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oyceterThe non-spoilery overview post is here.
Giant honking spoilers!
- So, unlike most people, I wasn't too caught up in Kyo's story in the anime. I don't know why. I guess the gruffness put me off some, or the rivalry with Yuki? Or I was predisposed to like Yuki because he's the rat? Probably the latter, knowing me ;).
But then... Yuki's attitude toward Tohru sometimes scares me for no real reason. I guess it's just the possessiveness in some of his stances. But Kyo, Kyo's smiles! Wah! And his knowledge that he's going to be caged away! And I adore his light bonking Tohru on the head or reminding her that she should be selfish sometimes.
- So I'm happy about the Yuki and Machi thing. I still can't keep some of the people on the student council straight, but I really liked Machi's story and how it parallels that of so many of the 12shi and shows that you don't have to be cursed to have an awful childhood. Also, any story that has pressure from parents or perceived pressure and subsequent perfectionism totally strikes a nerve with me.
- I probably should find Kimi annoying, but I don't. Ditto with the guy with black hair whose name I can't remember but always hangs on to Yuki. I really like that Yuki's growth hasn't solely been happening with Tohru. She's definitely the catalyst, but he's starting to get involved with other people, stop being so solitary. And I love that he reaches out to Machi and to Kisa and really starts being kind himself, not just to Tohru, but to others.
Come to think of it, I think that's why I don't find Tohru's sweetness annoying. Everyone loves her (except Akito, of course), but I like that she really changes people. They don't end up just warming up to her, they end up warming up to their entire world and passing along the changes and the kindness that she's brought along.
- (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
umadoshi, this one is totally for you) OMG Rin! I love you because you're selfish and stubborn and often do the wrong thing, but you still try. Ok, so I am a total sucker for the "push you away for your own good" thing when it's not the alpha bastard hero of a romance novel doing it. And when the threat is very real. And oh, I adore Haru for coming back! (Obviously, this would probably be un-ideal in real life, but bah! This is manga!) I especially love Haru finding Rin in the room and going all black and then taking her back.
And oh, her hair!
- Which leads to... big Akito revelation! Sadly, I was somewhat spoiled for it, but still. Gah! Akito and Kureno! Akito and SHIGURE! Where did that one come from?! But I love that it makes so much sense... all of Akito's venemous reactions to romantic relationships earlier on and her constant lashing out at the woman in the pair. Want desperately to reread and see how this fits in with Akito's treatment of Hatori/Kana, Kisa/Hiro and Haru/Rin.
- I feel really bad for Uotani though.
- I loved the chapters on Kyoko and Tohru's dad, even though it really should push all my squick buttons. And I love that Kyoko, former gang member, high school dropout and single mother, is the shining example of parenthood in the series, the other one possibly being Kyo's shishou. I am such a compete sucker for non-blood families made up of broken people who somehow fit together and heal together, and Tohru has so many good ones. I nearly cried at the end, even though I knew Tohru's dad was going to die. And I nearly cried when Kyoko was freaking out about not being a good mother, because she was and then she left Tohru, and... wah!
- I'm happy Hatori got to know teacher lady better! I want Hatori to be happy! I hope I get to see more of them later.
- I adore Momiji. That is all.
- Shigure! You were somewhat sneaky in the anime, but I'm so glad Takaya's totally runing with it! And total WTF with the Shigure/Akito thing! They so match, that's the scary thing. Well, thankfully Shigure isn't insane, but he's got the manipulative streak down. I like how he goes from being a rather silly character who goes after girls and whatnot to this really rather scary character.
- Really want to see what goes on with Ren.
- I cannot believe Takaya made me like Akito. Of course, right after that, she went and kidnapped Rin and cut off her hair, but still. Akito, of all people!
- I really want to see more of Hanajima, who sort of scares me as well. She reminds me a little of Shigure for some reason, and I think her admitted selfishness with regards to Tohru is interesting.
- And... gaaaaah to the cliffhanger-ness of chapter 108! I don't want Kyo to be locked up!
- In conclusion, OMG MUST FIND MORE.
Giant honking spoilers!
- So, unlike most people, I wasn't too caught up in Kyo's story in the anime. I don't know why. I guess the gruffness put me off some, or the rivalry with Yuki? Or I was predisposed to like Yuki because he's the rat? Probably the latter, knowing me ;).
But then... Yuki's attitude toward Tohru sometimes scares me for no real reason. I guess it's just the possessiveness in some of his stances. But Kyo, Kyo's smiles! Wah! And his knowledge that he's going to be caged away! And I adore his light bonking Tohru on the head or reminding her that she should be selfish sometimes.
- So I'm happy about the Yuki and Machi thing. I still can't keep some of the people on the student council straight, but I really liked Machi's story and how it parallels that of so many of the 12shi and shows that you don't have to be cursed to have an awful childhood. Also, any story that has pressure from parents or perceived pressure and subsequent perfectionism totally strikes a nerve with me.
- I probably should find Kimi annoying, but I don't. Ditto with the guy with black hair whose name I can't remember but always hangs on to Yuki. I really like that Yuki's growth hasn't solely been happening with Tohru. She's definitely the catalyst, but he's starting to get involved with other people, stop being so solitary. And I love that he reaches out to Machi and to Kisa and really starts being kind himself, not just to Tohru, but to others.
Come to think of it, I think that's why I don't find Tohru's sweetness annoying. Everyone loves her (except Akito, of course), but I like that she really changes people. They don't end up just warming up to her, they end up warming up to their entire world and passing along the changes and the kindness that she's brought along.
- (
umadoshi, this one is totally for you) OMG Rin! I love you because you're selfish and stubborn and often do the wrong thing, but you still try. Ok, so I am a total sucker for the "push you away for your own good" thing when it's not the alpha bastard hero of a romance novel doing it. And when the threat is very real. And oh, I adore Haru for coming back! (Obviously, this would probably be un-ideal in real life, but bah! This is manga!) I especially love Haru finding Rin in the room and going all black and then taking her back.And oh, her hair!
- Which leads to... big Akito revelation! Sadly, I was somewhat spoiled for it, but still. Gah! Akito and Kureno! Akito and SHIGURE! Where did that one come from?! But I love that it makes so much sense... all of Akito's venemous reactions to romantic relationships earlier on and her constant lashing out at the woman in the pair. Want desperately to reread and see how this fits in with Akito's treatment of Hatori/Kana, Kisa/Hiro and Haru/Rin.
- I feel really bad for Uotani though.
- I loved the chapters on Kyoko and Tohru's dad, even though it really should push all my squick buttons. And I love that Kyoko, former gang member, high school dropout and single mother, is the shining example of parenthood in the series, the other one possibly being Kyo's shishou. I am such a compete sucker for non-blood families made up of broken people who somehow fit together and heal together, and Tohru has so many good ones. I nearly cried at the end, even though I knew Tohru's dad was going to die. And I nearly cried when Kyoko was freaking out about not being a good mother, because she was and then she left Tohru, and... wah!
- I'm happy Hatori got to know teacher lady better! I want Hatori to be happy! I hope I get to see more of them later.
- I adore Momiji. That is all.
- Shigure! You were somewhat sneaky in the anime, but I'm so glad Takaya's totally runing with it! And total WTF with the Shigure/Akito thing! They so match, that's the scary thing. Well, thankfully Shigure isn't insane, but he's got the manipulative streak down. I like how he goes from being a rather silly character who goes after girls and whatnot to this really rather scary character.
- Really want to see what goes on with Ren.
- I cannot believe Takaya made me like Akito. Of course, right after that, she went and kidnapped Rin and cut off her hair, but still. Akito, of all people!
- I really want to see more of Hanajima, who sort of scares me as well. She reminds me a little of Shigure for some reason, and I think her admitted selfishness with regards to Tohru is interesting.
- And... gaaaaah to the cliffhanger-ness of chapter 108! I don't want Kyo to be locked up!
- In conclusion, OMG MUST FIND MORE.
(no subject)
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 01:06 am (UTC)Oh, neat! I hadn't thought of that.
(no subject)
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 01:42 am (UTC)I touched on this a little in my post, but Kyoko (the idealization of whom rather irked me a bit at first) makes so much sense as the story goes on. Not just because she was flawed, but because she has to stand against all the other awful parents in the series. And the truth is that parents can be that awful and that wonderful in real life; it's not an exaggeration so much as a portrait of real extremes.
I still don't like Akito though. I still want to smack her.
Word to Hatori-san being happy. (I still can't believe how much Takaya sucked me into all these romances!)
Now that I've read up to ch.108, I've found the early chapters--the card games, the onigiri bit, Yuki telling Tohru how he wishes he had some of Kyo's social skills--almost unbearably poignant. The series really does hang together so well.
linkage
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 03:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 03:18 am (UTC)It's very interesting to take a close look at the different ways she reacted to those relationships. Hatori/Kana is almost an aberration, in that the severity of her attack on Hatori seems to have been accidental, and that she doesn't actually hurt Kana physically (probably due to not having the same sense of ownership?) . . . but then she seems to have almost decided that blinding is an effective technique, since she indirectly threatens Haru with it TWICE to terrify Rin.
And the whole set of parallels between Rin and Ren is quite something--the idea that the first attack on Rin had almost nothing to do to her, and was instead a complete projection of Akito's feelings towards Ren (not to mention the added subtlety that Akito attacked her for acting like Ren, and was kind of on the mark . . . but totally not in the way she thought. Mind you, I'm assuming Akito knows nothing about Rin's attempt to bribe Shigure; I sincerely doubt Rin would have walked away from any punishment for *that*).
To avoid going on about this for far too long in your space, I'll just say that I posted somewhat about that dynamic here, after chapter 101 came out (http://umadoshi.livejournal.com/34088.html).
I especially love Haru finding Rin in the room and going all black and then taking her back.
Chapters 104-106 are by far my favorite in the entire series. SO good. (Although technically he didn't find her in the room.) When I was going back and tagging my entries, just rereading my intial responses to those chapters practically had me in tears all over again, a year later. I can't quite bear how much I love those two, and how completely, devastatingly fucked up they are, and how much they love each other despite the brokenness (word?) of the relationship.
Yesterday (in response to the newest chapter) Ginny and I were downright pleased with Akito. Which makes me feel more than a little dirty, since I still don't forgive her for what was done to Rin.
(no subject)
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 03:20 am (UTC)*is a commenting fiend in this entry* *hides*
(no subject)
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 06:50 am (UTC)I adore Hatori!
Oooo, I really want to reread now.... except, I'm not sure where I buried it among the boxes.
Re: linkage
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 01:33 pm (UTC)I looked at the raws + summaries/partial translations last night. There is not enough OMG! and Eee! in the world to cover my reactions.
Re: linkage
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 02:34 pm (UTC)The new chapter is so good. *_* Wow. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that none of the remaining five chapters will be focused on the student council . . . (And that I get to see my favorites again--I'm not at all subtle about Rin and Haru being my favorite characters in anything, ever--but I'm not counting on it. Alas.)
Your Yuki-rat icon has inspired a lot of squeeing, BTW--a friend is visiting who's year of the rat, and so she bounced over it. ^_^
(no subject)
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 06:36 pm (UTC)Hee, I forgot Haru didn't actually find her! But I love the scene where he carries her back and she lets him.
I really have to download all the raws now! And possibly even buy them int he next Kinokuniya trip or something...
Re: linkage
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 06:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Thu, May. 4th, 2006 07:24 pm (UTC)That scene threatens to kill me EVERY TIME. *_* My heart. The parallel to when he found her when they were little kids, and how it's all a symbol for him growing up (or knowing that he needs to grow up, and damn well doing it), and ohhh it hurts and it's so lovely. I love that there's a clear moment when she just lets everything go, and is still scared, andandand . . . yeah.
I'm SO happy that I have a full Japanese set now--it looks so pretty on my shelf, even though I can't read a word of it (well, that's not literally true, but it's pretty close. Yay for furigana!). *pets*
(no subject)
Sat, Sep. 29th, 2007 10:23 pm (UTC)GAH! WATS UP WITH KURENO!!! WHY DOESN'T HE JUST FRICKEN SEE ARISA...GAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh yeah... HARU ROCKS!!
(no subject)
Sat, Sep. 29th, 2007 10:29 pm (UTC)And the Yuki and Machi thing was kinda predictable.
I wonder what happened to Akito??????
And, if anybody remembers, the teacher lady, friend of Kana's, can have Hatori. Yeah.
ARISA ROCKS!
(no subject)
Sat, Sep. 29th, 2007 10:34 pm (UTC)Arisa finally gets Kureno!!!
And the Machi and Yuki thing was kinda predictable. If you read the 16th and 17th vols.
Kyo gets Tohru. Period. No question about that.
(no subject)
Sat, Sep. 29th, 2007 10:37 pm (UTC)SHE ACCIDENTALLY DID 2...