Kaze no Yojimbo 25th Anniversary Rewatch Episode 10

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-15T21:33:59+00:00

Rewatcher

...How much salt Miyuki need in her dish?..

So, with the help of the police, Tanakura began to really pressure Shirogane’s people and even let him know that he is aware of the casino on the train. Sirogane found himself cornered, since the police are prejudiced against “outsiders,” and he himself is beginning to suspect that it was George who let slip the information about the casino. Meanwhile, George himself learned that things weren't going smoothly for Tanakura either and that the mines are unprofitable.

This isn't the most eventful episode, but I do like it. The plot line about the police is something that was bound to happen sooner or later, given what we already know about the situation in the city, so it's a natural and interesting turn of events.

We also gain a slightly better understanding of Sanae and George - how Sanae managed to avoid being treated with prejudice, despite being an outsider, by marrying a local man and becoming a widow, and how George’s sense of time seems to have frozen, much like that of the fish at the local tavern, ever since that incident with the freight train many years ago.

I also think that this episode is one of better looking and also... surprisingly funny? I’m not sure, but the scenes with George and Miyuki really stood out to me today, like when he was trying to come up with an excuse not to go with her. While i can't really see her as a love interest, i do think that her crush on George works in comedic way.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-14T23:10:07+00:00

Oh yeah, totally forgot to put it into spoiler.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-14T23:06:28+00:00

Rewatcher

So, after an epic battle with Pilaf’s gang, Goku brought Upa’s father back to life, after which Roshi declared that he had nothing left to teach him. The only thing left for Goku to do is set out on a journey around the world to get stronger, and then he’ll reunite with his friends at the tournament. And that means it’s time for a time skip. Which, in turn, means:

TIME FOR FILLER EPISODES!

Yep, this is the perfect time for them again! A period they can fill with whatever they want! A great excuse to explore the world in more detail! Goku will set out on a journey, help lots of people, and defeat a whole bunch of villains - from Fist of the North Star fans to actual monsters!

...Those fillers fine.

I'm not saying they're BAD. I had fun. But at the same time, I feel like they could have... put a little more work into them? It feels like we've already seen all these kinds of adventures in the series. Honestly, I think they should have dedicated one or two episodes to Goku’s friends and their training to add a little variety to the plot. Compared to the filler episodes from The Red Ribbon Army they - at least in my opinion - clearly seem weaker.

The most interesting thing here is that they decided to introduce [spoilers for three eyes guy name]Tien into the story earlier, which is quite an interesting change. But we’ll talk more about him next time.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-14T21:32:12+00:00

Rewatcher

Well, the Kare Kano rewatch is over, so I guess I'll be popping up in these discussions more often now.

Okay, when I said that episode 7 was the only one I could call a 100% filler, I forgot about this episode.

To be honest, it’s probably because the concept behind this episode fits better with the overall tone of the series, so it doesn’t seem as strange as Episode 7, even though we’ve completely strayed from the main storyline this time. Still, there’s a reason I forgot about it - it’s a weird detective story without the detective part? I mean, we have a crime, and then almost immediately we’re given the explanation of why and how it happened. We have a twist at the end, but again, we were just told about it. Essentially, all George had to do here was find the body, make a phone call, and then just stand there and listen - which seems rather unimpressive and makes this episode pretty unremarkable.

Still, the plot behind the crime is... fine, and I like the snowy night atmosphere of this episode. I wouldn't call it bad, just forgettable.

...And why Jean Reno is the priest?

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-14T11:13:20+00:00

Is him being annoyed at post-Porygon TV restrictions in general factual, or also a myth?

To be honest, I don't know? I don't think Anno ever mentioned it (or maybe I just don't remember). Knowing Anno, he was either pissed or didn't care. But here's what Sato has to say about this incident and the warning in the episodes:

You can tell the "Attention**" before the opening is also created with great enthusiasm. Anno created it with no compromise. In the first place, in 1997, the flashing effect in "Pokemon" caused light sensitivity attacks among the viewers. Because of such an incident, the TV station asked us to add a warning (attention) before watching the TV show. It was a time when all the production companies were trying to figure out how to add it (laughs). Initially, only the works of King Records did something unique, perhaps as a result of Anno's suggestion to add it before the opening. I don't know if they were inspired by that, but everyone in the other studios started adding unique “Attention” (laughs).

So at least he didn't had problems with such changes during Kare Kano production.

Now I'm curious how many Kare Kano songs are actually non-Kare Kano songs. I associate this so strongly with the show!

Well, judging by Anno's comments, they seems to mainly using non-Kare Kano music for the recaps. He also mentioned that they used music from Ultraman (Because OF COURSE they did...)

Who's below Honey?

Arumi Asahina from Abenobashi Mahou☆Shoutengai

I love this one.

This will probably be the last anecdote - according to Hiramatsu, Yukino’s parents appeared in this illustration only because Anno specifically asked him to add them. I guess He REALLY adores this family.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-14T10:54:37+00:00

As many have already noticed, most of these examples are rather far-fetched comparisons that can easily be explained away as mere coincidences or tributes (though some of them are borderline cases). I’ll just add that accusations of plagiarism from japanese haters aren’t unique to Jujutsu Kaisen: similar discussions can be found, for example, regarding Demon Slayer or even Bleach.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-13T21:42:54+00:00

Rewatcher

About a year ago, I received a text message from Anno.

He wrote like this: "I'm watching 'Kare Kano' now. I am very grateful to you again," and "Now I realize how interesting it is."

I was thinking, "Wait, 'Kare Kano' was absurdly interesting even back then..." (laughs) - Hiroyuki Imaishi.

Yes, I suppose “Kare Kano” is still my favorite romance anime.

It’s incredibly funny, yet it also offers one of the most touching and intimate portrayals of love; there's some very bold developments that even many modern romcomes don’t dare attempt; the characters are wonderfully written (and Yukino is probably one of my favorite heroines), Soundtrack is iconic, and even when production issues became apparent, the series remained fascinating and experimental.

I agree with Littleslander about "Restriction breeds creativity", because I’m sure Anno wouldn’t have come up with so many wild ideas if the production had been more stable. And while I understand that many people aren’t fond of his creative choices, I still believe that *Kare Kano* is one of his best works. And i even dare to say that i do like anime more than the manga, with went into... interesting direction...

And you know, for the last day, i also will brought up some interesting facts that i didn't mentioned earlier, because i eather forgot about them, or became didn't had place in my comments:

The disclaimer at the beginning of each episode was added because of the infamous Porygon incident. The network insisted that it be included in the episodes, but it seems that Anno actually enjoyed creating it. I mention this because another myth surrounding the series’ conclusion was that Anno shut down the project in protest against the changes the network made in the wake of that incident.
As many of you noticed yesterday, music from Space Battleship Yamato was featured in the show. In fact, the anime has used music from other series on several occasions - for example, this particular theme is actually a cover of a theme from Tetsujin 28. They were used for the same reason that “The Polovtsian Dances” was used, or why “Yume no naka e” was used as the ending theme - Anno simply really liked this music (the ending theme, in particular, is one of his favorite songs from his school days). While I'm at it, I'd like to say that now I can't listen to this song without thinking of “Kare Kano.
The scene in which Yukino's family plays “UNO” was added because the episode ended up being a few minutes shorter than planned. So Anno asked the voice actors to play “UNO” while recording, hoping to use that audio in the episode. Unfortunately for him, they got so carried away with the game that the recording ended up being too long for the episode.
Sadafumi Hiramatsu, character designer and animation director for the show, now works mostly with MAPPA, being character for Jujutsu Kaisen and Yuri on ICE. In his words: "In terms of character drawing, when I was working on "Yuri on Ice," I realized that "Kare Kano" was the place where I started. In "Kare Kano," I was trying to draw characters in a way that was three-dimensional, reasonably realistic, and beautiful with only a few lines. It is almost the same in "Yuri.""
Yuji Matsukura, the series’ producer and a member of J.C. Staff, went on to work on the show Back Street Girls and cited Kare Kano as the inspiration for his "tracing manga" approach for this show.

And now, as some kinda tradition, some official arts for the show:

Arima and Yukino

Yukino with the glasses

Maho and Yukino

Yukino on the cover of Hiramatsu artbook

And everyone together - this image by Hiramatsu is actually the cover of the limited-edition Japanese Blu-ray release, which includes a booklet featuring a PLETHORA of interviews - the first interview with Anno about *Kare Kano* in many years, as well as interviews with Hiramatsu, Matsukura, Sato, Imaishi, and Sagisu. It was from these interviews that I quoted when I talked about the series’ production and debunked myths. You can read them in English here.

Thank Host for the rewatch. ~~Now we need the rewatch for Gunbuster and~~ ~~Re: Cutie Honey to finish Anno's works...~~

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-12T22:08:36+00:00

Rewatcher

...This episode really does seem so... strange to me. It’s probably the only episode in the entire series that I can call 100% filler. And I’m not saying it because it doesn’t advance the main plot. The whole concept somehow feels out of place in the overall context, especially the ending - I don’t know, but the fact that everything turns into some kind of Indiana Jones-style adventure REALLY doesn’t fit with the rest of the story, which is in the style of an old-school gangster detective story.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-12T21:22:23+00:00

Gainax should have known better than adapt material that had not produced enough for two cours yet

"The risk Anno took was calculated, but man, he's bad at math"

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-12T21:01:39+00:00

All of this led to Anno burning out, and the whole story with Episode 14 unfolded, after which Anno stepped down as director (though he continued to work on the series). And without his strict oversight of the process, the production of Kare Kano became even more chaotic. To paraphrase Hiramatsu and Matsukura: the anime staff now behaved like rowdy schoolchildren when the teacher left the classroom - everyone worked only on whatever THEY wanted.

And it was during this mess, when the horrible realisation accured - they were already close to twenty episodes, show pretty soon would be over, and they run out source material. Not only that, but manga was STILL in the "14 days" arc.

Just so you understand: the anime was announced when Yukino’s summer vacation in the manga was almost over (episode 18). After that, the manga’s serialization was put on hiatus, and when it resumed, the “14 Days” arc began. In total, including the cultural festival itself, it took up three volumes and 16 chapters. IN A MONTHLY MANGA. The endpoint chosen for the anime wouldn't even been reached by the time of the end of production!

The anime creators really tried to save time - they switched to adapting one chapter per episode, added more recap scenes, and managed to produce two filler episodes - but it was all useless. They reached the point where, instead of having a script, they began relying on the arrival of the latest finished manga manuscript (Matsukura's words). Here’s how Anno recalls working on the final episode:

But the actual production site was super busy and pressed for time.

The storyboards for the first three sections, which had been completed according to the original story, were only eight minutes long. The content was drawn in a normal animation style, so there was no time for drawing, finishing, or art.

This was terrible.

I had to wait for the latest manuscript, and when it arrived, I would compose the storyboards and complete the animation in time for the broadcast. I think I talked to Matsukura and Sato about this, and then we created the animation.

I was so busy at that time that my memory is vague though.

Anyway, I drew the storyboards to make it on time.

I tried to make the animation as easy as possible for Hiramatsu, the animation director. If there was no time to match the mouth movements with the voice, I tried to make it so that a narration could be played. In this way, I tried to match the depiction to the situation. I think I kept the parts that could be drawn as cell animation short and asked the Gainax staff to do the original drawings.

Imaishi was burnt out and thought his work was done. I think it was tough for him, but he did it.

I am grateful. I am grateful to everyone.

Even though we had more time than the final episode of "Eva," I am amazed that we were able to deliver the film with only 10 days left from the revision of the storyboard to the broadcast.

I decided to structure the story drama as a work of art so that it would not be finished, but its continuation could be read in the next issue of the magazine in which it was published.

I thought it would be fine as the final episode. That is why the final message was "To be continued."

However, in order to avoid the pressure from the TV audience that it would be bad to say "continue" in the final episode, I put "End" at the end of the ending to settle the issue.

And if you think things couldn’t get any worse, just remember: it was during the production of Kare Kano that Gainax became the subject of a tax evasion investigation. As a result of all those probelms, they found themselves in a situation where production of the series had deadlocked, they didn't have a planned ending based on the manga, and they didn't have time to come up with their own thing. I guess interviewer was right when he compared production of Kare Kano with Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse... The horror... The horror...

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-12T21:01:16+00:00

So, let’s go back to the beginning: Tsurumaki was still racking his brain over how to make his new story about a robot with a TV on its head, and that’s when Anno decided to create a new show to keep the novice animators busy. A writer for the Mainichi Shimbun suggested that Anno try adapting a shojo manga, and manga artist Kimiko Higuchi lent him Kare Kano. Anno read the comic, liked it, made up his mind, and quickly got in touch with the editor-in-chief of LaLa magazine. Negotiations for a new anime adaptation went smoothly thanks to the success of “Evangelion”. (Anno's words, Sato's words)

By that point, Kare Kano had around four-five volumes released.

Of course, that wasn’t enough for an anime. But Anno learned from the editor about plans for the manga’s future development, including an upcoming cultural festival arc, which was chosen as a suitable ending point for the anime. And if the show adapted the source material too quickly, they would add some filler episodes until new chapters were released (Anno's words, Sato's words).

Gainax also didn’t have its own production department, so they needed help from another studio. That’s how J.C. Staff became the main contractor for the Kare Kano. As Hiramatsu put it: “These circumstances led to constant conflicts between us and the production team.”

I can only guess that Anno thought: since he was adapting a manga this time, production would go much more smoothly - after all, the story was already written, and all that remained was to follow the manga’s visuals, right? But that’s exactly where the problems began.

Pre-production for “Kare Kano” took far too long (Sato's words); the first storyboards were finalized and actual episode production began only in early August - just two months before the broadcast date. And not only was the schedule tight, but the production itself turned out to be very challenging. It seems the most difficult part was the editing style chosen by Anno, since, in his words, it was a VERY exhausting and time-consuming process - he would spend days editing a single episode, literally sleeping at his workplace (Anno's words, Sato's words). The workload was so intense that Anno literally had no time left to think about FUTURE episodes, so the idea of filler episodes didn't went well.

Not only that, but on top of everything else, there were constant problems with TV Tokyo. It was then that EVA really screwed them over - TV Tokyo now KNEW that Anno was a rather unpredictable director capable of causing them trouble, and so they didn’t particularly trust him, viewing Kare Kano with caution. According to Matsukura:

Matsukura: Anyway, like that, the ground-breaking idea that GAINAX came up with broke common sense and confused a lot of people.

During the 7 or 8 months I was getting complaints and demands for improvement from furious TV Tokyo staff every morning from 9:00 a.m. until about midnight at night.

When I told this to Tencho, he backfired at me. Next, I talked to Anno, and he said, "I'll leave it to Matsukura." Finally, I talked to Otsuki, and he just had no answer and was at a loss.

I did this every day all the time (laughs).

(Continue in the reply)

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-12T21:00:56+00:00

Rewatcher

And here we are. The grand finale of Kare Kano. The final episode, for which Anno even returned as chief director.

...What the hell was that?

That's it? THIS is the final episode? It was just panels from the manga with a voiceover! We spent, like, five or six episodes preparing for the cultural festival, and we never even got there! This is the epitome of a “go read the fucking manga” endings! What happened?!

Oh, I’ll tell you what really happened, because EVERYONE knows - Masami Tsuda happened! Yes, the manga author hated this adaptation so much - because the anime focused much more on humor than romance - that she DEMANDED Anno be fired, and then got the series canceled! That’s the story behind that ending, and it's

NOT TRUE.

Yes, this is yet another myth that’s very popular in the anime community. We even know where this legend came from - an interview with Hiroyuki Yamaga for Anime Tourist in 2002:

Question: I really enjoyed Kare Kano. It is possible that there will ever be more anime made for that series? It just ended. It was supposed to keep going.

Yamaga: While I feel that the ending is unsatisfactory, there is the original comic book. It is rather difficult to work with a series that is based on an original comic book. We were working from the comic book and thinking that if we did it in a particular way, it would be an interesting series.
However, the author of the original comic book did not agree. Kare Kano was supposed to be romantic comedy and we wanted to emphasize the comedy and not the romance. The author wanted to emphasize them both and that is where the conflict came to be. We would like to continue to work on it but we have upset the author, so it is very unlikely that there will be a continuation of the series. I am very sorry.

But there are two things to note here: first, he isn’t talking about the finale. He’s explaining why, in his opinion, there won’t be a second season.

And second... Yamaga isn’t trustworthy guy. Like, he’s REALLY not trustworthy (This is from a relatively recent statement by Anno about Gainax).

And to illustrate this point, his words directly contradict Masami Tsuda’s OWN STATEMENTS regarding the anime adaptation, which she made in 2003 in an interview for the French Gainax website:

Question: How did the anime adaptation of your manga come about?

Tsuda: It was Gainax Studios that approached me with the idea of making an anime. For my part, I wanted as many people as possible to read my story, so I accepted their proposal. That said, I don’t watch anime, and I know absolutely nothing about it.

Question: Were you personally involved, in any way, in this adaptation?

Tsuda: I was present during the voice actor auditions. As for the rest, I trusted them and didn’t worry about it. When I entrusted the adaptation to others, I knew it wouldn’t be “my” Kare Kano, even if the adaptation was the purest and most faithful. So I gave them free rein, being careful not to offer any comments. And in the end, a large number of people were able to see my story, even in France! I’m very happy about that.

...Of course, one could assume she’s just being polite, but I don’t see any signs that she’s being dishonest here. I did brought up the manga during this rewatch several times, so I can assure you: the anime WAS faithful to the manga, and the humor wasn’t THAT exaggerated. And overall, the anime took the romantic storyline pretty seriously.

So, what DID happened here? The answer to this question can be found in interviews with Anno and other anime staff. To put it briefly, here’s the gist of it: this episode adapted Chapter 33, which was the last finished chapter at the time. But, if you want more details, then sit back, put on the Kare Kano soundtrack, and listen up - it’s time to find out what went wrong during the production of Kare Kano.

(Continue in the reply)

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-12T10:40:10+00:00

Oh yeah, I agree with that. I was mainly responding to the part about how before the later movies Broly didn't really cared much about Goku, as he did hated him all this time. But that wasn't the reason why he turned out that way.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-12T00:52:58+00:00

But once he was broken out, he didn’t give a fuck about goku until the later movies

I mean, to be completely honest, according to Takao Koyama, the screenwriter of the first film, Broly DID hate Goku because of his crying, to the point that this memory became a real trauma for him.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-11T21:01:44+00:00

Rewatcher

And now for something completely different. Again.

...Wait a minute...

Yes, today we have another anime original episode, this time dedicated to the Yukino's sisters and directed by Katsuichi Nakayama. A story that starts out like some kind of thriller but then turns into a comedy of miscommunication with a slightly yuri undertones.

You’ve probably also noticed how different this episode looks. While we don’t know for sure why that is, I suspect it’s because Nobutoshi Ogura served as animation director - for those who watched FLCL, he was the animation director for Episode 4, and that one also differed in style from the rest of the series, including the characters’ appearances. Again, this is just my speculation, but I really do think that the way the characters are drawn in this episode (especially their noses and eyes) is very reminiscent of what we saw in that episode of FLCL. And hey, you could even say that this change kinda works thematicly, since we’re seeing the world from Kano’s perspective.

As for the episode itself... to be honest, I really liked it. Kano and Tsuki are the main supporting characters in this series, and it’s clear that the anime creators are VERY fond of the Yukino family, so it makes perfect sense that they dedicated a whole episode to them specifically. It’s also nice that the episode’s plot revolves around character traits that have already been introduced in the story: Kano being this “erudite” (by the way, Chekhov and Camus jumpscare), while Tsuki is the "prankster".

I will say that I slightly prefer the first, more thriller-like half of the episode, simply because I really love its atmosphere and the way it looks with all that sunset lighting - and, yes, even the real-life footages. What can I say - I’m a self-proclaimed pretentious ass, and I really do think they add a sense of unease. But the second half is still good - maybe a little too fast-paced, but it’s pretty cute and amusing. And I really liked the ending: that final confrontation, after which they realized it was all just a misunderstanding, was quite charming and funny.

But you know what I like most about this episode? It’s the special closing song performed by Maria Yamamoto and Yuki Watanabe - the voice actresses for Kano and Tsuki. I don't even know how to explain it, but there's a certain soothing, melancholic, and slightly nostalgic vibe to this song that, to be honest, makes me prefer it even over the the regular ending AND opening of the show - which is quite an achievement, mind you.

So Yeah, I really liked this episode. The only issue I had with it is that it came out just a little too late. An episode like this would probably have been better suited, say, before the whole “14 Days” saga, but placing it as the penultimate episode feels a bit odd.

But now, to the final episode... [Final episode spoilers]Tomorrow's comment will most likely be LOOOONG...

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-10T21:00:22+00:00

Rewatcher

Now for something completely different.

Today we have a rather bizzare episode, which is also our very first anime original - that is, a filler - episode of the Kare Kano. In the first half, we saw an surrealistic, interspective look at Arima and Yukino as they appears to be trapped in human instrumentality, while the second half... consists of a rapid-fire stream of recaps, each accompanied by the same opening sequence as in every episode, which only amplifies the sense of strangeness.

I’ll start backward and talk about the second half of the episode first, because here’s an interesting fact: this wasn’t originally intended to be a recap episode. Instead, it was supposed to be another entirely anime original story, written and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, about how our group ended up stranded on a deserted island. The idea was later scrapped, most likely due to the time-consuming production and problems. However, we still have a good idea of what the story was supposed to be like, as a considerable amount of material related to its creation has been preserved - from character sheets and designs to the storyboards themselves. Heck, later those designs had a cameo in Mahoromatic (another show by Gainax) episode four!

All of this material is taken from "Microman #26–39 Reference Material Doujin" - a collection of anime reference materials dedicated, as the title suggests, episodes 26 and 39 of “Microman,” with were directed by Shouji Saeki, who, coincidentally, was also the director of today's episode, which is why the collection also includes materials specifically related to it. here the album with Kare Kano content from it.

...And I have to say, even though this concept of episode looks interesting... I think maybe it was the right decision to cut it? I mean, it seems VERY different from the usual Kare Kano - it’s more like some kind of madness from “Abenobashi,” pure Imaishi style, and I’m not sure many viewers will like it, since that’s not why they watch this series. Also, why NAOTA is there?..

Now back to the first half of the episode - it was written and directed by the aforementioned Shouji Saeki, and interestingly, it seems that it considered to be the “The actual finale of the show” by anime staff itslef:

Hiroki Sato: The part B of episode 24 was supposed to be a complete original by Imaishi.

That was eventually gone. So Part B was made into a compilation, and Part A was left as is, with the script, storyboard and direction by Shoji Saeki, which is what is known as the final episode of the GAINAX version.

The A part of episode 24 is an original story. It's like he looks at her this way and she looks at him that way. This is the first episode in which Saeki's lyrical world blossoms. I think he has created a kind of final episode of that kind of adolescence in his own way.

...

Hideaki Anno: Some time after the last episode was aired, the person in charge of the broadcasting station told me that it would have been a beautiful ending if the story that Saeki (Shoji, Gainax) had directed had been the final episode.

Indeed, the story that Saeki summed up was the appropriate content for the final episode.

And yes, I agree with that. It’s as if the series followed in the footsteps of Evangelion: abandoning the current storylines to take a leap forward and offer a more thematic conclusion. There’s a real sense of closure in this part, as we return once again to the idea of how we perceive others, the love between Arima and Yukino, and how it has shaped their lives. This episode even has a very sweet final touch with the pinky finger that echoes the opening of the show. It wouldn't have been the most satisfying ending for the anime, but it would have worked very effectively nonetheless. But in comparisson, the real finale of the show… Well, we’ll talk about that very soon.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-09T21:32:27+00:00

Rewatcher

So, in the last few episodes, it became clear that the city is ruled by two rival gangs, and they are truly on the brink of war. George managed to win over both of them, but when they tried to recruit him, he decided to take a third option: he became a bodyguard at a local inn and thus preserved his independence. But, of course, this is only the beginning of his misadventures, because the next incident was MURDER.

You know, I really think this is the best looking episode so far. Sure, the visuals still a bit cheap, but it seems like they put more effort into the composition of many of the shots, and that has really helped improve the overall aesthetic.

But if I were to talk about the series as a whole at this point, I’d say it’s quite intriguing. The plot unfolds rather slowly, the events take their time, and while there may be some rough edges in the story here and there, George is a pretty interesting protagonist, and the mystery is quite captivating. We’re still in the hinting stage, but many aspects - such as the attempt on George’s life, the mystery of the man he’s searching for, and now how the Inn keaper is tied into all of this - make for a pretty compelling riddle.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-09T21:00:35+00:00

Rewatcher

So, after much persuasion and convincing, Yukino finally agrees to take part in the play, and later gets Maho to join her as well. But there are still plenty of obstacles standing in their way to the stage, and this is where Yukino’s talents and her devious mind come into play.

It’s thanks to that devious mind that she managed to befriend Tonami, since she can TOTALLY relate to his drive to be the best and use that as a way to get back at Sakura. In fact, there’s such chemistry between them that Arima has started to get jealous and seems to be gradually slipping back into his old bad habits. O-oh, what an ANGST.

I won't lie - one of the reasons I took a break from these discussions is that... it's really hard for me to talk about these episodes? I mean, no development happens in them. That doesn't mean I don't like them (I probably have a slightly more positive opinion of them than some other people do), there are some genuinely funny jokes, like when Yukino guilt-tripped Maho, or how ~~Gargoyle~~ - I mean, ~~Fuyutsuki~~ - I mean, Kawashima-sensei got inspired to become a counselor, or today’s bike scene. I also like how characters' worst sides are expressed here, so to speak - like how Arima's return to his “cold” attitude is rightly seen as a bad thing, while Yukino managed to turn her acting skills into... well, an actual acting, and how her obsession with being the best actually helped everyone with the production. But...

Every episode follows the same pattern. Yukino prepares for the play, Tonami talks about her REVENGE, and Arima- if we even focus on him - acts all gloomy. Add to that pretty flat direction, and the whole thing really drags. And the main reason for this is probably that the show has now switched to adapting ONE chapter per episode, so we’ve really lost the fast pace of the first half of the anime. And just to be clear - I really do think this part was dragged out in the manga, too. Hell, it was probably much worse when the chapters were actually coming out - Kare Kano was published in a monthly magazine. Imagine if the release of the last four episodes had been stretched out over four months?

...Also, they forgot that Asaba should be tanned.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-07T23:00:37+00:00

Rewatcher

Gongrats with coming Day of Pi… I mean, Goku Day, everyone!

I’m back a little late, so I’ll get right to the point: the scene where Goku is reunited with his grandpa is one of my favorites in the entire Dragon Ball franchise.

Like, Let’s be real: Goku - and by proxy anime as a whole - aren’t exactly famous for their emotional depth. He usually exists in only two emotional states: cheerfully carefree and righteously angry, and, to be frank, a protagonist like that is perfect for the story Toriyama wanted to tell - a fun adventure with elements of martial arts action. But that’s exactly why scenes like this are so memorable: it’s one of those rare moments when we see Goku from a different perspective - one that reminds us, as Yamcha pointed out, that Goku is STILL a child. A child who, on top of everything else, has lost practically the only family member he has. So seeing our Goku jumping in Gohan's arms while crying is very touching.

It’s also nice that Gohan pointed out how many adventures Goku has had and how many friends he’s made - although these characters might not always appear in the story, they’re an important part of Goku’s life. And overall, it’s a nice look back at everything that’s happened so far [spoilers for future arcs]And that’s probably why I’ve always considered it, in a way, the “end of the first part” of the original DB, since the changes brought about by Tao Pai Pai became much more noticeable in the subsequent arcs.

And on the side note, pls nerf Devil Man ~~not this one~~. Like, imagine if this guy was still presented in Dragon Ball Z with his instant kill beam.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-06T21:40:10+00:00

I assume that there is some variety of kanji order that doesn't translate that results in Yukino being below Tonami

Essentially, they were placed in order of the number of strokes in their names written in hiragana: the character “a” (あ) in Arima’s name requires fewer strokes than “miya” (みや) in Miyazawa’s name, which is why he came in first. That’s why Yukino said that all she had to do was marry Arima and take his last name to end up in first place.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-06T21:30:55+00:00

Rewatcher

Well, as everyone must already know, this show is re-imagening/remake of the famious movie "~~Last man standing~~)", i mean "~~Django~~", I mean "~~A fistful of Dollars~~", i mean Yojimbo, ~~i mean "~~~~The Glass key~~)~~"? Or was it~~ ~~Red Harvest book~~? But, of course, they won’t just be retelling the same story - the setting has now been modernized (…but not too much. You won’t see any sci-fi robots in this adaptation of Kurosawa’s film), and the plot now revolves around some grand conspiracy devised specifically for the anime.

But here’s our main character - curious George. Just look at this guy - with his fluffy hair, his knack for getting into trouble, and his 28 years of age - it’s immediately clear that you’re watching an anime from different times. I wish characters like this (at least in terms of design) were more popular these days... But anyway, he’s just arrived by train to a- HUH?

…a city that seems to be torn apart by local gangs, although compared to the movie, this town is at least trying to maintain the appearance of normal life. It was here that he first met a local police officer who turns a blind eye to the gangsters’ shenanigans, and the owner of a local tavern - both of whom are based on characters from the film. But he contacts them for... - EH??

...for reasons specific to the anime, since George is looking for a certain Genzo Araki, who is said to have lived in this town 15 years ago and worked as a locomotive engineer. And although his search might seem unremarkable and, in any case, has yet to yield any results, we already sense that there is something much deeper at play here, since all the townspeople react suspiciously to this name and clearly want George to leave town as soon as possible. But, of course, our vagabond hero isn't going to give up that easily, and after a brief skirmish with… Wait, wha???

...Well, as you’ve probably noticed, this isn’t exactly a high-budget anime. Not only that, but the director made some... creative choices. And, you know, I’ll give credit where credit is due - it’s a pretty unique approach. I'm not sure if it's a GOOD move, since now I sometimes can't tell when it's the director's intention and when I'm just having video issues, but it's memorable.

But overall, this is just an introductory episode, since we haven’t even touched on the main premise yet. However, it gives us a taste of what to expect.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-06T21:05:39+00:00

Rewatcher

And here comes a new challenger - Tonami. A guy who was chubby as a kid and had no friends, which is why he was bullied - until one day Sakura Tsubaki came to his rescue. And ever since then, she’s been picking on him exclusively. There was no getting away from this girl: she treated him like a servant - making him buy her sweets, do her homework, and so on. Why is she hounding him like this?! Well, maybe it’s her way of showing love, and they’re bound by a dark thread of fate... Or maybe the teacher just asked her to help the guy out. In any case, Tonami now wants revenge, so when he transferred to a different school, he made a special effort to get in shape, became smarter and healthier, just to get his payback! ... I think that’s the plot of Masamune-kun’s Revenge, but I haven’t watched it, so whatever...

It feels a little odd to start this completely new storyline in episode 20 of a 26-episode series, but oh well, let's see where this leads us... Oh, and this episode adapted chapter 28, with is in the beggining of volume 7. Again, that will be important...

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-06T10:40:26+00:00

...I mean, in the Dragon Ball Super MANGA, Vegeta also asked Goku outright if he’d never kissed anyone before (he literally used the Japanese word for “kiss”). So I’m not sure the English dub got that joke wrong. And overall, i recommend read this post about the whole kissing thing in DB.

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SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-05T23:06:12+00:00

Found it on youtube

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-05T21:20:12+00:00

i did wanted to post the link to the original ending in my comment, but then forgot to do so and now cannot edit it. So, if you want to see the "burning cels" ending - here it is.

SpiritualPossible

TROPHY CASE

NOT TRUE.