Koi to yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui

[MFauli]

Koi-to-Yobu-No-Wa-Kimochi-Warui-PV2-thumbnail.jpg

Once you fall for someone, you can't stop the love.

A strange encounter spurs the meeting of Amakusa Ryou, a high spec businessman who is loose with women, and his high school sister's best friend, Arima Ichika. From there, he falls madly in love. On one hand, he approaches her with almost too straight-forward methods, while she responds simply disgusted, insulting him without hesitation... and he takes it as her way of showing love.

This is a romantic comedy about a twisted elite employee and a normal otaku high school girl.

I watched the first 3 episodes in one go, so it's fun enough. The one big "issue" I have is: Is it really that normal for a 26-28yo to hit on a 16-18yo school girl in Japan? And openly so, too! You'd think it's a total taboo, but the only mention of anything of that sorts was a short line from Ryo's photographer friend in the bar.

It's a bit weird to just ignore that taboo-factor.

Other than that, it's fun to see Ryo provoke Ichika with his bluntness. That's kinda how I'd do it, except I'm neither hot nor successful ;>

Not sure where this goes, but it's easy enough to watch away, so ... will keep watching.

[Ryllharu]

Biggest problem I have that's really annoying the shit out of me is the awful sound mix.

All the voices are low, have a strange echo behind them, and sound like it was recorded it from the actor's apartment on a laptop. Or a really shitty makeshift sound booth made from blankets. The kind of effects you hear on youtube fandubs.

It's oddly not the only series I've heard this on, though I can't remember what the other one was.

[David75]

Will have to check your sound problem... I'm sensitive to awful sound and did not feel anything wrong with asw fansub.

[Ryllharu]

It's not my hardware, though maybe it is a SubsPlease problem. Other people have reported the same issue.

It's very obviously muffled and distant sounding.

[neflight86]

awful sound mix...

... The kind of effects you hear on youtube fandubs.

The burn on this one!

I'd heard that P.A. Works shows had similar issues pre covid, but I never noticed them there, either. Audi sounded normal enough to me, though now I'll be listening for echo/reverb.

Tame show, given the subject matter of smothering, one-sided affection that may creep some people out. I thought it was cute enough, and the girl shows plenty enough spine for me to believe she is being influenced instead of brainwashed into love, as nebulous as that distinction can be. The safety net of the sister that genuinely cares about her and having an attentive mother being available is also comforting, but the age gap is still something I would likely never fully be comfortable with.

[Ryllharu]

I dropped this because of the audio mix. It's so bad and throws me out of the series. It's especially jarring because each character is of varying degrees of quality, and then when the OP/ED cuts in you notice it even more because those are done correctly without the hollow flat tones.

The best part of the show was the sister, so I honestly wasn't engaged with the male and female leads.

I wanted to like this but just can't.

[MFauli]

I dropped this because of the audio mix. It's so bad and throws me out of the series. It's especially jarring because each character is of varying degrees of quality, and then when the OP/ED cuts in you notice it even more because those are done correctly without the hollow flat tones.

No idea what youre talking about. The audio in this anime has the same quality as the audio in all the other anime this season. Maybe fix your setup?

[Ryllharu]

Maybe you're deaf.

It's really obvious, and people complain about it on basically every anime site and forum.

This is the only show with this problem that I'm aware of, and I'm watching nine other shows this season. If you're watching SubsPlease, it absolutely has this issue. The series isn't compelling enough to bother with a different sub group either.

[neflight86]

This is one of the few posts that makes me feel old.

I really don't catch the audio issue. I'll take Ryll at their word, because there's no reason to deceive about this, but I still haven't noticed as of ep 4. I'll make an effort to distinguish for episode 5.

Sadly, this is a bit more interesting than the show itself right now.

[MFauli]

I enjoy the anime, I'm just a bit frustrated by how things are. It's obvious that it'd be "good" if Ryo gave up and let the teenage boy and the teenage girl enjoy their first love. But because this story completely ignores how fucked up it is for an adult to hit on a school girl, this has become a mess.

[David75]

Still watching. First the OP and ED are catchy and nice and I don't skip them as I do for most anime.
Why do I keep watching ? Well, I think it does a good job at expressing some feelings and irrationnality in love matters.
Tamaru, Ryo, Ichika and Arie(tty) are all irrationnal in how they are willing to submit thelselves to situations against their usual characters. And that last ep clearly had that exposed for each of those 4 characters.

Regarding Ichika's age, well I can't accept an adult trying so hard courting a young teenager, it even goes against my incline: I have always been into older females (than myself).
But in my familly, both sides, I have examples of couples now married with children that started way before adulthood for the girls and the guys were over 18...
It still goes against rules, but happens and might be common.
I guess in that ep they tried to remind us Ichika will eventually be in the safe zone... she's probably 15 nearing 16. Too young still.
But in real life, it depends on how famillies deal with it. And Ichika's mom clearly is ok with Ryo, maybe not for a ABC relation yet, but she let's him court her daughter.
And I guess for the two examples I have in my familly, it was the same for the 14 year old girls.

So once you let go of the age gap problem and you just envision their relationship getting serious when she's 18 or more. Well why not.

I'm still a little disheartened for Arie, but she might be a little too pure and I hope she's strong enough to overcome what's in store for her.
At least she must absolutely not be a temporary replacement, worst idea ever.

And now Ryo is starting to think about how the loved one will have to cope with the age gap and how it can be unpretty...
I wonder if Ryo will start to distance himwself a little when Ichika wants to get closer. I hope not.

[MFauli]

Episode 9:

"A school girl?!"
"Did you not expect that?"
"Y-yes ..."

:/
No shirt, Sherlock, people don't expect that a grownass business guy is dating a school girl that's far from 18.

Like, I'm actually fine with such gaps and I think anything that's legal is ok. But the way people in this anime just accept him hitting on her shamelessly is sooo weird. Honestly, wouldn't this be grooming? If not, why not?

[David75]

Of course I was not discussing how Ryo has it far too easy.
IRL I guess that you can somehow close the gap depending on clothing and where and with who you meet.
Here everything is open and the gap is almost always so obvious it's strange because it's illegal in the first place and I wonder how a "superior" adult like Ryo can even court Ichika.

But the selling point of the story is based on that.

[MFauli]

Of course I was not discussing how Ryo has it far too easy.
IRL I guess that you can somehow close the gap depending on clothing and where and with who you meet.
Here everything is open and the gap is almost always so obvious it's strange because it's illegal in the first place and I wonder how a "superior" adult like Ryo can even court Ichika.

But the selling point of the story is based on that.

Like, I can understand;

- Ryo, duh, he's the "perpetrator"
- Ichika, she doesn't know better and is too introverted to just push him away, plus trapped by the fact that it's her best friend's brother
- her mom, parents, especially a single-mom, can be like that. I can believe that
- Ryo's photographer friend, in a "lol, this is interesting ,let's just keep watching this mess" way, although a more caring friend would try to intervene

BUT I cannot understand:

- Tamura, who should be all "WTF, why are you not reporting that pervert?!"
- Arie, who should be all "WTF, she's a child! Pls end this immediately or else I'll have to report you."
- everyone else that would see Ryo and Ichika interacting

It's just fucked up. And it's a bummer, because having to deal with these more realistic reactions would make for a lot more exciting anime. Instead it's a generic, average at best love-comedy that's obvlious of its grooming problem.

[MFauli]

episode 10:

woohoo, it only took the anime that's about a salary man dating a school girl to actually address the age gap topic. LOL

Anyway, I liked that Ryo decided against Matsushima. Choosing her really would be the obvious, the "societal" choice, thus making it very boring. I was disappointed however that he accepted how Ichika said she's his sister at the sweets buffet. I guess they might actually do that for the finale of the season, when Ryo tells everyone about his crush.

I'm also wondering how his dad fits into all of that plot. Will he be like "wtf, son, you're basically a pedohpile! GTFO!"`? rofl

[MFauli]

Final episode:

First thought:

"Will you wait for me until I'm an adult?" - "Yes"
Let the grooming commence!!1 /s

Second thought:
"And so creepy turned into love"
I actually like that.

This series has A LOT of problems, many of which would become super-evident if it was done as live-action. But as someone who once was in a similar situation (she was 16, I was 26. It was a secret one-sided crush, though ...), I very well understand the hardships that society gives you when you don't abide by their taboos. Even when something is legal. A (legal) age gap shouldn't be anybody's business and if the two people involved love each other, let them. The people hating on such relationships are usually the very people that have the worst thoughts, such as accusing the older guy of specifically seeking out young girls. Most nobody chooses girls based on their age, ffs, it's something that happens by chance. And when you love someone, age shouldn't matter as long as it's legal. Our modern society is so cynical and leaves no room for real love, but I will always side with love, no matter how stupid.

Anyway, not a great anime, but it kept me entertained.

[shinta|hikari]

I met my wife when she was 19 and I was 30. We married a year later. Age is just a number. The relevant factor is the power relationship.

[MFauli]

I met my wife when she was 19 and I was 30. We married a year later. Age is just a number. The relevant factor is the power relationship.

If you don't mind telling a bit: How did people react and how was it for you when you first met her and realized "she's the one"?

[shinta|hikari]

It took a while before I thought of her as the "one," mostly because of the age thing. Strangely enough, her family was too preoccupied with the fact that I wasn't in their cult to care about my age.

Outside of her family, I never really gave a shit about what other people thought so I don't actually know if anyone minded the age thing.

[MFauli]

It took a while before I thought of her as the "one," mostly because of the age thing. Strangely enough, her family was too preoccupied with the fact that I wasn't in their cult to care about my age.

Outside of her family, I never really gave a shit about what other people thought so I don't actually know if anyone minded the age thing.

Cult? Omg

Did your own parents say anything? My parents, especially my father, would probably give me active shit for dating a 10 years younger girl ...