Koi wa Ameagari no You ni / After The Rain
Jun. 9th, 2020 10:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
satalasers The premise is not for everyone, but I had a feeling that the focused relationship weren't going to end up together, and they didn't.
So, it's about Akira Tachibana, 15, falls in love with Kondou Masami, 45; and it's dealt in one sided manner, Kondou is more confused than flattered at why this unrequited love happens, and both of them sort of drift back to old interests instead, for Akira, it's running (and her friendship with Haruka), for Kondou, it's writing (and Chihirou, an old writing buddy which he'd fallen out of touch with).
- I never really got the feeling that Kondou 'fell in love' with Akira, which is good. I'm extremely picky about May-December romances, and like, I feel like my bottom line is, if the May is over 25, then I am okay(ish) with the December, whatever age he is. I think. I'm not entirely certain about this, but a general rule of thumb, I think, it's roughly okay. I don't know. Maybe it's still suspect, but that's my stance of it right now.
- The other thing is, I don't find Mays crushing on December's that creepy? And part of it might be because youth and innocence, and potentially mistaking love for something else. If the December crushes on the May, then it goes into skeevy. (I mean they can be. As much as I like the Belgariad, Velvet deciding at eight years old that she was going marry Silk, who was much older, I did not like that romance. But I preferred it to the amped up version in the Elenium/Tamuli, in which I did not like most of the romances at all.)
- Like, I'd say the unrequitedness is driving the first half of the show, whereas the second half is more about the two becoming actual friends and drifting apart, and focusing more on their hobbies. And I think I would have been happier if the relationship had been given a bit more focus, like Akira realizing that she wasn't in love with Kondou after all, she'd fallen for him because he let her relax and was the first person who ever made her feel like she wasn't under so much pressure -- she'd damaged her ankle and potentially might not be a runner ever again -- and IDK, realized that what she wanted out of him was a father figure, rather than, potential dating partner. So her feelings were misguided. But she herself never had that realization, and I kind of wish she did.
- But I actually liked the friendship garnered nevertheless! I thought that Akira and Kondou could sort of be kindred spirits, because both had given up on their dreams, and were settling to 'just getting by', and I do think they did support each other, quietly. In their own way. Although it doesn't quite work out that way, I do like that their final conversation is them supporting each other and agreeing to meet each other when they had accomplished their dream.
- I super loved Kondou. Can I just say? It was so easy to see why Akira had fallen for him. He's sweet and kind and gentle, a thoroughly lovely person. I liked seeing his internal thoughts, conflict over being an overly nice boss, and trying to draw a line. He's completely uncomfortable with Akira's crush, after his obliviousness to it, thinking that she hates him; and then does a pretty good job at trying to be firm. It doesn't completely work, because he does go on a date with her, though nothing happens, and I... I don't know. I never got the feeling that he fell in love with her? Even with the imagined hug at the end, I just saw them as kindred spirits, and it was more platonic than anything. He envies her for her youth and ideal ism, but I wonder if that's partly because he sees himself in her. Also he had some great monologues.
- I loved Chihiro, Kondo's writing friend. How they hung out together, and that it was kind of easy for them to fall back into their friendship, because they'd overcome the obstacle that had happened years ago. But it was such a contrast to Akira and Haruka, who both felt awkward, and took such a long time to become close again.
- God, this show reminded me of Bleach. I can't quit that manga, but it's true. I saw Akira as Ichigo; Kondou, Rukia. Tatsuki as Haruka. Chihiro as Renji. I kind of wanted to write that fic. Or maybe Rukia as Akira, and Kaein as Kondou. I haven't written forever, but I got such Bleach vibes for some reason. It's nothing like Bleach, but one thing Bleach was good at was human relations. And that kind of was After The Rain: the strange relationship between Kondou and Akira.
- I think that's what I liked a lot of this anime. The struggle of figuring things out. The atmosphere of the rain.
- I also super loved the cafe life! I liked the workplace energy and friendship. And how one of Akira's friends kind of joins her, because I think he's got a crush on her. But ends up falling for Yui, the person who does his hair.
- My one piece of criticism was that one of the cafe staff blackmails Akira into dating him? Because he figures out she's got a crush on Kondou? It's early in the first half, and nothing really comes of it, so I'm just kind of confused at why it got included at all, if he just backs off immediately after. It's not even a good reflection of after, when Akira herself pushes Kondou into going on that one date. It detracts a little, since I kept expecting some follow up, and didn't get any. But that would be my one complaint TBH.
- Well, that and hoping that I'd see more of Akira falling out of love with Kondou, despite really liking the friendship that was created. But I guess you can infer that she'd moved on, anyway.
So I really liked this anime and I'm glad I gave it a chance.
So, it's about Akira Tachibana, 15, falls in love with Kondou Masami, 45; and it's dealt in one sided manner, Kondou is more confused than flattered at why this unrequited love happens, and both of them sort of drift back to old interests instead, for Akira, it's running (and her friendship with Haruka), for Kondou, it's writing (and Chihirou, an old writing buddy which he'd fallen out of touch with).
- I never really got the feeling that Kondou 'fell in love' with Akira, which is good. I'm extremely picky about May-December romances, and like, I feel like my bottom line is, if the May is over 25, then I am okay(ish) with the December, whatever age he is. I think. I'm not entirely certain about this, but a general rule of thumb, I think, it's roughly okay. I don't know. Maybe it's still suspect, but that's my stance of it right now.
- The other thing is, I don't find Mays crushing on December's that creepy? And part of it might be because youth and innocence, and potentially mistaking love for something else. If the December crushes on the May, then it goes into skeevy. (I mean they can be. As much as I like the Belgariad, Velvet deciding at eight years old that she was going marry Silk, who was much older, I did not like that romance. But I preferred it to the amped up version in the Elenium/Tamuli, in which I did not like most of the romances at all.)
- Like, I'd say the unrequitedness is driving the first half of the show, whereas the second half is more about the two becoming actual friends and drifting apart, and focusing more on their hobbies. And I think I would have been happier if the relationship had been given a bit more focus, like Akira realizing that she wasn't in love with Kondou after all, she'd fallen for him because he let her relax and was the first person who ever made her feel like she wasn't under so much pressure -- she'd damaged her ankle and potentially might not be a runner ever again -- and IDK, realized that what she wanted out of him was a father figure, rather than, potential dating partner. So her feelings were misguided. But she herself never had that realization, and I kind of wish she did.
- But I actually liked the friendship garnered nevertheless! I thought that Akira and Kondou could sort of be kindred spirits, because both had given up on their dreams, and were settling to 'just getting by', and I do think they did support each other, quietly. In their own way. Although it doesn't quite work out that way, I do like that their final conversation is them supporting each other and agreeing to meet each other when they had accomplished their dream.
- I super loved Kondou. Can I just say? It was so easy to see why Akira had fallen for him. He's sweet and kind and gentle, a thoroughly lovely person. I liked seeing his internal thoughts, conflict over being an overly nice boss, and trying to draw a line. He's completely uncomfortable with Akira's crush, after his obliviousness to it, thinking that she hates him; and then does a pretty good job at trying to be firm. It doesn't completely work, because he does go on a date with her, though nothing happens, and I... I don't know. I never got the feeling that he fell in love with her? Even with the imagined hug at the end, I just saw them as kindred spirits, and it was more platonic than anything. He envies her for her youth and ideal ism, but I wonder if that's partly because he sees himself in her. Also he had some great monologues.
- I loved Chihiro, Kondo's writing friend. How they hung out together, and that it was kind of easy for them to fall back into their friendship, because they'd overcome the obstacle that had happened years ago. But it was such a contrast to Akira and Haruka, who both felt awkward, and took such a long time to become close again.
- God, this show reminded me of Bleach. I can't quit that manga, but it's true. I saw Akira as Ichigo; Kondou, Rukia. Tatsuki as Haruka. Chihiro as Renji. I kind of wanted to write that fic. Or maybe Rukia as Akira, and Kaein as Kondou. I haven't written forever, but I got such Bleach vibes for some reason. It's nothing like Bleach, but one thing Bleach was good at was human relations. And that kind of was After The Rain: the strange relationship between Kondou and Akira.
- I think that's what I liked a lot of this anime. The struggle of figuring things out. The atmosphere of the rain.
- I also super loved the cafe life! I liked the workplace energy and friendship. And how one of Akira's friends kind of joins her, because I think he's got a crush on her. But ends up falling for Yui, the person who does his hair.
- My one piece of criticism was that one of the cafe staff blackmails Akira into dating him? Because he figures out she's got a crush on Kondou? It's early in the first half, and nothing really comes of it, so I'm just kind of confused at why it got included at all, if he just backs off immediately after. It's not even a good reflection of after, when Akira herself pushes Kondou into going on that one date. It detracts a little, since I kept expecting some follow up, and didn't get any. But that would be my one complaint TBH.
- Well, that and hoping that I'd see more of Akira falling out of love with Kondou, despite really liking the friendship that was created. But I guess you can infer that she'd moved on, anyway.
So I really liked this anime and I'm glad I gave it a chance.
