Twice is a lot, I’d be surprised if I committed a third.

Akira: Thank you – yes, I think I’ve heard that too, and so I’m pretty excited for this sequel.

BK: Seems like pacing issues are key staples of Key adaptations, so maybe I’ve grown accustomed to it?

Phil: Oh yeah, the crying scene was terribly awkward. For your last question, I meant it as a kind of psychological equilibrium, a state of emotional normalcy, and in this case it is in relation to the father-son relationship, which I’ve a feeling has much to do with Freud, though I’ve never read any Freud, which is why it’s an unmerited reference.

One more thing, isn’t homeostasis the system that attempts to regulate itself when the body is out of whack? What does that have to do with Freud?

Edit: Blargh, no Spoiler tag. Ah well.

As to your comments about Okazaki’s mother, it reminded me about how in nearly every Disney movie, the main character is either an orphan or an only child. No mention is made of the parent’s absence (though perhaps because of the 90 min time limit.) This is a common device used to garner sympathy for the character.

Great article.

Myssa Rei: I didn’t think the moe here was tasteful, as you saw Jiff reiterate his hate for Impz’s retarded moe embodied in Fuko. I thought Fuko was ok, I surely liked her more than the submissive Nagisa…boy did I hate Nagisa. I guess I’d be more like Sunohara then, getting really pissed at her just always setting herself aside for other people, that kind of tasteless generosity you always see in anime gets on my nerves. Though arguably Kyou, the tsundere, was the only one not moe, after watching this the 2nd time I didn’t like her as much. I’ll probably have to drop the -sama.

Olivia: That’s pretty debatable…was NGE bad? Was Okazaki a “bad” protagonist…well he surely was a “badass” though I don’t know if he was shoddily constructed. Like Myssa Rei said I think the prevalent theme of family does necessitate Okazaki’s screwed up being. Though I can’t say he’s “perfect” (i.e. why can’t he be a huge asshole that everyone hates?) he’s not the worst.

IK: Hahahaha, eat your fruit next time, please, for all our sakes. It’s like the other day in a class this guy asked what instrument I played, so I twittled my fingers around as a guitar player would and he said “what’s that, guitar?” And then I said “no, the perverted gynecologist.” Ok….maybe that’s not really funny.

I don’t think I can spontaneously match that metaphor.

Rollchan: Dropped it…

ItAintEazy: I know there’s a bakaraptor post talking about how stupid it is when manga and anime does this…but I can’t find it. Anyway, thanks, I didn’t actually know it was ti-cha. And I thought hinano was a guy? (Don’t ask me)

I can also rewatch Clannad (at least twice a year)and still not be bored with it XD

I like the idea of romance as a delivery mechanism for a different payload (mecha diction from my mecha addiction).

Also, he does get better; while people often brush off the theme of Family aside, the adaptation (and it’s a ROMANCE, not a Harem — you’re probably thinking of To Love Ru) makes it really clear that, if you don’t have a family, it’s pretty much easy to make one of your own through the people around you. And that’s what the people around Tomoya have become: his surrogate family, to replace the crappy one he started with.