Kokoro Connect 04 – 05
In which Hoshi gets really pissed off because she asked for drama and got too much of it.~
 |
Of course when I ask for something from an anime, I get too much of it. Episode five was just…WOW. It was definitely the best episode yet, but at the same time I couldn’t help but feel pretty pissed off at the events that followed. Anyway, let’s get into the details of the past two episodes of Kokoro Connect.~ |
More Personal Issues Revealed
Inaba and her inability to trust – It turns out Inaba’s small fainting episode that caused quite the cliffhanger back in episode three was due to her own personal issue. For Inaba, two direct feelings were clashing: distrust for the group as they could do anything they wanted in someone elses body and hate at herself for not being able to trust who she calls her best friends. Certainly that kind of mental stress would be tough on anyone, even on the strongest characters like Inaba as we’ve seen. I would say the whole fainting/throwing up thing seemed a bit over-dramatic, but stress can do some pretty crazy things to the body. I find Inaba’s feelings of distrust for the group totally understandable; no matter who it is, I know I would feel uneasy of having someone else in my body, fully capable of doing whatever they wanted in it. But the issue was that she was feeling so badly about not being able to trust her very best friends. What every kids show has taught me at least once was that real best friends will accept you despite your flaws and personal issues, so Taichi, being the ‘selfless freak’ that he is, was the one to help Inaba realize this by having her reveal her issue to the group. And of course it was successful. On another note, I kind of expected Inaba to have trust issues; she seems very logical and sharp, so having a complete distrust of everyone around her fits her character.~
Iori and her many personas – To be honest, hearing Iori talk about having different personas sounded strange and a little eerie. Maybe it was the way they animated her facial expressions? Anyway, hearing about Iori’s different personas made what Inaba said about her being the weakest link in the group (and Iori’s philosophical behavior) more understandable. I can only image how terrifying it must be to not be able to have grip on who you truly are and then go through something as trippy as the body swapping phenomenon, where you’re suddenly losing your physical self as well. I think Iori made her multiple personas thing bigger than what it really was, probably because of the body swapping. She was worried about not being able to find her true personality, but all her supposed personas/different personalities were her. With Iori, I believe it’s not that she has different masks, but different sides to the whole being that is Iori. As Taichi had said, whatever side she shows is still her. She needed to learn to accept all those sides of herself, just as the rest of the group needed to accept their own quirks/issues.~
Heartseed and his assertion of power
So this is where I personally started losing it. Not only did Heartseed have to interfere right in the middle of this sweet love confession, but he had to use poor Iori to pull this nearly tragic stunt to show that he truly is the all-powerful leader among the group. He kept mentioning that they didn’t understand what he was capable of doing, so I’m assuming they were taking the body swapping too lightly for his liking? Did he want them to fall into some sort of chaos just for the pleasure to watch? The group did handle the body swapping phenomenon in an ordeal manner without any extremely serious events…until Heartseed took over Iori’s body and flung her over the bridge. However, the group still took care of the deadly ultimatum Heartseed gave them with a bit of ease, at least in that they knew who would be the one to go with Iori’s supposedly dying body. In the end, he did definitely want them to realize that he is powerful, and capable of doing what he wants. Heartseed at least has some sort of morals as he admitted that he couldn’t kill Iori or any other innocent person. A terrifying last lesson for the group, but Iori is safe and the body swapping apparently over and done with.~
Overall Thoughts
Currently I’m celebrating at the fact I actually caught at least one theme for Kokoro Connect. I’ve said this twice in the comments in the previous post, but I believe the point of the show up until now was to reveal that every person has personal issues, traumas, etc. A lot of people don’t communicate those problems to others and when they keep it to themselves, they usually make it out to be worse than it really is (like how Inaba and Iori felt about their issues). For these characters, they were practically being forced to reveal their personal issues because of the body swapping, which invaded the personal block they set in front of their friends. However, because of it, they actually got help with their problems and found solace, while at the same time built stronger friendships with each other through solving and talking about them. It’s…a little too feel-good for me, but it is a nice message to get out there.
Anyway, episode five of Kokoro Connect was, without a doubt, amazing. There were so many emotions from the frenzy of searching for Iori, to the heart-fluttering love confessions, to the startling, horrific, and heart-wrenching news of Iori dying, to the absolute relief and happiness knowing that Iori would be surviving. It was like a box filled with all sorts of emotions that had me squirming in my chair. I was actually pretty mad at the ending. I was pissed off at the fact that they put me through all that stress, only to have it completely relieved in two minutes. YOU CAN’T DO THAT TO ME, MAN. Then again, I did ask for the drama, so I got the drama; I just didn’t expect it to be that sudden and heart-wrenching!
So obviously the big question is, what now? There’s a number of directions this series can follow. Episode five certainly felt like an ending to an arc with the body swapping supposedly over. However, Inaba’s words during the fifth episode ending credits possibly hints at the phenomenon happening again; I mean, we don’t know if it’s truly over. If it were to happen again, what for? What would the reasons be? Also, would it be them in some different period in time, or just a few months later? Maybe Heartseed will pick new candidates, but that would be a bit odd. If there is no more body swapping then, are we just going to be following their daily school lives without any supernatural events for the rest of the show? Honestly, I don’t think I can handle another seven episodes without it, but I guess if the story is done right and still somewhat interesting I can stand to watch it. I’ll just have to agonizingly wait for this Saturday to see what Kokoro Connect has in store for us now.~
Preview: ‘A story that continues without anyone realizing it’…Will that mean we will be following the group’s daily lives now, or will the body swapping continue again as I’ve said? Until next week then~!!
About Hoshi
A tired, over-dramatic 20 year old college student who likes manga and cheesy Korean boy bands. Prone to succumb to laziness and refuse to work for hours on end.
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
I’m so anxious for the next episode TT.TT Why do you have to do it to me, Kokoro Connect?
Sure this show is sudden. A lot of sudden things happened since the beginning. It’s so sudden that if it was me I would feel just so confused e.e’ The only thing I don’t like is the fact that they adapt so quickly, but maybe it is because Inaban is around.
About the 4th episode, I just can tell that I never laughed so much and so loud in my life. The moment I saw the phrase on the subtitle “I have made that thing to you before” XD I couldn’t help but take off my headphone and burst in laugh. I was so dizzy from so much laughing that I couldn’t even laugh on the scene that would come after.
On the 5th episode, I liked all the confessions thing. Specially Aoki, that said some nice things to Yui. I wanted to be able to do it like he did TT.TT So, the 5th episode just made me sure that Taichi don’t have any timing to do things. He brought the “I love you” so suddenly o.o’
Then, jumping the bridge, and the drama about “hey, you are not a selfless freak, you are a selfish freak”, the way Iori talked to Taichi on the body of Inaban was so smooth and cheering that I even doubted if the voice actress of that scene was Iori’s, and not Inaba’s. Really, the VAs of this show, they’re awesome. We can easily find out who the person are just by hearing the way they talk. Back to the episode, owwwwwwn Iori is so cute TT.TT She saying “shinitakunai”, I could cry if I was a little more sensible.
For the next episode, I’m just waiting for another kiss between Taichi and Iori, since the only kiss they shared until now, Taichi in truth kissed Inaba…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think the direction that was talked about earlier, that these characters don’t really act like first year high school students, is being justified through the situations that they’ve been put in since, as it has allowed a greater depth of examination of these issues.
There’s no way that the personality exchanges are done. I’d say that’s likely a misdirection to see what they’ll do when they start up again. As I think about it, I think what may be disappointing to HeartSeed is the fact that humans are extraordinarily adaptable. Yes, a new situation will faze us for a short period of time, but quickly that becomes the norm. So it should be no surprise that the cast quickly learned to deal with the body issues, and that they’d continue to get better at it.
I think that a lot of interesting mileage could come from the pairing up of the characters combined with personality swapping. It may edge more into the realm of prurient interest on my part, but what happens if Yui or Inaba switches into Iori, while Iori and Taichi are holding hands or even kissing (let’s keep it at that for now)? Do they pull away? Do they go with it? What consequences does that have for Taichi? Does he notice? Yeah, it might seem a little cheap, but given the way they’ve handled these issues so far, I think the show could likely do well with it.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
Dang, that whole event with Iori just killed me. It was so heartwrenching to see everyone all upset and such and then Iori broke down too and it was all Gahhh. When Heartseed came in and was all, “Lol nope! She’s alive! :D” I was relieved and mad. Don’t string me along like that even though I was happy Iori was back. Plus I think this was done better than Dusk Maiden of Amnesia did it too…
I really wonder where the show could go next. It did feel like a series finale and Heartseed did say he wasn’t going to do something like this again and everyone’s issues have been taken care of.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I had a very different feeling from the Dusk Maiden finale, which I also thought was done excellently. In that one, being the final episode, it was really believable that Yuuko would disappear forever, so the buildup had that adding to the impact. When she came back, that was also believable and ‘right’, to me, even though it made some people feel foolish.
This show, episode 5 with an ensemble cast and Toyosaki Aki (one of the most popular current seiyuus) voicing the character, I knew – knew deep down in my heart – that there was no way that they were going to get rid of Iori. Yet, the sheer magnitude of the consequence – permanent death, the ending of the existence of a person – made the most minimal possibility one that needed to be considered and prepared for. And as that doctor walked out, I had fully prepared myself for bad news (and also the remote possibility that Inaba had actually been trapped rather than Iori). So it was quite a relief when it turned out differently.
POWUH: iLurker with 11 comments
Hello Hoshi,
This is definitely the dark horse of the season. As someone with zero knowledge/expectations, it has quickly made itself to my two most anticipated show every week.
As promised from the your last episode review, I’ve gone on ahead and tried out the LN after episode 5. My verdict:
If you like well written drama about sweet and sour and maybe some bittersweet teenagers growth, this is a must read for you. Strongly recommended to pick up after the season’s over.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
Oh gosh, I had so much trouble swallowing episode 5. I was almost crying (that’s reserved for Angel Beats! although Kokoro Connect might make it into the elite status of “an anime that made me cry”) when Heartseed interfered with the confession, and Iori was going to die, ect. But I think Iori took the right path: talking to each of the group separately before the thirty minutes were up. I’d like to know how Heartseed knew it would be thirty minutes, though. Kind of odd…
I’m suspecting that we need some more body-swapping, though. Aoki hasn’t gotten his turn to have trauma yet. But hopefully, it won’t be Taichi who helps him, it will be someone else. I’m a little sick of Taichi being the one who helps everyone.
I also feel the same worries that Highway expressed on what will happen if the switching occurs when Taichi and Iori are perhaps doing something together: will they have to stop, what if the switch lasts forever (seeing as we’ve only had short switches, a long switch is probably going to come up sooner or later) and will the non-switched try to accustom themselves to the new body of the switched? Like if Taichi switches with Aoki for an extended period of time, would Iori try to adjust to being with Aoki and not Taichi, or would they suspend dating until the switch was over? I lean towards suspend, although it could be hard.
I’m very curious, and I have to say that this is turning out to be one of the best shows this season. Deep, emotional, and the characters are realistic. Except for Heartseed.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Boy, I’m certainly not that stoic. I cry at everything (seriously, I cried through the whole show of Kowarekake no Orgel), although this episode I don’t know if I was much more than a little wet in the eyes.
Heartseed knew it would be 30 minutes because he engineered the whole thing, and because he seems to have the ability to control body function, so he could monkey with various things to keep Iori’s body in a state of semi-crisis.
I would say that we’re not really going to see much ‘trauma’ for Aoki, Taichi, and Inaba (although maybe you could counting watching the girl he just confessed his love to jump off a bridge as a trauma for Taichi). I honestly don’t know what they’re going to do with Aoki, but I think the show is (broadly) exploring the fear of self for Iori, the fear of the other for Yui, and the fear of the worst for Inaba. It will be interesting to see what they do with the others moving forward.
And relating to the swapping during intimate moments, I was thinking about it more from a love triangle standpoint. For instance: I’m pretty sure Inaba’s now got a bit of a crush on Taichi. So let’s take kissing (even though it’s probably more than we’ll see much of): Taichi and Iori are kissing, and Inaba and Iori get switched. Natural inclination would be for Inaba to be surprised and break away. What if she doesn’t? Now’s her chance to kiss Taichi. What complications does that create for Taichi when Iori finds out that perhaps Taichi didn’t figure it out?
So far we haven’t seen anyone get swapped in the middle of doing something, with the sole exception of Taichi volunteering to clean up, and ending up volunteering Inaba. What would happen if more ‘in the middle of stuff’ switches happen?
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
I’m just good at holding in tears. That’s all. I’m less stoic in real life. Wayyy less.
Hm, I see what you’re saying about Inaba’s little cruch on Taichi and such. But I think this entire show is everybody loving Taichi, honestly. But hopefully Taichi will be able to figure out when Iori gets switched. If he doesn’t start to figure out how to identify Iori, he might end up without her like he almost did.
I think the ‘in the middle of stuff’ switches are probably going to start soon, now that the Taichi-Iori couple has started. And possibly it may help Yui and Aoki, although that will happen a lot later in this show.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 243 comments
Ahahaha… this show… it’s… ahahaha…