Nisekoi – 12-16
Whoops.
Well I kind of forgot about this show… That’s my bad.
Another One
Sudden fiancée appearance!
Since I managed to completely forget about Nisekoi for a whole five episodes, there’s a lot to go over. Instead of regurgitating a wall of text though, I think I’ll just very briefly go over some of the highlights. The biggest thing that’s happened is the apparent progress Raku and co. have made in uncovering their mutual past. Obviously we’re no closer to learning the true identity of his childhood crush, but at least now it’s more or less certain that she has to be one of the girls surrounding him and not someone else entirely. Not that we would have suspected that in the first place. Anyway, the show actually did throw us a bit of a curve-ball in that way with the photo in the storeroom before introducing its subject and the latest addition to Raku’s harem, Marika. But then as we all know, it promptly goes on to formally introduce her to the rest of the cast (and to us), so that’s that.
Look out, she’s a Sith lord!
Speaking of Marika, I’m not too pleased with her entrance into the foray. I already knew that she would show up thanks to the show’s artwork and her silhouette in the first opening, but I’m starting to grow weary of the increasing “complexity” of the situation. It was already tangled enough with both Onodera and Chitoge being convincing leads as the identity of Raku’s childhood crush. But now there’s a third girl who’s also made a promise with a boy ten years ago and has a key that might fit in Raku’s locket? Seriously, what are the odds of that? The unnecessary complications aside, I also don’t like Marika’s character too much. I know that there are a number of people who do like her, but I find her obsessive dedication to Raku off-putting.
Marika’s true face.
It’s all nice and well that she’s liked him for the whole ten years during which they’ve been separated. But to change her appearance and behavior to match his “ideal girl” is a bit excessive if you ask me. It takes away from how genuine their relationship might be if she has to force herself to become someone else, even if she is completely fine with this. And the way she keeps reverting to her previous mannerisms when upset as well as her briefly saying that she hates girls with long hair suggest to me that she’s definitely forcing herself. Strangely enough, the one thing that I do like about Marika is her blatant exploitation of her father’s position and influence. It reflects the hard reality of clout and connections meaning everything in the world all too well. And the fact that she isn’t afraid to press her advantage using such means (along with simply being pushy) puts her ahead of the rest of the girls in my eyes.
Interruption
And now for something completely different.
Moving on, I found episode 16 strangely placed in the grand scheme of things. I almost thought I had started playing the wrong episode because it completely disregarded Marika despite taking place immediately after her introduction and instead focused entirely on Onodera. I’m not sure if Onodera needed more attention since she already has the leg-up on the other girls by being Raku’s current crush, so this episode felt very much like a side-story by abruptly interrupting the flow of the show. That’s not to say that every new character needs several episodes of focus to settle in, but I had figured the pattern of focusing on one girl for several episodes would continue. We started off with Onodera and then moved on to Chitoge with a brief intermission of Tsugumi in between, so I had every reason to believe that this would be Marika’s time to shine since she started with the disadvantage of entering late.
So the new status quo is there are three girls, each with a key that might or might not open Raku’s locket. And all three have some memories of making promises that match up to Raku’s own vague memories, though Marika apparently is most aware of the past out of the bunch. Tsugumi has been forgotten a bit, but she really has nothing to do with all this nonsense so that’s OK. Anyway, regardless of the accuracy of the quartet’s memories, the easy solution to identifying which one is the “real deal” would be for the girls to put their keys into Raku’s key hole. But now that they are all aware of the situation and the solution is finally on the table, said locket is currently away for repairs thanks to Chitoge being ham-fisted. How (in)convenient. Normally I’d get awfully impatient if that locket doesn’t return within the next few episodes for the key hole test, but as usual I’m not keeping my hopes up with Nisekoi.
Marika takes the lead?
About Sumairii
POWUH: iLurker with 19 comments
I’d totally grow a pair in Raku’s shoes and just go for Onodera. She’s adorable, is obviously in love with Raku, and is NOT CRAZY.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 163 comments
I don’t know – his affection for Onodera just seems so utterly shallow and superficial to me.
“She’s pretty, she’s meek, she’s polite, she’s in close proximity!”
For some reason it pisses me off and makes me hope he doesn’t get her as punishment for crushing in such a juvenile manner.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 163 comments
Besides, Onodera isn’t going to get him – for one simple fact:
She doesn’t exploit any of the “home-girl” advantages.
A standing home girl has to do a few things to seal the deal in a rom-com:
1. Exploit the home court advantage – you have connections to the locals in the boy’s life. Parents, friends, neighbors… make use of them. Find allies, they’re rooting for you anyway. Let them help you.
Onodera completely shoots this down by refusing to let her best friend help her. In fact, she so utterly refuses this help that I get the feeling Onodera really isn’t serious about it anyway.
2. Play up your past connections. Usually a home girl has a past history with the boy. She’s got to play it up and craft it into a romantic narrative for the boy. Do that, and you can make magic. Let the backstory just sit in the background… and honey – you ain’t got a prayer against the exotic troublesome hottie that fell from the sky on the guy’s face in episode one.
3. Never, never, NEVER support your rivals.
Honestly, this one alone is the kiss of death. Just about every osananajime/homegirl who becomes friends with the intruders and then promises to help them out with their relationship with the boy winds up not getting the boy. It’s almost foolproof. Demonstrate how much more you care about your own image as a nice girl than you care about the male lead and… you’re done. He’s as good as gone.
And unfortunately, Onodera has all three flaws in spades.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 163 comments
One final problem I have with Onodera (and I swear, I actually don’t hate the girl… promise):
It seems to me like the main reason Rakku likes her is because she’s different from his own family and nothing else.
We got from episode one that Rakku resents his family and upbringing and is rebelling against it. I honestly think Onodera is just a way for him to rebel against being a Yakuza heir. She fits his image of being not-Yakuza.
Which makes it feel more like a tantrum than anything lasting.
POWUH: iLurker with 19 comments
Yeah, it’s dead certain Raku’s not gonna do anything, with the same applying to Onodera. He’s weak and she’s even weaker and super dense. To be fair though, what difference does his affection stretch for the other two? Marika popped out of nowhere and he seems to have mostly forgotten her, and Chitoge wasn’t even intended to spot him from the beginning. They have little moments of sexual proximity and they naturally blush, but their moments together feel like forced input to get in the way- more pointless extension of the story.
Out of the three choices he has going for him, Onodera still seems like the best pick. He had that “high school crush” draw to her, but it wasn’t forced on him. Definitely not disagreeing with any of your points, but Nisekoi is not the place for genuine, well-built relationships, methinks.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
In this February’s Nisekoi character popularity poll, Kosaki is the #1 fan choice for the 2nd year in a row at 5110 votes.
Marika is #2 at 4518 votes, and Chitoge #3 at 4341 votes.
Other notables:
4.Ruri Miyamoto – 2,902 votes
5.Seishirou Tsugumi – 2,889 votes
6.Haru Onodera – 1,212 votes
7.Raku Ichijō – 662 votes
8.Fuu-chan – 515 votes
9.Paula McCoy – 494 votes
Marika took 4th place at last year’s poll at 2694 votes, BUT it is known that a Y-san of Chiba prefecture, Japan, voted for Marika over 1500 times for that year.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Nisekoi poll results, translated into English:
http://mangafox.me/manga/nisekoi/vTBD/c109/3.html
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 163 comments
MangaFox doesn’t display licensed manga anymore. MangaHere has it:
http://www.mangahere.com/manga/nisekoi_komi_naoshi/c109/3.html
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Who t’heck is entry #6,8,9.
KanaHana/Kosaki strong.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 163 comments
Never you mind – just evidence that the anime really needs to streamline the directionless harem-mess the manga has become.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 110 comments
well give recent eps going yea it’s harem battlefield.
yea raku trying get one girl is “hmm” since if go onodera at least get sweet shop.
but give beware avoid mob war with chitoge’s family & police riot by marika.
indeed harem battle field for the win.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
This show’s much easier to stomach if I don’t get it in my head that there should be a couple at the end. There won’t be, there’s no way there would ever be.
At this point, I think if I had to pick one of the girls, I’d go with Marika, because at least she can actualize what she wants. She’s the only one who’s ever stated her intentions to Raku, she’s the only one who isn’t just getting embarrassed every time she tries to talk to him. I mean, that’s really getting a bit old from all the other girls. Plus, I think my favorite part of the series so far was Raku’s talk with Marika’s father. Both of them laying their cards out there and saying what’s going on, and Dad had a good attitude about it.
POWUH: iLurker with 19 comments
You know, those are some mighty fine points. Given that Marika wasn’t absolutely bonkers and somewhat scary, I’d be with you 100%. However, I guess I’ll continue my sane and safe (yet entirely fruitless) choice.