oregairu-vtca

Author’s Afterword, Part 4

Hello everyone, Watari Wataru here. The a-series goes on slowly, and we’ve already reached the Volume t.  And so here’s the fourth author’s afterword.”a”, “n”, “o” and now “t”. You get it already, don’t you?  I think everyone knows the answer already. Now all you can is wait for the continuation.
But even knowing the right answer you can’t always give an honest reply to the question. When I was still a student, I never thought about if the answer was right or wrong, and simply filled in the blanks as I pleased. Now I think it was the best way to earn the bonus points. But if the answers were wrong… well, yeah, answering was a hefty task. Even knowing the answer is right you still hesitate before writing it down-- you don’t want to risk after all. But the exam time is limited so you have to write something in any case.
Anyways, here’s oregairu.t.  By the way, I’ve written about speeding up the narration pace to make it in time, but I couldn’t do it this time. Hey… I really won’t make it at this rate. That damn Watari Wataru, constantly saying “I’ll definitely make it in time! This time for sure Ahaha!”! Baka! Liar! Maggot! flukeworm! It’s not Wataru Watari, it’s TKU or something! [some Japanese TV channel, no idea what he meant]
So yeah, time certainly flies, and not just for the manuscript deadlines. It’s been three months since anime had ended. A lot of time had passed, and I already start forgetting the finer details. And also my forehead’s even more prominent now. And so that it won’t get bigger any further… I mean, so that I won’t forget the details of the anime, instead of using a notebook I’ve increased the number of pages here. Here I’ll share my personal opinion about episodes 6-7 as a viewer, reader and original creator. Personal, I said! So no one can tell if these opinions are right or not. Okay, you got your shields ready! Reedi, rettsu go! [was written in English originally]
Episode six, “The Committee Works Well, but Doesn’t Move Forward.” From the very beginning we are treated by a ball of sunshine named Totsuka. Hachiman, what’s with this behaviour? Don’t you have any respect at all? Or maybe you’re simply not ready yet. I’d really like to discipline Hachiman but he seemed to be lost in thoughts about something, so I let him be. Same’s about Yui who purposefully approached him and said “let’s go to the club together”. She’d said this many times but this time quality and quantity of the meaning in these words differed. And while Hachiman did promise to go with her, he waited in a place where he couldn’t be seen. Seems like he’s still sane. His self-esteem, or, more likely, his impression of others’ esteem of him, is low. Though, if we talk about his self-esteem, he does acknowledge his skills. But how it all is seen by other people is still unknown, so he can’t get a right answer. Had he turned up in the beginning of this series of events, he would’ve understood.
Then in the club awaits Yukino’s weak silent smile, superficial talks and unused  tea set. By the way the tea set appears in the opening and I’d be glad if you rewatched it. Everything’s in its place in the club, but the clubroom’s still changed.  And the closed door is opened by Iroha Isshiki. This Irohasu is so Irohasu! But Yukino listened to her request with a cold smile, like that of a porcelain doll. And her words “alright, fine” are not an agreement, just an acceptance. And Hachiman rejected Iroha’s request precisely because he felt that. Iroha looked so cute when being chased out of the clubroom! Irohasu! By the way, this “I’d feel ashamed if my friends see us going home together”... Hachiman, how old are you?
And so the the event preparation started. Iroha stepped into that increased distance between him and the girls. It’s Irohasu’s time. And Hachiman turned on his “big brother mode” when he took her bags at the convenience store, dammit. Eh? What’s that? Are they going out?
And finally, the main character of the second season, Tamanawa, appears. Apparently he’s the best dancer in the “committee” show. Guaranteed “Dancer in the Dark” in the future [yes, the von Trier’s movie]. Kaihin High has such self-conscious students! And his hand movement really piss off. I have some pleasant memories about the discussion at the recording studio about the meaning of that “self-conscious”. Here we also meet the rest of the student council. You’ve already seen this unremarkable secretary girl. So nice and pure while in reality… that’s how you started thinking, right? So yeah, people hadn’t accepted Iroha yet. Seems like the main reason is the age different. Iroha is younger than them, but in the end they decided to go easy on her. Communication skills can get handy in the future, but the irony is, going easy on someone only distances people. The situation in the club is about the same. While, one the other hand, Hachiman communicates with Iroha right, so they get to better understand each other. Even though Hachiman himself will notice it way later.
Also this Orimoto-san in the end was such a cutie. Yes, a bright cheerful girl who can just talk to you. I think I’m falling in love… Okay, it’s just nostalgic ramblings of an old man, so we switch to episode seven “And yet Everything in the Club is as Usual.” For the time being the situation in the club hadn’t changed, so the Christmas card with some detergent was a breather. Turns out Komachi is good at drawing! Such a sweetie! Want one for myself. A brother and a sister who love each other… Even I want to say “I love you” like him, but all I can say is “please love me”. Next up were the phrases like “going to the club?”. There was way more of this phrase in the light novel. Well, you know… Even when you do the same thing over and over, your emotions can change every time, reflecting changes in the relationships. Yeah, well… I really need more jokes, serious.
Seems like Iroha got her psyche damaged a bit, and Hachiman who looked for her stumbled upon Hayato Hayama at the schoolyard. Last time they talked during the double date with Orimoto. Hayama tries to look cheerful so as not to bring up that conversation. Eternally cheerful look of Hayato Hayama actually scares. Hachiman decided they don’t understand each other but tries not to show it to Hayama, who’s unable to understand that. Probably that’s why cold words appear in his speech. This also means that Hayama is a person who Hachiman can’t ignore. Even though Hachiman gets his feelings from time to time, it’s still hard for him to fully comprehend Hayama. Same goes for Hayama: he can understand Hachiman’s feelings, but not the way of thought. That phrase “you’re unable to refuse when being begged” that he said Hachiman in the face, that phrase hit hard. During that double date Hayama tried to get closer to Hachiman, to understand him, that much is true. The words he had said back then,  “I help because someone asked me to help” struck some chord inside me. He remembered it, he acted according to it, and...
Well, let’s leave it at that. You like how Hachiman took the bags from Iroha at the convenience store, didn’t you? Didn’t you? Me, the author, showed it well too, but looking at this scene in the anime I fully understand how the acting helps. Though I still thought they were flirting with each other.
One of the highlights of this episode is the appearance of the beautiful Rumi-Rumi, Rumi Tsurumi. I don’t know if it’s related at all, but the very first volume mentioned one Tsurumi-sensei.[it did. Beginning of the Chapter 3], All because Wataru Watari assigns names out of left field again. Sorry.
Since the last meeting with Hachiman she became way prettier, for which she gets a lot of Wataru Watari Points. She’s really beautiful now, don’t you think? Grade schoolers are really the best!
Okay, we got to see Rumi and others, now on to the meeting. It’s going nowhere. Everyone’s supposed to smile to each other, but the thing is, they all can’t.  And then, like an oasis in the desert, appears Totsuka. But looking at it all you realize the oasis won’t help here. Emotions are a cold rain… Let him be the ray of sunshine in the dark for now.
Hachiman walk with Iroha in the rain and meets Orimoto. When being asked about the past again Orimoto evaded the direct answer. “Well, that’s a thing of the past”. Maybe this change is the result of Hayama’s actions.
The rain is bound to stop, and everything is bound to end, so Hachiman will have to  face the things he’d run away from. Not deceiving, but not telling the truth either - this is how their meeting turned out. “Tried to do it on my own, tried to understand,” - those are Yukino’s words about her past self. She also asked if he needed permission. Seemed like she wanted to confirm something when asking this question. If Hachiman had answered something else, then… except there’s no point in thinking about things that didn’t happen. “If this is enough to break everything, it was this fragile from the very start.” Hachiman couldn’t reply anything to that. Maybe they hadn’t lost their common beliefs yet, so this question simply dissolved in the evening sky. Anyway, listen to my impressions next time too, all right?
Acknowledgements.
Ponkan8-kami.КМС, КМС! You’re a god again! I adore Komachi, and you, Ponkan, even more. Thanks as usual! Keep up the good work!
Executive editor Amano-san, ahahaha! Sorry. Thanks a lot. And I’m going to enjoy the free time I have now, ahahaha!
Director Oikawa and the rest of the anime staff! Thank you for everything. We’re close to the finishing line, let’s work on!
Takuya Egushi, Hachiman’s seiyuu, and the other voice actors! The story is reaching its climax in a handful of episodes! Thank you for your excellent acting, I feel your souls you’ve put into this work! Our collective work over this title isn’t over, so let’s work together!
And finally, to viewers and readers. Thanks for your steady support. I’ll work had on the main and a-series till the end. Count on your support. I will be really happy if you stay with us till the end.
The free space is almost over and so I put my pen here. See you!
It’s August, and the adults like sweet things too. Just like me, sitting with a can of MAX Coffee in a middle of the night.
Wataru Watari.