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this is the best episode since the series started is!

I liked the old ED, but the new one was even better!

Been a while since I watched Ep 12, but I do remember not liking it very much. This episode was a lot better, despite the disjointed pacing.

This was the best episode so far :]
Lots of love and story development. I was getting so sick of just having Kotoko mope around after Naoki, but finally some shred of hope!
I also really like the new ending theme

Urk, when Chris talks it's like my whole body hurts, wherever it's engrish or japanese. It sounds so horrible! The way she ends some of her sentences with "deshou" sounds so wrong! I hope she soon goes back home to the country she came from, wherever that is. It can't be any country where you talk english or japanese anyway. Even though I love Goto Yuko's voice, she is really good at making her voice sound horrible.

depressing epsiode with a good development of both characters and the story...

the new ending confused me at first, i thought its part of the episode... hehe.

Sooo... I may or may not have bawled like a baby all through this episode. I think maybe I need more sleep lol.. x_x

kinda got disappointed after seeing that the one who kissed kotoko was naoki after all and not yuuki :/
would have been way more interesting with brothers fighting , of course yuuki is kinda little , but still would have been fun xD

Im really confuse what Irie wants, he always play Kotoko's heart. Geez

Interesting episode. I feel sorry for Kin-chan, but he was too forceful D:

*Sigh* I wonder why things like this (when Irie and Kotoko meet) really happen? :(

I liked the new ED :)

damn, am i the only one who teared up at the Kin collasping scene?!
that was so sad >.< damn you, kotoko! kin is a good man! at least dump him nicely!

this is the first anime where i do not like the couple pairing. I just feel so bad for Kin chan. hes liked her for 5 years and he makes her happy,smile,hes fun to be around, and hes proven dozens of times that hes serious about her. Irie, kotoko, and kin chan are perfect examples of how things are these days. Good guys never win, its always the asshole that makes her cry and unhappy that gets her. this is bullshit

you're not alone, I started weeping since I saw that the person who kissed Kotoko in the garden was Irie (I really thought it was his brother!)

Best ep ever <3

Poor Kin.

god dam, i feel so bad for kin. right now, i couldnt even care less about the main characters -

:[ sad ep is sad

[Potential Spoilers: Episodes 1-13]

What... what is wrong with most of you people? v.v

This anime is pissing me off more than School Days, which at least had a fitting ending. I'll actually be mildly uplifted if they fit a 'nice boat' ending into this series somehow... >.> ...It's the anime that finally forced me to make an account for this site because I couldn't stand silently by while everyone else prattled on like a Twilight fan club.

The only thing that's keeping me in this anime is that I like all the peripheral stuff that's happening around the main characters, which is usually amusing and keeps my attention enough that it will probably force me to finish the rest despite my disgust. I lost any investment in this show's main premise, i.e. the supposed ‘relationship’ growing between Kotoko and Naoki, ever since episode 7‘s terrible ending. I’d have no problem with the guy if he just turned down the confession and that was the end of it. I’d have no problem with the girl if she cried herself to sleep for a few nights after being turned down by her first love before learning to move on. But no, then we wouldn’t have this ’fabulous’ series, would we?

Instead the situation is dragged out kicking and screaming as Naoki treats Kotoko like crap and never gives more than a few passing glimpses that he might be even halfway human and know how to act with a little tact, let alone being a nice guy which I can‘t recall him ever hinting at in any of his actions up to this point. All the while Kotoko is strung along by her feelings and like some dumb clod she continues to endure the constant dehumanizing abuse because maybe, just maybe, Naoki will stop treating her like an insect and after that love obviously can’t be far behind, right? Finally a little realization seems to seep its way in that maybe Naoki isn’t such a nice guy when he publicly humiliates her by treating her feelings as a public joke. But when it seems like she’s finally realized that this guy is toxic and she needs to get away, he totally forces himself on her and steals her first kiss, just so he can string her along some more. By the way, isn’t that like the second time he’s teased her with implied rape? The first time was at the house in Naoki’s room and now he forces her to kiss him. Keep staying classy, Itazura… -.-

But even that didn’t flip my rage switch all the way into permanent ‘on’ position, because there was a faint sliver of hope. If Kotoko eventually did realize that Naoki was no good for her and tried to move on with her life, forcing the guy to undergo some real personality changes and solid character development throughout a portion of the series as he has to try and win back her affections then I would have consented and given this series a pass. But no… *sigh* …nope, apparently all the massive prick had to do was gradually realize “Hey, that girl I’ve treated like garbage and publicly gone on record as hating for the last umpteen episodes of this series is starting to grow on me a little. Good thing she‘s so head over heels for me that I can have her anytime. Might as well give her a shot, I guess.” There hasn’t been a single scene between the two of them where Naoki’s done any more than treat her with a modicum of decency (i.e. thanking her for helping his brother get to the hospital that one time for instance, something that doesn’t indicate that he’s a nice guy or treating Kotoko any better but that he simply knows when to show a little gratitude when someone saved the life of a member of his family). Now if the preview to the next episode is any indication they’re going to hook up from here on out. Yup, no character development, no retribution for how Naoki’s been acting since the beginning of the series. He likes her now and that makes everything okay.

I mean, am I missing something here? This is a shōjo series primarily aimed at a female audience, not a genre I’m particularly familiar with. Is this the kind of relationship girls like to see in anime? Are these the kinds of characters you want to cheer for? A thoroughly love struck airhead, blinded by her feelings to the point of battered woman syndrome, and a guy who keeps her around just so he can string her along and abuse her? I only ask because this is mildly reminding me of the early episodes of Kaichō wa Maid-sama! (a series I had to drop early on because there wasn’t enough interesting stuff happening on the sidelines to keep my attention after I gave up caring about the relationship plotline, so I have no idea if it gets better or not), one of the few other shōjo I have any experience with. I normally shrug off anime that I don’t like because, hey, it’s just a show, you either like it or you hate it and then you move on. But if this forum is any indication of what real life people think of this show and it’s events than it’s more than a little depressing.

As an amusing tidbit and lighter note on which to close that demonstrates a distinct contrast between shōjo and male-oriented anime: the character model used for the male lead in this anime would make a very convincing villain in your standard shōnen/seinen. Don’t believe me? Compare him with Raito from Death Note for starters. The intelligence, the charisma, the cold personality, the tendency to use and abuse people. Hell, they’re drawn the same, just look at their cynical soulless eyes.

such a beautiful episode looks like he likes her after all. had me shedding a couple man tears :D

Ah ! ~ My favorite episode. I really like how Naoki has a secret romantic side to him underneath that cold exterior ~

@Vanga

YES. Completely agree with all your points. I'm so perplexed how any one can root for Naoki when he's been such a dickhead the entire series so far. Treating her like shit 90% of the time? Stealing a kiss while she's asleep? joking about raping her? Is that really acceptable behavior?

Can't believe how people are commenting "ZOMG BEST EPISODE EVER" , what kind of mindset is that?

We were so close to getting Kin-chanXKotoko!
I don't understand what Naoki sees in Kotoko, she's completely obsessed over him and so far she's just been a plain-looking, dumb, socially awkward, annoyance to him, and I don't see why his feelings would change toward her.
I don't understand what Kotoko sees in Naoki, aside from the obvious of course. Naoki may be handsome but he can't make her laugh nor is he a gentleman, which is much more important than looks I'd say.
Kin-chan gets a bit rapey but Naoki took advantage of her when she was sleeping so I'd say they're even.
EDIT: Read some of the other posts and I'm glad to see that not everyone is an idiot here

the first half was stereotyping the british!

i really felt bad for kin-chan... poor kin-chan dedicated his working life for her