Talk:Mei Misaki/@comment-25958024-20150115204740/@comment-397235-20150118040049

She was doing just fine until she saw Yumi. Kouichi was irritably waving for her to come on.

I would have a bit more sympathy for Mei if something like this had happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBhUIwvAZE0

I mean, Ada at least tried to grab Annette.

As for Takako, it's kind of odd. I think, by that point, she finally figured out Izumi just wasn't doing her job and is usurping her role. That said, I think there was more going on there, and here's why.

Takako told Izumi she knew Mei, but as someone named Misaki. This would make sense had she actually known Mei, since in Japanese culture you only use first names with close friends (thus the girls first-name each other, and Izumi uses Kouichi's first name).

However, it's abundantly clear Takako didn't know Mei, she knew Misaki, whom she misremembered as Mei. I think she wasn't telling the entire truth to Izumi about their relationship. She tells Izumi she knew this girl, but she was in another class; she never elaborates other than mentioning off hand "everyone" called her Misaki. Unfortunately, that's not how Japanese naming conventions work; "everyone" would've called her Fujioka, not Misaki. Thus, the fact Takako uses her first name is significant.

I've always assumed Takako and Misaki were friends. They probably weren't in the same class (so she didn't technically lie), but at the same time I suspect Takako is aware of how jealous Izumi is of Mei. She's already pissed off because Mei is close to Kouichi, who Takako knows Izumi is fond of; she probably is afraid (with some justification) Izumi won't be happy with her if she learns the two of them were friends in the past.

The only scene Takako is relevant to in the novel and manga is the dinner scene, because she takes Izumi's side there over Yukari's death. This doesn't happen in the anime (as the scene is referenced much earlier on by Aya); however, during the scene in the manga, Takako looks extremely uncomfortable and won't meet anybody's eyes. She's embarrassed.

In the scene in their room, she's doing the same thing. She won't even look at Izumi. Apparently out of nowhere, she brings up Misaki. I have to wonder why, since she doesn't seem to be about to suggest Mei's the Extra. It's only when Izumi points out Mei lost her eye when she was four (how she knew that is beyond me). And look at her face when Izumi tells her this. She's legitimately horrified.

I don't think she and Izumi were either one that sociopathic; for one thing, neither of them tried to kill Kouichi to make it easier to get at Mei. They both have standards; on top of that, I don't think it's personal for Takako. She could've just as easily gotten fixated on somebody else and wouldn't have bothered attacking Mei at all; she just does because it's more dramatic and it gives the writers an excuse to put Mei in dangerous situations she won't defend herself in. -_- I'm getting cynical.