Yesterday wo Utatte Episode 12 Discussion

@StandingSitting I think the bus scene where he is doing the self talk , his ego is just presenting to himself his doubts, and he is trying hard to just surface out of his inner doubt. He wasn't sure about what he was feeling, so part of his process weas to doubt that "don't you just want someone t ogive you attention?" it would be natural to really check yourself this way, it's perhaps a surfacing of repressed guilt for not noticing Haru sooner. He is finding reasons to justify not deserving to restartt relations with Haru. When in reality, he did develop feelings for her. To me, that much was obvious during the whole show especially more so as the episodes progressed. He related with her a lot. She seemed to understand him much more in the way that he could really engage with. Where as Shinako's udnerstanding of him was one that kept a distance between them. As well; he felt a little more down than someone who is just letting someone they dont love down slowly, during the last 4 or 5 episodes when he was asking her to stop coming around. He did so for her sake. It was painful for him to see her trying for nothing. Yet, that pain he felt , was more than simply just empathizing with another human. It bothered him a lot. As well; he did miss her attention, because he went looking for her even after he had made things more official with Shinako, but before he broke up with Shinako. He just needed to figure his feelings out around Shinako weren't real. He could not honestly say he loved her. But in the end, he was able to say he loved Haru with honesty. It's not exactly a clear path to this ending. Yet, in reality, that's maybe how it'd be. You kind of have to read between the lines I'll admit. But that's okay. The show did all it could to get you there I think. Maybe rewatch it.

And the part about Shinako and Roku being disturbing - I agree. It is disturbing. But I also think it's a great portrayal. Given the situation, it may be realistic to confide in a deceased loved one's sibling for comfort, which she obviously did, not just to appreciate Roku, but using Roku as a stand in for his brother. Indeed, this is controversial and would produce feelings of guilt and shame.. It is disturbing. But isn;t that how it'd be in real life? These types of things probably happen. She has unconsciously developing feelings for him during the whole time she was struggling with these inner battles around the controversy of the sad situation. She begins to question whether she should keep trying to project those feelings as purely platnoic , or something more. But Roku begins to change things after he confesses to her. Becausde of that she starts thinking of Roku in intimate way even just as an experiment, it would make anyone feel a bit ashamed. Like it's wrong , because his brother came first. And she doesn;t want Roku to just be a stand in for that. So she keeps trying to deny her feelings for him. I would say Roku's feelings initiated Shinako's to begin changing into something more, and when that change began, Shinako was fighting it because it was morally wrong. and she had herself convinced her feelings for him were exclusively in the box of "kid brother". But, in the end, what's so wrong with it? She starts to budge at the end and give in and just let it happen.

And I think really; Shinako is still confused about whether she can have feelings for Roku and if they're really her own feelings or not. Who wouldn't be confused in that situation? But Roku keeps trying to change that and I think starts causing her to develop feelings , in response to how much he says he loves her and needs her to be happy.

The entire anime is a testament to the fact that people's feelings do cahnge in unexpected ways. It can be a tossup how they develop. This simply isn't your run of the mill romance anime where what you expect to happen happens, because in real life, sometimes things don't go that way. I myself experienced a similar situation to Uozomi. Where the girl I wanted couldn;t be more than just friends with me, and the whole time I was heartbroken at the end of that relationship, another girl was causing me to develop feelings I kept trying to deny.. because of her persistence in expressing her love for me. I had a fling with her and it was honestly just finding comfort from my heartbreak, because all I could focus on was my previous love. Yet some years later I seriously dated this persistent girl for a long time, actually eventually loved her. My feelings changed. "Sing yesterday for me". the very title of the anime envelopes the lesson here. People cling to the past, yet change is inevitable. And people keep playing the past over because thats what humans do. Sing yesterday for me, is a fancy eloquent way of saying "Can't we just keep things how they were?". And the anime shows how whether you accept it at first or not, the past cannot be held onto forever, as people change. Shinako is the best example of this because she has it THE worst. SHe is the most reluctant to change, even to the point of near neurosis and she is herself ashamed of it. But that even she herself , the hardest nut to crack, finally changes. I think everyone in the world can relate with that. I believe Shinako here is the main protagonist to relate with. "Sing Yesterday" is Shinako's anthem. PS. I love Haru x Uozomi the most.

@everyone DOn't listen to the noobs saying this is is a bad ending. I think it's perfect. Realistic.