movies was bad because that darn Captain Kirk decided not to stay in the star dock. What an idiot! Or, to go along with Vexx' "Ahab" example: Would there have been a story to tell in Moby Dick without the Ahab conflict? Yes, a rather uninteresting travel report on a whale-hunting ship. Wohoo!

Honoka is the maybe strongest character of Suzuka, no questions asked, but what fuels the show is not "oh, I can't get the female lead, so I'm just going the easier route", but it is Yamato somehow staying focused on the girl of his dreams (and the problems derived therefrom).

Cheers

It seems our definition of enjoyment is different I usually don't enjoy a show that involves the main character making bad decisions in succession, in almost every episode I usually like a show when a character, preferably the main character, maybe flawed in the beginning, maybe not, will shine above everyone else, including his own vices. The common ground between Suzuka and Shuffle is that neither main character shines in the end. The only characters that are worth watching in both shows are more or less secondary, like Honoka and Kaede. And neither Rin nor Yamato were very enjoyable for me. Rin was always an idiot, Yamato was promising, he was human, but he was making mistakes one after another, and before he could correct one, he made another, and he made decisions, right or wrong, always for the wrong reasons. In the end, he got what he deserved But that's my view in enjoying a show I'm an idealist, if I wanted to see pure reality thrown at my face, I can always open the door and stare at it

[Pellissier]

Originally Posted by npal

But that's my view in enjoying a show I'm an idealist, if I wanted to see pure reality thrown at my face, I can always open the door and stare at it

As for myself I agree with tabun, so I find pretty harsh to agree with your logical, although anyone is free to have his/her own tastes
At this rate, if you still haven't, I could suggest you to watch Da Capo, if you look for a so called "winner" main protagonist. (at least for what I recall). I can agree with your reasoning about Rin, but not about Yamato, because errors are an essential part of the growth, and the errors he made was always because blinded by his love.

I liked Suzuka (show) a lot mainly because I saw resemblance through Yamato's issues, and some issues I've had back on the time. I've had my own Suzuka (girl), with her highs and downs, and also my own Miki (meant as best female friend cheerful and maybe.. more), I hadn't any Honoka though , but I saw the similarities and I've appreciated that.

Btw in addiction, imho a flawless world (at least when it comes to love) would also be plain boring....

[npal]

It's not like I didn't feel for Yamato at some points (that's what I kept watching the series anyway, I could sympathize with him at various points), but Suzuka started to get on my nerves, and so did Yamato eventually And because there was no Honoka for me, I can really appreciate her being there, what can I say, I'm not THAT blinded

Eh, I heard some bad things about DC, mainly DCSS, but the characters are the same, so their failures in SS counter whatever might have happened in DC.

"Winner" in the sense that the main character is either intelligent and wise to begin with, makes right decisions most of the time or gets there by learning from mistakes (or does some sort of huge sacrifice to atone for his errors - that's usually the cliche of good-turned-evil-turned-good).

What many call perseverance is in many cases inability to learn that you need to either back up, or make a plan B instead of hitting your head against the wall. Ok, the wall might break, but your head will be the first to turn to mush

I'd rather be bored than depressed Plus, a flawless world can't be boring, it's flawless and boredom is a flaw

Honoka FTW

[Pellissier]

Originally Posted by npal

"Winner" in the sense that the main character is either intelligent and wise to begin with, makes right decisions most of the time or gets there by learning from mistakes (or does some sort of huge sacrifice to atone for his errors - that's usually the cliche of good-turned-evil-turned-good).

If you want a good and considerate main character lead, go watch Aishiteruze Baby, what else could I say?

Originally Posted by npal

What many call perseverance is in many cases inability to learn that you need to either back up, or make a plan B instead of hitting your head against the wall. Ok, the wall might break, but your head will be the first to turn to mush

You use a lot of rationality in your reasonings. And that's very appropriate. But love and rationality often don't combine, and with Yamato we have the proof. Love is not a perfect theory, applyable like a maths operation.

Originally Posted by npal

Plus, a flawless world can't be boring, it's flawless and boredom is a flaw

As usual, sometimes your (indeed perfect) logical frightens me , so it's better for me to give up, because I know I could even write a book, but still you will keep your opinion

[misakichii]

actually i think that the setting for the ending was the right place to end. because if you think about it, it was tsuda that was holding suzuka back from her feelings for yamato. so in the end she not only answer tsuda but also yamato. so it's not as bad as you may think.

[khoa1708]

they should just make the second season based on the manga (once they have enough materials)