Kashimashi 13

Had been pretty disillusioned by the ambiguity where the series has left off but had been consoling myself by comparing it to the source material's relative deterioration. Nonetheless, strong coherent endings are an important criteria in my overall enjoyment of anime series - thus I often enjoy SUNRISE series less than I otherwise would on this account.

As a Tomari x Hazumu supporter, this episode made me very happy. I don't dislike Yasuna but her 'unable to see males' condition stuck badly in my craw because it seemed overly contrived. Would have been more interesting if she was a normal lesbian. How Hazumu had to ride to her rescue over Ep 11-12 felt like emotional blackmail; I didn't like how it was something that Yasuna had no control over and Hazumu's love and compassion became tainted by traces of pity.

All through the series, I found Tomari more interesting because of the old anime problematiqué of how a childhood friend should react when a challenger threatens to take away her sweetheart; more importantly, Tomari had much more difficulty in dealing with her own sexuality as a result of Hazumu's Kasimasization [which I expect some would like to apply to OtoBoku's Mizuho and Jun from Happiness!].

Kashimashi 11-12

Yasuna's condition suddenly and rapidly deteriorates and she is unable to see females. Even pictures and memories of Hazumu have become blurred. As a result, everyone is in a funk. Hazumu worries about Yasuna and pushes Tomari away as a result.

Kashimashi 10

Yasuna proposes the Love Alliance (cf Onegai Twins) to Tomari - maintain the status quo so as to not hurt Hazumu by forcing her to choose between them. On this basis, Tomari says that she trusts Yasuna to maintain the alliance when she gets to go a date with Hazumu to Sea World. True to her word, Yasuna restrains herself despite the romantic atmosphere of the undersea tunnel of luurve. Big misunderstanding arises when Tomari thought she saw Yasuna and Hazumu kissing (while waiting for her to come get her souvenir at the train station near Tomari's training area). During a late night walk, Tomari tells Hazumu about her feelings and they kiss. However Yasuna sees them and activates her Valkyrie GEM to flatten Tomari with the Dance of Valhalla.

Kashimashi 9

Less time to blog this week (and next) due to being orz'ed by course work so just a few quick comments. Summer festival episode and the subject of Hazumu's habitual indecisiveness. I wonder how she'll score on Myers-Briggs?

Kashimashi 8

Plenty of laughs as Sora-sensei forces Hazumu to undergo the kimodameshi so as to further her love relationships (for research purposes). It was quite lovely to see how Hazumu instinctively / habitually clings to Tomari for security.

Tomari-Yasuna rivalry was relatively subdued this episode though the way Yasuna's dog is always hostile to Tomari reminds me a bit of There's Something About Mary. But it was nice to see Yasuna tell Ayuki that she's found a kindred soul in Tomari, someone who understands what it is like to love Hazumu. Later on the rooftop, Tomari tells Yasuna to call her by her given name and to also drop the honorific, signifying that she sees Yasuna as someone who is close to her.

The title's focus is on Ayuki and her fascination with the metamorphosis of caterpillar into butterflies. She sees Hazumu's metaphorical transformation and spreading of wings as something beautiful to watch. Something about that faraway bittersweet look, alloyed of contentness yet sadness, struck a chord with me. She's content to be a spectator and not step onto the stage - thus: "???????..." (Only Watching...) Her previous caution to Hazumu before his confession to Yasuna, her generally cool attitude, the revelation to her rejected suitor that she has someone she likes all points to a previous experience of heartbreak. I wonder who that person is/was? (Yes, that's not a rhetoric question - if you know, please leave a comment but use the <spoiler></spoiler> tags. (28 screencaps follow)

Kashimashi 7

A fusion of the beach and curry chapters in the manga. Two other significant set of changes centring on Yasuna and another on Asuta.

One the former, manga Yasuna invited everyone along (for the curry dinner at her house) because Hazumu only shows her brightest smile in front of everyone (including Tomari) but not when she is alone with Yasuna. Here in the anime, Yasuna's reason is that she wants to learn more about Hazumu and the presence / interaction of friends will help with that. Again, I like how Yasuna has been developed in the anime - this time, she's very straightforward with Tomari which Tomari reciprocates by confessing that she likes Hazumu too at the end of the episode. This has been called a declaration of war but I tend to see this as Yasuna and Tomari ironically building a rapport over their one common interest - Hazumu. While they are rivals, they also have come to recognise how serious the other party is about Hazumu thus creating a bond of mutual respect. I hope.

With respect to Asuta, the anime played up the nanpa defence incident. In the manga when Asuta rides to the rescue, the two guys back off quite quickly, assuming that Asuta is Hazumu's boyfriend. In the anime, it is more drawn out with Asuta more or less being forced to lie about it and Hazumu pressed to confirm it to get rid of the guys. Geez, don't you guys understand what "No, go away!" means? Asuta also gets some form of resolution regarding his tortoured feelings about Hazumu. The manga interrupted Asuta's confession with the Namiko Falling Into the Sea incident but mercifully in the anime, Hazumu unknowingly shots Asuta down by declaring him to be a good buddy. Which after initial disappointment, Asuta seems relieved to accept and confirm. I hope this means that the Asuta Mooning Hazumu gags will recede. Other than the Oogling Perv Dad, the Cruelty to Asuta was another irritant in the manga.

Next week looking forward to see how the anime polishes up and elaborates on Ayuki's story. The episode title "??????", which quotes Ayuki, is very much my own SOP as well.

Kashimashi 6

One of the things I enjoy about this series is that although it has episodes that concentrate on one character's development, the other two main characters still get plenty of screentime which weaves in nicely with the character in focus. Upon seeing Yasuna kissing Hazumu, Tomari beats a hasty retreat and reduces her contact with Hazumu to a minimum so as not to get in their way. Or so she says, still being clearly distressed by what has transpired. Her odd behaviour leads the normally non-confrontational Hazumu to demand a conversation. Mutually cherished childhood memories come to the fore, they reconcile as friends and Tomari is finally able to admit her feelings to herself.

While the criticism that "Tomari’s been doing nothing but spinning her wheels since the very beginning" is certainly true, I find myself being more sympathetic towards Tomarin. She knew that Hazumu was attracted to Yasuna and that, together with their childhood friendship, was probably coalesced into a huge block against her being able to come to terms with her own feelings for Hazumu. It's an aching sort of despair and desparation that makes her the most interesting main character for me. Also liked it very much how Hazumu and Tomari's childhood memories are fleshed out more in the anime relative to the manga. The Love Hina anime ruined the premises of "childhood sweetheart" and "childhood promise" for me by extending them to absurd and overly deterministic lengths. And glad that Kasimasi is helping me to rediscover my delight in that particular genre.

While I do like Yasuna, the whole "can't see guys" thing just fills me with dread and fear as it sets up a basis for her to be *NSFW* "cured" *NSFW*, Hazumu to change back into a guy and for the two girls to continue their more conventional struggle over Hazumu. Buuuu~ buuuu~ Other than the fact that this would a complete (if typical sucky anime) cop-out, it will also completely destroy what makes this series different from other girls-fight- over-useless-guy romance stories. 48 screencaps follow.

Kashimashi 5

Sora Hitoshi presses Hazumu about Yasuna's confession. She implies that it is irrelevant because she is now a girl. Sora asks isn't yuri the whole point of this series? Well, not really, thinks Hazumu since she discovers that Yasuna (and Tomari) did like her before she became a her. Both will still hit that - Yasuna because there is no danger of Hazumu transmiting in male monochrome while Tomari steels herself to go harudo gei for Hazumu.

Kashimashi 4

Tomari's disquiet over the growing warmth of Hazumu's rapproachment with Yasuna. Sharing a strawberry on the rooftop garden, going home together in the rain, enjoying shopping together and then sharing an umbrella on the rooftop with Yasuna confessing her feelings for Hazumu and then trying to kiss her. Tomari stops it by yelling Hazumu's name. She and Yasuna lash out at each other in the rain while a stunned Hazumu remains on the rooftop.

Again significant changes from the manga. The rooftop confession is Yasuna's first confession in the anime while it was the second in the manga - manga Yasuna had wrote a letter to and met Hazumu to confess in Ch 2. Also the addition of the windy and rainy weather made the scene softer, gentler and more poignant - providing a reasonable setting for Hazumu to offer her umbrella to Yasuna and for Yasuna to take the opportunity to get even closer. In the manga, Yasuna practically slams Hazumu against the fence and tries to force a kiss on a clearly reluctant and protesting Hazumu who only manages to escape when Asuta stumbles upon them. The anime version seems rather more well thought out even if they have decided to characterise Yasuna very differently (which I prefer btw).

I think this episode was really Tomari's - even though the most yurilicious moments were between Yasuna and Hazumu. Tomari was shown to be struggling with her own unacknowledged feelings for Hazumu whom Yasuna is threatening to steal away from her yet again. Despite her tough exterior and tomboyish mannerism, Tomari is also shown to be emotionally vulnerable and all the pressure finally explodes in her yell to stop Yasuna from kissing Hazumu. Hazumu, on the other hand, is hit by the realization that her two best friends want to be more than friends, to the exclusion of the other.

One thing that made me squirm a bit was Hazumu's dad underdoing one of her dress' strings for a more sexy shot. Am glad Hazumu's mom subdued him with another one of her wrestling moves. (What is that move called btw? See Random Curiosity for the screenshot.) Little scenes I liked included Ayuki singing enka (she'd probably be able to easily subdue Urd - and actually all the scenes with Ayuki are good, she's like MariMite's Tsutako - Voice of Keen Observation), Hazumu imitating Tomari's imagined reaction to her super girly dress - and somehow I just imagined Kurogane having an explosive nosebleed when Hazumu did her knee-wringing thing when saying how cute the dress Yasuna picked was. LOL Also liked how the studio slipped in a pair of lilies in Yasuna's memories of Hazumu making the rooftop garden bloom. The manga in the conbini with the Hazumu and Yasuna lookalike characters was also funny.

In all, another good episode with the stakes raised and all parties realizing things can't go back to the status quo. 90 screencaps ahead.