hontou ni
3Mar/0815

True Tears 09 – Gracious love

There are few pains in the romantic realm that can rival the searing knowledge that the one you love, hearts another. Noe was admirable this episode. From her astute perception of Shin's true affections to her gentle guidance in leading Shin to Hiromi, Noe has shown herself to be a lady worthy of the highest veneration. I know there's a great deal of sympathy currently for Noe but for those who truly loves her, the sympathy should be matched in magnitude with relief since her fledging relationship with Shin was born of less than honourable intents from the machinations of Jun and immaturity of Shin. Surely our lovely Noe deserves more than that?

Hiromi was awesome too. Her warming of hands via the burning bike is a testament to how unpretentious she is. The lack of the typical Japanese gentle bishoujo's manufactured modesty, which is reinforced by her undressing tactic to drive out the meddling Shin in a later scene, is definitely refreshing. Her magnanimity in the prompt acceptance of Mrs Nakagami's reconciliatory overtures is also praiseworthy.

While this ep appears to reinforce a Hiromi end, it could also well be the eye of a storm given that PA works still have 4 episodes to weave in more intense drama. Until Mrs Nakagami's issue with Mrs Yuasa comes into the clear, I'll never fully absolve Hiromi and Shin of sibling-hood. For all we know, Shin is actually Mrs Nakagami and Mr Yuasa's illicit child which would also explain Mrs Nakagami's excessive emphasis on Shin carrying the Nakagami torch for the dance.

Aiko doesn't appear this ep and I've been wondering since ep 8 what her involvement for the rest of the series would be like. Probably her influence would be exerted through the evolving friendship between Shin and Nobuse. Nobuse is a good man and has won my respect in the recent eps. Aiko would do well to be with him though we know that in matters of the heart, oddly it usually isn't the best man who wins.

I'm still waiting for that Jun confession to Noe.

Spring or Storm?

Related posts:

  1. True Tears 06 – Forbidden love
  2. True Tears 07 – Cruel love
  3. True Tears 11 – Story > Character love = Shin X Hiromi

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  1. Kabitzin
    March 3rd, 2008 - 11:13

    I really hope they clear up why Nakagami-okasan lied about the affair. It seemed a little sloppy to just be like, “Haha, oh yeah that emotionally crippling conversation was just a joke.” I understand that Hiromi is so happy that she can live with Shinichiro and get all on him without worry, but there must be some reason why the two mothers did not get along.

    I think the face cutting from the albums was done a while ago, so Nakagami-okasan can’t just be angry that Hiromi was dumped on her and is currying more favor with the guys. Sure it has to be something deeper! I do like your theory of Shinichiro being the love child, but I don’t think that it will happen.

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  2. Dirian
    March 3rd, 2008 - 15:16

    As I said over at RC, I’m not quite discounting a Noe x Shin ending, and that I even considered the events of this episode to be almost necessary regardless of the endgirl. As you say Noe deserves better, and if she was to end up with Shin, Shin would first need to resolve his feelings for Hiromi.

    In that way I see a possible parallel with Ai-chan assuming they don’t just throw her character out.

    Even so, whatever I hold out hope for I’m in agreement that Hiromi is the most likely endgirl, but if so they better use the next 4 episodes to do some serious redemption of her character because as is she has just been too dishonest, and too often, for me to support her as she now is.

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  3. Crusader
    March 3rd, 2008 - 16:41

    Now that you mention it having Mrs. Nakagami being a cheater doesn’t seem so far fetched given how if it wasn’t Mr.s Yuasa who was cheating, then why all the hate… I hope that now that Noe has touched Shin-chan’s life that he will come to his good sense and love Noe all on his own now that the sun has set on his creativity and his life. Sure Noe deserves better but it wasn’t Jun nii who chose that lout Shin-chan, but Jun being the loving brother tha he is wants Noe to be happy, and based on the flawed Shin-chan intel babysitting Hiromi for a while would have been a small price to pay.

    I still think that Jun is far more compatible with Hiromi given how they seem to be themselves around one another, but such is love I guess. Still both Noe and Hiromi are in for a lot of pain…

    I hope Nobuse gets to work things out with Aiko he’s a stand up guy and far more worthy of Aiko’s love that that loser Shin-chan.

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  4. Kabitzin
    March 3rd, 2008 - 16:59

    I’d say that Miyokichi deserves much better than Aiko, actually.

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  5. CCY
    March 3rd, 2008 - 17:37

    I think you’ve gotten yourself too much of a reputation, Stripey. That first paragraph is very good insight but all my radar can detect is “siscon siscon siscon”. :P I would like to see Noe rebound, given a second chance by Shinichiro; it seems too early to clinch a Hiromi win unless we throw in some major family drama (plausible) at the end to burn time.

    Noe’s major saving grace is the picture book Shinichiro is writing; the Raigomaru parallel is something that can’t really be ignored, both in real life (its involvement of writing it ‘with’ Noe) and in the story itself (with Shin being Raigo, how can he ‘learn to fly from someone else’ like she says?). I think mysterious girl’ has fair odds against ‘childhood friend’, but maybe it’s time for me to revisit your Harem Stats page. XD

    It’s probably a sad thing that I analyze this so statistically but I can’t really judge as to the merit of either character just yet; your views on Hiromi are something I didn’t consider, since I spent a lot of time disliking her for being cold and seeming indecisive between Jun and Shin. But hell, it’d be boring and unrealistic if they flopped all over you, eh?

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  6. Crusader
    March 3rd, 2008 - 18:01

    @Kabitzin
    Yes, Nobuse deserves a Noe-class girl friend but being the great guy that he is he has decided to lavish his love on Aiko. You don’t get to choose when it comes to love. After all our sis-con tanuki, Stripey was taken up, though I think we can all agree that Nauzron is probably wasted on him…that or he makes for a most excellent jester for the Overlordess of the one Ring. ;)

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  7. Stripey
    March 3rd, 2008 - 19:19

    Kabitzin: In fact I’d go as far to say that Mrs Nakagami’s issues would decide who wins Shinirchiro’s heart. If Shin and Hiromi are related, I bet the stripes on my tail that it’d be a Noe X Shin end. Hoping Mrs Nakagami hasn’t been a naughty girl XD

    Dirian: Indeed, to be worthy of Noe, Shin needs to cleanse his system of Hiromi before reembarking on a relationship with her. I’m more sympathetic towards Hiromi since her perceived deception is really different facets of her conflicting emotions. I hope Aiko’s tale would serve as a model template for the Noe-Shin-Hiromi resolution as you said so that her story wouldn’t turn obsolete. :)

    CCY: Woot! you rem my harem stats post! *beams* Fushigi loses to childhood friend but fushigi types are often clandestine promised ones, a class that trumps all other contenders. However for the case of True Tears, it’d be likely that Hiromi is both the osananajimi AND promised one given their long history. Next week focuses on the matsuri flashback which I suspect would pull Hiromi’s lead even further. :)

    Crusader: LOL! Alright, I admit it. I sacrificed Raigomaru in a ritual to Haruhi to gain my lolicious wife. XD If you’d pay my hosting fee for 2009, I’ll let you in on this secret ceremony too :P Jun and Hiromi would make great friends even how their interests and personalities align. Truth is I have no doubt they have potential to be a great couple. The prob is their hearts are currently ensnared elsewhere for them to have a genuine romantic relationship with each other. I’m open to a Jun X Hiromi pairing IF PA works can convince me that their love is greater than their currently affections for Noe and Shin respectively in 4 eps. :)

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  8. dsong
    March 3rd, 2008 - 19:31

    Ah, the pain that Noe must be facing… first, she loses her grandmother, then she has to accept that Jun is her sibling and therefore out of bounds, and now has to witness Shin throw his life away and accept a flightless path, when he is capable of soaring to the skies… And now, Jun is in trouble again, yet she is unable to say or do as much for him as she wishes, as the words “I do” are out of the realms of possibility…

    On the other hand, look what Hiromi has accomplished! She has: (1) extracted everything she could out of Jun, (2) stolen Shin away from Noe, (3) caused Shin’s mother to practically kneel before her, and (4) secured her position with Shin’s father and the family. True, she had to survive a slap on the wrist (a short suspension) but considering Jun’s two-week suspension her punishment was a fair one.

    Something tells me Jun won’t take kindly to being chewed on and spit out, and I will admire him that much more if he responds appropriately. The last thing Hiromi needs is a free pass and I’m sure she won’t get one.

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  9. deadguy
    March 3rd, 2008 - 20:17

    Hi! I’m new ^^

    Maybe Mrs. Nakagami = Aiko, Mr. Nakagami = Nobuse, Mr. Yuasa = Shin, Mrs. Yuasa = Hiromi

    Maybe Mrs. Nakagami can’t take the fact that Mr.Yuasa liked Mrs. Yuasa more, and she takes it out on Hiromi.

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  10. Stripey
    March 4th, 2008 - 04:10

    dsong: I don’t think Noe suffered from brocon the matter that Jun did from siscon so I doubt there was much struggling on her part. :P As for the other sufferings, well Noe is a fiercely resilient girl whose strength forms the basis of her allure that transcend even sibling-hood. I wouldn’t paint Hiromi as a scheming mastermind in all these either since she’s suffered her fair share :) As for Jun’s reaction, an admirable response for this tanuki would be a gentlemanly one. Punishing Hiromi for Noe’s pain would be unfitting since Jun himself is accomplice to her heartbreak.

    deadguy: Welcome! :) I’m looking forward to seeing the reasons behind Mrs Nakagami and Yuasa’s hostility as well.

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  11. usagijen
    March 4th, 2008 - 08:40

    I think most people will agree that Nobuse deserves someone better than Aiko, but that should be all the more reason why Ai should learn to love him, and give him the love he so deserves. Unless she decides to lock herself in her room and brood over her unrequited first love.

    Noe’s selfless act of love in this episode shows just how she understands and loves Shin. She deserves no less than a Shin cleansed from all his Hiromi-mpurities 8D

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  12. Kabitzin
    March 4th, 2008 - 14:46

    New plot twist:

    Hiromi plays games with Aiko’s mind until Aiko goes all USO DA crazy and gets all stabby on Shinichiro’s GF (still officially Noe). Aiko is taken away. Hiromi wins, and the principal reduces her suspension because he doesn’t want to die.

    Years later, Hiromi’s child finds all the chickens cut out of an old picture book… DUN DUN DUN!!!

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  13. Stripey
    March 5th, 2008 - 07:24

    usagijen: Well said. Aiko may not be deserving of Nobuse now but the latter has surely given the former enough reasons to be reciprocate in kind. :) I look forward to their relationship reaching new heights now that Aiko has cleared things up with Shin. :)

    Kabitzin: LOL! School Tears or True days? Love the picturebook plot device! :P

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  14. Dirian
    March 5th, 2008 - 16:13

    As a huge Ai-chan fan I do hope she finds happiness and develop feelings for Nobuse.

    @Stripey: Yeah thats kinda my feeling. Shin must come to terms with his feelings for Hiromi before he can move on. Maybe the same is for Jun =X

    And while Hiromi’s deceptions may be different facets of her conflicting emotions, but if so all those facets are saying “LIE YOUR ASS OFF”, and that just rubs me the wrong way on so many levels(not that I’d mind Hiromi rubbing me the wrong way if I were Shin, but still….Noe and Ai-chan too for that matter…..what a man can dream >_>)

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  15. Stripey
    March 6th, 2008 - 08:44

    Heh, I think the person Hiromi is lying most to is herself and self-deceit in love is a rather cruel form of self-abuse hence my sympathy for her plight. :)

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