#one of those things just happens to be 'having her friendship with Tadano'

[honestlyvan]

aggretsuko-fixit for the wip game?

That one is more in the backburner but I started working on it after Season 2, because I was just so furious about how not dating towards marriage apparently meant that both Retsuko and Tadano would give up on their friendship, also. It just struck me as deeply unfair at the time, y'know?

A lot of it is Retsuko grappling with amatonormativity, essentially -- she now knows what she wants in a relationship and Tadano is not it, but she was in love with him, they were friends before they were in a relationship, and while the relationship is kind of take-it-or-leave-it in her head, she probably wouldn't take him back even if he suddenly got on board with the idea of marrying her... she does miss his company and friendship. It's a challenging idea for her, because her mental image of her life is so regimented by what is "expected" of her as an adult woman.

And Tadano is kind of in the same bag, really, he's not stupid and after sitting with the rejection for a bit, he realises that he was being unfair and doing the thing where he rejects perfectly good advice because it doesn't appeal to him. He feels like a dickhead, and that compounds with the fact that he also still misses Retsuko, and having already made a mess of things by trying to pressure her into conforming to his feelings before, doubles down on trying to maintain a respectful distance to her, trying to remain in control.

You'll see that both of those flaws are in fact the thing the two of them were already working on in their friendship before they started dating.

So a lot of it is just the two of them running into each other repeatedly, awkward as all hell, spending all of five minutes talking during which both of them relax because they do vibe and they do like each other, leaving the interaction feeling better than they did going into it and then getting home and fucking crying about it because neither of them realise they don't miss the relationship, they miss their friend.

They do eventually get the memo about having fucked up a perfectly good thing by trying to date about it and understand with their adult emotions that the positive influence they had on each other -- Retsuko pushing Tadano towards finding joy through compassion, Tadano's broad-mindedness allowing her space to express her feelings more honestly -- that doesn't have to go away just because they're not dating. That's called being friends. That is a perfectly normal thing to be with someone.

[dropintomanga]

Komi and the Difficulty of Communication

I finally got into Komi Can’t Communicate and read the 1st 8 volumes after years of hearing about it in internet manga circles. It has quite a charm that makes it stand out over most school slice-of-life series. I also thought about what it meant to have a communication disorder like the main character, Shoko Komi, because I went through an experience where my parents thought I had a communication disorder.

When I was 2 years old, I could only talk using single words. My parents wondered what was wrong with me. They went looking for doctors and speech language therapists for help. My pediatrician at the time told my mom that there was nothing wrong with me biologically. A speech therapist told my mom about a special education school that would help improve my communication skills. So I attended that school for pre-kindergarten. Afterwards, I attended individual speech learning sessions at elementary school as my parents wanted to make sure that I could talk with no problem. 

Seeing Komi’s struggles from childhood make me think about how her parents couldn’t help her. Komi’s father has a communication disorder as well which complicated things a bit, but nothing horrible happens as both are able to express themselves to each other. In any case, Komi’s friendship with the main male lead Hitohito Tadano is adorable. I like how Tadano tries to encourage Komi to slowly break out of her shell. I used to be really shy when it came to talking to fellow peers when I was a kid even though my speech issues were mostly gone. It took me a while to overcome my shyness. I think I owed my friends at the time for that a la Komi. You truly grow being around people outside of your own family and learning how to rely on them. 

Although Komi has a communication disorder, she is worshiped by her class for her looks. It’s a bit too much, but it does remind me of a somewhat common trope - the popular kid who really doesn’t want attention and secretly wishes they weren’t put on a pedestal. Fame is an idea encouraged by a competitive society as there’s numerous advantages to being popular. The catch is you never know who’s really your friend since there will be people that only want to be around you for bragging rights. Tadano is criticized for his “normal” behavior as he doesn’t have any quirks unlike most of the other characters in the series, but he lacks drama (which is something I wish people need to appreciate more). Tadano’s bland appeal provides much-needed reliability for Komi’s development. Constant excitement is a distraction from getting down to the roots of problems you want to address.

I think that’s the true beauty of a series like Komi Can’t Communicate. We’re so afraid of sharing our vulnerabilities in order to be protected from the pain of others. But it also robs us of much-needed connection from others. We may not have communication disorders, but we find it hard to talk to others as we make so many assumptions about one another to fit our world views. It also doesn’t help that a lot of people don’t know how to actively listen to someone with a lot on their mind.

Although I did have communication difficulties as a young child, I’m now praised as someone who likes to talk. My mom told me that one of her friends joked that she was worried for nothing as I was able to read books and recite words out loud. I like to communicate even though I get scared like Komi does when it comes to meeting new people. I think it helps that I have friends who see me for who I am, not what I am. Those kinds of friends are very hard to find. They reassure me that I can make new friends.

I try hard to say something because I don’t want to feel like Komi did when she was younger. Komi told Tadano that she disliked herself for not being able to communicate. It’s so tiring to dislike one’s self. I also don’t want to feel alone. I’m excited to read more Komi as I just found out about Rumiko Manbagi, a female character who debuts around Volume 10 and becomes another major influence on Komi.

Reading Komi Can’t Communicate makes me want to communicate this message to the world - maybe the real communication disorder is our belief that we know everything there is to a person and how embracing the reality that you don’t, no matter how cruel it is, can ironically make you a better communicator in life.

For more information on communication disorders, check out NSTA (National Science Teaching Association)’s link.

[tardytothepardy]

Y’know yesterday I finally got around to watching the third season of Aggretsuko and honestly I thought it was interesting. As I’m re-watching the show as a whole, I’m fully realizing that this third season really did just go off. 

The first season was fairly realistic: the normal life of a normal young adult in the workforce and dealing with the bs that goes along with it. She tries to get in a relationship so that she could get married just to get away from her job, but it just didn’t work out. Which is realistic, things don’t always work out.

The second season went a little more out there by having Retsuko somehow get in a relationship with a young millionaire (I think) and then she was swept up in the chaos that went along with being Tadano’s girlfriend. She had to deal with people online being shitty to her just for being with Tadano, and then at the end of it all, they broke up after they realized that they had different life plans. 

The third season seemed to just take that whole “Retsuko in the eye of the online public” to a whole new level, by not only throwing her into the position of the accountant for an up and coming icon group, but to end up as one of or the main singer? Like what? How did she get there? (I know how but still that shit’s zany) And the fact that it came to the point of a rabid, angry, toxic “fan” attacking her after stalking her for potentially weeks/months? Holy shit. 

I’ve seen a few posts and videos that talk about the attack, and the aftermath, specifically about what Haida did to “wake up” Retsuko, and I kinda agree with the sentiment of ‘Good intentions, not the best course of action.’ I mean, when I was watching those last two episodes, things were going so fast that I couldn’t really keep up. It was pretty intense, and when there was that whole meetup with Haida and Gori and Washimi (and I think Fenneko? I’m pretty sure she was also there) and Gori did her whole soulmate match up thing, it was kind of a “Huh this better not be a pre-orchestrated thing.” (I don’t think that Tadano somehow coded the app so that Retsuko would be matched with Haida because Haida didn’t even have an account or whatever when Tadano revised the code like if he were to do that he’d be hinging on the idea that 1) Haida would get an app like that and 2) he would get that one specific app and idk that just doesn’t make sense to me)

But then when Haida busted into Retsuko’s parent’s house (at night? Couldn’t it have waited until morning or smthn?) I was like “whoa” and then when he grabbed Retsuko I was like “whOA my guy that is not the move you could be fucking up severely here do you know what you’re doing?” I admit that I was not entirely okay with everything that was going on, and I was kinda waiting for Retsuko to freak out a little bit (here’s me forgetting that she was still recovering from her trauma and was a bit... out of it, let’s just say). 

The choice to have both Haida and Retsuko vent their thoughts/emotions through the songs is something that I think is just a “this is the kind of show that does this” thing, because for one thing, that’s the primary way that Retsuko vents out her emotions about things, and there are a few moments where other characters (like Director Ton in the first season during that work party) do the same. I’ve seen a few people be weirded out by Haida singing his emotions, saying something like “He could have just said it normally he didn’t need to sing” well yeah no duh so could Retsuko but that’s just what the show is doing, but I also feel like it’s a connection thing. Because Retsuko’s death voice thing is something that she keeps to herself, and she feels that she’s sticking her neck out to show that aspect of herself, such as with Retsasuke, I’m pretty sure Tadano, Gori and Washimi, the OTM group, and now Haida. So I kinda think of it as an emotional connection thing. 

But then, as all who watched that scene know, Haida kinda responded. I mean, he started the song thing, then Retsuko responded, but then he responded to that response. It was like a weird music conversation! Which I’m pretty sure no other character has done before, but basically in that he was like “Bruh it’s cool that you’re upset and everything, but like, you have friends. You don’t have to do it alone” and everything, which was nice. By the end of the season, I got the feeling that there can now be an actual relationship (by which I mean friendship, I’m half expecting a romantic thing, half not), rather than just being “that one person who sits across from me at work for the last 5 years”. Progress. 

In general though, I think one of the complaints about season three (and potentially the show as a whole) is that everything goes by so fast. It really felt like attackthenmemoriesthenhaida’stherethensingingthenendofseason and there wasn’t any time to pause, take a breath, and continue. I have no idea what the passage of time was. How much time has passed between the first season and the third season? I have no idea, they never address it. And I feel it’s a similar thing with the whole ending of the third season. With the 15 minute, 10 episode seasons, either a lot of nothing happens, or a lot is just jam packed into the episodes, and we can’t always see various reactions (such as Retsuko’s parent’s reactions to their daughter being attacked!!) or be told that x amount of days/weeks/months have passed since a particular event. 

(Though honestly I feel like that could’ve been resolved with the ending of the third season by someone saying something like “Retsuko’s been away from work for ___ weeks now, she could end up losing her job” or something. Just a little line in there, some kind of indication.)

I really feel like the ending of season three (golly i am just really focusing on that aren’t i) could’ve been just a little bit better if there was an episode’s space between the attack and the whole karaoke thing and the end of the season, because it still might have felt kinda rushed and short, but there would be that buffer to show that some time has passed.  

I don’t really have any expectations for the fourth season of Aggretsuko, other than if the series does decide to make Haida and Retsuko endgame, can they do it right? Can they give a legit groundwork for their relationship, and edge away (as much as they can at this point) from the whole “No means keep trying” and “Yeah she’s turned him down twice but he’s still going to try again anyway” thing, because as many other people have said, it’s a trope that happens a lot in media, and more importantly, it’s not a good one. Some people have said that they just don’t want Haida and Retsuko to be a thing, which I can kinda get, but I think that I just want to see where the show is gonna go with that whole Thing. Idk. I can ship it, but I would also be pretty damn okay if they were just friends. Because good friends are always nice. (and as a bonus if they do become great friends then i can vicariously experience a good friendship hooray i love it when that happens) Also hey can they go through Retsuko’s recovery process? If they just leave that whole mess behind in season 4 and pretend it didn’t happen omfg what even was the point do not do that Aggretsuko you will make so many people mad.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 6/19/20

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 18 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – If you enjoy the way that the series can turn on a dime and drop you into any genre, this volume may disappoint. There’s very little of the weird sci-fi horror aspects of it, and they’re mostly gathered towards the end. Instead, we get the kids, and a lot of the kids. They’re cute! They’re bratty! They’re learning how to be better centaurs and sheep people and other types. We get to see Himeno be impressive and yet also a bit of a dimbulb, there’s more yuri text and boob jokes, and there’s some other fun gags. It’s sweet, but it also feels rather sparse. After taking the series into dark places, it now feels wrong when the series isn’t going there half the time. Balance it better in the next book. – Sean Gaffney

Faded Picture Scroll | By Fujitobi | Futekiya (digital only) – I have no clue how this earned a rating of two chili peppers (Futekiya’s system for indicating a title’s steaminess) because it is one of the cutest, most wholesome boys’ love stories I’ve ever read. When Ryuta was little, he was saved by a young exorcist named Izumo who promised to take him adventuring when he got older. When they meet again, Izumo regrets his promise but Ryuta proves he can be useful by helping to save an incredibly adorable fox spirit named Yamabuki. Over time, these two lonely guys grow closer and ultimately fall in love. Their journey to domestic bliss is sweet and the many comedic moments (mostly Yamabuki, but not always) have a distinct Rumiko Takahashi feel to them. I was utterly charmed and am looking forward to reading the other Fujitobi title on the site. Very much recommended! – Michelle Smith

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 7 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – Romance is not particularly important in this series right now—we’d need a strong rival character for that to happen, and we don’t have that at this point. Plus Komi, while she has improved tremendously, still has issues just communicating with others from day to day, so it would feel mean to throw a love life on top of that. That said, while we can see all of her newfound friends do their best to get her involved in their fun (even Yamai… ugh), it’s Tadano who clearly understands her the best, knowing her likes and dislikes, and also clearly having a crush on her but knowing not to push at it too hard. This series can be quite funny (Komi’s mom is a stitch), but works even better when it’s heartwarming. – Sean Gaffney

Let’s Kiss in Secret Tomorrow, Vol. 3 | By Uri Sugata | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – I was expecting this series to end with Saya and Yuto’s secret relationship coming to light amongst big drama, but instead, that moment is treated as almost an afterthought, as Sugata-sensei is more interested in delivering a moral about learning to love yourself, forgiving yourself for past mistakes, and having the courage to try again. The end result is optimistic rather than preachy, and I loved that the final image is not some swoony embrace between our two leads (who are, it is gratifyingly emphasized, also each other’s best friend) but a smile from the girl who instigated some shit and whom Saya has opted to befriend. This series surprised me and I would definitely be interested to read more from this mangaka! – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 7 | By Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court | Viz Media – Long time since the last volume, and therefore I was initially a little grumpy that it focused on Captain Celebrity, who’s basically a shallow American All Might. But then we get to see his past, showing that while he’s a ‘dumb jock’ he’s still good at heart, and his ex-wife, who’s terrific (and also, as it turns out, pregnant). We also see, after his farewell event is hijacked by terrorist bad guys and their raptor monsters, that he can be a good guy even if it’s not winning him fame and fortune. Unfortunately, he may not survive into the next volume, though given that’s he’s currently with our hero, I think he’ll be OK. This remains a good, somewhat darker prequel to the main series. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 24 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – This volume is a gift to me. I’ve long said that I love the friendship between Natsume, Tanuma and Taki (OK, yes, I ship it too), and here we get a Taki-centric story followed by a Tanuma-centric story. The Taki one involves her college-age brother returning home. He’s more of a skeptic, but is also avoiding their house for some reason. And there’s an “I entrust you with my sister’s safety” gag that’s great. The Tanuma chapter is a bit more serious, and involves possession, but it also touches on one of the running themes of this series: two yokai who want to talk to each other and are unable to do so due to death, separation, or what have you. This comes out infrequently, but I always adore it. – Sean Gaffney

Queen’s Quality, Vol. 9 | By Kyousuke Motomi | Viz Media – The arc wraps up here, with those who have died going to a more peaceful rest and those who have not died going back to cleaning really hard. The best part of the book is where Fumi is given the choice: she can save the girl Kyutaro loved as a girl, but lose her memories of everything since then… or she can save herself, and kill the memories of the girl Kyutaro loved. It’s one of those choices that seems hard until you think about it, which is why it’s slightly frustrating that most others before Fumi made the wrong choice. Fortunately, Fumi makes the right choice, and doesn’t even need the help of her boyfriend. Oh yes, they’re dating now, and get in some good kisses. An excellent shoujo series. – Sean Gaffney

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 10 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – This volume is a LOT. Ichika is still being amazingly aggressive, Miku is being aggressive whether she wants to be or not, and Yotsuba just wants everyone to get along like they used to. But that’s not going to happen, as Futaro points out—picking one thing means not picking the others, and that applies to life as well as romance. The romance ends up with Miku as the seeming winner here, though there’s minimal forward progression, and Futaro revealing he’s not as ignorant of everyone’s feelings as he pretends. That said, the reason this volume is a lot is the cliffhanger, where we finally found out which of the quints has been dressing up as Rena… and which one was Rena from the past. This is terrific romantic comedy. – Sean Gaffney

Sweet Time | By Weng Pixin | Drawn & Quarterly – Collecting comics that were originally created between 2008 and 2017, Sweet Time is Weng “Pix” Pixin’s graphic novel debut. Pix is an artist from Singapore who utilizes a variety of media and methods of expression. The fifteen comics in Sweet Time demonstrate Pix’s striking colorwork, providing examples of both drawings and paintings. While the individual works aren’t necessarily directly related to one another (although there are several series of diary comics), the collection as a whole explores themes of longing, desire, and impermanence. Some of the narratives are more abstract while others are more linear in their portrayal of changing relationships and human connection. Many of the selections included incorporate autobiographical elements, providing the collection with additional layers of realism and reflection. Pervading Sweet Time is a sense of intimacy and melancholy, beautifully rendered in colors that are sometimes surprising but never jarring. – Ash Brown

By: Ash Brown