Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii – 12 [END]
This anime ends with Nike accidentally seeing Livi and Kitora doing yaoi stuff (I wish)
Welp, here it is, the ending of Soreseka. I watched recently, and… What can I say?
It’s all about family // So I guess the last episode conclude the conflict between Tohara and Nike. And I was right about the whole conflict ends up being Tohara not wanting to let go Nike. She just misses her granddaughter. I can say nothing about this except how ridiculous the family conflict turned out to be when it’s all about the family members missing each other. But then again, it ended up with some important discussion about Nike’s power, so I guess the conflict is useful after all.
Though I find the whole conflict to be silly, I can’t help but shedding some tears when Tohara sang the Farewell Song for Nike (and a waaayy better song than that damn Tender Rain). This one I can understand why Nike ends up crying a lot during her departure to the Sun Kingdom. As Baba is the one who supported her in her hardest moments in her childhood, it is understandable for Nike to cry, as she left things off without any kind of resolve. Well, Tohara did end up forgiving Nike (thus all that singing), but not doing it face to face is kind of… Sucks.
And I predict that Tohara’s song has a much deeper meaning than it’s supposed to be. First, it is a song from an ancient language, emphasizing the importance of the song in their culture. This is confirmed by the sisters’ remarks about it never been sung before. Being an important part of the culture, I am sure the song is only sung during important moments, such as the death of someone important, war, and so on. And I am pretty suuree permanent departure from the kingdom is also important.
I’m not so sure whether it’s important or not in the West, but in my place, sending off the bride permanently is an important occasion that deserves a sob. And during those moments, the brides usually cry both from joy (of being approved by the family members) and sadness (from leaving the family she grew up with). Sending off a bride is also another way of letting the bride go, an indirect way of saying that the bride now should be with her husband, no matter what. Basically, Tohara singing this song is another way of saying that she finally let go of Nike and allows her to join Livi’s household in the Sun Kingdom. It’s time for Nike to focus more on her life in the Sun Kingdom instead of reminiscing about her hometown. Being the bride, Nike realized that. No wonder she cried. After all, it is hard to let go of a place where one grew up. But alas, Nike made her choice to be with Livi, and she must live with the consequences of . But she still can visit them anyway, so meh.
Late Puberty // What Nike’s body change and the climax of this anime is all about. Basically, Nike is starting to miss Livi physically due to the fact that she is finally aware of Livi as a man. This sounds silly for many of us, but for Nike, there’s nothing stupid about this. PUBERTY IS SRS BUSINESS. After all, Nike is a girl who has never experienced love and all those nonsense related to it before. So of course, the changes in her body is new for her. She is also aware that this stuck-in-love personality is sooooo not like her, and it’s true if the audience compares episode 12 Nike to episode 1 Nike. Nike is different not. Different or not though, Nike decided that she will love Livi no matter what, even until the end of time (the end of this anime, in this case)
So! That was a…. rather unique ending, I’d say. I thought it would be an explosive ending and all, but I guess I’m wrong. It’s all calm and quiet and about self-acceptance, but it is fine for me. After all, this anime is all about the relationship between the couple and about the character development of the main characters. Livi changed from a cold-hearted king into a kind one, and Nike changed from a stubborn girl into a more feminine and loving woman. So did this ending end the whole anime properly? For me, it did.
I did notice, however, that the pace for the second half is too fast. Maybe it’s due to the fact that it’s a 25-minute material squished in less than half an hour, but the rushing pace makes the ending to be… Awkward, in a way. Nike’s self-acceptance skipped too many days, and it lacks the conflict that makes her self-acceptance more meaningful. I mean, whoa, she accepts the changes in her quickly! My puberty period is shorter than normal girls’ due to circumstances, but mine is sure as hell not as fast as Nike’s. The ending feels monotonous also due to the lack of big conflict, but since this anime is all about changes in character and relationship, it’s understandable for it to have a calm ending. At least, Nike closes the anime with a resolution, not leaving us hanging like that.
Overall, this has been an enjoyable ride for me. It is not a unique shoujo for me since I’ve read manga with similar protagonists and plots, but it has been a while since I’ve watched a shoujo that actually did not piss me off *burn a stack of Peach Girl manga* Seeing a shoujo anime like this is definitely refreshing, especially in the midst of all these harem anime and all. The characters are enjoyable, and the story is fun. I definitely did not regret watching this anime, and I hope the others enjoy it as much as I do.
Shota of the Year
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
I did notice, however, that the pace for the second half is too fast.
The manga’s pretty fast-paced too, so this isn’t the animation team’s fault entirely.
Having read through the manga, it seems the anime covered the 1st 4 volumes(7 volumes are currently out in Japan).
The final kiss scene was anime-original, although the final part with Livius and Nike in the field was in the manga.
Seeing a shoujo anime like this is definitely refreshing, especially in the midst of all these harem anime and all.
It was definitely well-written and directed. However, some anime-industry-observing bloggers say Soredemo will never get a 2nd season,since shoujo anime never sell as well as the harems, idols, and cute-pandering anime. (¬д¬。)
For example, Strike the Blood is of lesser writing quality, yet its Blurays are currently the top sellers in Japan and has all the incentive for Season 2 to be made.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It’s pretty rare for shoujo to get a second series, especially when there’s an actual couple (usually it’s that dithering ‘not really a couple’ annoying crap).
I’ll hold off on my disparaging comments about Strike the Blood.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
From what I see, sales is completely unrelated to quality of writing.
Like Highway, I will also withold comments, but of a certain 90000+ sales show.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The deciding factor is appeal. Simple yet important. Shoujo 98% of the time has romance tied to it. The mention of that genre and the standard anime fan will instantly think of over the top, lovey-dovey scenarios which are not very popular, even among a number of females and those who willingly want a heavily romance centered series end up being the minority so the assured profits will lie with the majority.
The populace is more in favor of action, shounen and the genres you mentioned. Not to mention it’s a safe bet most of anime viewing community is male. Like Attack on Titan. Once word of sufficient enough material gets out, you can bet the already strong demand for a second anime season will increase more than tenfold.
There’s truth to that. In Japan’s Animation Blu-ray Disc Ranking, June 23-29, Strike the Blood Vol 6 is rank #9 out of 20. Personally, I’m glad it’s still doing so well.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
The studio could slow down the pace if it’s necessary. For example, Haikyuu manga is considered slow, going by chapter per chapter due to the explanations and the minor things happened in the chapters. However, the studio quicken the pace by taking out some of the minor stuff, making 1 episode consist of 4/5 chapters. The studio for Soreseka could do the same, but in this case, they should slow it down.
It is very hard for shoujo to get 2nd season, unless its popularity is guaranteed such as Kimi ni Todoke and Vampire Knight. Those two titles literally have a cult of its own, and the anime + manga was pretty famous (and sold decently too). If Soreseka wants a 2nd season, it needs to sell well just like those titles
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
The reign of PM Bard brought many a happy face to the men of the castle.(≧∇≦)
Btw, what other adventures will Nike and Livius have in the manga?
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
And women also!
I’m not so sure about the manga, I haven’t read it yet. You see, I recently read Peach Girls, and it annoyed the hell out of me. So I’m staying away from shoujo manga for a while
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Impressive for a shoujo series. And that’s saying something coming from me who very rarely dabbles in this genre. To be more specific, watching this at all was purely on a whim (And probably won’t happen often) and the shoujo felt small compared to everything else presented. The romance isn’t corny and over the top that it’d make me roll my eyes. And to top it off, the two leads are actually likable, a huge plus. A shock because I’d immediately find at least one of them to be annoying and want them to disappear. Nike and Livius are great together. Kudos to author Shina Dai for creating this surprise. Can’t believe it was enjoyable.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
To me, this show was quite a distance away from a “typical shoujo” series, so much so that I was surprised it was described that way. I thought there really weren’t any ‘shoujo’ moments until Livi came to rescue Nike from the trial and he jumped into her arms with that “I can’t lose you.” And even after that, it didn’t get too much into that normal feel.
Isshuukan Friends was *much* more of a ‘typical shoujo’ feel to me than Still World is Beautiful.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
The reason why this is a “typical” shoujo is because it has every element that makes this a shoujo, which is 1) bishie 2)teenage protagonist (with bubbly personality too) 3) drama (lots of it) 4) focus on the relationship between the two 5) the girl realizing her feelings early and try to struggle with her feelings 4) and the PoV of the series, which is on Nike’s. Many shoujo’s PoV are always on the girls’ while shounen etc is based on the boys’. This is so that it can be related to the majority of shoujo readers, which are teenagers.
There are many shoujo that are similar with Soreseka, but they are not that famous, and many are not animated. Moreover, the drama presented in Soreseka is the typical drama that can be seen in many shoujo. It’s the same drama formula like the rest. The difference is how Shina Dai handled the drama, covering it perfectly with the setting and politics and so on. That is why the setting in shoujo is important, as it can decide how the story is going to be. In Soreseka’s case, its setting gives more advantage for Shina Dai to make it “less shoujo” while it is actually still a shoujo.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
What’s with men thinking that most shoujo anime is corny? Well, with things like Kimi ni Todoke being animated, it’s not a surprise that many find shoujo to be cheesy.
But I’m glad this series made a better impression for you about shoujo anime! I hope you watch more shoujo because of this, teheh
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Easily one of my favorite shows this season. Kudos for the coverage!
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
skylion is slowlt smitten with shoujo fufufu. I hope you read/watch more shoujo!
and thanks! I try my best to please the (surprisingly) fanboys
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Just checked the manga. There’s a future plotline involving Nike travelling to the drought ridden Sand Kingdom to bring rain there.
There’s also a serious, austere-minded and handsome prince too.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
FUAAAHHHH that actually sounds pretty cliche. I hope Dai Shina is not going down to the typical shoujo path
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
Definitely one of my favorite shows in Spring and something we need more of in each season.
And besides Amamiya Sora of Isshuukan Friends, I’m also gonna keep an eye out on Nike’s seiyuu, Maeda Rena. Hope she gets more roles in the future.
Livi in a white horse is as cliche as you can get but somehow it worked.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Is Nike seiyuu new in the seiyuu world? Because I haven’t heard her voice before, but her voice is definitely unique and appealing. Will watch for her too
Because everything will always work as long as it’s a badass shota
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Ah, this was an enjoyable shoujo show. Nike was a great heroine, the plot was interesting. I really don’t have any complaints. Even insert song never got annoying for me.
Though, uh, this did nothing for my budding shotacon tendencies.POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Not even that tender rain song? You are such a patient fangirl.
Admit it, you’re watching it for the shotaPOWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I like Beautiful Rain. Both versions.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
It’s a nice song, but when it got repeated every week…
The instrumental is nice though, and so is Tohara’s song. It amazes me how she can sing like an idol when she has such a raspy voice when she talks.