Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers
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we love lain
Posts: 145 |
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MrAJCosplay wrote
Except those were two different situations with two completely different emotional contexts.. In ep 3 when Akari throws herself at Jiro, she's doing so because she's hearbroken and is responding to the comments Jiro made about what men see in her. Akari wanted to feel validated as a woman worth pursuing, and since Jiro made an ass of himself in the moment by highlighting her immaculate physique ALONE as something people desired her for, she pounces on that idea for any bit of emotional comfort. Jiro does end up rejecting the idea, mentioning that sex is something that would feel right with someone you love, but from Akari's perspective, she hears that and is left to assume that Jiro didn't want to take her to town because 1. he just doesn't like her in that way; and 2. Because he doesn't like her in that way, he sees her advances as more of a "yea you're hot and I recognize that, but I'm not into you in that way, meaning you don't make my heart and mind go crazy," type deal. Like you mentioned in your review, Akari is trying to get a rise out of Jiro due to her frustration from feeling as if her affection is only one-sided. However, that's not just from the audience's perspective, that's exactly what the character motivation is. While ep 3 was a moment of weakness type of situation where it wasn't clear to Akari if Jiro is attracted to her in that way, this episode sees her trying to confirm that her presence just HAS to make him feel SOMETHING more than superficial nervousness; so she goes on the aggressive. It wasn't about goading him into doing something with her; she just wants the comfort of knowing that Jiro likes her enough that when she gets close to him, his mind and heart races with affection; or at the very least he gets flustered in a way that is indicative of feelings. Jiro rejecting Akari's advance in ep 3 only tells her that the guy wouldn't want to take advantage of her; it doesn't say much about whether he actually feels something strong when they're near each other like that. And yea, while Akari has a general idea how an attractive woman would make a guy feel, in her moment of frustration, all she cares about is petulantly confirming to herself that Jiro feels something. From the episode presented her actions, Akari only wanted the teasing to go as far as making Jiro's heart race, but clearly these two are teenager in a sexually compromising situation; one of them was bound to take things in a steamy direction Last edited by we love lain on Tue Nov 08, 2022 1:11 am; edited 1 time in total |
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we love lain
Posts: 145 |
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But there is; While there's a strong correlation between the way a person dresses and their personality, that trait doesn't necessarily have to be reflective of them being sexually open. Being comfortable enough with your body to dress in a candid way doesn't always 100% translate to being sexually inviting. Some people will dress in a provocative way simply because their friends do it and they're just in the phase of emulating people they consider close to them (or role models); other reason include finding confidence from dressing in that particular way, wanting to be validated for their attractiveness even if they're not willing to engage in sex; finding that candid style of dressing up to be cute or stylish, or wanting to be be with the trend. And that's not even including people who dressed in an extremely reserved manner but are freaks in the sheets on the low. Each of the examples I listed also come with their social, cognitive, and behavioral factors, lending this entire concept a much larger breadth of exploration than the black and white manner you're presenting it. Don't get me wrong, I know exactly how what you mean by these "certain types of shows" designing women that look and dress promiscuously, but are actual maidens at heart as corporately designed to fit the wish fulfillment scheme that is typically afoot with these kind of works; and I mostly agree with you (barring a bit of scrutiny) on the point your making regarding this type of pandering. I just think your views on the way a person dresses and personality lacks the nuance that's reflective of the actual truth on the matter. Last edited by we love lain on Tue Nov 08, 2022 1:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11617 |
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It's funny how everything Mei told Shiori was basically right and also sad because it seems like she likes Shiori too yet she's trying to get her together with someone else.
She's being forward with Minami in the sense of trying to improve her relationship with Jiro so they can switch partners and she can get closer to him, and she basically tried to seduce Jiro in this latest episode. Which reminds me...ho w many times are they going to nearly have sex on that couch? |
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njprogfan
 Collector Extraordinaire Posts: 1168 Location: A River Named Toms |
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Lingering camera in this anime is off the charts
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moozooh
Posts: 149 |
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Okay, let me provide the nuance. Even if the situation is exactly as you describe and Akari does not intend to present herself as sexually open despite implicitly desiring sexual validation through her unnecessarily revealing looks (a rather self-contradicting concept in principle, but I'll roll with it because I've actually seen people behave like that), that still leads to her getting heightened attention from the opposite sex: both because her intention is easily misread and because she's standing out either way enough to achieve a degree of class-wide and possibly school-wide notoriety. This is hardly unexpected: in my school days we had students whom the entire school had widely recognized. Which, consequently, means she should've had no shortage of male suitors (because only in anime charismatic hot girls aren't regularly dating or at least being hit on by people who aren't the MC). Additionally, since we've already had a confirmation that she's somewhat of a social butterfly and is both open to and willing to hang out with the opposite sex in her free time, it also means she should've had no shortage of just regular male friends and acquaintances. Why wouldn't she? We've seen how she carries themselves around people and, taking all of the above in context, are made to believe she (unlike Jiro, mind you!) should have developed high enough social and emotional intelligence to navigate the basics of relationships—at least to the point where it shouldn't become a problem for her to 1) be more open with Jiro (a guy she, at first, doesn't care about deeply enough for that to come in the way) and talk things out more often and more candidly, 2) be able to read Jiro and Minami better than she does, as if she'd barely spent time with other guys before. This is expected because you develop social intelligence by regularly experiencing a wide array of social situations (which she does) and emotional intelligence by being open with her feelings and able to reflect on them (which she is). Yet we don't really see much of that, if any at all, put into practice in her situations with Jiro and Minami. We also don't really see Akari trying to discuss her complicated situation with her two friends all the time, for some reason, even though that'd be the first thing to come to my mind. I'm willing to believe in Akari alone not having any romantic experience up until this point, but for the other two not to have any, either, despite having similar personalities and modes of presenting themselves to the public? That's just far too much of a stretch. That's exactly the problem with the writing in shows like these: a character with all their traits seemingly exists from the point in time the show starts and is not really assumed to have lived prior to its events, so any and all experience that might've accumulated and lead to them being the people they are aren't there and can't inform their behavior in the present, leading to glaring discrepancies. Both Akari and her friends tease others for being virgins, suggesting that they put nontrivial value in having sexual experience, but apparently have none themselves and not even willing to get any. Yeah, realism 100. Yawn. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11617 |
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I think there's a difference between being comfortable around guys and how you feel around someone you like, because she's only romantically interested in Minami (and Jiro despite herself) so she doesn't really act that way around other guys. But she is pretty open with Jiro which is why they seem to be able to talk to each other better than Jiro does with Shiori. And we see her talking with her friends (who apparently already had boyfriends), they told her something was probably going on with Jiro and she's maybe too stuck on Minami. |
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we love lain
Posts: 145 |
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Yes; what you've said here is one of the main issues I have with shows like these, See, but my problem lies more in the lack of foundation to inform the characters' personalities, not from incredulity at the idea that character types like Akari don't exist or wouldn't even exist within the social standards you're evaluating her character, because they absolutely do; far more than most people think. My disbelief comes from these characters being written to behave a certain way WITHOUT any insight (which you so eloquently articulated) into the human experiences prior to the character traits they're written with, which makes it hard to naturally engage with elements of their behavior that may contradict what we'd typically come to expect schemas we would expect that type of person to follow. It results in interactions between characters in these kind of shows as checking off a list of wish fulfillment tropes, rather than two genuine human beings developing a relationship. As cute as it might be, that lack of an organic foundation can be distracting, breaking any kind of immersion the viewer could have potentially had in the story. I don't think having wish fulfillment elements in a show makes it inherently insincere (most stories operate with some level of wish fulfillment) but it should done in a way that feels well-informed and poignant within the story That being said; I'd like to address just a few more things from your argument: 1. Akari's friends are definitely NOT like her: they actually have dating experience and have their own boyfriends. This was made explicitly clear by ep 4 2. Just because you hang out with the same or opposite sex at that age frequently, doesn't mean you're going to develop a tendency for being emotionally vulnerable or physical; it just means there's a HIGHER likelihood that you would turn out that way given the appropriate predetermining factors. There are plenty of situations where women or men in groups will hang out with each other and intentionally aim to keep things as cordial and inert as possible simply because they don't feel ready to be physically candid or vulnerable. There are quite a few cases of people not wanting to date despite being friendly and comfortable enough to dress in a slightly revealing manner 3. Cis heterosexuals who hang around the opposite sex frequently may want it to appear on the outside that they have experience with pulling in tail even though they actually don't. Reasons are typically linked to peer pressure or the need for validation from close friends who are more adept at social interactions involving intimacy than they are 4. Akari socializes with boys, but it doesn't mean she actually likes any of them or is in the mood to get fresh with them. By ep 5, Akari mentions how some boys asked to hang out with her and her friends and expressed difficulty saying no to them. This example here illustrates how people can sometimes just hang out with others on a whim simply because their friends are involved or they were asked to. So as long as Akari has a mental boundary regarding how she opens up to people, it doesn't matter how many social situations she's thrown in. As you said, social and emotional intelligence comes from having experiences, the means to reflect on them, and apply them sensibly. However, if there's an internal or external reason why you're not building that kind of intelligence, then you'll never truly nurture that prescience for understanding people. Being able to navigate social outings in the most noncommittal fashion is something that is also a logical product of socializing a bunch. It's one thing to socialize and its another to connect with people or let your guard down around them. 5. Some people are okay with being flirty, but that's as far as their boundary will go 6. As someone already mentioned, socializing with the sex or gender you are attracted to versus actually engaging in intimacy/feeling romantic desire are two different ball-games. No matter how much of a social butterfly you are, if you don't explore that realm of human interaction, you're not going to be adept to it. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11617 |
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I swear, so much happens between these two on that couch.
I think we can definitely see a big shift in Akari's feelings in this episode. Like how much she craves and desires Jiro and wants to dive deeper into their marriage for however long it lasts to the point where she's more bothered by Jiro's feelings for Shiori than anything to do with Minami. I think it's looking likely she'll be the first one to object to the switch if/when it happens. It's funny that Shiori's gal pal who is playing a very effective wingwoman is secretly in love with her too and is also a popular love interest for girls. She's smoother than most guys. Color me surprised Shiori actually got a kiss with Jiro, let alone that Akari's friend unknowingly caused it. But Shiori's just not aggressive enough to make her own moves. |
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Sierra727
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This is episode might have cemented the show as my favourite this season.
Giving Akari's friends more influence on the progression of her relationships was perfectly timed, especially Sachi pointing out how Akari and Jiro living together could be causing them to get swept up in their situation, rather than having actual feelings for each other. Now we just see Minami have some agency instead of just being a plot device in the background. As for the leads, watching them recognise the confusion their living situation is making their emotions and trying to deal with that going forward is going interesting, especially since Jiro is aware enough to just say that he doesn't know if he's jealous of Minami or not. Also, Akari's attempt at moving her relationship with Minami forward, with everyone else's help, and reaction to it not working out are exactly how someone her age would respond to the feeling of disappointment. These characters are so well written. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11617 |
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Akari has some surprisingly great friends. Not only do they seem pretty observant and clear on the current love drama, but they give Akari some genuinely good advice and just want her to make the right choice for her to be happy.
I have never seen tying a girls' obi feel so intimate before. I actually wonder how frequent it is for couples where the guy helps the girl with the yukata. Usually the girl just springs it on the guy so he can gawk at her when he sees how beautiful she is in it. It really stands out just how much Akari's own self-confidence issues are holding her back. Like, she knows her feelings are swaying between Minami and Jiro but if she actively tries to change the current situation she might end up being crushed because she doesn't think she's anyone's 1st choice. But whenever she needs him Jiro always runs after her and is there for her. And she slowly but surely cares more about him than her feelings for Minami. I also like how they had the two girls who weren't in yukata's in the main plot showing them off in the post-credit scene for anyone in the audience who was disappointed. |
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Aerdra
Posts: 334 |
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Sorry to cut the quote off mid-sentence, but this is exactly how I feel about the overall show. This would be a great story if only one could forget the premise, but that's impossible because almost all plot momentum is tied to that premise. |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11617 |
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Oof. Those Akari lips. And her obvious desire to be with Jiro even when a wall is separating them.
It was nice to get an episode that finally fleshed out Minami. Seems like he's had his own issues, insecurities, and romance problems while still trying to support Shiori's with hers. Color me surprised that Mei's "husband" turned out to be the guy who had a crush on Akari but not only seems cool with her crush on Shiori but is actually supporting her with it. He's a surprisingly good guy. Poor Mei. She's quite the charmer, but the one girl she wants more than anything is still stuck on one guy. I wonder if Shiori might swing both ways though...because, y'know, she's going to lose to Akari, so that might be a chance for Mei to pick up the pieces. |
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Penrhos
Posts: 168 |
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This is turning out to be quite a pleasant trash banquet - reading the synopsis I thought it was going to be "rental girlfriend" levels of trash but it's actually been OK. Nothing too cringe, fan-services hasn't been excessive (although they obviously spend a lot of the budget on animating Akari's boobs).
As an Anime-only for this show I'd love for the main duos to swap partners then realise their fantasy pairings just didn't work and it end up as Jiro x Akari and Shiori x Mei... There's been no hints that Minami x Shiori have any of the sexual chemistry that Jiro x Akari have between them so could there be a BL x GL between those two couples? from what they've fleshed out so far Jiro x Shiori would be the dullest relationship pairing as neither have any get up and go and it'd more likely end up with both frend-zoned with no idea how to proceed further,.... We all know the "Childhood friend" always wins in the end.- but I'd like to be proved wrong with this one |
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njprogfan
Collector Extraordinaire Posts: 1168 Location: A River Named Toms |
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I really enjoy this show and care about the characters, but the last few episodes the animation has gotten worse and worse. There are so many off-character shots and static scenes, (the ocean during the beach scenes was not moving at all! they decided to have it sparkle? that's it?). It's almost getting in the way of the story. Come on Studio Mother, let's finish this series with some dignity, it deserves it.
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MFrontier
Posts: 11617 |
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This was a pretty spicy and fanservice-heavy beach episode two-parter, which I enjoyed. I won't forget the sight of Akari in that bikini for a long time.
Shiori apparently has a phrasing problem which amuses me to no end. Akari wants Jiro so badly but she's undercutting herself by not being honest about it when Jiro directly reads into it because she's being so obvious about it. A little frustrating, but kind of understandable for two insecure, horny, teenagers. Also probably doesn't help that Akari seems to be holding herself back a little because of Shiori. That moment with Jiro's "knee..." I guess he finally couldn't hold himself back any more. Man, I hope someone licenses and releases the manga soon. |
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