Like you, Ritsu doesn't interest me much-- the hysteria gets overdone, and it's a pity that the cross-dressing character gets a quick ~~fix-it~~ through the power of HETEROSEXUAL LOOOOVE-- so I'll focus on the rest.
Agreed! Although...you've seen the omake, right? It continues to amuse me that Mit-chan has no idea if Ritsu is a woman or not after they've ALREADY BEEN OUT on a few dates (because he keeps wearing that furisode!), and feels too uncomfortable to actually ask him about it. XD That's slightly more ambiguous than what Takaya did with the other couples.
(Side-note: one of the series tropes is focusing on one of the character's dramas for a few chapters and while it was very effective at first, it... just gets overdone, adlkfjadlkfj. Hiro's and Ritsu's don't work very well for me. And by the time we get to Rin's, I was cringing, WE HAVE HAD ENOOOUGH. I'm sure it was intentional, but in many ways I wish Takaya-sensei hadn't overused that storytelling technique, as I think she's more effective when she's weaving multiple plotlines, like she did in the last three chapters of this volume.)
I actually liked Rin's chapters quite a bit! I mean, I see that the storytelling technique she used was overused by that point, but I found Rin interesting, so I didn't feel like I was reading the same thing over and over again ad nauseum. I also liked her character arc for showcasing how developed Haru and Rin's relationship was, particularly in relation to the other Jyunishi, and showing the extent of Akito's internalized misogyny. Those bits, imo, went a lot further than just focusing on Rin's personal drama to the detriment of the overall plot.
Rin makes *such* a splash here. Like you mention, Takaya-sensei may not have gorgeous art, but she is effective. Her strength lays in layout/composition, perhaps, and expressing emotions... but damn that first page we see with Rin, staring out angry and determined and sick from her long strands of hair. No one needed to tell me, "this girl is determined, and this girl is angry, and this girl is carrying a weight with her." I *saw* it.
I still think I have the tendency to underrate Takaya's art whenever I talk about it! Because while Takaya's art may be average in areas like background detail and color theory, she makes up for it in overall composition and character design. (Yes, character design. It never ceases to impress me how distinctive Furuba's characters are, especially for shoujo manga, where the usual differentiators besides physical build come down to length of hair and size of eyes.)
You mention what readers must've thought at the time-- I think I was intrigued! And I didn't want her with Haru (I was disappointed that another maybe-gay character was straight, I'll admit ;___;), and I thought she must've been in love with Shigure, from her words about how it could be no one but him. I think Rin ends up being one of the most interesting characters of the series...! But, so, yeah, like you, I loved-- and still love-- those panels. DAMN, TAKAYA-SENSEI. <333
Well, when I say what "readers must have thought," I'm basically paraphrasing what I saw in blog posts and the mailing list around that time. XD So it's not really guesswork; it's how a lot of fans did react. Still, I was intrigued by Rin too, since she had so much presence. I was also wondering if something else was up with her, other than the traumatic family background that most of the other Sohma had -- and as it turned out, nope, not at all. A bit disappointing in that respect, since when she initially started talking to Shigure and so on, I thought that she would have more of a hand in breaking the actual curse.
One thing I'm wondering about is the significance of some of the stories in the series.
Which other stories are you thinking of? The only other one that comes instantly to mind is Momiji's story about the foolish traveler. :D And the meaning behind that one is, I think, pretty obvious.
The one I don't quite get is the one Haru tells in the ghost house. Why is it there in the series, why did Haru tell it? Was he thinking of himself, how much he wanted to be with Rin, and how any cost (even ripping off your own head) would be worth it to be with them again? I don't think Takaya-sensei would've stuck such a long story just for the hell of it, so-- oh. It might not just be Haru. It might be the whole Sohma clan, and the curse. They wanted so badly to stay together that they caused great hurt to themselves....!
Yep. Cycles and cycles of descendants, crushing effects of abuse...I have to say, I would not want to be stuck in any of their shoes. (And the Cat is the only one who realized this might not be a good thing. Shame on everyone else?) And what about the effects of stories in the Sohma clan and in Furuba on the whole? Like the history of the zodiac animals themselves, or Tohru's affection for the Cat as a child, based on what Kyoko told her?
The other story I wonder about is the one Shigure told to Tohru, about washing one piece of laundry at a time. It's a sweet story (if in kind of disturbing gendered dynamics, women -> washing laundry, etc), and the advice was good. BUT SHIGURE HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES LOL. I guess he didn't want Tohru to become discouraged from the task he wants her to accomplish. :D? He knows she has a long way to go, and wanted to give her advice on how to not lose courage?
!! You know, I have to say I never thought of it that way! Either in terms of gender dynamics (possibly because I saw it as Shigure handing out that advice in a general sense, and not just aimed at Tohru) or ulterior motives. WOW, I FEEL DENSE. I may have given Shigure too little credit here for being a tactitian, and too much credit for being a genuinely decent human being. That will not happen again.
Yuki, too... felt so dark and distant in this volume. At least, to Tohru. There were some panels were they were talking, and there was a guuulf between them-- Yuki closing himself off, it felt like-- and the art emphasized that, using black backgrounds. Awww. ;__; Meanwhile, Tohru and Kyou are having heart-to-hearts. And Yuki is opening up to at least Haru. Which was nice. I do like their friendship. ♥ You mention how Haru starts to become interesting-- I think he was, before, but here he acquires a third dimension? Because we learn about his own drama, his own problems, rather than just being pretty eye-candy support for the other characters.
Hahah, I wouldn't say that Haru lacked depth of his own before this volume, but it was about time that had his own focus in the storyline. The more I read Furuba, the more I appreciate him as a character. Like Momiji, I feel like he's the kind of guy who could get potentially gypped in a lot of ways (in his own mellow fashion, he always goes out of his way to help others, and rarely asks anything for himself in return), but the story treats him well enough on the whole.
I think the BIG THINGS AHEAD foreshadowing about the summer was a bit heavy-handed, but there *are* big things ahead, and I feel like she at least delivers on just how epic it's gonna be, so....?
Definitely! There'll be a truckload of things to talk about from now to the end of volume ten, at least.
The humor, like you mention, is pretty good in this chapter. :3 One moment I think you don't mention is Tohru going "The peaches are tasty, aren't they!" and Yuki goes, "I guess :D???" and Tohru beams. They sooo aren't getting each other by that point. *laughs*
Er, I don't remember that exchange. XD What chapter was it in, again?
This is one of my favorite moments of the whole series. I love it even more in Japanese. <333
Likewise! I think I pointed it out in the list of things I really liked this volume, actually.
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ninetydegrees
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on 2010-05-05 03:23 pm (UTC)Agreed! Although...you've seen the omake, right? It continues to amuse me that Mit-chan has no idea if Ritsu is a woman or not after they've ALREADY BEEN OUT on a few dates (because he keeps wearing that furisode!), and feels too uncomfortable to actually ask him about it. XD That's slightly more ambiguous than what Takaya did with the other couples.
(Side-note: one of the series tropes is focusing on one of the character's dramas for a few chapters and while it was very effective at first, it... just gets overdone, adlkfjadlkfj. Hiro's and Ritsu's don't work very well for me. And by the time we get to Rin's, I was cringing, WE HAVE HAD ENOOOUGH. I'm sure it was intentional, but in many ways I wish Takaya-sensei hadn't overused that storytelling technique, as I think she's more effective when she's weaving multiple plotlines, like she did in the last three chapters of this volume.)
I actually liked Rin's chapters quite a bit! I mean, I see that the storytelling technique she used was overused by that point, but I found Rin interesting, so I didn't feel like I was reading the same thing over and over again ad nauseum. I also liked her character arc for showcasing how developed Haru and Rin's relationship was, particularly in relation to the other Jyunishi, and showing the extent of Akito's internalized misogyny. Those bits, imo, went a lot further than just focusing on Rin's personal drama to the detriment of the overall plot.
Rin makes *such* a splash here. Like you mention, Takaya-sensei may not have gorgeous art, but she is effective. Her strength lays in layout/composition, perhaps, and expressing emotions... but damn that first page we see with Rin, staring out angry and determined and sick from her long strands of hair. No one needed to tell me, "this girl is determined, and this girl is angry, and this girl is carrying a weight with her." I *saw* it.
I still think I have the tendency to underrate Takaya's art whenever I talk about it! Because while Takaya's art may be average in areas like background detail and color theory, she makes up for it in overall composition and character design. (Yes, character design. It never ceases to impress me how distinctive Furuba's characters are, especially for shoujo manga, where the usual differentiators besides physical build come down to length of hair and size of eyes.)
You mention what readers must've thought at the time-- I think I was intrigued! And I didn't want her with Haru (I was disappointed that another maybe-gay character was straight, I'll admit ;___;), and I thought she must've been in love with Shigure, from her words about how it could be no one but him. I think Rin ends up being one of the most interesting characters of the series...! But, so, yeah, like you, I loved-- and still love-- those panels. DAMN, TAKAYA-SENSEI. <333
Well, when I say what "readers must have thought," I'm basically paraphrasing what I saw in blog posts and the mailing list around that time. XD So it's not really guesswork; it's how a lot of fans did react. Still, I was intrigued by Rin too, since she had so much presence. I was also wondering if something else was up with her, other than the traumatic family background that most of the other Sohma had -- and as it turned out, nope, not at all. A bit disappointing in that respect, since when she initially started talking to Shigure and so on, I thought that she would have more of a hand in breaking the actual curse.
One thing I'm wondering about is the significance of some of the stories in the series.
Which other stories are you thinking of? The only other one that comes instantly to mind is Momiji's story about the foolish traveler. :D And the meaning behind that one is, I think, pretty obvious.
The one I don't quite get is the one Haru tells in the ghost house. Why is it there in the series, why did Haru tell it? Was he thinking of himself, how much he wanted to be with Rin, and how any cost (even ripping off your own head) would be worth it to be with them again? I don't think Takaya-sensei would've stuck such a long story just for the hell of it, so-- oh. It might not just be Haru. It might be the whole Sohma clan, and the curse. They wanted so badly to stay together that they caused great hurt to themselves....!
Yep. Cycles and cycles of descendants, crushing effects of abuse...I have to say, I would not want to be stuck in any of their shoes. (And the Cat is the only one who realized this might not be a good thing. Shame on everyone else?) And what about the effects of stories in the Sohma clan and in Furuba on the whole? Like the history of the zodiac animals themselves, or Tohru's affection for the Cat as a child, based on what Kyoko told her?
The other story I wonder about is the one Shigure told to Tohru, about washing one piece of laundry at a time. It's a sweet story (if in kind of disturbing gendered dynamics, women -> washing laundry, etc), and the advice was good. BUT SHIGURE HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES LOL. I guess he didn't want Tohru to become discouraged from the task he wants her to accomplish. :D? He knows she has a long way to go, and wanted to give her advice on how to not lose courage?
!! You know, I have to say I never thought of it that way! Either in terms of gender dynamics (possibly because I saw it as Shigure handing out that advice in a general sense, and not just aimed at Tohru) or ulterior motives. WOW, I FEEL DENSE. I may have given Shigure too little credit here for being a tactitian, and too much credit for being a genuinely decent human being. That will not happen again.
Yuki, too... felt so dark and distant in this volume. At least, to Tohru. There were some panels were they were talking, and there was a guuulf between them-- Yuki closing himself off, it felt like-- and the art emphasized that, using black backgrounds. Awww. ;__; Meanwhile, Tohru and Kyou are having heart-to-hearts. And Yuki is opening up to at least Haru. Which was nice. I do like their friendship. ♥ You mention how Haru starts to become interesting-- I think he was, before, but here he acquires a third dimension? Because we learn about his own drama, his own problems, rather than just being pretty eye-candy support for the other characters.
Hahah, I wouldn't say that Haru lacked depth of his own before this volume, but it was about time that had his own focus in the storyline. The more I read Furuba, the more I appreciate him as a character. Like Momiji, I feel like he's the kind of guy who could get potentially gypped in a lot of ways (in his own mellow fashion, he always goes out of his way to help others, and rarely asks anything for himself in return), but the story treats him well enough on the whole.
I think the BIG THINGS AHEAD foreshadowing about the summer was a bit heavy-handed, but there *are* big things ahead, and I feel like she at least delivers on just how epic it's gonna be, so....?
Definitely! There'll be a truckload of things to talk about from now to the end of volume ten, at least.
The humor, like you mention, is pretty good in this chapter. :3 One moment I think you don't mention is Tohru going "The peaches are tasty, aren't they!" and Yuki goes, "I guess :D???" and Tohru beams. They sooo aren't getting each other by that point. *laughs*
Er, I don't remember that exchange. XD What chapter was it in, again?
This is one of my favorite moments of the whole series. I love it even more in Japanese. <333
Likewise! I think I pointed it out in the list of things I really liked this volume, actually.