On HYD 'ships
Jan. 16th, 2007 01:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
azuriteSo now that Hana Yori Dango 2: Returns is airing, I'm back to thinking about the glorious TAFF that is HYD. The great thing about the drama is that while it incorporates so many of the arcs and character -isms that the manga had, it's a whole different beast in how it goes about it. For one thing, it's more modern. They picked an astounding cast-- I wasn't so sure about ANY of them at first, but they certainly proved their salt in the last season. MatsuJun has most definitely grown on me, but watching HYD2 has me leaning toward the Oguri Shun camp.
Domyouji's obviously got something holding him back from telling ANYONE (be it the F4, Tsubaki, or Makino) about why he must avoid Makino so fastidiously; on the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
hanayoridango community, we're predicting that the man who committed suicide must play a large role in it-- I'm thinking that he's a testament of just how far Kaede's power goes. It's not enough that she ran Makino's family and all her friends into the ground the last time around-- nope, it's been a year, that was just a phase, Kaede's packed up, moved on back to Evil Overlord Central. This time she is so desperate to keep Tsukasa away from Makino that she will not only keep him in NYC for a year to distract him from all his friends and everything he knows, but relentlessly pound into him how important his role is. And no one will challenge him to think otherwise.
But then she goes and orders Tsukasa to go back to Japan-- so she can engage him to Shigeru, humiliate Makino, and generally make Tsukasa hate her even more, even though he, Mr. All Powerful, can't do a damn thing about it. What pisses me off the most about Tsukasa is that he doesn't even seem to bother to TRY-- Kaede can just pick some sort of keyword and previously-angry Tsukasa shuts up like a good little boy. He also follows Kaede's path of deception by not bothering to be honest about whatever's REALLY holding him back from Tsukushi, whether it's ALL Kaede's fault or just partially (i.e. indirectly). I'd be more willing to bet that her influence is more indirect this time, just because Tsukasa is having these nightmares on his own, and while he's just as mad at his mom for "surprising" him with things, she doesn't seem to be plotting every last detail. When Nishida reported on Makino being in NYC, Kaede didn't seem to think that was a big deal-- Nishida also said that Tsukasa mostly ignored her, and if Kaede had made some sort of arrangement with Tsukasa to that effect (where she would know if he didn't listen to her, probably via SPs), I think the end result would have been different. Of course, it's possible she did make an arrangement/threat with Tsukasa, and it was JUST between them (as in, she didn't have Nishida orchestrate it like last time), but we have yet to see.
Tsukasa has yet to do anything to redeem himself in HYD2, really. While you can't exactly blame the guy for his nightmares, whatever is keeping him from Tsukushi and LYING to his best friends (and being a total ass around them, too) is not earning him any points in my book. Admittedly, thinking that what his mother is capable of doing could drive a man to suicide is not exactly something he wants to say-- he probably imagines that Tsukushi would say in reply (if he told her "If I am with you, my mother will drive your family further into the gutter than you can imagine; your family will die and you will never be the same"): why don't you stand up to her, why don't you believe in me/my family, that would never happen; we're stronger than that! But he's probably terrified of the prospect, knowing that no matter what Tsukushi says, she could never handle it if her father died on account of Kaede's manipulations. It might not necessarily drive her away from Tsukasa (or rather, it wouldn't cause her to stop LOVING him), so he figures he has to take matters into his own hands by being an ass and just pretending that all they went through was meaningless.
Even Junpei is better than that. He was man enough to admit just what he was up to, though he certainly went about it the wrong way. I was almost cheering for Junpei in the beginning of episode 1, albeit I knew just what would happen with him (with the exception of it being Tsubaki saving the day, rather than Tsukasa). I hate thinking that he was forced to give up because of the influence of the F4, which is the very thing he was trying to fight... but it seems everyone everywhere is getting the message that you CAN'T stand up to them. There is NO way of getting revenge on them. I hate thinking that HYD has such a hopeless message, so I'd really like to see everyone get their just desserts for abusing their power like they do (in a bad way, I mean. I wouldn't say Mimasaka abused his power in order to get Makino's bag back).
Back to Tsubaki though, I honeslty wonder why, after Tsukushi made that tearful admission (she still loves Tsukasa and can't just forget about him, no matter how hard she's tried, and -though she didn't say this- despite what he said in NYC) Tsubaki didn't go right up to Tsukasa and smack his little ass around some. On top of that, it doesn't appear that Tsukasa had any idea that Makino was nearly raped/killed/what-have-you by Junpei's manipulations-- I really think Tsubaki should have told him about that, though her own knowledge about the situation might be sketchy at best.
Personally, I like the idea of "strong weed Makino" having friends who are genuinely there for her and look out for her-- and she doesn't see them as liabilities (people who can get hurt) or people whom she's dragging down (because they help her so much, or in such big ways). I personally think that the F3 like Makino not just because she went out with Domyouji but because she stood up to him. Even if they're supposed to be buddies, I don't think they would just STOP being friends with Makino, as evidenced by all their behavior in eps 1 & 2, even though they knew Tsukasa broke up with her. In fact, Soujirou even encouraged her to forget about Tsukasa!
And now for the 'shipping. Rui's earned some serious points with me in the drama, not just because he's being a bit more "obviously expressive" when it counts, but because it's true: he COULD be good for Tsukushi. He's actually been there for her a lot more than Tsukasa has, and he understands her pretty well. But he still intimidates her, I think, and it might even still be awkward for Tsukushi to think of him as a friend (though I do think her "crush" on him is long since passed, I think those feelings could certainly re-arise, especially if episode 2 is any indication).
Junpei might have been a jerk, but I think he was right in saying Rui could make Tsukushi happy. If he acted out of character to defend Tsukushi (that is, getting unusually angry; this was something said by both Junpei and Soujirou), I think he cares a lot more for her than either of them are willing to admit. And to be honest, while I don't think using someone to make someone else jealous (Rui using Tsukushi to make Shizuka jeaous; Tsukushi using Rui to make Tsukasa jealous) is right, I certainly think it would work for Tsukasa-- moreso if Rui really DID get over Shizuka and fell for Tsukushi and was intent on pursuing her. It's not just a matter of "saying the right thing" to get Tsukasa fired up; they already tried mentioning her, and it backfired on them because of whatever is really keeping them apart. I can also see Shigeru totally misinterpreting the currently-friendly nature of Rui and Tsukushi's relationship and reporting back on it to Tsukasa (by accident, because she's an airhead) and that making Tsukasa even more pissed off (wanting to do something but in the end, being helpless about it because he can't TELL anyone why he can't be with her).
So for the moment, I'm actually shipping more Rui x Tsukushi, though I say that with every intention of Tsukasa getting his ass and brain handed to him on a platter so he can shape up. To be honest, Tsukushi doesn't act genuine around anyone but Tsukasa, but I don't think that's an intentional fault on Tsukushi's part; she said herself that she doesn't really pursue any hopes and dreams, and tries to blend in. She also gets mad at Junpei when he suggests she could become a model, even though it's really a compliment and is true in that she could make lots of money and be extremely popular. But Tsukushi's dead-set on just not getting noticed (even when she gets invited up to the F4 Lounge, she stands on the very edges, and never "makes herself at home") and just getting through Eitoku, even though she should know by now that what she's done can't be taken back, and she's special for just being herself: brave, no-nonsense, no-shit-takin' Makino Tsukushi! But she doesn't act like that around the rest of the F4, even though they know she has it in her: I think they must be aware that she's lying, putting up a brave front, and so forth. It's funny, because strong Makino who didn't really need anyone really fell hard for Tsukasa, and to have him treat her the way he is must really be breaking her, confusing her, and generally just causing her world to go topsy-turvy. It's not like she got USED to some sort of prestigious position as Tsukasa's girlfriend (generally because their relationship was so fraught with issues and so short-lived), though.
She's regressing into an even worse version of herself prior to the start of HYD1: back then, she wanted to blend in, but she still worked hard for her dreams, she still knew herself, and she didn't get dragged down by others. She stood up for herself and others, too. But in HYD2, it's so much harder to stand up for herself because she doesn't feel like she knows herself anymore, or what is wrong with the things she says and does. Without Tsukasa there to both provoke and love her, she has no reason to be bold or outgoing anymore, and anything that might have given her power over the other Eitoku snobs is gone.
I'm sure the F4 know that Tsukushi's not being "herself," but they also know they can't exactly do anything to change her; Tsukasa was the one that was so different from all of them, and it took Makino to change HIM; likewise, it could only take someone like Tsukasa to change Makino. She tried being herself again when she saw him, but the separation and Tsukasa's treatment of her really did a number on Makino's courage and self-confidence, so I'm not surprised that her punch missed.
But I do think she still holds sway over Tsukasa in that non-violent way; even if she doesn't feel strong and cries because of Tsukasa, that certainly has power over him too, because he recognizes Makino as the girl who stood up to him, as the girl HE acknowledged; to have that girl suddenly cry (genuinely) about/over/for him means he's done something pretty bad; this girl doesn't cry for just anything! If anything, I think Makino being quietly and resolutely strong in the face of the way he's treated her (and I mean cruelly, not violently or rudely, the way he did in the beginning of HYD1) will give Tsukasa a clue that he's not doing things correctly. Maybe she'll even stay in love with him (looking likely) despite it all, and while that might give him an ego boost, I think it will also make him think that Makino is strong even when she doesn't appear to be as she was when he first acknowledged her, and if he tells her that, she might start to believe it (whereas she wouldn't if she heard it from anyone else). It would also be an admission that Tsukasa is wrong, or going about things with the right intentions but the wrong methods.
Personally, I can stand Makino being alone, making it on her own, and proving that she's not a leech on these guys, or a thorn in their side. I truly believe she is someone to be recognized for who she is, not as an accessory of the F4. I believe that if she really wanted to, she could move on-- from Tsukasa, Rui, and everyone. I think she could certainly stay FRIENDS with them, but not so much in the case of Tsukasa or Tsubaki. That would really hurt her, and to cut herself off from them would end up being in her best interest (if she couldn't be with Tsukasa). But I'd also like to see Tsukushi "move on" and try to see that being with one of the F4 isn't just being a "poor girl after the rich boy." The guys all like her because of who she is, and they don't see her as a money whore.
Point in fact, I don't think Mimasaka, Soujirou, or Rui's families would care if any of them hooked up with Makino, even if she is dirt poor. I like Rui out of all of them, but Soujirou comes in second... even if he is SO SO SO SO SO much hotter with Yuki.
I think this was just a very stream-of-conscious post, because my brain is all frazzled. Yup.
Domyouji's obviously got something holding him back from telling ANYONE (be it the F4, Tsubaki, or Makino) about why he must avoid Makino so fastidiously; on the
hanayoridango community, we're predicting that the man who committed suicide must play a large role in it-- I'm thinking that he's a testament of just how far Kaede's power goes. It's not enough that she ran Makino's family and all her friends into the ground the last time around-- nope, it's been a year, that was just a phase, Kaede's packed up, moved on back to Evil Overlord Central. This time she is so desperate to keep Tsukasa away from Makino that she will not only keep him in NYC for a year to distract him from all his friends and everything he knows, but relentlessly pound into him how important his role is. And no one will challenge him to think otherwise.But then she goes and orders Tsukasa to go back to Japan-- so she can engage him to Shigeru, humiliate Makino, and generally make Tsukasa hate her even more, even though he, Mr. All Powerful, can't do a damn thing about it. What pisses me off the most about Tsukasa is that he doesn't even seem to bother to TRY-- Kaede can just pick some sort of keyword and previously-angry Tsukasa shuts up like a good little boy. He also follows Kaede's path of deception by not bothering to be honest about whatever's REALLY holding him back from Tsukushi, whether it's ALL Kaede's fault or just partially (i.e. indirectly). I'd be more willing to bet that her influence is more indirect this time, just because Tsukasa is having these nightmares on his own, and while he's just as mad at his mom for "surprising" him with things, she doesn't seem to be plotting every last detail. When Nishida reported on Makino being in NYC, Kaede didn't seem to think that was a big deal-- Nishida also said that Tsukasa mostly ignored her, and if Kaede had made some sort of arrangement with Tsukasa to that effect (where she would know if he didn't listen to her, probably via SPs), I think the end result would have been different. Of course, it's possible she did make an arrangement/threat with Tsukasa, and it was JUST between them (as in, she didn't have Nishida orchestrate it like last time), but we have yet to see.
Tsukasa has yet to do anything to redeem himself in HYD2, really. While you can't exactly blame the guy for his nightmares, whatever is keeping him from Tsukushi and LYING to his best friends (and being a total ass around them, too) is not earning him any points in my book. Admittedly, thinking that what his mother is capable of doing could drive a man to suicide is not exactly something he wants to say-- he probably imagines that Tsukushi would say in reply (if he told her "If I am with you, my mother will drive your family further into the gutter than you can imagine; your family will die and you will never be the same"): why don't you stand up to her, why don't you believe in me/my family, that would never happen; we're stronger than that! But he's probably terrified of the prospect, knowing that no matter what Tsukushi says, she could never handle it if her father died on account of Kaede's manipulations. It might not necessarily drive her away from Tsukasa (or rather, it wouldn't cause her to stop LOVING him), so he figures he has to take matters into his own hands by being an ass and just pretending that all they went through was meaningless.
Even Junpei is better than that. He was man enough to admit just what he was up to, though he certainly went about it the wrong way. I was almost cheering for Junpei in the beginning of episode 1, albeit I knew just what would happen with him (with the exception of it being Tsubaki saving the day, rather than Tsukasa). I hate thinking that he was forced to give up because of the influence of the F4, which is the very thing he was trying to fight... but it seems everyone everywhere is getting the message that you CAN'T stand up to them. There is NO way of getting revenge on them. I hate thinking that HYD has such a hopeless message, so I'd really like to see everyone get their just desserts for abusing their power like they do (in a bad way, I mean. I wouldn't say Mimasaka abused his power in order to get Makino's bag back).
Back to Tsubaki though, I honeslty wonder why, after Tsukushi made that tearful admission (she still loves Tsukasa and can't just forget about him, no matter how hard she's tried, and -though she didn't say this- despite what he said in NYC) Tsubaki didn't go right up to Tsukasa and smack his little ass around some. On top of that, it doesn't appear that Tsukasa had any idea that Makino was nearly raped/killed/what-have-you by Junpei's manipulations-- I really think Tsubaki should have told him about that, though her own knowledge about the situation might be sketchy at best.
Personally, I like the idea of "strong weed Makino" having friends who are genuinely there for her and look out for her-- and she doesn't see them as liabilities (people who can get hurt) or people whom she's dragging down (because they help her so much, or in such big ways). I personally think that the F3 like Makino not just because she went out with Domyouji but because she stood up to him. Even if they're supposed to be buddies, I don't think they would just STOP being friends with Makino, as evidenced by all their behavior in eps 1 & 2, even though they knew Tsukasa broke up with her. In fact, Soujirou even encouraged her to forget about Tsukasa!
And now for the 'shipping. Rui's earned some serious points with me in the drama, not just because he's being a bit more "obviously expressive" when it counts, but because it's true: he COULD be good for Tsukushi. He's actually been there for her a lot more than Tsukasa has, and he understands her pretty well. But he still intimidates her, I think, and it might even still be awkward for Tsukushi to think of him as a friend (though I do think her "crush" on him is long since passed, I think those feelings could certainly re-arise, especially if episode 2 is any indication).
Junpei might have been a jerk, but I think he was right in saying Rui could make Tsukushi happy. If he acted out of character to defend Tsukushi (that is, getting unusually angry; this was something said by both Junpei and Soujirou), I think he cares a lot more for her than either of them are willing to admit. And to be honest, while I don't think using someone to make someone else jealous (Rui using Tsukushi to make Shizuka jeaous; Tsukushi using Rui to make Tsukasa jealous) is right, I certainly think it would work for Tsukasa-- moreso if Rui really DID get over Shizuka and fell for Tsukushi and was intent on pursuing her. It's not just a matter of "saying the right thing" to get Tsukasa fired up; they already tried mentioning her, and it backfired on them because of whatever is really keeping them apart. I can also see Shigeru totally misinterpreting the currently-friendly nature of Rui and Tsukushi's relationship and reporting back on it to Tsukasa (by accident, because she's an airhead) and that making Tsukasa even more pissed off (wanting to do something but in the end, being helpless about it because he can't TELL anyone why he can't be with her).
So for the moment, I'm actually shipping more Rui x Tsukushi, though I say that with every intention of Tsukasa getting his ass and brain handed to him on a platter so he can shape up. To be honest, Tsukushi doesn't act genuine around anyone but Tsukasa, but I don't think that's an intentional fault on Tsukushi's part; she said herself that she doesn't really pursue any hopes and dreams, and tries to blend in. She also gets mad at Junpei when he suggests she could become a model, even though it's really a compliment and is true in that she could make lots of money and be extremely popular. But Tsukushi's dead-set on just not getting noticed (even when she gets invited up to the F4 Lounge, she stands on the very edges, and never "makes herself at home") and just getting through Eitoku, even though she should know by now that what she's done can't be taken back, and she's special for just being herself: brave, no-nonsense, no-shit-takin' Makino Tsukushi! But she doesn't act like that around the rest of the F4, even though they know she has it in her: I think they must be aware that she's lying, putting up a brave front, and so forth. It's funny, because strong Makino who didn't really need anyone really fell hard for Tsukasa, and to have him treat her the way he is must really be breaking her, confusing her, and generally just causing her world to go topsy-turvy. It's not like she got USED to some sort of prestigious position as Tsukasa's girlfriend (generally because their relationship was so fraught with issues and so short-lived), though.
She's regressing into an even worse version of herself prior to the start of HYD1: back then, she wanted to blend in, but she still worked hard for her dreams, she still knew herself, and she didn't get dragged down by others. She stood up for herself and others, too. But in HYD2, it's so much harder to stand up for herself because she doesn't feel like she knows herself anymore, or what is wrong with the things she says and does. Without Tsukasa there to both provoke and love her, she has no reason to be bold or outgoing anymore, and anything that might have given her power over the other Eitoku snobs is gone.
I'm sure the F4 know that Tsukushi's not being "herself," but they also know they can't exactly do anything to change her; Tsukasa was the one that was so different from all of them, and it took Makino to change HIM; likewise, it could only take someone like Tsukasa to change Makino. She tried being herself again when she saw him, but the separation and Tsukasa's treatment of her really did a number on Makino's courage and self-confidence, so I'm not surprised that her punch missed.
But I do think she still holds sway over Tsukasa in that non-violent way; even if she doesn't feel strong and cries because of Tsukasa, that certainly has power over him too, because he recognizes Makino as the girl who stood up to him, as the girl HE acknowledged; to have that girl suddenly cry (genuinely) about/over/for him means he's done something pretty bad; this girl doesn't cry for just anything! If anything, I think Makino being quietly and resolutely strong in the face of the way he's treated her (and I mean cruelly, not violently or rudely, the way he did in the beginning of HYD1) will give Tsukasa a clue that he's not doing things correctly. Maybe she'll even stay in love with him (looking likely) despite it all, and while that might give him an ego boost, I think it will also make him think that Makino is strong even when she doesn't appear to be as she was when he first acknowledged her, and if he tells her that, she might start to believe it (whereas she wouldn't if she heard it from anyone else). It would also be an admission that Tsukasa is wrong, or going about things with the right intentions but the wrong methods.
Personally, I can stand Makino being alone, making it on her own, and proving that she's not a leech on these guys, or a thorn in their side. I truly believe she is someone to be recognized for who she is, not as an accessory of the F4. I believe that if she really wanted to, she could move on-- from Tsukasa, Rui, and everyone. I think she could certainly stay FRIENDS with them, but not so much in the case of Tsukasa or Tsubaki. That would really hurt her, and to cut herself off from them would end up being in her best interest (if she couldn't be with Tsukasa). But I'd also like to see Tsukushi "move on" and try to see that being with one of the F4 isn't just being a "poor girl after the rich boy." The guys all like her because of who she is, and they don't see her as a money whore.
Point in fact, I don't think Mimasaka, Soujirou, or Rui's families would care if any of them hooked up with Makino, even if she is dirt poor. I like Rui out of all of them, but Soujirou comes in second... even if he is SO SO SO SO SO much hotter with Yuki.
I think this was just a very stream-of-conscious post, because my brain is all frazzled. Yup.
