Thread:Shanethefilmmaker/@comment-397235-20140722012358/@comment-397235-20140723113010

See, I don't like that, and here's why:

In the anime, the only people Kouichi ever hits are people who threatened Mei.Granted, out of context this makes him seem like kind of a dick, since this totals out to two teenage girls and a guy half his size, but you'll notice he never hits Tomohiko, for instance, even though he's trying to kill Kouichi. He just doesn't strike me as the violent type.

I'd put in the second confrontation with Takeru for that reason. Takeru taunts him Aya's not there to save him anymore, and Kouichi irritably replies he's done apologizing for Sanae's death, before suggesting maybe, if Takeru had been a little more involved in his sister's life, she wouldn't have taken such an interest in Kouichi. It's sort of the moral even horizion for Kouichi, since up to this point he wouldn't have done anything morally gray.

The most I'd have Kouichi do is shove Naoya into a wall or something and start yelling at him.'

Naoya: Sakaki, welcome back! Man, that was a rough-

Kouichi: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?

Naoya: What?

Kouichi: Don't mess around with things that don't exist? What does the even mean?

Naoya: It means-

Kouichi: I know what it means now you idiot! Why didn't you tell me sooner?

Naoya: I was afraid Izumi might...hurt me or something if I did.

Kouichi: I'm gonna hurt you if you don't-

Tomohiko: I think we all just need to take a deep breath here.

And that's as far as I'd have things go.

With Mei, the same holds true, only more so, since Mei doesn't even attack people to defend herself. If you watch her confrontation with Takako, the most she ever does is get out of the way, and if you watch her face her expression fluctuates between horror and pity the entire time, and this is for someone who's just turned her entire class against her.

The whole point of her leaving Izumi buried in the main hall is to show she she's above this sort of thing. She's not going to kill Izumi, who arguably has it coming by now, because it doesn't matter, and she has more important things to do. The worst thing she can do to Izumi is be the better person, which she does, by walking away. It also reinforces Izumi's belief no one cares about her; even the girl whose life she's spent the entire year trying to ruin won't take the time to hurt her.

It occurred to me I could make Mei's line about everyone being alone ironic, since by the end of the season the friendships she and the other characters have made are what allow them to survive. Maybe have Kouichi tell her she doesn't need to be alone anymore or something?