Forum - View topic

EP. REVIEW: My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv999

I wonder IF the author wants Akane to grow up or not. There are still a lot of ideals floating around mainstream culture Japan that places women needing to rely on men as a good and natural thing. I have seen shows with strong independent ladies flounder in Japan such as Good Luck Girl. But I may be reading too much into that.

Regardless I am unsure if we shall go the route of Self Actualisation or Learning Through Love. As that all depends on the authors own desires and emotional intelligence. It would be a very grown up thing for her to realise she shouldn't try to have a relationship with Yamada. But likely unsatisfying to many teenage readers unless handled very well. I wonder what the age gap is as the two other people we have seen as potential or ex partners both seemed to be barely out of school.

Yamda seems to be falling hard for Akane to the point he doesn't know what to do with his physical attraction towards her. Akane herself seems on cloud 9 whenever Yamada is around her or involved, but I feel like she's trying not to think that she might look at him romantically.

Cryten wrote:

I wonder IF the author wants Akane to grow up or not. There are still a lot of ideals floating around mainstream culture Japan that places women needing to rely on men as a good and natural thing. I have seen shows with strong independent ladies flounder in Japan such as Good Luck Girl. But I may be reading too much into that. Regardless I am unsure if we shall go the route of Self Actualisation or Learning Through Love. As that all depends on the authors own desires and emotional intelligence. It would be a very grown up thing for her to realise she shouldn't try to have a relationship with Yamada. But likely unsatisfying to many teenage readers unless handled very well. I wonder what the age gap is as the two other people we have seen as potential or ex partners both seemed to be barely out of school.

Media depictions of age gap romances aren't controversial in Japan. Nor are they in western Europe. They only became controversial for North American media recently, and even there between older men and younger women. On Japan again, romances between younger males and older females are depicted so often in shonen and seinen that it is a subgenre. Works depicting romances between salarymen and high school girls aren't as common as they once were, but Usagi Drop atrocities aside the likes of After The Rain isn't controversial when it pops up now and then.

Also, it isn't just Japan. Media that depicts "strong independent ladies" doesn't perform well commercially in North America either. Romantic plots and subplots are the norm with male protagonists also. To the point where works like "The Lone Ranger", "Desperado" and "High Plains Drifter" had to warn "the protagonist will have no time for romance" in advance with the title. No one ever attributes it to a "culture placing men needing to rely on women as a good and natural thing."

So it isn't just teenage readers or Japanese audiences here. Instead, this isn't something that mainstream audiences of any demo appears to want in any country.

MFrontier wrote:

Yamda seems to be falling hard for Akane to the point he doesn't know what to do with his physical attraction towards her. Akane herself seems on cloud 9 whenever Yamada is around her or involved, but I feel like she's trying not to think that she might look at him romantically.

I think you are spot on there. Akane is treating Yamada as a kind of mentor buddy at the moment, very much enjoying time spent with him but not seeing it as romantic at least for the moment. She even told herself in the episode that she shouldnt of held his head / hair. Which is quite pleasant that Akane is grooving and comfortable after all the trouble she went through.

I know it's highly unlikely, but I wish there is continuation on their story. Especially since their characterizations really shine through after they're officially dating.