Kare Kano discussion

[Marth]

Since the anime's ending well sucked and didn't finish anything I decided to keep up with the manga.

I love what's happening, but I can't help but wish it was done in the anime.

So what do you guys think of it? Opinions, theories, whatever.

[Zelyhon]

Now, I haven't watched the latter half of the anime (my friend who owned it didn't have the whole thing), but from what I've heard of it, it ought to have gone further. I'm disappointed to not be able to see them perform the play. I loved that portion of the manga and was so looking forward to seeing it animated. Furthermore, since it's not recent, it's highly unlikely the rest would be picked up. Alas.

I too am really enjoying the manga. Of what I'm collecting at the moment, it's probably in my top three favorites. Good, well developed characters one can relate to, very beautifully drawn, and still funny at the right moments to boot. It's one of those series for me that, whatever else may have come out that month, will be on my first buy list.

[Pachinko]

As from what I've seen, anime-endings (in my cases) are rarely as providing and powerful as manga-endings. ParaKiss, Chobits, Love Hina; just to name a few. Kare Kano's ending was ok in my book; not spectacular, but that's alright. It still has my praise.

[soundchazer]

As from what I've seen, anime-endings (in my cases) are rarely as providing and powerful as manga-endings. ParaKiss, Chobits, Love Hina; just to name a few. Kare Kano's ending was ok in my book; not spectacular, but that's alright. It still has my praise.

That is difficult to know unless you have already read the manga finale for Kare Kano, which for us buying the English translation is still a few months away.

[Pachinko]

That is difficult to know unless you have already read the manga finale for Kare Kano, which for us buying the English translation is still a few months away.

Heh, I know. I've skimmed the Japanese version (and, skim I did... geez). As far as the translation, I've had to relay on other's & their opinions of what they expect it to be. "Sources" present it to be fantastic!... phenomenal!!... breath-taking!!!, things the anime weren't so much of. I still love it dearly, and will enjoy it either way.

[Zelyhon]

That is difficult to know unless you have already read the manga finale for Kare Kano, which for us buying the English translation is still a few months away.
Just went to check the Tokyopop site. The end of the manga's a lot closer than I thought, only two more volumes. I'm looking forward to it, though I will kinda miss the main indulgence of mine in Shoujo manga.

[Marth]

It only goes up to 21 volumes? Damn

[Two-twenty]

Well, after so long, I've finally read the last volume of this manga! What a ride it's been!



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Spoilers ahead! If you haven't read the last volume, do not read!
I'm looking at you Major Tom!
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I'm so glad that volume 21 returned back to the Kare Kano I know and love. I think one of the major flaws of the Arima arc was the distinct lack of humour which made the Yukino arc so enjoyable. I loved Kare Kano the most when it depicted Arima, Yukino and co. just socialising, so seeing the whole cast back togother like that really got me smiling.

The 16-years-later chapters were done very well. After seeing the characters go through so much, it brings joy to my heart to see that their lives have turned out okay (I'm always a sentimental sucker for this kind of thing). And, holy god, did Masami Tsuda draw adult-Yukino pretty (and all of the older cast for that matter).

Also, I'm glad a good portion of the last volume was devoted to Asaba. As great of a character Yukino was, I have to highlight him as my favourite. I really think he was the most tragic character. For pretty much the whole series he was a social butterfly who was open to anyone who would like him back, a character who deserves to be able to fall in love, yet even after 16 years he was still the only one left with an empty heart, until Sakura of course. Showing that someone's "his and her circumstances" can begin, even if it is 16 years later than everyone elses, couldn't have been a more appropriate and more rewarding way to end the series. Bravo.

On the series in general, It's a mixed bag for me. The Yukino arc will remain one of the most entertaining and innovative manga I will ever read. I loved how it managed to punctuate sincere and realistic relationships with hilarious situations and moments of super-deformity. Then came the Arima arc and it turned into everything I avoid in shoujo: melodrama. Gone was the comedy, the super-deformity, the focus on relationships and the grand majority of the cast. Delving into Arima's dark past was necessary, yes, but I feel it could've been done in a way far more in tune with the tone of the rest of the manga. At the height of it (I think around the time Arima started, ugh, cutting himself) I was close to dropping the series altogether, but since I'd been reading it for so long, I decided to keep going. On one more note, I wish more time was given to Tsukino and Aya (especially the latter). Aya was a great character but she never did anything more than be sarcastic and fret about her writing. The last volume saved it, hell, it was such an outstanding conclusion that it redeemed the previous 8 volumes. Overall though, I loved Kare Kano. It's an excellent representative of it's genre and manga in general and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in that type of subject matter.

A good way to tell if a series is good is if by the end you feel a sense of conclusion but you still know there are more stories to go, no truer words could be said about Kare Kano. As Masami Tsuda said herself, "I'm sure they're still out there somewhere...".

[KiraraKim]

I still need to read the last volume but I have to say I am really happy the story finally moved off the Arima arc. Like Two-twenty said I thought the Arima arc was way too melodramatic and I didn't like it at all. I loved the first part of the manga but the second part was pretty bad in my opinion. Although I did enjoy volume 20 and I am looking forward to reading the final volume.

[soundchazer]

Unlike two-twenty, I didn't dislike the Arima arc, because I believe it was necessary from the storytelling standpoint. THink about it, Yukino comes from a happy, well-balanced family, and therefore her perspective on things is going to be more cheerful and positive. Arima has none of that... only the burden of being an unwanted kid who went through some terrible abuse.

It is for that same reason that you couldn't go comedic all the time when you are basically telling the story of someone who came from a very disfunctional family. Did it border melodrama? Perhaps, but I believe people do have a lot of that in their lives anyway.

My wife and I have a very similar background to that of the story, although reversed in nature... I came from a stable family with parents who have been married over 40 years and who also married very young. She lost her dad when she was 4 and her mom never remarried and also had a very strange background. I can see how this works... Yukino brought hope and some cheer to Arima's existence, and Arima brought a sense of reality to a somewhat naive Yukino. It also makes a lot of sense that their personalities were opposites: Yukino being pragmatic because she came from a very flighty and comfy family, and Arima being a romantic because it gave him the chance to escape his own drama.

To me, this is as good as shoujo manga can get, all 21 volumes seen as a whole.

[KiraraKim]

Honestly it wasn't so much that I missed the comedy but the Arima Arc felt more like a soap opera then a realistic drama. I just felt the Yukino arc blended drama and comedy realistically and that is why I preferred it. I especially disliked the whole subplot with Arima's birth mother coming back. Although I did like Arima's relationship with his birth father.

[Illjwamh]

The Arima arc was harder to read, I would say. Emotionally, I mean. I didn't dislike it per se, as I truly believe it was necessary for the overall story and it allowed us to understand exactly who Arima is and why he's the way he is. I won't deny that I was relieved when it was over though - as much for the characters' sakes as my own.

I loved the final volume. It was kind of like a "tie everything up while still leaving everything open" kind of thing, which I enjoy a great deal. And seeing all the characters grown up was just so cool. And yeah, the focus on Asaba was really the ultimate selling point. Fantastic storytelling.

[Two-twenty]

Unlike two-twenty, I didn't dislike the Arima arc, because I believe it was necessary from the storytelling standpoint. THink about it, Yukino comes from a happy, well-balanced family, and therefore her perspective on things is going to be more cheerful and positive. Arima has none of that... only the burden of being an unwanted kid who went through some terrible abuse.

It is for that same reason that you couldn't go comedic all the time when you are basically telling the story of someone who came from a very disfunctional family. Did it border melodrama? Perhaps, but I believe people do have a lot of that in their lives anyway.
I'm not saying the content of the Arima arc was unnecessary, just the execution of it. I know that his story wouldn't lend itself to comedy that well but it was in such a stark contrast to the rest of the series it felt like I was reading a completly different manga. There was a bit of relief with the chapter when Arima's friends tried to stop his mum from meeting him and when Renji came into the story, but for the most part we'd go volumes at a time with barely even a panel of superdeformity. I originally started reading Kare Kano because it was an outstanding romantic comedy with a large cast of mould-breaking and likeable characters. The Arima arc was almost a complete opposite of this.

[HidekiMotosuwa]

I like both arcs as a whole too they balanced each other out and I belive that was the point of those two getting together anyways. Its was good to see Arima straighten out his life because he was an emotional trainwreck.






*****Spoilers Below*****




























































I also like Asaba and I found it especially funny that the walking pheromone did find love and he predicted it right when he found out Yukino was pregnant. I was overall pleased with the end results an how all the characters grew up very good series. :tup:

[mantha]

It only goes up to 21 volumes? Damn

just 21 volumes???!!! oh man. T-T

well, back to the original question, it is sad that the anime has to end that way. heard a rumor that the manga artist and the anime manager (or whatever they call them ^-^;;;) had a major disagreement that's why even the animation and resolution of KareKano greatly deteriorated as it goes on.

and it is also said that eps.1-4 are the ones that are consistent. ^.~ really a bad way to treat a good anime.

hey, i'll catch up with the dicussion in a while. ^-^

[mantha]

done upgrading. XD

anyway, i like KareKano for it showcase two very different personalities. it is nice to do comparisons, let's say, how one develops in a loving, complete family and ironically, how one develops in a completely different one.

but what i really like about this series is it subtlely pinpoints that whatever personality, perspective and decisions we have and have made all boils down to us ourselves. i mean, our families are great influences in our lives but how we take that influence and how we play it right in our lives; is what really matters. ^-^

it also shows that we can change, just like Arima, with even just believing in urselves. i haven't read the last few chapters but i guess Arima's arc, though with its dark and dominating seriousness so totally opposite of Yukino's arc, really helped the series have its hidden message carried out and even touch other people's lives.

some of them are my friends. ^-^ people can be too sentimental sometimes. XD XD XD

[Zelyhon]

I quite enjoyed the series. I'll admit, at the height of Arima ANGST!, I got somewhat annoyed with it (Yeah, it is needed for the storytelling and to develop his character and I did still like many parts of it, I just found it dragged on a bit much for my personal tastes), but as the series got over it and got back to what was important, I found myself enjoying it just as much as before. Great series that is worth every minute of reading.

[Two-twenty]

Welp, now that it's all done and completed, I want to find out what everyone's favourite moment, act and character was. I'll begin:

Moment: Volume 8; a few pages into act 35- 14 Day: Temperature 31C.

The panels leading up to the moment where Tonami and Tsubaki kissed for the second time. These panels were very close to "pillow shots". This is where the artist takes time to focus on something arbitrary so the viewer can reflect on the main action. Although the arbitrary thing (in this case the breeze) did have an effect on the characters, it still had the same effect as a pillow shot.

There was no internal or external dialouge. It focused on Tsubaki, Tonami, then took the focus away from them to distant laughing from a classroom and the breeze flowing through trees and the court yard, and then back to Tsubaki and Tonami. Then, Tsubaki enjoying the breeze, Tonami enjoying the breeze, pillow shot of the leaves, then eye contact between the couple, turn the page and they've kissed. I could almost hear the silence, and feel the breeze as it swept away the stifling heat and the awkward pressure between the two. Brilliant!

Chapter: Volume 10: Act 46: Go Go Kyoto 2.

As I said before, I liked Kare Kano the most when it depicted the cast socializing. The class trip chapters, as buffers between the two main character's arcs, gave them a chance to really interact with each other so it was incredibly enjoyable. The four-way split story was not only hilarious, but a great way to shuffle up the characters and to really define their relationships with each other. They just seemed so much like a group of high school friends and it made me get all nostalgic over my own past experiences with this kind of situation.

Character: Asaba.

He had an incredible depth as a character yet he pulled it off so care-free and simplisticly. I really, really wanted him to be happy with his life, so holding it off right to the end was that much more nerve-wracking and ultimately rewarding.

Yukino was second and Tonami third. Aya would've been right up there too if she was given some more damn exposition!

[KiraraKim]

I haven't read the last volume yet but why not..

Favorite Moment- It's still the same as the one in the anime. Chapter 4 when Yukino finally builds up the courage to tell Arima that she has feelings for him. She has a really hard time doing this but it is the simple gesture of holding his hand in class that expresses her feelings. This is one of my favorite romantic moments not just in this series but overall.


Character- Definitely Yukino, I think she is a great female character. Funny, kind and intelligent. But most importantly I enjoyed that she had real flaws. I really enjoyed how she grew as a character to learn that some things are more important then being the best. She also reminds me of two of my closest friends (too bad I can never get them to read manga). My second favorite character would probably be Kazuma. I really enjoyed the chapters dealing with him, his band, and his love for Tsubasa.

I am really bad at remembering whole chapters but can I say Volume 6 was probably my overall favorite volume. It was the culmination of Yukino and Arima's relationship after all. And it also showed the romance of Yukino's parents which I also really enjoyed.

[Zelyhon]

Guess I ought to do one of these as well.

Character: Yukino. The growth and change she shows is pretty much the main reason I really adore this series. Her interactions with the other characters are great and she's one of the rare characters that works equally well, in my opinion, in both serious and comedic situations and can transition between the two without it feeling awkward. Second place has to go to Asaba, for again being a comedic/serious transition who exists within both the serious plot and the gags. Plus, when he and Miyazawa are teasing Arima together, it ends up being some great comedy. XD

Maho's pretty high on my list as well, for being the reserved, somewhat reluctant straightman of the group pretty much until the end. XD

Chapter: Oh, here I am torn. I'm pretty sure I've got to go with Act 42. The conclusion of the play and the conclusion of Miyazawa's growth arc parallel each other nicely in the same chapter. Good comedy, and an ominous note to end on. Despite my feelings on the length of the Arima arc, I can't say anything negative about the transition into it. Plus, it does do a lot more growth and conclusion of Tonami and Tsubaki's relationship. If I had to pick one chapter to be my favorite, that's it.

Moment: I think I'm just going to have to give two here. While I loved too many moments to recount here, I have to put these two above the rest. First one is from really early on. Despite all the comedy and angst, one of the things I've liked best about Kare Kano are the relations between the characters on a serious, romantic level. Thus, my first choice goes to probably the best example of this in the series. The end of Act 4, after Miyazawa spends the entire chapter analyzing and overthinking how to present her feelings to Arima, she just reaches down during class and grabs his hand. There aren't any words there, and there don't need to be. That's what the medium of manga is all about. My second pic comes much later in the series, at the end of Act 72. No, it's not Arima stabbing himself in the hand. It's Yukino, dreaming of a comforting sea, children laughing, and someone saying "mommy" before she wakes up and holds her stomach. I remember distinctly reading that chapter and thinking to myself for a couple minutes afterwords, "...Oh shit!" From that point on, there's no turning back from the series, as it just put itself into heading-towards-the-end mode. That transition and moment of somewhat subdued realization is one of my favorites by far.

That, and it leads directly to the most awkward conversation in the series, telling Miyazawa's dad that Arima got her pregnant. XD

[mantha]

Moment: I just love the moment when Yukino reached for Arima's hand to confirm her love. *sigh*

Character: Sue me. I like Arima, with all his forebidding, dark presence and all, and somewhat change not just for himself, but for Yukino as well. The wonders of love. @-@

[Aoyagi]

My favourite part is the Maho - Takashi arc.
I felt Tsuda Sensei handled the taboo nature of their relationship very well,
in fact I would also commend her on her handling of all her sub characters.
It was quite the breath of fresh air to have a manga that not only dealt with
teenage relationships, but the relationships of parents as well...

~aoyagi

[Major Tom]

Huttah! I can finally contribute to this thread, as I have finally finished volume 21. I stopped perusing as soon as I saw 2-20's e-glare eminating out that post.....but damn, you don't know how difficult it was actually finding a copy anywhere.

Thanks to our good friends at Tokyopop, it's been so long since I started reading that my memory might not be up to scratch. But from memory it was a solid ending to a solid series. I liked seeing the grown up versions, and how their lives turned out. I was particularly impressed by the comment on Yukino's doctoring ability; Mediocre but she works hard to get good results, and she strikes up a good relationship with her patients. I was kind of expecting to hear that she was somehow a medical genius (that's usually how stories like this end up),

I may have to read it all again to get details (not that that would be a bad thing......:))

I think I will have to do that, as right now I cannot remember much beyond vol.21....But I will say that my opinion of the Arima arc fall somewhere in between 2-20's and SC's. It was a necessary bit, but I didn't dislike the execution.