Wow, what did they do to her face in this scene?
Sukitte Ii na yo.
Plot summary: Mei wants to bake cookies for Yamato, but each attempt ends in failure. A pretty model transfers to Mei’s school, and the new girl has her eyes set on Yamato. Although Yamato initially rejects Megumi, he’s completely oblivious to the fact that she is monopolizing all of his time. As a result, Mei becomes insecure about her relationship with Yamato.
Notes:
• Wow, Asami and Kenji are now super lame. Whenever friends start dating, they lose their edge. That’s when you take them out back and put them out of their misery.
• Mei coos and wonders how Yamato’s imouto can be so good at baking. So imouto replies, “I guess you could say I put my heart into everything I make.” Groan.
Just as an aside, it is an exact science with baking, but that doesn’t mean it’s hard. You just follow the recipe to the T. So unless you’re making something as technically demanding as a souffle, you simply have to do everything exactly as the recipe says. Muffins are a joke.
• I guess that’s what I’ve been doing wrong. I should always wait till the girl turns away before dramatically yanking her into my chest. This is… romance, romance, romance~~~
• Yamato: “I’ll make you say it one day, so be ready, Mei.” Be ready… to say his name? Oh… oh! You pervert.
• You sift flour to avoid lumps! It’s not like recipes include pointless steps just to fuck with you.
• Anime always has to have a super popular model or star going to some dinky high school. You’d think these those like Megumi would be rich enough to attend fancy academies or something.
• “Megu-tan, your face is so small!” What a compliment.
• Oh boy, we get the spoiled rich girl cliche who thinks she can get anything she wants. And now she’ll scheme to steal Yamato away from Mei. We’ll also really hate Megumi at the start because she has to be one-dimensional as a villain. When she finally gets rejected for good, I bet that’s when we actually learn a thing or two about her, but for now, hate away!
• I feel bad for Japanese teenagers because whenever I watch these shows, I can’t help but see them as vapid airheads with nothing but smile and exclaim at the two attractive people walking together: “Like, ohmygod, they have such an aura! It isn’t fun just to imagine them together!” Oh my god, who gives a shit! But then I remember that most people weren’t like this.
• Mei’s cookies are too crunchy because either she baked them too long, or there’s too much dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Since the cookies are also bland, I’m guessing it’s the latter. I mean, c’mon, this isn’t rocket science. Her cookies suck because she doesn’t actually care enough to measure out the right ingredients.
• Yamato’s such a dork. Who cares if some random girl’s modeling agency doesn’t have enough male models? It has nothing to do with you. Nobody’s going to die if you don’t help out, but he’s all, “Uguu, I couldn’t refuse.” It’s not like someone’s asking you to feed and clothe the homeless.
• Another shoujo cliche: Mei won’t communicate her insecurities with Yamato. Surely, every good relationship has people bottling up their feelings until it blows up, right? No, I’m not blaming Mei entirely for her lack of communication. Yamato could at least ask Mei how she feels about him becoming a model.
Sure, it’s his life and he ultimately gets to decide what to do with it, but it doesn’t really take all that much trouble and effort to pause for a second and simply ask your girlfriend how she feels. “Hey, Megumi suggested that I model for a day. What do you think?” Like the cookie business, it’s not rocket science. It’s just what mankind has been doing since the beginning of our existence: talking.
• All they’ve done to make Yamato look handsome is stick some hipster glasses on him.
Kamisama Kiss
Plot summary: Nanami’s too sick to go to school, so Tomoe disguises himself as her and goes in her place. There, he has to fend off Kurama’s unwanted attention and a perverted youkai lurking in the girl’s locker room. Meanwhile, Mizuki pays a visit to the ailing Nanami and shows her a vision of the old Tomoe. He warns her that Tomoe is too dangerous to be trusted.
Notes:
• Our heroine has fallen in love with a fox.
• Who then goes up to Nanami from behind and feels her forehead out of nowhere. As you might’ve expected, this leaves the girl all a-dokidoki:
See? If you want to sweep a girl off her feet, everything has to be a surprise! This strategy just doesn’t work with sex for some reason…
• Guys like Yamato and Tomoe epitomize the masculinity trend that has been around since the late 90s. Three years ago, in the blog’s nascent days, I wrote a post about how Japanese masculinity has evolved in the past few decades. The simple observation is that manliness has been redefined, and attractive men in Japan now share both masculine qualities as well as feminine qualities. Still, this idea is hardly new. Androgyny has been considered a form of perfection in the past — a blending of the good from both sexes. Just as an aside, hermaphrodites, however, were considered ugly in comparison.
So anyway, Tomoe is even more attractive because he can also pull off a hot girl at the same time. I’m not sure why Nanami’s classmates hasn’t noticed how the new Nanami is somehow taller, and has an Adam’s apple, but shrug.
• Kurama doesn’t sound like much of a singer to me.
• The limitations of the animation makes it look as though Kurama’s kissing the air in front of the girl. I can’t help but think she is thinking, “What the hell is he doing?”
• Nanami just said she doesn’t want people to judge Tomoe for who he used to be. So Mizuki sends her to the past to see… who Tomoe used to be. Makes sense.
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Plot summary: After seeing her grades slip as a result of her spending too much time thinking about Haru, Shizuku decides to re-focus on her studies. As a result, she confesses to Haru that she’s no longer attracted to him. Meanwhile, the group gets to know the introverted Oshima a little better. Oshima finds that she’s now in love with Haru.
Notes:
• I gotta admit the boiled egg prank made me actually laugh out loud.
• Poor Haru. His desire to be nominated for a class representative position went right over Shizuku’s head. It makes me wonder how their relationship could even work if they’re still so blind to each other’s feelings. I mean, we as an audience root for these two because we’ve been accustomed to watching opposites attract. We think that just because two people get into harmless arguments from time to time, they can suddenly love and care for each other. Ultimately, however, it’s obvious that neither Haru nor Shizuku are ready to date…
• …because Shizuku can’t even keep her grades up and think about Haru at the same time. That’s infatuation, not love. Viewers might be frustrated because Shizuku keeps waffling between her grades and her relationship with Haru, but I really don’t mind it all that much. She should do what she thinks is best for her life. Getting good grades to ensure your financial independence later in life may not sound romantic, but neither is being homeless with a guy who has a pet chicken. I’m not saying Haru’s going to grow up to be a bum or anything, but Shizuku can’t sacrifice her grades for a high school relationship, especially with someone as unpredictable as Haru. I really don’t think they’re right for each other yet, or if they’ll ever be. Shoujo convention will probably force these two together by the end of the story though, if it’s any consolation to those rooting for them as a couple.
• Don’t get me wrong though. I still wish there’d be a shoujo that actually focuses on a couple after they’ve gotten together, but Haru and Shizuku wouldn’t really survive as a couple at the moment.
• Of course, it’s not like Oshima’s in a better position or anything. But hey, she ended up playing the rival after all. Also, two series in a row now where a rival has been introduced. As they say, when shoujo series live under one roof, their cliches sync up and wreak havoc on the plumbing… wait a minute, that’s not how it goes…
• It’s hilarious how Shizuku’s the direct opposite of Mei though. Mei can’t talk to Yamato about her insecurities, but Shizuku has no problems saying, “When I’m with you, my chest hurts. I can’t focus on studying. So, I don’t want to see your face.” Crazy ol’ Haru misunderstands her though, so they essentially can’t communicate anyway, but this is why Shizuku makes the better heroine in my mind.
• Did as in past-tense?!
• All Haru has to do is mutter some platitudes and smile to get all the girls to fall in love with him.
• Is it just me or does anybody else notice how fathers tend to be too busy with work in other shows, but there’s sometimes a role reversal with the mother in shoujo series?
• Shizuku takes on too much of the responsibility though. When Haru asks her whether or not he’s become a distraction, the girl replies, “No, this is a problem on my side.” I don’t think it’s fair to her that she should bear the brunt of the problem, but it isn’t fair to him either. Okay, I know he didn’t make her obsess over him or anything, and thus cause her grades to decline, but Haru also demands a lot of Shizuku’s time. If he’s to grow up, he has to realize this, but that won’t happen if Shizuku just bottles up.
• Ah well, teenagers. Unfortunately, I have the feeling that the following will happen: Shizuku thinks she can just study and get over Haru, but when she sees him and Oshima grow closer and closer as friends, Shizuku’s jealousy will make her reconsider her feelings for the guy.
>> …I still wish there’d be a shoujo that actually focuses on a couple after they’ve gotten together…
Out of curiousity, have you ever given KareKano a try? The main couple gets together by the second episode!
Er, my mistake, a love confession in the first episode, actually going out by the fourth. OTL
Yeah, I’ve seen it. That was back in the late 90s. I’m asking for a new series.
Aren’t they going out in Sukitte Ii na yo? Or do you not count it because they may as well not be?
Sukitte Ii na yo is just boring now and the vapidness of the school girls was irritating for me too. I like Kamisama even if it is generic…
On that by the way:
” Nanami just said she doesn’t want people to judge Tomoe for who he used to be. So Mizuki sends her to the past to see… who Tomoe used to be. Makes sense.”
I think he did that because she said that whilst knowing nothing of his past, and if his past was that bad, he’s send her back to see if her belief would hold in the hope that it wouldn’t and she’d want to leave Tomoe, do remember the guy would love for Tomoe to be out the picture.
I want to see Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun go somewhere, and soon. It seems to be dragging it’s feet a little with the main pair, I guess that’s what the rival is for.
They don’t really act like a couple. No kissing, no holding hands, they rarely go on dates, etc. Hanging out a few times and petting cats is not much of a relationship.
I just think it’s silly for him to think it’d work. Oh, you’ve shown me a guy’s true character… from hundreds of years ago?
Sukitte: Somehow, I agree they don’t seem to be dating more like … close friends? I mean, I know this is HS romance story, but if I think about it’d be more convincing if Yamato was helping her make friends in school and socialize instead of Love-At-First-Sight. I still don’t know why he agreed to be Megumi’s friend even after that awkward confession by the school gate :|
Glasses add +100 Attractiveness
KK: Kind of bland I guess, but I find their character interactions interesting enough that’ll I keep watching. Reminds me of, OHC, but that makes sense. Whoa, superflowerly shoujo bg, I haven’t seen that for sometime.
TnK: Eh, it’s difficult for me to think of a shoujo with a est. relationship, but in many josei there are confirmed characters dating or in LTR. I agree both MCs seem a little too self-absorbed in their personal issues for a stable relationship. I wonder if there will be a love triangle with Oshima after all orz.
I actually enjoyed the first half of the episode more than I’ve ever enjoyed the show at any other point. I agree that the character interactions are pretty good. I’m just not a big fan when the story gets all spiritual. I realize this is unavoidable considering the show’s premise, but hey, still boring and unemotional to me.
Although I think Oshima will continue to make Shizuku jealous, I think Haru remains oblivious to the whole situation.
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
“I really don’t think they’re right for each other yet, or if they’ll ever be. Shoujo convention will probably force these two together by the end of the story though, if it’s any consolation to those rooting for these two as a couple.”
Ugh… Sadly, far too true…
Haru and Shizuku clearly don’t know thing one about romance. They barely know anything about social interaction to begin with. It’s for this reason I think that their starring in a show primarily revolving around romance is…not a good.
Yes, they’re pretty much the same in that respect but handle it oppositely, which is why they have such a good (maybe “interesting” would be better said) relationship, but why can’t they just be friends? How much smoother, less frustrating, more -unique-, would things be if the show was less about these two hooking up and more about a simple romance budding out from a group of friends all brought together by their mental/social anxieties/disorders?
-Granted, this -is- a romance story, so maybe I’m just severely out of place, or maybe I’ve just been viewing this show from the wrong angle. I just hoped it would be different from other shoujo romance things. While that seems to be the case for the characters, the same doesn’t hold true to the show’s progression. Why place characters like these into situations that spark the question of “Why?” without doing anything with it?
When Haru and Shizuku smashed water melons (just Haru, really), they clearly showed they didn’t understand why such an activity was romanticized by society. Today we saw Haru straighten out the fact that their day out was a “date”, after which Shizuku goes back to studying and Haru goes back to solving a cube. Again, they understand the concept, but really it’s no different than everyday to them. I had hoped these moments would spark the question of “why” in their minds, and that, together, they would venture to understand why these concepts of dating and special activities are regarded as they are, not just on a superficial level but on a true and personal one. In their search they might’ve even found different activities better and more special than those regarded by their society (much like Haru caring for a chicken as a pet: an activity similar to what society regards as special but not at all what society regards as “normal”). In their mild and comical journey they’d come to understand the world around them and more importantly themselves, and through all of that the budding romance would blossom into a mature and stable one rooted in soil enriched by knowledge and a truly personal connection.
-As it stands, it feels like the show is really just a meta romance, with characters playing the part (kinda) but never understanding why and never caring to find out why. The moment Shizuku chose to escape into her studies (-again-), I realized the angle I was enjoying this show from was entirely wrong.
I still like this show, don’t get me wrong. I just felt like you hit the nail on the head, and it kind of depressed me.
I don’t think we have to go that fair. Nobody at that age knows anything about romance anyway, I suspect many adults don’t know anything about it either judging by certain book sales. People equate romance with passion, throes, and sex, but that’s just all the juicy parts. We often gloss over what truly makes a relationship tick: the ability to support each other and to help each other grow. So far, Shizuku has helped stabilize Haru some, and he’s helped her open up some. Even so, Shizuku clearly can’t juggle a relationship and schoolwork at the same time, and Haru’s too unpredictable to rely upon.
Still, none of these flaws rule out a relationship entirely. They just have to grow up a bit. I say that the two aren’t ready to be a couple, because some fans seemed rather frustrated by the relationship’s lack of progress. I just don’t find it to be a big problem. The show is less about the romance and more about these kids’ development anyway, and with personal growth, sometimes you take one step forward, but two steps back.
“and with personal growth, sometimes you take one step forward, but two steps back”
Heh True enough. Just to be clear, though, I’m not entirely opposed to them being together. I just meant that it should happen naturally through their exploration and growth. I don’t like how the idea of them hooking up is pushed so hard in the show, which is what I think leads everyone to feel frustrated that they aren’t already in a relationship. It gets tiresome when you’re watching a romance budding and then every other minute some character is practically shouting (especially in this ep, ay?), “It’s a romance! It’s a romance! Just tell her you love her/him, you fool!”
I also don’t like that six eps in and we know very little about the supporting cast, but then again I assume they’re saving those kinds of episodes for later to fill out their 20-odd episode run. Hopefully when that comes around we can -really- dive deeper into the promising development aspects of this series. It’s a fun show. Sad this whole “It’s a romance! It’s a romance!” nonsense crops up to remind us of what we already know.
It may sound strange, its very prevalent in east-Asian countries where small faces are regarded as a pinnacle of beauty. I kid you not.
– http://theculturemuncher.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/teacher-small-face-on-beauty-in-south-korea/
– http://www.geekinheels.com/2009/07/14/koreans-and-the-small-face-phenomenon.html
– http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2012-01/14/c_131360318.htm
Above articles are all Korean-centric, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Japanese too prized the “smallness” of face.
There’s probably quite a few but no one seems to be interested in animating them. I’d recommend Oboreru Knife by George Asakura if you’re interested in some not-your-typical-shoujo fare.
Oboreru Knife, huh?
I know nothing about the series, but the title interested me. I assume with “Knife” in the title the relationship ends well?
Sounds a little -dicey- to me…
*ba-dum tish~*
The series is still ongoing, with only 23 chapters scanlated thus far, and at this point of time, I can’t be sure if their relationship will end well. I can assure you though that it isn’t your typical doki-doki sparkly shoujo.
Okay, then. With that kind of endorsement how can a guy pass it up?
At least I’ll give it a read sometime. Always looking for unique manga. Thanks, K!
I don’t doubt it. You get to look like a doll or something. It’s just a funny thing to hear outloud: “Yo, small face! …looking gud. ;D”