Real Girl 2nd Season
- Thread starter ZetsubouKaiji
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interregnum
Well-Known Member
When and FOOOOOOOOUUR loves a FOOOOOOO-OOUR!!!
So...Arisa is a lot like Rival Guy's mom.
Which means it's time for the over/under on wedding dates.
Anyway: Arisa is amazing, and Rival Guy is not up to snuff. I still vote Arisa x Iroha. (Though Arisa x Ayado would probably be hilarious. Just imagine Arisa getting all faux-angry and flustered at Ayado's raging desire to f*** every five minutes.) But the stuff with her demanding he let her help him, with her going to his house, with her insisting that they be best friends...all good stuff. Mostly because Arisa is so great, but, fair being fair, his indifference really boosts the fun in her particular idiom of desperation.
And, yeah, the getting-together scene was really good. A little abrupt, in that this could have used juuuuust a bit more build up, in much the same way Ayado and Ito got, but still really good. Even if they can't quite figure out how tall she is next to him.
I will, however, point out that we got Anzu acting with the emotional development of a toddler, which is on my list of ridiculous anime tropes. But whatever.
And speaking of Ito and Ayado...I mean, I get her eagerness for the physical, but, like, there's bases for a reason. Good for Ito putting the fear demons aside and kissing her, but...c'mon. She's gotta give him a little consideration too.
As official mediator, I'm offering a determined rounding of second base designed to draw a throw to third, test out the centerfielder's arm. Final offer.
Oh, and I am still totally in love with that ED.
Which means it's time for the over/under on wedding dates.
Anyway: Arisa is amazing, and Rival Guy is not up to snuff. I still vote Arisa x Iroha. (Though Arisa x Ayado would probably be hilarious. Just imagine Arisa getting all faux-angry and flustered at Ayado's raging desire to f*** every five minutes.) But the stuff with her demanding he let her help him, with her going to his house, with her insisting that they be best friends...all good stuff. Mostly because Arisa is so great, but, fair being fair, his indifference really boosts the fun in her particular idiom of desperation.
And, yeah, the getting-together scene was really good. A little abrupt, in that this could have used juuuuust a bit more build up, in much the same way Ayado and Ito got, but still really good. Even if they can't quite figure out how tall she is next to him.
I will, however, point out that we got Anzu acting with the emotional development of a toddler, which is on my list of ridiculous anime tropes. But whatever.
And speaking of Ito and Ayado...I mean, I get her eagerness for the physical, but, like, there's bases for a reason. Good for Ito putting the fear demons aside and kissing her, but...c'mon. She's gotta give him a little consideration too.
As official mediator, I'm offering a determined rounding of second base designed to draw a throw to third, test out the centerfielder's arm. Final offer.
Oh, and I am still totally in love with that ED.
interregnum
Well-Known Member
I mean...I've been there.
interregnum
Well-Known Member
Her brother and doctor seem too blase about the whole thing for it to go all Your Lie, but...
Yes: rain rain go away, and the like.
I'm genuinely upset Ito and Ayado had sex.
And Arisa is still the best.
Teophan
Well-Known Member
Ah, I say Your Lie due to the fact that it could be a risky overseas operation that has a low survivability and her brother and doc don't want her to get attached to anything that could jeopardize our procedure in regards to being mentally ready.
Or, the doc is just checking up on her because he's really a psychiatrist and she tried to do something to herself in the past and the fact that she's possibly moving away could affect how she handles the attachment ending.
Something along those lines. Or the show is trying to foreshadow a bit too hard.
interregnum
Well-Known Member
Oh, sorry, I wasn't disagreeing. Her side of things seems very much to be pointed at something very much like that. I just didn't take the time to specify that I meant the doctor and her brother seemed less concerned-annoyed than they did inconvenienced-annoyed. Which is an odd imbalance, to me.
Now this would be an unexpected and fascinating twist. Which I'm officially pulling for. #TeamMental
Heh, yeah. There is absolutely every chance of that.
I want to clarify that, in this instance, I'm talking about it from a storytelling standpoint. Because as much as I think Ayado's "cool--now we can f***" attitude is a little overblown, as much as I think Ito's zero-to-sixty turnaround from cat ears to Casanova is underdeveloped (heh...Catsanova), they aren't what's scratching at the back of my brain.
No, I'm wondering why the needed to have sex. Like, narratively.
See, this whole time, Tsutsui's had two hangups: 1) he's so down on himself that he refuses to accept that Iroha actually likes him, and 2) he's almost irrationally nervous about having sex. There's a solid overlap, of course, but they are, by and large, separate issues.
Ito's pursuit and eventual dating of Ayado gave Tsutsui a bit of a kick in the pants to be a bit more confident, for Iroha's sake--making that pairing both a character beat for the pair AND a narrative beat for our main protagonist. And hooray all around.
Where we are, now, though, is an extension of that first hangup: having accepted that Iroha is serious and that he is allowed to be happy, Tsutsui is trying to make the most out of the time he has left with her. That is, he is opening the flow of affection to and from Iroha so that they can better be an actual couple.
While this turn should lead (eventually) to resolving hangup #2, Ito and Ayado banging just does not make sense to me (narratively) as the precipitating event for resolving #1.
In other words: Tsutsui should be way more freaked out by Ito losing his virginity and should, in the best-case reaction, be angling all of his "fun with Iroha" activities to build towards them gettin' busy, rather than gettin' bucket list-y.
I mean, given that all it would take for Tsutsui to really buckle down and try to make the courtship-based most of his remaining Iroha time is hearing Ito talk about doing fun stuff with Ayado (like going to lunch or the movies or holding goddamn hands as they watch the snow fall), why would they use Ito having sex not as the means for addressing Tsutsui's fear of physical intimacy?
And, seriously--WHY ISN'T TSUTSUI MORE FREAKED OUT?!
Teophan
Well-Known Member
Yes, them "the sex" (guess that ref) did seem a bit odd. Like, was she really that desperate to be loved and essentially "convinced" him to have sex with her? If you think about it, that was a roll reversal. It's normally the guy that convinces the girl and she ends up crying afterwards. Interesting way to look at it I think.
Also, I honestly believe that Tsutsui may have seen his best friend not holding back and getting laid as a trigger to get off his ass and do something. Him not freaking out is a clear sign that he's given up on everyone and putting his focus on her.
However, I don't think it's going to end with sex. I think she actually doesn't want to have sex. She does, but the reality of the situation prevents it. Whatever dilemma she has prevents her from doing such an intimate action because it would lock her down emotionally and she doesn't want that. She knows that if they have anything intimate beyond kissing would jeopardize her ability to end the relationship and walk away.
Still looking for that scums wish ending.....lol
Also, I honestly believe that Tsutsui may have seen his best friend not holding back and getting laid as a trigger to get off his ass and do something. Him not freaking out is a clear sign that he's given up on everyone and putting his focus on her.
However, I don't think it's going to end with sex. I think she actually doesn't want to have sex. She does, but the reality of the situation prevents it. Whatever dilemma she has prevents her from doing such an intimate action because it would lock her down emotionally and she doesn't want that. She knows that if they have anything intimate beyond kissing would jeopardize her ability to end the relationship and walk away.
Still looking for that scums wish ending.....lol
interregnum
Well-Known Member
...Venture Brothers?
[unconvincing smile]
I LOVE this theory. Because we're so, so, so often in Tsutsui's head and not Iroha's--and because we, as a result, are entirely locked into his perspective, this would be a satisfying irony to justify the structural decision to limit their relationship's presentation from just his side: that Tsutsui's irrational nervousness that every intimate situation is about to turn into her expecting him to sleep with her was as unfounded as it could realistically get.
I'm going to be disappointed if that's not the case, now.
So, the trigger of Ito having sex was so strong that it overrode both of Tsutsui's major hangups and reset everything under a heading of "make Iroha happy"?
Interesting. I'll have to think about that.
Where everyone goes their separate ways except for the most awful and most innocent characters?
GASP--are trying to stealth-ship Ito x Takanashi?!
Teophan
Well-Known Member
Sadly no. It was Friends. Chandler says, "I can not wait to have all the sex."
Teophan
Well-Known Member
Ep 10
This will start as a live viewing log then into my Jerry Springer final thoughts...
This will start as a live viewing log then into my Jerry Springer final thoughts...
I figured the old man would be involved.
Ohhhhh? He gave them the hint of "enjoy your first love while you can" speech. Hmmmmmmmm. I wonder if this is also a hint. I smell Scums Wish!!!!!
Oh......OH MY GLOB!!!! She wrote that she wants to sleep with him? Oh, this takes a turn. Oh my. Her feeling have hit a new level and I'm sure she's having a change of heart or about to do something she regrets because she's fallen for him even more regardless of what's to come.
Oh.....oh......OOOOHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Our little TsuTsun........IS A MAN!!!!
That old man......reminds me of myself.... (Sad face)
Oh...butterfly with broken wings...forbodo for message ahead....
Ohhhhh...he asked her. He finally asked her. What will she say?
ITS FUCKING YOUR LIE ALL OVER AGAIN.....
Yup. Your lie and Scums Wish all on one....yay....
Now that the police have talked me off the ledge.
Just as I thought. It's a blended Your Lie and Scums Wish feeling as I theorized. First, they will part ways because it could never truly be. Like Scums Wish, no matter how hard they tried, it had to end. Then, you add the fact that she is having a risky brain surgery that could
A) kill her
B) Be successful but make her forget everything
Sets it up as also final goodbye like in Your lie.
From how things have gone, the old man's foreboding message about enjoying your first love, and what has happened, I sense that she will go off, the surgery will have been successful, and she would have forgotten everything.
Tsutsui being the horrible man that he is, will accept this and move on. He would have dated, gone to college, etc. However, at some point during college, he will run I to her again, she will act as though being with him feels normal, and they will get together again.....
Or, butterfly effect that shit, they run into each other, he says hello and just walks on......
Ohhhhh? He gave them the hint of "enjoy your first love while you can" speech. Hmmmmmmmm. I wonder if this is also a hint. I smell Scums Wish!!!!!
Oh......OH MY GLOB!!!! She wrote that she wants to sleep with him? Oh, this takes a turn. Oh my. Her feeling have hit a new level and I'm sure she's having a change of heart or about to do something she regrets because she's fallen for him even more regardless of what's to come.
Oh.....oh......OOOOHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Our little TsuTsun........IS A MAN!!!!
That old man......reminds me of myself.... (Sad face)
Oh...butterfly with broken wings...forbodo for message ahead....
Ohhhhh...he asked her. He finally asked her. What will she say?
ITS FUCKING YOUR LIE ALL OVER AGAIN.....
Yup. Your lie and Scums Wish all on one....yay....
Now that the police have talked me off the ledge.
Just as I thought. It's a blended Your Lie and Scums Wish feeling as I theorized. First, they will part ways because it could never truly be. Like Scums Wish, no matter how hard they tried, it had to end. Then, you add the fact that she is having a risky brain surgery that could
A) kill her
B) Be successful but make her forget everything
Sets it up as also final goodbye like in Your lie.
From how things have gone, the old man's foreboding message about enjoying your first love, and what has happened, I sense that she will go off, the surgery will have been successful, and she would have forgotten everything.
Tsutsui being the horrible man that he is, will accept this and move on. He would have dated, gone to college, etc. However, at some point during college, he will run I to her again, she will act as though being with him feels normal, and they will get together again.....
Or, butterfly effect that shit, they run into each other, he says hello and just walks on......
interregnum
Well-Known Member
I don't think I can pin down which item in this episode bothered me the most.
I think you and I remember Scum's Wish very differently.
Arisa is still awesome, though.
And, actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I would kind of love Tsutsui and Arisa to get together, after Iroha is out of the picture. Not immediately, of course. But eventually. I think they'd compliment each other quite well, honestly.
And she's so much like his mom, which is just...perfect.
Teophan
Well-Known Member
Well, to some extent...
In Scums Wish they didn't actually tried to figure to stay together. It was more just lost in hormones and sex and bleh. Then they parted ways cause they realized it wouldn't have worked and it was better that way.
This is kids like that minus the dark and twisted life's the MCs have. I thought I had a connection. Guess I'lI.have to rethink it.
By Your lie does still fit IMO.
This is kids like that minus the dark and twisted life's the MCs have. I thought I had a connection. Guess I'lI.have to rethink it.
By Your lie does still fit IMO.
interregnum
Well-Known Member
Oh, for sure.
Well, the female protagonist's actions aren't quite as selfish, here--in my opinion--but I'd say you are absolutely right.
Now we wait for which direction the show takes things in the final two episodes. My hope is the "everything turns out fine" ending, whether immediately or down the road, because the series--for as much as I like it--lacks the skill to pull off anything more emotionally hefty.
...but, as I said before, I am more than open to Arisa and Tsutsui eventually pairing off. So.
interregnum
Well-Known Member
...I'm gonna take a moment to say that I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is fantastic, and you should see it if you haven't already.
And then buy the novel.
And then the manga.
And then the live-action movie.
And I'm mentioning this for absolutely no particular reason. Of course.
And then buy the novel.
And then the manga.
And then the live-action movie.
And I'm mentioning this for absolutely no particular reason. Of course.
Now, why does this all sound so famili--
The time jump was...unexpected. And I don't know how I feel about it. (Are Arisa and Takanashi married? They're not, right? And where the hell is Ayado?!) Or, rather, Arisa and Takanashi and Tsutsui (because Ito can fade into nothingness for all I care) have a surprisingly really great dynamic, and I wish we'd gotten to see them deal with post-Iroha aftermath, with their time in college, and then with going into the workforce. That could have been genuinely interesting.
Further: I'm entirely underwhelmed by the Iroha development. It's not so much a reveal as I'm sure it's meant to be. I just...don't care. I'd actually rather have watched a season of the gang being 25 with Tsutsui starting to date that girl at work and then have Iroha show up at the end of Season 3 to start a love triangle for Season 4--but she'd still not remember who anyone is, and so Tsutsui'd be trying to get back the girl he used to know and then someone would FORGET TO CLOSE HER DOOR ALL THE WAY and then...
Sorry. Got a little Domestic, there
My point is that her departure was sudden (which is fine) but we didn't get the chance to miss her. And doing a SEVEN YEAR time jump doesn't settle me into the "new normal" that will make her return seem as "O...M...GGGGGGG!!!" as it's supposed to be--both for us and for Tsutsui (I assume).
...and, actually, I'm kind of annoyed that Takanashi is having a kid with Arisa, now that I'm thinking about it. She deserves better. (I mean, it's probably fine. We just didn't get to see him be good enough for her.)
That said, I like that the show basically told us that Tsustsui has remained alone (and, by implication, celibate) since Iroha's departure. I don't know if that's more or less tragic than if he'd never slept with Iroha at all.
Oh, and...did we know that Creepy Older Brother wasn't blood-related to her? Did I just forget that because I don't f***ing like him?
Oooooooh!
The time jump was...unexpected. And I don't know how I feel about it. (Are Arisa and Takanashi married? They're not, right? And where the hell is Ayado?!) Or, rather, Arisa and Takanashi and Tsutsui (because Ito can fade into nothingness for all I care) have a surprisingly really great dynamic, and I wish we'd gotten to see them deal with post-Iroha aftermath, with their time in college, and then with going into the workforce. That could have been genuinely interesting.
Further: I'm entirely underwhelmed by the Iroha development. It's not so much a reveal as I'm sure it's meant to be. I just...don't care. I'd actually rather have watched a season of the gang being 25 with Tsutsui starting to date that girl at work and then have Iroha show up at the end of Season 3 to start a love triangle for Season 4--but she'd still not remember who anyone is, and so Tsutsui'd be trying to get back the girl he used to know and then someone would FORGET TO CLOSE HER DOOR ALL THE WAY and then...
Sorry. Got a little Domestic, there
My point is that her departure was sudden (which is fine) but we didn't get the chance to miss her. And doing a SEVEN YEAR time jump doesn't settle me into the "new normal" that will make her return seem as "O...M...GGGGGGG!!!" as it's supposed to be--both for us and for Tsutsui (I assume).
...and, actually, I'm kind of annoyed that Takanashi is having a kid with Arisa, now that I'm thinking about it. She deserves better. (I mean, it's probably fine. We just didn't get to see him be good enough for her.)
That said, I like that the show basically told us that Tsustsui has remained alone (and, by implication, celibate) since Iroha's departure. I don't know if that's more or less tragic than if he'd never slept with Iroha at all.
Oh, and...did we know that Creepy Older Brother wasn't blood-related to her? Did I just forget that because I don't f***ing like him?
Teophan
Well-Known Member
Ep 11
CALLED IT!!!!
CALLED IT!!!!
I got this butterfly effect vibe for a second. (Spoilers if you haven't seen that movie) The way it time jumps to the future, Tsutsui remembers her but she doesn't remember him. I had a feeling there was going to be a time jump.
Now, all this development is kinda dumped onto us. But I have this fear that if this was going to me 2 cour then it would have been a bit slower.
That would have made for a great 3rd season. Hands down Golden Time that one.
When does this show start? Also, that door ref......I'm dead.
You forgot. He told her before when she came home late. He was all like "I may not be blood related but I care for you and you need to break this off".
That said I'm sure he's going to try to intervene and do his best to make sure Tsutsui never seems her. But part of me wants to think he really cares for her enough to bring them together.
OR, he's a huge dick and makes them meet just to say UP YOURS she's mine, you are forgotten and we are going to live happily ever after......Until she starts to recall something and he freaks and tries to get her to fly back early. Then he'll brakes loose.
Do we have time left in this show for all this? It has to go into another season. There just isn't enough time. God help me if they cram it all in one ep and force an OVA and BD special to wrap it up.
Now, all this development is kinda dumped onto us. But I have this fear that if this was going to me 2 cour then it would have been a bit slower.
No. She mentioned that she now has to change her name meaning they will be getting married now that she's pregnant but it was iffy since they always broke up. Funny, couples like that actually do last longer.
That would have made for a great 3rd season. Hands down Golden Time that one.
When does this show start? Also, that door ref......I'm dead.
You forgot. He told her before when she came home late. He was all like "I may not be blood related but I care for you and you need to break this off".
That said I'm sure he's going to try to intervene and do his best to make sure Tsutsui never seems her. But part of me wants to think he really cares for her enough to bring them together.
OR, he's a huge dick and makes them meet just to say UP YOURS she's mine, you are forgotten and we are going to live happily ever after......Until she starts to recall something and he freaks and tries to get her to fly back early. Then he'll brakes loose.
Do we have time left in this show for all this? It has to go into another season. There just isn't enough time. God help me if they cram it all in one ep and force an OVA and BD special to wrap it up.
interregnum
Well-Known Member
There's no way we're getting a third season. And I would be shocked if an OVA or BD special was going to happen either, in terms of wrap-up. This is much too...final, I think, in terms of an arc.
...there's secretly a 13th episode.
Then we get a flash forward to everyone's kids playing in the park. (With a very Arisa-like daughter getting too pleasant with Tsutsui-like son, to the great anger of papa-Takanashi.)
This is absolutely not going to happen...but it could.
...dammit. I can't argue with that confidence.
Then we get a flash forward to everyone's kids playing in the park. (With a very Arisa-like daughter getting too pleasant with Tsutsui-like son, to the great anger of papa-Takanashi.)
This is absolutely not going to happen...but it could.
...dammit. I can't argue with that confidence.
Now, of course, I'd like to be wrong about this, but I'm thinking we get a return to the speed-run checklist style of the first season to close out the series--likely with their love breaking the science of her memory loss.
Also, LA's got smog and Japan has Arisa. That's not even a choice. What are you thinking, Iroha?!
Teophan
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't mind if they meet, a quick drama ensues, then they end it with her memory never fully restoring but she feels that Tsutsui is the right choice and agrees to stay and start over with him.
Or
As usual, she almost leaves, everyone is there at the airport, and in a magical moment, she starts to tear up and remembers everything. They get back together, have lots of babies, The End.
Even more sadistic....
She never gets her memories back, Tsutsui realizes she's happy in LA, he finally accepts this, let's her go, they go on there separate ways, and he starts dating the office worker. I feel this is a possibility cause she was introduced as the co-worker that showed interest in him.
Or
As usual, she almost leaves, everyone is there at the airport, and in a magical moment, she starts to tear up and remembers everything. They get back together, have lots of babies, The End.
Even more sadistic....
She never gets her memories back, Tsutsui realizes she's happy in LA, he finally accepts this, let's her go, they go on there separate ways, and he starts dating the office worker. I feel this is a possibility cause she was introduced as the co-worker that showed interest in him.