hontou ni
22Dec/0618

Of flowing love and fitting ends – A mild lament on AsaHou


Not gonna happen

I would have loved to see Kotori walk away with Junichi in Da Capo but I know that'll be wrong. I'm still learning to apply the distinction between 'best' and 'right' in love but I think I'm getting it. Kotori is unarguably the best female character I've seen in anime but even her perfect devotion of 2 years cannot challenge the deep childhood bonds that bind Nemu-Junichi. The plot just does not have enough basis to thwart the inertia of a Nemu/Junichi end. Same goes for Kiminozo. Much as I love Suzumiya Akane, Kiminozo would not be on my top 10 if it ended with Takayuki eloping with Akane. There's simply no sufficient justification. Nevertheless, it should be noted I did lament slightly Kiminozo's end since the series seemed poised for an Haruka end but finished unconvincingly with Mitsuki. I questioned time and again if Takayuki didn't love Haruka, would he have hurt Mitsuki in such a manner? How does the series justify Takayuki repeatedly sacrificing Mitsuki for the sake for Haruka then? It didn't for me. I was baffled with Takayuki's choice.

Then there's the Canvas2 end. I loved the end. The girl deserves it as Voodoomage so succinctly had said, "Elise's far closer in soul..." Although more emphasis on Hiroki's shifting opinion of Elise in the latter eps would have make the seemingly abrupt resolution more platable. (I concede to vexx's point on this.) Nevertheless, Elise was the right one for Hiroki as the series had wanted me to believe.

All these bring me to Asatte no Houkou. I have previously voiced my support for Karada X Hiro. Not because Karada is the next most fabulous girl I've encountered in animedom after Kotori but because they share something that Tetsu or Shouko cannot hope to challenge, much like the unshakable love that Junichi/Nemu have. (And not it's not mere siscon I'm talking about here XD) Until ep 8, the series seemed geared for a Hiro X Karada end. There's a shift in Hiro's perception of adult Karada which I perceived as an growing awareness of her sexuality (picking lint in ep 5 for example), Shouko's acknowledgement of Karada being worthy to take Hiro away (ep 7) and of course the climatic ep 8 which unravels the depth of Hiro/Karada's love and self-sacrifice for each other. Most beautiful. I admit when it comes to anime, I'm a lot more idealistic. I blame it on anime being a purer artform that bolsters my hope in all things. Thus in any series, I would naturally expect the 2 with the highest level of emotional affinity to be linked romantically if it's permissible.

So I was disappointed when Tetsu suddenly took centerstage from ep 9 onwards and changed the flow towards a Tetsu X Karada end. Contrived. Sure, Tetsu's young love is admirable but paltry compared to what Hiro has shown Karada in 4 yrs. This, I believe, is the reason behind Asahou's lacklustred end. It could have been so much more powerful/intense if they had built on from ep 8 onwards to the seemingly intended Hiro X Karada end. Show how Hiro struggles with taboo feelings of his growing love for Karada, allow the audience to agonise with Karada as she grapple with her guilt towards Shouko and newfound love for Hiro. Watch her pain as she rejects Tetsu's budding love/kindness. But nooo... we have a safe ending, Hiro with his ex and Karada with her classmate. No losers. All's well with the world.

That's such a pity. Now Asahou is only a 'great' instead of the 'divine' class I had earmarked it for just a couple of eps back.

Well, it HAD better be a Mariya X Mizuho (Otoboku) end tonight else FEEL would have to show me how streams run up mountains.

Related posts:

  1. Asatte no Houkou ~ Rooting for Hiro X Karada
  2. A mild StrikerS lament
  3. Macross Frontier – A lament of the characters

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Comments (18) Trackbacks (1)
  1. wontaek
    December 22nd, 2006 - 13:29

    I’m still clinging to 0.01% chance of Mizuho X Shion in Otoboku.

    The ending scene and problem that would arise with respect to Shouko’s legal standings made me suspect that whole body switch thing will probably be reverted back to original form in the end. I think child Karada is cute anyway. They might also have been fearing the potential wrath of manga readers who are aware of possibility that Hiro is Karada’s ******.

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  2. Crusader
    December 22nd, 2006 - 15:24

    I feel cheated too I wanted Hiro dead in a ditch and Shouko to run off on her merry way of second childhood. I share wontaek’s sentiments about how much liberty they actually had incomparison to the manga. Considering the amount of crappy animination we’ve sustianed AsaHou was a indisputable gem.

    Besides not every one is willing to ignore taboo, Mr. Goth-meido-loli-sis-con.

    Mizuho x Takako 4TW!

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  3. Kurogane
    December 22nd, 2006 - 17:57

    >>Well, it HAD better be a Mariya X Mizuho (Otoboku) end tonight else FEEL would have to show me how streams run up mountains.

    NO WAI..! Takako x Mizuho 4TW!!!

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  4. dsong
    December 22nd, 2006 - 18:45

    Any chance of Ayu X Nayuki in Kanon 2006? Unfortunately that’s the best couple we’ve seen so far. Mai X Sayuri is a close second, however… hmm.

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  5. Garten
    December 22nd, 2006 - 20:58

    I haven’t watch the episode (XMas shopping really sucks the life out of you) so I can’t comment much. I did expect to be disappointed with the episode and after reading some posts about it, I’m not really looking forward to it.

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  6. Stripey
    December 22nd, 2006 - 21:03

    wontaek: I think the anime is taking the Karada/Hiro clearly non-blood related route. :) If the manga fans were to be angered, they would have already been with the massive changes made. But of course we are talking about folks who like the unsavoury debauchery in the manga over the sweet love in the anime. Indeed who knows what they might do to the animators XD

    Crusader: Haha! Indeed only the enlightened are strong enough to see beyond taboo! By the stripes of my tail, I’m gotta strive to free the world of meaningless restrains and self-erected mental barriers. After some chores that is XD

    Kurogane: Oooh I was made a staunch Mariya fanboy after 09-11 eps. There can be no other! :P Although I’d have to admit Takako’s tsundereness rivals that of the lovely Louise (ZnT) :)

    dsong: LOL! I bet their ‘nnneeeeee..” got to you. :) For kanon yuritastic couplings I would prefer Mai/Sayuri though. :P

    Garten: I think we may have been spoiled by the potent ep 8. The remaining eps struggle to keep up the the intensity of the flashback. Still looking forward to your thoughts and the indepth discussion that always follow over at Memento’s :)

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  7. crimson
    December 23rd, 2006 - 01:13

    this scene…….love love yuri where heroine gets the girl? :P

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  8. vexx
    December 23rd, 2006 - 02:10

    One day… anime producers will accidently take a chance and produce something wildly successful *because* it took that chance. But mostly they’ll take the safe route and produce reasonably entertaining fluff. Lost opportunities .

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  9. Tess
    December 23rd, 2006 - 07:39

    Nooo, Takako~~!

    I wonder if we’re going to get a real ending though, they may pull a Kasimasi with the extra DVD episode. oO;

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  10. Stripey
    December 23rd, 2006 - 10:32

    crimson: I have long looked upon Mizuho as a girl… so yeah, it’s a heroine gets the girl scene:P But seriously, I recommend Otome wa boku ni koishiteru if you haven’t seen it. Great character development. Coherent plot that builds on each other. Endearing cast. Mizuho is one harem lead I’d like to become XD

    vexx: I’ll always remember Mai HiME. Another series that could have been divine but was ‘great’ instead. I don’t mind the reset as long as it came with a cost and acknowledged the value of our tears shed for those deaths. If only they had the testicular fortitude to kill off Mikoto or Mai for the reset XD

    Tess: Arrgghh I’d be most afraid of that. Hoping they would at least have a resolution like Onegai Twins and use the DVD ep to concretise the finale. Keeping fingers crossed XD

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  11. muhootsaver
    December 23rd, 2006 - 13:24

    hey man… I vote for Takako X Mizuho… It better be Takako X Mizuho… Anyways, I think Asatte no Houko producers should have spent more time on each relationships especially that of Shouko and Hiro if they were going to do the happy family ending. I didn’t really like it after Karada-chan ran away. By the way, it’ll be Takako X Mizuho. Dang it, when is this damn raws gonna be done downloading!!

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  12. Zanza
    December 23rd, 2006 - 21:28

    Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!!!

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  13. wontaek
    December 24th, 2006 - 00:14

    Saw ep. 12 and I raise the chance of Mizuho X Shion to 10.0%. I admit Takako has the lead followed by her rival, Mariya, but if you want a OLD-FASHIONED shoujo romance manga couple, you have to take Shion. Alas, the modern ones heavily favor the blasted ‘tsundere’.

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  14. Stripey
    December 24th, 2006 - 01:24

    muhootsaver: Indeed! If they wanted Asahou to end that way, they should have spent a little more time on Hiro X Shouko. And heh, left my thots on your Otoboku 12 post. :)

    Zanza: Merry xmas to you too! :)

    wontaek: Shion is like Akane in Kiminozo. The best there is to offer, but not in the race XD. I would have loved a Shion X Mizuho ending too since Shion is so womanly and worthy. Takako/Mariya feel like emotional infants beside who I deem to be the REAL oneesama of the series. But alas, I also like girls who are intuitive and have great potential to attain deep emotional maturity. Takako and Mariya certain exhibited those traits.

    A true shoujo heart, I cannot resist.

    After ep 12, I don’t know who to root for anymore XD

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  15. T_I
    December 24th, 2006 - 02:37

    I think your preference is that of a typical immouto siscon ;p

    I prefer mono no aware with a dose of brutal sledgehammering..

    regarding AnH, though…

    I hadthe impression that Hiro screwed Karada’s mother and conceived her

    but that’s just me

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  16. crimson
    December 24th, 2006 - 17:52

    ohhhh! otome wa boku! that show where there’s the crossdresser. I recalled reading its description :P

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  17. Stripey
    December 25th, 2006 - 10:55

    T_I: >>I had the impression that Hiro screwed Karada

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  18. impz
    December 26th, 2006 - 07:55

    man, i swear that otome had that ending to milk the OVA that is coming out in 2007.

    Grumbles….

    *i so hate such….lame endings*

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