LOLL, I see your point. It was kind of a neanderthal way of thinking.FOM wrote:
Oh, I don’t think you’re hoping in vain—I’m pretty sure Rintaro is poised to win this race.
Re. the ten years estimate: Rintaro’s ex implied in their conversation (I think) that part of the reason she’d left him in the first place was because she was jealous of his friendship with Sakura, and she suspected even back then that he was really in love with her. So it seems his unacknowledged feelings for her have been around for a long time. And the “didn’t view her as a woman” thing—actually, that’s one of the things that really bothers me about Rintaro. He didn’t see her as a woman until she was wearing four-inch-heels and a miniskirt? Give me a break. Hiroto fell in love with her after a series of dates on which she was wearing weird combinations of sweatshirts, overcoats, and sneakers, but Rintaro (who’s known her for something like a decade) didn’t even view her as a woman until she was pretending to be feminine to impress his mother. What century is he living in? (*sigh*)
Hahaha, you bring up valid points and flaws I made in my assumptions.FOM wrote: LOL—that’s interesting. I would have said the exact same thing in reverse. To be specific:
1) Fair point—but the “guy who gets the girl” isn’t always listed as the second lead either (see Anego, for instance. Or Zettai Kareshi, where the two male leads are listed first, and the female lead comes third…). Sometimes the second lead is another character who has a story separate from the romance, or sometimes the listings reflect a plot structure other than a straight-up romance. Whether Hiroto ends up with Sakura or not, he’s definitely a lead character in this drama, and has his own story and character journey going.
2) The opening credits have been ambiguous throughout, shifting slightly to reflect the content of each episode. Hiroto may be the prince, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be the one she ends up with. This is a fractured fairytale we’re dealing with, not a straightforward adaptation.
3) No matter which way it goes, this is a messy couple—somebody is going to be the odd man out. If we’re looking to j-drama clichés for clues, then I’d point to the bickering between Sakura and Rintaro, the accidental kiss between Sakura and Rintaro, the absolute refusal to acknowledge an obvious chemistry between Sakura and Rintaro...
I’m rooting for Hiroto hands down, but I think all the signs point to Rintaro. Guess we’ll find out soon, eh? ;)
Back to 1-: that's true! I had forgotten about Anego (shameful of me) but never saw Zettai Kareshi but I've heard enough about it to know what you're referring to. I agree with you about Hiroto's story...I'm looking forward to see it evolve, whether or not he ends up with Sakura or not.
Back to 2-: I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT BEING A FRACTURED FAIRY TALE. I wish there was a way to rate posts up. :/
and finally:
Back to 3-: You bring up a lot of valid points...that's what I was using initially as my basis for rooting for the couple. But like you said, only time will tell! Only two days left until the final episode comes out, and I must say I'm excited!