True Tears 09: A Family for Hiromi, a Lesson for Noe

Great now everything hinges on that bastard in the middle, better not fuck up, and swing that purse like you mean it Shin-chan…
Well bloody hell…just bloody great. Well it looks like things have turned around for Hiromi in record time, she has a family now, her oppressor has repented, and now Shin-chan is not her nii-san. Bloody brilliant I say, she better thank Jun for wrecking his bike and not turning that bastard bunny into road kill. Well if by some miracle Shin-chan does not confess his love to Hiromi at least she now has a family to fall back on, all thanks to Jun. Noe has already left the field so any more screw ups are purely on Shin-chan’s head.

Damn right Mr. Nakagami, don’t give us this bullshit Shin-chan.
Well it was nice to see that had Shin-chan been beaten to death by a squirrel that Hiromi and Jun would have gotten along fine. I fully understand how they just looked on at the destruction of the Isurusgi bike. I am reminded of the time this old boat caught on fire (from stem to stern) and we just stood there staring blankly with shock and awe for what seemed like forever (probably much shorter when at last the MK2 went Oh Fuck) until we broke out the fire fighting equipment and gave the fire department a call. I really can’t fault them for just staring blankly at the miracle that just occurred in front of them, not a single scratch. Well at least Hiromi owes Jun big time for turning her hell into a decent enough home. It was high time Mrs. Nakagami treated Hiromi with respect and now Hiromi has a mother and father again. It was sweet that now they are trying to make her welcome to their family. However now Hiromi has no right to bitch about it any more, her foster mom is now asking for forgiveness and trying to bond with her so any angst will have to be directed at Shin-chan as the angst will only come from Shin-chan. Nevertheless I hope Hiromi has more to smile about since she has two foster parents who are going to love her as if she were really one of their own children.

Well you’re relationship is about to do the same, you are a wise man Jun-san. Once again a Hiromi smile not meant for Shin-chan…what could have been.
I hope that we get to see some of Hiromi’s family healing process, and I still want to know what exactly went down between Mrs. Yuasa and Mrs. Nakagami. I really want to see the Nakagamis do more things with Hiromi because at this point seeing something truly wonderful would dull the pain of watching Noe give up Shin-chan, more on that later.

Ya RLY
Seeing them together for what probably will be the last time under better circumstances I cannot help but to thing that they would have been perfect for each other, both like to tease and both have an arsenal of witty remarks to jab the other with. Jun would have been perfect for Hiromi even with her emo baggage Jun was able to keep his cool and just think about how he was going to pay off the debt rather than going ballistic on Hiromi. It really says something that in regards to the gasoline explosion question that Jun proved himself the wiser one as it takes a heck of a lot of pressure for an explosion. Still when Shin-chan hugged Hiromi I was surprised that Jun didn’t floor Shin-chan right then and there, such control; such discretion. While Kabitzin is ranting and raving about this all being part of Hiromi’s grand plan I have to say it was her plan to be on a totaled bike I would like to see him propose how Hiromi was able to avoid injury of some sort let alone a broken neck. I’ve had a wipe out on a bicycle in a similar situation and thank fully my military issue rain gear and K-pot kept me in tact because even on a bicycle going fairly fast it sucks and hurts to wipe out, especially on asphalt near big trees.

So this is how it ends? Not with a bang, but a hug…
I fear that now this series is now in the hands of Shin-chan and if he knows what is good for him he will stick with his choice and stay with Hiromi if that is his final decision. I don’t want the bastard trying to be nice to Noe any more, because in the end it will just make her cry more because of Shin-chan’s abandonment and pathetic nice guy façade. Judging by the Isurugi Jun’s next reaction he will not take kindly to the two oath breakers and hopefully will simply demand that Hiromi help pay for wrecking his bike. Still I fear that Shin-chan now being touched by Noe will try to fly, I hope he fails. Sorry but unless he is going back to Noe because he loves her, I do not want the bastard to try and use Noe as his muse. In fact I want his dreams of drawing to be inspired by Hiromi hence forth regardless if it turns out to be crap or not. Given that there are still 4 episodes to go I suspect that Shin-chan is going to get greedy and eventually break Noe’s heart, smash it to pieces, and fire it off into the sun.

…

Take that you unscrupulous bastard! Pour it on! Pour it on, Noe!
It was so utterly crushing to watch Noe realize how much of a bastard Shin-chan was. She tried to dig out his confession to no avail and now Shin-chan no longer wishes to fly. Nevertheless as things go Noe being the glorious person that she is lets him off gracefully and beautifully. Watching Noe say what may well be her final good bye was beautiful and touching. Even if she was using her flying metaphor we know exactly what she meant and even if we don’t see her cry, the blood she shed when digging were far more poignant that mere saline tears, as tears of blood often are. Hiromi for getting everything she needed in one fell swoop, I lament the fact that that idiot Shin-chan is going to make Noe cry tears of pain and rejection rather than happiness, though PA Works is free to prove me wrong. I hope the best for Noe because at this point things can only go one of two ways, Hiromi and Shin-chan will get all lovey dovey, or Shin-chan is going to waver in his love and hurt both Hiromi and Noe regardless of who he loves in the end.

…

It was just so beautiful, and sad…If you aren’t moved you have no heart. If you don’t like Noe you have no head!
The Hiromi miracle has really come too early and too neatly for this to be the end game, there are four more episodes to go so I highly suspect that this merely the eye of the storm rather than its end. It is going to be hard to watch Noe’s heart break, but in the end so long as Shin-chan does not interfere and sticks with Hiromi I hope Jun nii will be there to heal her broken heart. I am still hoping for a Noe ending simply because if this is the end game it is a bit too fairy tale for my tastes, almost like deus ex machina. While Kabitzin thinks that there will be some more obstacles in the way of a Hiromi ending I just don’t see the kind of drama ensuing now that Hiromi has a better home now. If Hiromi is just simply going to be jealous while Shin-chan wavers and picks another fight with Noe (because you know that it going to be Shin-chan bugging Noe and not the other way around) it just doesn’t sound as powerful as fighting for a better home would have been.

Clearly there is only one man in this picture…here’s a hint he’s wearing green.
As the episodes go by I cannot help but come to hate Shin-chan more and more. Nobuse not only had to let Aiko go to Shin-chan, but despite everything the guy is willing to stand up for his friend and ward off two bullies while Shin-chan cowered behind him. When Shin-cha got into a scrap he couldn’t even kick the guy’s ass. Tomoyo also proved to be a stalwart buddy and stuck by Hiromi despite the vicious rumors. Man it made my blood boil to see all those ass holes gossip at the fact that Hiromi and Jun had nearly died in a horrible manner. Times like these make me wish Anime Admiral Halsey made good on his resolution to make sure that by the time he was done with them that the Japanese language would only be spoken in hell. I know that bullying is a popular past time of the average Japanicus retardicus but goddamn it was a near miss. Admonish the idiots for their near miss, but don’t go talking shit when you don’t know your head from your ass. The suspensions were pretty damn heavy handed considering that they could have died. I know Japanese think differently, but in this case this Western Imperialist thinks that they think stupidly if at all…Lousy old farts wish they just all died for their God Emperor like they so dearly wanted to. Just that this coupled with Noe’s plight makes my blood boil.

Thinga are just peachy in the Nakagami house now, be happy Hiromi. The Isurugi have paid dearly for it.
So yeah unless PA Works is going to lay a better foundation for a Canvas 2 kind of ending, which I would not mind in the least. It seems logical to presume that Hiromi will get her Shin-chan in the end, whether or not they can fly is another matter entirely as Shin-chan’s first Hiromi book was not very loved by publishers and sub par. Well whatever happens I hope Jun is only going after his money now that Noe needs him now more than ever. I just hope Shin-chan isn’t going to do something incredibly stupid to cause Hiromi to angst and Noe to cry. I can accept a Hiromi victory only if she is going to be happy during the course of things rather than be as hateful as Mitsuki and emo as Haruka of that despicable KGNE. I said it before jealous Hiromi is an ugly Hiromi. Well based on the previews it looks like Aiko and Nobuse might be back on track again, I hope Nobuse forgives Aiko for her stupidity in chasing Shin when she had no chance to begin with, but such is love. I really hope Jun doesn’t beat the shit out of Hiromi or something distasteful, he has every right to be pissed, but she’s still a girl.

Noe is not amused.

Be ashamed. Be very ashamed, you two fight like old people fuck.
Also if you want to make the argument that a jealous Hiromi is a worthy Hiromi, just be warned that now that Noe’s heart is in tatters that I have broken out the flammenwerfer 35 and am in no mood to hear how jealousy is the harbinger of victory. You hear me you bloody tanuki?! Also if you dare kick her when she is down Ascaloth…I will be more than simply disappointed, comrade. Just sorry Hiromi fans, just not today. It’s hard enough to watch Noe’s heart break even ever so slightly. I need time to brace myself for the Shin-chan cruelty that is coming. I was almost moved to tears, and had I still had any left to spare I would have cried many manly tears. I think usagijen and Shirukii will understand when I say I am in a rather sour mood about this. I still hold out hope for Noe to get her man, but now I the playing field is level and it can still go either way depending on how daft Shin-chan is going to be. If Hiromi were still oppressed I would have forgiven Hiromi much more readily, but now jealousy for over Shin-chan is not going to garner any sort of sympathy from me. I suspect that the cheers of Hiromi fans will be short lived sure she has won this one, but will she win the war? PA Works is very good at protecting this ending; the short wrap up of Hiromi’s major problems probably came as a surprise to all given the speed at which everything was resolved. Something big is going to happen I can sense it, well if nothing else it’s not over until it’s over, cold comfort; I know. Let’s Just hope Shin-chan does not ruin Hiromi and Noe for marriage and life. Remember Noe, you have a many adoring fans and a wonderful Nii-san. Honor and blood for your true special person. Noe is Moe. Sieg Noe.

Yeah your Aiko still hasn’t come around yet…better luck next time.

Yeah I don’t like oath breakers, but its time to be a man about it and forgive her, Jun. As for Shin-chan… feel free to beat his ass into the dawn of next Thursday.

If you rain on her parade Shin-chan…well I have a flammenwerfer 35 and it ain’t for looks. At least Noe is going to be happy some of the time.
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Noe x Shin chan FTW! I was getting ready to surrender the fight for Noe, but was enlightened by the remaining Noe supporters that there is still hope!
With last week’s episode, I was thinking the fate of this show lies in Hiromi and how she’ll let angst get the better of her. But now, it’s all up to Shin… (and also a bit of Jun and his ‘words of wisdom’)
>Sorry but unless he is going back to Noe because he loves her, I do not want
the bastard to try and use Noe as his muse.
Finally the light! My main reason for opposing Noe X Shin is precisely because Shin doesn’t love Noe as much as he loves Hiromi. I’m glad this support is vindicated by the Hiromi X Shin hug in this ep….
>The Hiromi miracle has really come too early and too neatly for this to be the end game, there are four more episodes to go so I highly suspect that this merely the eye of the storm rather than its end
Frankly I hope so too. Not because I’m not hard up for that Hiromi X Shin end but it’d have a watered down finale if the drama deflates from here on.
I am so gonna kill Shin for being a total faggot. How can he not imagine the moe noe totally in woe over his decision. That is why I prefer a Jun x Noe pairing since Jun will never hurt Noe. No, I am not turning Siscon just as yet because there is no logic for the pro attitude of siscon X_X
Yes, I do agree with Stripey that the Hiromi miracle comes too soon and it’s really going to be hard to predict which way the pairing is going to go. This anime does make the head think a bit too much. Meh!
I am so breaking Shin’s kneecaps…
And I found some scenes somewhat irrelevant, like the one the after Shin X Noe (I am not giving up!) event at the sea-wall/beach,
Shin arrives at home and just after he enters the doorway, he turns, goes back out then sees one of his father’s workers (the bald one) through the brewery[?] entrance.
Now this scene might important later or maybe its just to kill time (or BL ending anyone?).
[...] this ep appears to reinforce a Hiromi end, it could also well be the eye of a storm given that PA works still have 4 episodes to weave in more intense drama. Until Mrs [...]
Man, what a nosedive this episode took overall.
1) Wow, even more evidence how much of a spoiled, false, and self-centered person Hiromi is. Makes Jun take her out of town on a bike in the snow, and when it crashes she doesn’t even care, and just warms her hands. I really don’t understand where Shin’s love of her comes from, she has a horrible personality. Is it one of those superficial loves because she is pretty? Or the odd Japanese notion of the osana najimi? I don’t really get it because growing up they seemed to have barely said anything to each other, she was just a dead fish.
2) This show has so much contrived drama, especially at the ends of episodes/previews that end up leading to nothing. Whatever happened to Ai, she just gets brushed off and pretty much ignored for two episodes. Shin doesn’t even seem to care about what happened. Oh, and all of a sudden Shin’s mom is nice toward Hiromi, with no real reason for doing so? I just feel like I’ve been dragged around this crap for 9 episodes and they quietly sweep it under the rug.
3) The fact that Hiromi is not Shin’s sister is another silly contrived drama too. When his dad told him that it wasn’t true I just rolled my eyes, not really surprised and really disappointed they kind of shrugged that off too.
4) Suspending people for having a motorcycle accident off-campus? What kind of retarded plot device is that? If that’s actually true in Japan, that you can get suspended from school by getting into an accident that’s pretty sad. I’d understand if they were doing drugs or something, but this was downright silly.
I don’t really like Noe. I guess I have no heart or head. She’s just contrived moe to me. Hiromi is much more interesting in general. I think people got blinded by Noe and thinking she actually matters in the story. Well, not to say she doesn’t matter… but Hiromi is the obvious “main girl” who Shin’s story is mostly about. Though I also would go for a Hiromi x Jun ending, but I can’t see that happening.
I wouldn’t get as worked up as Noe over Hiromi. Shin definitely likes Noe. He’s just afraid of being happy (”flying”) when he saw that his mom was making Hiromi unhappy. Shin doesn’t know that Hiromi is making Noe unhappy — I’m sure Shin would stand up for Noe just as he stood up for Hiromi, if he knew. That’s just Shin’s character. As a Noe supporter, I’ll just be comforted with this episode being a misleading in-betweener.
I would like to imagine that Shin is riding the bike downhill to visit Noe, who missed school and stayed home sick. Hehe. AND I would like to imagine that Shin is going to make it proper between Jun and Hiromi, so Jun ends up asking Hiromi out properly.
My vested interests in which fancamp wins out over the other is beginning to wane. While I would like to see a Noe end, a Hiromi one is fine too as long as it’s well justified. It’s sad to see the possibility of a double incest end gone, though I still want to know why Shin’s mom was all bitchy towards Hiromi all this time.
A Canvas2 Jun-Noe end would be win, to hell with all the Elis haters, that ending was awesome.
@usagijen
This was a disturbing development, but have faith comrade. Hiromi can’t declare victory yet and Noe is looking as genki as ever in the trailer. Let’s nope that Jun-nii will set things right.
@Stripey
Shin-chan is BAKA. I hope Jun kicks his ass for doing that to poor Noe. Still its not over yet and Hiromi may yet snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Nevertheless you cruel tanuki leave Jibeta alone, Noe will need him too when the storm hits.
@Impz
I wouldn’t hold it against Jun nii to comfort his beloved Noe, but I am hoping that Jun will be the one to make Shin-chan suffer for his insolence at blowing off Noe like that and hurting her so deeply.
@Gravmech
I think the sea wall scene was cute, becuase now that Noe was so greviuously hurt, it was time for Shin-chan to feel some pain. Sadly Noe being the glorious woman that she is did not use brute force to put Shin-chan in his place. I am hoping Jun will be the one to beat Shin-chan to bloody pulp.
@Calawain
Hey Shin-chan and Hiromi might still be siblings, we still don’t know why Mrs. Nakagami was being such a hateful wench. For all we know that while Mr. Nakagami is not Hiromi’s father, that does not mean Mr. Yuasa is not Shin-chan’s dad too…
There is still hope and now that Hiromi has no more crutches she will feel the full force of Noe. As for Aiko, either she comes to her good senses and goes back to Nobuse or Nobuse finally breaks and helps Jun nii kick Shin-chan’s ass.
@woo
Noe is no more contrived moe than Hiromi is contrived tragedy. Emo-girls are a dime a dozen, but there is only one Noe in all of anime, after all who else has a love of flying and chickens?
@Youko
I hope your are right comrade. I hope your right. Noe is moe. Seig Noe.
@Shirukii
Yeah I hope that in the event of a Hiromi victory that she proves to be likable as a person. I want her to be able to fly and for Noe to give Hiromi her wings. If Hiromi remains as she is I will never ever accept ShinxHiromi as a decent ending.
I hope that the real story behind Mrs. Nakagami and Mrs. Yuasa is going to be big and send ripples that affect Shin and Hiromi…sure Mr. Nakagami is not Hiromi’s dad, but is he Shin’s?
Yeah, poor, poor Noe, watching Shin hug Hiromi because he was concerned about her. I wonder how could she ever recover from that kind of emotional pain. Really Shin deserves to be beaten to a pulp, then set on fire, have his eyes gouged and eaten out, his nails pulled out and his fingers smashed. I could go on an on – and yet, none of this will compare with the pain that Noe felt – her heart being irrevocably broken into tiny pieces. Shin is the worst kind of criminal – killers, rapists, arsonists etc. pale in comparison to him.
Don’t you realize how ridiculous all of this sounds? Hating a guy just because he doesn’t love your favorite girl? In all fairness, if you hate the guy so much, why do you want him to end up with Noe in the first place. It might seem like no guy is good for her by the way you glorify her very existence.
I mean, I like Noe, but I don’t see why everybody is getting so worked up over her and all. I really hate this kind of mentality that the girl is always right and she deserves to be smothered with affection and servitude, while the guy is always wrong and should tatter to her every wish. Seriously, I get really worked up when I see such blatant gender discrimination in some people’s comments.
OK, rant over!
@darwin
Very well so is Shin-chan in the right here for all that he has done in stringing Noe along? Just because you don’t want to celebrate the glory of Noe doesn’t mean I can’t. Clearly you are unfamiliar with the dynamics of marriage where the wife is always right since she usually wins the argument. If you are unable to sympathize with Noe then take your brand of he-man hate else where. May your life be interesting.
Meh, who cares about Shin. That loser. lol Looks like Hiromi cried true tears again in this episode. I’m sick of her true tears. Anyway, I don’t think anyone was surprised by the fact that Shin and Hiromi aren’t really siblings. Nobody really bought it. What a ridiculous lie.
Also, I sense it too. I think something big’s going to happen anytime soon. They just can’t end it like this. A B-O-R-I-N-G ShinxHiromi cheesy finale. If that’s what’s waiting for us in the end, then this show isn’t what I thought it was. I just wish they’ll put the spotlight on Noe later on since she’s the only one brightening this show for me.
No, Shin-chan is in the wrong for simply being a male in a Japanese animated romance show, which automatically puts him on a level lower than a worm (this is the impression I get from some of those posts) and as a male he must be blamed for every tiniest bit of emotional pain he inflicts on the girls around him.
I’ve always found the bit about the wife being always right an ill-placed gender humor joke, which has no real basis in reality. It’s just being reinforced in the media and by husbands who are constantly being whipped by their wifes. What I find shocking is that there are men who think that this is the right way to think, i.e. the woman being always right. If you would rather discard your pride as a man and tatter to your wife’s every desire no matter whether it’s reasonable or not, then you will be the one to have an “interesting life”.
In the end, blaming Shin for Noe’s hardships seems childish to me at best, since in the real world you don’t always get what you want and you cannot always be happy. So what if she doesn’t get “the bastard” in the end, it doesn’t mean she won’t find someone better for her in the end. Besides, Shin hasn’t really done anything to hurt her intentionally – he always treated her with kindness and respect. I feel the same level of hate towards him as towards Makoto of School Days, even though the two of them are different as night and day.
In the end, I do sympathize with Noe, but mostly because of her hard past. Everything Shin has supposedly done to her in this series pales in comparison. I’m not asking anybody to change their opinion or anything, I just wish to see some reasonable arguments for this excessive Shin-hate.
@Ricaryx
We still don’t know the full story regarding Mrs. Nakagami, and Mrs. Yuasa, so there are still plenty of big surprises left.
@darwin
Since when has the average Japanese Anime Doormat become the be all end all of the masculine ideal? It is rare indeed that they even rise to the level of worm let a alone human (Makoto, Shinji, Keitaro, etc.). Japan is a male dominated culture that is made up of effeminate men who keep endeavor to keep their women even lower than them simply to keep a facade of masculinity. After all what other modern country would let their ministers refer to women as birthing machines?
Perhaps you hail form a different culture than I. In my experience in dealing with long married couples in my gaming circles, I have learned that husbands have learned to pick their battles and more often than not it was harder for them to let their hair brained schemes go, and it was usually the good sense of their wives that prevented them from doing something they admit years later, was stupid. If they subscribed to your version of masculinity they would not have been married for long, marriage is about compromising for the sake your family, not about gratification of your own dreams. Most of these husbands had the good sense to marry a woman who by all accounts was smarter, and hence while they were 40-50 and still feeling like 21 their spouse of many years usually prevented them from doing what 21 year olds do. In my opinion it is harder for men to accept that they are not as young as they once were, and hence come up with schemes to try and feel young again.
Feel free to argue with your wife when you have the chance, just be warned that it is an exercise in futility if you wish to preserve your happy marriage. In my opinion, and experience men give up arguing far sooner than women because men have the instinct to simply resort to fisticuffs when men argue with men. If you are arguing with a woman, hitting her and resolving it the manly way is simply untenable and will get you arrested in any law abiding society. Even my mother can carry an argument long after I have given up, my dad on the other hand has written off trying to out last her in a war of words. Indeed it is not the right way to think, but then again what is? It’s not about who is right, but rather how much of your marriage do you want to spend arguing?
Did Shin-chan not confess to Noe when he was less than fully committed? Was it not Shin-chan who suggested that Jun date Hiromi in exchange for him to date Noe? If he was a man he would have never been so foolish as to suggest it, and would have had the resolve to commit to Hiromi from the outset instead of dallying with Noe only to break her heart in the end. As a soldier I cannot help but hate Shin-chan for his indecisiveness. It is indecisiveness that gets guys like me killed while the freaking officer or politician cannot commit to a course of action and simply tries to please every one and failing.
You may want to cut Shin-chan some slack, but I cannot and will not.
First of all, I was never referring to the masculine ideal when talking about Shin or any other male character in anime in general. I don’t even know how to define the “masculine ideal” in general – it is an evasive concept that does not exist in reality. All I can say is that there are certain qualities that are desirable in men and others that are not. All anime characters are a mixture of both of those qualities. If you expect all men to behave in a certain pre-determined fashion described by you alone, then you are going to be certainly disappointed. Besides, your comments about Japanese men are overly-general and very rude at best. If I was Japanese I would be surely offended.
As for what culture I come from, it is a western-style patriarchal society. That doesn’t mean the man of the family always has the last word in an argument, but his opinions are always respected by his wife and he respects his wife’s opinions. I know from experience, you don’t need to apply physical violence to win an argument, you simply have to “put your foot down”. Of course, sometimes you have to make compromises, but if you let your wife win every argument, then by the time you are 50, you will be a “whipped dog” and your opinions will be worth nothing. Besides, it is a man’s right (actually a human’s right) to be “stupid” sometimes as long as you don’t endanger anybody else or yourself more than a “reasonable” amount.
But I digress, I don’t think we need to get into the whole “gender roles” argument. Concerning Shin-chan, he certainly did those things you mentioned, and you are right, perhaps he was wrong, perhaps I would have done things differently. My point is none of those things warrant the amount of hate I see for him in some people’s posts. They are not “evil” or irreversible in any way. You treat Shin as you would treat a soldier, but he is NOT a soldier. It is unrealistic to expect him to behave like one, and nobody is going to die from the results if his indecisiveness.
If you cannot cut him any slack based on that, then apparently you have ridiculously high standards for men in general – they must behave like soldiers and ascribe to some “masculine ideal” you have in your mind. I guess I can see why as a soldier you would be more demanding, but sometimes you express a ridiculous amount of gender bias.
I think I have a right to expect better from civilians after all you don’t engage in the horror of combat so I expect the average non-combatant to be better than me, i.e. not a cold hearted evil bastard. I would like to believe that the people who enjoy the big blanket of freedom that I help provide are deserving of it and have the good sense to endeavor to do great things with out external belligerents. I need to believe that the average civilian is indeed a likable bloke who is law abiding and does not hurt his fellow man. If the average civilian is little better than me or worse then by what right can they demand to spared from the horror of a total war? Truth is if a civilian finds himself on the wrong side of loaded gun it is only to conscience of the trigger puller that will decide whether or not he lives. Sure there are laws against it, but if a soldier has a wife beater or rapist in his sights what makes you think that he won’t be able to pull? It is not right but such is the world we live in, so long as a soldier feels justified in delivering his own brand of justice then bad things will happen even if rarely.
I have high standards for civilians, I don’t expect many if any to live up to them, but I do expect such men who refuse to and do not bear arms for the sake of their people to aspire to them.
You can put your foot down, but that doesn’t mean you will win. Sure it is a man’s right to do something incredibly stupid, but there is always a cost to his family. In my experience one a man has a child he is far less inclined to do something rash, if he is it is the mother who has to remind him of his fatherly responsibilities. Yes he may still have dreams, but he will more often or not sacrifice his dreams so that he can be there to provide for his kids and help them exceed even his greatest feats.
Ok well leaving aside whether or not Shin is a worm for a second >_>
In my opinion, whether he ends up with Noe or Hiromi or no one(anyone else hoping for no one at this point?), I think the events of this episode were necessary.
Stripey has a point that I brought up when Shin first confessed, in that the relationship always had this small taint of being a reflexive rebound after finding out Hiromi is his sister. Given the proximity to the Ai-chan kiss the parallels were pretty clear, and concerned me quite alot.
Given that(I could have been wrong about the deliberate parallel but one exists nonetheless), I think that in any Noe x Shin ending it would be absolutely necessary for Shin and Hiromi both to come to terms with their feelings before the cast as a whole could move on, and for that to happen Shin and Hiromi have to be HONEST to each other about their feelings. If that’s true then of course we need to resolve Hiromi’s barriers and she and Shin must confess to each other how they’ve felt.
Of course that is absolutely necessary in a Hiromi x Shin ending as well, but that’s kinda my point. It was necessary regardless. If Shin sides with Noe now, it will be because he has real feelings for her and she isn’t just some rebound. If he sides with Hiromi it will be because both are finally being honest with themselves.
Until we know which he chooses, we can’t come down on him for wavering I don’t think(though I suspect it will be Hiromi afterall. I’m just saying that a Noe ending is still very possible, and very plausible).
That being said, if Shin does just abandon Noe full tilt with little to no regard for her feelings, then yes Darwin I consider him to be as bad as Makoto. It would prove that all this time he was merely using Noe as a rebound, and she deserves much better than that. He wouldn’t be a bastard because he never really loved her, but because having never loved her he nevertheless jumped through tons of hoops to convince her that he had feelings for her and that they were genuine all while knowing exactly how he felt.
You guys can discuss all you want about inter-gender relationship dynamics, but that doesn’t change the fact that his actions, if they are as I’ve outlined above, are callous, selfish, and quite frankly despicable, and would be if it was a female character leading on a male character. Gender doesn’t play into it.
@Crusader
It seems like we’ve strayed away from our original topic, but fine, I’ll play along. You are indeed providing a service to civilians by fighting for their freedom, but civilians are also providing a service to you by doing what they do. It’s not like you are self-sufficient and can survive without the help of civilians – it’s a two-way dependence. Civilians will also have their own honor codex and might feel like you are not aspiring to fulfill it, but they would never demand of you to do that or refuse to provide the service they provide based on that. To be more specific, a doctor might feel like you are recklessly endangering your health which goes contrary to his beliefs, but that doesn’t mean he will refuse to heal you.
Then again, you say a soldier has the right to judge for himself whether to pull the trigger on a rapist or a wife beater. Unless it’s self-defense, such an action is against the law, but still I wouldn’t condemn a soldier for sparing future human lives. But Shin-chan is not a rapist, or a wife-beater, or a criminal, or a malicious individual. He certainly aspires to be a likable law-abiding bloke. He doesn’t hurt people intentionally. He’s far from perfect, but in my eyes he is just a normal guy and even perhaps more sensitive and considerate than the average guy I know. If you would choose to pull the trigger on such an individual then probably you would pull the trigger on me and most of my friends and for that matter – most of the earth’s population (or, to be less general – the whole Japanese male population, which you suggested were a little better than worms).
Anyway, I guess it’s normal for fans of a certain character (in this case Noe) to get angry at Shin for causing her pain, but I know those fans do not really believe he should die. It’s probably the case with you too.
When I said “putting your foot down” I meant making a decision that depends on you alone, so the only one to blame if you are unsuccessful is yourself. It’s true, a good husband will always put his family ahead of his dreams, but a good wife will always support and encourage her husband’s dreams(and he should do the same for her). A good wife will never exploit the good will of her husband to put his family ahead of himself to fulfill her selfish desires.
@Dirian
You are presuming too many things about Shin when you are throwing all those accusations. You are assuming that “all the while he knew exactly like he felt”, whereas he doesn’t. He’s pretty confused when it comes to his own feelings. He knows he feels something for Hiromi, whether it is love or a brotherly desire to protect her(which he displayed in the last episode). He feels good when he is with Noe and likes spending time with her. Besides, Hiromi and his mother further added to his confusion by putting the idea that she is his sister and Hiromi saying that she likes Jun. So, Shin who cares for Hiromi, arranged this deal for her to go out with Jun if he goes out with Noe. This is definitely not a good idea, and I acknowledge that, don’t get me wrong. But Shin is not a selfish individual, he is genuinely trying to do the right thing, though due to external circumstances and his own wavering nature(he is an artist after all, and they are known to be fickle) he doesn’t always use his best judgment.
Could he do things better? Sure. Does he deserve to be treated like scum? Definitely not! You are perhaps forgetting that Makoto purposefully fooled around with many different girls, got a girl pregnant and decided to abandon her. Now, how does anything Shin did remotely resemble that?
Anyway, I realize that defending him is probably a futile effort. Oh, and the fact that he is a guy definitely plays against him. I’ve never seen people wanting a girl to die because she hurt a guy’s feelings or something like that. In this very show, Hiromi herself has done some things that are much more despicable than Shin, but still nobody wants to kill her. There is definitely gender bias in anime nowadays and it is much more apparent in romance shows.
@darwin
I think that I have been following the rules set forth by the civilian authorities and their constituents. The military is restricted in what weapons they can and cannot use, for example a .50 cal round is considered too excessive to be use on a human so they are classed as anti material. Napalm has also fell out of use, the same thing might happen to cluster bombs, and mines. When spat upon by the local anti-war protesters I am not to say anything back. I don’t resent them for spitting and saying nasty things, but I just wished that they realized that directing their anger and rage at me will hardly change things when it is they the electorate who have failed to prevent war. I neither wanted nor wished for it yet when the call came I complied as was expected of every soldier. My medical care while decent more or less amounts to the good doctor giving me Motrin and sending me on my merry way in a span of five minutes.
You say it is a two way street, I don’t think it is that since after all not getting equipment because of political disputes does not make my life easier. Nor does dragging out budget approvals since my wages have not kept up with inflation. I am more than willing to patiently wait for all these things to be approved and sent my way, but I cannot help but ask if things moved a bit faster on the other end. Given that political activity is generally restricted and frowned upon in most cases what little recourse the military has is in our flag officers who can be overruled at will by a Defense Secretary, though thankfully now we have a gentleman who is going to listen. There are times when I think that political expediences have taken priority over military strategy, I don’t think that I am wrong in this regard.
I never meant that we soldiers have the right to judge, but we do at times face a moral dilemma where the opportunity of vigilante justice is much more prevalent. The power to be judge, jury, and executioner is very tempting for us as it is for all people. Perhaps you think that all men are good and that if left alone we will do no harm to one another. I know what a breakdown in social order entails and I must say that with no civil order there is little to stop men of ambition and desire to run rough shod over one another. So yes I think that humans are creatures capable of great evil and there are days when the thought of just applying the Stalinist maxim of death solving all problems has crossed my mind. I am familiar with the consequences of having a patriarchal society where men get to put their feet down, I must say that I find it abhorrent and backward. I know full well what it means to have the husband being utterly dominant and while you may decry letting the wife have her way as being whipped then so be it.
As a scientist I am more than sure that no decision can ever be made in a vacuum, and for every act of stupidity someone somewhere is going to pay for it though not necessarily just one or even some one you know. If I believed any thing else than that there is nothing in this world as sure as the glitter of gold and the treachery of men then if called upon to open fire I might hesitate and get me and all my mates killed. The nature of my profession dictates that I adopt a more cynical approach in viewing the rest of humanity. I have to believe that women are better than me because it is unacceptable under most circumstances to shot women, men on the other hand do at times operate weapons pointed in my general direction, hence men are worms. If I believed that men were all saints and good people I would have done well to be a priest instead of a soldier.
I am no saint I have been called upon to if need be to shoot my fellow man if the situation dictates that I must. If I was unsure about my ability to shoot my fellow man then I do not belong behind a trigger. Since I am placed behind a trigger I am expected to use it from time to time. So yes I would probably shoot you, your friends, Shin-chan, Japanese men, and the world population first and ask questions later in the event of war. I am no policeman I don’t have to wait until you get within 8 feet and ascertain that your are a threat and to use deadly force. That is why it is the duty of the civilian to make sure that war happens rarely if at all. I hope you are up to the challenge.
I’d admit that there is something lacking in Shin’s manliness/maturity. He needs to be a little more aware, a little more take-charge. It’s sort of reflected in how he doesn’t involve himself wholely in the Mugiha festival dancing lead role in the beginning. Your wrath is well-placed. I’m not sure what kind of weapon a flammenwerfer 35 is exactly, so I hesitate to say that I thought that part was hilariously melodramatic.
Being more aware, more take-charge (I thought it was so adorable when she said “Say it clearly, that you like me”) especially in comparison with Shin, that’s one of the things that… make Noe moe.
@Youko
The flammenwerfer 35 was one of the first one man portable flame throwers to see use though in modern war the flamethrower has largely fallen out of use.
Noe is Moe. Sieg Noe
Well, damn. If Shin gives up Noe just like that, he really is worthless. Unlike Jun, he started his relationship with a confession. He said he loved her. Now, there is no way somebody could look at Noe and say something like that without actually feeling anything. Maybe not love, but a bond, an attraction. It is true that this dating business was a deal, but Jun was honest and straightforward with Hiromi. If Shin truly felt nothing all those times Noe was comforting and encouraging him, then he’s an empty shell of a person.
If he immediately advances on Hiromi now that the way is cleared, I hope that unhappiness greats him. Such a person doesn’t deserve Noe.
re: flammenwerfer 35 — LOL. Thanks!