(L) Battery

[Benigmatica]

Episode 3:
You know what, I feel that Takumi should change his attitude for the better. I mean, not following Makoto Tomura's orders of cutting his own hair to its desired length is disrespectful!

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by PreSage

I have to wonder about Takumi's attitude. Sometimes I can see a good guy peeping through his cold exterior, so I wonder why he keeps such a rebellious persona?

I don't entirely dislike that if it doesn't make sense to him, he won't do it. If it does, he'll spare no effort. But he is rather self-involved, I can't deny that.

[Budweineken]

Man, you guys are weak. Takumi's personality and attitude is great just the way it is. He follows his own logic about how things should work, and that's cool. What people are lacking is that they're not putting any effort into understanding him. He's different, deal with it. No need to raise arms up about his attitude because he doesn't fit the usual mold of how people should behave.

Also, guess this episode put to rest the theory of him having any arm injuries and what not, and we saw it from two different schools of thought. No breaking balls with soft balls, and no breaking balls while his arm is still developing.

[Pen3]

Originally Posted by Budweineken

Man, you guys are weak. Takumi's personality and attitude is great just the way it is. He follows his own logic about how things should work, and that's cool. What people are lacking is that they're not putting any effort into understanding him. He's different, deal with it. No need to raise arms up about his attitude because he doesn't fit the usual mold of how people should behave.

Also, guess this episode put to rest the theory of him having any arm injuries and what not, and we saw it from two different schools of thought. No breaking balls with soft balls, and no breaking balls while his arm is still developing.

I don't mind that he doesn't do everything his coach wants him to do because it really does have nothing to do with baseball. Oh the other hand normal length hair and beard doesn't effect a soldiers performance either, but i guess it is code of conduct or something along that line?

The part that i really didn't like was how he was treating his mom, she really does have a point. Him joining Baseball also effect her and he should ask per properly. She will still sign it because she loves him, but it doesn't change the fact that she will have to do extra work in making lunch, cleaning his uniform and have extra expenses that she mentioned. Also the possibility that he gets injured and guess who will have to take care of him.

[leongsh]

It's the coach's way of trying to tame him. It's old fashioned power play to apply the authority. The coach definitely saw that Takumi has very good control and that so-called "slip" was very much intentional.

Takumi has a key point that he will follow instructions that make sense and help him improve his baseball prowess. However, he is still very much looking out for himself and needs to see the bigger picture to be more inclusive.

This anime is a slow boil and still has a lot left to reveal. I was already committed to follow prior to broadcast but these 3 episodes have justified my expectations.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Pen3

I don't mind that he doesn't do everything his coach wants him to do because it really does have nothing to do with baseball. Oh the other hand normal length hair and beard doesn't effect a soldiers performance either, but i guess it is code of conduct or something along that line?

I think (for both soldiers and baseball players) it's an "esprit de corps" thing. It works as both a common sacrifice and a visible sign he belongs to the organization (team, army). Which will strengthen solidarity.

I have no idea if it works at all, in either case.

[Benigmatica]

@Anh_Minh
Not just an "esprit de corps" thing, but I also add up that baseball players must become upstanding students.

In any case, a simple sacrifice like a haircut is necessary for Takumi Harada to grow.

[Budweineken]

Originally Posted by Pen3

I don't mind that he doesn't do everything his coach wants him to do because it really does have nothing to do with baseball. Oh the other hand normal length hair and beard doesn't effect a soldiers performance either, but i guess it is code of conduct or something along that line?

The part that i really didn't like was how he was treating his mom, she really does have a point. Him joining Baseball also effect her and he should ask per properly. She will still sign it because she loves him, but it doesn't change the fact that she will have to do extra work in making lunch, cleaning his uniform and have extra expenses that she mentioned. Also the possibility that he gets injured and guess who will have to take care of him.

By the same token it's quite clear his mother simply doesn't understand him. He does have personality flaws, they're intrinsic to him, that's just the way he is. He isn't out there intentionally trying to be an asshole or be a pain to his mom. That's simply how his mind works.

The grandfather's reaction to the whole exchange is telling, and the mom escalated the situation for no reason at all, even when it was long known that he was going to be playing baseball. So in this regard, the mom was completely unreasonable and took an exception to a situation that had no reason for being.

As for the hair, well, Takumi is simply stubborn. He's ready to face the consequences of being stubborn, so be it. His hair isn't even that long, Takumi doesn't want to be made an example of, particularly from a coach that's preaching being reasonable to a few seconds afterwards start making unreasonable demands. And of course, I'm sure the hair pulling stunt (not full out, but enough of an intrusion into his personal space) didn't win him any favors. It's been quite apparent that Takumi doesn't care for people touching his body without his permission, throwing arm or not.

In all, I'm not absolving Takumi from his attitude (I enjoy watching it in any case), but I've seen little to no effort to anyone around him trying to understand him and accommodate to him as best as possible. All I've seen are people making confrontations with him for no apparent reason, when all's he's been trying to do is keep to himself and play baseball.

Anyways, all that aside, I like characters like him. Not sure why everyone wants goody two-shoes as MC's. This is much better.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Pen3

The part that i really didn't like was how he was treating his mom, she really does have a point. Him joining Baseball also effect her and he should ask per properly. She will still sign it because she loves him, but it doesn't change the fact that she will have to do extra work in making lunch, cleaning his uniform and have extra expenses that she mentioned. Also the possibility that he gets injured and guess who will have to take care of him.

This. He was right not wanting to be the coach's slave, but he has that kind of nasty attitude with everybody else. It was the same with his brother last week, and look where that lead.

This is a problem he needs to face if he wants to last in that club. The coach is one thing, but if he acts like that with his teammates as well, this is going to call troubles. Being "different" isn't an excuse to be inconsiderate of others.

Originally Posted by Budweineken

In all, I'm not absolving Takumi from his attitude (I enjoy watching it in any case), but I've seen little to no effort to anyone around him trying to understand him and accommodate to him as best as possible. All I've seen are people making confrontations with him for no apparent reason, when all's he's been trying to do is keep to himself and play baseball.

He's a kid. He needs to be taught how to behave properly in society, not to be accommodated. Society doesn't adapt to the individual; it's a harsh truth, but a truth nonetheless. Besides, it's not like he himself is making any effort getting along with others. Why should he get special treatment?

That said, the coach is definitely a dick, and I feel his mother doesn't even know who her kid is. She always jumps at his throat instead of taking a more educational approach. That won't work on him.

[Budweineken]

Originally Posted by Kanon

He's a kid. He needs to be taught how to behave properly in society, not to be accommodated. Society doesn't adapt to the individual; it's a harsh truth, but a truth nonetheless. Besides, it's not like he himself is making any effort getting along with others. Why should he get special treatment?

That said, the coach is definitely a dick, and I feel his mother doesn't even know who her kid is. She always jumps at his throat instead of taking a more educational approach. That won't work on him.

That's the thing, is he behaving improperly for society? I don't think so. I don't know what it is they're trying to teach him. He's different, and the sooner people realize it that easier it'll be to understand him and then know how to deal with him. But I really haven't seen anything that he's done overall that call for demonizing his personality. The only one really has been his little brother, who he was incredibly mean to for no real reason (that we can see so far, of course we don't know the severity of whatever ills he may have).

He's not asking for special treatment though, right? So this is a made up drama over nothing. As I said above, he's ready to accept the consequences. And that's more than fine to me.

For example, there have been plenty of players who refrained from signing with the New York Yankees because that particular team has a code (or at least had) as far as hair and beard were concerned. So, it's up to the individual to decide if he wants to submit himself to that or not. If they don't want to, then they'll face the consequences. In this case, Takumi is ready to face them (at least he says he is, we'll see if that turns true in reality).

And you're spot on in your last paragraph, and that's what I've been trying to convey. It's not that Takumi doesn't have room to grow or learn, but if the intent is to teach him and to improve himself, everyone around him is going about it the wrong way. And I hate to be repetitive, but it's really all boils down to people not understanding him.

Heck, everyone around him makes the observation that he's different and how he doesn't follow the normal behavior patterns. That's a pretty damn big clue that normal methods of reaching out to him and "teach" him won't work with him.

I'll also go as far to say, that there's a validity about the camaraderie and proper uniform policies and what not, but that actually hasn't been explained to him. All he's seen are a coach's unreasonable demands that have nothing to do with baseball put upon him. And even if the former is explained, and he still refuses, he's ready to face the consequences. And that's fine. He'll be seen as selfish and a jackass by his teammates, but that's also their right and with good reason of course. It's still his choice to make.

Guess we'll see how that develops. I just have little problem with someone that simply thinks different and holds a different kind of values as the rest around him, particularly when in the ends are things that primarily concern himself.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Kanon

This. He was right not wanting to be the coach's slave, but he has that kind of nasty attitude with everybody else. It was the same with his brother last week, and look where that lead.

I'm not that mad at him about his brother. It just goes to show how all three of them (with their mom) are related. The little brother (though generally cuter) also selfishly ignores the consequences his wilfulness have on his family, and the big brother reacts with the same lack of patience as his mother.

This is a problem he needs to face if he wants to last in that club. The coach is one thing, but if he acts like that with his teammates as well, this is going to call troubles. Being "different" isn't an excuse to be inconsiderate of others.

Agreed.

He's a kid. He needs to be taught how to behave properly in society, not to be accommodated. Society doesn't adapt to the individual; it's a harsh truth, but a truth nonetheless. Besides, it's not like he himself is making any effort getting along with others. Why should he get special treatment?

That said, the coach is definitely a dick, and I feel his mother doesn't even know who her kid is. She always jumps at his throat instead of taking a more educational approach. That won't work on him.

The mother looks super tired. Of both her sons. (That's not an excuse, and I don't know why she's so tired. I'm just saying, it's not that she doesn't know them, it's that she does know them, and they're an ordeal to her.)

Originally Posted by Budweineken

That's the thing, is he behaving improperly for society?

Yes. He's very rude to his mother, and generally abrasive. To everyone. Now, that's not illegal, but it's not commendable either. And the "consequences" can be a lot worse than he imagines, which is grounds for his parents to want to steer him away from that attitude, same as they'd steer him away from drugs or other bad choices.

[Budweineken]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Yes. He's very rude to his mother, and generally abrasive. To everyone. Now, that's not illegal, but it's not commendable either. And the "consequences" can be a lot worse than he imagines, which is grounds for his parents to want to steer him away from that attitude, same as they'd steer him away from drugs or other bad choices.

No one is perfect, everyone has room to adjust their ways. Not everyone fits with everyone, that's the truth of life. A lot is simply being made about nothing with this incredibly young kid. These characters are acting quite adult like that we forget how young they are. There's room for growth and improvement, but not to the dramatic direness it's being made out to be.

I'm personally not a believer on people having to take things just because their parents say so (though I'm flexible in this), so being rude to his mother can go both ways, since I see her behavior troubling myself, maybe even more so. His combativeness from that standpoint is understandable, now I don't have time to nitpick every single interaction they've had. But the mother has been greatly at fault here as well for their confrontations.

Being abrasive, well... whatever. Might as well teach Nagakura a lesson as well about learning personal space and minding his own business. That behavior can have consequences that can be a lot worse than he imagines as well. Everyone has their quirks, everyone will get along with different people. Not everyone has to get along with each other.

So no, in all, I don't see anything that I'd really call improper society behavior. Different, not for everyone's taste, but not really improper. But as I mentioned, I have no problem with people teaching him to behave better so that he has better interactions with society in the future, I just also think that if that's the goal, everyone is going about it completely the wrong way. But he's fine as he is all told. Not perfect, far from it, but that's the reality of the world... different flavors.

Anyways, I'll leave it at that. I actually don't care much about this particular discussion even if I involved myself this much in this tangent lol. I just think it's a cool character to watch and I hope he keeps steadfast in his believes. And if he changes, that it's because someone made him realize, logically, how that change is for the better and why it makes sense to do so. Not merely a "well, this is how polite society is supposed to work so you have to do so also" argument.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Budweineken

No one is perfect, everyone has room to adjust their ways. Not everyone fits with everyone, that's the truth of life. A lot is simply being made about nothing with this incredibly young kid. These characters are acting quite adult like that we forget how young they are. There's room for growth and improvement, but not to the dramatic direness it's being made out to be.

And one could say you're making a lot of his mother justifiably scolding him when he acts out. And trying to drill some manners into him while he's still young. She hasn't even punished him.

[Benigmatica]

Episode 4:
Wow, looks like the seniors like Eiji Nobunishi wants Takumi Harada humiliated and get kicked out! Good thing Gou Nagakura managed to save him or things would get ugly!

Still, I think Takumi should change his personality for the better or his arrogance will be his downfall.

[Stark700]

Episode 4:

I'd really like to see more of the coach's past at this point. He appears to me as an intriguing character and likes to take control, a trait that imo is important because the coach is initially overall responsible for the team; beyond the captain even.

Meanwhile, the episode continuously portray Takumi as a tough worker, someone that puts baseball above almost everything else regardless of the consequences. I do like how he and Go are on better terms now though after that big fall out last time. Also, the vice captain seems to really dislike Takumi more and more. Wonder what he's thinking...

The segment between the grandpa and coach is also interesting . Good episode overall, this show continuously impresses me.

[Budweineken]

Originally Posted by Benigmatica

Episode 4:
Wow, looks like the seniors like Eiji Nobunishi wants Takumi Harada humiliated and get kicked out! Good thing Gou Nagakura managed to save him or things would get ugly!

Still, I think Takumi should change his personality for the better or his arrogance will be his downfall.

I really hated that they introduced bullying here. Cheap overused plot device.

Other than that, another good episode.

[Wandering Soul]

Originally Posted by Budweineken

I really hated that they introduced bullying here. Cheap overused plot device.

.

I don't really like it either, but considering that these are junior high kids we are talking, that seems like a natural response to Takumi' s attitude.

[Budweineken]

Originally Posted by Wandering Soul

I don't really like it either, but considering that these are junior high kids we are talking, that seems like a natural response to Takumi' s attitude.

I guess it's not hate, or not liking... but more, disappointed that they had to use this trope here? If you get what I mean.

Like I have no problem with it, but for some reason I wasn't feeling it in this one.

But whatever, I'll deal with it.

[Benigmatica]

@Wandering Soul
Exactly, and the seniors teaches Takumi Harada to "know his place" or get kicked out in a humiliated fashion!

[karice67]

Originally Posted by Budweineken

I guess it's not hate, or not liking... but more, disappointed that they had to use this trope here? If you get what I mean.

Bullying is a very real problem in Japan, so I think that quite a few people would have problems with it being called a "trope."