dope shades, also the story structure in the anime reminds of this book i read years ago called the color of water. one chapter focused on the writer's mother and the next focused on the authors life inter twining up until the end giving the full story. The Hiruko (because the name ) reminds me of Xam'd the lost memories. tbh the disturbing scene , i didn't like it. i mean the story was holding up so well and the mystery was enough to to keep me going about the cataclysm, the students and maru's mission and Kiruko finding the doctor (just got me thinking of Tokyo ghoul). i'm still interested in seeing how the story progresses .
I think it has super interesting concepts all round and am so glad I found it. Most people aren’t ready to talk about what growing up in a dystopian world would actually be like. Although the anime maintains its dark aesthetic throughout Maru’s immaturity is a well used comical relief at times and that’s all it’s intended to be. If your wanting to see character growth you’re asking for it way to early in the series going off of how pacing is going thus far.
What's sad is, this is really frustratingly common. Even some of my all-time favourites have this weird uncomfortable dynamic, where one scene is dealing with the horrifying trauma of sexual assault, but there will be many scenes of the male protagonist sexually forcing themselves on characters, implying that it's okay / funny when it's them and not an *actual* rapist. It's infuriating.. Like, I really do think the Monogatari series has some phenomenonal and truly empathic writing on the issues women face in modern Japan, especially including sexual assault, while also relentlessly sexualising those women and having the protagonist force himself on them like a feral beast. I just don't get it..
I have no basis for this, but I guess those scenes seem to be seen as "comedy" in japan which jp people might seperate from the overall story much more than in the west? Not that it's any excuse, in the pursue of oftentimes completely unfunny or straight up uncomfortable jokes they tend to ridicule their own story matter lmao
I just felt those scenes in monogatari were gags, they were so ridiculous that I couldnt take them seriously as an accurate representation of the characters. I think thats why it mostly occurs with the non human characters which if u noticed have a lot more wacky humor too them like slap stick.
you have a very special knack for eloquently putting feelings into words. your thoughts were how I felt exactly. I think the show could (should?) have made the learning of boundaries a character development for Maru as opposed to those gags or one-off scenes. Then it would have made more sense for Maru to have that fuck-up at the start of the season, grow & change, and eventually become a character worthy of kicking Robin's ass without it feeling so... idk, rescue-y.
As a woman who grew up in a very patriarchal country, while I myself cringe at moments like the "titty is titty, man" I got used in my teenage years to moments of occasional pushing the boundaries and light groping treated as a joke and used too to pick my battles and let some things slide because of how common it was. And a lot of times when it happened it was a person I knew to be good and kind and overall respectful, people who would condemn the r*pe that happened in 12th ep without questions. And so what I'm interested in is how Maru's attitude will change and how he will see Kiruko's boundaries going forward, how he'll grow and whether he'd reflect on his own actions, bc I do think his point of view is the main one for the show, it is a seinen after all. So what he sees as a joke would be treated as a joke. He did start growing in terms of understanding gender, and I liked it, so I hope they would do the same when it comes to sexualities and consent. The scene with him attacking the dude I see as a subversion of male saviour trope, as it both gives us a taste of satisfaction from vengeance but denies us the full of it bc Kiruko outright stops him - and this is their decision - a decision I fully understand even if I might not agree with it, and I'm glad Maru does the same. I think the point where he stops is more crucial and important for his growth than the beating and the saving. This is him respecting her choice, even if it is probably impossibly hard for him - we saw him again and again as someone who always finishes the battles he decides to pick. So it gives me hope for his future growth too.
First I'd like to say great video detailing both your praises and issues with the story. I've been pretty picky with the vids I watch on Tengoku due to the nature of it's story and I'm glad I saw yours. Really good video! I want to start saying that the scene with them happy and joking in the van at the end of the season is really disappointing. It was an anime only moment that got added at the end, the manga instead ending that part of the story with Kiruko's speech, and a shot of their van driving off in the distance, finally ending on a panel of the torn picture of Haruki in the water. We see that shot in the anime as well but obviously not before are characters are essentially reset for a chipper season finale. For how well they've handled the series so far it's disappointing to see them get seemingly cold feet about ending on such a serious note. As for the consent topic with Maru and Kiruko's scene, each instance of Kiruko rejecting Maru's advances has always been from a place of "You wouldn't or shouldn't actually want to be with me because I'm really a man!" She follows Maru's attempt at kissing her with her history of how she used to be a man and is now trapped in a woman's body. The metal door of the ship they sit next to having blood written on it saying "Keep Out". A warning for passengers, but also a sign of what Kiruko is trying to do to Maru. She hasn't said she's uninterested, but instead reveals part of her history she believes will turn Maru away. It's the same with the bed scene, she doesn't reject his advances and even says she's okay with it so long as he understands she's actually a man. "A promise between men!" But I sort of doubt she's saying that in the moment because she does feel that way, and instead says it as another attempt to turn Maru off from her. I believe those are the honest attempts of what the series is doing. And that's how the scenes feel to me, personally it's sort of comforting in a way that Maru has consistently shown he loves Kiruko for being Kiruko, despite her attempts to negate his interests. However.... You are right that while these scenes can be seen as a quick gag or even intimate character moments like I do, episode 12 really puts them under a different lens. It's hard not to view these moments as icky now but I'll hope that this is intentional and shall be addressed in retrospect later in the manga. Whether it has or not I can't say. I'm elated that you've enjoyed the series despite the issues you take with the show, and I recommend that if you do read the manga to start from the beginning. The anime had to cut some small slice of life moments, and moments that serve as clues to later reveals. It's also a series designed to be reread because of how many clues laid out are either missed, or clues to other events. It's a fantastic read and I hope you enjoy what Tengoku has to show following where S1 ended. You'll also have to wait a month for every chapter to release which can be... Emotionally taxing to say the least..😔
Having not seen the show or the manga, my guess is that Maru will take this as a point of character development. The couple of instances mentioned in episode 2 and 6 seem like a preface for an attitude change that Maru will have going forward from episode 12.
Personally, as a trans woman who is still in a man’s body, I would not want my family to refer to me as a girl.I understand how difficult it is to see a man in front of you and at the same time call him a girl, I don’t want them to be confused and worried, so let them call me whatever they want. Perhaps, maaaaaybe, Kiru has the same logic
this comment includes manga spoilers and is written with a joyful tone so dont pretend like im attacking anyone's opinion here like its a facebook argument or something. idk i feel like youve missed some of the points the story was trying to make, or maybe i did. maru is like 16, he is still a kid and as such youre supposed to judge him like he is a dumb teenager, youre not really supposed to look at his actions as a man forcing himself onto a woman, youre supposed to look at his actions as a kid learning what boundaries are, he didnt had experience with girls and he has no idea what to with these feelings that he feels probably for the first time other than kind of guess it and while it might be unfortunate his only resource is really porn magz its also kind of realistic especially in a post apocalyptic world. if you expect things to come naturally to Maru or for him to have the judgement you or I might have when it comes to sexual encounters than youre basically judging a fish by his ability to climb a tree. asking "why is this scene even here" in regards to the kissing scene, well, thats why and the story wants to make sure you know he is a harmless idiot kid testing the world and not a 40 year old man robbing the world of the little innocence it has left. the scene where he tries to kiss or touch boobs are kind of a showing of basically being a dumb kid who really doesnt understand how these situations work, plus the boob scene was kind of Kiruko fault, Maru really did just saw that entire interaction as a game, he wasnt trying to have sex there, thats how unga bungah his brain was at that moment. (you can look at it also as Kiruko thinking they are playing with their sister body only to realize in the future "oh wait this is MY body") the scene that follows it kinda of emphasize it when he touches boobs for the first time and just goes banana brain for a moment before realizing he can interact with the innkeeper core only to not even realize the situation he is in because he is so focused on just one thing at a time (p.s. im pretty sure the innkeeper is like 13 and already knows she wants to be a prostitute with an inn, so its strange but its kind of a way of telling you "this is not a normal society anymore"). . I think juichi story was lacking on purpose, its was a very foggy experience and i feel like it was meant to feel like it because we are supposed to have these goofy characters feel sympathy for a guy who has an amazingly strange story, by the end you feel sorry for the guy but because of how he was introduced and how foggy everything is you leave that little arc the same as the characters do "that was kind of sad but meh" without feeling the whole disgusting entire horrible life Juichi probably lived because i dont think the story wanted you to feel it yet, just to be aware that in this world you will be taken advantage of. i dont know if the grape scene would have been as impactful really as it was if we didnt had Juichi story first, I mean you kind of stumble onto it yourself, why arent we taking this in a light hearted way? why are there no jokes? why is everything feels so serious all of a sudden? oh, yeah, because now its happening to us, not to someone else. we feel the pain Kiruko feel, theres just no real way for us to feel how Juichi felt. . I would not have liked it if Kiruko would have been the one to take Robin out, this would kind of undermine a lot of the scene, up til now she very much felt like the protector and having that stripped away from her is huge, it destroys her own self worth and identity (i think in the manga even the mirror scene is a lor more powerful since you really feel like Haruki is fighting the mirror). if she would have been the one to punch Robin itll be a strange moment, like where was this before? its not like she is stronger now than before its not like she couldnt fight before etc' she just felt so weak because someone robbed her of a piece of her own identity even tho she could have escaped she didnt and she was in a defeated mindset, she was basically broken at that point. . and actually its super important for Maru to be the one to save her because she finally accept she depend on him more or less as much as he depends on her and she yells at him not to kill Robin, as in dont kill for revenge and dont be a murderer because youll just go down to his level, while Robin probably deserves to die if Maru would kill him there and than its a threshold that you cant really go back from. In fact its an incredibly brave moment from Kiruko basically saying "something was robbed from who i am and i dont want something to be robbed from who you are", ofcours Maru has no idea why cause he is a kid that has a very one direction mindset and just follows orders but Kiruko knows and the hope is that he will understand that value in the future. . that last scene between them was super important where Kiruko has no idea what person they are now, remember Kiruko even said that they feel like if you break them apart and put them back together they will disappear and their sister will be the dominant personality to overcome the body, they dont believe they are who they think they were up til now, im not a protector? im not a provider? im not the emotional rock? than who am i? etc' and Maru, very bravely for a 16 year old, telling Kiruko the person you were and the person your sister were is not the person you are now and thats the person i love. . and as a side note to kind of tie all of it together, theres a pretty obvious parallel between Haruki toxic likingness towards his sister (tho idk if in a post apocalyptic world im gonna start judging ppl on liking their sister/brother in a sexual way) and Maru likingness towards Kiruko, all the reasons why Maru likes Kiruko are the reasons why Haruki was inloved with his sister more or less and the story tries to shape Maru into someone who, as the story progresses, understand more and more what liking someone means and Kiruko is trying to more and more feel comfortable being a new person and not try to cling to either their old self or their sister's personality. at some point the torch of making a crucial decision is gonna go to Maru and what ever choice he makes at that point will be a result of the person he was shaped to be. And Kiruko will have to accept who this new person they have become is. P.S. atm in the manga they kind of dont show any signs of the sexual trauma really hitting Kiruko and I feel like its a pretty big missed opportunity to show this as part of the character development, however Maru, as far as Im aware, does seems to be aware of it and is no longer doing any sexual advances probably because he understand where Kiruko is at the moment mentally. But I assume this will come back at some point, its just kind of the curse of a manga story where consequences dont follow actions, lose a limb? np you will always have equally strong prosthetics. mentally broken? np, in the next chapter you forget about it. trauma of losing parents? np, next chapter you find some new parental figure and forget about them ever existing. maybe its a harsh mirror to Japan's depressing way of dealing with mental health.. p.p.s there was a bit of a funny moment in the story where Maru wears a wig and Kiruko asks Juichi who is cuter and when she hears its her she is happy about it and i fee like while I wouldnt really say Kiruko is a "trans" character since that transition was kind of forced onto them and the person that comes out is not really the person that went in, idk its strange but its a joke that from my experience with my trans friends I feel like a lot of trans people can really relate to. p.p.p.s I dont think for a moment Kiruko will take over the body at any point, its not like Toji from JJK, theres no denying Haruki's brain is the one in control but some of their sister's memories and the experiences from their body basically shape this new persona, for them it feels like their sister is taking over, in reality its just them trying to accept who they are now, I mean think about it if you all of a sudden saw some1 elses memories you would also feel like your brain is being taken over by that someone anyways good day and all
I am not in your situation or Kiruko's one so obv my judgement can't be taken in account all that much, anyway the scene of Maru trying to touch kiruko didn't bother me at all, like you see this type of shit everyday in animes so I didn't think about it in the first place. Watching your video made me think tho, this show is different from the other and takes its time to discover these themes, so you wouldn't expect these type of scenes in it, especially in the funny/comical way. Still, the difference between maru and robin is pretty clear, I mean Kiruko literally set that reward for Maru to get that battery back, I mean he risked his life as long as it was all shits and giggles in the anime, they know Maru likes them and you just can't toy with one's emotions like that. About the robin beating scene, I may be a fucking toddler but seeing the bad guy who did THAT BAD THING to kiruko, all of that while maru was waiting not knowing all that just living with the feeling that there was someone else in kiruko's life that made them happy, I mean I quite enjoyed it for the sake of it. Also as a manga reader, I want to make a spoiler about a minor scene (as for now) in the manga at time of writing they brought back kiruko's experience like once, there are like these 2 panels where Kiruko finds out that the more they go on the more Kiriko's personality and memories take over the Haruki persona, but that's it, nothing more. I've seen many comments on the wiki being angry at this and I get it, you don't pull out these type of things just for them to be irrevelant to the story, I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens.
You nailed it! This anime/manga would be a high recommendation from me to my friends if it wasn't for this weirdo sex "humor" against the FMC. I am a big fan of Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura and they want the humor to have like a light hearted groping humor but NO its fucking SA. Rumiko Takahashi always let the heroine beat the person so badly that WAS THE JOKE not you holding someone down or groping them as the joke. This shit really be taking you out of the journey and mystery when they pull this shit. THEN that rape scene albeit well done and NOT fan servicey (thank you god for very small blessings) DID NOT need to be that fucking brutal and mind fucky for them to SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG AND NOT REVISIT THAT TRAUMA in the anime NOR manga. Why was that so gratuitous if we were not going to explore any of that and LET ROBIN LIVE AND LEAVE TO DO IT AGAIN?! We just get Maru saying how he loves the FMC...yup make it about you dude. Then Kirikuo is like "I cried about it and can't be depressed forever hee hee ;)" AUGH why you put me through this shit with no payoff you fucking weridos!! It is so hard being an anime fan you subjected to people's werid sex shit non stop with NO BEARING ON THE PLOT OR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Anime Spoilers!!!!!!! First of all, your video quality is top notch. Keep it up I really enjoyed it! Now to the content itself. You seem to be disliking the parallels Maru und Robin supposedly portray, whereas Maru gets a pass and Robin gets shunned (rightfully so). I don't see it that way. Maru forced himself on Kiruko during the hotel scene specifically because of their "deal" on the bridge, where Maru gets the battery for the Kiru-beam in exchange to copping a feel. Now this obviously doesn't automatically give him a right to force it, but Kiruko wasn't specifically saying "no", she was more so trying to make him back off the deal himself because she knew what she promised. If she, in a serious tone, explained, that she is not comfortable with it and that she is sorry, Maru would have accepted it because he respects her unconditionally. The scene was obviously meant to be comedic and not so serious after more serious encounter. What I am trying to say is that Robin and Maru, while being attracted to the same body/person, are complete polar opposites. Now to a different topic. For anime only people, there is a sentence in the Manga that was not said in the Anime, which I think is also really important. In the very first episode once the duo finds shelter in that one womans house that lost her son to a maneater, while Maru is drying Kirukos hair, he makes a comment about a wound on her head, which is NOT the brain transplant scar. Now if you also picked up the flashbacks of Harukis sister, that he saw, you will hear a gunshot... Fuck Robin is all I want to say. Don't compare that piece of shit to Maru. Actual manga spoilers from here on out!!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET SPOILED!! As for the Robin rape scene and Kiruko seemingly brushing it off immediately, the manga shows some of Kirukos thoughts regarding Maru und how she feels about herself after the incident. She doesn't want Maru to fall in love with her, because she feels like trash after letting Robin abuse his sisters body. She shows hints towards having actually fallen in love with Maru, doesn't show it though because she wants him to find someone better. She also makes comments about how some girls they meet would be a perfect match for him. This inner conflict hasn't been resolved yet, but I sense a really emotional outburst from both sides once this topic comes up. And Kiruko possibly spiraling down a path of depression and disgust of herself. Pure speculation
One of the things I love about how Kiruko’s gender is treated is that you can read it however you want. As a trans woman, I always read her as also being a trans woman, but there are numerous reasons to view her as a trans man or enby. Also, the Robin incident’s affects on her do come up later in the manga, but it’s very subtle if you’re not looking for it.
Common rape response is to just sort of freeze up, same thing as how if a bear burst down your door right now most people would probably freeze up and not know what to do, exact same thing happens to rape victims unfortunately.
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dope shades, also the story structure in the anime reminds of this book i read years ago called the color of water. one chapter focused on the writer's mother and the next focused on the authors life inter twining up until the end giving the full story. The Hiruko (because the name ) reminds me of Xam'd the lost memories. tbh the disturbing scene , i didn't like it. i mean the story was holding up so well and the mystery was enough to to keep me going about the cataclysm, the students and maru's mission and Kiruko finding the doctor (just got me thinking of Tokyo ghoul). i'm still interested in seeing how the story progresses .
I think it has super interesting concepts all round and am so glad I found it. Most people aren’t ready to talk about what growing up in a dystopian world would actually be like. Although the anime maintains its dark aesthetic throughout Maru’s immaturity is a well used comical relief at times and that’s all it’s intended to be. If your wanting to see character growth you’re asking for it way to early in the series going off of how pacing is going thus far.
What's sad is, this is really frustratingly common. Even some of my all-time favourites have this weird uncomfortable dynamic, where one scene is dealing with the horrifying trauma of sexual assault, but there will be many scenes of the male protagonist sexually forcing themselves on characters, implying that it's okay / funny when it's them and not an *actual* rapist. It's infuriating..
Like, I really do think the Monogatari series has some phenomenonal and truly empathic writing on the issues women face in modern Japan, especially including sexual assault, while also relentlessly sexualising those women and having the protagonist force himself on them like a feral beast. I just don't get it..
I have no basis for this, but I guess those scenes seem to be seen as "comedy" in japan which jp people might seperate from the overall story much more than in the west?
Not that it's any excuse, in the pursue of oftentimes completely unfunny or straight up uncomfortable jokes they tend to ridicule their own story matter lmao
I just felt those scenes in monogatari were gags, they were so ridiculous that I couldnt take them seriously as an accurate representation of the characters. I think thats why it mostly occurs with the non human characters which if u noticed have a lot more wacky humor too them like slap stick.
you have a very special knack for eloquently putting feelings into words. your thoughts were how I felt exactly. I think the show could (should?) have made the learning of boundaries a character development for Maru as opposed to those gags or one-off scenes. Then it would have made more sense for Maru to have that fuck-up at the start of the season, grow & change, and eventually become a character worthy of kicking Robin's ass without it feeling so... idk, rescue-y.
As a woman who grew up in a very patriarchal country, while I myself cringe at moments like the "titty is titty, man" I got used in my teenage years to moments of occasional pushing the boundaries and light groping treated as a joke and used too to pick my battles and let some things slide because of how common it was. And a lot of times when it happened it was a person I knew to be good and kind and overall respectful, people who would condemn the r*pe that happened in 12th ep without questions.
And so what I'm interested in is how Maru's attitude will change and how he will see Kiruko's boundaries going forward, how he'll grow and whether he'd reflect on his own actions, bc I do think his point of view is the main one for the show, it is a seinen after all. So what he sees as a joke would be treated as a joke. He did start growing in terms of understanding gender, and I liked it, so I hope they would do the same when it comes to sexualities and consent.
The scene with him attacking the dude I see as a subversion of male saviour trope, as it both gives us a taste of satisfaction from vengeance but denies us the full of it bc Kiruko outright stops him - and this is their decision - a decision I fully understand even if I might not agree with it, and I'm glad Maru does the same. I think the point where he stops is more crucial and important for his growth than the beating and the saving. This is him respecting her choice, even if it is probably impossibly hard for him - we saw him again and again as someone who always finishes the battles he decides to pick. So it gives me hope for his future growth too.
First I'd like to say great video detailing both your praises and issues with the story. I've been pretty picky with the vids I watch on Tengoku due to the nature of it's story and I'm glad I saw yours. Really good video!
I want to start saying that the scene with them happy and joking in the van at the end of the season is really disappointing. It was an anime only moment that got added at the end, the manga instead ending that part of the story with Kiruko's speech, and a shot of their van driving off in the distance, finally ending on a panel of the torn picture of Haruki in the water. We see that shot in the anime as well but obviously not before are characters are essentially reset for a chipper season finale. For how well they've handled the series so far it's disappointing to see them get seemingly cold feet about ending on such a serious note.
As for the consent topic with Maru and Kiruko's scene, each instance of Kiruko rejecting Maru's advances has always been from a place of "You wouldn't or shouldn't actually want to be with me because I'm really a man!" She follows Maru's attempt at kissing her with her history of how she used to be a man and is now trapped in a woman's body. The metal door of the ship they sit next to having blood written on it saying "Keep Out". A warning for passengers, but also a sign of what Kiruko is trying to do to Maru. She hasn't said she's uninterested, but instead reveals part of her history she believes will turn Maru away. It's the same with the bed scene, she doesn't reject his advances and even says she's okay with it so long as he understands she's actually a man. "A promise between men!" But I sort of doubt she's saying that in the moment because she does feel that way, and instead says it as another attempt to turn Maru off from her.
I believe those are the honest attempts of what the series is doing. And that's how the scenes feel to me, personally it's sort of comforting in a way that Maru has consistently shown he loves Kiruko for being Kiruko, despite her attempts to negate his interests. However.... You are right that while these scenes can be seen as a quick gag or even intimate character moments like I do, episode 12 really puts them under a different lens. It's hard not to view these moments as icky now but I'll hope that this is intentional and shall be addressed in retrospect later in the manga. Whether it has or not I can't say.
I'm elated that you've enjoyed the series despite the issues you take with the show, and I recommend that if you do read the manga to start from the beginning. The anime had to cut some small slice of life moments, and moments that serve as clues to later reveals. It's also a series designed to be reread because of how many clues laid out are either missed, or clues to other events. It's a fantastic read and I hope you enjoy what Tengoku has to show following where S1 ended.
You'll also have to wait a month for every chapter to release which can be... Emotionally taxing to say the least..😔
Having not seen the show or the manga, my guess is that Maru will take this as a point of character development. The couple of instances mentioned in episode 2 and 6 seem like a preface for an attitude change that Maru will have going forward from episode 12.
FYI in my opinion the manga maintains the quality throughout 👍
Pausing the video to go watch the show, as a gender funky individual it sounds right up my alley! I love a convoluted gender/body swap plot.
Hope you enjoy it!
Personally, as a trans woman who is still in a man’s body, I would not want my family to refer to me as a girl.I understand how difficult it is to see a man in front of you and at the same time call him a girl, I don’t want them to be confused and worried, so let them call me whatever they want. Perhaps, maaaaaybe, Kiru has the same logic
great vid man 🤞🔥
Thank you 🙏🏽
This kind of reminds me of the way hazbin Hotel handles sa. One minute, it's serious, but the next, it's a joke
this comment includes manga spoilers and is written with a joyful tone so dont pretend like im attacking anyone's opinion here like its a facebook argument or something.
idk
i feel like youve missed some of the points the story was trying to make, or maybe i did.
maru is like 16, he is still a kid and as such youre supposed to judge him like he is a dumb teenager, youre not really supposed to look at his actions as a man forcing himself onto a woman, youre supposed to look at his actions as a kid learning what boundaries are, he didnt had experience with girls and he has no idea what to with these feelings that he feels probably for the first time other than kind of guess it and while it might be unfortunate his only resource is really porn magz its also kind of realistic especially in a post apocalyptic world.
if you expect things to come naturally to Maru or for him to have the judgement you or I might have when it comes to sexual encounters than youre basically judging a fish by his ability to climb a tree.
asking "why is this scene even here" in regards to the kissing scene, well, thats why and the story wants to make sure you know he is a harmless idiot kid testing the world and not a 40 year old man robbing the world of the little innocence it has left.
the scene where he tries to kiss or touch boobs are kind of a showing of basically being a dumb kid who really doesnt understand how these situations work, plus the boob scene was kind of Kiruko fault, Maru really did just saw that entire interaction as a game, he wasnt trying to have sex there, thats how unga bungah his brain was at that moment.
(you can look at it also as Kiruko thinking they are playing with their sister body only to realize in the future "oh wait this is MY body")
the scene that follows it kinda of emphasize it when he touches boobs for the first time and just goes banana brain for a moment before realizing he can interact with the innkeeper core only to not even realize the situation he is in because he is so focused on just one thing at a time (p.s. im pretty sure the innkeeper is like 13 and already knows she wants to be a prostitute with an inn, so its strange but its kind of a way of telling you "this is not a normal society anymore").
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I think juichi story was lacking on purpose, its was a very foggy experience and i feel like it was meant to feel like it because we are supposed to have these goofy characters feel sympathy for a guy who has an amazingly strange story, by the end you feel sorry for the guy but because of how he was introduced and how foggy everything is you leave that little arc the same as the characters do "that was kind of sad but meh" without feeling the whole disgusting entire horrible life Juichi probably lived because i dont think the story wanted you to feel it yet, just to be aware that in this world you will be taken advantage of.
i dont know if the grape scene would have been as impactful really as it was if we didnt had Juichi story first, I mean you kind of stumble onto it yourself, why arent we taking this in a light hearted way? why are there no jokes? why is everything feels so serious all of a sudden?
oh, yeah, because now its happening to us, not to someone else.
we feel the pain Kiruko feel, theres just no real way for us to feel how Juichi felt.
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I would not have liked it if Kiruko would have been the one to take Robin out, this would kind of undermine a lot of the scene, up til now she very much felt like the protector and having that stripped away from her is huge, it destroys her own self worth and identity (i think in the manga even the mirror scene is a lor more powerful since you really feel like Haruki is fighting the mirror).
if she would have been the one to punch Robin itll be a strange moment, like where was this before? its not like she is stronger now than before its not like she couldnt fight before etc' she just felt so weak because someone robbed her of a piece of her own identity even tho she could have escaped she didnt and she was in a defeated mindset, she was basically broken at that point.
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and actually its super important for Maru to be the one to save her because she finally accept she depend on him more or less as much as he depends on her and she yells at him not to kill Robin, as in dont kill for revenge and dont be a murderer because youll just go down to his level, while Robin probably deserves to die if Maru would kill him there and than its a threshold that you cant really go back from.
In fact its an incredibly brave moment from Kiruko basically saying "something was robbed from who i am and i dont want something to be robbed from who you are", ofcours Maru has no idea why cause he is a kid that has a very one direction mindset and just follows orders but Kiruko knows and the hope is that he will understand that value in the future.
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that last scene between them was super important where Kiruko has no idea what person they are now, remember Kiruko even said that they feel like if you break them apart and put them back together they will disappear and their sister will be the dominant personality to overcome the body, they dont believe they are who they think they were up til now, im not a protector? im not a provider? im not the emotional rock? than who am i? etc'
and Maru, very bravely for a 16 year old, telling Kiruko the person you were and the person your sister were is not the person you are now and thats the person i love.
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and as a side note to kind of tie all of it together, theres a pretty obvious parallel between Haruki toxic likingness towards his sister (tho idk if in a post apocalyptic world im gonna start judging ppl on liking their sister/brother in a sexual way) and Maru likingness towards Kiruko, all the reasons why Maru likes Kiruko are the reasons why Haruki was inloved with his sister more or less and the story tries to shape Maru into someone who, as the story progresses, understand more and more what liking someone means and Kiruko is trying to more and more feel comfortable being a new person and not try to cling to either their old self or their sister's personality.
at some point the torch of making a crucial decision is gonna go to Maru and what ever choice he makes at that point will be a result of the person he was shaped to be.
And Kiruko will have to accept who this new person they have become is.
P.S.
atm in the manga they kind of dont show any signs of the sexual trauma really hitting Kiruko and I feel like its a pretty big missed opportunity to show this as part of the character development, however Maru, as far as Im aware, does seems to be aware of it and is no longer doing any sexual advances probably because he understand where Kiruko is at the moment mentally.
But I assume this will come back at some point, its just kind of the curse of a manga story where consequences dont follow actions, lose a limb? np you will always have equally strong prosthetics. mentally broken? np, in the next chapter you forget about it. trauma of losing parents? np, next chapter you find some new parental figure and forget about them ever existing.
maybe its a harsh mirror to Japan's depressing way of dealing with mental health..
p.p.s
there was a bit of a funny moment in the story where Maru wears a wig and Kiruko asks Juichi who is cuter and when she hears its her she is happy about it and i fee like while I wouldnt really say Kiruko is a "trans" character since that transition was kind of forced onto them and the person that comes out is not really the person that went in, idk its strange but its a joke that from my experience with my trans friends I feel like a lot of trans people can really relate to.
p.p.p.s
I dont think for a moment Kiruko will take over the body at any point, its not like Toji from JJK, theres no denying Haruki's brain is the one in control but some of their sister's memories and the experiences from their body basically shape this new persona, for them it feels like their sister is taking over, in reality its just them trying to accept who they are now, I mean think about it if you all of a sudden saw some1 elses memories you would also feel like your brain is being taken over by that someone
anyways good day and all
I am not in your situation or Kiruko's one so obv my judgement can't be taken in account all that much, anyway the scene of Maru trying to touch kiruko didn't bother me at all, like you see this type of shit everyday in animes so I didn't think about it in the first place. Watching your video made me think tho, this show is different from the other and takes its time to discover these themes, so you wouldn't expect these type of scenes in it, especially in the funny/comical way. Still, the difference between maru and robin is pretty clear, I mean Kiruko literally set that reward for Maru to get that battery back, I mean he risked his life as long as it was all shits and giggles in the anime, they know Maru likes them and you just can't toy with one's emotions like that. About the robin beating scene, I may be a fucking toddler but seeing the bad guy who did THAT BAD THING to kiruko, all of that while maru was waiting not knowing all that just living with the feeling that there was someone else in kiruko's life that made them happy, I mean I quite enjoyed it for the sake of it.
Also as a manga reader, I want to make a spoiler about a minor scene (as for now) in the manga
at time of writing they brought back kiruko's experience like once, there are like these 2 panels where Kiruko finds out that the more they go on the more Kiriko's personality and memories take over the Haruki persona, but that's it, nothing more. I've seen many comments on the wiki being angry at this and I get it, you don't pull out these type of things just for them to be irrevelant to the story, I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens.
You nailed it! This anime/manga would be a high recommendation from me to my friends if it wasn't for this weirdo sex "humor" against the FMC. I am a big fan of Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura and they want the humor to have like a light hearted groping humor but NO its fucking SA. Rumiko Takahashi always let the heroine beat the person so badly that WAS THE JOKE not you holding someone down or groping them as the joke. This shit really be taking you out of the journey and mystery when they pull this shit. THEN that rape scene albeit well done and NOT fan servicey (thank you god for very small blessings) DID NOT need to be that fucking brutal and mind fucky for them to SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG AND NOT REVISIT THAT TRAUMA in the anime NOR manga. Why was that so gratuitous if we were not going to explore any of that and LET ROBIN LIVE AND LEAVE TO DO IT AGAIN?! We just get Maru saying how he loves the FMC...yup make it about you dude. Then Kirikuo is like "I cried about it and can't be depressed forever hee hee ;)" AUGH why you put me through this shit with no payoff you fucking weridos!! It is so hard being an anime fan you subjected to people's werid sex shit non stop with NO BEARING ON THE PLOT OR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Anime Spoilers!!!!!!!
First of all, your video quality is top notch. Keep it up I really enjoyed it! Now to the content itself.
You seem to be disliking the parallels Maru und Robin supposedly portray, whereas Maru gets a pass and Robin gets shunned (rightfully so).
I don't see it that way. Maru forced himself on Kiruko during the hotel scene specifically because of their "deal" on the bridge, where Maru gets the battery for the Kiru-beam in exchange to copping a feel.
Now this obviously doesn't automatically give him a right to force it, but Kiruko wasn't specifically saying "no", she was more so trying to make him back off the deal himself because she knew what she promised.
If she, in a serious tone, explained, that she is not comfortable with it and that she is sorry, Maru would have accepted it because he respects her unconditionally. The scene was obviously meant to be comedic and not so serious after more serious encounter.
What I am trying to say is that Robin and Maru, while being attracted to the same body/person, are complete polar opposites.
Now to a different topic. For anime only people, there is a sentence in the Manga that was not said in the Anime, which I think is also really important. In the very first episode once the duo finds shelter in that one womans house that lost her son to a maneater, while Maru is drying Kirukos hair, he makes a comment about a wound on her head, which is NOT the brain transplant scar.
Now if you also picked up the flashbacks of Harukis sister, that he saw, you will hear a gunshot...
Fuck Robin is all I want to say. Don't compare that piece of shit to Maru.
Actual manga spoilers from here on out!!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET SPOILED!!
As for the Robin rape scene and Kiruko seemingly brushing it off immediately, the manga shows some of Kirukos thoughts regarding Maru und how she feels about herself after the incident.
She doesn't want Maru to fall in love with her, because she feels like trash after letting Robin abuse his sisters body. She shows hints towards having actually fallen in love with Maru, doesn't show it though because she wants him to find someone better. She also makes comments about how some girls they meet would be a perfect match for him.
This inner conflict hasn't been resolved yet, but I sense a really emotional outburst from both sides once this topic comes up. And Kiruko possibly spiraling down a path of depression and disgust of herself. Pure speculation
One of the things I love about how Kiruko’s gender is treated is that you can read it however you want. As a trans woman, I always read her as also being a trans woman, but there are numerous reasons to view her as a trans man or enby.
Also, the Robin incident’s affects on her do come up later in the manga, but it’s very subtle if you’re not looking for it.
Why did Kiruko allow him or herself to be _____ by that dude when she could have just escaped the whole time? Haven't seen anyone talk about this
she was handcuffed wasnt she?
@@asdlol1926 she broke herself out later to stop other dude from killing other dude when he came to save her
@@superchamploo1155 i just rewatched and for some reason the handcuffs are now wooden rope?? so idk
Common rape response is to just sort of freeze up, same thing as how if a bear burst down your door right now most people would probably freeze up and not know what to do, exact same thing happens to rape victims unfortunately.