I can't believe I'm haunted by Asano Taeko even when I'm not watching her.

[darkeyedwolf]

Seven eps into IS and I almost don't want to watch anymore, because it's becoming increasingly clear that my OTP isn't the OTP and WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME.

Comments

[darkeyedwolf]

YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE. GEEZ. CAN'T A GIRL CATCH A BREAK.

I agree about Haru, though. Have you seen ep 7? The end made me scream and flail from that awesome thing he's about to do. \o/

[darkeyedwolf]

BUT.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

WHAT DOES HE HAVE AGAINST HAIRBRUSHES.

[darkeyedwolf]

...

Well now I'm curious. XD

*sigh*

[osquishy]

since i got manga spoilers from the chinese forums, I've been wary about the OTP between Haru and Miwa and dragging my feet about catching the episodes.

Soccer boy is like this sweet but nothing guy; if they gave him a bit more character, perhaps... I don't know... I just feel all kinds of bland right now.

The hypocritical pretending to be well-meaning female teacher at school is pissing me off than pyschotic mom though. Everytime she appears on screen and open her mouth, I just want to reach over and b-slap her.

(incidentally i think more than half the fans on the IS forum I saw were rooting for Haru x Miwa and in mourning too. Someone posted a thread with the picture of the two shot they took saying "THIS IS THE REAL OTP!")

[darkeyedwolf]

DAMN STRAIGHT.

Now if only Japan would see it too. ;_____;

Soccer boy is like this sweet but nothing guy; if they gave him a bit more character, perhaps... I don't know... I just feel all kinds of bland right now.

That's exactly how I feel. Honestly, he hasn't done anything wrong, I don't hate him. He's just so boring. He's so completely and utterly uninteresting in the face of everything else going on that giving him screentime feels like a crime.

The hypocritical pretending to be well-meaning female teacher at school is pissing me off than pyschotic mom though.

OMG I KNOW. And the male teacher? "People will wonder... about your body." What the fuck? Like he clearly does??

[chaosraven]

Given that not even the fans are consistently using the gender pronoun that Haru prefers, I'm pretty sure that I would not be able to handle the gender identity failure of this show. Which is too bad, because I do find queerness super interesting to explore, especially in relation to intersex genders.

The yin-yang aspect of their respective identities seems (as I haven't watched it) a little bit too contrived with them both dealing with physical elements of the opposite gender that they identify. It seems like it's going in a direction of: well, now your body is more male/female than it was so that's what you are! No matter what you thought of yourself before!

Hopefully it ends with less fail than that!

[darkeyedwolf]

Guilty. >____> I used female pronouns until some commenters in my last post set me straight.

well, now your body is more male/female than it was so that's what you are!

Actually, they've avoided that one completely (Haru's parents are amazing - open and supportive of everything Haru does and wants to be) but they've traded it for some really black-and-white views of sexuality. Haru is a boy interested in a boy but no one even suggests that he might be bi/gay. It's all "you say you're a guy but you've fallen for a guy, so you must really be a girl!" And here I am watching and going, "bwuh?"

Hopefully it ends with less fail than that!

There are still several eps left, so yeah, I'm holding out hope that they turn things around. It's such a nice drama otherwise!

[nekobot01]

It's all "you say you're a guy but you've fallen for a guy, so you must really be a girl!" And here I am watching and going, "bwuh?"

That is TOTALLY how I feel while watching this. Haru and Soccer Boy even do the 'gay date' thing where neither is really sure if they want to cross from friend to lover and they just hover in that awkward zone like, 'we're just two dudes hanging out... with some romantic tension.'

[darkeyedwolf]

lmao lmao oh man I'm a terrible person but it amused me SO MUCH when Haru's old friends caught them on their date. Soccer boy's complete bewilderment! And I love how Haru keeps slipping into "ore" around him and apparently he's just learned to roll with it.

[sharnig]

:-) Why do I find your angst and pain so deliciously entertaining but I can't cope with it in dramas? I'll do my usual trick of waiting to see how much tears and rage you go through at the end before deciding to watch this. You are my canary down the angsty drama mineshaft. :-)

I thought we were expecting epic fail from this one at some point???? I've always been intruiged that a country that is so comfortable with cross dressing, boys love manga, fan service and that sort of thing in entertainment really struggles with other explorations of sexuality and gender identity when it is serious.

[darkeyedwolf]

BUT WHY DO THEY DO THIS? SERIOUSLY. WHY DO THEY BUILD UP SUCH AN AWESOME DELICIOUS ANGSTY OTP ONLY TO SAY "HAHAHA, NOPE, WE'RE JUST GONNA GO WITH THIS OTHER PAIRING INSTEAD."

I didn't see soccer boy having any fateful meetings under cherry blossoms, damnit.

*sulks some more*

I haven't forgotten your other comment, by the way, I just got thoroughly distracted with IS this afternoon. XD

[sharnig]

Maybe they feed on fandom screams? XD. Seriously though maybe this is the drama being subversive and pushing the envelope? Like you are supposed to read the OTP relationship with the visual cues but they can't actually come out and say it or end with it because that is too anti-establishment. Which is pretty common really. Rebel in certain ways as long as you end up doing what society wants you to do.

And um while sakura symbolise new love they also symbolise passing into new stages of life, transience and death. Maybe soccer boy NOT appearing under cherry blossoms is a sign of potential permanence? Sorry couldn't resist your sulking is too hilarious! XD

Distracted by drama is a valid excuse for just about anything!

[darkeyedwolf]

All I know is that I'll feel quite robbed if a drama with TWO questioning/genderqueer characters winds up giving us Fukuda Saki and Inoue Masahiro walking off into the sunset. I COULD GET THAT FUCKING COUPLE ANYWHERE.

Maybe soccer boy NOT appearing under cherry blossoms is a sign of potential permanence?