1. 

   maglor
   January 15th, 2008 - 05:14

   Noe is receiving much more development compared to any other girl. If the screen time and number of lines are of indication, I think Noe is the primary girl of this series as every event seems to be centered around Noe. Hiromi is a fascinating girl, but Noe has so much more story potential.

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2. 

   Skane
   January 15th, 2008 - 08:12

   *blinks*

   Strange, I was under the impression that the OP (and ED for that matter) was all about Noe. The “primary scenes” in the OP were all Noe while Hiromi was relegated to side appearances (save for the basketball scene).

   That said, I am fine with either one of them being the “chosen one”. Hiromi has homeground advantage while Noe has artistic value.
   ~~~~ ~~~~

   At this point of time, I am very glad that the interactions have been very believable thus far, and that there has been no case of “yeah right” moments. On a snarky note, having the male lead appear in the OP is a very good omen in my opinion. True Tears being an original take (it is not based on the game of the same name, although it was meant to be), I have hopes that they will give real character development for the male lead, just like in Canvas 2.

   The production values are high, the voice-acting is superb, and the unfolding story has been intriguing. For a pilot series by a newly-formed, but not newbies, company, this has been a fantastic first project so far. Please, please, don’t let them drop the ball on this one.

   Cheers.

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3. 

   Sherman, the Ramni
   January 15th, 2008 - 10:00

   Stripey, first, focus on the scene Noe is hugging a man. Is that her brother or what?
   Second, that hug showed Noe in a really heartwarming side. Not that she isn’t cute, but dear goodness I wish I was that supposed brother.
   Third, Hiromi is t3h <3. Period. I want her to win.
   Nevertheless, this series wins because all of its heroines are highly lovable.

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4. 

   suguru
   January 15th, 2008 - 10:01

   I was trying to guess the winner from the OP/ED too, but while for some series it’s obvious, you’re right, this one’s tough–Noe is leading the chibi parade in the ED, so I was thinking she’ll be the winner, but who knows…

   Noe’s a good character too, but so far I have to root for Hiromi–you’re right, there’s something about basketball, I’m thinking it’s the ponytail that’s upping Hiromi’s moe factor ^_^ The festival flackbacks make me curious about Hiromi’s backstory, and Noe’s looks like it should be interesting too. I’m glad there hasn’t been a drop-off in production value, though, everything looks amazingly good without the ep 2 “where did the animation budget go” curse that hits a lot of shows. The only (minor) complaint I’d have so far is some of the CG in the distance crowd shots looks a little out of place. Definitely have high hopes for this one…

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5. 

   kaz3phyrous
   January 15th, 2008 - 15:14

   seems like there are many of us trying to guess the main girl by the op/ed…

   i really want noe to win this one… there’s just something about her character design and her character that makes her so lovable… maybe it’s her shoes i was focused on them the first time they appeared since from recent memory, i never saw a character who has those shoes… her character is also nice… she gives off a sense of mystery thats just begging to beunveiled… her actions are also cute yet meaningful, from just staring at you to giving you birdfood…

   on hiromi’s side, her distance while in the house definitely has something to do with shin’s mother, but i wonder what did shin’s mother did/do/will do to her… i still haven’t fallen for her but the way her hair moves is just so captivating…

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6. 

   Stripey
   January 15th, 2008 - 20:06

   maglor: I sure hope so although it’d be a shame too if Hiromi was neglected given that her tale seem promising too though not as intriguing as Noe.

   Skane: Heh, I rewatched the OP again and the only thing I can say for sure is Aiko isn’t going to be too prominent. Like yourself, my high hopes for TT has the undesirable side effect of the deep fear of a botched job. But so far, given the embedded plot elements/direction in 2 eps, it does look like the writers know very well where they are taking the series. Keeping fingers crossed.

   Sherman, the Ramni: LOL! Pressing my siscon buttons eh? XD Given that he’s still in high school and rides a bike, onii-san is a high probability. Him as Shinichiro’s rival would be interesting indeed…

   suguru: Spot-on on the pony-tail moe! One of Hiromi’s most potent charms indeed. The festival flashback is intriguing since it shows how close Shin and Hiromi used to be. I’m with kaz3phyrous on this. Shin’s mom is involved.

   kaz3phyrous: oh yes, another Noe fan who appreciates Noe’s exotic charms. I love her stares, they are so innocent and entrancing until you realise how astute she really is and then you shudder a little inside. And those shoes…. I want a pair XD

   Hiromi’s tale is surely tied in with Shin’s mom given that this plot element was even featured in the OP.

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7. 

   Impz
   January 15th, 2008 - 21:22

   I swear that they are trying to make a more sane version of Haruhi with Noe. Nevertheless, Noe comes off as extremely cute rather than the bitchy, tyrannic Haruhi (no, I like Haruhi but you have to admit she is a total bitch too). Moreover, she has this innocence about her, yet quick perception. This is revealed when she openly declares how Hiromi is really just checking out her love rival. Heh!

   Hiromi, for some strange reason, just does not interest me due to the fact that she is rather standard fare in a harem show.

   I do wonder how this will go too though.

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8. 

   kaz3phyrous
   January 16th, 2008 - 01:36

   i agree with impz… though not really sane but saner than haruhi…
   and i’m also with him in that i also don’t find hiromi really interesting… maybe when her story is revealed i’ll change my mind…

   i have a theory on how might shin’s mom be involved with hiromi’s story…
   `tis just a theory so please bear with me… maybe shin’s mom brought up a plan of an arranged wedding for hiromi and shin when they were kids… shin/hiromi or both could have been against it and the plan went kaput… and we all know that due to various circumstances they are now living together… this could explain shin’s distance with hiromi, shin’s distance with his mom, why hiromi is passive around the house, and why shin’s mom wants hiromi to help around the house…

   crazy theory? yes, but it could be possible…

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9. 

   Stripey
   January 16th, 2008 - 08:58

   Hmm I think there’s a fundamental difference in the seeming social ineptitude displayed by Haruhi and Noe. For Haruhi, it’s arrogance (which I think she grew a little out of in the later eps) but for Noe, it’s just merely not wanting to deal with social facades. Haruhi can appear to be polite and courteous when the need arises. In other words, she’s a hypocrite (I use it loosely as humans all are in some capacity ) but Noe is sincere in her dealings and she is truthful to the extent of being offensive culturally. Noe is more concerned with the substance rather than the form. Haruhi don’t really care about either as long since the ends justify the means for her. That’s why we heart Noe

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10. 

    Cipher
    January 17th, 2008 - 02:11

    Hi, I picked up true tears after reading your blog on a random anime blog search, and I am really glad I picked it up. It turns out that I’m rooting for Hiromi, although I wouldn’t begrudge Noe the lead (and the place beside Shinichiro lol).

    Noe just doesn’t seem like the type who’d be interested in romance, for the moment, but her apparent lack of some concern towards societal norms does make her actions hard to predict, eg: waving to Shinichiro from the school grounds. I guess for me, Noe is beautiful in the sense that she doesn’t conform to the traditions of the society, so it would be something of a letdown if she suddenly falls into the adolescent love stage. I guess for me, it’s the sort of feeling you get when you talk about angels; they’re above mortality and hence, do not necessarily feel the same way as us. Then again, if you read into ‘true tears’ as her becoming more like a normal person, well…

    Hiromi, on the other hand, seems more real, even if she doesn’t really show any obvious form of love for Shinichiro. The bathroom scene in ep1 really caught my attention (partly because I’m a male, yes but mostly) because of her extreme form of reservation around Shinichiro to the point that she actually says sorry when she was walked into. With the antagonism that his mother shows towards her, the slight confrontation with Shinichiro about Noe, and the past which she has with Shinichiro, there definitely is some potential to break down her reservation and convert it to love. And anyway, ponytail = +points in my book

    Ok, I think I ranted long enough for a newcomer. Keep up the good work with the blog, and with true tears

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11. 

    vexx
    January 18th, 2008 - 01:57

    This has “felt” more based in real motivations and behavior than many “romance anime” I’ve encountered. Sticking with it for now (some other series haven’t lasted through the first episode (the bullying in H20 just swamps any desire to watch it) and having trouble staying interested in several series that started off great (including Clannad) — I’m still collecting those in the hopes I’ll give them a rainy day session.

    Probably the most appealing/interesting series this season so far has been “Ookami to Koushinryou” (Spice and Wolf) — the first two episodes have followed the manga and light novel sources pretty closely (except for one anime-only character who seems to have been developed from a single remark by the lead character … but she seems to be a welcome addition to the story). Horo, the harvest goddess-wolf is one of the most appealing multi-faceted *hard-to-categorize* characters I’ve come across in quite a a while. No trivial archetype-girl here…
    I recommend a look-see.

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12. 

    Sherman, the Ramni
    January 18th, 2008 - 05:37

    vexx:

    I just watched Spice and Wolf ep. 2 (thanks BSS!) and the series is GREAT. Dunno why I like it so much; maybe is a mix of the soft OP and the funny ED, the simple yet heart-warming story or the characters (Horo is TEH WIN and Chloe is <3 ^^).
    And Jun Fukuyama plays this one really well.

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13. 

    suguru
    January 18th, 2008 - 17:32

    I second vexx and Sherman…Spice and Wolf is definitely an interesting series so far, and Horo looks like she could be one of the best characters of the year.

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14. 

    Stripey
    January 19th, 2008 - 02:15

    Cipher: Thanks for your kind words. And it’s like we both share the same mind about Noe AND Hiromi. I like that bathroom scene at lot. It wasn’t the typical “eee yah! Ecchi! Shin-chan no BAKA BAKA BAKA!” but an apology. This is at least consistent with the distance they put between each other despite being under the same roof. I can’t wait for Shin’s relationship to develop on all fronts especially he and Hiromi given that they go way back, there is a relational richness that Noe can’t rival. Still rooting for Noe though

    vexx/Sherman, the Ramni/suguru: Although I’m traditionally adversed to animal-parts with bishoujos (took me a while to get into Utawarerumono), I will certainly be giving W&S a chance. After all, here’s 3 names whose tastes I know overlap greatly with mine. Thanks for the highlight!

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