Nobuta wo Produce, ep. 06-10

[oyceter]

Wooooe! They got the ending wrong! Just... they can't leave Nobuta alone!

I am somewhat mollified by the very cute Nobuta and Mariko fic I read in Yuletide, but I do not care! It is wrong!

Anyway. The series ended up making a few missteps, but I still like it a lot. The parts I didn't like largely concerned Aoi; some day I would like to not have a manipulative girl, please. I didn't get annoyed as I might have, just because of that scene where Mariko comes in and sees Aoi making Nobuta cry. I really, really, really like Mariko.

I did like how they resolved Akira liking Nobuta; part of me still wishes Akira and Nobuta had gotten together, but oh well. I'm just glad they didn't go with Nobuta/Shuuji, because that feels wrong and expected and boring. And I am sad that we didn't get more of Nobuta and that the story ended up being about Shuuji. Sigh. It was a good story about Shuuji, but the meta part of my brain is tired of shoujo that is all about the guys.

I also liked Shuuji's fall from grace, and when he got up in front of the class to ask them to make a film for Nobuta, I could not have loved him more. I also nearly cried when they played the video for Nobuta. Oh Nobuta! I love you so much! And Shuuji sometimes made me want to smack him on the head -- don't doubt Akira and Nobuta! They're the kind of people who will stand by someone no matter what, Mariko too, and I love them for it.

That said, a lot of what I loved about the show was tainted a bit by the ending. I didn't mind Shuuji going off, and I think him entering a new school by himself would have been bittersweet and sad, but also perfect, but I just hate that they left Nobuta by herself! Woe!

Comments

[poilass.livejournal.com]

The whole way through I was sort of wondering where the slash came from, because yes they are pretty, but it wasn't really there. And then the last five minutes, I thought: oh, *that's where*.

I agree the ending is not what it should be, but I am bent on justifying the hell out of it so it doesn't taint my love for the series as a whole ;}.

[oyceter]

I fully understand the necessity of the handwave ;). Ooo, did you read the Nobuta-Mariko story in Yuletide this year? It made me happy.

[poilass.livejournal.com]

I did! It was the very first Nobuta story I read in fact.

[jain]

Oh, this comment reminded me that I'd meant to point out some other Nobuta stories that you might like. They're mostly gen and het and femslash, as well as a few Shuuji/Akira stories that I think include Nobuta in interesting and good ways:

Pattern Recognition by asinful (Akira/Nobuta)
Ugly Ducklings by bookshop (Shuuji/Akira)
Five Things That Changed Since The Last Time Nobuta Saw Shuuji and Akira by ilanabean42 (Shuuji/Akira)
How to Keep a Friend by ilanabean42 (Akira/Nobuta)
Untitled by ilanabean42
Sweets to the Sweet by Mayhap
Stars by mindlint
Untitled Nobuta/Mariko by one_if_by_land
Speed of Light by Pero
Confession Version 2.0//Akira SHOCK(ed)!//Summertime by saxon_dogs (Shittaka/Nobuta) -- You haven't mentioned Shittaka that I've seen, but I think he's adorable, and Nobuta's great in this.
Dear Shuuji by Shay (Shuuji/Akira and Nobuta/Mariko)
Good Luck Pig by shrift (Shuuji/Akira)
Untitled One-Sentence Set by sivullinen (Shittaka/Nobuta)
For a Season by the_suit_case
It's Gonna Rain Tomorrow by walkwithheroes (Akira/Nobuta)
Modern Courtship by walkwithheroes (Akira/Nobuta)
Nobuta in Blue by walkwithheroes (Akira/Nobuta)
Separately, Together Part 1 and Part 2 by walkwithheroes (Akira/Nobuta, Shuuji/Mariko)
Eye of the Storm by waxrose (Shuuji/Akira)
Guilt Free at Three AM, Warmer Together, and The Morning After by wintersjuly (Shuuji/Akira/Nobuta) -- I can't remember how you feel about threesomes, but regardless, I think you'd like these stories. They have very much the feeling of the series to me: romantic friendship might be the best way to describe their relationship here.
Untitled Akira/Nobuta by wintersjuly
Untitled Nobuta/Bando by yamapea

[oyceter]

Thanks for the links!