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ローゼンメイデン 
I think this episode is a lot more heart-wrenching than Yamada's story last week. But then again Shuuji/Rika/Harada's story hit closer to home in my case. This is also the reason as to why I like the entire Takemoto/Hagu/Morita story. In addition to this, the animation and character design in this episode is awesome to say the least. Those DVD sales must have made some good money for the producers because the detail in this episode is simply stunning. Props must also go to Sugita Tomokazu who takes the role of Mayama in this series. Although occasionally his voice sounds slightly similar to Kyon from Suzumiya Haruhi, in most cases Mayama's voice is more mature and older and lack Kyon's sarcastic edge. The insert song this week is 「ほのほ」- Honoho by Spitz. The song comes from their Souvenir album. Anyway, high-res images are now available and if you're interested, check out the picture of a Honey and Clover train below. I thought it fits the entire train theme that this episode presents.
Honey and Clover train in Tokyo
Honey and Clover train (another angle)
The episode opens with Shuuji recalling the conversation that he had earlier with Hagu's teacher, Kouda-Sensei. She basically informed Shuuji that another email invitation for Hagu to study overseas from Professor Bell Scheel has just arrived. Because of this she wonders if Hagu will really return to Nagano once she graduated from the University and if Shuuji thinks it's okay for things to proceed this way. She thinks it's a bad idea for Hagu to continue relying on Shuuji even after graduation. Judging from Shuuji's words about this year's school festival being his last, it is easy to assume what he has in his mind. His thought, however, is interrupted by Hagu letting him know that he no longer has a cleaner brush so she thinks she should buy one later. Hagu then stumbles upon an old postcard and wonders what kind of a painting is depicted in the postcard. Upon looking at the postcard, Shuuji tells Hagu that the picture brings back his memory.
Shuuji informs Hagu that the painting was drawn by Munch, who according to Hagu is famous for The Scream/Despair painting. Hagu thinks that the light is reflected in both the moon and the sea within the painting. Shuuji immediately praises Hagu's analytical skill since he didn't notice it at first. He also tells her that in Munch's paintings, this kind of motif comes out over and over again. When Shuuji was still at the university, there was a huge Munch painting at the Museum of Modern Art. He went there with his friends and bought the postcard from the museum. Back then Shuuji, Harada, and Rika also went to a river, which Harada thought resembles the painting they just saw. He thought that the moonlight shining in the river looks like a pathway and reminds him of the song, Moon River (A theme song from Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany's). Because Harada was drunk, he also believed that he can cross the river just like in the song.
Back then Shuuji tried desperately to stop Harada from drowning in the river and asked Rika to stop this idiot friend of his. Unfortunately for Shuuji, Rika was also drunk and told him that if Harada is going that she'll come too. Because Shuuji was distracted by his attempt to stop Rika from joining Harada, he didn't notice that Harada has made the jump into the river. Harada then appeared from the river and beckoned Rika to come with him into the river. Shuuji suddenly panics and tells Harada not to ask Rika to do this. Despite his effort, however, Rika stretches out her hand to reach Harada's hand. Shuuji is horrified to see this and attempts to stop Rika but his plea goes unnoticed by her. Shuuji then wakes up screaming Rika's name, revealing that Harada calling Rika to join him was just Shuuji's nightmare. Shuuji's mind then travels back to the accident that killed Harada and left Rika with a lifetime half-body pain.
Back then Rika refused to eat anything, prompting Shuuji to ask her not to die and follow Harada. Rika then forced her still mourning self to focus on the job that Harada left. Shuuji also realised that even though the three of them were always together, in reality it was a couple and him. No matter how much he likes Harada and no matter how important Rika is to him, he can only watched them attain happiness. Rika eventually realised how Shuuji was also hurt from the accident and therefore made the decision to seperate herself from Shuuji because they can no longer be together. Rika, however, managed to tell Shuuji that she loves him too. Shuuji apologised to Rika for not being able to accompany her. He feels that Hagu's presence allowed him to carry on with life thus far. Because of this, Shuuji wonders what's the status of the man that is currently with her at the moment. He hopes that this man will be able to carry Rika into the future.
Speaking of 'that man', Mayama is now seen with Rika bidding goodbye to an old man in Ueno Station. The man tells Rika that he may come again at the time of the inauguration ceremony of the store, assuming he's still alive by then. Unfortunately he feels that he's becoming a grandpa lately. After Asai-san left, Mayama realises that Rika no longer has anyone else who stands by her. Much to Mayama's surprise, the next train that comes in the platform is Cassiopeia, a train that is heading towards Sapporo, Hokkaido. Mayama makes an immediate decision to usher Rika into the train just as the door closes on both of them. Rika is surprised about this and wonders why Mayama did it. She thinks they should stop on the next station, which is Oomiya. Mayama, on the other hand, wonders if they could ride all the way through Hokkaido. He thinks Rika hasn't returned to her hometown. If he's wrong about it he apologises but he thinks Rika wants to return there.
All of a sudden, the train inspector appears and asks the two what is their room number. Mayama is about to apologise and explain the situation but Rika interrupts him and asks the inspector if there is any room left. The inspector tells him that there is indeed one and asks Rika until where she intends to ride the train. Mayama is surprised when she tells the inspector that she intends to ride all the way to Sapporo. Inside the room, Mayama tries to converse with Rika and fails miserably. Rika, however, breaks the silence by telling him that they left Ueno station at 4:20PM and will arrive in Sapporo at 9:00AM the next morning that means a total of around 17 hours travel. She thinks it's unbelievable considering it'll take only 2 hours if they had travelled by plane. In addition to this they didn't bring their laptop and left important data at the office. Mayama apologises for this but is surprised when Rika agrees to do things on a whim this time around.
Rika feels that this is the first time in a while since she spends time doing nothing. Mayama thinks that Rika's murmur is similar to a soliloquy which melts into the scenery as it blurs with the rain. When Rika decides to take a shower, Mayama tells her that he's fine staying in the living room so Rika can use the bedroom on her own. Rika, however, thinks that's not okay because then Mayama won't be able to rest and asks him to sleep on the bed next to her. Upon hearing this Mayama has an imagination where his "Happiness savings" suddenly becomes plentiful. He becomes even more embarassed when he stumbles upon Rika trying to tidy up her pyjamas. After setting the alarm to 7AM and turning off the lights, Mayama finds himself unable to sleep. He doesn't know how long he's been up either since he can't see the alarm clock without the lights. When Rika wakes up in the morning, she realises that Mayama has been sleeping in the living room.
When the two arrive in Sapporo, Mayama wonders if Rika's leg is in pain. Rika thinks it would have been good if she has her cane but she thinks she'll be okay since she brings a lot of medicines. In order to make it easy on Rika, Mayama decides to rent a car and asks Rika if she'd like something else. Rika asks him to purchase a box of milk and some biscuits. Once the two head into the road, Rika warns Mayama that there aren't that many traffic lights or signs but she thinks they should be okay because the car is outfitted with car navigation map. She, however, is concerned about Mayama because he didn't sleep well last night. Mayama assures Rika that he's fine but it appears that he needs black mint gums to keep his eyes open while driving. Mayama thinks to himself how back then he got to see the colourless Japanese sea while driving the car up North. Eventually, the two arrive at a desolate area which used to be Rika's hometown.
Rika tells Mayama that this place has been left like this since the last time she saw it. Since no one occupies the house, snow crushed it and during spring, it is weather-beaten. The last time Rika was here was when her father died and the one who was around during her breakdown was Harada. Back then Harada assured her that she no longer needs other place to return home to since she already has him. Rika then walks over to a dead tree and opens the pack of biscuit that Mayama bought. She places all of them in the ground and buries them. Rika then apologises to someone called Shiro-san, for not being able to come often. As it turns out, Shiro-san was a dog that Rika used to own. The dog had been with Rika ever since it was a young pup and was alive for 13 years. Rika then thanks Mayama for taking her here because she knows she couldn't come on her own. She is happy to see this place but realises that there is nothing else left here.
Mayama, however, grabs Rika's hand and tells himself that he knows there is one more thing that ties her down. The two then embrace each other and later on is shown sleeping on the same bed together. The next morning, Rika tries to sneak out of the room quietly. Before she can get out of the room, however, the alarm that is connected to her bag goes off, awakening Mayama in the process. Mayama is angry about this and accuses Rika of allowing this to happen in order to hurt herself. He asks her to explain what she's thinking because he believes she lied about wanting to go together with him. Rika claims that she didn't lie but Mayama tells her that he knows Rika only has ticket for one person and has been looking for a one-person apartment for her overseas trip. Rika is surprised to hear this and asks Mayama if he has seen her emails. Mayama admits that he did see her emails, faxes, letters, everything. He believes that Rika is going to finish Harada's job and then thinking about ending it all.
Mayama finally reaches his breaking point and yells at Rika, asking her not to think about dying so easily. He then cries and asks Rika to live her life a bit better before collapsing to the floor in sadness. Rika looks stunned for a moment but eventually embraces Mayama. After a few seconds of quiet moment between the two, Mayama tries to get himself together. He politely excuses himself and asks Rika to help herself to some tea in the restaurant. He, however, asks her not to carry her bag. Later on, Rika invites Mayama to have breakfast since they still have time before they have to leave Sapporo. The following day, Mayama takes Rika to Narita international airport but the two simply talk about work even when Rika has to enter the gate. Mayama then returns to the office and while tidying up the office, he gets to read Rika's email. Through the email, he finds out that the apartment's specification that Rika placed has been changed to a two bedroom apartment.
Impression:
I never realised it until now but when Rika lost her husband in the accident, she essentially lost Shuuji in the process as well. While he's still alive, the tight bond of friendship that they use to have with each other can't no longer be maintained now because it hurts both parties too much. The two decided to let each other go so that they can move on with their life. Because the alternative, which is staying together, simply brings back memories of their time with Harada. That in return, will simply makes them sad over and over again. I used to wonder what Rika actually sees in Mayama since he's very different from Harada in almost every aspect. But maybe this is why Rika is drawn towards him because Mayama represents a fresh start - an individual who is not connected to Harada in any shape or form. The fact that he is different from Harada makes him more important than Shuuji when it comes to helping Rika to moving on with her life.
Having said that, I have to question the methods that Mayama used to find out more about Rika's life. I personally think it is creepy to know that he's been going through Rika's email. Browsing history was bad enough but I considered reading someone else's email to be a complete invasion of someone's privacy. It's really rude and it makes me wonder why Rika didn't fire Mayama on the spot. If I know that my employee has been going through my email like it's his own email, I don't think I can trust him any longer to do the job. It can be argued that Rika gives him access to read some of her emails, after all, he serves as some kind of secretary to her. However, judging from her surprise look, I suspect she didn't expect Mayama to read the email that she was talking about. Because of this, I didn't enjoy that scene where Mayama confronted Rika that much. While I understand that his intention was good, the method that he used was on the creepy side.
Last but not least, I don't understand and will never understand why Hagu throws away the chance to study abroad. I know that she wants to go back to her village but she can do that after she goes overseas. This is one in a lifetime chance and she's about to pass it away. In addition to this, I agree with her teacher in that she can't possibly rely on Shuuji the whole time. I feel that by doing this, Hagu is regressing big time to the point before she met Takemoto and the group. I admit that this time around at least she made her own decision but I still think that she should detaches herself away from Shuuji. Anyway, the Honey and Clover movie will be out today!! I'm kind of hyped-up for it especially after seeing the full trailer included in front of Death Note the movie. I think the film will cover the anime's first season story albeit in modified form. From what I've seen so far, I like how Yamada, Hagu, and Morita are portrayed.
Preview
Next week's episode is a return to the Yamada/Nomiya saga. Where is Takemoto and Morita, dang it.
what's going on between rika and mayama?wow! just can't wait to see the episode...I think I'll really like it!
I wish that in the next episodes morita and takemoto would appear too!I'm dying to see what the writers will do about them...
Anyways I have something to ask you garten[it's kind of off topic] but
will you come in any time soon with a post about nana?I'm really curious to read your opinion about the new episodes!
Cris, I'll try to catch up with it soon. I'm just a bit flatout at the moment with the new series and the fact that I'm on holiday. But okay, I'll try to write a brief thought about each episode.
Don't push yourself, Garten! Enjoy your vacation first, okay?^_^
I'm selfish, though, and can't wait for the rest of this summary.
Ah, by the looks of it, there's no Takemoto & Morita-sama stuff going on. *goes back into withdrawal* Morita-sama, Morita-sama, Morita-sama~! I really hope they return to the series soon. Apart from that, there's absolutely nothing wrong it that I can see so far. I'm actually thrilled about learning more about Shuuji/Rika/Harada's trio, and learning how Rika was like in the past. She seemed a lot more innocent and cute, but time and circumstance really has changed her. I know people like that, and it's really true to life. It's also a little scary in a way. It looks like Mayama finally starts knocking some of that life back into her, though, looking at her face when she hugs him back. You can catch a glimmer of that cuteness and innocence from way back when.^_^
I'm still trying to figure out what it is in Mayama that reminds Rika of Harada, though. Is it his height? Did they both obsess over her? Harada didn't seem like the obsessive type...o.O
Wow, you've seen this eps already? I'm definitely jealous. ^^;
But anywho, "Honoho" by SPITZ was track #7 on their album titled "Souvenior." It's actually one of my all-time favorite songs by them, so I'm really excited that it will be an insert song in this eps. o.o
oooh... Volume 9 of the manga is finally out? I should try and get a copy.
nooo i want morita-can~!
i know they will eventually talk about hagu/morita but... they seem to talk about yamada's problem soo much that its rather irriatting. But i do know people with her situation... so watching yamada struggle with her problems... it makes me sad...
honey & clover makes a big impression on me~~ i want everyone to watch it and relate and learn~~
i miss morita-san~~~ (*´' З ' *)ゞ
also!
the train is sooo cute!!
I want that hagu on mai wall!!
hagu~~~
＠(〃^∇^)ﾉわぁい♪
I'm surprised that the series still hasn't gone in depth with Hagu/Take/Morita. While thinking on the same page, I was also wondering who the protagonist was in H&C. First, I thought it was Take, but after H&C II came out, it looked as if the story was more focused on Yamada.
The H&C train looks brilliant - I wonder how much money was put into this project. Did you ride on it yet, or is it still "just for looking."
I've noticed that you don't put funny comments on screencaps that often anymore. I kind of missed those - what happened to them? (-_^)
if they end up following the manga like they have, big morita/hagu/takemoto chapters are coming soon.
Finally, they're going into the Mayama storyline of later volumes . . . but alas, this leaves the Takemoto story on hold... with over a third of the run gone. Guess we don't have to worry about running out of manga-derived storyline anytime soon...
YAY!!!! Next week more Yamada and Nomiya!! How cool!!!
Mayama is getting too emotional , he actually looks nearly angry in the 1st pic lof last row :( . Maybe because he felt deeply for Rika . And Toshokan still haven't had the ep T_T ! Maybe I should learn to use Winny.
I don't mind another chapter for Yamada/Nomiya , I'm a fan of the guy after all . I think the second half of the season will focus on Hagu-Morita-Takemoto , so I don't worry about the lack of the trio for now but sure *coughnomoritacausestheserieslackofhumorseriouslycough*
So Rika still went ahead to Spain alone. Getting a two-room apartment doesn't mean that she's ready for Mayama. It might mean that she's just giving herself a choice.
For what it's worth, she didn't change her email password.
I love how mature the series is getting. Its almost as if you're growing up with the series and its characters...
thanks for all your great summaries, I look forward to them every week, but don't push yourself Garten. You're in JAPAN, enjoy yourself, okay? :D
Spoiler alert:
In Chapter 63, Mayama is shown to have come back from Spain along with Rika. So I guess we can assume that Mayama did go with RIka.
End spoiler
When the two arrive in Sapporo, Yamada wonders if Rika's leg is in pain. ----> How is Yamada with Rika in Sapporo? LOL....watch out for errors, Garten. Overall it was a great ep...I guess this ep has a bit of an edge from ep 3 because it shows Shuuji's past with detail and Mayama's thoughts about Rika and the project. Very well done. Although I am still going to say that Mayama's tactics were a bit underhanded...but I guess he had no choice when Rika always kept everything to herself.
@piffleprincess
========== Spoiler Alert ==========
Actually, Mayama did not go to Spain with Rika at the beginning. He did, however, go there and join up with her later due to some "citcumstances".
========== End Spoiler ==========
The H&C train looks brilliant - I wonder how much money was put into this project. Did you ride on it yet, or is it still "just for looking."
No, it was a functional Yamanote line train. They simply had to clean up the train so passengers were moved to another train. I decided to take a snap of it before the other train arrived.
I've noticed that you don't put funny comments on screencaps that often anymore. I kind of missed those - what happened to them?
Hmm, I haven't had much time lately but I'll try to include them once I return from my holiday.
LOL....watch out for errors, Garten.
Oops. Gomen, gomen. I've been very distracted by my new flashy toy, LocoRoco (it's a PSP game). I'll try to write a review about this addictive little yellow ball of happiness....if I ever manage to seperate myself from it.
I love this episode too >_< waaaa what is this LocoRoco thing? it's soooo kawaii~~~~
haha i'm using its wallpaper now~~ hehe
0_0;; never thought about invasion of privacy and stuff before I read ur review. Now that u mentioned it, I guess reading her private emails is going a little too far. I was too into the scene at that moment to think about that though ^^;; He has that "stalker" gene in him I guess... but Shuji's attempt to push Rika off the building was slightly creepy too. (also, didn't think about that while watching it) I guess somethings can be beautified depending on the circumstances.
Well, when I read this chapter in the Manga, I was kinda creeped out too that Mayama was reading Rika's email, but I was reading my boss's email when I was working in Hong Kong as well... ^_^;;; That makes me think that it's one of those "Rika/Harada Design" email accounts that Mayama is reading, but still....
yes, i have to agree that Mayama reading Rika's e-mails is pretty creepy but on the other hand he like loves her to death. I know that really doesn't justifty what he does but there was no other way to find out what Rika was planning on doing behind his back. I mean, thank goddness that he read those e-mails because who knows what Rika could have done to herself. She is in pretty bad shape, no doubt, and she needs someone to look after her and to take care of her. I think Mayama realized this and made it his "mission" to protect her.
Garten, I remember you commenting before about what you use to get screencaps of eps, but I can't find which entry it was on! What program do you use? Is it one that I can google and download? Thank you in advance!
I just watched the raw . Uwaahh , powerful episode ! This is the very first time I see Mayama has that expression on his face ; painful , hopeless , begging yet very passionate . He's always put on a calm-and-cool attitude so this is a surprise . I agree with CC that he loves Rika to death , it must be a lifetime love . But one thing bugs me , how can Mayama has the password to access Rika's mail , so those mails must be sent to the office's account , which both Mayama and Rika know the pw . Or else he must be a hacker to sneak into a private account ! And I doubt that .
@CC&QNVN
In their situation, "he loves her to life" may be more fitting ^_^
@ QNVN
If (which is quite likely) she uses an email software like Outlook Express, it's quite likely that the password is filled and entered automatically to open her emails when she uses the software. All Mayama needs to do in this case is just use the program when she's logged in and not in her room, and many people have the (bad) habit of leaving themselves logged in on their computers.
@ Walter : If the Oxford Dict. of mine had that expression , I'd use it right away
@ Poseidal : thank you for explaining . Now that you say it , Rika may be that type of people , so Mayama really had it easy T_T !
Honestly, I don't like the Mayama/Rika pairing. There something about it that just doesn't click for me. I just feel that they don't understand each other well, unlike Shuuji and Rika, or Harada and Rika. Oh well...I must be the only one that feels that way...T-T.
@QNVN
I just thought it was funny how that phrase sounded in this situation where she's apparently thinking of ending it all soon and probably being saved by his love. I wasn't criticizing your language.
Small question, how come you don't do the descriptions on the pics anymore?
First of all, I have to say thank you for the time you take to post these reviews. It is a lot of work and I'd be remiss if I didn't give you thanks for it.
As to the episode itself, I have some mixed feelings. I want to be supportive of the Rika and Mayama pairing but I find it difficult for various reasons. First, their story is a bit heavy handed; second, I have an aversion to Mayama's methods so I am glad to see that there are others who are a little squicked by what he's done. I understand his intention is well meaning but given his noted obsessiveness, I wonder if this is going to be a pattern with him. It might be the realist in me that makes me question this, but I don't find the relationship the least bit romantic. For some reason, I feel like Mayama's intensity is putting Rika in a corner rather than drawing her out of a shell. Given the way he made her go to her room in ep 2, I can't help but think that Mayama has control issues and I felt sorry for Rika instead of glad for her. And for Yamada, I keep thinking, "Girl, you are so lucky."
Sooner or later, I hope they lighten up this relationship or else I'll continue to get the creeps every time I see them together.
Thank goodness this is the climax of sorts for Rika and Mayama and we move on briefly back to Nomiya and Ayu. And have faith! Takemoto, Morita and Hagu's story is around the corner. In fact, we should be seeing a lot more of Morita in another ep or two.
@ Walter : I meant that comment as a joke too ! ^^ I know you didn't criticize anything .
Quote :
I feel like Mayama's intensity is putting Rika in a corner rather than drawing her out of a shell.
=> well said , brightredglow , I've never thought about that aspect . Maybe I favored Mayama a little too much
Thank u so much for writing the summaries on ur blog! I even bookmarked ur site and I make sure I read the entries on H&C and Ouran every week. I love the way u write the summaries and how u even inter-weave ur own comments into them. I love H&C II even more because it's allowing the characters to grow even more and find out the ups and downs of life and learn to deal with them. Umino Chika deserves to be praised for her work internationally. I don't really know and read autobiographies but I do know that some stories might have been twisted in some ways to sell the books. However, what u see in H&C is way different in that it doesn't lean towards any character at all. Every character is depicted in their true essence, how they deal with the problems thrown their way. Now that's called life, real, true life. Keep up the good job, Garten!
wow this episode is simply stunning... first-class animation quality especially with the train scenes (i often love how they attend to details like Cassiopeia and Hokutousei and such. They even get the stops correct in the announcement!), which makes me wonder the part where they were driving along the rugged coastline of Hokkaido is taken from actual scenery. I've been to Otaru once by train and it wasn't quite the same, I guess Rika's place is really removed from the city. Regarding the story itself, it's exciting to see Mayama got this worked up. Opinions are that he is creepy and beyond stalkerish but I like how that exactly exposes his weakness as a human being. I'm sure some of us have once peeked at our friends' AIM conversation or cell phone for fun, its just that Mayama let the best (or worst) of the obsession manifested in his love for Rika. He is torn between agony and love, overtaken by his emotions, and also somewhat in shame. That's what make his character real, as opposed to say, i donno how it jumps into my mind - the ever one-dimentional Syaoran.
It's not really possible for Mayama to put Rika "in a corner" because she already *is* in a corner. I mean how much more "in a corner" can you get than being ready to end your own life? As long as Mayama can save her from that, I will condone pretty much any method. It's less important that she end up with Mayama, but Rika must live!
Also, all Rika needs to do if she really feels threatened by Mayama is mention it to Shuu, and Mayama will be *dead* long before her. Shuu would not be pushing Mayama/Rika if he felt Mayama was bad for her, and arguably he knows her better than anyone alive.
I'm also really impressed by the way the details are carried, and perhaps it's because I already read the imppression Garten-san had from the movie, but I wsn't surprised at all about Mayama being stalking Rika obbsessively. I rather think it is the best to be hunting someone whose will to death is almost obvious than to be into the limits accepted by society, so, what moves me this episode instead, is the fact Rika actually allows Mayama getting into her life after knowing she's been being chased, and at first I had the idea that wouldn't ever be possible for many things, like the age, the opposing to Harada's personality, and the so firm will to death she seemed to had since her husband die, but well, it seems Mayama finally seduced her, and I just hope now Yamada gets on her way too, and a similar story don't happen with Takemoto/Hagu/Morita-a much bright story, since Morita doesn't close enogh to anyone-, well, let's see what the next week's episode brings us of this mature, funny, and moving story.
I must say I am seriously not a fan of Rika and Mayama coupling. I guess because I feel that indirectly they are seriously hurting Yamada. I also like Harada 100 times better then Mayama. It seems like Mayama is borderline obsessed with Rika and her going ons, to the point that it is creepy and weird. I dunno they seemed like a very mismatched couple.
Hi Garten :D
I just have one question: during Shuuji's flashback about what happened after the accident, the scene on the roof, was he trying to push Rika off? Because from the subs, Rika apologized to him after she noticed his presence before saying that they should not live together anymore. But I was wondering what she was apologizing for, and then I came to realized that Shuuji's hand were "reaching" for her, but not quiet. He later apologized that he couldn't "send" Rika to Harada, so was he trying to shove Rika off in order to end her (and his I guess) misery?
Lastly, and it's completely off topic but... I noticed that you were very much amused by a 'joke' made in School Rumble, ep. 7 about the kid that Nakamura saved, and I am at complete loss. I didn't get that at all, and it's been bugging the living daylight out of me since yesterday. I watched it again and again but I still couldn't get it. If you remember it, can you please explain it to me? I doubt I'll be amused since I'm so thickheaded but I'd like to know what the "joke" is about, cuz I can't see it at all! XD Domo!
This episode made me see the Mayama x Rika pairing in a different light. I'm sure most people thought he was just an obsessed stalker during the first season like I did. But after ep. 3 when Rika was having her "talk" with Harada at the computer screen, I don't mind Mayama's efforts at all. She is a woman standing at the edge of a cliff right now, it was pretty chilling to know that she only intended to stay alive long enough to finish Harada's jobs. Mayama's methods would be extreme for any other woman, but Rika needs intervention, and Mayama is saving her from herself.
Love isn't always cute and fluffy, that's what I love about H&C, the realism that it has. It's not time for some sappy Tom Cruise x Renee' Zellweger moment for Mayama's situation with Rika. He needed to lay everything out on the table in order to save this woman. Everything was just raw, unfiltered emotion in that hotel scene.
Mianah, I think the Shuuji/Rika scene was meant to be for your own personal interpretation. I personally like the scene to be ambiguous. So I like to think that he either was trying to reach out to her or push her off the balcony. Either way works for me.
As for School Rumble, I can't remember what joke I was talking about. Maybe it's the Was Burger joke (Mos Burger is a chain burger in Japan)? I definitely don't remember saying that the part about the kid itself was funny.
Well...if there's one thing I'd like to see more of, it's Harada. But at the same time, I don't want to see more of him. I like him so much and it's his air of quiet mystery that puts him on this pedestal for me.
Uwaah! You got pictures of the HachiKuro Yamanote! Do you live in Tokyo, too? I live on the Seibu-Shinjuku line in Nogata. It would be so awesome to have another English-speaking contact here. I think we have some of the same opinions--at least regarding HachiKuro (especially regarding Rika, Mayama, Nomiya, Ayu...etc.) and it would be so great to have someone nearby to chat with on that and other nifty things.
How long have you been in Tokyo? I am celebrating my one-year anniversary in August. ^^v
my god each episode gets better and better.
Hi Mippa, no unfortunately I don't live in Tokyo. I'm just visiting Japan and I'm now on my way to Kyoto. I wish I live in Tokyo though it's such an exciting place to be. I've been in Tokyo for a month now - wish it could be longer but Tokyo is an expensive place to stay without a job.
Whoops, I apologize Garten lol XD My mistake; I meant episode 3 of School Rumble, when they had that "survival game" to decide what to do for the cultural festival and Sawachika's butler, Nakamura appeared out of nowhere and joined the game. He later reviewed that he used to be a soldier and found a kid and etc. Sorry about that ^^!!
Well I am so glad you enjoyed your stay! Talk about perfect timing to visit, huh? Anyway, Kyoto is gorgeous. (And I need to go back, to see the Tezuka World shop in the station. T.T)
In my honest opinion, I'm not a big fan of the MayamaxRika pairing either. If I was to have it my way, I would choose Shuuji for Rika, even if it was painful for them... Pain dulls, and love never does... And if it does, then it ain't love. I would have Nomiya get with another girl... Or die. Or fade away, 'cause I don't really like him. I don't think I'd have Takemoto get with Hagu, but I'd for sure have Morita and Ayu get together, since I love their pairing.
Awesome blog about H&C, I've been reading your summaries since episode 10 of season 1, 'nd been a fan of H&C since I first started watching.
Oh, and MAYAMA'S A DAMN STALKER. And, we need more Morita backstory 'nd goodness.
Yes, a very good episode indeed. Love this one. It's a good direct continuation from the Yamada/Nomiya saga.
I don't like Mayama being somewhat potrayed as a stalker when it comes to Rika (man, he is creeeepy)...But the irony is that it is his pushy obsessiveness and over-protectiveness (let's soften the word "stalking" a bit) are what make him able to reach out to Rika; or else Rika just won't budge. If these rather ugly characteristics of Mayama are simply not there, I think Rika's gone.
During the first season, I really don't like the Yamada/Nomiya & Mayama/Rika pairings. But somehow ep 3 & 4 change my opinion about the whole thing. Although I still don't like it...It looks like Yamada is better off with Nomiya, and Mayama is made for Rika...at least at this point.
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