[Manga] Kimi ni Todoke 42

Eek! So it's finally happened. Kent x Ayane!

 Before this, I was a fan of Ayane x Pin because I don't know, so much subtext in the anime, but this is good, too.

 Wow, the progression of their relationship is better than Ryu x Chizu because those two, I'll never understand. It's clear Chizu is having feelings for Ryu but it's all mixed up with her BFF feelings for the guy, too, so girl's confused.

But Kent x Ayane, they don't have that history so it's much more clear-cut for them. I just hope Ayane returns Kent's feelings soon because in this chapter, it's only really Kent who's confessed his feelings and Ayane's just "Okay." :P

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[MANGA] Kimi ni Todoke 61: Changes

Heyyyyy! It's me. So I've been catching up on my mangalist and though I don't really blog much about the manga I read, except for Claymore, but lately, Kimi ni Todoke has been surprising me with the relationship development of some of its side characters. So here I am, giving my two cents about the latest chapter from the manga.

So the chapter picks up right where the previous one left off -- that is, Kazehaya returns to Ryu's home to drop off the food that Chizu asked him to give to Ryu. Kazehaya also tells him that Chizu asked him about the confession and that he couldn't lie. Ryu asks him where Chizu is and Kazehaya says that she went home. She's in her room, crying. The next day, Chizu's mom asks Ryu to give Chizu's lunch bag to her since she forgot it that morning. However, Chizu isn't in school. Pin thinks that Chizu is purposely absent in order to escape having to submit the future survey form. Ayane and Sawako are both worried that she might be sick and they decide to visit her after class. Ever the jaded one, Ayane sends Chizu a text to make sure that she's not just skipping school. Kento then appears and Ayane is awkwardly reminded of their strange encounter at the train station the other day. But Kento is there to talk to Sawako, which kind of puts off Ayane a bit as she immediately leaves, telling them to talk far away from her. Kento asks Kazehaya's permission to talk to Sawako but Kazehaya tells him that of course he can talk to Sawako since Sawako isn't his property. Kento tells Sawako that Ayane is more perceptive than most people. He then adds that he has noticed the awkwardness between Kazehaya and Sawako and advises her to close her eyes for five seconds. Sawako is shocked to hear this since this is exactly what Pin said as well. Of course, Pin was setting her up for a kiss and Sawako is still all sorts of terrified of this. Then Kento unexpectedly thanks her for helping him notice many things, including how cute Ayane is. With that Kento leaves her to find Ayane, who is in the hallway outside, checking her cellpone for Chizu's reply. When she sees Kento, she asks him what he and Sawako talked about and Kento tells her that they were talking about Kazehaya. Ayane scolds him for meddling again and Kento only smiles, which creeps out Ayane a bit. He says that she's always worrying about others but Ayane refutes him, saying that she's only concerned about herself. The entire conversation consists of Kento trying to get Ayane to admit that she's not as selfish as she thinks and that she's actually quite cute while Ayane denies everything. Pin then arrives and, noticing their closeness, asks if they are going out. Ayane emphatically tells him no and takes this opportunity to leave. The two men stare after her and Kento comments that she's sometimes pretty dense. But Pin gently says that he actually thinks she's quite clever. Later, Ayane and Sawako decide to buy some of Chizu's favorite snacks to bring to her. As the girls go off on their own, someone pokes Kazehaya on the shoulder. Meanwhile, Chizu is at her usual hangout place by the sea and she is getting hungry. At that moment, Kazehaya arrives with her lunch bag. She's surprised to find him since it's always been Ryu. He says that it was Ryu who told him about the place and asked him to bring her the food. Chizu irrationally blames Kazehaya, bringing up how as a kid she was on a winning streak but that Kazehaya did not even compete with her. Then she declares that she wants to be Kazehaya in her next incarnation. She mentally adds, that way she'll always be friends with Ryu. Ryu's confession and her rejection has caused her to question her relationship with Ryu and fear that she's going to lose him as a friend. Kazehaya then asks her something which never occurred to her: Isn't she a little bit happy about it? The chapter ends with Chizu thinking to herself that she never saw it from that angle and it looks like she's smiling.

COMMENTS:

Ok, INSANE. Ayane x Kento? Never saw that coming. Honestly. I always thought Kento would end up with Kurumi, but him and Ayane...hm, it's actually pretty cute. Then again, I'd like for Ayane to end up with someone, doesn't matter who. I even briefly entertained the thought of her with Pin, no matter how wrong that is. It would've been hilarious, too, and not angst-ridden. But Kento's fine, too. It would be more of the typical shoujo, teenage, angst-ridden stuff. Oh, but a love triangle? Urk. Kill me. My mind is going places.

On the other hand, Chizu x Ryu is finally going somewhere. Makes me happy.

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FINAL THOUGHTS: Kimi ni Todoke Second Season

After an extremely frustrating first half, the series almost redeems itself by finally moving the relationship of the main characters to the desired end.

I almost dropped this series. Kimi ni Todoke Second Season is one of those shows that creates conflict where there shouldn't be and makes you want to scream at your monitor because the characters are.... well, not exactly stupid but they do the most stupid things, like missing to elaborate a certain point and by doing so create a misunderstanding that fosters even more misunderstandings until everything becomes so convoluted that everyone becomes depressed and wallowing in drama and misery, when all of this could have been avoided if they.just.fucking.TALKED. Properly. Lengthily. Without the 'ums' and the 'ers.'

It's a good thing Production I.G. made this show -- they of the big studio budget. The quality of the production is beyond par. Excellent, in fact, even if everything else isn't. I haven't seen the first season but jute assures me that there's no visible downgrade with the value at all, and I have to say, I agree. Kimi ni Todoke is one of the most beautiful shoujos I've ever seen. Granted, I haven't watched many, but still. And the BGM is excellent as well, neither too distinctive as to take away from the show nor too subdued as to not be noticeable. I don't pay much attention to the OPs or EDs of anime -- any anime for that matter -- but I guess this series' offerings fit the bill.

The story itself is lightweight. Nothing extraordinary about first love in a school setting. What does stand out is the character of Sawako. A girl who is so earnest, yet so traumatized (lol) by a bad childhood nickname, that she is misunderstood by her classmates just as frequently as she misunderstands them. It takes a boy like Kazehaya, a talking-walking-Mr. Popular, and fierce friends like the wise-talking Ayane and hopeless tomboy Chizu, to finally get Sawako out of her shell and interact normally with her classmates.

And then there's love, although that I kind of don't want to talk about, because I see it as the downside of this show. Kazehaya and Sawako's love story might be sweet but it is also the most awkward I've ever seen and painful to watch. Not to mention frustrating. I'm at least grateful that they decided to resolve their relationship at the end of this season so that there's no doubt now that the two are girlfriend and boyfriend.

In conclusion, Kimi ni Todoke Second Season is a fine, lightweight shoujo romance. The characters, especially the main ones, are well-developed. The side characters don't really feature much, although there was that one bit at the end that really surprised me. Really? Those two? Never saw it coming. (Are you talking about Ryu x Chizu? They're my OTP of this fandom - jute.) But the focus is really on the main characters and their budding relationship.

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Mid-Season Round-Up 2: Moe all around

Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season 7-8

Just when you thought this show couldn't get any more frustrating, Sawako and Kazehaya finally tell each other their feelings only to misunderstand each other as to the meaning of "like." Kazehaya thinks that Sawako only likes him as a friend and Sawako thinks the same with him, when in reality both of them feel the other way around. But do they bother to tell each other that? No. They stutter a few words, stare at each other and then somehow believe they know what each other is talking about. That is NOT how you communicate, kids. And it takes another whole episode for Sawako to make complete sense of it all so now hopefully, by episode 9, we'll finally have the long-awaited confession scene. 

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica 7-9

Wow, this show surprised me. I didn't expect it to be so dark. I thought this was a satire and I was expecting humor and wit, and well, there's still plenty of that here but of a darker variety. In these episodes, Madoka loses two friends but gains an old one as a result, more is revealed about Homura-chan as well as Kyubey, plus SUBPLOT, baby! Things are certainly becoming stranger and stranger.

GOSICK 8-9

The conclusion of the valley of the wolves episode has Victorika solving the puzzle that is her mother's past as well as her relationship with Kujo. There's a little role reversal as Victorika saves Kujo's life this time, instead of the other way around. In the next episode, Victorika faces the one puzzle she cannot solve: how to put on an obi. Meanwhile, Kujo goes shopping on his own and stumbles upon a new mystery involving the "blue rose" as well as creepy-looking mannequins. The plot for GOSICK is pretty weak. Even so, the episodes are entertaining enough and really, no one should try watching this show for the mystery-solving detective work.

Hourou Musuko 6-7

Despite some minor glitches and backstage drama, the play is a success. Mako gains his confidence, with the subtle help of Chiba, and everyone just has a lot of fun. Chiba and Takatsuki are still not friends but Nitori and Anna almost are. Then, all of a sudden, the next episode hits us with the shocking news: Nitori and Anna are dating. Huh?! Was not expecting that. Chiba gets upset, obviously, and stops going to school. Takatsuki who feels responsible for breaking the news to her goes to visit her at her home but Chiba is her usual cheery sociable (sarcastic) self. But the two more or less come to an understanding. Hm. Subtle drama is subtle.

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Mid-Season Round-Up 1: A victory for Victorica

So we're in the middle of the Winter 2011 Anime season and so far, so good. There are shows that haven't really gone past the limits of their genres and for this reason I'm thinking of dropping them entirely from my watchlist. Others found difficulty in trying to find a home in the hearts of fansub groups and, alas, due to the language barrier, must remain in obscurity. But all hope is not lost. For there are quite a handful of shows that have managed to exceed my sometimes abnormally high expectations.

these two are so cute and i don't even care if it's all just platonic

Gosick is one show that's entertaining the heck out of me. It's not the story. Plenty of that going around. It's not the mystery either. Rather, it's the characters -- or should I say, just one character. Victorica is most positively the cutest thing I've ever seen on screen since, oh i don't know the Dennou Coil kids. And her personality's like a cross between Chiaki of the Minami-ke series and Taiga from ToraDora!. In anime, I tend to gravitate towards the cute little abusive girls. LOLz And I just found out that the show is actually based off of Sherlock Holmes. No small wonder there. That was positively my first impression of the series. Still, while Gosick might lack the compelling factor in its mystery-solving, it makes up for the developing relationship between its two main characters, which, now that I mention it, is also the side-focus of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Anyhoo, the show, which is slated to air 24 episodes in total, is at that point where we get to learn more about Victorica's mother and the village where she comes from. It's interesting, to say the least, as this is obviously something very personal to Victorica, who until this point has remained detached from all her investigations.

a rival for Shouta? oh noes ~

Speaking of developing relationships, the second season of Kimi ni Todoke is still frustratingly slow. If I recall, this is also jute's main gripe about the series. The characters are so...dense, like I just wanna come over and wring Sawako and Kazehaya's necks or something. God, are high school kids really this stupid about love? Lemme think. Uh, yeah, now I remember. Yep. We're all idiots back then. Still, when I saw hot blond dude on the first episode, I hoped that his addition to the cast would help speed things along for our main couple. But, oh no, Sawako and Kazehaya just have to go and misunderstand everything and so we're back to square one. Fucking A. Can we just have more Pin and Ayano, please? Or maybe some Ryuu and Chizu? Hell, maybe even a little Kento and Kurumi slapping action? Because Sawako and Kazehaya are killing me. Like literally killing me.

magical girl vs. evil witch? who will win? also, i want that chainsaw

Another show that is starting to lose my interest is Kore wa zombie desu ka? The story wasn't much to begin with and I only really watched the show because jute likes zombies and out of respect for the original owner of this blog, I wanted to give this a try. But no. The show is becoming ridiculous. Is this the next Occult Academy? That can't be good. The one thing good that's going for this show is its male character. He is surprisingly tolerable.

wolverine vs. sword boy...or something

Wolverine is a bit of a pain right now. The story isn't that great. It's just Wolverine tearing through a whole bunch enemies to rescue a sad-looking Japanese girl. I mean, this wouldn't have been so bad if we knew more about Mariko other than the generic damsel-in-distress bit she gives with what little screen time she has. I think the only reason I'm even watching this show is because it is Wolverine and in the last scene of episode 5, Cyclops actually shows up. Ooh, is this some kind of precursor to the X-Men series that is Marvel and Madhouse's collab project next season?

this show is sweet but it suffers from Kimi ni Todoke complex in that it's sloooooowwwwwzzzz

For a while, the fansub groups stopped subbing Hourou Musuko. Or maybe that wasn't it at all, because I checked the raws and for like a couple of weeks there were no raws for the show. I don't know what's going on but it would be a damn shame if this show doesn't get subbed. It's cute, despite the overall seriousness.

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FIRST LOOK: Beelzebub, Kimi ni Todoke Second Season, Wolverine, Hourou Musuko

 Beelzebub (1-3)

There are some funny moments, mostly involving a certain inter-dimensional transport demon, whose sexuality is kind of "up there"  but the rest are mostly reused gags. The main guy getting electrocuted every time the baby gets upset in some way is funny at first but quickly grows old. Not even the addition of cool, blond babe who can kick ass can help the show. If you ask me, they should have made an entire show around the aforementioned transport demon. That would have been funnier and far likely to make me stick around. But as it is, this show is dropped.

 Kimi ni Todoke Second Season (00-03)

I can't believe, after everything that happened in the first season, Sawako and Shouta are still at it. I mean, they didn't they sort of become a couple? Whaaaaattt!? You mean I just imagined the whole thing. Well, fuck. That just pisses me off. Anyhoo, I'm watching this for the side character pairings: Chizu x Ryu and Ayane x Pin (ew?) and maybe Umezawa x new kid in the block

 Wolverine (1-3)

Wolverine is one of my most anticipated series ever since the first trailer came out on YouTube. I heard about Wolverine even before I even learned that Marvel and Madhouse are also teaming up for Ironman. And Ironman actually came earlier than Wolverine and, happy camper that I am, I was on the front seat for that first collab between two of the biggest names in the comic and animation industry. Oh, but woe! Ironman was bad. And it wasn't bad in a good way (because that can sometimes happen), it was bad in that "I just want to chop people's heads off that's how much it pissed me off" bad. So I got burned early and was thus hesitant to plunge into the Wolverine pool. My apprehension was not without basis but I'd be the first to admit that I enjoyed the first three episodes of the series and actually found myself looking forward to the next ones. Yay! What a huge relief.

Wandering Son (1-3)

This title is not included in my shortlist of anime series to watch this season. But, oh boy, did Wandering Son take me by surprise. It's a character-piece told from the perspective of two main characters who may or may be in love with each other. The catch? The boy wants to be a girl. The girl wants to be a boy. The art style is gorgeous -- not overly detailed, the lines are soft and round and the colors are just beautiful and gentle. Even the BGM is great -- unintrusive, classic and sublime. "Claire de Lune" is often played at key points.


Part 2 of First Look coming soon.

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Winter 2011 Anime Line-Up

Happy New Year!

click to enlarge

So it's a new year and the new winter line-up looks blissfully promising! Hell, if the titles look this good, I think I won't have a problem finding the inspiration to start blogging again. And here's my shortlist:

Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season (Production I.G.) - it was cute the first time around and I kinda miss the characters so yes, it'd be fun revisiting this show and getting to know all about Sawako and Kazehaya puppy love, not to mention all the lovable side characters and Pin XD

 Mahou Shoujo Madoka . Magica (SHAFT) - it's Shinbo and it looks like some kinda parody of the magical girl genre

IS: Infinite Stratos (B-Bit) - actually I'm not too sure about this but the plot reminds me a little of Vandread and I enjoyed that one

Wolverine (MADHOUSE) - I didn't like Ironman but Madhouse is my favorite studio so I'm in a bit of a pinch here; we'll see, because Wolverine is one of my favorite X-men

GOSICK (Bones) - it has a gothic lolita as one of its main characters and also, it's by Bones, so it's worth a try

Beelzebub - the promo art looks attractive but as for the story itself, it sounds flimsy

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? (Studio DEEN) - I think this might be a romance story of sorts with a zombie as a main character. I know someone who'd at least be interested in this.

Hourou Musuko (AIC) - a gender-bender series that's serious for a change; a psychological drama that explores the sexual orientation of...fifth graders; lol sorry, I think the plot's heavy with social commentaries though

And that's the short list for the series category. For the OVAs, There's the final (?) episode of the Kara no Kyoukai OVA series, Kara no Kyoukai: Epilogue, which reminds me that I have got to watch the rest of the episodes. Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail #3 is also coming out, which again reminds me that I still haven't watched #2. Apart from the OVAs, all these titles will have to go through the usual 3-episode test to help me determine which shows to blog.

Peace out.

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Final Thoughts: Kimi ni Todoke

New Year and the series ends with cuts of Kimi ni Todoke couples or likely couples: Kazehaya x Sawako, Chizu x Ryuu ♥ and....Ayane x Pin???? What in the world...

EPISODE 25: New Year
More Screencaps from Kimi ni Todoke 25

Sawako and Kazehaya continue talking as they walk. Sawako declares that she'll try harder this year to make more people like her but Kazehaya interrupts her, saying they already do. Meanwhile, Ayane is still stuck with Jo while Chizu has to physically force Ryu to stay and not go off by himself drinking amakaze. While joining the long line of people in front of the shrine, they catch sight of Kazehaya and Sawako ahead of them. Ryu then tells Chizu that Tooru is coming to visit. When he doesn't say any more, Chizu accepts the implied invitation. Later, Kazehaya and Sawako both get their fortunes and Sawako is distressed to get "Bad Luck." To appease her, Kazehaya gives her his "Very Good Luck" slip. Sawako reads the part that says something about love and thinks this refers to Kazehaya, bringing a whole new light to her feelings for him. In another meanwhile, Ayane finally gets rid of Jo only to run into Pin, who unknowingly rescued her from a bunch of guys who were hitting on her. The two of them are equally flabbergasted at meeting like this and even more so when they find out that they have to walk together as they are both going the same way. The rest also make their way home. Kazehaya and Sawako take the path she usually takes to school and they stop at the spot where they first met. Sawako is surprised that Kazehaya remembers even as she is secretly thinking the same thing. The two of them stay there for a moment longer, reminiscing about the past and realizing their love for each other even as they decide not to act on it yet. They part in front of Sawako's house. Kazehaya has one last glimpse of her and then turns and walks away, with Sawako unable to take her eyes off him.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I"m so glad I picked Kimi ni Todoke for my rom-com fix in the Fall 2009 Season. I've never enjoyed or been satisfied with any other recent crop of rom-com anime since ToraDora!. Kimi ni Todoke is the exception. Interestingly, ToraDora! also came out in fall. Does it have anything to do with the season? I doubt it. :) 

Like its main female character Sawako, Kimi ni Todoke is undemanding, unobtrusive and always, always ready to make you feel good. Even the more dramatic moments are treated with such a deftness and lightness that the series never gets out of hand. Each scene just blends in into the next, seamlessly it seems. Of course, this means the series could easily fall into the trap of predictability and boredom. Like all rom-coms, the situations in Kimi ni Todoke are not the least bit original but you will find that even predictable can be entertaining when done right. And that's what Kimi ni Todoke does. It takes all the cliches and usual antics and somehow make them all work for the anime. 

Thinking this, I'm suddenly reminded of Kare Kano but not in the way that you think. No two stories could be more different. Kare Kano is in a league of its own, both in its romance, its humor, and its treatment of its characters. But there were times when even Kare Kano got a little too heavy-handed. I'm talking about Arima's dark background. It was a nice twist, sure, and it added an unusual dimension to an otherwise light fare story and made the developments in the character's relationship more intense. I don't know if the intensity was necessary but it made Kare Kano a compelling read. 

Compelling isn't a word you would use to describe Kimi ni Todoke. Unlike Kare Kano that went from fluffy, light fanfare to dark, intense eye-opener in the later volumes, Kimi ni Todoke is a show that maintains its lightness from beginning to end. What's impressive about it is that despite the lack of theatrics and dark underpinnings, the show still manages to deliver. And that's  really something for a show that does not demand a lot from its viewers.

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Kimi ni Todoke 24: The Date

It's the night that Kazenoma shippers have all been waiting for! And guess what? They do nothing but mumble something cute and irrelevant, blush and send moony eyes at each other and it's all so freakin' awesome you can just die from the giddiness. Well, maybe not die, but you get the drift. :)

EPISODE 24: Birthday

More Screencaps from Kimi ni Todoke 24

So despite having been ditched by their friends, Kazehaya and Sawako continue on to the shrine. It's a quiet walk. That is, until Sawako slips on the stone steps and nearly falls. Kazehaya saves her at the last instant but the forced intimacy brings our two lovebirds into heights of discomfort and embarrassment the likes of which we've never seen before (and that's something coming from a show about awkward teens in awkward love). Good thing they both have such supportive friends, who decide to tag along in secret by the way. The ever wise and relationship-savvy Ayane comments that it's like watching a turtle race with these two. lmao Chizu and Ryuu agree, so Ayane gets Chizu to call Kazehaya and do some damage. I mean, do some good. Chizu, of course, being moderately idiot, speaks so loudly that Kazehaya actually hears her from where the three of them are hiding. But Chizu somehow convinces him she's somewhere else and then tells him that Sawako did not know her friends were going to ditch her at the last minute and so Kazehaya must now take care of her. Kazehaya gets the drift and steps back so he can walk beside Sawako, instead of ahead of her. If you don't know, Japanese men usually walk ahead of the women. It's a culture thing. Of course, it's a bit outdated now, but I think it's still the standard in most quarters of that country. Ayane and Chizu celebrate this slight progress in their Project: Get Kazenoma Together (TM) while Ryuu only cares about amazake. But alas, their celebration is cut short when they notice an idiot among the New Year's crowd.

It's Joe! And he's with his family! And they look exactly like him! Which is creepy but also funny. Knowing that Joe would never leave Kazehaya alone, Ayane and Chizu swiftly go into action and try to get Joe's attention. Joe, however, misinterprets (again) and thinks that he might have a chance with Ayane after all, much to Ayane's barely concealed disgust. But then Kazenoma pass right by and Joe doesn't notice so again, their plan works.

The lovebirds buy some amazake and Kazehaya is all, "I've never tasted amazake this good" and Sawako's like, "Omigosh! I'm seeing Kazehaya having a first, it's awesome! I love him!" Kazehaya disagrees and says that Sawako right now is seeing him having many firsts, like his first time alone with someone on New Year's Eve, his first time buying a girl a cellphone strap and his first time wearing a stomach warmer. Sawako is touched and all but at this last point, it occurs to her that the hat was definitely a better gift idea. lolz

Speaking of cellphone straps, Kazehaya asks if Sawako has an email address and Sawako sends him a text, even though he's right there, thanking him for everything he's done for her this year. Kazehaya asks her when her birthday is and Sawako tells him that it's today so Kazehaya greets her. Then Kazehaya gets her to talk about Sawako's life, like literally from infancy to present, but Sawako indulges him. As expected, she had a really depressing childhood but it's okay because she's just the kind of person who can pretty much deal with anything that gets handed her way. She's awesome. Kazehaya thinks so, too.

And the episode ends with Sawako thinking that her entire life changed the year she met Kazehaya.

THOUGHTS:

So...cute. And also, kind of annoying. Ack! Like tell him already! Or tell her! My god, watching these two, I know exactly how Ayane feels.

And now, I'm really sorry but I can't see the next episode until next, next week because, well, if you're Catholic, you'd know. Holy Week. I ban myself from computers during that period, out of respect. I'll post again when I get back.This also means that I can't blog Armed Librarians 26. For shame. I was ever so looking forward to it. T_____T

BTW, you'll notice the Amazon product links below. Blogger has included this new monetizing widget with Amazon and I'm trying it out.

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Kimi ni Todoke 23: Pretty in Pink

Sawako's make-over...
EPISODE 23: Two People
More Screencaps from Kimi ni Todoke 23
It's December 25 and Sawako is thrilled to find that the events of the past night had not been a dream and that her father really did buy her a cellphone. Meanwhile in school, Ayane overhears the guys talking abouthow Sawako showed up at the after-party the night before and wondering if she came with Kazehaya. Not wanting any bad rumors to spread about her two friends, Ayane tells them it was she who invited Sawako to the party and made Kazehaya wait for her as a penalty for losing a bet. On the way to the hall for the closing ceremony, Sawako catches a glimpse of Kurumi, who no longer bothers to hide her dislike for the other girl and sticks her tongue out. Afterwards, Sawako realizes that she will no longer see Kazehaya or any of her friends until the second semester. This thought makes her sad and she thinks that she wants to thank Kazehaya at least before they part ways. But Kazehaya leaves with the other boys before she can get a chance. Much later, Sawako goes out with Ayane and Chizu and Sawako proudly shows them her brand new cellphone. Chizu helps her set up an email account. The conversation soon turns and Sawako tells them that New Year's Day is also her birthday. With this revelation, Chizu and Ayane get an idea. As Sawako timidly invites the two of them to spend her birthday with her, Chizu pipes up that she always goes to a shrine with Ryuu on New Year's and invites Ayane and Sawako to come as well. Ayane adds that Sawako should invite Kazehaya, too. Although extremely nervous at the prospect, Sawako does call Kazehaya, botching her lines the whole way through. On December 31, Ayane and Chizu show up at Sawako's house on time but instead of setting out at once, they drag Sawako to her room for a quick make-over. It seems both girls remember how Sawako once said that she wanted to look pretty like Kurumi. After they are done, they show Sawako the mirror and greet her happy birthday. A very happy and incredibly touched Sawako starts to water up but finds that she has to hold it in, or the make-up would be ruined. Later, the three of them walk to the meeting point but before they could reach the place, Ayane and Chizu suddenly declare that they're leaving and that Ryuu isn't coming either, which means that Sawako has to go alone with Kazehaya -- their plan all along. Sawako is too shocked to make any serious protest. Then, after her friends are gone, she has no choice but to bravely face Kazehaya by herself. Upon seeing her, Kazehaya is speechless. Sawako is too nervous to notice her own effect and wonders if Kazehaya would leave her by herself. Instead, Kazehaya turns around and tells her, "Let's go." They both set out for the shrine.

THOUGHTS:

This was a very hilarious episode. And also sweet. I realize this is my general reaction to the series. Oh well, something new then: Sawako, Made-Over (TM) is pretty! In a crazy, sparkly pink sort of way. LOL at Kurumi's cameo. How many episodes does this series actually have? I thought it was 24. But I checked ANN again and it's 25?? I'm confused. Kimi ni Todoke isn't the only series I'm watching this season that's apparently confused with how many episodes to release.

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Kimi ni Todoke 22: Stomach Warmer

I thought New Year already happened, and now we're celebrating Christmas? Timeline is confuzzling.EPISODE 22: Christmas
The class of D-1 plan to have an out-of-school party to celebrate Christmas. Everyone must come and that includes Sawako, who is more than thrilled to be finally invited to one of these gatherings. However, her family's -- especially her father's -- enthusiasm over their own family get-together to celebrate the occasion gets in the way, forcing Sawako to stay home. Kazehaya as well as Ayane and Chizu can barely hide their disappointment. On Christmas Eve, the girls give Sawako a call to greet her 'Merry Christmas' and then they pass the phone on to Kazehaya. Upon hearing his voice, Sawako gets tongue-tied and overcome with tears. Her mother notices and so takes the phone from her. While Sawako's mother speaks to Kazehaya, Sawako's dad, who is finally noticing Sawako's unhappiness, gives her the present he got her: a cellphone. Sawako then tells her dad that she wants to go to the party for just a little bit. He reluctantly lets her go. However, by the time Sawako makes it to the place, all her classmates are gone. Only Kazehaya is still there, waiting for her. He gives her a present: a cellphone thingamajig. In exchange, Sawako gives him a stomach warmer, which is supposed to be for her father but for a slight mishap earlier that day.

THOUGHTS:

I've decided to call this section 'thoughts' because I realize that people make the mistake that the "comments" are comments from visitors. Uhm, no. But anyway, yeah, so I think 'thoughts' would work.

Also, I've decided to change the schedule for this series to Saturday and Armed Librarians for Sunday. I know it's a bit late but I just noted that Horriblesubs release their episodes of the latter series Saturdays.

Back to the topic, this episode is cute. Stomach warmer. In case you don't know, stomach warmers are considered old-fashioned in Japan and are only ever worn by old people and some gang members. I know that little bit of information from Kimi wa Petto. :)

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Kimi ni Todoke 21: Neighborhood Girl

The conclusion of Chizuru's love profusion with the Sanada brothers...
EPISODE 21: First Snow
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It's almost spring and Chizuru shows up in school, looking cheerful again but still not talking to Ryuu. After classes, she invites the girls to a karaoke session where she completely hogs the mike. Later, as they are making their way home, Yano asks her what she would do if she meets Tooru again and Chizu cheerfully answers that she likes him but adds quickly that she's just joking. Then Tooru does show up for real and asks to speak with Chizu. Before Chizu leaves with Tooru, Sawako secretly reminds her that she's wearing a mini-skirt (their school uniform). Realizing this, Chizu tries to show off to Tooru only to have him tell her that he's used to seeing her legs from when they were children. They continue to walk together and all the while Tooru reminisces about many childhood memories with her. Chizu confesses that she likes Tooru, who surprisingly says that he likes her too, but only as a sister. After that, Tooru makes his way back home, intending to drive back to Sapporo immediately. Ryuu is waiting for him there to give him some bread from the other day when he had his fight with Chizu. Before he leaves, Tooru comments that both Ryuu and Chizu are not the clever type so maybe that's why they are much more suited to each other. However, Ryuu surprises him again by saying that he already knows this. Later, Ryuu goes to the docks where he knows Chizu would be since it is the last place that the three of them played before Tooru moved away. Chizu apologizes to Ryuu for her behavior and for being the only person who never greeted him on his birthday. Ryuu tells her that it's alright since Chizu is the only person who remembers his birthday. As they talk, Chizu discovers that it was in fact Ryuu who asked Tooru to come back that day. She tells herself that maybe her feelings for Tooru were really that of a little sister. Ryuu, however, says that he knows that her feelings were true. Because of this, Chizu asks him to comfort her as she cries and Ryuu embraces her.

COMMENTS:

This was a really charming and cute arc. I am totally sold on the Chizu x Ryuu pairing more than ever. SQUUEEEE ♥ ~ I especially like that the anime didn't try to ham-fist the whole thing, like get Chizu to suddenly like Ryuu after she gets rejected by Tooru. Too many shojou shows make that stupid mistake. I mean, Chizu didn't hold on to those feelings all those years only to have them suddenly disappear in one night. Chizu's reaction was very realistic. A real person would try to rationalize the whole thing, second-guess emotions, have doubts whether or not the feeling was just a little crush after all. And Ryuu is such a great friend for showing such deep understanding of Chizu even when she herself is confused. OMG I love these two!

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Kimi ni Todoke 19: Oh Chi ~

Ryuu's bro ♥ ~
EPISODE 19: Dream
The girls decide to have a sleepover at Chizuru's in order to cheer up Ayane. In school, Ryuu tries to talk with Chizuru again but couldn't and so instead he tells her not to come to his house in the next couple of days. During the sleepover, this is all that Chizuru could think about. Ayane suggests that they all go to Ryuu's so Chizuru could apologize. Once there, however, the girls are surprised to find that the boys are also having their own sleepover in order to comfort another one of their classmates who got rejected by a girl. When they find themselves alone, Chizuru tries to apologize to Ryuu and then asks him what it was that he wanted to talk about. Before Ryuu could say it, however, someone arrives. It's Tohru, Ryuu's older brother and Chizuru's crush. But what should have been a happy reunion turns out to be awkward as Tohru has brought along his fiancee. Both Sawako and Ayane feel sorry for Chizuru but can't find the words to comfort her. The next day, Chizuru goes over to Ryuu's house in order to properly congratulate Tohru on his upcoming marriage but she hesitates at the door as she realizes that even though she is treated by the Sanadas like family, in the end, she is still just their neighbor.

COMMENTS:

Poor Chizu. Bugs, lol! Also, that was really awkward.

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Kimi ni Todoke 17-18: Love is in the air

Pin's folly, Chizu's feelings...
EPISODE 17: Holiday
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Chizu (Yoshida) and Ayane (Yano) visit Sawako at her house during the holiday. Everybody is excited, but Sawako's dad is especially nervous. Chizu makes a bad first impression with her "yanki" looks, so does Ayane with her many piercings. But Sawako's mom saves the day by offering cake to the girls. Later, Sawako shows them her room and both girls are quite astonished by how much it does not reflect Sawako's personality. Sawako explains that she figures everything that isn't her would not scare people away. Ayane then shows Sawako the party photos, including the one with her asleep against Kazehaya's shoulder. Sawako is horrified by this discovery but after some prodding from her friends, she finally admits that she loves him. Ayane wonders when she is going to confess but for Sawako this is out of the question as she can't imagine going out with Kazehaya. So Ayane asks what Sawako would do if Kazehaya starts going out with another girl. Of course, Sawako wouldn't like it. Meanwhile, Kazehaya is walking Maru-chan (the dog) when he bumps into Ryuu. The two of them soon get a call from a very ill-sounding Pin, asking for Sawako. This gives Kazehaya the perfect excuse to call Chizu and talk to Sawako. After hearing the story, Sawako and the girls meet up with the boys and head for Pin's apartment. Once there, they are shocked to find the place in a mess and Pin down with the cold. They all go to work, cleaning up the place while Sawako and Kazehaya nurse Pin back to health. Soon, Pin recovers and he is so grateful for it that he offers to tell Sawako anything she wants to know about Kazehaya. Before they leave, Pin whispers something into Sawako's ears which Kazehaya finds suspicious. Ayane gets Kazehaya to walk Sawako home and as the two of them are walking with Maru-chan, Sawako suddenly grabs Kazehaya's sleeve and closes her eyes. A nervous Kazehaya attempts to give her a kiss but before he could, Sawako opens her eyes, surprising both of them. Sawako then explains that Pin told her to do it but she doesn't have any idea what would happen. An embarrassed Kazehaya warns that he wouldn't know what would happen if she does something like it again.

EPISODE 18: Chizu's Love
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It's back to school and Chizu is especially excited because, according to her, it's almost New Year's (even though it's only September). Kazehaya soon joins them and Sawako is rendered speechless at seeing him in a blazer. However, while the general atmosphere in class is cheerful, Ayane shows up complaining about boyfriend troubles. Ryuu soon follows and Chizu walks over to greet him. Seeing the two of them together, Sawako can't help but notice how compatible the two of them are. That evening, Chizu drops by the ramen shop again, greets Ryuu's father and heads straight for Ryuu's room. Ryuu is changing when she enters but they both don't mind. The two of them play computer games for a while but after Ryuu beats her, Chizu gives up. Then she asks what Ryuu wants for his birthday. He says anything but shoulder massage coupons. Chizu starts to ask Ryuu a question but gets too embarrassed to finish. After Chizu leaves, Ryuu realizes what the question was. The next day in class, Chizu asks the girls to go shopping with her but Ayane is busy, leaving only Sawako. Chizu buys a shirt that says "Baseball is for Idiots" for Ryuu's present. On their way out, Chizu's eyes get caught by store display of a frilly miniskirt. When Sawako asks if she wants to buy it, Chizu gets embarrassed and mumbles that there's nothing wrong with wanting to look different. Later, Sawako asks if Chizu likes someone and she answers yes. Sawako assumes that it's Ryuu and gets all excited because she knows Ryuu likes Chizu, too. However, Chizu dispels her of that notion as she reveals that the one she likes is Ryuu's older brother, who is coming home for the New Year's. The next day in class, Chizu browses for skirts in a magazine but is dismayed to find that she has no money to pay for it, having spent it all on Ryuu's present. Then she makes a slip, revealing that she wants to look good for Ryuu's brother. At that moment, Ayane shows up with a bruise on her cheek. When asked, she says that she finally broke it up with her boyfriend. While the girls try to comfort Ayane, Ryuu quietly slips out of the room and Kazehaya follows. Once outside, Kazehaya finds out that Ryuu has yet to tell Chizu about his feelings. At lunch, both Chizu and Sawako try to cheer Ayane up but the conversation ends up being about skirts. Ayane laughingly promises to give Chizu one as a present. That evening, Ryuu drops by Chizu's house and enters her room without knocking. Chizu takes issue with this but Ryuu remains unperturbed. He sits on her bed, close to her, and starts to tell her when Chizu stops him and dashes towards the edge of the bed. Unknown to Ryuu, she hides the present she bought for him just in time before he sees it. Not wanting him to find out, Chizu also tells him to leave. A confused Ryuu goes away even as it starts to rain.

COMMENTS:

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone ~ ♥

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Kimi ni Todoke 15: Sunglasses

Kurumi ♥ ~ I think I like her better like this.
EPISODE 15: Rival
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Kurumi and Sawako are still in the same spot, alternately crying and arguing and talking about Kazehaya. Sawako wonders if it would have been possible for her to be friends with Kurumi had they liked different people, but quickly thinks that if that were so, then she wouldn't have understood her feelings for Kazehaya at all because there would be no Kurumi to help her. Kurumi asks Sawako if she and Kazehaya are now going out. Ever the naive one, Sawako doesn't even think that Kurumi knows Kazehaya likes her (Sawako). Their crying bit now over, Kurumi leaves but not without Sawako telling her to tell Kazehaya about the misunderstanding with Pin.

Later, Kurumi remembers how in middle school she thought she had many friends only to find out that they had only been using her popularity with the boys in order to get close to the ones they like. So when one of these boys confessed to Kurumi, they all grew cold towards her. Only Kazehaya seemed to notice that she's hurting and because of this she promised never to tell anyone that she likes him until after she confesses to him.

Much later, Kurumi runs into Kazehaya and, despite herself, finally confesses that it's him she likes, not Pin. Kazehaya apologizes and adds that he likes someone else. Even so, he admits to being happy that Kurumi likes him.

Meanwhile, Sawako finally tells her two bestfriends that she likes Kazehaya. Yoshida is genuinely surprised while Yano pretends not to already know, but both say that they're happy for her.

The next day, Kurumi shows up in school wearing sunglasses and a new personality (her real personality). Pin interrogates her about the accessory but upon closer look, realizes who she is. He then wonders if it's because she had been crying her eyes out the night before after he's rejection. A furious but resigned Kurumi let's him think whatever he wants until Pin eventually does say something of interest: he says that high school boys, whether they like her or not, will think about a girl all the time after confessing to him.

Kurumi meets Sawako later and declares that even if Sawako and Kazehaya start going out, she will never give them her blessings. Then she adds that she will hate any girl whom Kazehaya likes. Sawako asks if they would never be friends and Kurumi says that rather than friends, they are rivals.

The sports festival ends and Sawako's class unfortunately ends up only at 6th place, much to Yoshida and Pin's dismay. Even so, the after-party planned by the class is still on and Kazehaya tells everyone to be there. On her way to the after-party, Sawako looks up 'rival' in the dictionary and discovers that it means "a good enemy." Not surprisingly, she is thrilled at having her first rival.

During the party, Yano and Yoshida ask Sawako all sorts of questions about Kazehaya until the girl finally can't stand it and has to step out. Kazehaya soon follows and finds her sleeping on the stairs. Kazehaya sits beside her, then whispers her name. A half-asleep Sawako says 'hai' then moves to rest her head against his shoulder.

COMMENTS:

This was a funny and cute episode. Not much I can say about it other than that. Also, I've decided to start calling her Sawako, now. It's not right to call her 'Sadako' anymore when the girl has gone through so much and came out of it with her original true personality still intact.

I also like Kurumi now. Well, I've always liked her scheming, manipulative ways. But now that she's out, it's become much more interesting.

Now, can we please have some Ryuu x Yoshida moments? XD

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Kimi ni Todoke 14: Left Out Kurumi

Kurumi's feelings....EPISODE 14: Kurumi
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With her secret now out, Kurumi finds herself in a tight spot. More so when she inadvertently admits to spreading some of the bad rumors about Yano, Yoshida and Sadako. However, instead of becoming angry, Sadako can only cry as she realizes that Kurumi just pretended to be her friend. Yoshida can't stand it so she gives Kurumi a piece of her mind, impressing Yano somewhat. But Kurumi remains remorseless, saying that there's nothing wrong with her using people because other people do it to her all the time, asking her for favors and then forgetting about her afterwards. Because of Kurumi's adamant attitude, Yano threatens to tell on her to Kazehaya but Kurumi calls her bluff and later Sadako herself begs Yano not to do it because she knows that Kurumi would not want the person she likes to see her in a bad light. So Yano and Yoshida decide to let it go with Yano apologizing to Sadako for making it too personal. Later, Sadako watches the volleyball game from the sidelines but finds herself thinking about Kurumi the whole time. Their class lose the game but Yoshida plans to make up for it in soccer. On their way to the field, they overhear some of Kurumi's classmates discussing her absence and saying that it was just as well because otherwise they would have lost the game. This makes Sadako realize that Kurumi was at least telling the truth when she said that people just forget about her when they don't need her to do them favors. So after the soccer game is over, which their class won thanks to Yoshida's energetic playing, she goes to look for Kurumi. Kazehaya arrives a little later, saying that he couldn't watch the game because Pin kept pestering him. Pin then reveals that he has "broken" Kurumi's heart and warns Yano and Yoshida not fall for him because he doesn't go for kids. The two react with disgust while other students who heard Pin's declaration could only wonder at Kurumi's taste. Meanwhile, Sadako finds Kurumi where they left her, sitting under a tree by herself. Kurumi wonders why she came back and Sadako tells her that she's in love with Kazehaya, adding that she wants to tell Kurumi of all people because she knows Kurumi understands. Rather than understand, Kurumi tells her she hates Sadako because Kazehaya likes her without any effort on her part. As she says this she starts to cry and Sadako realizes just how much Kurumi loves Kazehaya, too.

COMMENTS:

Kurumi is cute. Especially when she's crying. And there's no sarcasm there. She's really become quite sympathetic this episode. But if this episode made me see Kurumi in a better light, it's Sadako who deserves my admiration. What a smart, intuitive girl.

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Kimi ni Todoke 11-13: Sadako faces up to feelings

Kurumi finally shows her true personality to Sadako but Sadako is so clueless she misunderstands all the clues. Meanwhile, at the sports festival, Sanada saves Sadako from a lethal curveball, making Kazehaya jealous. Kurumi decides to use this chance to put a rift in Kazehaya and Sadako's friendship.EPISODE 11: "Special?"
More Screencaps from Kimi ni Todoke 11
After revealing her feelings for Kazehaya to Sadako, Kurumi asks for her help. Sadako, however, realizes that Kazehaya is "special" for her as well and so she cannot wholeheartedly support Kurumi's feelings for him. This draws Kurumi's ire as she points out that she (Sadako) only feels that way because Kazehaya has been kind to her. She adds that even if it isn't Kazehaya, Sadako would think a person who's been kind to her as "special." At the soccer game, the guys comment that Sadako is blending in more with the rest of the students. Sadako's team wins, thanks to Sadako's saving kick and Yoshida's athletic prowess. Next is the boys' softball game and volleyball for girls where both Yano and Yoshida play. Yano, who picks up Sadako x Kazehaya, tells Sadako to watch the boys' game in their place and gives her a parting advice not to lose, referring to Kurumi, but Sadako (and Yoshida), of course, has no clue. She ends up asking Kurumi to watch the game with her. While waiting for the game to start, Sadako tries to explain her own feelings for Kazehaya to the other girl. She has convinced herself that Kazehaya is the only boy she's talked with so if she talked with other boys then she would know if her feelings really are "special." This whole time, the softball teams are warming up. One of the boys throws a curveball which the other fails to catch and the ball ends up heading straight for Sadako's face. Thankfully, Ryuu is close by and catches it in the nick of time. Kazehaya sees this and gets eaten by jealousy. Realizing that this is her chance, Kurumi tells Sadako to privately thank Ryuu for saving her life and to talk to him more.

EPISODE 12: Feelings of Love
More Screencaps from Kimi ni Todoke 12
The softball game begins and Sadako finds herself unable to take her eyes off Kazehaya. How can her feelings not be special? After the game, in which Kazehaya's team wins of course, Kurumi reminds Sadako of her statement to talk with other boys, starting with Ryuu. Meanwhile, Kazehaya draws Ryuu aside to talk to him about the incident of the latter saving Sadako. But before he can even get a word out, Ryuu tells him that he only did it because he was the one standing the closest. Still, Kazehaya thinks to himself that it felt like he should have been the one to do it. Later, Yano encounters Kurumi by the lockers and all but accuses her of spreading the rumors about her and Yoshida in school. But Kurumi says that she can't do anything about it without any proof. Yano knows this so lets it go for now. Much later, Ryuu finds a note purporting to be from Sadako in his locker, asking him to meet her at the back of the equipment room. The note is actually written by Kurumi who also tells Sadako to meet Ryuu at the same place. Clueless Sadako really wants to thank Ryuu for saving her and so the two of them end up hanging out for a while. Being naturally quiet people, there is little conversation between them until Sadako initiates one on the subject of romantic love, prompting Ryuu to admit that he loves Chizu. But when Sadako asks why, he can't tell the reason and adds philosophically that there isn't a need for one. At that moment, Kazehaya, at Kurumi's instigation, arrives and witnesses the seemingly intimate scene for himself.

EPISODE 13: Love
More Screencaps from Kimi ni Todoke 13
Kurumi's plan of turning Kazehaya away from Sadako backfires as Kazehaya grabs Sadako and takes her away from Ryuu. He only stops once they are out of sight from the rest of the school and there he asks her if she likes Ryuu. Sadako is so surprised she can't speak at first; she says she likes Ryuu but not in that way, at the same time making the wonderful discovery that she loves Kazehaya. Kazehaya is so relieved to hear this he has to sit down for a while, then asks Sadako if she wants to go out with him as his girlfriend. This, however, is a little too much for Sadako, saying over and over that it's so "mature" and that she has to ask for Yano's advice. Kazehaya smiles after a moment and decides to leave their relationship at that. Meanwhile, Yano is telling Yoshida all about Kurumi's bad actions. At that moment, Ryuu appears and shows them the note from Kurumi pretending to be Sadako. With this as evidence, Yano plots to get back at Kurumi. Back to the equipment room, Pin finds Kurumi still standing there and comes to the absurd conclusion that the latter likes him. He rejects her just as Kazehaya comes by and hears everything to Kurumi's complete horror. Much later, Yano and Yoshida finally find Kurumi by herself and confront her with all their proof against the latter. Kurumi holds her ground well but at that moment, Sadako also arrives and Yano tells her that it was Kurumi who spread those rumors about them.

COMMENTS:

Looks like I.G. decided to extend the series. Good thing they did because Episode 13 makes for an unsatisfactory, albeit understandable, ending. Well, at least, the Sadako and Kazehaya pair is pretty much established even if Kazehaya, the dolt, still hasn't said anything about how he feels. Sigh. Guys will be guys. They expect us to read their minds or something.

On the other hand, Ryuu likes Chizu! Yay! Although why I'm so happy about that is beyond me. It's clear Chizu has no clue.

I actually feel a little sorry for Kurumi. That was really mean of Yano and Yoshida to gang up on her, even if it was Kurumi's fault in the first place. Personally, I don't like people who gang up on anyone no matter the reason.

So I guess I'll continue blogging this series to its conclusion. 11 more episodes. That's a lot, considering this series' slice of life approach. I'll just persevere. Anyway, I won't be blogging a lot of series for the Winter 2009 season.

By the way, I am perfectly aware that it's not in fact 'Sadako' but Sawako. I just like to refer to her as Sadako because that's what most of the characters call her and I guess the nickname stuck for me too.

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Tanizawa Tomofumi - Kimi ni Todoke (Kimi ni Todoke OP Single)

This week I'll be interrupting my regular schedule in order to make room for personal plans to take effect later this week.

RELEASED: 11.25.2009
LABEL: VAP
TRACKLIST:
1. Kimi ni Todoke
2. Uchuu Ryokou
3. Betelgeuse Girl (instrumental)

This is the self-titled single Kimi ni Todoke by Tanizawa Tomofumi. The title track is used as the opening theme for the Production I.G. anime of the same name.

BUY:

Tanizawa Tomofumi - Kimi ni Todoke @ Play-Asia
Tanizawa Tomofumi - Kimi ni Todoke @ Yes Asia

I was quite surprised to hear this single. I didn't really think much of the opening song of Kimi ni Todoke. In fact, I usually skip through it when watching each episode. But now that I got a chance to hear the full song and by itself, I found myself (unconsciously, I might add) nodding my head to it. It's actually a catchy song, appropriately upbeat and really fun to listen to.

Aside from the title track Kimi ni Todoke, the single also includes two others. Uchuu Ryokou is a bit more "rock"-sounding and begins with heavy, albeit fun, guitar riffs that take you right through the first verse where the guitar gives way to the drums. Departing from the upbeat, Jpop style, the third and final track Betelgeuse Girl is an instrumental song, dominated by what sounds like a shamisen interlaced with the melancholic sound of a zither.

This is an entertaining single, one that I did not regret trying out.

MORE INFO:

Kimi ni Todoke OFFICIAL (JPN)
Kimi ni Todoke @ Wikipedia
Kimi ni Todoke @ ANN

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Kimi ni Todoke 10: Kurumi? Kurumi...zawa?

And some hints of the real personality behind the pretty face.
EPISODE 10: Cooperation
More Screencaps from Kimi ni Todoke 10
After becoming friends with Kurumi in the last episode, Sadako finds the girl popping up everywhere. Sadako is practically in ecstasy over having another friend, seemingly without any effort on her part, but Yoshida isn't. Yoshida expresses some concern over having "their girl" taken away from them. She later tells Yano how in middle school Kurumi once asked her "cooperation" in getting one of her girlfriends with a crush on Kazehaya to have some time alone with him in order to confess. What was just one girl, became two, then three, then an entire crowd. Kazehaya didn't like it one bit and neither did Yoshida so that was the end of the confessions. But Kurumi somehow managed to turn everybody's sympathy on her, resulting in the no. 1 unwritten rule among his fangirls: Kazehaya is everybody's property. Of course, that meant banding up against anyone who comes too close to him.

Although Yoshida doesn't entirely get Kurumi's tactic, she doesn't really like the girl. Yano understands too well what Kurumi is trying to do but doesn't tell right away. Meanwhile, Sadako, who is even more clueless than Yoshida about these things, continues to be friendly with Kurumi, the strange tension that has suddenly come over her relationship with Kazehaya notwithstanding. At one point, she sees Kazehaya and Kurumi talking casually together and wants to emulate the same but she can't really picture herself acting casually around Kazehaya.

When Kurumi hears about this from Sadako herself, she says that Kazehaya can only be casual with people with the same personality, implying that Sadako doesn't fit him and that Kurumi does. But instead of getting discouraged by this revelation, Sadako only resolves to be more like Kurumi. This, of course, angers the other girl although she hides it very well.

Sadako gets her chance when Kazehaya stumbles upon her watering the plants by herself. But again, that strange tension stops whatever words they want to say each other. Kazehaya starts to leave but not before muttering something about being nervous. This makes Sadako laugh and, after realizing that she isn't laughing at him, Kazehaya joins in. This breaks the tension between them and soon they are talking like they used to. Kazehaya tells her about their dog and the new doghouse he got for it, and invites her to visit if she likes. Before Sadako could answer, Kurumi, who has been watching the two with some alarm, calls her name. Unconsciously, Kazehaya calls Kurumi's name as well but it's not "Kurumi" but "Kurumizawa." It turns out that Kurumi's real name is Kurumizawa Ume.

Kurumi asks Kazehaya if she could borrow Sadako for some girl talk, to which Sadako hilariously reacts. Kazehaya can't really say no but wonders to himself why he keeps getting interrupted. Sadako is all nervous and giddy at the prospect of "girl talk" and all its implications and even ventures to call Kurumi "Ume-chan." But Kurumi doesn't like to be called by that name. Eventually, Kurumi does reveal why she called Sadako to that place: she has a crush on Kazehaya and wants Sadako's help.

COMMENTS:

I knew from a mile away that that was coming but that doesn't make it boring. It's all about the execution, THE EXECUTION! And with Kimi ni Todoke I have no complaints. Sure, the building up is slow and the characters' cluelessness (or is it lethargy) can sometimes get on my nerves, but this is shoujo so that's to be expected. I just hope that this series will deliver because that makes it ten episodes out of twelve and Sadako and Kazehaya are still nowhere around getting together. I'm afraid the series will end with some sort of "understanding" between the two of them, which isn't really what I want from it. They either have to end up boyfriend and girlfriend or I'll kill somebody's pet hamster.

p.s. No, I won't really kill a hamster. ^.^

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Kimi ni Todoke 09: Of Dolls and Names

EPISODE 09: A New Friend
More Screencaps from Kimi ni Todoke 09
Sadako's after-school soccer practice with Kazehaya is paying out. Even Yoshida is starting to notice the improvement and congratulates her on a job well done. Sadako watches Kazehaya also practice soccer with the rest of the boys in her class. But she can't seem to watch him for long without feeling her face warm up.

After the break, Sadako goes back to the classroom ahead of Yoshida but when she arrives there, she finds out that none of her classmates have returned yet. Just then, Kurumi drops by, apparently looking for Kazehaya. Sadako immediately recognizes her as the "French doll" girl and reminds her about the incident in the hallway where Kurumi helped Sadako pick up some papers she dropped. Kurumi smiles and seems so nice that Sadako can't help but admire her. But unknown to her, Kurumi also thinks that Sadako looks like a doll. The unexpected compliment sends Sadako into a spasm and while she is in this state, Kurumi is called by her friends and goes to them, leaving Sadako to comtemplate by herself this first-time experience of being complimented.

Yano and Yoshida soon join Sadako who then tells them what happened. But the girls don't seem to believe that Sadako being called a "doll" is really a compliment. Kazehaya enters the classroom and Sadako immediately feels nervous although she has no idea why. Yoshida is upset that Sadako continues to call her by her last name. However, Yano points out that even Yoshida still calls Sadako "Sadako." This prompts Yoshida to challenge Ryuu into remembering Sadako's real name. Ryuu wrongly answers that it's "Kuroyuma Takako." Sadako dutifully introduces herself to Ryuu again. Meanwhile Yano gets an idea and tells Kazehaya to say Sadako's full name. Kazehaya has no problem saying it but when Yano asks him to say Sadako's first name, he falters and finally shouts that it's impossible. Sadako's nervousness goes up to new heights.

After class is over, Sadako, who is carrying some class documents, happens to overhear a couple of students talking about Kazehaya and a certain female student. Sadako goes to see what's it all about and is surprised to find Kazehaya and Kurumi having a friendly chat. Seeing the two of them together makes her want to be cute (like Kurumi) as well. So the next day, Sadako asks Yano and Yoshida if she should get a perm. They don't think it's a good idea and insist that Sadako should keep her current hairstyle.

Later, Sadako waits at the lockerroom for Yano and Yoshida who are borrowing a soccer ball from Pin. While there, she overhears Kazehaya talking with another boy about Kurumi and is surprised to find that he could say Kurumi's first name without any trouble. The discovery somehow makes Sadako upset, although again she does not know why. After a moment, Kazehaya notices herand goes to greet her. But Sadako is still tongue-tied about the whole thing. As Kazehaya tries to say Sadako's first name, Kurumi arrives, effectively putting a stop to his attempt. Kurumi notices that Sadako is practically bathed in sweat and uses her own handkerchief to wipe Sadako's face. The gesture touches Sadako so much she mentally declares herself Kurumi's fan. But Kurumi has other plans as she says that she and Sadako are now friends, much to everybody's shock.

COMMENTS:

It's really hard to recap a single episode of a slice of life anime like Kimi ni Todoke. Harder even to comment about it.

So there goes another episode of Kimi ni Todoke where characters do a lot of thinking, staring and blushing though nothing actually happens.

But to be fair to the series, Kurumi's introduction should provide the right stimulus for Sadako and Kazehaya's relationship to develop. It was established from the start that Kazehaya has a thing for Sadako but Sadako is a little bit on the slow side so it takes her about nine episodes and Kurumi to realize that she's "noticing Kazehaya too much." Here's to hoping something more dramatic happens next episode.

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