(L) Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate (Love, Election, and Chocolate)

[thundrakkon]

Some more interesting developments in episode 4. I really feel for Isara. For someone so cute that even the MC has the hots for, it is hard to believe that both MALES and females would treat her badly because of her status. Although she has no shot with the MC as is, I still really like her character. It breaks my heart to see characters like her. You just want to go right at them and protect them from all the evils of the world.

[Jarmel]

The problem I have with this show is that parts of it seem so tonally disconnected from other parts. We have these stupid club activities which are so lighthearted and fluffy and then other extremely serious parts to it and they don't really mesh that well.

Also it looks like the Finance Committee is probably in the right. People are having these stupid clubs and wasting funds while financial aid is being slashed.

[hyl]

The original Koichoco VN had lot's of drama in all of the routes, while the overall tone of the game was lighthearted. So far i think that the anime does capture the same mood.

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Jarmel

The problem I have with this show is that parts of it seem so tonally disconnected from other parts. We have these stupid club activities which are so lighthearted and fluffy and then other extremely serious parts to it and they don't really mesh that well.

Also it looks like the Finance Committee is probably in the right. People are having these stupid clubs and wasting funds while financial aid is being slashed.

In a sense though, there's a stronger air of believably to this. A homogeneous tone to a story, even when multiple characters at multiple situations are involved is more simplistic and unrealistic.

What we have here are several overlapping stories occurring simultaneously. Indeed, there is no reason why they can't, even with sharply contrasting tones. If anything, this makes Chocolate a rather ambitious show, since there are multiple sub-plots and character stories running around simultaneously, at various degrees of drama.

So, no, I don't think Chocolate should be condemned for it's tonal contrast. If anything, it should be judged on how they handle the tonal shifts, and perhaps it's not working for you. But it is working for me, with only One Cour to go around....

In any case, I don't feel they are clumsily handled, since they are usually accompanied by a scene and perspective change. Think of the Light Hearted Food Club Humor and nonsense as merely what goes on in public. Underneath it all, multiple character dramas are playing out simultaneously.

I think one reason why people tend to be very harsh on this show is because in reeks of harem and smells of Eroge/Echii VN. Both of which has been in disrepute among English speaking viewers in recent years, partly because of the HUGE flood of titles beating this concept, over and over, and over again.

At least Chocolate is doing things differently. Just look at Who is Imouto (which is straight forward, even if it's a fairly plausible harem with a plausible reason why the MC would get one) and compare it with the ambition of Chocolate.

There's a light hearted exterior to Chocolate, but underneath it all are TONS of issues, drama, intrigue and more. To me, if you are going to argue that the latter are shoehorned in , I can just as well argue that the former is just as shoe horned in. Chocolate clearly isn't about Moe Girls and VN Harem Stereotypes fooling around in the Club Room and running for Elections. There are deeper issues in here, even if there are criminally shallow characters like those two "monkeys."

So far, they haven't dropped the ball. But the main risk to Chocolate is NOT that it'll end up Mediocre, but rather, the plots end up collapsing on itself, and the whole story descends into one big incoherent mess because of the sheer scale of the plot.

In a way, I'd suggest (though this may be one of the more contentious points I'm making here) that Chocolate suffers from the same first impression issue as Kokoro Connect. The character designs and the backdrops led many, many to dismiss it from the onset as one huge boring cliche ridden fanservice fest, the capstone of what doomsayers were suggesting was going to be crappy Summer Season.

Really? How many of those naysayers would like to comprehensively justify that point at this stage?

There are already signs of that. For example, the Dog Eared Girl's story seems to have been left hanging.

[DragoonKain3]

I personally like the 'dark side' of the story, as real life politics ain't all fun and games either. Heck, it's actually the beginning scene that differentiated this from a lot of the other anime that aired this summer, as it's established by the first episode that it's going to be mostly light hearted but sprinkled with the not so pretty side of humanity.


As for this episode, I'm loving the election side more and more. So after you put yourself in the running, now you must raise funds for the campaign? Sounds logical to me. I love the election side so much that I don't care who wins romantically anymore... actually that's a total lie, as I still am rooting a bit for Chisato (though Mii-chan is cute too). Too big a shipper to ignore it, and that's why I'm still very wary of Satsuki as she's getting consistent screen time.

Originally Posted by novalysis

Somehow, I wonder whether Love and Chocolate suggest that the winner might not be Chisato. Chocolate is a clear reference to both Chisato and Yuuki's past. If Love and Chocolate are two distinct plots, perhaps Satsuki and not Chisato might be the romantic winner.

I dunno man, the title is Love, Election, AND Chocolate. If we're gonna deduce the winner just from the title alone, she must be involved all three.

[Ddraig]

Can anyone tell what the stuff say in MC pc message board that he read near the end of the episode? I have a feeling that this whole election and fund cutting might have something to do with scholarship funding and the bullying of scholarship student. Like they bully Isara cuz scholarship taking money from school funding that could have be use for there club.

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by Ddraig

Can anyone tell what the stuff say in MC pc message board that he read near the end of the episode? I have a feeling that this whole election and fund cutting might have something to do with scholarship funding and the bullying of scholarship student. Like they bully Isara cuz scholarship taking money from school funding that could have be use for there club.

No, they're bullying Isara just because she is poor and has to work odd jobs.

The Scholarship system is meant to replace the current system of Financial aid where the student have to work part time to repay the loan, but that would only happen if they can get the money for it.

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

I personally like the 'dark side' of the story, as real life politics ain't all fun and games either. Heck, it's actually the beginning scene that differentiated this from a lot of the other anime that aired this summer, as it's established by the first episode that it's going to be mostly light hearted but sprinkled with the not so pretty side of humanity.

Between Koi-Choco and Kokoro Connect, there's no shortage of heavy drama covered with light hearted-ness this season.

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

As for this episode, I'm loving the election side more and more. So after you put yourself in the running, now you must raise funds for the campaign? Sounds logical to me. I love the election side so much that I don't care who wins romantically anymore... actually that's a total lie, as I still am rooting a bit for Chisato (though Mii-chan is cute too). Too big a shipper to ignore it, and that's why I'm still very wary of Satsuki as she's getting consistent screen time.

(Either Chisato or Satsuki is fine )

I really, really want to praise the amount of time and detail put into the Election preparation as well as all the little jokes and even fuwafuwa moments, but every thing was thrown out the window and replaced by the last 5 minutes.

I really feel bad for Isara though, I wonder if this would put a solid dent in Oojima's resolve to run for presidency once he learned how the money wasted on clubs could in fact be used to help people like Isara.

[ookamigirl]

Oojima officially on the running-for-president board.
Aomi & her problem. She's one weird girl ^^"
Oojima became enchanted by her smell instead of worrying about campaign finances.
Looks like they just found the first serious obstacle on their political road.
That baazar, some candidates are exactly that just to be able to sell stuff.
Campaign goods they decided to use were pretty interesting.
Shinonome sure knows how to deal with student affairs.
Her manifest seems to be a good thing for student equality.
This way Aomi and others like her wouldn't be bullied.

[DragoonKain3]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

Between Koi-Choco and Kokoro Connect, there's no shortage of heavy drama covered with light hearted-ness this season.

To be fair though, Kokoro Connect was all light-hearted until episode 3, unlike here where it's established literally at the very beginning it isn't going to be all that. Which thankfully KC did, as I was ready to drop it then and there.

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

To be fair though, Kokoro Connect was all light-hearted until episode 3, unlike here where it's established literally at the very beginning it isn't going to be all that. Which thankfully KC did, as I was ready to drop it then and there.

Not really, Kokoro Connect already had hints in the second episode- similarly, despite the scene in the first episode which quite a few people didn't know what to make of it, the heaviness in Koi-Choco didn't really hit home until this episode.

[D-KLAC]

so this week ep race for president still going seeing many faces running on it.

tomoya 2.0 meet ladder oh help a girl & smell good.
plans idea for election for money to raise after many hmm go with yaoi bars?!
of course get it re-cover & safe take a lot of work.
tomoya 2.0 see Shinonome vs air sumo club yea total air they are.
then isara still fixing til "oh no" a bunch of HO-SKI bullies.
after day works tomoya 2.0 & rest walking home see isara in the area ask what happen?
back in school isara still in pain from those HO-SKI bullies after did to her.
yea they rip & throw her undies yea so UNCALLED for to do cue light blub break.


to be continued...

[DragoonKain3]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

Not really, Kokoro Connect already had hints in the second episode- similarly, despite the scene in the first episode which quite a few people didn't know what to make of it, the heaviness in Koi-Choco didn't really hit home until this episode.

I dunno man, the very first scene of Koi Choco already had embezzlement and attempted freaking murder, which hit home hard considering the title is "Love, ELECTION, and Chocolate." Basically it said that the election isn't going to be without the underhandedness of a lot of the RL politics going on in the world. And that's not going into Chisato's choco and Hazuki's hug at the end of episodes 2/3 to darken the mood further.

Kokoro Connect on the other hand had nothing episode 1, had really small hints that could go either way episode 2, and only really got the ball rolling in episode 3. It's really no contest; Koi Choco established in the very beginning it wasn't going to be all fun and games, but it's Kokoro Connect that transitioned very slowly into heavy drama.

[lolmeh]

i got confused when oojima read the manifesto.......
was it cancelling the finacial aid program? thus screwing over students like Isara? or is it helping them?

please clarify this for me.

[frivolity]

The manifesto suggests a reform of the financial aid program to a scholarship program. I presume that this means students like Isara will not have to pay school fees at all, as opposed to the current system where they still have to pay a reduced amount.

At the very least, it seems to be an attempt to elevate the status of financial aid students from one where they are looked down upon for being poor to one where they are to be respected for earning a place in an elite school.

[Mura]

I don't think it'll look good if Yuuki implements her own manifesto though. If so then what was the point of trying to beat her and her ideas?

I raged so heard when I saw what happended to Aomi, guess I'm kinda sensitive to those kind of things. Anyone noticed at the end of the preview when she held her stomach? Don't tell me she is pregnant....

[Chaos2Frozen]

Originally Posted by Mura

I don't think it'll look good if Yuuki implements her own manifesto though. If so then what was the point of trying to beat her and her ideas?

I guess he would need to come up with a way to do it without getting rid of the clubs.

Either way, I don't think anyone with any common decency could just ignore the issue when their friend is a victim.

Originally Posted by Mura

I raged so heard when I saw what happended to Aomi, guess I'm kinda sensitive to those kind of things. Anyone noticed at the end of the preview when she held her stomach? Don't tell me she is pregnant....

Wrong Character

[Mura]

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

Wrong Character

Oh I didn't mean Aomi, just her name is slipping my mind right now. I'll look it up later.

Edit: Mifuyu, that was her name. Watching too many things to remember everyone's names.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

I dunno man, the very first scene of Koi Choco already had embezzlement and attempted freaking murder, which hit home hard considering the title is "Love, ELECTION, and Chocolate." Basically it said that the election isn't going to be without the underhandedness of a lot of the RL politics going on in the world. And that's not going into Chisato's choco and Hazuki's hug at the end of episodes 2/3 to darken the mood further.

Kokoro Connect on the other hand had nothing episode 1, had really small hints that could go either way episode 2, and only really got the ball rolling in episode 3. It's really no contest; Koi Choco established in the very beginning it wasn't going to be all fun and games, but it's Kokoro Connect that transitioned very slowly into heavy drama.

Kokoro Connect may have been light-hearted from the beginning but we weren't seeing any cutesy moe or fanservice bait either. I would much prefer Kokoro Connect's slow but seamless transitioning into drama than this rather haphazard method we're seeing here tbh.

[DragoonKain3]

I personally like to see what an anime is really about from the get go, rather than taking 25% of the total air time just to set it up. One cour is too short to waste that much time just to get interesting.

[Snuffle]

Originally Posted by thundrakkon

Some more interesting developments in episode 4. I really feel for Isara. For someone so cute that even the MC has the hots for, it is hard to believe that both MALES and females would treat her badly because of her status. Although she has no shot with the MC as is, I still really like her character. It breaks my heart to see characters like her. You just want to go right at them and protect them from all the evils of the world.

Actually it's not hard to imagine. A rich school with poor students is an obvious setup for bullying. Since those bullies are snobs, they don't give a damn on how people not around the same "value" as them feel. Things like this still happen in the real world. And I agree, I just wanted to protect her.

Originally Posted by novalysis

So far, they haven't dropped the ball. But the main risk to Chocolate is NOT that it'll end up Mediocre, but rather, the plots end up collapsing on itself, and the whole story descends into one big incoherent mess because of the sheer scale of the plot.

That's what I'm worried about... Plots getting mashed together and not really making proper sense near the end will just lower the overall grade of the show. But there is still time to see how it will be handled.

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

I dunno man, the title is Love, Election, AND Chocolate. If we're gonna deduce the winner just from the title alone, she must be involved all three.

Spoiler for Comparison to Mashiro-iro Symphony anime:

I don't think it's always the main heroine that gets chosen. Mashiro was a pretty darn good example of this by going for Miu's route, unless she was the main heroine. But I think it's the most favorite among fans on which girl gets the win.

Originally Posted by Mura

I raged so heard when I saw what happended to Aomi, guess I'm kinda sensitive to those kind of things. Anyone noticed at the end of the preview when she held her stomach? Don't tell me she is pregnant....

I could empathize with Yuuki's anger towards those bullies, especially because Isara's my favorite. And Mifuyu pregnant? I'm pretty sure she's just working so hard that she has had no time to eat and thus is just really hungry.