A refreshing take on the Cherry Magic prologue that unfortunately fell (a ltitle) short in the last few minutes.
Cherry Magic Thailand chooses the Jdrama route where we first meet Achi without his powers. It was nice to see the difference in culture immediately; from Achi’s living conditions to means of transport. Though I thought having Achi immediately lament on his life choices 2 minutes in was maybeeeee too quick.
It’s very interesting that Rock/Rokkaku here is introduced as Achi’s subordinate and their whole first interaction, with Achi feeling awkward that despite their big age difference he hardly holds a senior position over him, which in turn further proves Achi’s averageness. Plus, having Rock approach and get attached to Achi is going to rationalize an aspect of Karan’s jealousy which I am very excited to see. I liked the flashback montage about how different Karan and Achi’s progress in the workplace was. It gives the viewers a better idea of Achi’s mix of jealousy and admiration towards Karan and it’s also a first look into Achi’s feelings of inferiority that will eventually become an obstacle to his and Karan’s relationship.I also like how in the most recent flashback you can see Karan kind of burnt out, which should be around the time he falls (or has already fallen) for Achi.
*BTW Karan here is supposed to have won employee of the year 7 years in a row (from the FIRST year he joined) and honestly I find that less realistic than I found jdrama Kurosawa being in love with Adachi for 7 years
Besides that, however, I found some other scenes unnecessary and very exposition-y, even for a pilot episode. For example, learning about Achi’s trauma regarding romantic relationships should have come up later imo.
Unlike other adaptations this one didn’t really feel the need to excessively point out Karan’s popularity among women, which is a very vital plot point later on; I am not really big fan of that trope so I found it kind of refreshing; and it will come sooner or later.
I am VERY interested in Pai and Dujdao. Big fan of adding another relevant female character and one who is nice to Achi, at that! Pai is leaning to Fujisaki’s more extroverted and mischievous side while I think Dujdao has some of Fujisaki’s qualities as well but her role is more equivalent to a nicer Urabe-san or Achi’s very own Asahina-senpai. Side note, the implication that Pai-Dujdao are some kind of cupids that help Karan seduce Achi is a concept I can 100% get behind. It also seems like the boss will be a recurring character so maybe he’s the Asahina? Anyway, the character department has me invested.
And speaking of characters - Jinta! JInta is…a character who is… not Tsuge. A lot of people are not fans of Tsuge, especially Jdrama Tsuge. But well I don’t know if the solution is to completely change him? He looks and acts way younger which is very contradictory to his role in the manga; Especially to his relationship with Minato. But, I won’t judge too hard yet since they haven’t even interacted on screen. The udon backstory is an AMAZING detail and the GREATEST introduction of the side couple in any version of the story.
So. Nothing is going to top the jdrama elevator scene and every adaptation is going to have to make peace with that. The lighting work during Kurosawa’s imagination in the office was a work of art and Achi’s (and Rock’s later) reaction was hilarious. The sound effects also got me a few times ngl.
Part 4 however…disappointed me. First off they replace the scarf scene with a way less emotionally charged umbrella scene. To which I ask, do you know how hard it is to make an umbrella scene seem so unromantic? And then we have Karan asking Achi to stay over and BEFORE Achi agrees, he reads Karan’s mind and his wild imagination. And then…agrees? The entire gag of the scene relies on Achi agreeing BEFORE he sees all that stuff and then immediately regretting it. Having him regret it after the fact is … pointless? I also found it very abrupt to jump to domestic life scenarios fantasies from the get-go when in all other version’s Karan is just contend with Achi being at his place (with his designated pyjamas). He’s a horny bastard in general, I am not denying the mole scene earlier but I felt like the domestic fantasies being shown so early on was a bit fanservice-y for the Taynew fans? (As someone who doesn’t gaf about these men outside their roles and as someone who knows Kurosawa personally this is what it felt like to me.)
Karan's smirk was precious though hehe.
TLDR the show has a very promising and compelling beginning but declines in quality in the last minutes. That being said, I still have faith that the next episodes will be better. The next episode clips I’ve seen are promising and since there was a lot of exposition (and scenes from later chapters) in the pilot it will probably help the pace of the later episodes. Personally, the jdrama hooked me with EP3 (the events of which will be in EP2 of the Thai one) so I think (and hope) the show will only get better from here!
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So I just recently read your post about decto relationships with the bingo card thing, and I enjoyed it a lot and wanted to hear more of your opinions on other relationships. I would like to see which other relationships you choose and how you view them.
Firstly, I would like you to know: I cannot even put into words how happy this ask made me (the fact someone was curious enough to ask something from me unprompted! the fact that SOMEONE TOOK THE TIME TO APPROACH ME TO ASK!! AND ABOUT DETCO!!!), so thank you very much for making my day with this and giving me that dopamine rush. (Also, thank you for your patience, I got too busy and took me much longer to answer than expected!)
Secondly, notes still apply:
as in the previous ask about relating to this topic, i interpret relationships in the broadest possible sense
i check everything that makes sense to me, even if they seem contradictory; i view them applied to different situations/universes/possibilities
ship opinion bingo in question
*cracks fingers and rolls up sleeves* Now, let's get down to business.
I. Kudou Shinichi/Edogawa Conan - Miyano Shiho/Haibara Ai - Detective Boys Trio
The Elementary Squad
I have A LOT OF THOUGHTS ABOUT THEM SO GET READY.
In general, the friendship (friendship is a canon relationship!) these 4 (then eventually 5) little menaces of my heart share, is so very precious. The way these 3 latched onto him, and integrated him into their little group, how Shinichi LITERALLY ACTS LIKE HIMSELF AROUND THEM DESPITE THE KIDS HAVING NO IDEA ABOUT HIS TRUE IDENTITY. HE IS AUTHENTIC AROUND THEM. Also I forgot the number of times the kids called Shinichi out on his BS (like him switching between his adult and child speech patterns when interacting with adults/the police and disappearing acts) and how many times they all get in soooo much trouble because they are lil troublemakers, so curious, never saying no to adventure.
Shinichi is a mentor to them, teaching them about stuff but also their friend. Shinichi is Big Brother material, and the kids know that they can count on him, turn to him in need, and Shinichi cannot help but indulge them, involving them in stuff to an extent, while also trying his damnedest to keep them safe and protect them (even at his own risk and safety, bodily protecting them).
And then you add Ai to the mix, and she gets integrated into their tight-knit little group. Not only Shinichi finally has a connection to the BO with her, but also someone who is in the same situation as himself and someone who needs his protection. (AND SOMEONE WHO TEASES HIM LIKE HE DESERVES IT! AI-SHINICHI BANTER IS SO GOOD! LOVE THEM!) And Ai finds herself not only friends but a family. (Sometimes a family is one middled aged man, 2 fake and 3 real elementary students.)
She encounters unconditional kindness, which melts her cool exterior and as time passes she not only comes to care about these people, but also learns to lower her barriers. And ultimately makes the choice to be with them despite the risks.
You can give me these 5 kids in almost any combination and I would be so happy to see them (and could talk about them for hours without stopping, almost did them in different combinations separately, God, save my soul).
Special mention: Mitsuhiko-Shinichi/Conan dynamic gets to me so bad because Mitsuhiko is the most curious of the 3, when it comes to knowledge. He LOVES learning, and applying what he knows (just like a certain someone we know). And Mitsuhiko learns well; he absorbs what Shinichi tells and shows him. (And I love how complex his feelings are about that.) Also the parallel between Heiji and Mitsuhiko, my HEART-
I could go on forever about these children of mine (AYUMI AND MITSUHIKO'S PUPPY CRUSHES ON SHINICHI AND AI RESPECTIVELY, HOW THEY ALL PLAY SOCCER AND HIDE AND SEEK TOGETHER, THEIR LIL ANTICS, HOW THE KIDS LEARN TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES- *GETS SMACKED WITH A PILLOW IN THE FACE*), so have this utterly adorable lil thing to close this section.
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II. Vermouth/Chris Vineyard/Sharon Vineyard -Kudou Shinichi/Edogawa Conan (- Mouri Ran)
This is such a delightfully precious and weird dynamic. I don't even know how to describe it, really because 1) there is so little content of this (WHERE IS MY VERMOUTH BACKSTORY/ARC!!! WHERE!!! WHERE IS MORE OF THEM!!! WHERE!!!) relationship in particular and 2) how do you even label something so unusual? Vermouth having such a solid opinion of Shinichi and Ran while the other two are so unsure what is exactly going on. (Shinichi is definitely suspicious of her with GOOD REASOn but also Weirded out I feel while Ran knows even less.) SO BEAUTIFULLY IMBALANCED AND WEIRD.
I guess, in short: Vermouth having a life-altering meeting with these two, only for Shinichi and Ran for it to be The Most Natural Thing?
I JUST LOVE HOW VERMOUTH IS SO FOND OF THESE TWO. (SHE LITERALLY HAS PHOTOS OF THEM!!!) HOW MUCH SHE WANTS THEM TO BE SAFE. SO MUCH SHE EVEN RISKS HER OWN LIFE AND SAFETY.
SO MUCH SHE WOULD SCHEME AND LIE TO KEEP THESE TWO SAFE. (SHE FCKIN!!!! DRAPED HER OWN COAT OVER HIM I'M!!! KDSNVKJSDVNKJSD *SCREAMS AT TOP LUNG CAPACITY* SHE FREAKING MADE AMURO PROMISED NOT TO HARM RAN AND SHINICHI, I'M GOING BONKERS!!!)
SO MUCH SHE WOULD EVEN TURN A GUN AGAINST ANOTHER BO MEMBER, WOULDN'T LET ANYONE ENDANGER THEM NOT EVEN HERSELF.
I'M! SCREAMING!! Love me a morally grey woman with her own agenda.
NOT ONLY THAT BUT SHE WOULD ALSO HELP THEM OUT? HER COVERING FOR THIS GReMLIn i'M DEAD, The WInK-
BUT SHE ALSO WOULD DO THIS:
(THE FREAKING GIRLY RUN SHE DOES AND THE LITTLE HEART, SHE KNOWS SHE'S OPENLY BEING A LIL SHIT TO SHINICHI AND I'M THRIVING-)
THEY ARE HER TREASURES YOUR HONOUR!!!
Each and every interaction with them has me IN ABSOLUTE HYSTERICS, MAKING ME GO CRAZY. For closing this section, I leave you with a (bad quality) gif I made (in a rush) because this part in the anime MAKES ME LOSE IT EVERY TIME. THE SLOW MOTION, THE WAY HE HOLDS HIM BY THE HANDS AND GENTLE WAY SHE SETS SHINICHI DOWN, I CANNOT.
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III. Hattori Heiji - Tooyama Kazuha - Mouri Ran - Kudou Shinichi/Edogawa Conan
THE OSAKA DUO (AKA FIRECRACKER PAIR) and the Tokyoites (AKA THE BIGGEST HEIZUHA SUPPORTERS OUT THERE)
I'll be honest, at first I planned to include only Kazuha & Heiji in this but then I started looking for scenes in the manga and got obliterated by my love for the 4 of them. (And yes, I know I already did Heiji & Shinichi in the previous ask, I love them, sue me. Also, i wanted to count "Not dating but married nonetheless" for Heizuha BC THEY ARE, but this ended up as a 4 character thing so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
To make it short: I FREAKING ADORE THEM.
In more detail: Heiji-Kazuha AND Shinichi-Ran both come in sets, DO NOT SEPARATE THEM. Then you put them all together THEY MAKE A WHOLE SET, A UNIT, A SQUAD.
But also there are different combinations: The Detectives And Cursed Bad Luck Duo, The Superstitious Girl Duo, The Not Dating But Married Couple, THE DATING HUSBAND AND WIFE DUO, THE SEPARATE TRIO COMBOS. *RIPS OF CLOTHES AND ROARS* ALL SO VERY GOOD.
THEY ARE JUST SO PRECIOUS TO ME, and they are just So- *CLENCHES FIST* THE BACK AND FORTH TEASING IN ALL KINDS OF COMBINATIONS, THE RUNNING INSIDE JOKE MOMENTS OF KAZUHA SAYING SHINICHI SOLVES CASES FASTER THAN HEIJI (TO HEIJI'S ETERNAL ANNOYANCE), OR HOW THE GIRLS THINK HEIJI AND SHINICHI/CONAN ARE LIKE BROTHERS-
BUT ALSO BEING A WITNESS TO ALL THE WEIRD CONAN-THINGS, OR HOW THE BOYS BOND OVER THEIR LOVE FOR THEIR GIRLS AND THE GIRLS BONDING OVER THEIR LOVE FOR THEIR BOYS, AND BEING THE BIGGEST SUPPORTERS OF EACH OTHER'S HAPPINESS (CONFESSING FEELINGS TO THEIR BELOVEDS).
MY BI ICON KAZUHA, NOT TO MENTION RAN'S CONFESSION IN KANSAI-BEN I'M FERAL, THESE GIRLS LOVE AND CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER (and the boys too, but more on that later) SO DEEPLY, IT'S ENDEARING.
RAN LITERALLY, ON HER SECOND MEETING WITH KAZUHA, NOT ONLY SEEING SHE IS UPSET, BUT ALSO GOING OUT OF HER WAY TO CHEER HER UP I'M!!! BEST GIRL!!! TRULY AN ANGEL!!! (Ya really are a nice girl, Ran, I CONCUR.)
THEN OF COURSE WE CANNOT NOT MENTION THE OSAKAN DUO. THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE AROUND EACH OTHER, it's one of my favourite things, so UNABASHED WITH EACH OTHER IN WAY. They are (not dating BUT) MARRIED YOUR HONOUR, they really are like an old married couple.
Honestly, I Just keep THINKING of them all BECAUSE THEY ARE SO DEAR, I'M SCREAMING-
Also, it's so rarely mentioned but (because there is just so little of it in canon WHICH IS A CRIME, GET ON THE CASE BOYS) SHINICHI/CONAN-KAZUHA IS ESPECIALLY PRECIOUS TO ME, they have such great potential. Every time I SEE THEM INTERACT EVEN FOR A SECOND I GO APESHIT, ABSOLUTELY BONKERS. There is just something about Shinichi calling her "Kazuha" and "Kazuha-chan", the possibility of them BONDING OVER THEIR BELOVEDS AND YEARS OF PINING (because both Heiji and Ran can so oblivious it's endearing) but also bonding over HOW STUPID HEIJI IS AT TIMES, but also how much they both care for him and Ran. My dream is to see Kazuha make/get Shinichi a protective charm (let's be honest, hE NEEDS IT, and Heiji's seems to be sorta effective). There is a parallel there (now only if I could find the post for it). Also Shinichi not only being OK with Kazuha picking him up (LETTING HER!!!) BUT ALSO BEING FINE WITH KAZUHA HOLDING HIM!!! (FOR A WHOLE CONVERSATION!!!)
Also, ShinRan sharing that braincell.
I hope you enjoyed this wild rambling ride, dear Anon, and thank you for asking, I HAD SO MUCH FUN!!! May you have a blessed day, darling!
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