siscon – bluemist anime blog

Cool and Spicy vs. Just Plain Spice

Shugo Chara 43 was awesome. So awesome, I don’t know how they can top this afterwards. With the season ender fast approaching, the anime almost reaching the latest manga stories, and the announcement for yet another year, who knows what kind of Shugo Chara we’ll see next. Some rumblings around the blogosphere about how this will ruin Shugo Chara because of filler, or about how happy they are that there will be more anime, or about how happy they are that there are more fillers, or maybe even about how happy they are that it will be ruined because there will be more anime and fillers, or maybe even about how happy they are that some people are catfighting about it, etc. Sometimes fangirls are scary, but then again I am too… I’m a “non-girl” fangirl.

So just a short snippet at this. If Cardcaptor Sakura managed to have awesome fillers, why not Shugo Chara? Full Moon wo Sagashite anime totally strayed from the manga plot, and that’s still an awesome anime right? Heck, argue that Ojamajo Doremi is 95% filler, but that’s the best (IMO) mahou shoujo around. So let’s give those filler anime producers a shot at it before bashing around. But then again, I got reminded about how I stopped watching Pretty Cure after a string of non-interesting episodes, and I have a similar experience with Mermaid Melody. And we do already have examples of a string of average fillers within Shugo Chara itself.

What keeps me entertained about shoujo anime are primarily the characters first. The stories mostly become secondary to me. This is where most filler anime makers get it wrong. In fillers, they always invent new and original characters that just disappear after 1 freaking episode. Almost every shoujo anime has that kind of inclination, whether it’s based on a manga or not. For a show mostly for kids, that seems to produce unnecessary clutter. You are made to care about new characters, only to realize you’ll probably never hear about them again. What about doing the CCS way, make a entirely filler character (Meilin) that’s ALWAYS THERE? Almost integral to the story (Shaoran’s fiance and cousin), and many episodes related to her? Or why not build upon existing characters? Ojamajo Doremi succeeded in that arena.

So, with 50 or so episodes more for the next season, why not take advantage of already-established characters, filler or otherwise? I’m sure they’ll find more stories about Rima’s ongoing family problem. More antics of that Indian Prince whose name escapes me. Kukai’s childhood friend returns? Or maybe a sub-arc with Utau getting pitted against that beautiful celebrity who got married to Amu’s cousin? Remember the ballerina? The love rival? And how the heck did Nikaidou became just a mere happy smily teacher after his super-dark chara arc? I was half-expecting him to pop up being the cool pillar of sleazy looks when he may come face-to-face with Easter. Finally, I noticed Yaya is still under-established. How did she get her chara-nari without much backstory aside from her relationship with her baby brother?

And as a kicker, I thought the whole point of Shugo Chara is finding your naritai jibun/would-be selves? Reaching your dreams and aspirations? “Character Development” is the point, and somehow it shines whenever the manga story is in full gear, and dims when it comes to fillers. It looks like I’m still divided over the topic, so I’ll end this with Utau and Amu-chan’s awesomeness.

If you ask me, Utau WINS over Amu-chan in this one. Seraphic Charm is the awesomest chara-nari, and none of Amu-chan’s 6 crazy variations can top that. Amu-chan can only muster to carry a helicopter, while Utau cleanses a thousand X Charas. I may not approve of the siscon (or maybe I do?), but if Amu is Cool and Spicy, Utau is… er… I can’t think of any, so let’s just go with:

SHUGOI!

Tragedy, Hope

title

Knowing about the true story of Sakura in anime form was unprecedented for me. Even if I had already [skimmed the surface->dc2-da-capo], I guess the tale can still be told effectively in another way. The most important part of the experience though, is that I can relate somewhat to the character. Yes, Yoshino Sakura’s trials, tribulations and tragedies reflect my own set of current real-life problems. As a result, my heart breaks yet again for this fictional character, and in part, this fictional character gave me a source of reference, reflection and inspiration of myself.
Continue reading Tragedy, Hope

Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru

Koi Kaze not enough? Enjoy the dangerous world of incest with Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru.

Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru is a one-shot OVA based on a shoujo manga of the same title. It tells the story of a taboo incestual relationship of brother Yori and sister Iku. Yori is the first to break down. He starts to keep secrets and ignore Iku, and yet sometimes he’s being too overprotective of her, even fighting someone in class who made her embarrased. Iku wonders why she’s being mistreated lately. One night, Yori confesses to Iku, and of course rejection is abound, because it is indeed weird. Yori even realizes it himself, that this is wrong, but he can’t stop his feelings towards his sister. He does a lot of things to make himself go the right path somehow, by planning to go to a faraway college to stay away from Iku, and even trying to have a normal relationship with another girlfriend. By this time, Iku herself is starting to waver her own feelings. She starts to become jealous of Yori and his girlfriend, and so she also developed feelings towards her brother.

Treading into dangerous territory eh? These are the kinds of stories that are very interesting to me because a person like me could barely understand the emotional pains of having this feeling. This is the kind of storytelling that makes the [onii-chan complex->w-wish] seem light-hearted. Deep inside, the pain of an impossible relationship exists within the lovers involved. Yup, Yori and Iku, despite their extreme intimacy, continually remind themselves that this is wrong. Towards the end, they still try to find ways to move on and forget their impossible love somehow (through separation), and yet we still see a tease, because somehow it’s very hard to let go.

There are scenes of intimacy in this anime, but nothing too graphic. The animation and color tone reminds me of Marimite, the atmosphere similar to fellow incest-themed anime Koi Kaze. This is well-animated and well-paced, staying true to many scenes in early volumes of the manga. Of course, other events are omitted. In the manga Yori and Iku are extremely intimate, they express it almost anywhere. I wonder when they’ll be caught…

Anyway, I recommend you watch this with an open mind. In the real world people may be guilty of this, but while society abhors this, do not be discriminative. Love is really more complicated than we think.

Update: It’s going to be a live-action movie! Boku wa Imouto Ni Koi Wo Suru the movie will be starred by Jun Matsumoto (of Gokusen/Hana Yori Dango fame) and one hawt babe Nana Eikura, a magazine model. Nice, I hope to catch it soon.

Playing a Bishoujo Game is Futility Project: To Heart 2 edition

bluemist’s Ultimate “Playing a Bishoujo Game is Futility” Project

To Heart 2

Let’s just end this once and for all!

What are you trying to do here?
I will attempt the impossible by playing through a bishoujo game… in Japanese.

Are you suicidal?
This is just because of the extreme urge to somehow play a popular bishoujo game.

You won’t understand it at all!
Yes I know. For one, To Heart 2 is a Visual Novel. It has TONS of text which I won’t understand whe way I am now.

But because this is an attempt at futility, I have some tricks up my sleeve:
– I have a walkthrough.
– I have 5% knowledge of conversational Japanese.

Using the walkthrough, I’ll be able to get a proper ending with a specific girl… if I follow directions right.

And using my 5% Japanese words, vocabulary and sentence understanding, I may be able to understand the story.

This is ridiculous. You won’t understand the story without the text. Besides, the player is YOU. You are supposed to be talking, but the talk is only through the text. The girls and other people may be talking to you through voice-overs, but that means you are getting half the conversation only.
Yes I will get half the story that way.

Enough self-talk. Let’s see where this goes.

You will find my introduction and updates through the URL:
http://bluemist.animeblogger.net/toheart2/

Konomi cameo!!!

Taken from Comic Party Revolution 7:
From Kazuki's imagination. Kazuki seems to like To Heart 2 and Konomi.
Another one!

Taken from Comic Party Revolution 5:

I wish you had an anime... ...but I'm happy enough to see you as a cameo in another.

It’s Konomi Yuzuhara! It’s Konomi-chan! It’s a major treat for the [To Heart 2->] fans. They even snuck the opening song of the game in as background music!

Just don’t ask who the heck cosplayed it…

CG from the To Heart 2 game... too... cute...

To Heart 2: Last Review

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m finished!!! Finally, after almost a month, I finished the Konomi scenario in To Heart 2! I never thought I would.

Anyway, my big hurdle was really the language barrier. Not being able to read the Japanese text, I rely and listen closely at what the voice overs are saying in their dialogue. Technically so many details may be wrong in the entirety of the feature, but as a whole all the things that happened in the scenario gives Konomi her necessary character development.

We see her as a fun, klutzy girl who seems always positive but has her share of down times too. She definitely loves her onee-san Tamaki. She is also somewhat superstitious, and likes to buy and give Takaki some charms and stuff like that. She’s definitely a girl, and seeing her cry after her junior school graduation develops her characteristics of vulnerability as a girl. And of course, her “eheee~” habit makes her as cute-sounding as she is cute-looking.

Of course, the other characters which had their share of character development in this scenario are the siblings Yuji and Tamaki. They are very comic siblings. How they punch each other with words or rather physically ups the comic humor a bit in the game. And Yuji serves as the crossover king, citing references to many of the other Leaf games including no less than the first To Heart.

Which brings me to this subject, a possible major flaw in the structure of To Heart 2. How come that all those girls do not remotely know each other? I know that Yuma and Manaka are friends, but that’s just about it. Other than that, no rapport is seen between the other girls. Why is that? I would have wanted some kind of love triangle plot, or some petty fight issues between the girls. I haven’t played the original To Heart game, but why do the To Heart girls know each other in [both->to-heart] [anime->to-heart-remember-my-memories] series? In fact, they know each other too well you’d think they’re friends already. Is this an anime-only thing? Will we see rapport among the To Heart 2 characters when the anime arrives? I’ll have to see about that. In any case, it is sad that the To Heart 2 girls have little or no relation to each other in this game.

That said, it really seems to be a straight-forward game. Follow one girl, discard the rest. But if you stray away from her scenario, you get the generic bad ending. Seemingly as simple as that. I guess what really matters here is the story rather than the gameplay. You could see yourself idling away with not pushing any buttons for a period of time, since the choices and place directions are few and far between. It isn’t too hard to stray away from a girl’s scenario either. Just pick the choices that attune to the character, and also go to places where you can possibly meet her. To Heart 2 is an easy game.

On to the technical aspects. For a visual novel or bishoujo game, the event CG is rather good. Only in rare instances did I see the character drawings to be inconsistent. If I’m right, there are a total of 227 event CGs in the game. Character and background CGs blend along well. There are a few special graphical effects seen though, like zooming in the characters, but there are lots of screen fading styles employed (if anyone is ever interested in those). The music is great too. Just recently I realized that many tracks in To Heart 2 are actually revivals or remixes of To Heart PSE tracks! This recreates even more the original To Heart feel, but unfortunately I have a “heard first” tendency, so I rather like the To Heart 2 versions more.

By the way, I am playing the Playstation 2 version of To Heart 2. Actually, there will be a PC port of the game soon, possibly featuring new characters and scenarios to the game. I’m thinking that I may update some parts of this project to include some new events in the PC Konomi scenario in the game, if they will exist (and if I get the game of course).

My many thanks to the people who supported this project. To the people to posted a comment, and also to the game players I (annoyed) asked to help me on this project. Thank you very much!

Well, until the anime or the PC version comes, I officially declare this project… COMPLETE!

To Heart 2 Review (Part 7)

Review Coverage: April 25 to 27, True and Alternate Ending

The end is here!

April 25
The entire Sunday has passed with Konomi still in the house. At night, she’s about to go home, but first she tries to confess to Takaki. Well not quite yet.

April 26
Konomi picks Takaki up again in his house in the morning. After class, they go home together again. She seems to have a problem with some sort of practice. Takaki volunteers to help her, so that made her happy. Along they way, she tries to confess again, but she fails again.

April 27
This is the final fateful day. After class, we see Takaki, Konomi, Tamaki and Yuji together. The boys react on how how the weather is. Konomi suggests that they eat ice cream. Everyone agrees and so they go to the cafe. While Tamaki and Konomi gets to buy everyone the ice cream, Konomi’s two friends arrive! It seems that they know about the sleepover events, and so they tease Takaki again about Konomi. On Konomi’s back, Takaki reacts rather badly, saying that she’s really just no more than a childhood friend, or a little sister. Actually, Konomi hears the conversation. She starts getting nervous, and was about to cry, and so she fled and went home. Takaki tries to follow her, but she first gets stopped by Tamaki. Tamaki now becomes his second conscience. So she tries to let Takaki realize his true feelings for Konomi. Is she just a childhood friend to him? Or a potential lover? Tamaki gave Takaki two choices:

I see her as a girl.

I see her as just a childhood friend.

The To Heart 2 game player now has a choice that leads to two different endings.

It’s better for you to go to the page instead of me summarizing the two endings, so anyway go to each ending to find out!

To Heart 2: True Ending

To Heart 2: Alternate Ending

I see her as a childhood friend.

Tamaki “How about it?”

After explaining that she’s really just a childhood friend…

Tamaki “I see…”

Tamaki “If that’s that, just sit back here. I said a while ago. Because of your kindness, Konomi was just hurt a bit.”

Tamaki “Don’t worry, I will go to where Konomi is, just leave it to me.”

I tried to reason out that it may be better that I’ll go instead.

I think she agreed.

So we ran everywhere, until we found Konomi in front of her house, tending Genjimaru.

Konomi “Hey, what’s wrong Genjimaru?”

Konomi “Hey stand up. Let’s go for a walk.”

Konomi sees me.

“Taka-kun…”

We go for a walk instead.

(Park)

Konomi “Sorry about earlier, when I went home suddenly.”

Konomi “Anyway, Genjimaru is cruel, even though I said to have a walk, he doesn’t want.”

Whatever I said made her a bit happy this time. Maybe I was explaining about the event at the cafe.

Konomi “Is what you said true?”

Konomi “Taka-kun, do you know…”

I may be telling her that I don’t like her as a girl right now. But I like her as a childhood friend and that’s a given.

Konomi “Maybe not now… it’s okay. But, someday I’ll be more beautiful, and I’ll make you like me.”

Konomi “I like you Taka-kun. More than anyone, I like you.”

Konomi “This feeling, I won’t lose to anyone.”

Konomi “But Taka-kun, you may see Tama-oneechan as more special.”

(Huh?)

Tamaki “Ara, I won’t intend to lose either…”

Konomi “Sorry, Tama-oneechan, we got lost a little bit.”

Tamaki “Well then, Konomi. Whomever Taka-kun picks, whether we win or lose, no regrets… ok?

Konomi “Ok. Even if you’re my opponent Tama-oneechan, I won’t lose.”

Tamaki “Yup, as I wanted.”

(Something tells me that Takaki is gathering his harem)

What the heck are you guys talking about?

Tamaki “You haven’t noticed?”

Tamaki “I like you too. I knew you won’t notice. Hah, that’s that.”

Anyway they put their arms around me, and we’re side-by-side close together.

Chie “Whoaaaaaah… Something’s big happening over here…”

Michiru “FBI vs. KGB… Aliens coming over in summer. Next Comipa theme is SF.”

Yuji “Ahh futile. I told you not to regret.”

Yuji “Huh? This is not supposed to be?”

Tamaki “This Golden Week, maybe we can go play somewhere… Taka-bou’s treat.”

Why me?

Konomi “Really? Then… is the amusement park ok?”

Tamaki “Ok, it’s fine. First, the amusement park, then maybe onsen is ok too.”

Konomi “Maybe Tama-oneechan wants to join my sleep over at your house too.”

Tamaki “Ara, it’s ok with you?”

Konomi “Yup… I wanna learn some cooking from you…”

I wanna get out of this mess.

Both “Refused.”

(It’s a nightmare! This is a harem To Heart 2 ending!!!)

To Heart 2: True Ending

I see her as a girl.

“Do you love Konomi?”

Finally, a proper answer… YES!

“If you realized it that way, I have nothing else to say.”

“Ok, hurry up and follow her.”

“The answer is already in you, do you still have worries?”

“If you worry too much, just say “I love you” before today ends.”

Tamaki…

“What?”

Thank you.

“Do your best, boy.”

I run through all streets, trying to find Konomi.

Back in the cafe:

Yuji “Is this okay that he left?”

Tamaki “It’s okay, they are really a troubled pair.”

Chie “Hmm..”

Michiru “Hah…”

Chie “It feels like we’ve seen something huge… hm.. hey wait! Where are you going?”

Michiru “Nowhere important.”

Chie “Don’t lie, you wanna peek at them?”

Michiru “Oof.”

Chie “You…”

Tamaki “You two…”

Chie “HAH!”

Tamaki “I feel like drinking tea and relieve myself. You girls wanna join?”

Both “Okay!”

(Streets)
I’m still running…

I ran to Konomi’s house to see if she’s there.

Konomi’s mother greeted me. She says that Konomi went away to walk Genjimaru.

I said thanks to her and ran again, trying to find Konomi anywhere…

Anywhere…

Well I was about to give up when…

(Riverside)

There she is.

“What will I do?”
“Nee, what do you think Genjimaru?”
“I got refused by Taka-kun again…”
“Konomi is just like a sister, he said…”
“Genjimaru, what can I do?”

Genjimaru “~~~” (a bit of a sad howl)

“Thank you.”
“You’re kind, Genjimaru.”
“But… it’s okay.”
“Being like a sister means we can still be together, that’s why, it’s okay.”
“I would not like it more if I couldn’t be with Taka-kun anymore.”

Genjimaru “~~~” (a bit of a hopeful howl)

“Taka-kun, did he eat the ice cream?”
“Me leaving just like that, is he angry?”
“But, since it’s Taka-kun, if I say sorry he’ll forgive me right?”
“What is not good?”
“Me being uncute is not good?”
“Is it me eating too much?”
“Is it wrong to be taller than before?”
“But, Taka-kun seems to like girls with bigger chests…”
“But, Konomi too, I have grown you know…”
“Just a little bit though.”
“Drinking milk, eating healthy food, so that I can’t lose with Tama-oneechan…”

Genjimaru “~~~” (a bit of an agreeing howl)

“If I would be like Tama-oneechan, would Taka-kun take notice of me?”

Genjimaru “~~~” (a bit of a questioning howl)

“eh.. hehe… I sound like an idiot isn’t it?”
“I knew I couldn’t be like Tama-oneechan at all.”
“Besides, even if I do, I still would not know what to do.”

Genjimaru “~~~” (a bit of a sad howl)

“No… I knew I couldn’t.”
“I couldn’t think of not having Taka-kun with me.”
“Is being cute not enough for Taka-kun?”
“Always being cute is not good?”
“I love Taka-kun.”
“I’m helplessly in love with him.”

Yuji “Well, believing on me or not depends on you. Just donâ€™t regret later.”

“Why did I feel like this…”
“It wasn’t like this before.”
“I know I like Taka-kun a lot back then…”
“But, this troubling feeling in my heart wasn’t there before.”
“It hurts, my heart hurts…”

Genjimaru “~~~” (a bit of a sad howl)

“It’s okay…”
“It’s okay, it can still go on like before.”
“Like before, I can still be Taka-kun’s childhood friend…”

Genjimaru “?”

Genjimaru seems to notice me listening to Konomi!

“T… Taka-kun?”
“You… heard?”
“That was, that was wrong…”
“That was all a lie!”
“It’s a joke!”

I try to explain…

“I don’t want to hear!”
“I don’t want to hear!”
“Konomi is Konomi”
“I’m the Konomi who’s always together with Taka-kun.”
“That’s why… from now on, we’ll still be together right?”
“It’s okay to be together right?”

She makes a run for it, so I chase her. Genjimaru runs along.

I remember a scene where a child Konomi is trying to keep up with me…

I think she ran so fast, I am unable to keep up. I slipped and fell.

“Taka-kun?”
“Taka-kun!”
“Taka-kun, are you okay?”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Flash back.

“Wait… waaaaaiiiitt!!!!”

Why are you crying?

“Taka-kun runs so fast…”

I’m gonna leave you now…

“Nooo! Don’t leave me!!!” Crying.

After a while, I came back and held her hand.

“Ehhee~”

“Taka-kun…”
“Taka-kun?”
“Are you alright?”

By this point…

CONFESSION! (Honestly, I don’t know how this goes, just assume that Takaki already said “I love you Konomi” ok?)

Why are you surprised?
“Eh… but… it’s not like that.”
“But… why?”
“That… but Taka-kun. You said I’m just a childhood friend…”
That was back then.
“Back then?”
But now it’s different.
“B-B-B-but! I have small chest…” (!)
I don’t care about that. (is Takaki lolicon?)
“Taka-kun…”
“I was really happy, that you came for me…”
“Back then, when we were kids, when I was about to cry, you were always there holding my hand.”
“That’s why I thought you will come for me again.”

“Taka-kun, from now on, can I be by your side always?”
Of course.
“As a childhood friend?”
Not anymore.

Konomi seems very, very happy!

“What will I do? I’m so happy, I don’t know what I am doing anymore!”

(By this point, Konomi and Takaki should be officially boyfriend-girlfriend)

“Genjimaru, let’s go home.”
“Thank you, Genjimaru.”

Genjimaru “~~~” (a bit of a happy howl)

Why were you thanking Genjimaru?

“Genjimaru was quite worried about me.”

Genjimaru huffs…

“After this, I should meet everyone again…”

“Taka-kun… I… I always have been…”

THE END

EPILOGUE

(Home)

“Good morning Taka-kun!”

I think she’s cooking for me again. You shouldn’t be doing this for me too much.

“I’m fine, we’re lovers already anyway…”

“I’m almost done with this, so just wait ok?”

Apparently Konomi is noticing and doing a lot of service to me.

You really shouldn’t do this.

“It’s okay, as I said we’re lovers already.”

For this, I should give you a prize.

“A prize?”

“So if I do my best I get a prize?”

Well, this is the prize…

This is getting too long, we’re gonna get late.

“Nope, it’s still okay.”

“Besides, I want to feel your energy charging me…”

I wanna stop this…

“Hmph~ Just around 5%. I need 120%…”

Maybe let’s take a nap a bit this way…

“Ok, let’s do. Konomi’s energy comes from liking you so much!”

After a nap… apparently… some trouble… we’re gonna get late!

“Uh… un?”

She’s still groggy…

“Captain… I still need energy? Is there any more?”

“Sorry everyone… Konomi will be leaving with Taka-kun…”

What the heck is she day-dreaming about?

HEY WAKE UP!!!

To Heart 2: April 27

(FINAL DAY!!)

(After class)

After a long while, I see Tamaki again.

Yuji “Hot~~~~”
We have our polo unbuttoned a bit because of the hot weather.

Tamaki says to button it up for a decent look and just survive the heat.

(Street)
Konomi suggests to eat ice cream.

Konomi “With this hot weather ice cream’s the best.”

Yuji “Ooh, Konomi said something nice!”

Tamaki “Right, my mouth seems to be dry too…”

Konomi “Decided?”

Konomi “Then, let’s hurry!”

(Cafe)

Tamaki says that she will buy and the rest of us wait at the bench. Tamaki asks what ice cream to buy for us.

Tamaki suggests something that Yuji seems to like.

Yuji “How did you know I like that?”

Tamaki “Am I not your elder sister to not know that?”

Yuji seems to have a bad feeling about that, so he tries to pick another flavor instead.

Tamaki “Konomi, what do you like?”

Konomi “I’ll go with you, it will be hard to carry all of it. Anyway, I also have a point card” (for discounts perhaps)

Tamaki “Thanks, that helps, Yuji, decided?”

Yuji seems undecided, so he’ll join to buy too.

Before buying, Tamaki talks to me.

Tamaki “Taka-bou… you and Konomi…”

Chie “Huh? Isn’t that sempai and the others?”

Chie and Michiru are back.

Chie “Anyway, is Konomi not with you?”

She is, she’s just inside buying.

Chie “Hey, are you already very close to Konomi?”

It’s not like that.

Chie “That again, you have been sharing a bed lately, saying that again is not very encouraging.”

She is talking about the sleepover events.

This may have been some conversation to force me to say how I feel about Konomi. Thinking that Konomi is still inside, I think I answer them along the lines of. “She is no more than a childhood friend to me, or just like a sister.” It is just a half-hearted reaction because I am talking to her friends, and I’m still trying to hide my true feelings towards Konomi.

“She is no more than just a sister to me!”

Unknown to me… Konomi overhears everything.

Konomi “Um… er… I bought it… here…. Taka-kun”

She’s feeling really nervous now.

She may have dropped my ice cream while giving it to me.

“Sorry Taka-kun…”

“If you want, you can take mine…”

“It’s okay, just eat it Taka-kun…”

“Ah! Charu, Yochie, you came!”

Chie “Eh… hi! Been a while…”

They are also nervous too.

Konomi is slowly breaking down.

Michiru “Konomi…”

Konomi “Um… sorry… I’ll go home ahead!”

I try to follow her, but Tamaki stops me.

Tamaki “What will you do when you follow her?”

“Because you said something like that, Konomi is hurt.”

I tell her that I’m afraid to break our current relationship as childhood friends.

“Are you that afraid?”

“Are you afraid to break what you are to each other right now?”

“But the truth is you already know, that girl, what you are to her.”

How would you know Konomi’s feelings?

“How many years do you think I’ve already treated Konomi like a sister?”

“Surely, Konomi is the same.”

“Even if she realizes her true feelings, she is scared to break the current relationship… and hides it.”

Flashback.

Konomi “I was really troubled whether you hate me or notâ€¦”
â€œI havenâ€™t changed ok?â€
â€œI, will stay as me (Konomi), I will not change anythingâ€¦â€

Tamaki “That’s why, Taka-bou, for her sake, answer her feelings.”

“This is my order… no… my request.”

“I will still be her sister. Whenever my sister is troubled, I will never let it past.”

“Let me hear properly. To you, who is Konomi?”

“Just a childhood friend?”

“Or…”

“Don’t think too much. It is after all obvious that you really care for Konomi.”

“The important thing is, Konomi, as a girl, will have all her questions answered.”

FINAL CHOICE:

I see her as a girl.

I see her as just a childhood friend.

(So then, which will Takaki choose? This final choice now leads to different endings, and so click on one of them to see the result of each choice.)