fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3258 ]

[ SECRET POST #3258 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3258 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 0100 secrets from Secret Submission Post #466.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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Is this the part where I get to derail the entire thread by chiming in with my doubts of Haru ever amounting to anything on the professional scene, and how bloody unconvincing his change of mind was?

(I was sort of the same, really. Started watching to find out what the hype was about, ended up loving it just because OH RIN)

I could see that he was going to go pro from a mile away, but I do not believe in a million years that he would succeed. Supernatural talent or not, he just doesn't have the disposition for it. I've followed the lives of several professional athletes, Olympians included, and the amount of dedication and sacrifice they put up is insane. I can't see Captain Mackerel ever reaching that place, tbh.

Rin's problem is his mental fragility, but after S2 and maybe some success in Australia (and therapy!), I think he can make it. I love characters with huge, beautiful dreams and that intensity of focus, I just relate to them so much.

What do you think about this guy? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryosuke_Irie Some people thought that Haru could be partly inspired by him.

I think Haru is more dedicated that he seems at first, pretending to be uninterested but then doing his best to do better. You could say that it isn't enough from what is seen, true, but that's probably what they had in mind. That's just my onion.

What? Irie once hated swimming, that infidel! Haru would be horrified by this comparison!

All kidding aside, I think the show's intention is to show us that Haru will go for it and might have what it takes (hence my seeing his decision coming all along) but I don't think they did nearly enough to show that and so I just don't buy it. Still, canonically speaking that he is what happens, he goes pro and makes it, so it doesn't matter what I think ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I know, how else was it going to end? But I had some hope of them at least showing us some kind of change that would make it believable that he would be able to devote a decade++ of his life to dietary/training/competition regime demanded of a world-class athlete. I'm pretty sure ANY of the other boys would be more likely to cope with that than Haru would.

I'm not even so sure I think Rin needs therapy, ultimately. He got over the things that had truly hindered him in the S1 finale, and the path is clear ahead of him from here on. I didn't ping onto him as much on the type, but more because of how completely off-guard he caught me. I'll admit to not really caring much about any of the boys, but Rin was just this extra insufferable jerk until suddenly he... well, realised that he wasn't and started trying to fix things.

I want someone to write a fic about Haru and his nutritionist and the horrors of a 10,000 calories a day diet. It would warm my heart, and also my funny bone.

Was Rin even that jerkish in S1? I guess compared to everyone else on the show he stood out, but I'm coming from a long tradition of sports manga and he just came off as a mild version of the usual arrogant sports rival, and I have liked even some of those. Mostly I pinged onto his depression and saw that he was heading for an obvious breakdown pretty early on, so I was glad to see he got better <3

I'd write that fic if I didn't know doodley squat about the topic.

The only other sports manga I've read is Hikaru no Go, and Akira Toya is a different beast entirely *g* I guess Rin's jerkiness is a matter of standard, but there's definitely a huge dissonance between Rin as Iwatobi boy remember him from primary school, and the Rin who returns to all but outright tell them that he wants nothing to do with them. I can't remember my exact thoughts about him early on - just that I really didn't expect the magnitude of his drama later on. And NGL, Rin Being Happy And Functional was the singularly best thing about S2 for me.

Hahaha, no, don't remind me of my decade-ago attachment to the Touya-Shindou rivalry/love. Hikago is indeed a unique phenomenon in many ways. I don't know any other series quite like it.

THIS.
Let us just agree on Hikaru no Go being THE BEST.

The rivalry was awesome. There was no hate or blaming the other for their own failure there. They developed their rivalry an friendship at the same time.
AND something I have yet to see in another 'sports' manga/anime: In the end Hikaru never beat Akira in an official game. It was implied that he eventually will be equal to Akira, but he is not there yet. They both have the same talent, but Akira was simply ahead of him because he practiced all his life. It was beautiful.

nayrt

I might...go check this out now.

GO GO GO

it's amazing.

It's seriously one of the best manga I've ever read. And it's drawn by the same guy who did Death Note, so the art is fantastic.

Hikaru is a great protagonist, so realistically flawed and likeable. You could clearly observe the development of his talent and passion through his lessening reliance on Sai and increasing desire to play for himself (also, Saaaiiiiiiiiii <3). I love that he was never able to beat Akira -- a fantastic foil, by the way -- in the duration of the actual manga, though, given how often they play, I think he would have to start coming on top during a few practice matches (official ones, on the other hand...).

Was Rin even that jerkish in S1?

As someone who wasn't that invested in either character or any pairings with them, I remember somewhat objectively thinking yes, he was. I can't remember details, only that usually when they had one of their confrontations I'd come away thinking "Wow, Rin's a dick" and not getting the logic of anyone who said the primary blame was with Haru.

Placing the blame on Haru is utter nonsense. Sometimes I don't know what show people are watching.

re: Rin, like I said, for me it was a matter of perspectives and I was used to reading about rival characters who were much bigger shitlords, and not one of them was nearly as cute as young Rin was either, lol.

Rin mocked Haru for hanging out with Nagisa and Makoto because they were 'losers'. Even though Nagisa and Makoto were always kind to Rin and never thought bad of him.

I can sorta understand why he is frustrated with Haru a bit more, but he just seemed needlessly cruel towards him when he was the one who decided to run away to Australia in the first place. Haru always thought of them as friends and felt bad for a long time when he unintentionally hurt his feelings. Yet, Rin acts like Haru killed his father. The worst part is after Rin finally beat him in a race and gloats that he'll never have to swim with him again, and Haru's eyes start swirling.

Rin was frustrated that he wasn't good enough while he was in Australia, but I don't see any justification why he was so mean to his old friends when he came back.

NA

Rin calling Nagisa and Makoto losers was in 50% OFF, it never happened in canon.

Also, I guess YMMV, but I never thought Rin was particularly mean. Bitter and needlessly angry, yes, but the worst thing he did in the whole series was telling Haru he wasn't going to swim with him anymore. And since Haru previously told Rin that he didn't want to swim with him again, I really don't know how Rin could have predicted that it was going to hurt Haru that bad. Actually, I clearly remember MH fandom gloating that Haru didn't want anything to do with Rin during episodes 4-6 so I guess even some fans hadn't seen it coming.

NA-

"Haru, you're still hanging out with these guys? *scoffs* You never learn."

He may not have called them losers, but that's not exactly nice either.

Given what we later learned about his issues, it sounds like he was projecting pretty hard here.

How do you mean?

What he says: "Haru, you're still hanging out with these guys? No wonder you'll never amount to anything."

What he means: "Rin, you're still hung up on these guys? No wonder you'll never amount to anything."

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-12-06 15:50 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-12-06 15:57 (UTC) - Expand

I thought this was explicitly explained in the show. He experienced failure in Australia, was shocked and in an attempt to rationalize it, began to blame his former fixation on swimming in relays for ruining his potential. We can extrapolate from this that these thoughts screwed him up pretty badly. When he came back to Japan, those mental problems didn't magically go away. His cruel behavior to his friends and pushing people who cared about him away make for a classic case of lashing out at others as a defense mechanism for one's ongoing pain, but it's unhealthy and did nothing but compounded his issues until they all crashed down around his ears in the finale as a kind of narrative punishment. That's the story that was written for Rin in S1.

Rin in season 1 was pretty jerkish.

There was really no good reason he should have pushed Nagisa, Makoto, and Haru away so much. He was the one that went to Australia then the first thing he does when he comes back is act antagonistic towards them for no good reason and then gets so frustrated when he sees them form a team with Rei.

Rin is season 2 is so much more mature and a better friend.

Well, 'no good reason' is kind of tricky territory to argue when it comes to depressed people. Those suffering from insecurity and emotional turmoils push loved ones away. Unhealthy? Unpleasant? Of course, but it makes sense, and that's just the way his story arc was written, anon. He didn't go home, he didn't contact his sister, and there were narrative reasons for it.

Up until the end Haru's whole motto was 'swimming free', not just the stroke but swimming because he liked it not because he cared about breaking records or winning races. I guess they didn't really set up any other options for him, but for him to suddenly be ready to go pro after having nightmares about it seemed a little weird.

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