SIBERIAN WINTER (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
greatfountain) wrote2009-02-24 12:51 am
greatfountain) wrote2009-02-24 12:51 am
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Same as on the comm, but I want it all together in one place so I've posted it here, too.
And so the re-watch begins, at least for me.
Warning: I can be kind of crude, so bad language is here. Sorry? :D?
Ahhhh, the first episode of Rookies. So nostalgic. XDDD;;
I clearly remember that the first time I ever saw the Rookies drama, I was insanely excited because I had literally just gotten through the manga as scanlated at that time, and I had joined Deadbeat to scanlate with them [too bad the only releases I've been a part of have been for Hanagata, as we've dropped the series >_> ] So I was super excited. Now, the manga scanlations hadn't even gotten to the Meguragaoka game at that point. But now that I've seen the series over and overand over and over and over XDDDD;; again, Enatsu's posture is so obvious, and that really impresses me, that he has enough character that I can recognize him without even seeing his face. Because that little lean of the shoulders? All Enatsu. <3
Shinjo is always so angry. Geez.
Aniya, your lines make me so wibbly when you talk seriously. Gah. And Mikoshiba, an outsider even that early? I always wonder about that: he's so tractable all the time, it makes me angry. But then I remember how manly he is in 11 and I am proud of my favorite little crybaby <33333 XDDDD;;
"...our dream...came to an end": that line always strikes me as so sad. It's like all the capacity for continued hope has been ripped from Aniya, violently, by incident after incident [the baseball pitcher who failed at the Koshien, for example, and now this, and Enatsu's immediate transfer] that he can't even consider optimism any more. And that's just sad. That shouldn't happen to any fifteen year old kid, sweetie. <3 No wonder he has no trust in authority figures or dreams. I think people tend to forget that they're kids, but they really are. Which only makes it even more sad, arghhhhhh.
Kawato's entrance is so perfect, but I miss the scene with the three guys on the bike from the manga XD;;
I find it kind of funny that Kawato feels the need to stress the fact that he didn't oversleep, kthx. Oh, Kawato. You are so fail-y and adorable and--OHSHI-- fight! :D I love this fight scene, especially because, if you look closely, the only guys with baseball bats are the senpai-tachi. None of our boys have one. I hesitate to say because of any nobleness on their parts, knowing how they are, but I think I'd like to put the idea out there. Shinjo is the only one who uses a bat in a threatening manner, beyond Aniya, who still doesn't actually hit anyone with the bat. What he does is probably a lot worse, but HE DOESN'T HIT ANYONE WITH THE BAT. And Shinjo later redeems himself when he takes the bat from that freshman whose name I cannot remember for the life of me in episode 09.
Th-their teamwork in this fight scene is so hilarious. The lariat, and Hiratsuka's face, are epic. Oh, boys. Hiratsuka and Imaoka never disappoint, even in their entrance. I find it kind of interesting that they're at assembly with Yagi, though. Hmmmm.
MIKOSHIBAAAAAA. Your first appearance is so cute. <3 Hiyama is an ass, I remember now! He was so nice for so long I kind of forgot. This scene was really a very clear indication of Mikoshiba's outsider status, but I almost feel like Mikoshiba doesn't really give a shit--as in, he doesn't really want to be a part of their current selves, but he still wants to be their friend. Does that even make any sense?
Okada being the group gossip kind of amuses me. Where does he get his gossip? Girls? Just listening? Other friends?
And then there is that amazing scene with Aniya in the clubroom with Naomi, haha <3 When he yells at and kicks Mikoshiba in that first scene was my initial 'HOLY SHIT I SHIP THIS :D' moment, I believe. So long ago <3 and then Mikoshiba just laughs. I think, even then, they're a bit seperate from the rest. Sekikawa is clearly Mikoshiba's BFF, but if Aniya didn't have some modicum of affection [platonic] for Mikoshiba, he wouldn't be there. Perks of being the boss means Aniya gets to kick people out of his clique, y/y? XD;;
Aniya/Shinjo is so best friend-y. They are so cute. Gah. And then Sekikawa/Mikoshiba! Sekikawa trying to give Mikoshiba advice to avoid getting beaten up is so cute while at the same time depressing. Sekikawa, could you be any less helpful?! Don't let them beat him up, then, silly! Yes, I know that's not how it works, but group dynamics can be so irritating. Sekikawa, you are kind of a bad friend. >_> But you redeem yourself.
The assembly is interesting on many levels. First off, the random Yagi sightings. :D Imaoka and Hiratsuka are pretty 'bad mothafuckas', but they still show up to class and assembly on time? Hmmm. That brings me to another point--Mikoshiba hanging out with the bad boys rather than just going to class. The social stigma that comes from being with his team cost him so much. At this point, I really feel like he should have left them behind, he has the capacity to be so much better than this. But then, he wants to be their friend, he wants to play baseball with them. I can appreciate that. The fact that he's with them, but not really with them, really drives that outsider position in some more. God, Mikoshiba, you must have been so lonely. I feel like Aniya and Shinjo were like that, too, but at least they had each other and the illusion of community. You just got dumped with the gofer duties and sometimes-friendship from Sekikawa. I'm surprised you hadn't dropped out before, though I am of course happy you didn't. And you are so desperate for friendship you put up with all of their shit. It's another sign of that complex he has. I really think that Mikoshiba honestly believes he isn't worth believing in, that he isn't worth anything at all. Which is, maybe, even more sad that Aniya's lack of faith in his dreams and authority, though perhaps Mikoshiba's problem is more quickly remedied. But then it takes Mikoshiba until the very end of the series to really grow into confidence and believeing that he is worth something, that he is worth being friends with, that he is worth knowing at all.
I figure I would point out that the only ones who don't scoff at Kawato's talk about dreams [of our late entries] are Mikoshiba --Mikoshiba, perhaps, because he is wondering, hopeful, wanting--and Aniya--I think he honestly cannot fathom anyone believing in them, and therefore doesn't want to believe in himself, or even in the possibility of dreams. And and and sjhgklhljglfdjlgkjlfd. Yes. :D?
Mayumi-sensei, you are so fascinating. She is clearly disapproving of Kawato's previous actions, but she's not--hostile, not hateful, not angry. I like that. And I like that she seems kind of happily surprised at Kawato's continued enthusiasm.
...you know, Aniya, your insistence on mentioning Kawato and his dreams and Koshien and such really doesn't convince me that you're not thinking about it constantly. >_>
The pinball machine! :D I love that machine. <3 So much Shinjo/Sekikawa there~
Sekikawa as the voice of reason and Shinjo with the dart is kind of...hmm. I want to say it foretells the future. Sekikawa is, at the end of the day, a realist, and I can appreciate that in a man. But clearly Shinjo cannot? Sighhhh. When Sekikawa comes out to talk to Mikoshiba, I am struck by the fact that he's not in on this whole thing. He's one of the gang, yes, and an integral part, at that, but maybe his realism gives him a different viewpoint because he really, I think, gets that things cannot continue like this forever. And then he has the cutest little surprised face when Kawato knows their names, d'awwwww. They're all like that, actually. As if it's weird for a teacher to care about his students. Granted, Kawato is a bit overkill, but really the educational system failed these boys so much.
The conversation with Mayumi at karate brought to my attention that Enatsu transfers out of Nikogaku right away. Could he be any more of an ass? l< My faith in educators is kind of brought back by Mayumi, though she kind of fails because she doesn't know what to do, just that she really wants to help. It doesn't help that she's a woman. Those boys need a man to get through to them because he is a paragon of what a man should be. Oh, Kawato. Way to be my perfect man. =.=
Mikoshiba throws away that baseball--throws away his dreams--and turns in his resignation papers. But instead of hanging out with the boys, he goes home. It's like he can't get baseball out of his head when he's with friends, so he's just going to leave them completely in order to play baseball and such. And then his sister is so pretty. I like her, she's all 'WHAT DID THE KID DO NOW DDDDDDD<' and such, probably because she wants him to grow up to be like Kawato, y/n? She wants him to grow up upright, and his 'friends' are dragging him down.
Yagi and Aniya are always so cute, even when they pretend to be het-ish, they can't fool me. They're too best friend-ish to me, really. That's the vibe I get from them, at the end of the day. I mean, I can see the Yagi crush, but Aniya doesn't even, like, register her as a girl, seriously.
Kawato, ilu. <3 Aniya watching the river scene was a detail I'd kind of forgotten, but I think it's cute. And important.
What's also important is that Aniya never ever brings it up. It's like he wants to keep the information to himself because he likes to know these details about his friends? Or, at the end of day, he knows Mikoshiba has enough trouble without adding this on top of it? I could use opinions on that :D
Kawato actually asks about the incident. He doesn't just make assumptions. I love that.
"Everyone was serious about going to Koshien..." says Mikoshiba. Hmmm. The weight of commitment really makes a difference, right? :]
We get some scenes of other people before we get to Mikoshiba, though: Shinjo, Sekikawa, and Aniya, then directly to Mikoshiba and Kawato. It's so telling that Shinjo fights where Sekikawa and Aniya brood. It's like he can't stand to be alone with his thoughts for too long right now. And when he's not fighting, he's distracted by his friends, or if he's by himself, he's looking at that picture. Shinjo is nothing without his friends. I think that's why he's so frantic to keep them the way they are: he's worried that if they change they'll leave him behind, and in the end that's all he wants to avoid. ...wow, my mental Shinjo is really turning out very mushy. Which I do not want. I don't want anyone to think that I don't think Shinjo is manly and shit, or whatever, it's just that under all of the tough man image that he puts forward, he does feel. He just does his best to avoid letting anybody know that.
Back to the river scene: Mikoshiba, your goal is just so terribly sad, sweetie. And your love of baseball really hits me here. That you would quit school and get a job just to play corporate baseball because you have no hope left makes me all wibbly >:
I love Kawato: he doesn't even question himself how he's going to do this, he just promises. I think his pause is him asking himself 'are you ready to do this? / YES :D' or something to that effect, because Kawato is definitely smarter than he acts, guh. Kawato's just... a better person than most people. Which may be why I can never write about him, I can't understand being that good a person because I'm not that good? Like, I can understand the boys because of their imperfection, but getting into Kawato's head is a bit more challenging. I mean, his sins are those of passion, and I'm not like that at all, so it's hard for me to do consider this.
Mikoshiba the runner. Sigh, I wonder how often he 'treats' his idiot friends? It's important to note that this stops when they all join the team. Wakana and company are at the bread stall themselves most of the time after this. :D? When Sekikawa says "...I heard from Mikoshiba..." I always smile. Of course Sekikawa is the only one Mikoshiba can tell anything. Kawato shows up with the getup and the fire extinguisher XD;; and Mikoshiba is still trying to save their asses. Such a mother. Probably foretells his captaincy, right? If you put together all the little things, it's obvious he cares about them all, and is responsible, what with the fact that he has the keys, so they trust him to lock up after them, even if he's not their friend. The real clear indication of his status with them, btw, is episode 09. When they all bow their heads in apology...they wouldn't do that for just anybody! Not even Kawato, I don't think. Just Mikoshiba. <3 Anyhow, back to the scene: Mikoshiba, you give up so easily. You always do. Don't do that. And Sekikawa being all 'o.O MIKOSHIBA WTF LET'S GO' always gets me.
Yagi, good try trying to get Shinjo to back off! :D;; *twitch* Shinjo, your definition of 'friend' really leaves me wondering wtf you are talking about >_> redefine that, please, dear. Is it just me, or does Mikoshiba look pissed right at the scene change? I think the idea that Shinjo could suspect him as having ratted them out or set them up really hurts him and pisses him off more than anything else. Mikoshiba considers his friends an integral part of his life, and Shinjo callously questions that. Poor baby.
This scene in the clubhouse really strikes me. The boys can't understand the kindness of others, rather like wild animals.
It's like they've never been treated gently, so they don't know what to do with it. And Shinjo--Shinjo gets Kawato. He just doesn't like his ideas. They're so alike arghhhhh
Sekikawa--Sekikawa in this scene is ten kinds of lovely. He, I feel, kind of wants to believe in Kawao, too. He wants to let himself hope. But he isn't quite there yet. He and Kawato have such cute scenes together, d'awwwww. I really really like that Sekikawa's first instict is not to do violence. He shows the track and field team up with skill alone. That is super duper important in his character. It's probably why he and Shinjo are so friction-y right here at the beginning. Sekikawa doesn't go for his figurative gun every time anybody looks at him wrong. Is that, perhaps, an element of his single parent background? Has having two sisters and a mom at home made him more wary of getting into a fight because he wants to be able to protect them, at least physically? Sekikawa is such a cutie.
The scene in homeroom wherein Kawato's history is revealed. Mikoshiba looks pissed, and rightly so, but Sekikawa only looks disappointed, as if he knew he was going to be failed or proven wrong, and that just makes me sad. Sekikawa clearly needs a father figure like Kawato, and at this point it looks like he's not going to get one and that really is so terrible. >:
Kawato/Shinjo, way to be the super-canon Kawato-ship, even more that Kawato/Mayumi XDDDD;; That palm scene always makes me emotional, gah.
Kawato knowing their names is so cute. And they all look so surprised. And the game metaphor, it makes me so flail-y in it's perfection! "You guys will win. I believe in you." Yufune later says that he's "never seen a teacher like that before". That's never more clear than in this scene. Kawato believes in them, something no one else has ever done for them.
Mayumi's insistence on Kawato's honor is so--I dunno. I just like it. Whereas Kawato doesn't make any excuses, but also doesn't explain the truth, Mayumi wants everyone to understand exactly what freaking happened.
Without Aniya, the club really has no cohesive form. Shinjo watches them all walk away...that's kind of sad, but it's partially his own fault for not being able to trust them. Figured I'd point out the manga all over the tables are volumes of Rookies. I lol'd. XDDDDD;;
Aniya's inability to take compliments is interesting. I really think that, deep down, he can't let himself be the first one to say anything.
Mikoshiba's choice to give Kawato the key is, ultimately, a good one. It proves his trust and puts it all into motion.
Kawato always believes the best... "...even if the principal and the entire school are their enemies, I will be their ally..." and "...I will protect them from everything." Sekikawa is crying ohhhh crap *wibbles* I really claim the Kawato as a father figure idea here...
"Can't you trust your friends?" and "This is not what friends do!" Sekikawa's backbone impresses me. He gets to the heart of the matter pretty much right away. What happens in the bathroom really makes it clear the Sekikawa has to be the one to forgive Shinjo, because he has been wronged, deeply, in a way that the others have not suffered. Sekikawa could have died here. >:l
Aniya gets a lot of respect from me at his entrance. He is so pissed with Shinjo for doing this to Sekikawa: he's not even so pissed about the keys, though I'm sure that irritates him, but Aniya would never have beaten the shit out of Sekikawa that way. It isn't his manner. Which is not to say that Aniya has a certain amount of violence in his personality, but his violence is pretty much always directed at outsidersand Miksohiba XDDD;; but then usually they just yell at each other, not get into fist-fights. And Mikoshiba finally enters, and reveals the truth, even at the cost of his own health. All of his teammates know that this is a Bad Plan TM . Aniya's immediate panicky response makes it clear that what Mikoshiba says could be a very mysterious mistake for him. That "Mikoshiba!" is not an angry one, though it could be taken as such; his face is very obviously freaking out. And Aniya is seriously disapproving of Shinjo's actions. Internal violence is not his thing, it's not their thing. Unlike Meguragaoka, Nikogaku is really kind of isolated. They have no one but each other, so they tend not to seriously fight. In the nurse's office, Aniya is so concerned about Sekikawa <3 because he takes his unoffical position as 'the Boss' very seriously. Until Mikoshiba really comes into his own as the captain in episode 05, these boys are Aniya's, and he's going to take care of his boys.
Kawato and Shinjo are so alike: their sins are of passion, their instincts always go toward solving things with their fists. But he won't hit Shinjo until Shinjo really provokes him. If you look, Shinjo has this flash of disappointment right when Kawato charges, because Shinjo wants an alternate solution, in the end. Even he gets that he can't go through life this way. Sekikawa is both using Mikoshiba as an agent of himself and really ultimately concerned about Mikoshiba when he yells at Kawato. I think he really believes he can take care of himself, but that Mikoshiba really needs the help because he is of a different breed than the rest of them. There's also the fact that he won't admit that he wants to play baseball until the end of the episode and doesn't want to say it in front of the others, but Mikoshiba is safe to put the blame on because he a) has already admitted it and b) has already had the shit beaten out of him. Even if the other club members get pissed at Mikoshiba, they're not going to beat him up once Shinjo's gotten to him. Which is not to say that that can't go for Sekikawa, too, but Mikoshiba is already a very big outsider. Sekikawa is, too, sometimes, but Mikoshiba is even lower on the hierarchy than he is.
"Watch me, all of you. Watch me!" Everyone is surprised, perhaps even hopeful--except Shinjo, who is so blinded by the possibility of his inner loneliness becoming physical loneliness, and who cannoy understand Kawato's conviction. As always, Shinjo reacts to that which he does not understand with violence. And after he beats Kawato, he sees their faces. Shinjo always thinks he's going to be abandoned, so he expects them to conform to his expectations. Which is depressing.
Scene at the river [ver.01] XDDDD;; Do they yell and run into the river often? Those losers.
So apparently Sekikawa knew about the resignation notice, but never mentions it? Such BFFs, d'awwwww. And Sekikawa's tentative hope :33333
Kawato's pride is so obvious! Oh, Kawato. <3
In retrospect, I freaking talk about Sekikawa a whole hell of a lot. I'm sorry he interests me? :D;;
And so the re-watch begins, at least for me.
Warning: I can be kind of crude, so bad language is here. Sorry? :D?
Ahhhh, the first episode of Rookies. So nostalgic. XDDD;;
I clearly remember that the first time I ever saw the Rookies drama, I was insanely excited because I had literally just gotten through the manga as scanlated at that time, and I had joined Deadbeat to scanlate with them [too bad the only releases I've been a part of have been for Hanagata, as we've dropped the series >_> ] So I was super excited. Now, the manga scanlations hadn't even gotten to the Meguragaoka game at that point. But now that I've seen the series over and over
Shinjo is always so angry. Geez.
Aniya, your lines make me so wibbly when you talk seriously. Gah. And Mikoshiba, an outsider even that early? I always wonder about that: he's so tractable all the time, it makes me angry. But then I remember how manly he is in 11 and I am proud of my favorite little crybaby <33333 XDDDD;;
"...our dream...came to an end": that line always strikes me as so sad. It's like all the capacity for continued hope has been ripped from Aniya, violently, by incident after incident [the baseball pitcher who failed at the Koshien, for example, and now this, and Enatsu's immediate transfer] that he can't even consider optimism any more. And that's just sad. That shouldn't happen to any fifteen year old kid, sweetie. <3 No wonder he has no trust in authority figures or dreams. I think people tend to forget that they're kids, but they really are. Which only makes it even more sad, arghhhhhh.
Kawato's entrance is so perfect, but I miss the scene with the three guys on the bike from the manga XD;;
I find it kind of funny that Kawato feels the need to stress the fact that he didn't oversleep, kthx. Oh, Kawato. You are so fail-y and adorable and--OHSHI-- fight! :D I love this fight scene, especially because, if you look closely, the only guys with baseball bats are the senpai-tachi. None of our boys have one. I hesitate to say because of any nobleness on their parts, knowing how they are, but I think I'd like to put the idea out there. Shinjo is the only one who uses a bat in a threatening manner, beyond Aniya, who still doesn't actually hit anyone with the bat. What he does is probably a lot worse, but HE DOESN'T HIT ANYONE WITH THE BAT. And Shinjo later redeems himself when he takes the bat from that freshman whose name I cannot remember for the life of me in episode 09.
Th-their teamwork in this fight scene is so hilarious. The lariat, and Hiratsuka's face, are epic. Oh, boys. Hiratsuka and Imaoka never disappoint, even in their entrance. I find it kind of interesting that they're at assembly with Yagi, though. Hmmmm.
MIKOSHIBAAAAAA. Your first appearance is so cute. <3 Hiyama is an ass, I remember now! He was so nice for so long I kind of forgot. This scene was really a very clear indication of Mikoshiba's outsider status, but I almost feel like Mikoshiba doesn't really give a shit--as in, he doesn't really want to be a part of their current selves, but he still wants to be their friend. Does that even make any sense?
Okada being the group gossip kind of amuses me. Where does he get his gossip? Girls? Just listening? Other friends?
And then there is that amazing scene with Aniya in the clubroom with Naomi, haha <3 When he yells at and kicks Mikoshiba in that first scene was my initial 'HOLY SHIT I SHIP THIS :D' moment, I believe. So long ago <3 and then Mikoshiba just laughs. I think, even then, they're a bit seperate from the rest. Sekikawa is clearly Mikoshiba's BFF, but if Aniya didn't have some modicum of affection [platonic] for Mikoshiba, he wouldn't be there. Perks of being the boss means Aniya gets to kick people out of his clique, y/y? XD;;
Aniya/Shinjo is so best friend-y. They are so cute. Gah. And then Sekikawa/Mikoshiba! Sekikawa trying to give Mikoshiba advice to avoid getting beaten up is so cute while at the same time depressing. Sekikawa, could you be any less helpful?! Don't let them beat him up, then, silly! Yes, I know that's not how it works, but group dynamics can be so irritating. Sekikawa, you are kind of a bad friend. >_> But you redeem yourself.
The assembly is interesting on many levels. First off, the random Yagi sightings. :D Imaoka and Hiratsuka are pretty 'bad mothafuckas', but they still show up to class and assembly on time? Hmmm. That brings me to another point--Mikoshiba hanging out with the bad boys rather than just going to class. The social stigma that comes from being with his team cost him so much. At this point, I really feel like he should have left them behind, he has the capacity to be so much better than this. But then, he wants to be their friend, he wants to play baseball with them. I can appreciate that. The fact that he's with them, but not really with them, really drives that outsider position in some more. God, Mikoshiba, you must have been so lonely. I feel like Aniya and Shinjo were like that, too, but at least they had each other and the illusion of community. You just got dumped with the gofer duties and sometimes-friendship from Sekikawa. I'm surprised you hadn't dropped out before, though I am of course happy you didn't. And you are so desperate for friendship you put up with all of their shit. It's another sign of that complex he has. I really think that Mikoshiba honestly believes he isn't worth believing in, that he isn't worth anything at all. Which is, maybe, even more sad that Aniya's lack of faith in his dreams and authority, though perhaps Mikoshiba's problem is more quickly remedied. But then it takes Mikoshiba until the very end of the series to really grow into confidence and believeing that he is worth something, that he is worth being friends with, that he is worth knowing at all.
I figure I would point out that the only ones who don't scoff at Kawato's talk about dreams [of our late entries] are Mikoshiba --Mikoshiba, perhaps, because he is wondering, hopeful, wanting--and Aniya--I think he honestly cannot fathom anyone believing in them, and therefore doesn't want to believe in himself, or even in the possibility of dreams. And and and sjhgklhljglfdjlgkjlfd. Yes. :D?
Mayumi-sensei, you are so fascinating. She is clearly disapproving of Kawato's previous actions, but she's not--hostile, not hateful, not angry. I like that. And I like that she seems kind of happily surprised at Kawato's continued enthusiasm.
...you know, Aniya, your insistence on mentioning Kawato and his dreams and Koshien and such really doesn't convince me that you're not thinking about it constantly. >_>
The pinball machine! :D I love that machine. <3 So much Shinjo/Sekikawa there~
Sekikawa as the voice of reason and Shinjo with the dart is kind of...hmm. I want to say it foretells the future. Sekikawa is, at the end of the day, a realist, and I can appreciate that in a man. But clearly Shinjo cannot? Sighhhh. When Sekikawa comes out to talk to Mikoshiba, I am struck by the fact that he's not in on this whole thing. He's one of the gang, yes, and an integral part, at that, but maybe his realism gives him a different viewpoint because he really, I think, gets that things cannot continue like this forever. And then he has the cutest little surprised face when Kawato knows their names, d'awwwww. They're all like that, actually. As if it's weird for a teacher to care about his students. Granted, Kawato is a bit overkill, but really the educational system failed these boys so much.
The conversation with Mayumi at karate brought to my attention that Enatsu transfers out of Nikogaku right away. Could he be any more of an ass? l< My faith in educators is kind of brought back by Mayumi, though she kind of fails because she doesn't know what to do, just that she really wants to help. It doesn't help that she's a woman. Those boys need a man to get through to them because he is a paragon of what a man should be. Oh, Kawato. Way to be my perfect man. =.=
Mikoshiba throws away that baseball--throws away his dreams--and turns in his resignation papers. But instead of hanging out with the boys, he goes home. It's like he can't get baseball out of his head when he's with friends, so he's just going to leave them completely in order to play baseball and such. And then his sister is so pretty. I like her, she's all 'WHAT DID THE KID DO NOW DDDDDDD<' and such, probably because she wants him to grow up to be like Kawato, y/n? She wants him to grow up upright, and his 'friends' are dragging him down.
Yagi and Aniya are always so cute, even when they pretend to be het-ish, they can't fool me. They're too best friend-ish to me, really. That's the vibe I get from them, at the end of the day. I mean, I can see the Yagi crush, but Aniya doesn't even, like, register her as a girl, seriously.
Kawato, ilu. <3 Aniya watching the river scene was a detail I'd kind of forgotten, but I think it's cute. And important.
What's also important is that Aniya never ever brings it up. It's like he wants to keep the information to himself because he likes to know these details about his friends? Or, at the end of day, he knows Mikoshiba has enough trouble without adding this on top of it? I could use opinions on that :D
Kawato actually asks about the incident. He doesn't just make assumptions. I love that.
"Everyone was serious about going to Koshien..." says Mikoshiba. Hmmm. The weight of commitment really makes a difference, right? :]
We get some scenes of other people before we get to Mikoshiba, though: Shinjo, Sekikawa, and Aniya, then directly to Mikoshiba and Kawato. It's so telling that Shinjo fights where Sekikawa and Aniya brood. It's like he can't stand to be alone with his thoughts for too long right now. And when he's not fighting, he's distracted by his friends, or if he's by himself, he's looking at that picture. Shinjo is nothing without his friends. I think that's why he's so frantic to keep them the way they are: he's worried that if they change they'll leave him behind, and in the end that's all he wants to avoid. ...wow, my mental Shinjo is really turning out very mushy. Which I do not want. I don't want anyone to think that I don't think Shinjo is manly and shit, or whatever, it's just that under all of the tough man image that he puts forward, he does feel. He just does his best to avoid letting anybody know that.
Back to the river scene: Mikoshiba, your goal is just so terribly sad, sweetie. And your love of baseball really hits me here. That you would quit school and get a job just to play corporate baseball because you have no hope left makes me all wibbly >:
I love Kawato: he doesn't even question himself how he's going to do this, he just promises. I think his pause is him asking himself 'are you ready to do this? / YES :D' or something to that effect, because Kawato is definitely smarter than he acts, guh. Kawato's just... a better person than most people. Which may be why I can never write about him, I can't understand being that good a person because I'm not that good? Like, I can understand the boys because of their imperfection, but getting into Kawato's head is a bit more challenging. I mean, his sins are those of passion, and I'm not like that at all, so it's hard for me to do consider this.
Mikoshiba the runner. Sigh, I wonder how often he 'treats' his idiot friends? It's important to note that this stops when they all join the team. Wakana and company are at the bread stall themselves most of the time after this. :D? When Sekikawa says "...I heard from Mikoshiba..." I always smile. Of course Sekikawa is the only one Mikoshiba can tell anything. Kawato shows up with the getup and the fire extinguisher XD;; and Mikoshiba is still trying to save their asses. Such a mother. Probably foretells his captaincy, right? If you put together all the little things, it's obvious he cares about them all, and is responsible, what with the fact that he has the keys, so they trust him to lock up after them, even if he's not their friend. The real clear indication of his status with them, btw, is episode 09. When they all bow their heads in apology...they wouldn't do that for just anybody! Not even Kawato, I don't think. Just Mikoshiba. <3 Anyhow, back to the scene: Mikoshiba, you give up so easily. You always do. Don't do that. And Sekikawa being all 'o.O MIKOSHIBA WTF LET'S GO' always gets me.
Yagi, good try trying to get Shinjo to back off! :D;; *twitch* Shinjo, your definition of 'friend' really leaves me wondering wtf you are talking about >_> redefine that, please, dear. Is it just me, or does Mikoshiba look pissed right at the scene change? I think the idea that Shinjo could suspect him as having ratted them out or set them up really hurts him and pisses him off more than anything else. Mikoshiba considers his friends an integral part of his life, and Shinjo callously questions that. Poor baby.
This scene in the clubhouse really strikes me. The boys can't understand the kindness of others, rather like wild animals.
It's like they've never been treated gently, so they don't know what to do with it. And Shinjo--Shinjo gets Kawato. He just doesn't like his ideas. They're so alike arghhhhh
Sekikawa--Sekikawa in this scene is ten kinds of lovely. He, I feel, kind of wants to believe in Kawao, too. He wants to let himself hope. But he isn't quite there yet. He and Kawato have such cute scenes together, d'awwwww. I really really like that Sekikawa's first instict is not to do violence. He shows the track and field team up with skill alone. That is super duper important in his character. It's probably why he and Shinjo are so friction-y right here at the beginning. Sekikawa doesn't go for his figurative gun every time anybody looks at him wrong. Is that, perhaps, an element of his single parent background? Has having two sisters and a mom at home made him more wary of getting into a fight because he wants to be able to protect them, at least physically? Sekikawa is such a cutie.
The scene in homeroom wherein Kawato's history is revealed. Mikoshiba looks pissed, and rightly so, but Sekikawa only looks disappointed, as if he knew he was going to be failed or proven wrong, and that just makes me sad. Sekikawa clearly needs a father figure like Kawato, and at this point it looks like he's not going to get one and that really is so terrible. >:
Kawato/Shinjo, way to be the super-canon Kawato-ship, even more that Kawato/Mayumi XDDDD;; That palm scene always makes me emotional, gah.
Kawato knowing their names is so cute. And they all look so surprised. And the game metaphor, it makes me so flail-y in it's perfection! "You guys will win. I believe in you." Yufune later says that he's "never seen a teacher like that before". That's never more clear than in this scene. Kawato believes in them, something no one else has ever done for them.
Mayumi's insistence on Kawato's honor is so--I dunno. I just like it. Whereas Kawato doesn't make any excuses, but also doesn't explain the truth, Mayumi wants everyone to understand exactly what freaking happened.
Without Aniya, the club really has no cohesive form. Shinjo watches them all walk away...that's kind of sad, but it's partially his own fault for not being able to trust them. Figured I'd point out the manga all over the tables are volumes of Rookies. I lol'd. XDDDDD;;
Aniya's inability to take compliments is interesting. I really think that, deep down, he can't let himself be the first one to say anything.
Mikoshiba's choice to give Kawato the key is, ultimately, a good one. It proves his trust and puts it all into motion.
Kawato always believes the best... "...even if the principal and the entire school are their enemies, I will be their ally..." and "...I will protect them from everything." Sekikawa is crying ohhhh crap *wibbles* I really claim the Kawato as a father figure idea here...
"Can't you trust your friends?" and "This is not what friends do!" Sekikawa's backbone impresses me. He gets to the heart of the matter pretty much right away. What happens in the bathroom really makes it clear the Sekikawa has to be the one to forgive Shinjo, because he has been wronged, deeply, in a way that the others have not suffered. Sekikawa could have died here. >:l
Aniya gets a lot of respect from me at his entrance. He is so pissed with Shinjo for doing this to Sekikawa: he's not even so pissed about the keys, though I'm sure that irritates him, but Aniya would never have beaten the shit out of Sekikawa that way. It isn't his manner. Which is not to say that Aniya has a certain amount of violence in his personality, but his violence is pretty much always directed at outsiders
Kawato and Shinjo are so alike: their sins are of passion, their instincts always go toward solving things with their fists. But he won't hit Shinjo until Shinjo really provokes him. If you look, Shinjo has this flash of disappointment right when Kawato charges, because Shinjo wants an alternate solution, in the end. Even he gets that he can't go through life this way. Sekikawa is both using Mikoshiba as an agent of himself and really ultimately concerned about Mikoshiba when he yells at Kawato. I think he really believes he can take care of himself, but that Mikoshiba really needs the help because he is of a different breed than the rest of them. There's also the fact that he won't admit that he wants to play baseball until the end of the episode and doesn't want to say it in front of the others, but Mikoshiba is safe to put the blame on because he a) has already admitted it and b) has already had the shit beaten out of him. Even if the other club members get pissed at Mikoshiba, they're not going to beat him up once Shinjo's gotten to him. Which is not to say that that can't go for Sekikawa, too, but Mikoshiba is already a very big outsider. Sekikawa is, too, sometimes, but Mikoshiba is even lower on the hierarchy than he is.
"Watch me, all of you. Watch me!" Everyone is surprised, perhaps even hopeful--except Shinjo, who is so blinded by the possibility of his inner loneliness becoming physical loneliness, and who cannoy understand Kawato's conviction. As always, Shinjo reacts to that which he does not understand with violence. And after he beats Kawato, he sees their faces. Shinjo always thinks he's going to be abandoned, so he expects them to conform to his expectations. Which is depressing.
Scene at the river [ver.01] XDDDD;; Do they yell and run into the river often? Those losers.
So apparently Sekikawa knew about the resignation notice, but never mentions it? Such BFFs, d'awwwww. And Sekikawa's tentative hope :33333
Kawato's pride is so obvious! Oh, Kawato. <3
In retrospect, I freaking talk about Sekikawa a whole hell of a lot. I'm sorry he interests me? :D;;