Kimikiss – Worthy relationships

When assessing any romances, I have 2 key performance indicators - basis of attraction and worthiness of parties involved. The former is related to the latter in that a basis is rooted in the character allure of a bishoujo or male lead. Of course the latter is highly subjective since I have my own checklist of worthiness though I like to think I look for something beyond the superficial. Applying this model to the relationships in Kimikiss, it becomes clear why I see the Kazuki component as deadweight while I cheer myself hoarse for the Kouichi segment weekly.

Kimikiss – All about Mao X Kouichi X Yuumi

Actually this post has nothing to do with Mao, Kouichi and Yuumi. I just didn't want to sound negative on my post title but the truth is I'm not finding Kazuki's portion to be worthy of Kimikiss. No, it's not Asuka's problem. I love Asuka and think she's the only redeeming factor in the love triangle but I blame Eriko and Kazuki for depreciating the romance in Kimikiss.

A major strength of Kimikiss is its realistic characterisation of the cast. I have just about met RL versions of everyone in Kimikiss and the series is nostalgic because the characters are somewhat familiar. (I have to admit that the RL version of the bishoujos weren't quite as pretty, especially Yuumi types since pretty AND humble girls, unaware or unwilling to abuse their beauteous powers are virtually extinct in RL.) All except Eriko. Eriko's characterisation makes the mistake of going too extreme with her impractical intelligence, making her look silly instead. For someone of her intellect, it should be painfully obvious that knowing something doesn't mean you'd be proficient at it. Even a kid knows that reading a book on bicycle-riding wouldn't teach you the ability. For most things in life, it's not merely the mind but both the mind AND body that needs to come together to acquire the skill. Hence, it boggles my mind that a genius like herself fails to grasp the very basics of life. This dichotomy ruins her characterisation since her entire eccentric behaviour is a founded on this high yet incoherent intellect.

As for Kazuki, I have little reason to love him. Unlike Kouichi who is admirably sensitive to others' need, Kazuki just comes across as a lame fellow out to get some. Just what is the basis of his affections for Eriko? Is he hung up over Eriko for stealing his first kiss? Or is he interested in Eriko as a one who has just discovered a 3 headed alien in his backyard would? Simply put, his infatuation with Eriko is surely not love but probably a hormonally charged curiosity, amplified by the likelihood of going second base with Eriko should he hang around longer. What a stark contrast compared to Kouichi's commitment/love for Yuumi/Mao!

That said, Kazuki immediately becomes more likable when Asuka comes into the picture. Well, he's still mostly wooden and insensitive but the few sparks of concern for Asuka is welcoming. Indeed, Asuka brings a better man out of Kazuki which is the reason why I'm rooting for Asuka X Kazuki in this segment of Kimikiss.

Kimikiss still has plenty of episodes to turn around my opinions of Eriko and Kazuki. I look forward to that but mostly, I'd be watching out for Mao X Kouichi X Yuumi conundrum.

My Kimikiss dilemma – Mao or Yumi?

The romances that leave the deepest impressions are those that have me agonising over which haremette to support and Kimikiss presents one such impossible situation for me - to root between Yumi or Mao for Kouichi. Let me first say that Kouichi is the kind of guy I'd want my daughter to date. In fact he's impressed me so much that I believe the ideal outcome would be for Mao and Yumi to time-share him. (which is very feasible with Yumi moving away) But alas, the world is not as enlightened as the SHUFFLE!'s Shin-kai and great guys like Kouichi can only have one girlfriend, hence the dilemma of all love-triangles.