Forum - View topicI Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class (TV).
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Edjwald
 Posts: 3574 |
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I'm not all that sure it's selfish on Umi's part, or at least not all that selfish. When you have someone who won't respect your boundaries - and this is the second episode where Yuu has followed Umi in secret - you need to do something about it.
Is Umi so insecure because Yuu is so far up her butt, or is Yuu so far up Umi's butt because Umi's insecure? Either way, boundary issue, and Yuu needs to walk it back. |
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TJ_Kat
Posts: 882 Location: Saskatoon, Canada |
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Honestly, I actually thought Yuu 'got it', and that kind of surprised me. When she shows up at Maki's she says she won't be long because she doesn't want to interrupt their alone time. She didn't show up to FOMO insert herself into whatever they were doing, she just wanted to confirm her suspicions and to understand why Umi was keeping it a secret from her. She seemed to understand that while they might not be a couple/dating (yet), they're more than just a couple of friends hanging out and that she needs to back off. I think the way she expects Maki to have talked to Umi when she hadn't, and how she tells Umi to go with Maki near the end reinforces that.
I really did not expect that level of awareness from Yuu. I fully expected her to be the ditzy airhead friend who spent the entire show getting in Umi and Maki's way, but now I'm really not sure. I feel like she might actually remove herself at times to give them more space and even actively support them in getting together. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 3574 |
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I considered this when Yuu said that she could handle things so that Umi and Maehara could have a word in private, and I don't think Yuu is a bad person. But I don't see Yuu's actions in following Umi from the (Karaoke?) to Maehara's apartment in as positive a light. Even if her following her friend in secret again is understandable (and that "if's" a bit iffy, but okay), Yuu should have talked to Umi in private, later, rather than interrupting the two. "Hey, why do you clearly want some distance and privacy from me? Let's have our issues out in front of Maehara right now." |
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b-dragon
Posts: 628 |
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Y'know, I've heard people be referred to as "golden retrievers" before, but Yuu might actually be the most accurate character for the descriptor I've seen. Both for good and ill. She's friendly, bubbly and affectionate...and completely ignorant to long term consequences, social mores, and uncomfortable relationships. And, to be completely fair to her, why should she be aware of them? She's only ever been the object of adoration- she's seemingly been treated with kids gloves her whole life. Since that's her reality, she probably assumes its true for everyone else. It will be interesting to see how her worldview changes to encompass the idea that people can be dicks.
Re: following Umi: I don't have an issue with it. Yes, it can be argued that she should have waited to confront her til later, but Maki's irrevocably tied up in this mess too- he's not just a bystander. And an assertive interaction is definitely healthier for all involved than what Umi seems to have done in the same situation- that is, leaving the hurt to fester and rot. |
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TJ_Kat
Posts: 882 Location: Saskatoon, Canada |
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While I agree that stalking Umi was probably not the best way Yuu could have gone about things, I don't think waiting to confront her later was a viable alternative. Umi told Yuu she was going home. She lied. If Yuu confronted her privately later, Umi wouldn't just suddenly admit she ditched Yuu to go to her not-boyfriend's house to hang out. She would reaffirm that she went home. She probably had similar seemingly legitimate, unverifiable excuses every time she turned Yuu down.
TBH, I think everyone could have probably made better choices here, but I think that comes from the perspective of the viewer who has everyone's point of view. I think things are a lot less clear cut to each individual here. |
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Clarste
Posts: 445 |
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You seem to be implying that if they were just friends, and absolutely nothing more, then Yuu would have no reason to back off and should in fact insert herself into everything they do. Which I disagree with. Umi should be allowed to have friends outside of Yuu's circle if she wants, nor does she have any obligation to tell Yuu everything she does. Framing it as "it's okay as long as it's her boyfriend" is missing the point entirely, imo. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 3574 |
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I agree with this sentiment. Nobody's perfect, and it's not a clearcut matter, just as relationship stuff is rarely completely clearcut in life, and it's why I like the show. But like Clariste, I don't agree with you on some of the smaller details. For example, if Yuu said "I followed you and saw you go into Maehara's house," I honestly don't see Umi saying "You're lying. That didn't happen at all. Do you have photos and timestamps on your phone?" I'm not sure why anyone thinks that. You and Black Dragon find some of Yuu's behaviors more acceptable than I do, and I seem to find some of Umi's behaviors more understandable than y'all do. If it did come down to teams, the reason I'd be on team Umi is that she seems to feel guilty and pained and self-aware as to what's going on, and Yuu doesn't seem to feel that at all. She apologizes, but she seems to feel that the apology settles everything and doesn't change her attitude or behavior one bit. If I had a golden retriever that was constantly sticking its nose up my butt, licking my food, and marking its territory by peeing all over my furniture, I'd build a fence and keep it outside no matter how much I loved it 
However it's achieved, the show's conflict is over establishing some boundaries. Umi doesn't have to justify wanting boundaries. They're her boundaries to set, period. In my point of view, the problem is, Umi feels guilty setting them, and Yuu won't acknowledge them unless Umi turns it into a big painful thing, which is what's in the process of happening. But neither of them are bad people per se. It's a case of unfortunately intersecting weaknesses. |
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TJ_Kat
Posts: 882 Location: Saskatoon, Canada |
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You added a lot of words I did not type. You're right of course, Yuu should back off regardless, however Yuu also has boundary issues. The point I was making is that despite those boundary issues, she does draw the line somewhere.
I think our disconnect here is that in your mind Yuu still did her creepy stalker thing then confronted Umi privately. In mine Yuu doesn't stalk Umi and just says, 'hey, are you really going home'. That might be because I didn't get the impression Yuu actually followed Umi to Maki's house at all. To me it seemed like to much of a time gap - Umi and Maki did too many things before Yuu rang. Had Yuu actually followed her, I don't think she would have waited long enough for them to do all that - or at all really. Had she been close enough to see Umi go into Maki's place, Yuu would have rang the door bell almost immediately after Umi walked in. I thought more along the lines that Yuu went to Maki's on a hunch and she wasn't even sure Umi was there when she called out to her. And it's because Yuu doesn't actually know for sure Umi is there that she decides she has to knock on the door. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 3574 |
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@TJ Kat - yah, we do have a different take on that part, but we're both enjoying the show and don't seem to hate any of the characters, so that's a pretty small distinction. It's not like I'm anticipating any School Days level shenanigans before the smoke finally clears.
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b-dragon
Posts: 628 |
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I'll also point out that from Yuu's perspective, Umi has been withdrawn, keeping secrets and bailing on things that that she at one point seemed to enjoy. I don't think she's jumping to extremes here- she's almost certainly just concerned that something has gone on with her friend- but if she was concerned Umi was a suicide risk, and shutting her out accordingly I couldn't blame her. So while, yes, Yuu should respect boundaries A.) Umi's refused to make those boundaries clear and B.) with the information she has, it might not have been the time to start.
Also...yeah, Umi would lie if not directly confronted when it couldn't be argued. She's...been lying, either directly or not. And it makes sense- Umi wants to have friends and relationships that Yuu won't "steal" but she is very drama averse. That has resulted in her hypocrisy though- she's doing the same thing that hurt her. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 3574 |
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Well, again, there's no real need to make a big dramatic deal out of this - we all like the show, and I think we all hope things will be resolved so that everyone is friends - but you Yuu apologists have clearly drunk the Yuu cool-aid, and I can't help but try to deprogram you for the sake of sanity and truth before you start a cult that undermines democracy
"I followed you to Maehara's apartment" would be directly confronting Umi even if it was the next day. It couldn't be argued unless Umi called Yuu a liar. And Umi wouldn't do that because even if Umi was a sociopath, it would just be stupid as they both knew the truth. It also wouldn't happen because not wanting to hurt Yuu's feelings is Umi's main problem. As to TJ's idea that Yuu didn't follow Umi to the apartment but went there later on a hunch - if I got that wrong I apologize - I rewatched the sequence. Yuu clearly followed Umi to the apartment. She was shown (unless that was some other slender girl wearing their school uniform and clenching their fist) from the street below right as the door closed, and the next scene, Umi was still stretching after entering the door, and Maehara asked if she wanted a drink. As to the idea that Yuu was just acting out of concern and was worried that her friend might be suicidal, that thought sequence would have to go something like this: "So, I followed my friend who's been acting furtive. She just went to visit a nice guy that we've been hanging around. Hmmn...sneaking around and seeing some boy we've been becoming friends with in secret...she might be suicidal. I know, I'll help her with her possible low self-esteem and suicidal tendencies by not respecting her obvious desire for privacy and going up there and knocking on the door and making a huge deal of her lying to me right in front of the boy she might have feelings for because that's what good friends do! The most charitable interpretation is that Yuu didn't think things through, which I'm willing to believe. She's impulsive and - I would argue obsessive - and not given to self-reflection. That doesn't mean her impulses are always in Umi's best interests or that Yuu is totally not self-aware. Might I remind ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the first time we really met Yuu, she was following Umi in secret to spy on her while some guy asked her out. And she told Maehara not to tell Umi about it. Back in...I think it was episode 2...Umi warned Maehara that Yuu could become obsessive if she thought Maehara didn't like her, and Yuu proceeded to friend bomb Maehara. Again, not to make a big deal out of it, but Yuu is clearly a time traveling android who has devoted her life to eroding Umi's self-esteem piece by piece, possibly because Umi is destined to save the world from an AI bid for world domination. |
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rapata
 Posts: 96 |
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E5: so there was a much-needed talk, but in the end worked out in a mostly non-stupid way.... I was going to write until they cut to Amami in that scene, but anyway maybe OK still.
Also looks like it only took half a season to make some progress, let's hope it doesn't stop at this point. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 5049 |
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5:
I also liked the way things worked out. For me the most realistic/important part is there not being a clear-cut answer. Yuu and Umi will need to redefine what their friendship means and how it works with the former needing to become less reliant on Umi. I would argue that those two ''friends'' should get the boot for acting as scheming as they did but Yuu seemingly wants to keep them around. Umi on her part will need to communicate more instead of bottling things up. Romance wise there was a lot of progress. Umi has not exactly been subtle in that she feels very comfortable around Maki and loves spending time with him. Her stating her feelings so clearly was a surprise, now it is up to Make to respond. |
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The Scream Man
 Posts: 312 Location: Sydney, Australia |
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That ending was adorable, and Im glad it happened this early so we will hopefully see more movement by shows end.
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Yttrbio
 Posts: 3822 |
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"People were mean to me because of my strange hair color" she said to the girl with blue hair who was friends with the girl with green hair.
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