You know an episode – or perhaps, a show – is good when your soul is so sufficiently rocked that you can’t come up with a sufficiently interesting one-liner for it, outside of a self-referential, fourth-wall-obliterating, H2O-referencing sentence that seems to drag on and on because no one had the heart to stand up and put an end to the piece of work that’s quickly becoming a paragraph.

But, perhaps more coherently, there’s one thing that’s definitely clear, and that is that the twentieth episode of KimiKiss and Kaiji utterly floored me. I’m not sure if it’s the actual merit of the show or just a logical short-circuiting caused by sheer fanboyism but either way the events that went down in each respective show contributed in massive part to moving the story forward, answering old questions and posing new ones, and that, combined with the sheer emotional rush of each show – one might say, equal and constrasting amounts of moe and gar – made them quite the stand-out pieces.

As such I really couldn’t find a way to combine a summary / analysis of both of them into one coherent post, especially in regards to a unifying topic, so I did the next best thing – create a little mini-series for the two ‘episode editorials’, “20/20 – Perfect Visions”. The 20/20 part is pretty straightforward, being the aforementioned episode number of each series. Perfect Visions sums up my thoughts on each episode, in that they were quite the wonder to see, as well as a pun; if you recall, 20/20 is what is considered ‘perfect vision’.

In all honesty 20/20 is actually just ‘perfectly normal vision’, but from that angle, perhaps you can consider that these episodes aren’t the be-all, end-all, if-you-saw-25-minutes-of-anime-this-year award winners, but rather just relatively fantastic pieces, with a few flaws characteristic to something with less than eagle-eye vision. Then again, being a glasses guy myself, and enjoying KimiKiss and Kaiji a lot, 20/20 isn’t anything to scoff at.

First up of two is KimiKiss, where the metaphoric friction between the main relationships is just beginning to heat up. The two male leads, Kazuki and Kouichi, are coming down to a choice…but will it be them making the decision? Or will the female fighters, or the male spoiler, Kai, have the final say? Paths continue to cross over as time waits for no one…it’s time to take action!

(Psst, 3000 words. I don’t know how I did it either.)

I think the thing that surprised me the most about KimiKiss 20 is how much it turned upside-down my views on some of the characters, and yet, confirmed my suspicions about them all along. In a way, it’s exactly what I would have expected from the essential climax in the Eriko x Kazuki relationship, among other things, yet, it didn’t quite play out Just As Planned.

In a way, it actually is kind of like Kaiji, come to think of it; there are some facts that can be taken for granted (here, Eriko’s victory, there, Kaiji, y’know’, not dying) yet there always seems to be one Element X that comes out of left field with terrific force. It’s probably one of the best models for fiction, if perhaps not on a quality level, then from a viewership level. You give the viewers what they want, what they expect, and then you tempt them with another morsel on a string to somewhere else, for them to discuss about and salivate over until next week.

It certainly works in a show like this, where it doesn’t feel like it’s a mind screw (”It was a peaceful day in Happyland…and then they all died. Bad end.”) for the sake of mind screwing, but rather, just an irrational decision that results as a character comes to their wit’s end. (Another parallel with Kaiji, but I digress.)

The big revelation here we’ll get to in a second; first I would like to take a minute to honor some of the well-done moments that were a bit less shocking.

Random, non-related eyecatches to break up the walls of text. PS2 Mock-up Art: Because Danbooru doesn’t have fanart of male characters.(tm)

First off, Kai. The episode started off in high gear when he avoided wrecking his character. It sounds negative, but really, he worked himself into a corner at the end of last episode by following Mao, considering that he knew she liked Kouichi, and that the two of them had ‘broken up’ – if they were ever really together. All he could do to avoid being consumed by fan rage (not to mention, in-story repercussions) is act as the helpful friend to Mao, guiding her and getting her back on track out of her depression…and…well…he did that.

Actually, Kai pretty much nailed a flawless victory in his scene here – although, sadly, it might be one of the last scenes we see him in. A romantic – or more accurately, a shipper – might find Kai’s victory to be a hollow one, considering he had to concede his feelings, but in terms of character development Kai’s improved like almost no other character in the show. It’s tough to tell, considering that he’s still relatively quiet on the exterior, but he’s much more a ’strong and silent’ than a ‘cold’ character now.

Before, Kai was what I would imagine a lot of teenage delinquent-types would be; someone who is cold on the outside, but secretly begging for attention inside. He got that attention in the form of Mao, and spent a long time chasing after her, quickly outpacing her in developing feelings. Eventually, though, he realized that, more important than relying on someone, was standing on his own feet, and, if his speech is anything to go by, he’s doing that and more now.

To be honest, it’s a bit forced, as an AnimeSuki forum poster put it. It’s too perfect, Kai’s too kind, too smart, too quick to change. Maybe that’s true. Maybe it’s too easy for Kai to say “I’m better now.” But, I don’t mind it. People can be like that; for every person out there who waffles and angsts, there’s one who can make snap decisions, that can find the revelations, that can find their true self. (I think I’m reaching into Shugo Chara territory there – isn’t it funny how these things come together?) Kai might have just finally discovered himself, after great lengths of soul-searching through his music and delinquent phase.

The one thing that really saddens me about Kai though, is the paradox he worked himself into. Even this situation is a no-win. Either he can go after Mao, and destroy his reputation, or he can support Mao, which increases his likability among the fans, which makes us in turn hate Mao instead for liking the quickly-becoming-oblivious Kouichi. Isn’t it sad, Kai?

On the Kouichi front, it was rather light, to be honest, barring the last minute of the story, but what I saw of him didn’t help to allude the fears of a massive wreck later down the line. What’s a bit irritating about KimiKiss is that both its male leads are at least a subset of the stereotypical guy you’d see in any shonen romance/harem, and thus, inferior to cool, spicy Kai. Kouichi, playing the ‘confused nice guy’, isn’t someone that elicits a lot of ire from me, likely because I see a lot of myself in him (see, the cheap appeal is working. silly shonen romance.), but his actions are rapidly becoming frustrating.

Maybe it’s just fair for him to be so fixated on Mao after her shock confession just a few episodes back, but Yuumi seems to be quickly fading into the background, something that’s surprising after all the attention he paid her, especially before he began going out with her. Maybe it’s that old trait of humans, to desire most what they don’t have.

But on track, Yuumi is forced to take nearly all the initiative in the relationship, asking Kouichi to hold hands, among other things. Kouichi is just too busy evaluating the situation to pay attention to what’s right in front of him, and his density level is increasing faster than ever.

It’s clear that Yuumi is unsettled about Mao rocking the boat, and Kouichi is unable to grab the cluebat swung right at his face in this episode, when she trails off with “Do you…” – ‘like Mao’, or perhaps ‘like me’, both very dangerous questions in this situation. It’s part Yuumi’s fault as well for stopping herself short in that query, instead continuing to subconsciously reassert to herself that everything is fine, but Kouichi can’t let things like this go.

Yuumi may be getting ready to dissapear soon, moving away after the cultural festival, but I severely doubt she’ll leave without a final conclusion on whether it’s her, or Mao, for Kouichi. It’s a time bomb waiting to explode and Kouichi’s doing nothing to defuse it.

Pouring gasoline on the fuse is Mao, who hits the Shock Value Jackpot of the day by announcing (well, sort of), that she plans to move out of Kouichi’s house. This is really strange, but seems to be the result of her taking Kai’s advice to “stand on her own legs” to heart, and deciding to distance herself from Kouichi. After all, she realizes that Yuumi laid first claim to Kouichi, and she is kind enough to respect that distance…in sanity, anyway. It’s clear that her sudden romantic feelings for Kouichi have troubled her, and, like any form of love, have driven her to do some rash things that she is beginning to regret, and it remains to be seen whether it will have a lasting effect on the both of them.

Suddenly, looking at it from this perspective, the Yuumi and Mao battle has been blown wide open. Mao continues to be the leader, holding both the childhood friend title and closer, perhaps more valid, ties to Kouichi, but the way she’s handled herself in the last few episodes puts into question whether she really is as much of a lock as she first appeared.

The strikes against her are actually quite many. The fact that she’s really rushed into her sudden crush for Kouichi seems to point out that these feelings might be a bit too strong to be what one might term true love; her fervor and her troubled attitude about Kouichi seems to hint that it just might be that she’s deluding herself into thinking that she really wants Kouichi. More than Yuumi, Mao seems the type that could really be happy as just friends, like she was for over half this show. And with now both of the heroines getting ready to head far away from Kouichi, that issue is nearly neutralized.

But, this can be easily countered. Yuumi can’t be considered any more a true love candidate, having only known Kouichi for a little while, and only having spent time with him for even less. And her moving away is much more permanent than Mao’s moving away, considering that there’s still time for the unstable Mao to be re-persuaded. And all this trouble about Mao could just be a setup for the “I’m here for you, after you were here for me” role of Kouichi.

After all the panicking, all the cries of how the sky is falling, I find myself doubting my previously-surefire bet that Mao’s got Kouichi locked up. None of the characters in this triangle seem sure enough of themselves or their feelings (this must be why Kai dropped out) that I can get a good enough read on them, and so, I think the decision will come down to the very end. I no longer can really tell if it’s Mao or Yuumi – my gut feeling says Mao, it’s the typical choice, it’s the rational choice, it’s the choice that the storytelling, if done normally, would lead to, but something tells me Yuumi isn’t exactly going to limp to the finish here as Mao looks to possibly take herself out as well. It’s probably my inherent wish for the ideal high school romance, the sweet, cute Yuumi to triumph in the end, I have no doubt of that, but I think there just might be real reasons out there that we could see one final reversal of momentum…

Meanwhile, on the Kazuki front, Asuka doesn’t realize she’s already dead.

It’s rare that we see not one but two applicants for the Nayuki Club in the same show but it’s pretty clear that Asuka is a fan favorite, and watching her finally begin to put her gears into motion in embracing her feminine side must be nothing short of heart-breaking, especially how it came after the tearful embrace of Eriko and Kazuki.

What can Asuka do? Her ‘too little, too late’ situation mirrors Kai’s, except, impossibly, she’s worse off at the current moment. Kazuki has shown time and time again, powerfully, that he – will – not – back – down from his feelings for Eriko, and she herself is beginning to crack that “I don’t need people” wall she built, and this just leaves Asuka locked out. She’s too nice for one final, emotional push, yet she feels to strongly to go “ok, we can still be friends.” Again, it’s another parallel, this time with Mao, in that the feelings here were those of friendship turned into love, except here Asuka isn’t on top.

All she can really do is wait for the other shoe to drop – what we’ll see here could be her inflicting some drama on herself – although, this would be rather pointless considering not much will change – but more hopefully, a lesson learned and time for some serious epiphanies. Asuka is a strong character, and it’s surprising to see such an emotional weak spot in her, but what probably she could learn from this is to be more honest about her true feelings. She continues to deny it to others, and only just recently admitted it to herself, and so again it just hurts too much to see it happen to a deserving character like her.

So, the question is, is Eriko deserving?

It’s still a tough call. Asuka can get railed on all she wants for not admitting her true feelings, but Eriko is unquestionably worse in that regard. How many times did she turn down Kazuki? How many times did she try to end things, try to shut herself down? That she wasn’t able to, that may say something about her true character, but the amount of denial she went through doesn’t put her close to the sympathetic appeal of a character like Asuka.

So, from a moral standpoint, why does Eriko deserve the victory? Why, after she played with Kazuki’s heart like a ball on a string? Why, after she tried to distance herself from people so much?

It’s probably a feel-good story if anything else, from both sides. Eriko is the girl that I’m sure you have met, in someone else or in yourself, the person that tries to be hard, tries to be cold, and unfeeling, but really more than anything just harbors a hidden desire to be loved, to be cared about, no matter how much they push something like that away. Kazuki is the dunce, the well-meaning person who doesn’t know what they’re doing but will try their hardest, earnestly, to achieve it, without giving up. Together it’s a combination that defines the term “opposites attract”, in how the two can bring out the best in each other; Kazuki brings out the real person in Eriko, and Eriko teaches Kazuki to be more resolute and decisive. It can’t be denied that the two of them have a sort of chemistry.

And so it’s with a tinge of regret that I state that I do really endorse the relationship between Eriko and Kazuki, despite how much I like Asuka. It’s the difference between driving a Lotus and driving a Lexus; the two have drastically different appeals and images, but am I going to complain if I’m behind the driver’s seat of either? Never. The only thing is, you don’t feel sad for a car you don’t drive. Someone else will take it. But Asuka, it’s clear that she really does deserve someone to bring out her romantic side as well, but in a show like this with a small amount of guys, where will that person come from?

(Asuka x Kai? Shippers, make it happen.)

What’s really surprising about KimiKiss as it builds to a climax and approaches its conclusion is how much the stories of Kouichi, Kazuki, and, in a sense, Mao, overlap, intertwine, and parallel each other. It was shown in the beginning of this episode how a lot of characters were beginning to take the advice of others to heart. And the characters in the two main love polygons have a surprising amount of parallels with each other. Mao and Asuka are both ‘friends first’ lovers who spent a long time before realizing their feelings. Eriko and Kai were the outcasts, wanting to be loved, at times denying their true selves. Yuumi and Asuka are the ones who just might be too late in realizing the truth.

It’s really a story with a surprising amounts of twists, tales, and lessons to be gleaned from it, and that’s what really enchants me about KimiKiss. It’s a sweet romance and a sad one, a peaceful romance and a conflict-filled one, and above all, it’s down-to-earth, something that any budding romantic could connect to and enjoy.

-CCY

(YUUMI FIGHTO!)

(Also, it must be noted that Eriko’s “Oh my God, it’s Kazuki” nervousness induced a moe short-circuit on par of being locked in a gym storage room with a tsundere. I’ve always though Eriko was incredibly attractive, even if Asuka did have more merit.)