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EP. REVIEW: After the Rain

I think what she really wants was already clear in many scenes. For example, when she ran in one of the first episodes to give a client his smartphone back, when she chose in the library a photo book about running, when she was listening to the sound of the wind.

So, apparently the anime is ending soon and the manga has actually ended. For those who are curious, I'd take this with a grain of salt since I pretty much just read this on the MAL forums: [...]

What is starting to annoy me at this point is while Kondo's dreams of literature and a career as a writer are well fleshed out, Akira and track is still little more than a blank slate. And worse yet, people (including the reviewer) are projecting their own ideas on this blank slate, presenting them as something Akira wants, while in reality, she has been incredibly, almost infuriatingly passive about the whole thing, not really displaying emotions one way or the other - heck, her outburst in the most recent episode could be interpreted as "Why can't people finally drop the subject?!"

Sure, Akira's current situation is not ideal. However, that problem has more to do with isolation, not with her missing from the track team. In fact, I am having reservations of a friendship that so completely lives or dies on a shared hobby, and of a friend (Haruka) whose only plan of mending said friendship is to demand that Akira returns to said shared hobby, preferably RIGHT NOW.

I am simply frustrated that everyone, both within the show and among the audience, has the plan all laid out for what's best for Akira, and yet we know so little of her own true feelings and thoughts, even after the penultimate episode.

@#Verso.Sciolto
Midori still writes.
She publishes erotic novels about sexually frustrated housewives.
She discovers about Akira and becomes her friend, totally TeamAkira.
She encourages Kondo and plays with him suggesting that she teached Akira what he likes in bed (and also suggesting that this time he tries harder to also please the woman).
She cashes in writhing a novel highbout a prohibited romance between a old man and a high schooler.
Akira's mother discuss and fights with her, they can't be friends.
Akira's mother stabs her with a knife, is jailed.
Akira becomes Yuto's mother.
Kondo commit's seppuku.
Akira raises Yuto, he grows into a stud and start lusting her.
He just looks so much like his dead father... Akira is tempted.

Now you continue.

What is starting to annoy me at this point is while Kondo's dreams of literature and a career as a writer are well fleshed out, Akira and track is still little more than a blank slate. And worse yet, people (including the reviewer) are projecting their own ideas on this blank slate, presenting them as something Akira wants, while in reality, she has been incredibly, almost infuriatingly passive about the whole thing, not really displaying emotions one way or the other - heck, her outburst in the most recent episode could be interpreted as "Why can't people finally drop the subject?!"

Sure, Akira's current situation is not ideal. However, that problem has more to do with isolation, not with her missing from the track team. In fact, I am having reservations of a friendship that so completely lives or dies on a shared hobby, and of a friend (Haruka) whose only plan of mending said friendship is to demand that Akira returns to said shared hobby, preferably RIGHT NOW.

I am simply frustrated that everyone, both within the show and among the audience, has the plan all laid out for what's best for Akira, and yet we know so little of her own true feelings and thoughts, even after the penultimate episode.

I think it's Akira who made that returning to track requirement instead of Haruka. Haruka did try to hang out with her outside of track, but then it was Akira who ran off (er, ironically) saying that things can't go back to the way they were. The idea that Akira is fighting against a fear of anything related to track would play very well into that behavior.

The exact opposite happened, as far as I'm aware. It was Akira who invited Haruka to the summer festival, and then Haruka flipped because Akira wasn't immediately forthcoming about her crush on a guy several decades older than her.
Oh, and what was the subject Haruka's been going on and on about during their time there? You guessed it, track. This is another thing that frustrates me, because despite Haruka's claims to the contrary, there seems to be nothing to hold their friendship together right now other than track and some common childhood memories. It's as if they simply have no other topic. If this doesn't change, they will quickly grow apart after graduation regardless of whether Akira actually rejoins the club or not.

Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas scenario...

fanfiction.net is thataway.

What I meant was Haruka is the one who took the initial steps to repair their relationship, through seeking Akira out and exchanging those gatcha keychains. Akira is the one who invited her there, yes, which was a step in a positive direction, but then Akira runs off towards Kondo (thus abandoning her when she could've ignored him since she invited Haruka, not him), and in the aftermath, pushes Haruka away instead of trying to explain the situation or build bridges. (...)

... and adding that I can't help but wonder if there was ever anyone else present from their circle, in moments like these:

If Haruka really wants to help Akira, she would do well to ban the track topic for at least a day, and talk about something else. Anything, really, even the weather if all else fails. If there's something to learn about Akira's and Kondo's relationship, it's that even very different people may find that they have things in common, things to talk about - if an effort is made.