That they do, if only those friends of mine could make a half decent pot roast…
While this season has been rather lacking True Tears has been earned a place in my heart as one of the best series this season. Episode Five continues the tradition of excellence that was laid forth in episodes 1-4. While news of an impending highway robbery by Bandai Visual disheartens me somewhat I shall take heart for if I must be robbed it might as well be Noe telling me to reach for the sky. Good thing that lazy brother of mine has taken a fancy to some PS3 titles such as Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty 4, Devil May Cry 4, and MGS 4. At least now I have freed enough gaming dollars to indulge Bandai Visual so long as they add in some random True Tears stuff like a key chain, cell phone strap, or a CD with the OP and ED. If nothing else I hope most of my money will be a reward for the PA Works for doing a good job.
Impz just died from a Noe overdose.
Thankfully Stipey was incapacitated by the Noe overdose before he could make good on her suggestion.
Noe is again a bright star upon the sky she lights the way for those weak and weary of this world. Her powers of observation are beyond reproach and while I am sure of her genius her eccentricity points to an innocent point of view that is utterly incompatible with this flawed society. I fear that Noe needs to have a mortal companion is she is to interface with us mere mortals. Shin-chan is a dick for pushing Noe away like that, she hardly has any friends and while it was most glorious of her to try and make nice with Hiromi and share lunches it is a tragedy that they are fated to be enemies. Still Noe is clearly an admirer of Shin-chan’s given her desire to walk home together, have lunch, and to see him dance. She even said that he was gallant…though I may beg to differ. I like how she has a theory on why people lie: artificial foods. Now I feel kind of guilty since I have eaten many a MRE (Meal Rejected by Everyone), no wonder I am such a malevolent being. Nevertheless Noe is not one for normality given her love for tomatoes when tomatoes are hardly a staple of the East Asian diet.
If only Shin-chan were not a factor, what a glorious alliance this could have been…
God has a special providence for fools, drunks, and the United States of America.
Hiromi and Shin-chan had a great start with the walk by the beach though the lout would have done better to tough out the cold than rob a lady of her scarf. When Shin-chan paid her a visit for the first time it was clear from the music that Hiromi was indeed happy, until Hotarugawa no. 4 was mentioned. I agree with Hiromi that there should be no unwarranted interference with her own affairs. If she wanted advice she would have asked for it. To see her heart breaking as Shin-chan rambled on was a most sad affair. Still at least she seemed to enjoy her little lunch with Noe and despite their rivalry she kept things civil and made Noe welcome. Such chivalry we rarely see in rivals in wars of affection!
Surely you will make an exception for dear nii-san.
Kudos Noe for finding the best way to stop tears.
Hiromi got to have her moment under the spotlight and while there are many who dislike her I must say that her dishonesty is definitely a product of a hostile environment. I disagree with Kurogane that this mixed signal business is the result of petty jealousy nor do I agree with Stripey in regards to where she wants to be. We should all note that while Hiromi and Shin-chan were sharing the same roof he had not paid her a formal visit in more than a year, in essence since the day she moved in! Judging by her room Hiromi leads a lonely existence in the Nakagami household and is a virtual prisoner in her own home. The lady has her own living room of sorts and most strikingly of all has a heavy door instead of one of those sliding screens that predominates the place. Hiromi can never rebel against her jailer because she has no family left. She is at the mercy of Mrs. Nakagami and so long as this is the status quo she must be every watchful for any miss step can have dire consequences for one so young with no support from a family of her own. Granted her seal on her feelings is lacking it cannot be helped for the one she loves is so near and yet so distant. Mrs. Nakagami spares no effort in belittling her and is desperately searching for some contrived pretext to get rid of Hiromi. If the rumors about Shin-chan and Hiromi became more widespread we can be sure that Mrs. Nakagami will not take it lightly and could probably force Hiromi out for good. Indeed her cowardice is deplorable but Hiromi has little hope left, even if she graduates from high school where could she go? She can’t afford college living expenses even on a scholarship of some sort. Being an orphan has put a ball and chain on her from which there seems to be no real escape. Perhaps her recent activity is motivated by a bit of jealousy but her unrequited and unspoken love for Shin-chan is all that the poor girl has left to make her lot in the Nakagami house bearable.
Indeed you did prophecy this…
Your smile betrays you, so you have a crush. Your feelings for him are strong. If you will not act upon your love then perhaps she will.
If Hiromi could have escaped I am sure she would have had the sense to move out long ago given how unwelcome she is. I suspect that her parents’ deaths were unexpected or at least the trust fund they had for her is not yet in effect. Sure Hiromi may hate Mrs. Nakagami and resent her sad lot in life, but only a fool would bite the hand that feeds them. Had this been a wishy washy idealistic harem anime then perhaps she could have struck out on her own, but such is not the case. I trust that if Hiromi were in a more open environment that she would be even more radiant than she is at school. It is a tragedy that even if Hiromi can be happy at school that she still has to be robbed of it daily whenever she returns to the clutches of that hateful wench Mrs. Nakagami. True her actions may indeed be cowardly, but let it never be said that her love for Shin-chan is any less than Aiko’s or Noe’s. Look beyond her half baked lies and you will see a lady that has been all but broken by the cruelty of Mrs. Nakagami and her unjust fate of having no real home to call her own.
Well said mein Freifau.
A happy Aiko is a lovely Aiko.
Aiko seems to be readying for one last charge, one last hurrah to make her feelings known. She does so in vain and her defeat is written upon the stars themselves. Her relationship with Nobuse makes any love between her and Shin-chan all but impossible since the mild mannered Shin-chan would not dare to stab Nobuse in the back. I trust that her initial action when episode 6 starts is to use the pretext of trying to hide “Nobuse’s” sweater. If nothing else this will surely disarm Aiko of any hope she has for a place in Shin-chan’s heart. It would be interesting if Aiko gives Nobuse the sweater as a farewell gift and then try to go off on her own. If Aiko opts to leave Nobuse I hope her failure will make her realize how much Nobuse was actually there for her and how much he loved her unconditionally. It is sad that Aiko is going to have to learn the hard way about the nature of infatuation but hopefully she will be all the wiser for it in the end.
I also expect that you do know better, Nobuse. I expect you to conduct yourself with honor and dignity.
Nobuse certainly can’t forget about you…I hope you will accept him in the end.
Since Nobuse is going to get the boot in due time I hope that he claims the sweater as proof that Aiko did not hate him and cared enough to try and spare him any pain. If nothing else the sweater would be proof enough that she cared and that he was able to share some time with her. Should Nobuse stay his wrath and fury I hope he finds some solace in honor and duty. Men are expected to be able to bear the scars of war as well as scars of love with humility and strength. While Stripey might decry the cruelty of Aiko in leading Nobuse on I have faith that the lad is indeed a man and has no fear of pain. When Aiko needs him the most I hope Nobuse will be there to help her out of her pickle. Isn’t that what love should be? To always be there when your beloved is happy or sad, ready to bail them out no matter what kind of pickle their in? Besides I am sure Nobuse thinks that the sun shines out of Aiko’s eyes. The lad possess an attention to detail and such in depth knowledge of his beloved Aiko’s personality that he notices her change in attire and how the sweater was rather incongruent with her personality! There is no guide book to Aiko’s personality, in fact Nobuse could have only gathered this much only by staying loyally by Aiko’s side for all this time. Three cheers for Nobuse, most worthy of boyfriends, for not only does the lad work hard to avoid being a financial burden upon Aiko, but he notices the little things when Shin-chan would not even know a clue if it bit him in the ass and dragged him through town.
You Japanese always over dressing for the wrong occasions…
Well she doesn’t look angry…When Shin-chan fails you will know what to do Isurugi nii!
It was another great episode and showed how different each of our plucky heroines is. Noe is definitely a bright star, but she has no friends and is lonely as a result. Hiromi’s loneliness was forced upon her by the evil mistress of the Nakgami house and Aiko…well I am not quite sure yet. It is worth taking a note that Noe has a loving family that tries to keep her happy, yet at school she has no friends. Hiromi has no family and yet has friends who care a great deal even if they are ignorant of the Nakagami oppression. Aiko has a boyfriend in Nobuse yet somehow she still feels empty enough to pine for Shin-chan. Given that Isurugi nii is going to advance upon Hiromi’s heart it will be interesting to see if they can understand one another given their mutual interest in basketball and the shared pain of love of one so close yet so far. If nothing else Isurugi Jun for all his wit and sis-con may yet prove to be a reliable man of justice. Perhaps it is he who will put an end to Hiromi’s servitude where Shin-chan has failed, the proverbial prince upon his noble steed bike. Perhaps we will learn more about Isurugi nii and the depth of his conviction “to love the one he loves to the point of breaking.” It will be interesting to how Hiromi will react to the dashing Isurugi nii stroking her hair. It will be painful to watch Aiko embark upon a path that will only lead her to utter annihilation, but such is the wergild price of love unrequited. Suffice to say episode 6 cannot come soon enough.
14 Comments
One does wonder tho, whether Noe realized Shin lied to her initially, and just pretended not to know, or whether her observation skills are not fully manifest when dealing with Shin. Either way, she seems to have forgiven him to some extent, though I am not sure Shin got the hint when she commented on it during their “meal.”
oh, I concur with you here whole heartedly! Everything from Noe’s innocence to what is Aiko thinking?! What I love about this series the most is that it’s not one of those idyllic harem animes, but rather a messy mish-mash of emotions and relationships.
I never thought I would read a Vader-reference in a True Tears post.
Heh.
If Nobuse really paid attention to detail then he’d know by now that his girl is crushing on Shin hard, especially when she stared at him and Noe in the previous episode.
The scene with Jun and Hiromi in the next episode interests me..
Does he love Hiromi because he really loves her, or because of Noe..
Shinichiro did say, “In exchange for me going out with Isurugi Noe, you’d have to go out with Hiromi”..
Maybe Jun took that seriously..
Not only did Noe have the power to utilize Shinichiro as a mount and a prime resource for her tears, but also figured out the location of his dance training via intelligence-gathering and tracking skills. Is there anything Noe can’t do?
You have a valid point there too, but I still think the main spark of the events that have transpired now is a subconscious feeling of jealousy from Hiromi.
It’s actually more likely Shin didn’t visit her not because he’s afraid of his mom, but more like he’s afraid of Hiromi’s image of him instead.
Ever since Hiromi arrived at the Nakagami household, she has acted cold to him, which comes to a shocker for him, considering they are childhood friends. And probably with all the other elements in place, he’s afraid to visit her room mainly because he thinks that she doesn’t like him anymore.
It’s only after the recent events, when Hiromi shows him a more friendlier side, that only he has gotten courage to visit her room. You have to know, in Asian cultures, privacy is a very integral part of politeness, much more especially in Japanese ones. You just do not simply enter or visit rooms of people that you perceive aren’t inviting of it.
@Derek
I suspect that Noe is so great that she cannot hold a grudge, even if she can she sucks at it. Shin-chan getting a clue…were it so easy.
@Kidan
Non-generic harem 4TW!
@Skane
Glad you noticed, though I wonder if any one is going to get the Indiana Jones one.
@Leon
Nobuse is a man who is above petty jealousy, I am sure he senses it but being the good man that he is refuses to act upon it. His love for Aiko is not the stifling kind, all he wants is to bask in her lovely glow.
@Setsukyie
If nothing else I am sure no. 6 and no. 4 can get along famously.
@lazyd00d
Noe is elite and her actions will shape her world.
@Kurogane
I remember way back when that Japanese households having separate rooms was a rarity. My professor told me that when her kids had their own rooms in the 1980s-1990s in Japan that her Japanese peers wondered if her kids would get lonely. Shin-chan should have been there when Hiromi mourned the loss of her parents. If his image to her was all that mattered then he is no contender he’s not even a friend. Given the gulf between them now one cannot help but wonder if Shin-chan ever even tried to initiate the reconciliation. Thus far it was Hiromi who had to get the ball rolling with the “I want to be Noe’s friend gambit.” Well let’s see how Jun is going to fare in wooing Hiromi given how timid Shin-chan has been.
I wouldn’t call it petty jealousy. Well, I don’t know what to call it but shrugging off your girl fawning over another guy is not good. o_o
Am I the only one that when first seeing the header image for this post, immediately looks at the random guy walking in the background between the two girls?
As a huge Aiko fanboy, I agree it will be painful to watch her fall, and can only hope that she will find love in the end, whether it be in Nobuse or someone else.
Anyone else think it’d be hilarious though if all three girls end up with someone not Shin, and Shin ends up all alone.
Well….I’d laugh anyway.
@Leon
Sometimes its just not worth it to get jealous, after all girlfriends across the globe were dumbstruck by Leanardo Dicaprio when millions of men were dragged off to go see it. Besides Nobuse has some faith in Shin-chan that Shinichiro will not betray him. So long as Nobuse is convinced that the apple in Aiko’s eye is out of reach he is not going to over react.
@Igunis
Then you sir must get acquainted with the esteemed Noe and Hiromi so that your eye will never deviate again.
@Dirian
They all deserve to be happy, except Mrs. Nakagami. If Shin were to be left out in the cold then we need one more male lead… unless jun gets both Noe and Hiromi.
Good catch, Ignius. Seems intentionally metaphorical, no?
you think Hiromi will fall inlove with number 6? Noe and Shin is ok. But I’d like to see a Hiromi and Shin relationship here. haarr! thanks for the post, Crusader!
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