Why I don’t like School Rumble that much anymore
To be entirely honest, I really like School Rumble and its sequels: I’ve even written about these in the past. Until now, it still shines with its slapstick comedy and its comedy of errors (and misunderstandings). It’s probably one of the best anime in its genre.
Among the reasons, however, why I personally didn’t classify this series and the subsequent series and OVAs borne from it as belonging to my top anime list was that it doesn’t have an end in sight, and will probably continue forever. This may be good to many, and I understand that want for a great series like this to run forever from its fans, but that’s just a deduction of its merits from my point of view. A good anime knows when to end, and I personally think that if they transcended (or went beyond) the third season, which is already being produced, by the way, I’d have to draw the line somewhere and stop, perhaps by the end of the third season. As much as One Piece is a good anime and manga, it needs to end – badly. (This is among the reasons why I love Honey and Clover in the first place: it definitely knew its timing: it knew when to start and it knew when to stop – with only 64 chapters, Umino Chika has made a very majestic bittersweet ending to the manga that has already run for five years. I’m assuming that unless H&C II does a complete 180, it will dominate this year’s anime [yes, Haruhi Suzumiya included].)
This is a serious post full of personal bias, but I’ve arrived at the point where Harima becomes irritating because he couldn’t even detect or perceive of the emotions Yakumo feels towards him. This isn’t just any regular lady, however: she is a great chef, a very stunningly beautiful student (with boys confessing to her once in a while), and one with honors (read: almost a genius) at that. I can understand that love is blind; I also understand that School Rumble’s simply a comedy that uses the technique of absurdity to keep on fueling the paroxysms of laughter. I do, however, seek for a proper ending. I wouldn’t even mind if Harima ended up with Eri, as long as there is resolution by the end of it (but of course, I prefer Yakumo and Harima). I also can’t simply relate with much of the characters as I did for H&C is because H&C really struck closer to home compared to School Rumble – first of all, the characters are more believable, and second of all, although it may just be a bias, I always thought of slice-of-life anime as superior to purely comedic series. With SR, I just laugh at and with the characters, and save for Yakumo, don’t see much depth in them. At the least, H&C is going toward an ending (and will probably have a bittersweet one basing on how the manga ended). SR, with its pace right now, simply just decimates plot development every once in a while that it irks me deeply.
August 6th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
I do believe
August 6th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
sorry…
I do believe SR will edge towards an ending in the future, but only because the mangaka has said he hopes to start a new manga, an action title, in the future. What annoys me, though, is that I doubt the conclusion will be a definite ending for Harima with Yakumo, Eri or Tenma. It feels like it will be a “life goes on” sort of ending, like H&C’s, where development is made towards either side but nothing definite happens. I am also slightly peeved that character relationships in the E/H/Y triangle seem to be hit and miss regarding whether they actually have an effect. The Worker-san X Eri section, for example, promised much but didn’t actually end up significantly advancing the standing of the two.
Also, I can see why Harima does not consider Yakumo a potential girlfriend. Firstly, he is blinded by his love for Tenma, which, while not utterly unflinching, mostly defines me. Secondly, “perfection” does not fit the tastes of all. Yakumo is perfect, and the nearly-as-popular Eri is imperfect – Harima may prefer more jagged diamonds, as demonstrated by his love for Tenma.
August 6th, 2006 at 9:20 pm
I haven’t reached the point of SR overload just yet, but I have to admit that the second season has been a lot more hit-and-miss compared to my outright enjoyment of the first season, and I know I will get disillusoned if it drags on for too long whilst never actually going anywhere. I’m reminded of the Furuba manga- around this time last year it was one of my favourites, but now it’s gone on for so long and piled so much angst onto every passing minor character that it’s really just a case of ‘please, let it end’.
August 8th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
On my opinion mangakas that are producing Endless things like Naruto or One piece have to be shot. It is hillarious – 400 series or so and still .. oh i undestand that everybody wants to eat and etc. but this is just a crime-like situation. Like people are doing something and selling that to people with words – “eat that shit and stay quite!”.
It was said before in some other topic and i
ll agree – in 95% of cases anime with more than 52 series or manga with more than 60-100 series are just crap.
Yet no offence – it is just my opinion and i CAN BE WRONG, i even can change my mind later .. but i think only if there will be some really crucial facts that i missed )
August 11th, 2006 at 2:40 am
SR is definitely heading to a conclusion – the most recent chapters have put a clear end in sight. The best romance animes involve gradual, steady transitions in character – abrupt changes appear awkward and contrived. Given the characters and their initial attitudes, the story maintains the right pace needed to bring about a smooth change.
It all boils down to patience. Mass produced harem series have turned love into a sort of race to the finish, rather than taking the time to explore the gradually growing feelings between two people. Real emotional development isn’t worth rushing.
While you can try to categorize SR as a comedy of errors, the comedy is just a byproduct of the age group that it portrays. The mistakes and misunderstandings of the characters are entertaining because they are true to human nature. If you review Karasuma’s closing comments at the end of Ep.26 of Season 1, it provides a very good feel for the central concept of the series. The storyline isn’t sacrificed for the sake of absurdity, rather, those silly misunderstandings and errors are all part of the adolescent lifestyle.
While the characters and story of SR have continued to progress, there hasn’t been a significant change in the quality or style of writing. Most of the negative reactions that I’ve seen are a result of SR not matching the preconceptions that people have about the series. If you expect SR to be about a love triangle between Harima-Yakumo-Eri, then you’re bound to be disappointed when Harima x Yakumo turns out to be a MacGuffin. If you expect SR to be a pure comedy, then you’re bound to be disappointed when it takes on a more serious romantic tone. The more you try to classify SR, the harder it becomes to appreciate it for what it really is – itself.
Oh, and I think that if you redirect your gaze to some of the other characters in the series, I’m sure that you’ll find that they all have a lot of depth, beneath the surface. Yakumo mostly serves as a foil for certain characters – so if you think that the reflection has depth, I guarantee that you’ll find far more in the source of that reflection.
August 28th, 2006 at 9:12 pm
September 26th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
School Rumble Season 2 ends…
I do believe for those who feel that perhaps that season 2 was somewhat disappointing, it might be the feeling that the jokes have gone somewhat ’stale’. There isn’t much to focus on except comedic misunderstandings in compromising or strange situations. The parodies are as strong as ever, granted, but it does seem like a rewind cassette tape, especially with how the revelation about Harima’s ‘real’ identity to Tenma concluded.
Relationship-wise, I personally like HarimaxYakumo more. Somehow it seems strange, but not everyone is perfect. Yakumo is simply shown to be perfect, but there are things she can’t do, if one watches closely enough. Eri, on the other hand, is actually being given a push in the back to develop more and more and (if I may so boldly suggest) making her into a more ‘perfect’ person.
Unfortunately, for School Rumble to end, it would have to give a resolution to the hits and misses it’s so famous for, especially things between Harima and Tenma. And for this to happen, there would probably be a need for some seriousness and some very minor angst, perhaps, which might in turn destroy the whole nature of School Rumble as a whole, for many people.
I was somewhat disappointed about this too, but hopefully there will be a change in the mood of any possible continuations.
September 27th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
heheh, you are so….. right!!!
KJ has already started another manga, Arashi no ( something something…)
so no problems, sangakki is the fin and promises to be marginally more serious han the first two.. ( i wouldn’t bet on that too much though)
November 26th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
[...] Most of the other bloggers I’ve filtered through the Anime Nano directory (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) has expressed their individual dismay on how the story seems to have jumped from one inconsistency to the other. Moments in where there is absolutely no character development (and thus anime fodder, and a waste of space) have been put in place so as to break the continuity. After all, this series is quite popular for its random scene of comedy, but surely something as incongruent, as unimportant as a scene where the animators (in the context of the series, anyway) lack ideas is seriously in need of a break. Clarity and comedy should go together, as far as this series is concerned, like shampoo and conditioner. [...]
January 20th, 2007 at 7:48 am
Jacobian does deliver his point very well…I agree that there is much potential in accentuating the humor and romance of this series. Yet, there is much left to be desired when there is an abrupt halt to the mini-arcs that masquerade around story continuity. Indeed, the filler arcs are put in place to go from one transition to another. Yet, there is rarely, if not any, follow-up to the continuation of the story because it is fresh from a filler episode.
However, that is fine because this spontaneity is what has made this anime what it is. The atmosphere created by this show is by far one of the best I have ever seen, rivaling that of Naruto and Dragonball (length and similarities put aside for now). Naruto’s only major problem is the abnormal filler content is possesses as well as Dragonball’s expansion with Dragonball Z. I admit that I started to watch both Dragonball Z and Naruto mid-series, and instantaneously caught on to the obvious similarities and differences. I have since caught up, but these seemingly “prolonged” animes arguably have some the of the content matter and character development out there. The majority may complain about the embellished suspense, but they will still watch no matter what because of that highly addictive drug called closure.
Surprisingly enough, the crazy antics the mangaka employs are subtle enough to pull of this type of suspense off. For example, I like Strawberry Panic! even though there many scenes resembling shows like Maria-
Sama Ga Miteru and Mai Hime, but this series could have been made better had it included material from the manga as well keep the same content in the original run through. School Rumble is similar to the point love triangles and failed attempts of confession. Of course, all love themes are like this in one way or another otherwise one would have an apathetic feeling for these faceless characters. Since the passage of time is inevitable in life, this is the best element to use to portray the relationships between characters. This also gives the reader a sense of relation to the characters as far curiosity is concerned, further poisoning the reader with that need for closure. The variety of situations Harima, Yakumo, Tenma, and Eri (to name a few) are placed in compound on the misunderstandings and comedy in the show. However, this in itself is limited to the environment to which is represented.
The largest inconsistency is the shock of “rugburn” everyone receives when there is a lack of climax between the main characters. “What THE HELL?!” seems to be the first thing to mind for most, while the pace, never being lost, remains at a standstill. Though being dragged in such a manner is never fun, the experiences the characters undergo during these “stale” transitions seem to further to story when regarding the main plot. Even if the same merry-go-round is being ridden, the main plot then outsources to the smaller plots emanating around it enveloping the whole story toward a unified conclusion.
In essence, the reason for fillers (as you all probably well know) is so the author can break away from the matter at hand so as to gather more ideas for his work. This is the most common and obvious technique an author employs to gain consumers for his/her product. When beginning work on a sculpture, the end result is the only goal in mind. The scuffle is great and tears of sweat even greater, but, in the end, the entire experience rewards with a sense of accomplishment, endowed confidence, and fresh insight derived from the sculpted masterpiece. The chips and cracks only make way to give the final impression something that will last for a long time; A smooth and well-textured physique with unparalleled symmetry.
There is no such ideal as a perfect diamond, or anything perfect for that matter (this is not quite cliche). Perfection is perceived through the mindset of the beholder, and how that individual plans to personify virtue to give his life value. Whether it has jagged edges or flawless curves, they only have as much depth as the observer places in it, even if it’s superficial for the most part. If this were devoid of such meaning, then life would warrant the taste of black lickerish (however, some like this flavor) whilst having a chat with the depressing monotone alive. Unless you can relate with mimes: black-and-white attire with convulsing motions in silence (yet, to each his own).
When faced with such dire circumstances, I look to the sky and say,”Love tough, Diamond in the Rough!”
January 20th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
These are the comments that make me love my blogging. Thank you.
February 16th, 2007 at 10:44 am
I dont think that it needs to end really fast. Think about it, the story is about Harima and the groups school life, something which is special (to most of us) where life-changing events happen in such a limited amount of time. Kobayashi Jin, I believe, is trying to compact the freedom, happiness and elation of those days….. also, can you deny that school rumble, even at this current point, is damn awesome? Oh, and to Danchik, saying that mangaka’s who make ‘endless’ manga need to shot is stupid. Think about the long manga’s currently published today such as Berserk and Hajime no Ippo, two of the greatest mangas to ever come face to face with us.
As for One Piece, its just too grand to end, theres so much not explained, and with every arc theres always something amazing happening and characters being fleshed out to the core – It truely is the successor of Dragonball IMO, one of the greatest stories I have read (and still am). There’s a reason why these manga’s are incredibly popular (hence them being allowed to run for such a length of time) and thats because they’re brilliant. Just my own opinion though. I wont be returning here, but I hope that you will pick up Berserk and Ippo if you haven’t already, because I strongly recommend it, and I believe it will change your minds about wanting things to end so quickly.
February 16th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Just to clarify, I meant that One Piece if one of the greatest stories I have read, and still am reading it. Same with Dragonball except I read that all long ago. Peace out.
May 26th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Nut, you are quite on par.
I could not have said anything like that any better!
Your logic has broken my time, thus stopping my time…
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