Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de

[KrayZ33]

"Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de
Genre: Supernatural, Comedy
Production: Trigger
Director, Series Composition: Ootsuka Masahiko
Starring: Okamoto Nobuhiko, Yamazaki Haruka, Yamashita Nanami, Hayami Saori, Taneda Risa

Half a year ago, the four members of a literature club, as well as the elementary school niece of their faculty adviser, were bestowed with supernatural powers. The boy in the club, Ando Jurai, became able to produce black flames. The girls acquired a variety of powerful abilities: Tomoyo could slow, speed, or stop time, Hatoko could control the five elements (earth, water, fire, wind, light), little Chifuyu could create things, and Sayumi could repair objects or heal living things. However, since they gained these powers, nothing has really changed in their everyday life. Why have they been given these powers in the first place? Will the heroic fantasy life they imagined these powers would bring ever actually arrive? "

Source:Mangahelpers

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I thought I'd do this series justice and create a thread about it

It's a fun watch and if you follow /a/ or some other anime related imageboards/forums or what-not you probably did stumble upon a few threads about this show already, especially about episode 7. Not trying to jump on the hype-train etc. but well, that scene was a highlight in my opinion. I'm trying not to spoil anything but it really felt like "having chuunibyou" is actually something problematic for the first time I came across this word/syndrome.

In the end it won't result in being a problem. I'm sure of it - its not a Drama and most of all: because people would dislike that and it would sell bad, am I right Japan? But that aside... my heart warmed up a bit, if just for a few minutes though. The VA must've done a really great job to achieve that, well done *tips his hat*

It's better than that Kyoani Chuunibyou show if you ask me, but it depends on how everything turns out, because if I'm not mistaken, this show will only feature 12 episodes and nothing really happened until episode 7/8.
So its more of a Supernatural Slice of Life show up until now?

[David75]

Yeah, in retrospect that scene was an incredible piece of acting.
I was surprised by its length, but it is no doubt a little gem for anime fans.

[Kraco]

Yeah, it was quite a scene. Never seen one like it in anime before. The director and producers probably had to make sure the VA would be able to pull it off when they were filling the roles.

I definitely like this more than Chuunibyou. But then again, I couldn't even finish the second season of Chuunibyou because the first one was quite enough already. I guess I can't stomach such worlds inside characters' heads unless it's some kind of deeper insanity in a really good story, not just bloody teenagers' power fantasy in their struggle to adulthood and independence. The fact the powers are real in this show makes all the difference.

[shinta|hikari]

A similar scene can be found in Ef a tale of memories.

I find both of them brilliantly executed.

[MasterOfMoogles]

I've definitely been enjoying this show.
While not all of the character arcs have been super interesting, this Hatoko one is fantastic.

[Ryllharu]

[HorribleSubs] Inou Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de - 09


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Hatoko is just a pure-hearted bitch when you get down to it. She's exactly the type of girl who softly says confrontational, accusatory, or backhanded insults on the sly and then follows them up with, "What type of cake should I get?~"

She's been doing it throughout the series, but she certainly is much more aggressive about it after her little blowup. As much as she says she wants to understand what Andou is all about, she never really tries to understand him. She was asking Tomoyo, but didn't really seem to care what the answer was. She was more interested in why he does it, presumably so she can stop him from doing it. She's attracted to Andou, but doesn't want the parts of him that the other girls can overlook (or even secretly enjoy).

And despite Sayumi getting manipulated by Sagami (who I am guessing is actually F), she seems to be the best balance between keeping Andou grounded while still letting him be himself. Tomoyo, though obviously the heroine, seems like she'd ultimately let Andou indulge a bit too much, despite protesting it. She's certainly as big of a Chuunibyou as he is, but I guess I just don't see a relationship between her and Andou lasting for all that long.

Too bad for Chifuyu though. There's no way the other girls will wait 8 years for her to catch up. She fell for him super hard this episode, but there's just no way.

I do love that this series cuts out all the shonen type stuff, and skips to the part of the series that most shows skip to get back to shonen stuff. It's all interpersonal relationships, topped with superpowers icing.

[Kraco]

It seems a bit implausible to me that Hatoko really would love Andou so much. Sure, they share a long history and he saved her back when they kids, after a fashion, but considering he's been a chuuni forever and still continues to be, and she clearly doesn't like all that shit she doesn't understand and even doesn't want to, so how can she love him? It would be more understandable as a past love, back when she was a kid herself, because kids live one foot in a fantasy world, but not anymore. I reckon she still should keep sticking around as she possesses the real power now, but chasing Andou isn't right.

I would have no problems with Tomoyo+Andou. If Tomoyo got over her embarrassment, they would be like Isaac & Miria, and nothing's cooler than that! I would have no problems with Sayumi, either. She knows how to enjoy his foolishness, even if she puts a stop to it at some point.

Poor Chifuyu will get over it. Time heals the wounds.

[Ryllharu]

That's why my view is that Hatoko is a bit of a possessive bitch.

She's been the closest girl to Andou for years, but since the other girls have gotten closer to him in the recent months and taken away her monopoly on his after-school attention, it is suddenly a problem. She was content just going home with him everyday, he was hers after all and they were closest, why, they're practically a family already! Then Andou started getting Tomoyo out of her shell and telling Hatoko that she didn't have to stay, and Hatoko started making more and more sly remarks.

I get the feeling that Hatoko expected he would grow out of his chuunibyou, and then when they all got superpowers and he had no need to, she eventually snapped. That his chuunibyou and their superpowers helped him get even closer to the other girls, especially Tomoyo (and he eventually got closer to her than Hatoko) made things even worse, and now she's about to abuse Tomoyo's inherent kindness to claim him from her through the, "I admitted it first, you should back down," shoujo plot cliché.

I don't have a problem with a Tomoyo+Andou pairing...it's certainly the best fit, I just think Sayumi would be a better balance. Sayumi just got the relationship death flag this episode anyway, so I guess it is a moot point.

[Kraco]

I get the feeling that Hatoko expected he would grow out of his chuunibyou, and then when they all got superpowers and he had no need to, she eventually snapped.

Right. I don't know why I didn't think of that, the simplest explanation. Probably because they had the powers already when the show started, so growing out wasn't an option from the beginning of the show. Thinking back to her monologue, it also reinforces the idea she was just letting his nonsense flow through her head without registering it all these years, waiting for him to stop eventually. She surely has been patient, up until now.

[Ryllharu]

It'll be really bad when Hatoko finds out the reason he is still a chuunibyou after all these years instead of quitting in his 2nd year middle school was because of a silver wig and sunglasses girl referring to herself with archaic pronouns...who is very obviously Tomoyo.

[KrayZ33]

I'm very certain this show will give me "the feels" sooner or later
I don't want any of the girls to lose and this seems to go into a more dramatic direction than I thought.

I like Hatoko for what she does, she's aware that she is not the only one who likes Andou and is very honest with her feelings towards him. I can imagine how hard it is to have a rival in love who is also a very good friend... the fact that she is able to approach this and tries to take a stand is very brave of her.

It's pretty much a 'declaration of war', but that just proves how much she likes Andou.

The talk she had with Tomoyo also made clear how frustrating it must have been for her to spend these days with him.. especially right before she snapped. Andou is unreachable for her in his current state, it's so sad, she can't even do much about it.

and she clearly doesn't like all that shit she doesn't understand and even doesn't want to, so how can she love him?

What makes you think that she doesn't want to understand it? It's obvious that its the opposite, it's just impossible to understand. They call it a "syndrom" over there after all (even though it doesn't describe a mental disorder or medical condition).. you are not supposed to understand it, you just have to accept it, which she could if Andou allowed it - when Andou gave her the book she clearly said "I didn't like it, I tried to read it several times, but it teached me that people like different things and thats okay"

what Andou did however is close to ignoring her after that
"You wouldn't understand, don't bother"
"Nah, it would be boring for you, let's not waste time talking about it"
These words must've hurt her alot, which is understandable considering how Andou acted and treated her right before she snapped.

[David75]

After all, she memorized all that nonsense and was able to cite many of those words she doesn't understand.
It really takes attention and dedication to memorize things you don't understand or even don't like.

[shinta|hikari]

Wanting to and being forced to are different things.

Have you considered how Andou felt after his world could not be understood? Tomoyo's complaint is paltry compared to that. She felt that she was "correct" and in the majority, while Andou knew he was niche, yet a close friend simply could not understand him and said as much.

In the end, the gravity dude has it right. Tomoyo felt guilty from being unable to understand Andou and lashed out.

[Kraco]

Hatoko is mentally challenged if she can't understand enough to accept the way Andou is. It's no fricking quantum physics. Sure, some people are basically lacking imagination so utterly that they only enjoy reading biographies and wouldn't touch even a detective story, let alone a fantasy novel, but if she truly loved Andou, she would have forced herself to understand it intellectually, even if she never could feel it. However, it seems to me she only checked out his world in order to be able to refuse it. Though not aloud until now when she suddenly realised she has competition and can't afford to leave Andou to grow out of his fantasies naturally. Not that he would anymore with the concrete powers.

[KrayZ33]

Have you considered how Andou felt after his world could not be understood?

I don't know, it's a decision to be chuuni, he even said so himself that he was about to quit that bs... but for some reason didn't want to after he met Tomoyo in the past. It's not like he lives in a different world. We see him going in and out of it every few minutes in every episode. The most recent example would be when he claimed he had no emotions and Chifuyu asked whether he likes him or not.
It's more of a passion for him and nothing else. He likes edgy and dark stuff.... just like some people love reading LotR or are Sports maniacs
Then there is Tomoyo's brother, who said that Chuunis don't want to be understood, because if everyone accepts them, they wouldn't be chuuni anymore.
At this moment, especially with the "book returning scene" in mind, it feels like Andou is acting like a douche whenever there is someone he wants to - but doesn't - share his passion.

but if she truly loved Andou, she would have forced herself to understand it intellectually, even if she never could feel it.

That was what she did and Andou kept telling her "I guess if you can't *UNDERSTAND* it, it can't be helped"
Hatako got angry because he excludes her, not because he is a chuuni...

[Kraco]

That was what she did and Andou kept telling her "I guess if you can't *UNDERSTAND* it, it can't be helped"
Hatako got angry because he excludes her, not because he is a chuuni...

Understanding it in this case doesn't mean the kind of understanding a psychiatrist gives a patient. She should have understood it like a kindergarten teacher understands the kids, plays along, and encourages them. Instead it seems to me Hatoko tried to understand why Andou is so weird, which is fruitless. In fact I think the author made her far too stiff. It was best exemplified by the scene where she asked why Andou uses negative adjectives to describe himself and his powers. She gets better test scores than Andou but knows absolutely nothing about people.

[Ryllharu]

At this moment, especially with the "book returning scene" in mind, it feels like Andou is acting like a douche whenever there is someone he wants to - but doesn't - share his passion.

I find it amazing that you sympathize with Hatoko in that scene and not Andou.

It hurts when you talk passionately about one of your interests and the person responds, "I don't understand how you like that stuff, let's talk about what I like instead."

Andou acted correctly by stopping. If he had continued to press the books, comics, and other things on Hatoko, he would have been forcing his own interests on her. We know from the series prior to that point that Andou isn't that kind of person. He never forces someone to do something they don't want to, he encourages them to embrace their interests that others might think are weird. He wants people around him to be happy. He's a big proponent of doing what you love, despite what others think about you. Hatoko on the other hand, only pretends to smile about the things Andou likes because she likes him, not his interests.

Hatoko made it clear she wasn't into the things he was into, so he stopped pestering her about it. It would have been unfair to her. Andou is very perceptive, and noticed that Hatoko didn't care about the book. Hatoko lost it when Andou started to find other girls who do share his interests.

He was opposed to Kuki trying to get Chifuyu to stop hanging out with them, and got them to understand each other a little more.

In contrast, Hatoko doesn't want to understand him, she wants him to change.

[KrayZ33]

I find it amazing that you sympathize with Hatoko in that scene and not Andou.

Because Hatoko was polite and Andou behaved like a brat after that?
The way he treated her when he himself asked her to do dinner for him speaks of its own.

It hurts when you talk passionately about one of your interests and the person responds, "I don't understand how you like that stuff, let's talk about what I like instead."

But she didn't say that...her answer was the correct one to actually *not* hurt his feelings
She said something along the lines of "It's difficult for me to read this, its your thing - not mine. But thats okay, everyone likes different stuff"
Andou however was so butthurt after this that he shoo's her away even now, several year later... he doesn't even want her to listen to him talking about his chuuni stuff. It doesn't even feel the slightest like he is holding back for her sake.
(Ep7 proves this)

Andou acted correctly by stopping. If he had continued to press the books, comics, and other things on Hatoko, he would have been forcing his own interests on her. We know from the series prior to that point that Andou isn't that kind of person. He never forces someone to do something they don't want to

That's why he pretty much forced (well not really forced but "bother) everyone to participate in his nick-name brainstorming event no one really cared about? The Cosplay Event too? So far, Chifuyu is the only one who is truly okay with him being the way he is.

He's a big proponent of doing what you love, despite what others think about you. Hatoko on the other hand, only pretends to smile about the things Andou likes because she likes him, not his interests.

What's the problem with not liking everything someone else likes? Is it impossible to feel love for someone who doesn't watch or like Anime the way I do?

In contrast, Hatoko doesn't want to understand him, she wants him to change.

that's what *you* think she wants, she never said anything like that. In fact she says the opposite all the time...

[Kraco]

So far, Chifuyu is the only one who is truly okay with him being the way he is.

Not true. Chifuyu is okay with it, since she's a kid herself. Tomoyo, however, needs him to be like that. Because it drives her novel writing dreams forward, and she doesn't herself have the guts to do it, and probably it wouldn't be quite the same if she tried to act as her own inspiration. Not to mention he can give her expert feedback.

[shinta|hikari]

I think you over read Andou's reaction to Hatoko. He wasn't being a douche to her because his character isn't like that. None of his other actions so far suggest that he was doing it to intentionally exclude Hatoko. Ryll's analysis is more consistent with what we have seen of Andou's behavior. He simply did not want to force Hatoko to hear about his stories. He said so himself when he went depressed after Hatoko disappeared. His worry wasn't "Oh crap, I excluded her," but "She hates listening to the stuff I keep saying and wasn't happy being with me." This isn't inference. He actually said it when he was confronted by the other girls. It was completely off base and got him slapped though.

I think I understand why Krayz is misinterpreting episode 7. The scenes when Andou appeared to be excluding Hatoko were clearly depicted from her perspective. It was exaggerated because that is how Hatoko saw them, not necessarily because that's how it was actually delivered or sounded like. The cold tone in Andou's voice was completely unlike him. This was probably done on intention in order to justify Hatoko's breakdown. It is also possible that he seemed that cold because he was too comfortable with Hatoko, similar to how you don't really watch your tone and language as much with close friends and family.

I do disagree with Hatoko wanting him to change. She probably does want to understand him, but can't and feels frustrated and guilty from being unable to do so. Again, this was explicitly mentioned.