2011-11-03, 13:39 | Link #381 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
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This is true.
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2011-11-03, 19:53 | Link #383 |
Yuuki Aoi
Join Date: Jul 2004
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I understand that. He is the most human character, the one who embodies our good and bad human feelings and with whom we can identify, I think. But it will take me a loooong time to get over his verbally betraying his girlfriend immediately upon re-meeting Chihaya. I kind of loathe him, actually. I hated seeing him bully and drag Chihaya away from Arata's home, without even getting the cards. I dislike him, but I still relate to him, since I can feel where he is coming from, and why he is as he is. Does that make sense?
I'd love to see some romance, but it doesn't fit the story yet, and I don't find myself particularly shipping either of the guys. Arata repeating that line about Taichi being cowardly rubbed me the wrong way, too. Great to see some human beings, lol.
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2011-11-03, 20:45 | Link #384 |
Lost at Sea
Join Date: Mar 2010
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I agree that romance does not fit the story, but the story is chock full of romantic tension, if Taichi's repressed hand-holding maneuvers and Arata's roll on top of Chihaya is anything to go by. Plus everyone is so drop-dead gorgeous, what else is there to think of, but sex sex sex?
Very nice analysis of Taichi, by the bye. You almost persuade me to dislike him too, except as you note his bad behavior means he is simply all too human. I give him credit for self-reflection: he thinks about the way he and Chihaya interact, connecting that with being a couple, which is fairly astute. Arata is astute in the same way when he calls Taichi a coward. In my book he gets double points for speaking out so bluntly: Taichi doesn't deserve to get away with it. I don't know if Chihaya is as perceptive as the others: when she starts berating herself for being selfish, is that genuine self-consciousness or just her accommodating herself to Arata's resentment toward her uninvited presence? I like it that the characters are so intelligently reflective: if the situations they find themselves in are inevitably time-worn, their thoughts about them and themselves are distinctive and refreshing. |
2011-11-03, 20:57 | Link #385 |
Waiting for more taiyuki!
Join Date: Jan 2004
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I'm going with the cherry blossoms oh so subtle hint and root for Arata. Last time I saw a guy framed in cherry blossoms he was the guy the MC got in the end.
Taichi dragging Chihaya from Arata's place was also a demerit from my perspective. No manhandling allowed.
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2011-11-03, 21:21 | Link #386 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Austria
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Of the three, I'm pretty sure Taichi has the highest social competence. Pity that, being a coward and lacking confidence, he's not making the most of it. But I do think he rescued Chihaya's and Arata's friendship in that scene. I dare not imagine what would have come of this, had Taichi not been there. |
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2011-11-03, 22:05 | Link #387 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
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He's going to get better.
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2011-11-03, 22:35 | Link #388 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 35
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And in the end, I don't think Taichi hates Arata. In fact, even aside from the link to Chihaya I think what Taichi harbours might really be a genuine jealousy. After all, it must only be for Arata's own deep-seated confidence that he managed to call out Taichi for a "coward" even in the midst of his own self-loathing and failure. For a duplicitous coward who feels inferior even while he is "supposed" to be superior, there must be a degree of awe and terror that Taichi faces when confronted by someone whose strength is truly genuine. lol, I'm rooting for Taichi too, as far as him growing some balls at least (on the romance front, Taichi's interest in Chihaya almost seems like a cheap escape path and an easy way out). Arata and Chihaya are just a bit too perfect that without Taichi things wouldn't be nearly as interesting (though, as far as "imperfections" go, I guess I'm still keenly (...) interested in the status of Chihaya and her sister. If character drama will continue to be a major focus, I really hope that relationship will get some spotlight too. ). Last edited by Sol Falling; 2011-11-03 at 23:43. |
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2011-11-03, 22:57 | Link #389 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Taichi's character growth is about learning to face a challenge even if it seems he has no chance. This not only apply to Karuta, but also to his feelings for Chihaya. I'd say a fully mature Taichi would be a Taichi who can challenge Arata and confess to Chihaya without a self-defeating attitude. Whether he win or lose is irrelevant; the point is not to give up, not to run away.
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2011-11-03, 23:33 | Link #390 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Age: 35
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What I meant by that is that it feels like Taichi's love/fascination with Chihaya stems from his inability to take on a losing challenge in the first place. So Taichi admires Chihaya for her passion and willingness to meet her challenges, but being together with her would absolve his very need to develop his own passion and willingness to aim for uncertain victories--because she would be doing that for him. Certainly, if Chihaya answered Taichi's feelings as he is right now, I feel like his character development might stop right here. That's why, while yeah I'm rooting for Taichi to grow stronger--for the sake of being able to properly confess to Chihaya, even--I wouldn't say that I am actually rooting for their romance.
Last edited by Sol Falling; 2011-11-03 at 23:44. |
2011-11-03, 23:34 | Link #391 |
Lost at Sea
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Sol, you bring out how alike Chihaya and Arata are, in their emotional dedication to childhood memories, Chihaya for their karuta club, and Arata for his grandfather. Both are paying out their present lives for the sake of what they remember. Arata's self-exile from karuta and Chihaya's nostalgic perseverance in following karuta paradoxically represent the exact same retrospective gesture.
This kind of almost autistic dedication to an idea is reflected in the way both Chihaya and Arata play karuta. The truth is they are both geniuses, people on an extraordinary level. So I think you are exactly right that Taichi is jealous of Arata, but I think you are really describing his stance toward Arata and Chihaya alike. Taichi is just an ordinary person, for all his stellar grades and the high expectations his mother places on him. He has no particular fascination for the past, and is perfectly willing to let life simply go on, leaving karuta and everything else behind. Thus he stands in contrast to his brilliant friends. His role is to be the foil that allows Chihaya and Arata to bridge back to the ordinary world. As Dawnstorm points out, in this episode he is the one who enables Chihaya and Arata the possibility of recovering their friendship. Without him, they would have followed their retrospective lights into a smash-up. It is a wonderful thing to be brilliant, and also very terrible. It is painful to feel yourself inferior to your friends, but then to be brilliant at ordinary life carries with it all the rewards those same friends will never know. |
2011-11-04, 03:08 | Link #392 | ||||||||
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Austria
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On the train, Taichi and Chihaya talk about presents for Arata. Dawnstorm: No! Chihaya, you didn't get him... In Arata's room, Chihaya opens her bag. Dawnstorm: Oh no, you're not giving him that? NOW?!?!? In that mood? Chihaya: Let's all play Karuta. Storms into the neighbour room. Dawnstorm: ... ... ... (Icantwatch Icantwatch Icantwatch) Quote:
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At home, he traded success for affection. That's what messed him up. I think Taichi's biggest fear is being hated: failure is the road to loneliness. This fear is not only the limitation of his social awareness, it's probably also its source. I think he's a harmony seeker; he can bully Arata, as long as he can convince himself that he's a nobody - and he can run away from the realisation that he's not a nobody, because nobody else hinders him. Except Chihaya. And then he's trapped in the game, and that's the finishing blow. Quote:
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Being with Chihaya thrusts Taichi into the sort of situation he fears the most. At the moment, though, I'm not rooting for any romance. They'll figure out what to do in good time. I just feel bad for Taichi's girlfriend. She looked like a nice one, but they really don't have much of a future. You know, she is the ceap way out. Being with her is so soothing... Quote:
None of them is perfect. So I do agree with this: Quote:
It's one of the most intricate friendship scenarios I've seen in anime. They don't have much time, but they use it to the max. (It helps that even minor characters - so far - feel "complete": Arata's mom is a stellar example; I shouldn't have such a good picture of her, from the screen time I got.) *** Finally a minor thing I'm wondering about: In the letter, there were cue cards. One of those read something like "If Arata has a mobile phone, get the number. Important." Huh? Didn't she call him an episode before? Has she tried to call him so often that Arata cancelled the number? Is that an oversight? Am I missing something? |
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2011-11-04, 08:14 | Link #394 | |
さっく♥ゆうきゃん♥ほそやん
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: in the land down under...
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p.s. the line that reads "Sorry, but don't call me again" would be better translated as "Sorry, but don't contact me again"...or perhaps "don't call or write to me again".
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2011-11-04, 08:25 | Link #395 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Age: 62
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I want to thank everyone for their civilized and balanced discussion of the trio's personalities and interactions. After the first few weeks intensive hateful comments, it's a joy to read posts that discuss both the characters' good and bad points in less heated terms. Edit: Beaten to the mobile phone answer. LOL
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2011-11-04, 16:55 | Link #398 |
Disabled By Request
Join Date: Oct 2007
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This show is turning out to be my sleeper hit of this season. Never would've thought it would turn out to be such a well-done character-driven series. There is so much tension in the relationship(s). The "give-aways" for the romantic triangle are blatant, but also very slight. Great story-telling right there.
+1 also for the fact that its about continuing an old cultural tradition You don't see that too often nowadays. |
2011-11-04, 21:56 | Link #399 | |||||
fullblown technicolour
Join Date: Apr 2006
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chihaya was too--she's so single-minded that she's just pushing karuta in arata's face despite him--on more than one occasion-refusing her. they all need development which makes the ride more enjoyable. but i understand where you are coming from. Quote:
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2011-11-04, 23:15 | Link #400 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
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The reason for Arata stopping karuta was really predictable, that's immediately what I had thought it would be. Would have been nice if it had been a more original reason.
I wonder if this will turn out to be a proper love triangle. Taichi loves Chihaya, Chihaya loves Arata, Arata loves... Taichi? Loool. |
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josei, karuta, madhouse |
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