Sukitte Ii na yo – 07

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I really only had one problem with this excellent episode, but it’s a fairly big one.

Overall, I continue to be impressed with Sukitte Ii na yo as a pretty realistic, unsentimental and sometimes brutal look at teen romance.  It does something few such shows – either shoujo or harem – do well, and that’s walk the middle road between melodrama and rose-colored naiveté.  And in that sense I think this was not only a continuation of that, but one of the better examples of it – a very solid episode that portrayed real emotion without overplaying it.

My issue is pretty simple – to me, Yamato doesn’t seem worth it.  It doesn’t help that Sakurai Takahiro – who’s a very good seiyuu, although IMHO way too overexposed at the moment – sounds a bit ridiculous playing a 17 year-old romantic lead (or this one, at least).  But beyond that, I don’t find him either particularly interesting or particularly likeable.  He’s not a bad person but I don’t buy ignorance as an excuse for the cavalier way he’s dealt with relationships, and that pattern is repeating with Mei – I absolutely don’t buy for a minute that he doubted accepting an invitation to dinner at Megu’s house was wrong.  Of course he knew – he did it anyway.  He’s also generally a bit of a bore – it’s fitting that he’s modeling, because he comes off as more of a plastic model of an ideal boyfriend than a real guy.

But of course, we don’t get to choose why and who we fall for, and Mei being in love with him anyway is perfectly realistic.  This entire episode played out like slow torture, and I mean that in a good way – much of adolescence can feel like that – as we watched Mei’s slow decline into despair as Yamato slipped away from her (ah, that “A train is passing by” metaphor…).  There’s a fundamental unbalance in this relationship in that Mei is so convinced she’s not in Yamato’s league that it makes her incredibly passive most of the time.  Relationships like that rarely work unless the internal balance somehow equalizes, and in a way you almost can’t blame Yamato for responding when he’s bombarded with affection from girls all day and the one he’s dating is flat-lining most of the time. 

Although it’s a bit of a cliché, Aiko’s emergence as an ally – predictable as it was – does fit very well with the story.  She’s been burned herself, and by Yamato too – again he’d surely plead ignorance, that he believed they were “just having fun” while she was emotionally committed.  Her speech to Mei was spot-on – the insecurity and doubt she’s facing is a wall, and the mere fact that she’s facing it marks progress for Mei, who was so socially isolated that such normal adolescent travails were denied her.  Now she has to get past it, of course – and her bold statement at the end of the episode stands as evidence that she’s at least willing to try.  But honestly, it’s the development of Mei’s friendships with Asami and Aiko that strikes me as more important and dramatically involving than her romance with Yamato – more than anything I see Sukitte as the story of Mei’s journey from a lonely outcast in self-exile to a socially functioning teenaged girl, and that’s more compelling at this point than the romance angle.

Finally, the question of jut what sort of character Megu is needs to be addressed, and I think it’s one that’s still very open to us anime-only viewers.  There are a lot of conflicting signals here – on the one hand we’re painted a picture of a hard-working girl living on her own (probably too soon) who’s just lonely for some true companionship rather than idolatry.  But I no more buy ignorance as an excuse on her part than Yamato’s – she knows what she’s doing is wrong, and she’s doing it anyway.  And I don’t dismiss the possibility that her entire persona is an act, and that she’s been scheming to wrest Yamato away from Mei all along.  Partly that’s because such characters are a staple of shoujo romance, but it’s also because there are definitely moments where her humility and innocence ring false – like a singer hitting an off note in her performance, I seem to see calculation and machination peeking through involuntarily when she tries a little too hard to hide them.  I rather hope that’s not the case, as I think the series would be more interesting if it weren’t – but my gut’s telling me she’s already surrendered to the dark side.

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Guardian Enzo

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56 comments

  1. S
    Stöt
    November 20, 2012 at 3:04 am
    Reply

    I don't really watch this show, but I gotta say that that screenshot looks amazing (horribly long link ahead) :
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vw_rC1pTw1k/UKrrxW4FzOI/AAAAAAACJms/9Nc0G3jQUE0/s1600-h/%25255BHorribleSubs%25255D_Sukitte_Ii_na_yo._-_07_%25255B480p%25255D.mkv_snapshot_21.25_%25255B2012.11.20_10.56.59%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg

  2. B
    Blueicegal ♥
    November 20, 2012 at 3:08 am
    Reply

    I have a pretty bad feeling about Megu. there's a part in the episode where she's being her fake, sweet self, and then suddenly her whole face changes. it's brief, but it's there long enough to let the viewer know that something is off about her. She knew she was really pushing it when she invited him over, but the dumbass took her up on the offer, so one point for her i guess.

    i think it's pretty obvious. She came on strong and he flat out rejected her so she's trying to gain his trust, get his sympathy, and then slither in. I doubt it will work, or she'll sneak in a kiss somehow, mei will see it and her self esteem will go down to square one and etc etc.

    damn. i feel like i have this all down. hahaha.

    I've said it from day one. i pretty much share your opinion on him. He's not worth the fuss. First of all, i don't think it's worth her being with a guy who makes her feel so inferior, but the fact with him also is that he does tend to push the boundaries, which really doesn't help matters. girls will flirt with him and he'll play the poor oblivious boy. he'll have sex with a girl he doesn't give a crap about but still want to stick to the fact that he's a heck of a nice guy who's misunderstood. I just feel like every douche situation he's been in has some kind of very convenient excuse where he's the poor guy who was just doing the right thing.

    he knew exactly what him saying yes to come to her apartment could have led to, yet he still went. he knew it was wrong. and had she come on to him crying or with some sob story he would have let her go as far as he would have liked, then pulled back and told mei that he felt sorry for her, that she needed comforting.

    ok, this is getting too long. basically, i just feel like there's more to him than meets the eye.

    i don't trust him one bit. as long as mei is with him i don't see her progressing very far. she'll truly come into her own when she gets the confidence on her own terms. not because of some hot shot boy.

    I'm starting to like aiko.

  3. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 6:01 am
    Reply

    Mei got pretty frustrating this week, I could understand if Yamato moved on to someone who doesn't always hesitate in reciprocating their interest. Surely she'll be his 'holy grail' once she gets out of herself. Although I find that aspect of his persistence unattractive. Anyway that "happy ending" was enough for me – dropped until further notice.

  4. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 6:18 am
    Reply

    It's not Yamato's fault that Mei or Aiko are/were emotionally commited to him and expected him to behave in a certain way. He should be free to do whatever he wants. Why should he reject the invitation to have dinner? Or to have fun with other people in general. Relationships are not supposed to bind people, but to give them a chance to expand their worldview. I don't even like the guy that much, mostly cause he has no real interests and reacted violently towards Hayakawa, where we saw his possessive and ugly side but anyways. I just think he's getting slammed for all the wrong reasons.

  5. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 6:57 am
    Reply

    I think part of the problem was Mei's lack of reciprocation so I agree he'd be feeling a little unsure of where he stood with her (up until her kiss)and look to gratification elsewhere. At the same time though his ambiguity/promiscuity must send mixed messages to these emotionally vulnerable girls. His promiscuous treatment of woman up to this point is questionable to say the least. I'm not too sure what Mei sees in him either unless he's a vehicle for opening up to new people.

    I don't think they make such a great couple.

  6. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 7:00 am
    Reply

    By that I mean both could learn from one another but perhaps go their separate ways once all is said and done. But that is unlikely to happen.

    *flips off to shoujo convention*

  7. S
    Scruffy
    November 20, 2012 at 8:13 am
    Reply

    Sure it would be fine to accept a dinner invitation. BUT .. and this is a big but, He HIDES IT! He doesn't send a txt when he promised and knows full well that Mei would be upset.

  8. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 8:30 am
    Reply

    Maybe he forgot. Good food tends to do that. It's not that big a deal actually.

  9. admin
    November 20, 2012 at 8:37 am
    Reply

    If you're in a committed relationship (which you instigated, as it happens) you don't accept a private dinner invitation at the house of a girl who's already expressed her interest. It's wrong – he knows it's wrong. If it wasn't wrong he wouldn't have hidden it.

    I'm not on a campaign against promiscuity or anything – teenage years are the time to experiment. But don't pretend to commit to someone, then cheat. It's wrong no matter the age of the parties involved.

  10. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 9:08 am
    Reply

    I don't think he felt like we was in a committed relationship and was waiting for a real sign from Mei, I mean she's basically given him seemingly nonchalant answers to pretty much everything until now. She may have left it a little too late though since he's already teetering on the side of danger where Megu is concerned. But now that they've added a potential new love interest who knows?

  11. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 9:12 am
    Reply

    Well then, maybe committed relationships of this kind are restricting and unnatural. You are right though he shouldn't have hidden it. Maybe he thought Mei would be frustrated, which would be true actually, and on an effort not to create misunderstandings made it even worse. But that's the thing with their relationship. They don't talk like friends do,they don't say important things to each other (same goes for Mei)It's all fake.

  12. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 9:24 am
    Reply

    Yeah, it does feel superficial at this stage and I can't see it developing into anything natural either (realistically).

  13. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 7:38 am
    Reply

    But it's okay to look for gratification in other people besides Mei. The more people you get to know, the more things you can learn from them, and have fun in various different ways. Also I don't think promiscuity is necessarily a negative trait. He's open and honest about it, so why the mixed messages? I think his promiscuity and sense of freedom are what's good about his character.He doesn't care much for stupid social norms and things like that.However his whole protective/possessive and unbalanced relationship with Mei is what I would describe as his negative traits.This all seems to be new to him and I can't really say it suits him,this whole approach to relationships that is.

  14. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 9:20 am
    Reply

    I agreed about looking for gratification in other people. It would be unhealthy if he didn't. Promiscuity at this teen age isn't a negative thing, but Yamato sticking his dick in every emotionally vulnerable girl at school borders on immoral. It just so happens that everyone adores him (he knows it) so they tend to think more of it. He could have provoked suicides because of it.

    I don't like possessiveness especially in a relationship environment, but I think it could be his way of affirming his commitment to Mei (although that's been on knife edge lately).

  15. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 9:40 am
    Reply

    Well, Aiko begged him for it. He may have saved a suicide actually in that case, although her expectations and reaction later were out of proportion. Maybe he had to keep his distance to not make it worse. As for Mei, he certainly forced himself on her, but she could always reject his advances and she didn't so there's that. The way you describe it "sticking his dick" implies the girls didn't have a choice in that.And promiscuity is not necessarily a negative thing at any age,just as committed relationships are not necessarily a good thing.

  16. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 10:25 am
    Reply

    Using his libido to solve the worlds problems is what I was implying. He was already supplying Aiko with emotional support and friendship, surely that should be enough? But as I said the females he shows kindness to tend to think more of it. He must have realized that, so making light of his sexual influence adds fire to that so to speak. Maybe he don't give a fuck?

    He's obliviously seeking a committed relationship with Mei to test the waters so acting promiscuous at the same time hurts that immensely. Mei's sheltered personality has made it harder for him to maintain an authentic emotional connection I feel.

  17. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 10:37 am
    Reply

    Btw, I'm not condemning casual sex. Just the contradictions that arise if one wishes to start a monogamous relationship. It may prove to be the wrong thing for Yamato, though I doubt any shoujo writer wants that for their prince.

  18. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 10:55 am
    Reply

    Yeah, alright I see your point. I have noticed that same contradiction myself and thought that if the series dared to comment on the hypocrisy around monogamous committed relationships that would be swell, but unfortunately that's not the case, and Sukitte seems to suggest that this relationship is a good thing for both parties involved. We the audience, have seen almost nothing to support that though, so the writing generally seems weak.

  19. B
    Betty
    November 20, 2012 at 10:59 am
    Reply

    Yeah part of the reason I'm dropping it. I'll check Enzo's post now and then to see if it's worth picking back up.

  20. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 9:40 am
    Reply

    Well, Aiko begged him for it. He may have saved a suicide actually in that case, although her expectations and reaction later were out of proportion. Maybe he had to keep his distance to not make it worse. As for Mei, he certainly forced himself on her, but she could always reject his advances and she didn't so there's that. The way you describe it "sticking his dick" implies the girls didn't have a choice in that.And promiscuity is not necessarily a negative thing at any age,just as committed relationships are not necessarily a good thing.

  21. D
    Doddle God
    November 20, 2012 at 10:18 am
    Reply

    Yeah well at least Yamato doesn't repeatedly fist-punches his girlfriend in her face and grab her wrist so hard, it leaves a mark, you know~~. I'd think at least the said boring model would be better than a wife-beater if you get my drift~~. Okay I will stop with Tonari reference now. ehehe

    Anyway I see where you're coming from, Enzo, on Yamato, though I don't see it as much as of issue. The dude does seem to be too much of mr. boring Shojo price, but I am willing to let that go, just as I'm sure many Toanri fans are wiling to let the-one-who-shall-not-be-named character's violence towards women (intentional or not, they still bleed).

    BTW, I can't wait to read Enzo's ep 7 blog of Sakurasou (I sense bashing incoming~~). I could sense some negative vibe brewing slowly for that show over time here on Enzo's blogs and the time is ripe, folks! Let's just say I'm not impressed on its sudden direction (it was pretty good around ep 2-3, damn you, Sakurasou writers!). Or who knows, Enzo does like Little Busters after all, so maybe he'll go easy on Sakurasou on its sudden decision to pander and all that other stuff… We shall see.

  22. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 10:30 am
    Reply

    Heh, damn Enzo and his double standards!

  23. admin
    November 20, 2012 at 11:02 am
    Reply

    Coming from someone who values their own opinion so little they're unwilling to take ownership of it I take that as a compliment, thanks.

    I think this has gotten way bigger than it started as – I'm really taking issue specifically with Yamato's decision to sneak around with Megu, not his entire existence. Dramatically the biggest problem I have with him is that he's boring – he's like the little guy on top of the wedding cake…

  24. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 11:07 am
    Reply

    Ugh come on Enzo, anonymous=quick reply, you don't have to type a name and all that. And you only bring that up when you disagree with the anonymous poster.

  25. A
    Anon~
    November 20, 2012 at 11:30 am
    Reply

    I think it's you Enzo who thinks too highly of yourself. Not to mention you take yourself way too seriously it hurts. Lighten up douche.

    Are you going to delete this because you disagree?

  26. admin
    November 20, 2012 at 11:42 am
    Reply

    I can offer no better evidence of the value of your post than to leave it out there in all its splendor.

  27. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 11:48 am
    Reply

    Good boy.

  28. B
    Blueicegal ♥
    November 20, 2012 at 4:36 pm
    Reply

    ..

    Anywho. I might be the odd one out but I personally feel like his personality is just one big charade. Promiscuity is a personal choice, and that's fine, but what makes me weary is the fact that if he has been with quite a girls in the pas then he really can't be as naive he makes himself out to be. I'm sure any guy or girl would pick up on another's interest if they gave out enough hints. The girls in the school practically see stars when he's around,and i know for sure that that's not lost on him. So when Megu invites him to dinner, and when Aiko wants to have sex- he knows what he should do. But he doesn't. And yes, both girls made that choice – I'm not saying that they're innocent. At the end of the day they're not exactly the two most loved characters either. And that's because of the manipulating stuff they've done. But I feel like Yamato gets the pass because he's more sneaky about his ways and gets to play the naive card. If he really was the nice guy he makes himself out to be, he would have said NO to the invite because he's in a committed relationship, and he would have said no to the offer of sex because he knew she was vulnerable and just being stupid. He knew but he didn't care. I can give him his due when it comes to being patient and understanding with Mei, but I can't help but be weary of him. Because to me both situations (regarding Aiko and Megu) speak louder volumes of his character. That's just my opinion.

    We don't know a whole lot about his past and next to nothing about about his previous relationships. Who knows how many Mei's he has dated in the past, how many Aiko's heart he has taken advantage off. I feel like that because in all past relationships, or whatever they were, when he's done something similar, he's most likely put on a smile and acted very nice so nothing has come out about it. He's played it smart. But I can see there being a pattern there. I know I'm getting a bit ahead of myself but I wouldn't completely scratch it out. It's Anime.. crazy shit tends to happen.

    As for Tonari.. Yeah that's the second time he's punched her. I was pretty horrified really. It was a bit bizarre to me when she kind of just brushed it off and then got over it again. What is it.. Punch me anytime day? There is definitely more to his brother. It was really sad to see just how scared he was of his brother when he saw him. Something really terrible must have happened to him. and that scene, particularly, showed that his brother is not the guy he tries to be. Seeing him scared worried me. I have grown fond of him but he's just way too unstable. I think he needs to get help before he gets too close to any girl. Today it's a punch, tomorrow god knows what. Just saying.

  29. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 5:13 pm
    Reply

    Accepting an invitation to dinner has nothing to do with being in a relationship. And he may have actually wanted to have sex with Aiko. You blame him for this kind of trivialities (he's 16 years old remember), yet you ignore the fact that he punched Hayakawa and generally behaves to Mei like she is in need of protection.

  30. B
    Blueicegal ♥
    November 20, 2012 at 5:49 pm
    Reply

    oh come on. you know that's bullshit. if you know a girl has feelings for you, and she invites you to dinner, would you not even be the TAD bit suspicious? why even put yourself in that situation when you have a girlfriend?

    yes, but the thing is that he acted like he didn't want to have sex with her. he made it out as if he did it to help help her. that's the thing.

    yes he protected her there, but i also mentioned how i'll give him credit where it's due when it comes to being patient and understanding with her. that situation included. There are some good qualities to him, i won't flat out deny that, it just so happens that i feel like there's more to him than he let's on. that's my main gripe with him. i just feel that something is not quite right when it comes to him. when you put bits together they don't quite fit. i can't quite shake it off, and i might be wrong but it's there.

    just to be clear, it's not just him. I'm not mei's biggest fan either. i'm starting to warm to her a little more now but it has taken some time.

  31. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 5:55 pm
    Reply

    Suspicious of what? There is no fear of say, rape. You can talk about stuff, enjoy the food and if it leads to something sexual it's all good. There is nothing to lose. If Mei gets upset by that, it's on her.

  32. e
    elianthos
    November 20, 2012 at 7:02 pm
    Reply

    @Anon: 'You can talk about stuff, enjoy the food and if it leads to something sexual it's all good' that could fly if we were talking about mentally mature people mutually agreeing to be in an open relationship or responsible parties just hitting it off with a very good vibe and similar attitude to sex and relationships, again. As such factors don't apply to Yamato and Mei here, Yamato's choices and secrecy this week don't make it 'all good'.
    I'm afraid to tell that your last sentence about Mei especially comes out as off-putting. Also, double standards galore.

    About Yamato's as a characterization, there are a few issues with it, however you slice it. Blueicegal andn Enzo have already pointed some of them out.
    Imho and provided both the author's professional track record and some meta factors ( certain editors & magazines pressure on mangakas when it comes to market which brand of romance to young girls… see under Mayu Shinjo's career and publisher shift for a textbook example ) it ultimately stems from trying to normalize and fit a certain bad boy/Casanova archetype into the Genuinely Nice Guy mold. If not done well instead of a multifaceted character you end up with a very inconsistent dots cloud of a character (because when you try to connect the dots you get no clear picture XD), in a worst case scenario you're left with a bipolar pancake. Poor (?) Yamato is already quite flat as it is…

  33. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 7:19 pm
    Reply

    Double standards? I didn't say that Mei can't have dinner or sex with someone else. Of course they are both free to do whatever they want. The frustrated party is responsible for feeling this way, that's what I said. Right now, it's Mei who's feeling inferior and that is not Yamato's fault no matter what he does,outside of their time together.

  34. e
    elianthos
    November 20, 2012 at 7:46 pm
    Reply

    Again, keep in mind the personality of these characters here. Who Mei is, the kind of human interactions she has had all her life, and the kind of bond she has with Yamato and Yamato alone. She's not going to dive into open relationships or poly anytime soon, if ever. It would be OOC for her. And Yamato, having pursued her because of her brand of different so to speak, knows this at well.
    Now, if he's going for an open relationship it would be common courtesy to inform his partner about that and see how she reacts and if she's fine with that, and at which conditions. I see no sign of any agreement or open discussion having taken place between Yamato and Mei on this.
    On the other hand, Yamato is possessive/jealous of Mei and the little things like the couple bracelet rather point towards their relationship as being exclusive. Basically, the guy needs to clear his mind and be honest about it with a certain person he has being pursuing and declaring his significant other.
    Because otherwise he looks as he's either clueless or disingenous. Want your cake and eat it? Well, let the cake make an informed decision first XD. He owes her at least that much. And in case said cake wishes to be eaten by other people… well if you gets upset by that, it's on you.

    Also, feeling inferior and being oh-mmmm-ok with having funsmexytimes with other people are two very different things.

  35. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 8:01 pm
    Reply

    Let me clarify things. Before Blueicegal asked me this: " if you know a girl has feelings for you, and she invites you to dinner, would you not even be the TAD bit suspicious? why even put yourself in that situation when you have a girlfriend?" and I replied to that. I agree with you that Yamato's behavior is contradictory and wrong. But not his actions by themselves. It's just that what he believes in his mind and what he does is completely different. He is clearly confused.And I really don't think the whole commitment part suits him. Also open relationships should be the norm, you said that they haven't agreed on that, but they also haven't agreed on keeping it exclusive.

    I don't think there really is a point in agreeing in these things though, cause people and relationships are more complicated than that. They are not business contracts, and people should at least be free to do whatever they want, as long as they are not beating or abusing people that is.

  36. e
    elianthos
    November 20, 2012 at 8:22 pm
    Reply

    Actually your answer seemed to address both your own reaction and the characters'. You shifted from the former to the latter as you wrote :).
    My disagreement stems from the characters' part; of course in a different context and with different people things can work out differently and give a different impression/opinion.
    From a general and non-Sukitte-related POV while I don't think I'd be comfortable living the poly life I'm neither pro nor against poly vs traditional couples personally; I've seen happy examples and bad ones in either camp both fictionally and IRL. Basically: I support whatever the parties involved are comfortable with, as long as it's sane safe and consensual.
    —-
    'Also open relationships should be the norm, you said that they haven't agreed on that, but they also haven't agreed on keeping it exclusive.' The point is that regardless of our personal views that's not the norm here. As such the responsibility of coming out – so to speak – falls on the partner with the non-normal lifestyle if any :).

  37. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 8:42 pm
    Reply

    My answer actually addressed only my own reaction to a similar hypothetical scenario,sorry for the confusion. And yes, what you are saying is true, it's all about the context.

    And I never consider societal norms as the norm. The norm is what I personally consider logical and natural despite what people think. And I know this is probably irrelevant, but from my discussions with people I've reached the conclusion that most people are poly but committed in exclusive relationships despite that. I always found that sad and binding, and some of them agree with me, but do nothing to change that, fearing repercussions. It's not that they don't want to be honest, but society and people, their partner even, will judge them harshly if they do. As I said before, it's complicated

  38. B
    Blueicegal ♥
    November 20, 2012 at 6:46 pm
    Reply

    wait, what?!! they're in a relationship remember! are you telling me that cheating is ok?

  39. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 7:25 pm
    Reply

    Come on, there exists no such thing as cheating,especially in a problematic relationship such as Yamato and Mei's. It's what happens when people who pretend they are in a monogamous relationship realize it's all bullshit and have sex with other people they are attracted to. If there really is an intellectual connection with the people in the relationship, "cheating" would do nothing to change that.

  40. B
    Blueicegal ♥
    November 20, 2012 at 8:37 pm
    Reply

    i think you're giving the guy way too much credit. what's he confused about? they are clearly in a committed relationship. she is just about getting used to being with him, forget running to anyone else. and Yamato has been very clear that he wants to be with only her. if he does shit on the side, that's because he wants to. an open relationship doesn't even come into this equation. it's just lying right now, but if he carries on, eventually, this will turn into cheating.

    I get that having an open relationship is a personal choice, but it's just not something I'm too fond of, so i'm just gonna stay out of that topic.

    i guess i just have very different views on this. agree to disagree?

    this discussion has been interesting though.

  41. A
    Anonymous
    November 20, 2012 at 9:07 pm
    Reply

    Actually I don't give him credit at all. I can understand not being honest to other people, being afraid he will destroy their friendship (that's also stupid cause without honesty friendship is meaningless but anyway), but he's not even honest with himself. Contradictions everywhere with this guy. If we were privy to his thoughts and he liked being with Mei, but still wants to hang out with other people that would explain everything and even make him likable. But yes as you said, he makes grandiose statements of wanting to be only with her and bullshit like that. Mei is more honest with herself but is weak and uninteresting. It's like she knows she is pathetic and does nothing to change that.

  42. K
    Ken
    November 20, 2012 at 11:48 pm
    Reply

    To be honest I didn't like your post Enzo, it came off as…too traditional and illogical I guess. First of all, the whole having dinner wasn't wrong at all. They ate together and the conversation was flowing. Good company is never wrong. Also Yamato is not an item to be "wrest away" like you said. Being in a relationship shouldn't permit him from hanging out with other people. The only one who made that big of a deal over it was Mei. Her group of friends talk was also pathetic. Weak people licking their wounds that came off as completely unlikable.They actually all admitted to be jealous of boys and the lesson was what…be forceful to show possession? Please. I agree with some of the above posts that Yamato is contradictory and boring though.But definitely not wrong in this case.

  43. admin
    November 20, 2012 at 11:53 pm
    Reply

    And I completely disagree – that's just the way it's going to have to be. I have no problem with open reltionships, but how can it be an "open" relationship when you're not open with your partner about your intentions?
    If what Yamato did wasn't wrong, why did he lie to Mei about it?

  44. K
    Ken
    November 21, 2012 at 12:06 am
    Reply

    But he didn't lie. He did send the message like he said. She didn't ask him why he was late, and start a conversation about their day.Also,he doesn't have to tell her everything.She doesn't either. I mean, when best friends or couples go hang out with different people they may or may not describe their day later to their friends/partners. It depends on the mood, the timing or even the expected reaction from their partner. Or he just didn't consider it important enough to mention.

  45. B
    Betty
    November 21, 2012 at 12:12 am
    Reply

    Both are to blame.

    I think it's in Yamato's nature to be illusive which is part of the reason he didn't tell Mei about having dinner with Megu when he said he would text her. The same sort of betrayal was highlighted during his junior high incident where he abandoned his best friend to avoid confrontation.

    The problem also lays with Mei since she seemed so reluctant to be clear with her feelings. He's not giving her genuine incentive to trust him I feel, but when he tries to be honest she should respond. Both are treading on the side of caution but also want to connect on a greater level.

    Texting is dangerous here too, since it can create misunderstanding so easily at this age.

  46. B
    Betty
    November 21, 2012 at 12:21 am
    Reply

    What sort of annoyed me about this episode is that after finally getting some resolve with expressing her feelings they decide to introduce a new problem. Yamato's(?) best friend.

  47. admin
    November 21, 2012 at 12:30 am
    Reply

    Having dinner with a girl at her house, then sending a message to your GF saying "I just finished the job!" isn't lying?

    Listen, this is really getting circular – honestly, my biggest problem with the guy is that he's boring as a character. But to say that "he didn't think it was important enough to mention" seems pretty unrealistic to me. He knew exactly what he was doing, and exactly what he wasn't going to tell his girlfriend about.

  48. K
    Ken
    November 21, 2012 at 12:39 am
    Reply

    The message said "I just got home :D" from IB's translation, so I figured that was correct and in that case it's not a lie. If the translation is wrong then you are right it is a lie. But maybe he wants to keep his relationship with Mei and still hang out with people. Maybe he is afraid of…hurting her or something if he spends time with other girls and she learns about that.Of course hiding the truth is making things worse. Having taken all that into consideration having dinner with someone is definitely not wrong? Would you still think he was wrong if he told her the whole truth?

  49. B
    Betty
    November 21, 2012 at 12:53 am
    Reply

    Enzo, I don't think having dinner with a colleague is a bad thing. He was feeling unsure about himself and wants to connect. Megu has been making a concerted effort to give him that, for the wrong reasons, but he'd sooner accept a girl's friendship (yes, they're 'friends' btw) than another flat-lining from Mei.

    He's obviously trying to downplay his relations with Megu since he's already spending more time with her than Mei.

  50. b
    blueicegal
    November 21, 2012 at 12:49 am
    Reply

    Oh my god. the amount of comments on this post! Lol , we got passionate about this topic, huh Betty. I'm hearing the same excuses for yamato. Anyway, i've already explained how i feel about it and i stand by it.

  51. B
    Betty
    November 21, 2012 at 1:03 am
    Reply

    I hate to repeat myself or what others have said but it's obviously not getting across. Yes, Yamato is a contradictory bloke and he's quite deceptive as I pointed out. But I think a genuine relationship is difficult to say the least for someone who's been sleeping around with every girl at school.

    Honesty is certainly the best policy here but Mei is struggling in that area too. If she doesn't want him to model with Megu why can't she say so? Or at least voice her doubts to him?

    Walking home together every day doesn't constitute a relationship.

  52. B
    Betty
    November 21, 2012 at 1:05 am
    Reply

    Communication (more than 'how was your day?') from both sides is needed here.

  53. B
    Betty
    November 21, 2012 at 1:50 am
    Reply

    Of course now that Mei has embraced opening up to him in a suitably shoujo-tastic fashion the responsibility falls on Yamato to display a similar level of honesty/commitment. i.e no more sneaking behind her back.

  54. A
    Anonymous
    November 21, 2012 at 5:37 pm
    Reply

    I know dark_sage is an ass, but he still makes some good points about this anime on this blog post http://crymore.net/2012/11/19/anime-opinions-sukitte-ii-na-yo/ . I tend to agree with him on this. While this anime is entertaining, it is getting a bit frustrating…

  55. B
    Betty
    November 22, 2012 at 10:31 am
    Reply

    Shit, that was spot on. No wonder I especially disliked this episode and the two main characters. And why the issue with Yamato is "circular".

    As mentioned somewhere above, it could mean:

    1) Yamato's not cut out for monogmous relations to be explored
    2) He's just a vechicle for Mei to open up to other people

    Clearly the anime doesn't realize this potential and going on the whims of crappy writing.

  56. H
    Highway
    November 22, 2012 at 4:00 pm
    Reply

    I don't know if I see anywhere near the guile / worldliness / cynicism in Yamato that some of the other commenters do. It really seems to me that a major reason he just goes along with the things these girls want because he doesn't want to see them unhappy. Does he not really think about the consequences? Oh definitely. Nor their greater meaning to the rest of the people around them. And that's a trait I find very believable in a high school guy.

    I'm not saying that he should have spent so much extra time with Megu. What I'm saying is that it wasn't out of a desire to get some on the side or cheat on Mei, nearly as much as it was out of some actual admiration for Megu's perseverance in her circumstances, which is also something that he admires in Mei, so that actually seems consistent to me.

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