Last Friends - 03: What Is Love?
April 29, 2008 by bakaneko
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What Is Love?
There are two parallel stories going on here. On one hand, we have Ruka’s father dealing with his stubborn daughter’s choice in motorcycling; on the other hand, we have Ruka’s dealing with Michiru’s own stubborn choice to stay with her abusive boyfriend.
In Ruka’s father’s case, he knows that Ruka has made that choice and will not back down. Objectively speaking it is probably not the right choice for her since she did not choose it so much for the love of the sport as for that split second in air when she feels liberated from being a woman. And for that fleeting moment, she will risk concussions and broken bones. If he chooses to stop her, he would be denying her dream. So, love is when he chooses to suffer the fear of seeing her get injured and to support her choice.
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Ruka finally understands this with Michiru. Certainly, Michiru’s decision to stay with Sousuke is crazy if not suicidal. But for her, he is that only person whom she can feel love from. Before you say I’m crazy too, remember that she has no one in her life prior to meeting him, who has given her so much as a how-have-you-been. Not from her drunken father, not from her loose mother, and certainly not from her so-call stepfather. Moreover, her decision to stay with him is not so different from Ruka’s own decision to do motorcycling. Just as Ruka wants that fleeting moment of liberation from jumping into the air, so does Michiru want that fleeting moment of tenderness from Sousuke. And they both accept the risks that come with it. So, Ruka chooses, as her dad does for her, to suffer the pain of seeing Michiru get injured and supports her choice.
Both are painful choices to make in love. However, somehow, seeing Ruka’s father making his choice gives a triumphant feeling, while seeing Ruka making hers gives a terrifying one instead.
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And the terror stormed right in. Michiru finally took a heart-stopping beating from Sousuke. Seeing her battered face at the Shared House’s door made my heart skipped a beat. The good thing is that Michiru finally asks for help. From this point on, it’s war between Ruka and Sousuke. But I’m afraid to find out whom Michiru will side with…
Episode 3 made my heart throb the ENTIRE time. I was anticipating bad things every single minute. This drama has me hooked. You make wonderful analysis’s!
[...] NekoDan- Summary of ep 1, and so on and so forth to Ep 3 so far…This person does an EXCELLENT job summarzing, so be sure to check it out and show your [...]
Boiled my blood is another thing I’ll add. Even though I was anticipating it, it still shook me up in that last scene. I shared the same anger as Ruka, but at the same time I fear for what that anger will lead her into.
[...] to Last Friends. In the post on episode three, I already drew out the parallel between Ruka’s determination to do [...]