Kimi ni Todoke

[Ryllharu]

The one thing I really love about Kimi ni Todoke is how they take all kinds of stereotypes in shoujo series and sort of turn them over.

Sawako's two best friends are the kind of characters that are typically the antagonists to main characters. A bully (Chizu) and the enjo kosai type (Yano). We've already seen that they are far more nuanced than that, but outwardly, that is how they appear. Chizu is actually pretty emotional and kind for a yanki type character, and Yano is very intelligent, and while she's nice, she certainly enjoys toying with her friends.

Similarly, Kurumi tries all sorts of nasty things to Sawako, but Sawako is just too innocent and dense to get it. She missed all of the subtext Kurumi was trying to tell her, and even twisted it around to get some good advice out of it!

'Kazehaya is nice to everyone' (You're not special)
'Just because he talks to you doesn't make you special' (she even outright says it)
'Try talking to someone who isn't as nice to everyone' (Keep away from Kazehaya)
'Everyone has their own match' (...and yours isn't Kazehaya)
'Kazehaya and I have a lot in common after all' (Clearly I am a better fit for him)

She even turns it around and stabs Kurumi with a surprised reaction that they are just friends (emphasis hers).

I really liked how Kurumi completely underestimated Sawako's naiveté. It does look like she is going to take advantage of Sawako's saintly helpful behavior. Damn you cliffhangers!

[animus]

I hope Kurumi isn't planning to first become Sawako's good friend, then telling her she loves Kazehaya and asking Sawako to support her, thus reducing Sawako's own efforts as she couldn't possibly backstab Kurumi, whom she should be supporting.

Kraco called it, though it was quite clear that it was the path they were going to take from her introduction.

[David75]

Kazehaya calling Kurimi "Kurimizawa" in front of Sawako was probably on purpose, or at least a reflex he had because of the uneasiness he feels. I might be an after effect of the astonishment he had seeing Kurumi befriend Sawako. He's been knowing Kurumi for a long time and probably feels there's something wrong there.

Regarding the development Kraco saw coming, I now feel like Sawako should be able to escape that plot.

Why? Because of the naïveté and pure heartedness she bears that did wonders to counter Kurmi's subtle attacks as Ryllharu wrote.

I feel like Sawako will indeed try and help Kurumi getting closer to Kazehaya. She is that caring and her image of Kurumi will entice her doing it.
But to do so, she'll have to consider the relationships between Kurumi and Kazehaya. She will have to understand how a girl and a boy have to interact when they love each other and she will then understand what is that specific feeling and akwardness she feels near him.

On Kazehaya's hand, he will probably be troubled by Sawako's actions, that will probably in the end force him getting past his barriers and put an end to Kurumi's trap. Doing so at the right time will get him nearer to Sawako, who at the time would be less afraid and knowing just what's needed not to run away from him.

[Archangel]

I was wrong, the woman is a manipulative mastermind. Even so, i couldn't help but laugh in how everything she threw at Sawako came to bite her in the ass every single time.

There's no way they can wrap this up nicely in just 2 episodes so here's hoping for an open ending and an eventual second season

[Kraco]

Nah. They can surely wrap this in two episodes if they want. I was thinking myself along the same lines as David. Those two need a kick in their asses as currently they are completely frozen in their nervous state and it probably hasn't even clearly visited Sawako's mind she might actually like Kazehaya. Considering how she does have both parents it's kind of strange how she has no idea of boy-girl relationships whatsoever.

Kurumi forcing those issues to surface, like David said, could easily end this series even in two episodes (if this indeed is 12 eps; AniDB lists a 13th episode's airing date, though).

I'd have rather had the prediction to be off, but having seen a few shoujo shows and read a number of shoujo manga I saw it from miles away. Hardly surprising, like Animus noted.

[Archangel]

Nah. They can surely wrap this in two episodes if they want. I was thinking myself along the same lines as David. Those two need a kick in their asses as currently they are completely frozen in their nervous state and it probably hasn't even clearly visited Sawako's mind she might actually like Kazehaya. Considering how she does have both parents it's kind of strange how she has no idea of boy-girl relationships whatsoever.

Kurumi forcing those issues to surface, like David said, could easily end this series even in two episodes (if this indeed is 12 eps; AniDB lists a 13th episode's airing date, though).

I'd have rather had the prediction to be off, but having seen a few shoujo shows and read a number of shoujo manga I saw it from miles away. Hardly surprising, like Animus noted.

I don't think that having the shy Sawako or the gutless Kazehaya admit their feeling to both themselves and each other in the space of 2 episodes would feel natural at all

[Ryllharu]

I don't think that having the shy Sawako or the gutless Kazehaya admit their feeling to both themselves and each other in the space of 2 episodes would feel natural at all

It doesn't necessarily have to be both admitting their feelings to each other. Sawako even realizing she has those kind of feelings might be a large enough movement to mark an ending.

I think they can wrap the series up nicely in 3 episodes. Like Kraco, I've seen enough shoujo series to see this sort of climax, yet non-conclusion plenty of times. Kurumi will be the big hurdle before the non-ending.

There is no shoujo series that can match Kare Kano's non-ending. The last 5 episodes weren't even about the main couple!

[Archangel]

But a non ending is what i'm hoping for, i think there's still too much story to tell and that at least the possibility of a sequel should be left for us

I guess that possibility it will all come down to the DVD/Bluray sales, here's hoping they fare well in this tough market of K-ONs and Bakemonogataris

[Marik]

[Nipponsei] Kimi ni Todoke OP Single - Kimi ni Todoke [Tanizawa Tomofumi].zip

[Ryllharu]

I thought about it when I watched the episode but forgot about it until now.

What is this thing?
@10:47 in episode 10.



I looks like a toaster, but clearly isn't. It doesn't really look like a shredder or a card scanner. It just has two slots of different length and a toggle switch.

[Archangel]

... i honestly have no fucking idea O_o

Maybe a heater or a dehumidifier of some sort? The shape doesn't match but i don't see any other use for an appliance in a school hallway.

[Pandadice]

ah dang!! that chick is brutal D:. poor sawako

seemed like there was so much development this episode. great stuff.

[Ryllharu]

[Eclipse] Kimi no Todoke - 11 - HD / SD

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Going back to what I said last week, I really love that Kimi ni Todoke takes all kinds of stereotypes in shoujo series and adds complexities to them.

As such, after this episode, I find it really hard to hate Kurumi. In fact, I rather like her as a character, even though I absolutely want her to lose. She's a lot more complex than the standard deceitful bitch character in most series. I don't really even think she's a bad person. She's just really frustrated, and even more so by Sawako.

This is especially true when Sawako foils Kurumi's plan to exploit Sawako's good nature. Other nice girls might fall for it, but Sawako is just too honest. We would usually see the girl helping out, feeling horrible the whole time, then exploding in some dramatic outburst of love. Instead, Sawako just cuts Kurumi off right there.

Which brings me back to the complexities of Kurumi. She mentioned that she's popular, so it is that much more difficult to get attention from a personality type like Kazehaya. Kurumi seems happy and satisfied, remains active and social with her classmates, even people outside her class. She doesn't need any help and she doesn't need to get brought back into the mix. So while she talks to Kazehaya, she doesn't seem like a special case he might need to pay attention toward.

She also shows her true face, which is honest, but isn't really that much of a stereotype either. She doesn't show others when she gets frustrated, that she might find them annoying. She never shows others that she's upset or angry. Her personality might be fake, but she's really just doing what everyone does when they want to be liked by the majority of people they meet.

Nor do I think she would really be trying these tactics is she was "herself." Notably, they're rather cliche sorts of things you would see in dramas or manga. She expects them to work, but when against a mighty opponent like Sawako, a honest and straightforward approach would probably work better. It isn't like Kurumi goes after all kinds of guys and plays them. She is only after one, and has only ever been after one from Chizu's story about middle school.

She's also surprisingly likable when she loses her facade around Sawako. She hates her old lady name, hates to lose, gets frustrated and annoyed, and amazingly has a refreshing air around her when she's honest.

Plus, I felt kind of bad for her when Sawako managed to interrupt her rendezvous with Kazehaya by remotely stopping her with a precision, ballistically fired shoe. It's just such a wonderfully divine inner working of fate.

[Kraco]

Tricking Sawako to talk with the other guy, provided it succeeds, will likely push Kazehaya forward more openly. That'll likely be the final failure for Kurumi. Still, it's not like she had anything to lose, and her first honest moment with Sawako at the beginning of the episode already showed she either doesn't realise it's Kazehaya making the choice or she already knows she has lost but doesn't want to admit it.

I thought I'd hate Kurumi more but like with Ryll, her honest moments make her considerably less bad in my eyes. She's desperate, and desperate people do whatever it takes.

Oh, the shoe ballistic missile strike was brilliant.

[Pandadice]

man, this chimestry between Sawako and Kurumi is brilliant.

"kurimi-chan!"
"don't call me that!"
"...U-Ume-chan"

"she wrote about me in her diary!"

xD. this shows amazing

[Pandadice]

ep 12 is out

[Eclipse] Kimi ni Todoke - 12 (XviD) [BC6576B9].avi
[Eclipse] Kimi ni Todoke - 12 (1280x720 h264) [061DC161].mkv

[Ryllharu]

Right behind Sawako, Yano is without a doubt my other favorite. She's so evil. She doesn't even have to directly threaten. Being the mastermind of their group (since Chizu is an idiot and Sawako is naive), she can confront Kurumi merely by laying out the facts. She comes off so menacing in that scene, without even doing anything directly. Making an enemy of Yano would be a mistake someone probably would never be able to repeat.

Her vanity is her weakness though. Kurumi definitely got a good hit in when Yano was comparing her skin to Kurumi's. Everything about her is just so much like a typical shoujo villain.


I also really like how Kurumi's plans sort of backfire on her, or at least misfire, but only whenever anyone is in close proximity to Sawako. Ryu went behind the shed, sure, but as soon as Sawako showed up, he even showed her the note! Rather than be hurt, Sawako was amazed that her thoughts appeared on the paper. I almost expected her to lightly clap in delight, like watching a magician perform. The best part of that scene is that the two just sit quietly there for a few minutes without saying anything after that.

Similarly, Kazehaya falls for Kurumi's lies, but once he sees Sawako, it looks like he's going to dash off and snatch her away from Ryu (who will gladly let him take her).

It's like Kurumi is cursed by Sawako!

Note: It was somehow harder to see when animated, but Kurumi really snatched the paper out of Pin's hand. That illicited a smirk out of me. I love her desperation.

[Archangel]

Good God, the way the Kurumi's plans keep blowing up in her face never ceases to amuse me

I mean if i'm not reading too much about the next episode's title and preview she might actually get a confession out of Shota for all her hard work

[oyabun]

Damn, Kurumi is one evil girl.

[Pandadice]

well it's good to see that Ryu's head isn't always in the clouds, and he does actually have things on his mind. That makes me like hsi character more than I already did.

lol "wow! how did my thoughts get on that paper!" oh sawako, you're awesome xD