Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de – 07
So…where were you when the ladle dropped?
Welcome back Battlers! In the immortal words of one Mr. George Takei , “Ooooooh myyyyy”. Did you see that? That scandalous lack of Chifuyu this episode?! No. Just kidding. We all know what I’m referring to. That was just an epic breakdown in more ways than one…
Your hand is warm
Childhood friends
Before I got into the obvious part of the episode, I would like to see what got us there. Hatoko is a well mannered girl, cheerful, and supportive, especially of Andou and his chuuni ways. She’s been the only one to take his antics seriously, and has been the “normal” friend to him through it all; which goes back to their days in elementary school it seems…really young Andou, a pesquis? No wonder…
But the real break in their ability to get along as well as they could happened in middle school. And I think most nerdy types have had this happen to them at one time or another. There’s just that one important person in your life that just doesn’t get the details of the hobby you are into. In this context, it’s very understandable as the chuuni naming IRLRPG conventions are quite…fluid, and don’t want to be easily contained. Try as she might, she couldn’t get into a very rich (OK…dense…and you can take two meanings simultaneously for that word) genre piece that Andou enjoyed. She just doesn’t understand. But this doesn’t stop her from being both herself, and his good friend. But she’s overextending herself.
Union Power
I don’t know what everyone else things, but I found this so adorkable…
So in this respect, Hatoko has become the friend you walk home with, one that isn’t challenging, and is always there. A reassuring presence, but only that. We can contrast this with the developing relationship Andou has with Tomoyo. Before I got into that, I quite liked the bit they put in where Hatoko was just beaming at the thought of spending time with Andou at his home, and Tomoyo wanted to know what was making her so happy. Hatoko just puts on a poker face. She loves having this wedge on Tomoyo. It didn’t feel spiteful to a terrible degree, and did’t contain any real malice, but it felt apropos for her in the sense that it rather does put a new wrinkle into her character.
For all the good it may or may not do. For all the challenges, the paing of Andou and Tomoyo fits. Which is not to say it’s a done deal, just that all the parts are there for them to build a bigger, fulfilling relationship. They may bicker back and forth and toss the “chuuni” insult around, but they are learning to see eye to eye, and are both opening themselves up a bit to each other’s honesty. If you contrast this with his relationship with Hotako, it all fits. Well, given that they just always tend to think of the other as “there”.
The Breakdown
………………..
One of the touches I do like about this is how it really builds up Hatoko’s character. It isn’t the rant, or at least, it should be all about that. After walking it off she feels a mix of emotions. She regrets taking it that far, and in that fashion, but she cannot help but feel at least some sense of relief in it’s release. As Sagami points out, it has been building up for quite some time. She isn’t a saint, nor should anyone expect her to be. She has her own needs and desires. In point of interest, it’s much the same as Andou, and indeed all of us. To be chosen. She can’t take it back, and it really shouldn’t be a release that can be forgotten. Both of them have to live with it. That can sound bad at the outset, but you can build from it. But, I am counting chickens here, as the story has ended quite yet.
I’ve read a ton of competing reactions to the scene in question. I find it quite fascinating that there are many, and that is how it should be. Just as Hatoko has her own perceptive, so to should everyone else. But let’s not kid ourselves here. She was pretty much spot on. It was relentless, but it does speak volumes on the sort of problem she is facing. How do I understand this person, especially since they’ve given up trying to help me understand. It’s that last bit that made the ladle drop as she could stand for the chuuni attitude, but not it being something he’s using to keep her at arms length. Especially with Tomoyo pretty much in the room at the time. Displacement, jealousy, helplessness. That is not a good mix to carry around for long.
Paradox
You were very helpful, somewhat villain dude…
Now, most of us are pretty darn nerdy, and geeky, and maybe even somewhat otaku, but these labels are a bit more understandable compared to a chuuni. For one, tons of nerdy references have a base, a canon to refer back to. We can go on and on about our various interests, but there is a body of work in there somewhere. An outsider can get to it. But the chuuni stuff is…well…random, very off the cuff, it’s almost like slam poetry, where the references are so internal, that you can’t find the body of work, if one even exists. But then, it hardly needs one, as Hajime points out, chuuni is a way to be different, to cut your own identity based on whatever you find of interest at the moment. It’s cool; and therefor subjective and quite often vague. No wonder, Hatoko. But as Hajime points out, it’s a great way to attract attention as well. You want to be ignored in your own world, but cannot help but want to advertise it for all to see. So, all in all this chance meeting turned out to be quite beneficial for Hatoko….
…and then he does this…
I would have loved to go further into Hatoko’s rant, but feel it would be far more interesting to see your take on it. Are you like me in that you feel it justified, but very overreaching. Do you find her flat out wrong? Or do you have some other take? Don’t say, like a few /a/non’s that she needs a slap…cause no. Because no. But we do have quite a cliffhanger here. Hajime has a posse. Do they all have powers? What’s the deal? Was this whole thing a set-up? Is he setting himself up as the Big Bad? Knowing him, and how his chuuni works, he probably has the lamest excuse going. I expect face fault animation, and much Trigger worthy absurd violence when he makes his grand reveal…Or am I wrong?
I wonder if Andou’s sister has powers?
I love this bit…
See you next week!
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 77 comments
Maybe it’s the seitokaichou’s turn to be helpful, what with them up against other power users?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I could totally see that…or maybe she’s really on the other side to begin with?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I thought it was epic. It was to the point, it was repetitive, it was powerful. It was too long and uncomfortable and that was perfect. It showed so much thought, so much of Hatoko, how she’s paid attention to Ju-kun, how she’s hung on his every word. She doesn’t understand that stuff, but she remembers every bit of it. She doesn’t have any idea why it’s cool, but he likes it, so she tolerates it and pays attention and goes along. But there are times…
Times when she’d like a little reciprocation. Times where she’d like a little more explanation. Times where she’d like him to speak to her in plain language, to meet HER halfway, to tolerate her the way that she tolerates him. Not be more dismissive. Not, as you say, use her lack of understanding as a wall between them, or as a shutdown of their conversation.
I’m sure it helped my enjoyment of the scene that it was Saori Hayami, one of my very favorite voice actresses, and it was also her doing something that she almost never gets the opportunity to do. Her characters never fly off the handle. They never have a screaming breakdown. And it was great.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Saori Hayami played a very level headed character, Chiriko, in Ano Hana. And since every character in that show had a few breakdowns by show’s end, she did as well. She was very much in control of her voice, pitch perfect performance. Add Yanagai from Glasslip, and Ayase’s near yandere nature, and you do have quite the VA.
And…Yotsugi from Monogatari. Quite the range.
And thank you for underscoring that one bit ” how she’s hung on his every word. She doesn’t understand that stuff, but she remembers every bit of it “. I was hoping a good comment would bring it up!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
POWUH: iLurker with 9 comments
This ep was extremely painful to watch, in a good way. Good for me as a viewer, or not exactly, since i felt like i was on the receiving end as much as Andou. There were sounds of my heart breaking bit by bit during that powerful emotional outburst of Hatoko. I really felt bad for both of them. While some people tries to pin the blame on either Andou or Hatoko, none of them is really at fault.
Being on Hatoko ship sure is suffering.
Also by this point, i consider this anime as one of the best of this season, took me by surprise. And this comes from me who kinda did drop it by ep 3 and re-picked it up again out of boredom. Glad i did.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Hey, I’ve never said Hello Takurannyan (give me the heads up on that handle!). So…Hello!
I love this perspective of yours. It was one, my like Highway’s above, that I was eager to hear.
I was never on the Hatoko ship, but I feel bad for those that are.
Glad to see you pick the show back up. I’ll be happy to see you next time…
POWUH: iLurker with 9 comments
Ahaha, hello there too. I am actually a long-time lurker around here, just was always too lazy to take part in the discussion until recently.
And yes, i think i will be here again for the nexp ep too so until then. Can’t wait.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I’m happy to have you. Just cut loose like the rest of us!
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
You gotta give credit to Saori Hayami aka Hatoko for doing her best FREAK OUT MOMENT ever! That was both shocking and painful to watch, but again impressive work <3
I love where things are going! BATTLE MODE next week I am so hype cause we will get to see some good old Trigger animation and I will keep my eyes open to see any Kill la Kill stuffs thrown in or TTGL cause we still haven't seen Chifuyu use that giant mecha thing from the opening.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Oh, Chifuyu in a Giant Mech….
…I need a moment…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
For a moment there I thought you said Cthulu in a Giant Mech… Demonbane has those.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
All things considered, give me the LOLi in a Mech; far far far less trouble.
But I’ve always meant to check out Demonbane. It reminds me of Cthulhutech...
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Demonbane has LOLi in a Mech. And we are not talking Al-Azif. 😛 or Pnakotic Manuscript. 😛
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…this is a good thing…as I don’t think I would ever be in the mood for LOLi ghuls…
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
So if someone announced an anime titled LOLiMech you’d be up for it?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Uh…yeah. Duh! 🙂
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Er… wow. Just wow. I was like, wow…
If there wasn’t the episode preview past week, I would be really surprised, since it was so out of the blue. I do have to agree that it must be hard for someone who doesn’t understand to be around a chuuni, but is Andou so awesome/handsome/stuff that she was able to force herself to be around him this long?
Well, I loved the explosion, nevertheless.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
In her eyes, he is awesome/handsome/stuff. She just wants him to the be gallant friend she remembers him as more than what his is now.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I think it was high time Hatoko let loose on Andou. It’s clearly been building for a very long time and it needed to get out. Plus he needed to be read the riot act for the way he’s been treating her. Okay, it’s understandable he wants to share with his friend the things he likes, but he apparently kept doing it when it should have become obvious from her comments about some of it that she didn’t care for it herself or she didn’t understand it. Plus she was no doubt spot on when she said he reads something on line and has only a vague idea what it’s about yet pretends he knows all about it.
And Andou has been blind to her needs and interests. Sure, when she asks what he was talking to Tomoyo about he really couldn’t say since he promised to keep it a secret. But he could have said something more than, “Oh, it’s nothing” or worse yet “You wouldn’t understand.” The latter was very dismissive. Sure, she kept asking about it because she’s afraid he’s growing away from her and towards Tomoyo and it’s understandable that he doesn’t realize that (teenage boys can be oblivious to the feelings of others). But he should have realized she kept asking because an answer was important to her.
A wonderful epic rant and one that had no doubt been building in her for some time. Now that she’s got that off her chest, and the titular villain has given her some insight, the air can be cleared between Hatoko and Andou and they can move forward, either in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship or build a new one.
I’m onboard the Andou x Hatoko ship, although I’m afraid it’s going to sink.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I don’t think they even have deck plans for the Andou x Hatoko ship…So no fear in sinkage.
And you hit a good nail on the head, “an answer was important to her”. It could have been anything, but don’t dismiss, so right.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
https://twitter.com/kuroseP/status/534402356520026112
There has been some word from the mangaka that Satomi’s rant was done in a single take.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Then that was some epic voice acting.