Ignoring the fact that I seem to be mixing up two entirely different card games (and neither of the ‘children’s card game’ variety) the action at the final tables in KimiKiss seems to be heating up (or at least, not cooling down) as the final cards begin to play out.

It’s easy to see who are the leaders here but in the world of gambling and of romance it’s easy to turn the tables with just a few shock twists, so don’t get too comfortable yet.

At the Kouichi table it’s been a tough fight between Mao and Yuumi all evening, with Yuumi taking the early lead but losing it late on some unlucky deals, as Mao has come on strong with some excellent strategy. It’s easy to see how her short stack has affected her attack plan, as she’s been letting Mao walk over her all night, and once again she got led into an easy check-raise by Mao, hiding pocket queens to Yuumi’s eight-nine suited with a five-queen-ace rainbow on the table. It’s a huge pot and one that might just determine the fate of this game, and while Mao’s got the clear advantage here it’s easy to see that Yuumi could pull this one in a pinch with an inside straight. Not to mention, we’ll see if one can get the other to fold first…

Over at the Kazuki table Eriko’s been wiping the floor with Asuka all night and going into the next hand it’s going to be near-impossible for Asuka to make a comeback being so far down on chips, but with any luck maybe she can pull out a few wins in order to make it competitive.

We’ll find out when we come back to the World Series of KimiKiss, brought to you by the Udon Association - “At Least It’s Not Those Damned Frogs!(tm)”

(The analogies for KimiKiss, they just keep coming…at least I can speak poker better than politics.)

KimiKiss didn’t deliver much in terms of huge shocks like the last few episodes have done but it does do a lot for cleaning up some of the ends of the show as well, as lining up the dynamics of both the Kouichi and Kazuki triangles for one last shot.

Surprisingly enough the Kazuki side is continuing to keep my interest despite being 99% concluded after last episode’s eMOEtional Eriko / Kazuki scene, with a nearly perfect full circle to the relationship between Asuka and Kazuki on the soccer team.

In the past, Kazuki, who was hopelessly infatuated with Eriko, couldn’t keep his mind on the ball, constantly flubbing blocks and passes, and it was up to Asuka to get his head back onto the ground where it belonged. Now, Asuka’s the one being eaten alive by Kazuki pairing up with Eriko, and hopefully it’s time for Kazuki to step up to the block as a friend to bring back the confident, no-worries Asuka that endeared herself to so many viewers in the past.

It seems one of the most plausible ways Asuka can get a ‘good’ ending short of scoring the guy herself - which seems a nigh-impossibility at this point - to bring the relationship between the two of them back to where it belongs, to two friends united with a common passion. Some might say that unfortunately, this passion is not each other, but rather soccer.

Like I mentioned last post in the season review, love shouldn’t always be an all-or-nothing gamble, and Asuka’s story could hit all sorts of meaningful morals if they could end up getting that across in the end. It’s already the famous adage of ‘too little too late’, far too apparent to many in love, a testament to clearly establishing your position and intent, and hopefully now it can add a message of how, in the end, love isn’t everything. Kazuki can still be there for Asuka and vice versa, just not as lovers. It’s certainly important to learn that, especially as unfair as it can be for someone like Asuka, the end of love is not the end of the world.

Seeing Eriko smile is still a heartwarming experience, even for a born-again Asuka supporter watching the ship crash and burn, and the gradual evolution that she has gone through really is something. A lot of people, especially disillusioned ones, could sympathize with her initial cold attitude of “people are alone” and her calculating, emotionless analysis of life, and her realization that, hey, there’s fun out there, and smiles to be had, through the undying persistance and energy of Kazuki, is another great story. As much as I would like to pan it as typical, if it’s a story that one can connect with and enjoy, there’s no harm in seeing it done again in a slightly different way, as long as it’s still good.

(Anime spelling annoyance #12: adding “-em” instinctively after “har”.)

As usual Mao and Yuumi’s intertwined stories, while maybe as not as empathy-appealing as Asuka’s or as mind-melting as Eriko’s, were entertaining in the fact that they invite a lot of discussion of what the hell is going on here. It really was strange in episode 21, how after chasing after Kouichi indirectly, directly, or superdirectly (no, that’s not a word) for quite a bit now suddenly the both of them do an essential about-face, pushing Kouichi towards the other woman in that self-sacrificing way that only anime romance battles tend to have.

It’s tough to tell really whether either Mao or Yuumi are being honest to themselves by trying to step out of the picture here; obviously both of them want Kouichi, and normally it kind of comes down to one of them wanting it more, but with both of them backing down before their move to another house, it’s tough to call who will make the first step here.

Mao, of course, has the obvious advantage as she, for sure, cannot claim she has no feelings for Kouichi (as evidenced a few episodes back), as well as the fact that the show seem structured to support her. She arguably could have the more valid claim to Kouichi here, and since she’s actually going to remain within travel distance, it’s possible for her and Kouichi to get together, for sure. This of course, hinges on her to stop trying to force Kouichi and Yuumi together at every opportunity.

But why is that a bad thing? Surely Kouichi and Yuumi is the ideal high school romance, that every teenager would dream of? And it is. But you all should know how fickle high school love is ~ to be fair it’s much easier to separate Kouichi and Yuumi than Kouichi and Mao, both emotionally and physically. It’s tough to really justify the pairing of Kouichi and Yuumi other than “well, they like each other, and they’re very sweet together, so it’s good.” But really, what have they done for each other, how have they supported each other over the months? It’s almost like love for the sake of being in love, and that’s something I’m tentative about.

Certainly a long-distance relationship a la TokiMemo is possible and it’s quite likely that I’m overlooking a lot of dynamics between the two but, right now, they are the weaker link, sadly enough. I still plan to remain a Yuumi supporter until the bitter end, if only because of the sheer sweetness and idealism of sure a relationsihp - and let me say, they sure are torturing a lot of people by dragging out that end - but it’s really becoming more and more clear that I should start filling out her paperwork for the Nayuki Club.

In lighter side character notes, it doesn’t look like much else is happening on the alternative romance front. The mad yuri lovin between the Udon Sisters has yet to come to pass; perhaps it was eschewed in favor of a slight flash of siscon when Nana woke her brother Kazuki up. Mitsuki and Hiiragi still seems too long of a short, with Hiiragi getting slotted into the comic relief character with a side of ‘convienent disturbance’ when he interrupts Yuumi’s horribly slow (but normal by romance standards) attempts to ask a probing question of Kouichi. I still think Mitsuki deserves more than a mention of “oh I have a fiance and I don’t know if I love him or not”, but Hiiragi doesn’t seem to be in the field at all.

Kai looks happy in his independent but-much-less-ice-queen role, and to be honest, if he’s a musician and an artist, he shouldn’t be able to shake the girls off his tail if he tried.

Oh, and Hardcore Strict Class Rep is back from the way-early episodes when I thought she was a contender for Kazuki as well, except with that possibility removed, now she’s demoted to a one-sentence entry. Quite a few side characters are popping out of the woodworks for quite possibly what might be one of the last times before the obligatory wrap-up scene; it’s time for Asuka and Yuumi (or, just maybe, Mao) to face their fates in an emotionally charged final few episodes … let’s hope all that starts well ends well. Save the tears for a more aptly named series …

-CCY

(IKnight beat me to the Kaiji 22 post and did it quite well, so I’m going to let him corner the market in manly for now.)

(YUUMI FIGHTO!)

If you liked this post, try...

• May 17, 2008 -- Harem Personality Quiz: ask your blogger what harem anime is right for you!
• March 29, 2008 -- Series Review: KimiKiss Pure Rouge … love, where is thy sting?
• March 22, 2008 -- Waving the White Flag at KimiKiss 23
• March 12, 2008 -- Emperor and Slave: The Mindgames of KimiKiss 22
• March 5, 2008 -- My Show Is Better Than Your Show, March Madness Edition

This entry was posted on Friday, March 7th, 2008 at 8:07 pm and is filed under KimiKiss Pure Rouge. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.