Is It Okay to Like Just Because!? (It Depends, But Also-)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- Here I ask you all a question for once-how does a show not going in a direction you were hoping affect your impression of it? Is it alright for me to dislike Just Because! for that reason? Or am I just succumbing to the cynicism that seems to grow with each series watched? Let me know.
References:
This video was partially inspired by this Reddit post, as well as these comments.
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Hey, it's probably too late for you to read this, but I'll write down my feelings Just Because! I totally agree with you that Komiya is literally the best girl. Granted, she has more of a friendly relationship with the MC than a romantic one, but when you're pitting that against a girl that Eita virtually has no relationship with, it really does grind my weeaboo katanas.
My issue with the show (and a lot of other romance anime for that matter) is that it fails at being a romance. I actually disagree with what you said in the last parts of the video. I don't think your 4/10 rating is shallow at all. A romance anime is a show about romance. I should be heavily invested in Eita and Mio's relationship, especially considering the anime's ending. So when your main romance, in your romance anime, isn't that good, you have all the right to feel disappointed. I don't think the reason why this anime sucks is that "the best girl didn't win", I think it's because the main relationship sucks.
It's made all the more frustrating when the series builds Komiya and Eita up too. I also disagree with you when you said that Eita can choose whichever waifu he wants to laifu. That would be true if Eita was a real person, but he's a character in a show. What makes a character great in a show is their ability to make an audience connection. You do this by making the character have motivations that make logical sense so that even if the audience disagrees with the character's decisions and motives, they'll at least understand and empathize. Eita's decision makes no sense. The show builds up Komiya and the MC's relationship so that they would logically end up with each other. Eita even said that he was happy when Komiya confessed. But he chooses Mio instead. His only possible motivation for doing so would be strong teen hormones, which is technically a logical motivation, but just barely, considering everything the show built up to.
Anyway, that's just my long-ass opinion. TL;DR I agree with you and don't think your rating is dumb.
I'm gonna give my opinion of the anime and I'm using as a reply to your comment because I wanted to say I feel mostly the same way. So my opinion starts here. I just finished watching the show and was looking for some reviews to see if anyone shared my opinion. Natsume is useless imo she contributes very little to the storyline and I wholeheartedly believe that the anime would be alot better if she was left out or her character was changed. Let me elaborate. The main reason I hate Natsume is because of the character change she goes through half way through the show for the first like 9 episodes she likes Soma and is really understanding and a good friend towards him for likeing Hazuki and i think that's really sweet and a good thing on her part but then she starts falling in love with Eita and for some reason she changes after Ena (best girl) tells her she wants to date Eita and it's unexplained why she changes she just dose. When she goes to talk to Eita and sees Eitas wallpaper is a picture of Ena she throws a hissy fit and runs off she's not understanding like with Soma and it annoys me because she's never shown any signs of being like this at all. I definitely think if you remove Natsume the anime becomes so much better and I'm not just saying this because I love Ena but Eita and Ena would have been a better couple becames Ena helps Eita grow as a person like Soma said they have a cemetery that Eita dosent have with anyone else and if Natsume was removed the anime could have built on that and made it a relationship and it would have been so much better. Like I keep saying Natsumes absence would make a better anime and I believe that because Soma would have still ended up with Hazuki and Eita would have fallen in love with Ena making him grow as a person and Ena too. And for the things that would change they can be easily worked around for example they could have gone to the aquarium with just Eita or better yet alone therefore giving Soma and Hazuki time alone and for Eita and Ena meeting she could simply run into him and ask for his LINE info. TL;DR: Remove Natsume
@@temporary6230 I almost half forgot about this show, and you just had to bring up the pains again lol. Yeah, that's a great point. Natsume shows no real chemistry with Eita (not the worst thing in the world, if that's the whole point since Tsuki Ga Kirei did it well with a shy, bumbling couple) and really doesn't affect the story from a romance perspective. However, Natsume does play an important role in the story. Natsume pushes Eita to pursue something for once (like a college) even though the reasoning is shallow, and vice versa. From a plot perspective, this is good. Both characters help each other grow (albeit in a slightly shallow way, since both pursue colleges for teenage romances) but my issue with the series has never been Natsume's story relevance, but Natsume's relationship with Eita. Again, it makes no sense other than "It was their shitty teen hormones."
TL;DR: Natsume is integral to the story, but her romance with the MC is definitely shit, which is horrible for a romance anime.
@@kelpy_5262 you make a good point but I still think Natsume is irrelevant imo because if she wasent there then Eita would never have gone to collage anyway still keeping contact with people like Hazuki, Soma and Ena but maybe If they changed Natsumes character and built to the romance it would be better then just removing her entirely. But it's like Eitas pursuit of Natsumes college was shallow like you said but if they had better chemistry it would be good but they don't and like I said the things that would change could easily be resolved in the same way for example we never got an idea of what Eita wanted to do with his future so he could be reluctant to go but with the support of his family and friends shit like that he could be motivated and have the same character development in a better way 🤷 TL;DR: you make a good point but the bad stuff out weights the 1 good thing she did
@@kelpy_5262can you help out a fellow weaboo, i am looking for something to heal my heart after ena got renected. Maybe something with a good romance and a complete happy ending.
yes i agree too, they should have either given more attention to natsumes relationship with eita if she was the one that was going to end up with him, which happened regardless how much eita and ena grew together as friends.
@@papiokok Anime romances suck in general. But there are a few exceptions. Toradora is a good romance. It's not perfect, but it does it's main romance way better than this show. If you're looking for the pinnacle of romance anime tho, I suggest Clannad/Clannad After Story. This series will make your heart flutter, your eyes bawl, and your mind think.
When I heard "Am I right to hate Just Because" at the start I actually screamed YES.
I would like to say that I (figuratively) cried at the end. Not because of happiness of seeing those two together, but because I was sharing the same sadness Komiya was going through. Seeing the childhood friend winning with no real development between the two just because(xd) they already knew each other from before was infuriating because we saw Komiya's hanging and developing a friendship with Eita, at the end being up for nothing. All I got out of this was "If depending on someone else, no matter how hard you try, it's all on the other person to decide whether you're good or not.", if that makes sense.
I am not lying if I said I enjoyed Haruto and Morikawa's relationship much more. Haruto is a much more enjoyable and fleshed out character and actually seeing him work his ass off made him compelling. While the waiting 3 months thing is kind of a negative in my book as well, I feel it's an appropriate way to close it, as both clearly have feelings for each other and once stable in their respective paths, they can start something without much issue. I know it took me some months to get used to a new educational environment and a new workplace, and I didn't have much else going on so I managed to adapt quickly enough. After that was done, I could focus on other things while college or work wasn't really affected by these.
Boy am I GLAD someone else watched this and felt the same. It was hard enough finding the former, let alone the latter and I really needed to get it out of my chest. Most of this comment is just the faint memories I have about the show having watched it while it was airing 2 years ago. Thanks for later than never, Kamimashita.
Photo girl was my favorite character! However the main two loved each other the whole time. They were idiots about not showing it with all the waiting and secrets, but love and insecurity can make people idiots. I'll agree that why they love each other is not well told. Just that they were. Coming from a place of some familiarity, this is just how it goes with a childhood friend though. It's not about some big events or emotional meeting. The comfort and appreciation from each other just builds over time until you have so many bonded moments that its hard to imagine yourself with anyone else.
As far as the decisions they make and how romantic it was portrayed was all silly. Sacrificing time spent together for the perception of the other's benefit and letting fate ride on some chance and hard work is a terrible message no matter how much it can build suspense and give time to best girl. You're right to criticize the show for its narrative. While your thoughts on their love was a bit shallow even though the show didn't do much to illustrate how their relationship works.
As for the baseball couple, I felt their relationship was the best in the show. Trumpet girl was very insecure in herself and what she could provide in a relationship. "It's not you. It's me" where it's actually at its most honest. Baseball guy is very considerate of her feelings and through his help she starts to understand how their love can work. Still, they're both in a very big transition point of their lives and suddenly the concern shifts to a question of what is more important - their feelings for each other or their immediate future. Unfortunately, this makes the pace of their relationship feel really one-sided. Fortunately, baseball guy comes to respect their individual growth and is very persistent. Their romance is a good example of mutual benefit and what a real romance looks like. What makes it a better narrative than the main couple is that they actually spend some time working through it together.
You asked good questions. It's nice to see some introspection.
I guess I just still have a lot of trouble buying into the love angle. First of all, the inciting incident for the anime in the first place is that Eita is returning from having moved away. He apparently hasn't kept in contact with anyone, and has missed a crucial chunk of time-it is of my opinion that any residual feelings are not genuine, but rather maybe him clutching onto familiarity desperately.
They also undermine that position by having Natsume start out with a crush on Haruto, although I guess that ultimately supports the conclusion that I think the show comes to. There's an image of love that is resistant to moments of doubting, but yeah this *is* pretty inaccurate to reality.
You are right to love and the future, both of which are important. A baseball boy and a girl have a good relationship with them, but rather, one of the best love relationships that I have seen. His choice and he chose it because it is security or it was the first option there. I followed him soon from yesterday wo Utatte. I believe that this is the right way in the case of the hero and I think he chose the wrong option.
If I gave you an eraser would you love me back Kami?
No silly, I'd have to drop one first
I couldn't agree more, Komiya was a much more interesting character and, as you said, had a lot more chemistry with Eita. To me the ending was shoved down our throat just because that's what had been set up from the start but it definitely felt wrong.
I haven't watched the show, but based on yor description, the 'twist' at the end seems like a hollow subversion. Just because it subverts a trope or defies expectation doesn't mean it does so satisfyingly or meaningfully; thus, a subversion like that has no value in the story. You're right to criticize it if it is indeed meaningless and/or contradicts the show's own apparent logic in exchange for something the writer felt like doing to the stpry, but wasn't earned.
If the purpose of storytelling media is indeed to tell a story and communicate effectively to its audience, and I believe it is, then it needs to respect its audience and put their experience above that of the writer's whims. If it was a case of a (arguably) well executed ending strictly not being to your personal preference, then it would be more of a gray area. All you could say is that you personally didn't connect with the story, while someone who shares the author's vision or perspective does. But if their are flaws you can point to that justify how you feel irrespective of your experience, critique is valid.
Of course, whether or not these are flaws is also subjective, and a piece could simply be relying on a niche audience who doesn't need to have the point explained to them because they know it for themselves. But if a piece of media relies on its audience to make sure its message gets across, it has failed in the basic requirement of storytelling in communication. The audience shouldn't have to do work in order to understand and empathize with a piece, and if they have to in order to enjoy the story then I believe it to be a failure on the writer's part, not the pettiness of the watcher. I think its justified.
The purpose of storytelling media is sadly but truly to make money. If it weren't for this, we would not have Micheal Bay movies and endless streams of 1st seasons with no sequels.
@@simsim4910 Storytelling media is just media. Each of those who contributed to its creation have their own purpose for it, so I don't see how it could have an inherent purpose by itsef.
@@VashdaCrashsorry I focused to much on large scale productions like most of theatrical media.
There are of course artist who don't think about money first, espacially here on youtube, but in the anime industry that's not feasible
Well, you are wrong. It's not a subversion. The first few episodes made it seem like we will get the exact end we got. We even have this couple on the poster.
Then the show decided that instead of building up a relationship between MC and Natsumi, it will spend the entirety of the remaining run building up a relationship between MC and Komiya.
I haven't seen the show. And I strongly agree with the majority of your comment. However, I truly believe that "if a piece of media relies on its audience to make sure its message gets across" it as a form of artistic expression, it hasn't obligatory failed in the basic requirement of storytelling in communication, its message may be difficult to decipher, but the meaning of what it communities may be still valuable, assuming that the audience has made the required effort to understand what the artist wanted to express.
it's in the title, "just because". they implying that they are not necessarily need to have reason to be with someone. they like each other just because.
That's the description of Eita x Komiya, the other is not "just because". It's "because of all these years of an unrequited crush".
Just found my anilist notes for this show from 2017 and I thought they were relevant
"A) boring jackass girl who ignores you and probably doesn't even really like you
B) cute messy hair girl who isn't afraid to speak her feelings, has shown nothing but affection for you, and gives you lots of chances, but is less prominent in the OP
this guy deserves a shitty girlfriend"
It gaved me 5 centimetres per second vibe I dont know why but with much more dialogues and a happy ending maybe or maybe not .
Dude, we need a video on Zoku Owarimonogatari ASAP!
Yes please
90% sure we will get this, if someone understands the referance
@@simsim4910 THE COURAGE TO ADMIT that I watched zoku but still dont get it
@@npc6817 That's honorable.
@@simsim4910 if you think about it all I am admitting is my own stupidity and lack of attention, but by phrasing it this way I made it sound like I did so in order to help society as a whole by calling myself out.
To be honest, I actually loved this anime a lot when I watched it. There was just something about its calmness and how the characters never seemed over-reacting that just grabbed my attention. Sure, the ending was a bit upsetting, but I was already too loving of the series to get angry. Then again, it could just be because I am incredibly biased when it comes to anything made by Hajime Kamoshida. So long as I remember Sakurasou No Pet Na Kanojo, that mindset is most likely not going to change. 😁
Yea I agree with you. There were no over the top reactions it was just causal relationship, communication stuff.
To me, it’s about how you view the show. Honestly, weird as this sounds, I don’t think that the romance is the point of ‘Just Because!’ in the first place. I watched the show in the second half of my first year of university, and having just gotten past the point in my life that the characters in the show are in, that last few years of school, I experienced the show as being about that sense of working out what your next step is going to be at a time where you’re starting to be able to make these choices for yourself.
That’s why I think the Haruto/Hazuki arc was interesting. The conclusion of that arc wasn’t a definitive true love scenario, it was focused on Hazuki being given space to work out who she is, and then, yeah, maybe romance could happen. To me, that’s a really bold decision as far as the writing is concerned, and it isn’t something I’ve seen much. While I can definitely get where you’re coming from as far as the ‘relationship purgatory’ suggestion is, with that being outside of the text, I don’t think that entirely matters. What matters is how they get to that point.
Or with Eita and Mio; Eita spends a lot of the back half of the show questioning why he puts so much effort into helping Mio, and eventually comes to terms with the fact that it’s because he has feelings for her. To me, whether or not them in a relationship would make sense or work out in the long run wasn’t really the point, because the story was about Eita growing to discover what he wants.
Both of these relationships ultimately tie into the characters’ future plans in a really interesting way, and I think that’s the show. ‘Just Because!’ is a show about working out what you want, and about choosing what matters to you.
Or maybe I just enjoyed it because I watched the last episode like, three days before Valentine's Day and I was lonely and depressed. I'm gonna go with both...
The thing about eita's love life is, that he loves natsume. Period. It didn't matter who we ship or who we thought was best for him or what both natsume and komiya did for eita. Frankly natsume did nothing for eita. The only thing she did was applying for the same college eita did but that wasn't for eita. It was for herself so she could see eita. As for komiya, she spent the whole evening till night going to all shrines collecting good luck charms to eita and she even made him a photobook so he would have kept a memory of his short time at that school. Komiya was really best for him. But eita, he had always and will always like natsume no matter what komiya does for him. It hurts but it's the truth. It sucks for me too bcs I ship eitaxkomiya too but I get the message. But still f**k that bi*** natsume
As for haruto and morikawa, i don't really agree with you. I think it's perfectly fine for morikawa to put those terms. It's not like she put haruto waiting but rather she put both of them waiting. She would've accepted haruto if it wasn't for her moving. It's just that it's not the right time for them to be together at that point. She just wants to focus on finishing her college first and when she finishes her college and went back to the hometown, that's when they'll settle down.
You're 100% right about Eita's loving Natsume being an absolute, no matter how obviously fantastic Komiya was. He simply was not ready to love someone else. It sucks, but that's just how things go, sometimes.
He loves Natsume, period? Feelings change. The series set up everything needed for his feelings to change and for him to realize that his love for Natsume is hollow and toxic. Then threw that setup out.
@@erejnion yes feelings change. In fact we saw that happen twice in the series. First we saw it from morikawa then from natsume. But unfortunately it didn't happen to eita. Yes we can simply say that feelings can change we have to accept that sometimes they don't. And also yes, we can see in the series that natsume was not the right girl for eita whereas komiya was perfect for him. But still, his heart was set on natsume. It happens in real life too sadly
@@ariffshah_ the problem is that we got all the possible narrative setup for them to change, not that they didn't change. Your argument doesn't make sense.
Also, as I said, he doesn't even love Natsume that much.
@@erejnion no my argument does makes sense. What you don't understand is that eita's feelings would never change even if it seemed like it was set up for them. I know, feelings can change. I said that already. But even if it can change doesn't necessarily means it will. From a viewer's standpoint komiya was perfect for eita. But still eita loved natsume no matter what.
Also, how do you know eita doesn't love natsume that much? It never said that in the series
I love the character designs, same guy from Tawawa Mondays. There's something calming about his art.
As for the ending Just Because, Just Because! Komiya was always too good for him and could only be a light fling for the both of them. Half of the themes involve deciding on a career path and what is more important between it and young romance. It may be light social commentary on today's youth of Japan. I feel like there's more to take away from than just shipping the characters even if the premise is a love triangle drama.
I loved komiya😭❤❤
I rewatched this show literally 2 days ago i love it personally. Though i do support Natsume and Eita's relationship and i am happy they won in the end i do understand where you are coming from about Komiya and Eita they are really good together but at the same time i just love the idea of childhood friends willing. It can happen to see a past a crush from years ago and to get with them because you never told them how much you liked them. But yeah i see where you are coming from and it makes a lot of sense.
I love this anime and i wish there was more like this as a little side note and i wish there was more like this. I love the characters setting music and everything i am going to miss this show and will maybe watch it again in the future for my third time
Interesting video! I do feel it’s more fun to see more personal input instead of just what is “objectively” correct. I do agree with your reasons!
Woah, I kinda remember this show only because of the Just Cause game. Man, that game was awesome...sadly the anime isn't an adaptation of the game :(
En mi opinion komiya es una chica genial que se debio haber quedado con eita y yo digo que no empiezas a juntar a dos personajes y aparte de eso a dar señales de amor entre los dos si no van a terminar juntos no estoy de acuerdo con lo que paso y onestamente siento que eita se quedo con nomoto por que era lo que estaba planeado por que deverdad era para que se ubiera quedado con komiya hasta dijo que su confesion lo puso feliz y el le tiro una foto que persona le tira una foto a una persona que no le gusta uno se la tira al que le gusta ademas de que ubieron un monton de señales de atraccion entre eita y komiya no me paresio justo lo que paso lo senti muy forsado aparte de que como dijo soma el amigo de eita el y komiya asen muy buena kimika asi que mi apoyo completo fue para eita y komiya que espero que se queden juntos si llegaran a haser una segunda temporada
this channel is so underrated
When I watched the anime's PVs, I was completely hooked. Perhaps it was the way the story was presented or the animation in general. I had a certain expectation of what I wanted to find and what it could achieve, but as the episodes went on, things only got worse. There seemed to be moments or turning points where the protagonists or co-protagonists would do something beyond what they were supposed to do, but even if they succeeded, it left much to be desired. It's not that the premise is bad; we've seen the story of high school students dealing with their conflicts many times before, but in this story, those conflicts and how they are resolved seem boring to me. I hoped that the story would redeem itself in the end by uniting the couple at its center, but they only offered something very open-ended and speculative. For a romance anime, I expect to see romance, not half-hearted interactions.
On the other hand, the highlights of the series for me are the soundtrack and that scene between the trumpet girl and the boy who confesses to her. Both of them, listening to a melody by the river, seemed beautiful to me. Everything else was just average, leaning towards bad or even mediocre.
It's as you say, when you're someone who typically rates an anime with an "8" or "9". You know that rating something below a 5 means it did really poorly.
I watched it as it aired, and now that I've come across this video thanks to the algorithm, I can only say that after 7 years of not being able to share this opinion, I'm really glad to have found this video.
That makes me think if someone is still thinking about Sagrada Reset as well.
The thing I see about the series is it follows the logic of real life which is often illogical while, as a narrative story, doesnt follow the hallmarks of story telling.
i dropped the show a couple episodes in myself, but what ive now heard from you makes it pretty obvious why you would dislike the show.
erasergirl always wins, underrated trope!
I don't disagree that it felt like it all felt like they were all compromising by the end in the terms of their relationships. HOWEVER. That's literally what as you said the series as a whole is about, compromising and settling. the title itself is after all, Just Because. By the end of all relationship branches it feels like komiya wanted to be with Izumi "just because" of her picture she took and his refusal to let her use that photo int he competition. Morikawa ended up compromising with Haruto "just because" by the end she didn't want to end their friendship on the basis that she rejected him IMMEDIATELY and feels she needs to wait it out to see if they can be a couple instead possibly out of some level of guilt. and of course the childhood friend finally getting a win for once might go against romance tropes but in this case even she says she didn't come chasing after him, that's basically her saying she showed up "just because" in a sense because it's not like she plays it off like she's a tsundere throughout the series. she doesn't go between liking him and disliking him and all of the other cliches of being a tsundere. so, she admits it's a "just because" moment for her to end up on his college campus because in the previous scene they hint she got into her first-choice school which was changed before the entrance exams happened. so, EVERYONE by the end is in a "just because" feeling. the whole thing is "just because"
I think that scoring as a whole should never attempt to be "objective" of sorts. Even if I can recognize that a piece of media will probably appeal to other people, if it did not leave me personally entertained, then I will rate it low. While aggregate scores can reflect how "good" a show is on the whole, individual ratings should not be a reflection on how other people view that media, but it should reflect how I feel about it. Furthermore, I feel that people take aggregate scores a little too seriously, and that these scores don't reflect how any given individual will feel about that piece of media. It's also why I think scoring should be dynamic. How I feel about any given piece of media is constantly changing, and therefore I'm constantly re-evaluating my scores, and adjusting them as necessary.
I am gonna harp a bit about agregate scores specifically as I am generally agreeing with the rest.
Aggregate scores are to be consumed VERY carefully as they are actually very biased themselves for a variety of reasons, mostly the selection of people giving reviews is already biased in itself. Season 2 of something will tend to get better ratings because all those that alreay dropped out after season 1 will not drag the average down. Similarly something that appeals to a specific niche and manages to effectively convey this in promotion will receive better ratings than the same thing with promotion that is worse at stating it's specific audience as there will be less ratings from people that already will tend to not rate it as highly. ...
So aggregate scores can be usefull, but always very carfully see them in their context .
To be honest, I agree with you for giving it a low rating. Now, I havent watched the show but I've had plenty of other shows that didn't "go my way". And maybe I consciously would've gave it a higher score if my best girl would've won. But, it's not really about who wins or who loses. It's more about where the story is taking itself. A lot of people might disagree but personally I love harem anime because your rooting for one girl to win and it leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering, whos going to win? And thats what makes harem so special
Now, going back to what I said before about where the story takes itself and also the start of the video. I totally agree with you about what makes a good story (character development, story progression, and direction). I think the reason a lot of harem is hated on is because it lacks the characters depth and direction. I think that's why Quissensential quintuplets is so popular, cuz it doesn't lack any of that. Their characters actually have personality, a unique premise, a̶n̶d̶ m̶o̶r̶e̶ w̶a̶i̶f̶u̶s̶.
What even take it a step further, is ReZero. I know rezero isn't a harem but it does all the thing u listed perfectly. The character development in Subaru is insane and I'm not about to make a whole essay about his growth as a character. Another thing that makes a good story is pacing which u didn't mention but I wanted to because I think it is crucial. Have the right pacing means having the right time to do what or when to do it. Ok OK I realize I'm making this comment way too long so I'm just gonna say this one thing. As you can see on my pfp I'm a big rem fan, but obviously he loves emlia. Usually I would lower the score because after all he went thru with rem and all the growth rem also got. It would be natural to pick rem right? I think thats why people hate on the show. But if you look further into it, it kinda makes sense why he would pick her (also goes deeper on this concept in season 2) and it all comes back to the 3 topics. Im going to make a fire analogy, if it weren't for rem his flame aka his character growth would of not of grew. But without Emila it would've not of sparked (if that makes sense). As possibilities ok what the story couldve been, I think they also did this perfectly. I also think the progression was really smooth and not too much of a bumpy ride. I would go into further depth about this, my phones about to die so I'mma stop talking😅
Sorry if I wasted any of ur time reading this I just wanted to say that this video was a good explanation of a good story. Btw, kami if u see this, I love ur videos keep up the great work cuz I could really tell u put effort into them
Rather than just not having your ship win, i think it is more like you are looking for reasons with the active-analytical viewing when the show is presenting relationships that form "just because" that is the way they feel. The characters are using passive-engagement, just as many audiences consume media with passive-engagement. The result is that you feel negatively about a show that didn't meet what you wanted not because it was bad but "just because" that is the way you feel.
Passive engagement isn't inferior to active, just different. Most MAL scores are based on feeling (it's a rather passive kind of social media). So it's not like your rating needs to be based on active engagement or not.
I would suggest the show True Tears for another show that engages the same dynamic as this show in different ways. It was one of my early favorites
It was a pretty alright show in my opinion. To be honest, I liked it when I was watching it as it was airing, but since then I barely remember anything about it. It's a decent show to watch once, but I wouldn't watch it again.
I 100% agree with you on just because, many people always say that the journey is what's important, but a bad ending like in just because, can really ruin the entire thing
Just Because: Childhood friend wins
Me: Wait. That's Illegal!
I 1000% agree with this... three years later
Thx for reminding me that worse girl won. . . I had forgotten
For me, it's not a romantic show but a story about youth. And it successfully put me into the scene. That's enough.
Oh wow I just subscribed and you instantly posted a new video, is this the power of ultra instinct?
woke
Same, Komiya was made for Eita, and then when Natsume wins i felt betrayed. The show was so good on direction and story to connect on their relationships but they couldn't pay off well just because of a hollow commentary when i think the main focus of the show would be how new connections could let you to get new paths on life. A shame.
BUT, the ending written by Yanagi Nagi and sung by the females VA's was 11/10, one of the best ED i listened to in my life.
This is the most fair "why i dont like/why this show is bad" i have ever seen on youtube. and that comes frome someone who gave Just Because! a 7 and i have a mean score on 6,7 ( so it is fair to say i enjoyed it). My focus was on other things when i watched the show and i appreciate the show for those reason. but your critic seems fair and IMO, at the end of the day the only thing that matters with entertainment is what you as a viewer gets out of it, so i do think it is ok to dislike a show for not doing what you wanted the show to do( it is not fair to say the show is objectively bad or fails, but you never do that). nevertheless good video :)
A 4 is never absurd, even if it slightly bothered you it justifies a 4, since that is the best score for something that you would ultimately deem negative. That is by my system of judging art.
Ultimatively you can set up whatever rules you want everything is somewhat arbitrary even what system of morality, logic or mathematics you use, something can only be objectively bad if it goes against previously agree dupon arbitrary rules, but if your rules do not allow to call something bad which you do not like, you should probably reconsider them. That is unless you consider something good by how thought-provoking it is and your thoughts about the show were interestingb to you, but that systtem is meh imo and would not work when applied to many other things.
This comment was made by the Digibro gang
Just Because is actually a good anime, Romance is not about two persons with alot of compatibility ending up together. You all know that, thats life.
Its not because the anime failed to show us want we want to see, means its a bad anime. Its just sometimes viewers are so narrow minded and fixated on the fact that they didnt get what they want.
Dropped it in two episodes so i couldn't tell you. I struggled to like any of the characters and other shows that season where pulling my attention.
The best thing about anime is that there is something for everyone. Conversely, that means an endless number of messages and theams, which can't possibley all align. Any fan like yourself (and myself) have invested themselves in at least one show they felt let down by.
The thing is, you DID invest yourself. You cared about the characters enough for them to evoke an emotional response. If that doesn't prove you gave the show a fair shot, I really don't know what would.
So no, you're not being unreasonable in disliking the show. You read the message, but it was the wrong message for you.
I think the opposites, the bitterness, the long time unrequited (for the most part) love that usually brings only suffering actually also wins, i think that yea these were the point of the show. Its a lesson in acceptance, uncomfortability, not getting what you want or not getting it the way you want it.
Now, i absolutely agree that the execution was not done as well as it could have been, primarily with Eita and Mio. And agree and love the point you made about ambitiousness with its exploration and execution of ideas. What really gives that unsatisfied feeling and that this wasn't done well was the lack of direct fleshing things out between Mio and Eita plus the fact that the new person,, thats gaining much from the MC and bringing out much from the MC loses out....just cause the MC can't get over the girl that doesn't like him as much as he likes her.... Cause her mind is on someone else. Its a real mirror effect. Thats what i thought after watching it. Mio cant "see" Eita cause Soma is where she's stuck at. Eita can't see Komiya cause Mio is where he's stuck at. And Komiya couldn't see the guy/guys around her because Eita was where she was stuck at.
Its great that that type of dynamic makes it to each other in the end. But not at the sacrifice and loss of someone truly special/great.
But these things really happen in life all the time.
Thank you for your thoughts on this show. Its a favorite of mind. Komiya's became one of my favorite characters. And this anime is a good look into both writing and visual story telling; a real good study.
I Personally think it's a justified position to take.
Firstly, I personally rate shows just on how much I enjoyed it, simply because that is what I find matters most. As long as it's possible to explain what it is that was enjoyed and why, than I think it's fine. A show can be good in it's animation, sound, shot-compositions and what not (not saying that these can add to the enjoyment), but if the enjoyment is not there, than the chance that I would watch a show to its conclusion is minimized. So just from that Perspective, I find that it's a justified to rate a show lower just because it did not end how you expected and wanted/enjoyed.
Second: I also think that the messages that shows can leave can be a big part why I personally enjoy a show. If a shows message is absolute garbage than that can shatter my entire enjoyment of a show. Especially when a bad message is presented in a way that makes it look like a good message. And from what I read about Just because! It seems like it's a case where a bad message (or atleast a message that I don't agree with) is presented.
I feel like most people enjoy the thought of someone reaching their best potential as a person. And that seldom happens when a person grows comfortable with their situation. When you take what you already have and stop trying to improve on it.
The message might not be presented that often in media, but that does not have to make it interesting. I feel like that message is present often enough in Real life with the people around me who have stopped trying to improve themselves and their situations.
So to bring it back. I find it fine to dislike a show just because you do not like the messages presented. It's fine to dislike something when the message is not interesting or new.
ps. I also like the shortening of your name to Kami. It makes the rebuttal of "But kami the childhood friend never wins" rather entertaining if you think the kami as "god"
It's not fair! Always the nicest and best and kind girls get rejected or get no interest from the creators 😔 ( in most animes they put nice girl but they don't care about her like giving her a love relation ship or something, they always friends and it makes me feel pain! ) If someone know a special anime please let me know
If Komiya won, what do you think would've been the proper fate of Natsume? Also, while I hated the ending just like you, I appreciated seening Komiya heartbroken. I like seeing anime girls I like feel sad, heartbroken or guilty.
I would've loved to see Natsume kind of double down and really devote herself into looking at what her priorities are, and resolve to give her more opportunities to "win" in the future.
And while I loved her, that scene leading up to the rejection *was* pretty compelling. I loved how there's this backdrop of (I know what's going to happen, but I'm going to try to ignore it as long as I can) until the dam breaks.
Just because is an extremely odd anime to rate on a scale. On one hand it does everything it needs to do well as an anime, but on another it struggles to take form as anything other than just another anime original slice of life.
Depending on what you sought out from this series, you were left with varying thoughts and feelings. Some sought out the nostalgic and melancholic final stages in high school while others were in it more for the romance. I think If you were more in it for the former then it’s a show you’ll be more satisfied with as I believe it was overall the foundation for the show as a whole. Every scene in this series is built on a feeling of transition, with endings and new beginnings at the horizon. It’s clear from its directing, washed out colour palette and somber piano-centric OST.
It’s best to see “Just because” as what it is at the forefront, a show that highlights moving on in numerous ways and the feelings that come with it. This series thematically starts “in medias res” which means a story that opens in the midst of the plot. Eita and Natsume had a well established connection before the start of the series so their development was something that wasn’t necessary at least in my opinion.
As for the ending I quite liked it, others mentioned that they didn’t like Natsume leaving Eita unread for a month but it makes clear sense, she was fully prepared to move on, the message wasn’t read until she saw him again.
As a whole I’ve struggled to score it, was originally thinking 5.9 but now I’m at a 6.4 and still lost. Idk where I’ll finalise but I hope I know soon enough.
I'll only say that the reduction in quantity of harem/love poliedrum shows resulted in a clear spike in quality. Even mindless shows like quintuplets or the tutor one this season are leaps and bounds more complex, cute and appealing than the standard 10 years ago.
I remember when crunchyroll fucked but an important line in this show. The treads exploded.
Just Because is a show that had an incredible start, and fell apart so spectacularly it was incredible. You are 10000% right on this show. The payoff at the end of them getting into the same University was garbage and I spent 2 episodes getting to a 20 second clip with the main pair.
Big facts
I admit I wouldnt have liked bakemonogatari as much if my hitagi pairing hadnt panned out.
I haven't watched the show, but just from watching the scenes in this video the girl from your ship is fucking precious, while the childhood friend looks dull af
I think you can dislike a show that's well produced, or like a show that's badly produced. If you say you didn't get what you wanted out of the direction the story went, that's more just personal preference than a criticism you can back up with facts and logic.
i believe in you whitout whatching the video
I was all ready to defend this, one of my absolute favorite anime series--until I saw you were saying the ending is garbage. Which it absolutely is. Not because Natsume wins (though Komiya should have (except she's too good for Eita)), but because she leaves him hanging for a month so they can have that dramatic ending. Which was total nonsense. (In truth, the last 10-15 minutes, in the final episode, is just wildly off the mark, in terms of everything that came before it. Everything else is brilliant.)
I think the queston you pose needs to start earlier: What is it you think you are rating?
If a show does not work for you it has failed on you and you are perfectly justified for disliking it and rating it as shit. However if you are claiming/aspiring a somewhat objective rating/system than that is not sufficient yet. However if you are really trying to do so you'd have some seriously hard task ahead of you and just the fact that you are asking this question would show that you are currently not yet qualified to do so.
TLDR: Yes you are justified, beeing open to the possible alternative viewpoints actually already gives you bonus points.
I don't really try to judge from an objective opinion, nor do I think it's really possible. For me, the purpose of a score in the first place is as a reflection of personal taste, something that can give you an impression of a show *so long as* you take into account context (who the score is from, what else they'ved scored, etc.)
Even if there is an "objective" score for something (and generally, "good" shows and "good" writing do share patterns), personal taste is so influential in literally everyone that it's almost not practical as a result.
Then everything is fine. Well, as we basically agree on the matter my opinion may not be the most valuable in this situation then.
I think you bring up a good point that it's not really about whether or not your ship wins or but more of if the show handles the relationships in a way that presents interesting themes. Based on the ships that win, Just Because supports holding onto the past instead of embracing the future which is really weird because other parts of the show are about moving on from High School and embracing their future. And just because (hehe these puns are too catchy) the show accomplishes what it sets out to do, it doesn't make that goal necessarily interesting nor enjoyable to watch.
Good video on a show I pretty much forgot as well!
In response to the description: Fuck yeah you're valid for disliking something for not turning out as you hoped.
To use a food analogy, sometimes you go to the wonderbread store to buy wonderbread, but if you left and saw you ended up with sourdough, then you won't be satisfied. It could be the greatest sourdough ever, but if it's not what you wanted then that still colors your experience.
There are shows that have the potential to turn your opinion around however. I went into Caligula's anime expecting an action show, but was presented a really solid drama with some stand out character moments.
If a show takes you in an unexpected direction but doesn't take you with it, then it's within your rights to dislike it.
It's weird, before clicking on the video, I was certain I gave the show a light 6, because of most of the arguments you were about to present, but apparently I gave it an 8...
I think the main problem with this show is that the characters handle their relationships in very specific ways 'wrong'. Some people might like that style, others will probably disagree with their choices and find them ridiculous. I for one preferred that Komiya didn't end up with the somewhat boring protagonist, because I thought that she needs someone more dynamic to keep up with her energy. (I gave the show a pretty high 8/10 that was probably more a high 7, but was rated 8 because of the hate the show got for the spotty production. The show was incredible ambitious and fell through in some parts of the production, but overall I wanted to applaud the ambition the studio had with this down to earth setting.)
Also it is a bit funny how I just finished the Nijiiro Days Manga which is quite similar in some parts, but also had some similar problems but finished a lot stronger. (I recommend the read because it will probably never get a second season and the manga is finished.)
Komiya losing still hurts me
Fictional relationships can be well-written or badly-written. The idea that you can't criticise a writing choice because it's associated with fangirls is pretty damn weak.
if this iceberging broke the show for You than 4 is a good personal score. I would like to know your take on Tsuki ga Kirei tho.
Love it. Gave it a 10, eyes were misty the entire time, strongly connected to my own personal experience.
I think you should be OK with it's opinion on relationships and give it a five out of ten.
If you were actually some kind of expert you could say the show sends a bad message about how they work, and then you'd just be being objective about it.
I didn't really like the ending the two last episodes are similar in a way to Tsuki ga kirei (both mc try to aim for the same college as the girl they love and failing).
I supported so much the other ship they had more chemistry than the other and tbh she was kinda bit..y to him most of the time.
It wasn't that bad but it could've been better.
When I heard of Just because and knew the writer I was excited to watch it but I decided to watch some reviews and from what you said it doesn't seem so good.
I will still watch it though.
The writer is hajime kamoshida who wrote sakurasou not pet and rascal doesn't dream of bunny girl senpai so it is a disappointment Just because 's ending wasn't that good.
Objectivity in art is a controversial concept. From the 'fandom' crowd you'll probably get a strong "Like what you like!". From those, like myself, who seek out these kind of think pieces you'll hear the merits of a pseudo-standardized metric to structure informed discussion.
But, given the title of this video and the way you have presented your question, I think it's obvious you know that already. It's aimed at the center of a familiar argument to spark discussion.
As a cynic, an elitist, and a repeat viewer I'd be very interested to hear if you encountered anything in the response to this video you hadn't considered before. I, and those like me, find new perspectives the most compelling click bait of all.
Food for thought.
Man, I feel like that ship got torpedoed, bombed, then nuked to sink it. I'm still too salty about it to comment much about this show
The ending is good...because if you want want the good ending ad you like ...just watch itaewon class... it is really similar to this anime... but the ending i think you will like it...
Here's the thing,in every love triangles, or when there's so many potential heroine, there's always gonna be someone like you who'll be upset with the ending because you rooted for the one who loses. I loved Just because, and i loved Komiya's character and wanted her to win. But as a SoL/drama/romance anime, just because is one of the best.
Never heard about this show before today, maybe worth a watch, unclear :)
It's strange since It's a show that I ultimately think is just alright, but perhaps mostly due to meta stuff it made me think a lot.
"Hated" Kokoro Connect for the exact same reason. xD
I love this show less because the story, but more for the calming vibes inside. Typical anime that u wanna watch after a long day in workplace.
If i must comment about the story, i just can answer : this is a subjective love story. Why? He choose Natsume just because she's his old friend. She had little effort for Eita, not like Komiya that really prove her love for him.
Yeah, (-) side that i don't like from Komiya is she sometimes is too noisy. But overall i still like her because she's a playful, cheerful, also creative, smart, and she really love what she do (Photography). As an Videographer, i can feel it. Girl like her are fits perfectly for those who seeking someone that able to colorize & fill some enjoyment to their life.
I'm a calm men, but in this anime i choose Komiya more than Natsume. I don't know, i think relationship w/ Natsume will going flat enough. She's not so playful & cheerful, but she's smart and intelligent in academic so that's why she choose the Education bachelor degree, so she deserved a boy with this same kind.
(ahh, that's why the anime have this title huh. "Just Because". i choose her "Just Because" she's ma old friend, and other subjective things)
But overall, Just Because is a average good stuff we must appreciate. Not so heart touching like Tsuki Ga Kirei (same genre, same time release), and also not so bad too. Just OK. 7,8 from 10...
I feel rating should be based on enjoyment
I don't really feel like the childhood friend winning was any kind of subversion. It's heavily coded throughout the whole show that she's going to win, which is why it's so infuriating to me when she's boring, is a jackass, and has no chemistry with the main character yet still gets with him because that's what the premise of the show is
You could say it happened... for no real reason (ha, subverted you). Also I meant subversion as in the childhood friend kind of as a trope never wins
@@Kamimashita yeah it can subvert the trope, but I dont think it's a very meaningful subversion when it's not subverting its own premise.
Just as we know from the beginning in a lot of shows that the new girl on the block is going to win we know from the beginning of this one that the boring nothing of a childhood friend is going to win
I do the same regularly mate.
Honestly I don't remember much about Just Because! but what I do remember is that I was similarly disappointed in the rejection of uncontested Best Girl.
Anime with a calm romance and great character. But why does this anime have so few fans 🤧
It's crazy how I absolutely love and hate the show. Oneof its best attributes imo is how it handles the messy nature of leaving high school
I'm sorry if it was just me but I fell asleep in the first few minutes of the first episode.... the pacing was a bit slow
Nah, it definitely was a bit plodding and controlled.
I couldn't have said it better I watched this anime a while ago and it just recently came to mind, and I totally agree, I felt like the main character and the childhood friend had no chemistry or nothing that made me want to support them, so I was also disappointed by the ending.
Personally I loved how Haruto & Hazuki's story ended, I think it's romantic and beautiful that he was willing to wait for her. She's understandably not ready for a relationship during that juncture in her life, once she's finally settled into her routine at college, she'll be more aware of her situation and therefore more capable of properly allocating time to focus on a relationship.
When it comes to Eita & Natsumi though, I'm glad the childhood friend won, and personally I didn't buy into Komiya's character at all. But you do raise some fair points, but I haven't thought about it the extent that I've thought about Haruto and Hazuki as I personally found their story to be more interesting.
I have yet to see such a frustrating anime. Most of the time I was yelling at the screen "would you people just talk to each other!!". Romance does not need to be this frustrating!
Perfect anime for my shitty lonely self.
Great that you made a video of just because!
I feel the same about the ship. Komiya was definitely a better choice. She tried so hard to be with him, and got nothing. While Natsume did jack shit and ended up with Izumi.
But unlike you, I don't hate (score of 4) the show. I don't really like the outcome but is still an okay show (7).
I feel both sides of the argument are valid I ended up enjoying "Just because" for the reasons you didn't enjoy it, but I think your arguments against it are more than fair.
In the end I think there's a difference between something being objectively bad and a person subjective interests and enjoyment, and to me what's important is a person being able to recognize this difference like you clearly expressed in this video.
I never watched this anime and i don't think i wll ever watch it because from what i've heard there no reason giving why both them need eachother nothing was ever said in the anime
Just finish the anime it's nice but gotta say and gotta agree the final ep.... Really disappointed me I mean like it's good they got together but bruh the whole anime there so little chemistry
While more chemistry with komiya and eita
Also there too much awkward and dramatic ish if that's the correct word until the there so little romances stuff... Yea didn't like how the end end of them taking one step then cut I do thinking the end and between balance chemistry bad writing
I just feel this anime was a waste of my anime time 😩 only watched the anime till the last episode because I wanted to what happens lol
I share the same sentiment,I didn't wish for that ending but I still got it.A boring show for me
I think there is a huge argument to be made about how badly chemistry in general is portrayed in anime. Part of it is cultural as physical contact and blunt interactions are kinda frowned upon in Japan but I think there is very bad habit in the media as a whole of *portraying* bad chemistry and *saying* its good. Conversations that go on forever but say absolutely nothing seem to be a fantasy ideal of a relationship romantic or otherwise. I hated Liz and the blue bird for this very reason. Because nothing was addressed or resolved, nothing was spoken about in detail and every harsh comment hushed down as quickly as it was said. People don't just get there feelings magically understood like that, communication wont just happened because they showed an emotion for a minuet or said a blunt thing that the conversation swiftly drops like it never happened. That is what I think the problem is. They want this fantasy that things will just work out without having to actually communicate any of it directly. So i think your issue is less in you did not get your ship but the personality quirks they wrote into blonde resonated more on screen then childhood friends gloomy wanting and symbolic items (this is another cultural thing in Japan holding onto trinkets and gifts openly as a way of saying "I care about you" indirectly kinda like sticking a kids drawing on the fridge).
Man I don't think destroying your opinion at the end is a good idea, It's kinda destroy the purpose of washing the video. I understand why you did it, but It was too much
Ah, this reminds me of True Tears. Guess I'll just skip this show.
Just Because was decent, until it fumbled the bag in the last episode or so, it was really disappointing, smh.
Im late but this anime had massive potential but the ending and the characters ruind it
I hated the last episode either
#Komiya4Ever
yes the ending suck so much that i hate it. but the show itself is far than bad.
i kinda tired watching overreacting comedic try hard anime over recent years. there something calming and nostalgic in this series that make me hard to hate this series despite the suck ending.
I like the ending
If you ask me,komiya is BETTER far far BETTER than natsume😑 that's it no more explanation 😑she is better BETTER Bruh BETTER😑
One thing you said doesn't ring true. You said "Eita has a right to be romantically interested in whoever he chooses." Eita doesn't have rights. He's a fictional character who's entire personality and agency is guided by the people writing the story. So he has no real rights, but rather is at the whim of the writers. If we look at it through that lens, who he chooses and the justification for that decision to potentially lead into an emotionally satisfying conclusion for his romantic endeavors is entirely up to the writers. If the writers make the choice for the character, and the audience is criticizing the character, they are actually criticizing the writers for not making that choice one that feels justified by the plot they wrote. So treating fictional characters as if they have rights is not exactly the correct way to go about the thought process here, as the show is subject to the whims of the writers, not the characters.
I absolutely despise natsume