You know you think a story is good when you know perfectly well that everything will work out, and you *still* get tense watching it all crumble.
On Disk 2 of Maria Watches Over Us, Season 4, we’re in a carefully suspended moment before several things start to crumble.
And with some deft writing by Konno Oyuki-sensei, not only are we allowed to enjoy that precariously suspended moment, we’re given an opportunity to laugh until our stomachs hurt – even knowing that soon our stomachs will hurt for an entirely different reason.
I am, of course, talking about the Kendo shiai, and the introduction of Arima Nana. After the Souer Audition tea party, Yoshino has to fess up to her rash promise made to Eriko. And now the chips are down and she doesn’t have a soeur to introduce to her! So, Yoshino does what anyone might in that situation- she lies bravely and tries to make a run for it. :-)
But after the laughter, we’re set up for tears. The series turns – rather reluctantly, it feels like – to the issue of Touko and Yumi. Because there is *so* much between them and because so much of it cannot be expressed by either of them, those of you who hate Touko will see only what is on the surface and will continue to hate her. There’s nothing I can say to make you look beyond that. So – hate away, my friends, because it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Here’s to clenching our fists and watching over them, until the logjam breaks. And break it will. But for now…we have to watch it all crumble before it can be built up again.
More Sei, Youko and Eriko. More, more!
I can’t wait to get my hands on this boxset. Touko is easily my favorite MariMite character… which is saying a lot considering that there are basically no bad characters in the show =)
@A Day Without Me – I’m quite fond of Touko myself. Yes, I thought she was a prat at first, but when she pointedly refused to be a party to the Yumi-bashing at the summer house, I immediately understood that we had underestimated her.
Interesting line about there being no bad characters. I’m also reading the O-shaka-sama mo miteru series, and my biggest complaint about it is that Andre-sempai is not at all likable. At Lillian, almost none of the characters are unlikable.
There are people who ‘hate’ Touko? What did she ever do that was so bad?
NB: Touko seems to be an important name for anime. Name me one character named Touko who was not amazing.
I always love the Yellow Rose family episodes. Yoshino is that rare example of a character who can be completely likeable despite going off the rails every so often, and who often does foolish and shortsighted things but always for completely understandable (from the POV of her personality) reasons instead of plot-induced stupidity…and remain completely entertaining for me to watch, too.
I just got the Box-set yesterday, from my local comic book importer.
If you ask me, I would say I’m totally “Fond” of this series.
The beautiful covers to the box and the 4 slim case is more than enough to justify the purchase.
What surprises me is that Pizza-Hut is still there. I thought they’d remove it when it turn Stateside.
My favorite episode is definitely Eps. 4, not only we have Yoshino(my fav char) deluded herself in thinking she can beat Eriko (very funny), we also get to meet her future little sister, but most importantly of all, we have a reunion of the 3 former Roses. The scene with all three of them is pure magic.
Question: do they really put Ginkgo nuts in Oden?