Hmm.

Well, at least the material is finally being treated in a serious manner. Before, it seemed to receive a light enough treatment to convince me it would never get this far. But now that it has?

Well...

I don't know how this is going to end. There's no way there'll be a "happy" ending, however, for an irreversible tragedy has already occurred.

But don't get me wrong: I'm loving every minute, horrible as it may be.

I almost want to actually watch this show, but I just can't.

Ah well, its fairly entertaining just reading about it.

"irreversible tragedy"??

I don't see it that way - while it may be incest, they truly are the cutest couple ever.

Plus, I was so pleasently suprised that this anime didn't "chicken out" and go the easy route, as I thought it would, so many times.

My only qualm with this course of action is that it will now be impossible to bring and sell to a exceedingly close-minded American audience.

And did I mention JUST how cute they are?

so...they did it, right? thats what it seems like to me ^^

The final minutes of the episode sure made it look that way.

Although I loved the line, "Don't judge who's miserable and who's not." Classic indeed - frankly I really don't see what the problem is, only somehow some clown in the ancient times deemed that sexual affection between siblings is wrong. Well, maybe it's because there's a higher possibility of producing mentally retarded offsprings but that's really besides the point.

Whether it's wrong or not is a matter of personal opinion, but I think Chidori's "your parents will be sad," statement brings everything into proper perspective.

When I referred to them as a "cute" couple in the past, it was mostly in jest. Now that their relationship has developed as it has, I definitely see their story as a tragedy. We can talk about "love" until we're blue in the face, but when all is said and done, it's hard to argue that anything good comes from incest.

Touche. Well said.

But, I'm not sure if whatever taboos I have engrained in me are potent enough to mske their relationship feel "wrong" to me - indeed, as I've watched it, it has felt nothing but right.

On the contrary, what you say is almost undoubtedly correct in the context of real life. But, in the medium of anime I flatly do not have the heart to do anything but watch and enjoy their incredibly odd yet "perfect" relationship.

Well, I just wanted to throw in my support for Nanoka/Koushirou... o.o
Man, I already seen the last episode though... so, I can't say anymore >=P

Let me start by saying that I am not one to support -most- cases of incest, whether it's brother, sister or whatever, because in most cases, it's just about sex, feeling dominant over the person or maybe both. I'm not exactly supportive if it's a situation of actual love either but I wouldn't necessarily condemn them for it either.

As a person who has dealt with my some of family thinking my love interest was 'taboo', I think that's where I feel I connect with this anime the most. Mind you, my 'taboo' isn't incest but homosexuality. While most people put incest above homosexuality on the list of Bad Things™, it's still quite a shock to have someone tell you that they just can't accept that part of you, let alone a family member. That was probably one of the worse days of my life (and it was on Christmas Eve to boot) even though I'm sure it could've hit rock bottom and kept digging.

Getting back to my point (yes I do have one), ever since that day, I'm sure my view on right/wrong, normal/weird and so on have were forever changed. And as I said before, while I don't really support incest, when I watch Koshiro and Nanoka together, I definately feel that they have a bond that does transcend brother/sister and blood relation. When you reach that point with anyone, I'm sure there's still a small worry about society and it's many judgements, but should one really be denied something that finally feels so true? Apart from their parents, who really has a right to judge them when it is an actual act of love, rather than just lust? Seriously, what if your best friend, one you trust and truly know, told you they were in love with their sibling and that the feelings were returned? Could you shun them for it?

I guess just not many people have been put in such a position, whether it was being shunned or the one chosing to do so, that's why it's so easy to detach and proclaim it 'wrong' or 'unnatural'. Not that I'm saying that everyone -should- have to go through such an ordeal, but I feel it helps to just think about it as so.

I've been thinking seriously about this, as have a lot of you, obviously. "Incest" is a notion created by "the civilized world" to help promote healthy offspring. Fair enough. However, the anime hasn't even suggested anything about children. It is ALL about the cultural aspect, the WRONGNESS of it, so let's focus on that.

The analogies between the situation in the anime and homosexuality should be pretty obvious. Compare what they're going through to what a gay person goes through as they come to grips with their true feelings. We're at that stage now in the anime, where it becomes a matter of keeping it quiet or speaking out and risking being shunned by loved ones who simply can NOT understand, though they can possibly accept (in rare cases, both). But, we're talking about Japanese culture here, where some things are more "wrong" than anywhere else because of the importance the culture places on appearances- the face one shows the world. I do not see the actions of these two as anything approaching tragic, but because of the culture, I cannot really see this ending in any way BUT a tragedy. I don't really need to see what happens in the next episode, but I tell you, if it ends like I expect I will consider episode 12 as my own "personal" end and a tragic episode 13 as the pathetic cop-out, to be dismissed out of hand. I would do NOTHING to keep these two apart, any more than I'd try to keep Bob and Ted or Carol and Alice apart. Or Romeo and Juliet, for that matter. Think about it.

Mmmm well I have watched episode 13 raw, and while I'm not fluent in japanese and couldn't tell you word for word what was said, I think that most people will not be disappointed with the ending.

Interesting people though, those japanese. Just like all cultures, they strive to put up this image of achieving perfection and damning anything not 'normal'...yet they have message board and website saying which trainlines are best for groping and such... Not to mention all of the lolicon and tentacle monster stuff... No one culture has it completely down. Well...maybe the Amish but I'm not striving for that much 'normalcy'.

The Japanese are a very antagonistic bunch, for the most part. They strive to be modest, reserved, and respectful but have some twisted and dark ways to let their desires and aggression flow, like groping a sailor-suit adorned high school student on a train.

Perhaps it's the fascistic approach to appearance and status quo that draw these people to behave in a certain manner. (i.e. the extreme view that they are above all asians, or perhaps any other race for that matter, but somehow fantasizes the white blonde in their media and placing questionable caucasians in their gameshows for mockery and fantasies at the same time)

I'm somewhat closely related to my sister, but somehow I'd rather treasure it as a very close bond between brother and sisters, one that is really LOVE but not in a lover's love way. Does anybody understand this?

So when I watched the first few eps, I thought I would like to know how these people cured the problem... I was so convinced that they were just confused over this kind of "love" as they have never experienced it before (before they met). Little do i know that it was gonna turn out this way.

Hence you can imagine my disgust when they had a scene where there is a possibility that they had had sex, something that cannot be undone. I am now left feeling void and disturbed, even hate for the older brother for what he has done (or what he could have prevented). Cute as it might be, the girl is still a confused minor with a disease known as infatuation, this time, unfortunately, with his brother.

I cannot forgive Koshiro, people. I simply cannot.

This has been a show I have been truly enjoying watching.

The first episode really grabbed me as being soft, warm-hearted and touching... then the twist of them being siblings hit.

I did not ever expect, 11 episodes later, for them to finally become lovers. I am both shocked, and at the same time, moved.

Would it be easier if the two siblings were unrelated (one was adopted or something... or perhaps like in "Marmalade Boy")?

Would we condemn them if these two people had met as strangers, falling in love and becoming lovers, never having discovered that they were in fact siblings until far later on?

I personally like to believe that love transcends all things.... beyond race, beyond religion, beyond gender. But can it transcend being related to each other?

Cousins have been known to get married. If mankind came from Adam and Eve, would that mean that everyone is related to each other? Exactly how "distant" in relation do two people have to be before it is okay to love each other?

Honestly, I have no clue. But it is nice seeing a show which makes me wonder and question all these things.... Perhaps the show is disturbing for some, romantic for others.... I am just glad that I have had the chance to watch this show and feel such a strong reaction to it, one way or the other.

Personally, I have a big brother I LOVE alot! I get jealous if he is dating some girl, and I wish he would give me more of his time and attention. I imagine he sees me only as his kid sister, or more likely.... his bratty kid sister.
So, I can kind of sympathize with Nanoka.

Would I like to be his lover and marry his someday, not being related to him? I think I would, yes.

Would I like to be his lover and marry him someday, being his sister? I guess not. I know that would not go over so well, socially. It does make me wish we were not siblings.

But anyways....
I guess I am just rambling on at this point. Thanks for reading this, and please forgive me if I have offended anyone.

-Junko

here's my 2 cents worth on the show. i loved it from the start despite realizing what it was becoming after the first episode. koshiro and nanoka certainly do have very deep feelings for each other but what koshiro did to her was very wrong! (and i can't express how wrong i feel his actions were). Koshiro took advantage of nanoka's confused state of mind (although not intentionally) and slept with her .

Nanoka's love towards her brother IMO, was much more emotionally driven while koshiro's love towards nanoka was more physical. yes, they did end up with a strong love for each other but their origins were different and that's what caused the relationship to become what it ended up as and frankly, quite impossible to sustain.

i'm not saying if they both lusted for each other they would have lived happily ever after, something undesireable would most likely have happened. they would probably have either gotten disowned, commited suicide, or somehow evaded society but eventually end up bored and hate each other for life.

putting everything aside, koshiro and nanoka has a love which probably surpassed most people's. their relationship although abhored by society and far from flawless, made them happy and all turned out well in the end... IMO that is.

The last episode was a good conclusion for the story and their relationship. I also thought it was quite acceptable. don't get me wrong, i don't condone incest but when i finished it i was under the impression... how should i put this, the both accepted their fate were ready to move on. nothing could be done about the past, and the story would be quite different if their relationship was different. i'm sure i wouldn't be here typing this up if that was the case. there were quite a few events in the last episode which subtlely hint that their relationship won't last and they were prepared for it.

-the park beng shut down and nanoka making a promise with her brother to return every spring

-when they pray for the ferris wheel (a metaphor for their impossible relationship) to move and it does but only a little the first time (and notice how it's when nanoka asks her brother to pray that it doesn't move). they both laugh and joke about it afterwards saying it's impossible.

-the show finishes off with nanoka cheerfully saying bye to her brother and refusing his offer to to back to his place to shower. then there is koshiro restraining himself from telling her he loves her.

-also the promise to return every spring; it could be thought of as her saying: lets keep this relationship to a minimum.

well, i got my thoughts out, feeling quite relieved actually. i felt i had to say something to express the greatness of the story unlike how some people on other sites or forums feel the need to berate the show simply because it deals with incest.

feel free to argue with me if you disagree with what i said, this is simply my interpretation on what i have seen and i'm not imposing my thoughts on anyone.

um.. sorry i thought this was for the last episode. there were only twelve right? :\

There are 13, but the 8th episode wasn't aired in some areas so it is sometimes refered to as the "7.5"th eposide.

great animation, great aesthetics, great music, best animation seen this year.

This is one possibility of love in its purest state.

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