7-dai Tatarimasu node Hayaku Kekkon Shitekudasai! - Vol. 3 Ch. 16

[TheOneAboveGod]

Takasu is unironically a more interesting character than the MC.

 

[PsyFarrow]

Takasu is unironically a more interesting character than the MC.

Low bar to clear, that. It's a rare romance MC that can actually be called a character in their own right.

 

[Tap2]

You didn't exactly counter anything I said as it pertains to Takasu's use to the plot, though. His actions here are intended to force Koutarou to make a decision per Kuro's goal - to appear to flirt with Hikari and antagonize Koutarou into taking actual action in being more forward with her.

Kuro laid this all out in this very chapter. She needs Koutarou and Hikari to get together to fulfill the Curse requirements. She can't reliably do it herself, so she's enlisting Takasu to aggravate Koutarou into taking action and stop being so passive.

The reader isn't supposed to like Takasu, so I don't know why you're focusing on the bad qualities he possesses like it's some sort of gotcha against what I said.
I do think this is also potentially starting Takasu's bent toward being less of how he used to be, especially as he gets more involved with the main three and their personalities rub off on him. But that's just a guess; it could very well not be the case, and it certainly isn't true as of this point in any but the most surface-level ways.

But he's still a playboy, and not meant to be a 'good guy' from our perspective or from the characters'.

Heh. What you write above is what f-boy is tricking Kuro into thinking.
His real goal ever since he laid eyes on Kuro, is to get into her pants.
He couldn't care less about Kotaru, except of course he doesn't mind (probably quite wants to) hurt(ing) Kotaru. After all, K shows f-boy in a bad light, since K is a pure-hearted serious guy.

What do you mean "isn't intended to be". Of course he's filling these functions.
We both seem to be switching between what the characters in the story are "thinking", and what the author intends.

If I switch to that meta level for a moment, then I think it's a pretty cheap way the author uses to achieve things.
After all, Kuro isn't stupid, and she clearly loves Kotaru, and knows that K doesn't like f-boy.
So is it really plausible that she would be charmed by f-boy, or agree to manipulate K's feelings in a way that will hurt him, and in extension, her?
To me it comes across as contrived.
But sure, I see how you (or the author) can argue that Kuro is innocent, and new to "being human", and the concomitant feelings, which then might make it hard to see what her actions might lead to.
I guess we will see.
I just don't like these kinds of plot developments. They feel cheap.

 

[Tap2]

He's not a good guy for sure, but at least he is making shit happen. I meant it more as appreciating him as a character and his impact on the plot. Are you really so simple that you need to be told that obviously I wouldnt like him in real life? It's a fictional story

Well. Maybe you should actually write why you appreciate him.
For all I know, you might well have been an f-boy who admires his prowess, and success rate, or a wannabe f-boy, taking notes?
I'm happy to see you wouldn't like him in real life, but just look at political elections. You'll see people vote for obvious tools, who in some cases definitely have made shit happen.

 

[Tap2]

Pls, the fkboy is right in everything. The only dick move so far was the first bet he did (and not so much, because they didn't need to accept). Everyone knows his reputation and they still chose him, being a "sl*t" isn't wrong if the other part knows about it.

The MC is marking territory around 2 girls without doing anything and playing the "good guy", he is an hypocrite and you could say that he is at the starting line of doing the same as fkboy.

You may say he's at the starting line, but so far, what he's done is recently discover that he potentially has feelings for 2 persons. He clearly is conflicted, and in the process of figuring out what to do about it.
What he hasn't done, is be a predator like f-boy.
We can wait a bit, and see if Kotaru starts establishing harems, switching out members in them, and show that he neither has feelings for the girls, nor cares about their feelings.
You don't think that's in the cards for our pure-hearted protagonist? Well. Neither do I. And that's the point. The author has created one guy who clearly is nice, and another, who clearly is a massive axxhole. Now on a clearly easily button-pushed reactive level, I really dislike the f-boys of this planet. So those are cheap points to make for the author.
And that is what annoys me here. The author is using these cheap plot points, instead of doing something interesting.
So I'm annoyed with the author, and I'm annoyed with people here, who either are trolling (yeah, you got me), or seem to think f-boy's behavior is "right in everything". No it's not. Just because someone can trick people into doing something doesn't make it right.

 

[Tap2]

You didn't exactly counter anything I said as it pertains to Takasu's use to the plot, though. His actions here are intended to force Koutarou to make a decision per Kuro's goal - to appear to flirt with Hikari and antagonize Koutarou into taking actual action in being more forward with her.

Kuro laid this all out in this very chapter. She needs Koutarou and Hikari to get together to fulfill the Curse requirements. She can't reliably do it herself, so she's enlisting Takasu to aggravate Koutarou into taking action and stop being so passive.

The reader isn't supposed to like Takasu, so I don't know why you're focusing on the bad qualities he possesses like it's some sort of gotcha against what I said.
I do think this is also potentially starting Takasu's bent toward being less of how he used to be, especially as he gets more involved with the main three and their personalities rub off on him. But that's just a guess; it could very well not be the case, and it certainly isn't true as of this point in any but the most surface-level ways.

But he's still a playboy, and not meant to be a 'good guy' from our perspective or from the characters'.

"... use to the plot..."? Depends on what the plot actually is. Feels like you and I are discussing on several, and varying meta levels. Turns out Takasu's actions didn't force Kotaru to do anything, so "the plot didn't need it". Kuro partly thought forcing him was what she was doing. The author (i.e. the "plot daddy", or even the actual person deciding what the plot is) seems to rather want to increase the tension to get readers invested, so that's what I would call "use to the plot".
And by now ("now" ... eeh, chapter 22 has been uploaded here ...), Kuro knows she doesn't need to have Hikari be the future mother.
As for Takasu, and your arguments for him being correct in his assessment of the situation. Of course Takasu would think he's an OK human being, and try to make Kotaru look like he's on the same level of scumminess as Takasu. Humans tend to think they're nice and normal (non-evil). However, you're wrong. Takasu is a philanderer, and serial womanizer of the "trick-them-into-falling-for-me" kind, whereas Kotaru is just the regular clueless protagonist who wishes well, has just discovered that there are actually TWO girls he likes, and thus he needs to shape up and choose.
Feels like this is exactly what I've written several times, but since you actually didn't acknowledge that this actually counters what you wrote about Takasu, I'm writing it again.
So. Let me quote you, dear "without empathy": "Honestly, Takasu's correct, and Koutarou's being a bit hypocritical in all of this."
See. THIS is how you started out, and this is where you already are wrong.
Also, another quote: "2) actually making logical arguments and even turning Koutarou's "white knighting" on its head by stating he's in no position to interfere on Hikari's behalf."
So yeah. Pretty central to your theses on this, and just wrong.
As for whether Takasu existing is necessary, let's just say we don't agree on that. The author wants to include one of these sadly as of yet non-spayed f-bois. Fine. I'll suffer through those parts of the manga. (I'd probably be bored if all I read were super wholesome, cutesy, non-annoying stuff.)
To continue the more detailed commentary on your comment (man, I'm focusing on you. If you're just a troll, congrats.): I think people like Takasu are actually truly actual scumbags, but sure, I guess he doesn't (so far) rape women, so there are lower levels to sink to? As for Takasu changing? Haven't really seen any of that yet. And the "convincing" arguments. Nah. Takasu's arguments don't hold water. We've been over this.

All this said, Kotaru really needs to grow up. Of course. I'd have preferred to have it done some other way, though. But the author chose this. So be it.
It's just I can't let it stand when clearly intelligent people think characters like Takasu are "right".
Otherwise, I would never have "wall-of-text-ed" you like this.

Så allt gott, granne/nabo. (Yeah. Assumptions.)