Kanojo, Okarishimasu - Vol. 11 Ch. 87 - The Girlfriend, Visiting the Parents, and Kiss 5
- Thread starter MangaDex
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I want to laugh when i read it...but are people seriously saying a girl kissing her BF is sexual assault?
LMAO
LMAO
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Poor Ruka.
Kazuya is a Scumbag.
Kazuya is a Scumbag.
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Ruka....you know you're waaaay inferior. Just stop.
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Kono Dio Da!
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Say what you will about how cute Ruka is or whatever, doesn't change the fact that she's like a stalker who won't take no for an answer. Kazuya has made it clear that he has no interest in dating her, yet she keeps on pestering him and forcing him to date her. No one is entitled to a relationship for the person they like. No one is obligated to give their time to someone they don't like. If the roles were reversed, like when Kazuya was stalking Chizuru and that tall good looking guy, then people would be outraged.
Y'all blamed Kazuya for acting like a stalker yet won't keep that same energy towards Ruka (who is arguably worse since what Kazuya did was a one time thing, but this Ruka tries to force him to hug her, presses herself on his body without consent, follows him even when he told her not to, etc.) And sexually assaults him.
Y'all need to stop blaming a depressed and verbally abused guy for literally everything. Yes, he made wrong choices but the dude is battling himself and trying to grow and change. Give him some time, people don't grow overnight. Screw Ruka, though. I can't respect someone who can't be considerate of their crush's wishes.
Ruka is the worst girl of all time. Its fucking amazing how a cute design for a character will make everyone ignore what the character actually does lol.
Y'all blamed Kazuya for acting like a stalker yet won't keep that same energy towards Ruka (who is arguably worse since what Kazuya did was a one time thing, but this Ruka tries to force him to hug her, presses herself on his body without consent, follows him even when he told her not to, etc.) And sexually assaults him.
Y'all need to stop blaming a depressed and verbally abused guy for literally everything. Yes, he made wrong choices but the dude is battling himself and trying to grow and change. Give him some time, people don't grow overnight. Screw Ruka, though. I can't respect someone who can't be considerate of their crush's wishes.
Ruka is the worst girl of all time. Its fucking amazing how a cute design for a character will make everyone ignore what the character actually does lol.
@Bestgirl_Ruka - well yeah, it is sexual assault. She literally forced herself on him. And when he pushed her back, she forced herself on him again. Even if you're in a relationship, if the actions are unwanted, it's sexual assault. Of course you're not gonna take it seriously because the offender is a woman and the victim is a man. That train of thought is what's wrong with society.
I still like Ruka as a character. But I'm aware enough to know when she goes too far.
I still like Ruka as a character. But I'm aware enough to know when she goes too far.
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@Sprawl have you ever had a Girlfriend?
Besides, there is no way a 90lb girl can force you to kiss for a whole 30 seconds.
You, as a grown man with adult muscles, could easily push her off.
Kazuya wanted that action!
🤣
Or did you not see the way he was staring her at her mouth in the living room?
You must have also missed the part where his heart was beating out of his chest...
This as a case would be laughed out of the courtroom so fast its not even funny.
Besides, there is no way a 90lb girl can force you to kiss for a whole 30 seconds.
You, as a grown man with adult muscles, could easily push her off.
Kazuya wanted that action!
🤣
Or did you not see the way he was staring her at her mouth in the living room?
You must have also missed the part where his heart was beating out of his chest...
This as a case would be laughed out of the courtroom so fast its not even funny.
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@Bestgirl_Ruka you're right it's not funny. Your ass won't be laughing or saying all this had the genders been reversed.
It's one sided love, kazuya is just with her so she doesn't tell the truth about his relationship with chizuru. Forcing someone who doesn't have feelings for you into a kiss isn't " a typical interaction between young people in love ". If kazuya actually liked ruka I wouldn't complain, but he doesn't so it's obviously sexual assault whether you believe it or not.
Ruka ain't gonna fuck you bro.
The people supporting her in the comments are either
• horny
• weird
• delusional
Or all 3.
Defending sexual assault because Ruka's a cute girl is disgusting.
Just because someone has pure intentions doesn't make what they do not a crime. Her doing her best means nothing it's still a crime
My other, and more important point was to lampoon this disturbing double standard. For all of Ruka's actions, you people give her a pass for the things that's she done as not being wrong at all (some ruka fans do at least acknowledge these things as being bad) simply because she was being driven by feelings.
However if we switched the genders/roles of Kazuya and Ruka, these actions now being done by Kazuya instead of Ruka, would you still be considered okay just because he has 'feelings'?
If no, you're a hypocrite.
It's one sided love, kazuya is just with her so she doesn't tell the truth about his relationship with chizuru. Forcing someone who doesn't have feelings for you into a kiss isn't " a typical interaction between young people in love ". If kazuya actually liked ruka I wouldn't complain, but he doesn't so it's obviously sexual assault whether you believe it or not.
Ruka ain't gonna fuck you bro.
The people supporting her in the comments are either
• horny
• weird
• delusional
Or all 3.
Defending sexual assault because Ruka's a cute girl is disgusting.
Just because someone has pure intentions doesn't make what they do not a crime. Her doing her best means nothing it's still a crime
My other, and more important point was to lampoon this disturbing double standard. For all of Ruka's actions, you people give her a pass for the things that's she done as not being wrong at all (some ruka fans do at least acknowledge these things as being bad) simply because she was being driven by feelings.
However if we switched the genders/roles of Kazuya and Ruka, these actions now being done by Kazuya instead of Ruka, would you still be considered okay just because he has 'feelings'?
If no, you're a hypocrite.
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@Sekijou23
The people saying this is sexual assault are
-Dorks
-Never had a GF, never been kissed, never actually had female contact.
-Asexual, or....Incels 😬......either one dont understand how women work(yet have the most to say🤔),
and prolly react to a girl hugging them JUST like Kazuya...holding their arms in the air like a typical Harem MC🤓.
BOY if you dont getchodumbassouttahere
😄
-My point still stands that this case wouldnt even make it to the Judge because it would be thrown out by the ADA.
-She is 90lbs. If he wanted to stop the kiss, it would have only lasted a half a second. It lasted 30 seconds. HE WANTED TO KISS HER.
As i said in my previous post, he couldnt stop staring at her (specifically her mouth) after that-heart racing, beating out of his chest.
EXPLAIN THAT.
😆
...Men that have kissed Ridiculously Hot girls understand this feeling.
I see now why you dont.
Also If it was so one sided then why was he about to make it official before Mami and Chizuru appeared at his job???
Last i checked she said WOULD NOT tell his grandmother and hold that threat over his head anymore because she "wants him to fall in love" without force.
Or did you miss that part when you were trying to be a Smartass?
🤨
The people saying this is sexual assault are
-Dorks
-Never had a GF, never been kissed, never actually had female contact.
-Asexual, or....Incels 😬......either one dont understand how women work(yet have the most to say🤔),
and prolly react to a girl hugging them JUST like Kazuya...holding their arms in the air like a typical Harem MC🤓.
BOY if you dont getchodumbassouttahere
😄
-My point still stands that this case wouldnt even make it to the Judge because it would be thrown out by the ADA.
-She is 90lbs. If he wanted to stop the kiss, it would have only lasted a half a second. It lasted 30 seconds. HE WANTED TO KISS HER.
As i said in my previous post, he couldnt stop staring at her (specifically her mouth) after that-heart racing, beating out of his chest.
EXPLAIN THAT.
😆
...Men that have kissed Ridiculously Hot girls understand this feeling.
I see now why you dont.
Also If it was so one sided then why was he about to make it official before Mami and Chizuru appeared at his job???
Last i checked she said WOULD NOT tell his grandmother and hold that threat over his head anymore because she "wants him to fall in love" without force.
Or did you miss that part when you were trying to be a Smartass?
🤨
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@Bestgirl_Ruka those are some interesting projection. That kiss happened in an instant, don't tell me he had enough time to react to that. Besides, seems like you're a champion of victim blaming. "Weakness of character?" "Near constantly reinforced by a weak MC?" Do you even realize why Kazuya's hands are tied in the first place? Ruka might throw another tantrum and reveal their secret. She tends to let her emotions lead her to reckless behavior, so Kazuya is forced to worry about the revelation of his and Chizuru's secret. Make no mistake, Ruka claims it's a "trail relationship," but it's more along the lines of blackmail. Also, just because they're "dating," doesn't give her the right to his body. She was crying like a spoiled brat because Kazuya wouldn't go out with her even though no one in the world is ever obligated to go out with another person if they don't want to. Period. It's as simple as that.
Now, please note what the title doesn’t say. It does not say that Ruka is a bad person. It does not say that Ruka is a bad character. It says Ruka is an unnecessary character. Now, what is an unnecessary character? Well, unfortunately, there’s no simple google search result answer that I can point to, so I’m going to have to set some ground rules myself. In this context, I’m going to highlight these certain characteristics when I talk about unnecessary characters
Do they advance the plot in a way no other character possibly can?Do they offer additional insight into existing characters that no other character possibly can?Do they build upon the themes of the series in a way no other character possibly can?
If the answer to all three of these questions is no, then that character is unnecessary. Before we continue, I want to ask you certain questions, and I want you to think about them before I explain the answers to them. Those questions are:
How does Ruka advance the plot?Does Ruka effect change on or offer insight into the characters around her?Does Ruka herself grow as a character?Can any of these things be done by other characters?
Now, it’s going to be of no surprise that there will be manga spoilers within this piece. Spoilers for all the manga. If you haven’t read the manga. Go read the fucking manga. We’re here to engage with the text. We’re here to think critically about it and the characters in it. We’re being big girls here! So go read the fucking manga.
Before we get stuck in, let’s give a quick synopsis of Ruka as she is introduced.
Sarashina Ruka is a high schooler with Bradycardia, or “‘No Heartbeat’ condition”. Her condition causes her body to struggle when put under stress, whenever it needs to beat fast, but can’t. The effect it has on her life leads to her pulling back from certain things, should they stress her. This gives rise to an insecurity of feeling like she’s unable to feel. “It's kind of like I'm a robot...”. After a conversation with her classmates about love, she becomes a rental girlfriend to seek out an experience that can cause her heart to race. And where does she find what she’s looking for? Through Kazuya. This inspires her to “search for even more heart pounding experiences”
All that information is conveyed in one chapter, in one ED of the anime. And it’s the last meaningful character development Ruka has received as of 163 chapters of the manga. Now, let’s get to answering questions.
How does Ruka advance the plot?
For the length of this piece, I’m going to keep a running tally of reasons for Ruka to be in the plot. So, let’s start with how she’s introduced. Our intrepid duo, Kazuya and Chizuru, are hanging out on a date after returning from the Onsen, debriefing both the onsen trip and the beach arc, when they run into Kuribayashi Shun. You know, this guy. Turns out, young Kuri has a girlfriend too, and would just love to go on a double date. We then (literally) run into Ruka. One chapter later and guess who the girlfriend is (Note: the scream Aleks Lee (Kazuya’s dub VA) makes when Ruka pops on screen is hilarious)
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s girlfriend.
At the end of the chapter, she confronts Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend. She then proceeds to provoke and agitate Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend. Calling them out by saying “If you’re lovers, then kiss him”
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend and her lack of intimacy with Kazuya
The rest of the date happens, and then Kazuya confronts her, wanting to promise her not to tell Kuri about their circumstances, explaining cursory details about the situation. Then, the obvious twist drops and we find out she is a rental girlfriend. Stuff happens, and then Ruka shows up for some reason, being that one girl who asks “where's her hug?”. Note, Kuri’s been suss about this the whole time, and after Ruka’s phone starts beeping, he catches them, and then Ruka does this.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.
Our heroes discuss the implications of this, when Ruka arrives to offer a solution. “I swear I won’t tell anyone about your relationship with Mizuhara… If you go out with me!” After this shocking development, they go into Kazuya’s apartment where she agitates Chizuru some more. Finally getting some alone time for 5 minutes, they come to the conclusion that Kazuya doesn’t love Ruka and should not go out with her. Instead they will come clean about their relationship to Kuri.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by Kazuya
After a good ol’ fashioned cry, Chizuru states that Kazuya should go out with Ruka, and they will not tell Kuri.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by Kazuya
Skipping over Christmas because no Ruka developments outside of not being loved by Kazuya, and we get the shrine visit arc. Where Ruka desperately brings up an idea to save her plot relevancy. “Introduce me to your grandmother”. Also known as giving Kazuya an out to the rental relationship. But, Grandma Nagomi does us a solid and shuts that shit down, as Ruka herself realises she has no plot relevance.
In the next arc, the gang finds out that Kuri’s gone all incel over the Ruka situation. So what does Kazuya decide to do? Tell Kuri.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by KazuyaGive Kazuya a replacement girlfriend for Chizuru
Now, it’s time for Highlight Reel Time. Chapter 46, Ruka learns the lesson she needs to learn throughout the plot and then proceeds to not follow her own advice, and almost has Kazuya settle for her. But after Chizuru and Mami walk by, to remind us who the plot relevant women in this show are, that idea gets ditched. Next arc “The Girlfriend and the Night”, she fails to sleep with Kazuya. Next arc, “The Ex and the Rental”, she yells Mami out of the plot. In “The Girlfriend, Visiting the Parents and Kiss”, she exists to fail at getting the family to like her, to give the plot a reason to hide from Kazuya that Chizuru actually wants to go to the party, and to sexually assault Kazuya.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by KazuyaGive Kazuya a replacement girlfriend for Chizuru
In “What I can do with my Girlfriend”, she fails to help Kazuya through the cluster-fuck that is his life, leaving him more confused about how to handle the situation. In “The Girlfriend and Room 203”, she exists to make Chizuru salty about not having her omurice liked, and causes a scene which lets Yaemori find out about the rental girlfriend situation. And to be another body on the film production, playing a nothing role in the movie.
In “The Girlfriend and the Promise” she drags Kazuya out on a date, does nothing to help his insecurities with the whole relationship thing, rants on about train lines and once again points out how not loved she is by Kazuya.
In “The Girlfriend and the Boyfriend”, she exists to say “wow, sad thing is sad”, and maybe, hopefully, finally internalise the lesson she’s been trying to learn since Chapter 46. So, final tally.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by KazuyaGive Kazuya a replacement girlfriend for Chizuru
Now we have our final tally, let’s move onto the next question.
Does Ruka effect change on or offer insight into the characters around her?
No.
In my article about Kazuya, you’ll notice the two people that affect positive change in his life are Chizuru and Sumi. Ruka does not once inspire, inform, or influence Kazuya or his growth. All she ever does is make Kazuya feel guilty about being stuck in this relationship he doesn’t want.
We don’t even learn anything new about Kazuya through Ruka. His qualities, his growth, his backstory, his motivations. We learn all that through Chizuru.
Does she change or impact Chizuru? No. All of the events that change Chizuru are either provoked by Kazuya, driven by Kazuya, the influence of Kazuya’s family, the influence of her own family, or a confrontation with Mami. None of Ruka’s provocations leads to any impact to the plot outside of keeping her in it. Not even the not sleeping with Kazuya has any lasting effect on the plot, as the trust Chizuru has with Kazuya already means she believes him when he tells her the full story.
And, once again, we don’t learn anything new about Chizuru through Ruka. Much like how we learn about Kazuya through Chizuru, we learn about Chizuru through Kazuya.
Now, let's look at how the other girls interact and commentate on each other. Chizuru, Sumi, and Mami all have different dynamics that play off each other, commentate on each other, and present different perspectives on the plot and its commentary on relationships.
Mami and Chizuru exist as opposites, Mami uses a fake, loving persona to hide her dark feelings of obsession, spite and vindictiveness, whereas Chizuru uses a cold, unfeeling exterior to hide her tender, honest and caring feelings. When Mami and Chizuru interact, we get to see a clash and commentary on the difference between feelings of infatuation and obsession and the feelings of honesty, openness and genuine affection. Mami hurts Kazuya. Chizuru heals Kazuya. Focusing on Mami keeps Kazuya stagnant and trapped in his bad habits. Focusing on Chizuru gives Kazuya the opportunity to grow and better himself as a person.
Sumi and Chizuru exist as opposites, Chizuru can say almost everything she wants except for what she really wants to say, and Sumi struggles to say anything, but never fails to say what she really feels. When Sumi and Chizuru… Wait, they don’t actually share a page either. Ever. BUT. Sumi always shows up during a period of conflict, confusion and deadlock. Usually from someone refusing to open up. The commentary here is that Chizuru closes off and hides whenever she feels overwhelmed. Through Sumi, the series shows and demonstrates the value of opening up to people, being there for each other, the theme of support. It’s a lesson Kazuya learns, and informs how he interacts with Chizuru, finding new ways that he can learn to support her. Through this dynamic, the series teaches us the value of vulnerability and support by demonstration.
Mami and Sumi exist as opposites, Mami is the girl that says a lot but does nothing but lie, and Sumi is the girl who says barely anything, but always tells the truth. I don’t think I need to tell you that the core theme of Mami’s actions is acting through manipulation. Using manipulation, she’s able to confuse Kazuya and lead him astray. But relying on manipulation leads to the two growing apart fast. Sumi however acts purely out of honesty, goodwill, and dare I say it, purity. Through Sumi’s earnestness, she’s able to influence and help Kazuya grow, and they become incredibly close friends fast. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what that message is.
Each dynamic interacts with each other, advances the plot, and informs Kazuya and his growth. Each dynamic exists to provide commentary on certain behaviours.
Now, let’s look at the dynamics Ruka has with the other girls
Ruka exists purely to agitate Chizuru. She doesn’t idealistically oppose Chizuru in any way.Ruka Yells Mami out of the plot in the only interaction they have.Ruka and Sumi never meet.
There, one character she interacts with and fails to enrich. And two characters she either barely meets or never meets. And there’s a reason Ruka is never able to affect change on anyone else. Because Ruka never changes herself.
Does Ruka herself grow?
Again, no.
Ruka is a selfish character. She starts off the series as a character focused on finding “heartpounding experiences”. Experiences that make her feel things. The big D O K I D O K I. I mean, look at her confession. It’s all about her and how she feels. “You’re the first to go above 90 points.” “I’ve been looking for a passionate person.” “You would be able to treat your real girlfriend 1000 times better” “So I’m ahead then” “He’s mine now!” “I won’t let anyone else be by his side!” “You have no idea how much I searched for him!” “I thought I had to do this, otherwise you wouldn’t go out with me!” “Please let me be your girlfriend!”
Only once does she ever consider how Kazuya feels. “I know that you’re in love with Chizuru.” She knows this isn’t what he wants. But she still tries to force it because it’s what she wants.
Now, let's look at The Girlfriend and the Promise. “I want you to touch me.” “I! AM! YOUR! GIRLFRIEND!” Checking she’s still above 90 points. “Okay, I’m ready now!” “I don’t feel that way at all! “I’ve always wanted to be treated like a princess” “You’re my soulmate! I’ve finally met the one!” “Because I, for one, had a great time!” “Because it's my dream! To call my boyfriend by his name!” “Take that Chizuru-san. Now I’m in the lead!”
I mean, we can grant her some leeway as it’s her birthday, but everything is still about her. Responding to Kazuya opening up about his concerns is about her. She’s still obsessed over her heart rate and how she feels. She only cares about her being able to not use honorifics. And then you have the soulmate line. It’s not “We’re soulmates”, it’s “You’re my soulmate!” not once does she stop to think if she is Kazuya’s soul mate. She’s still acting just as selfish and inconsiderate of Kazuya. She’s had a whole 113 chapters to grow and change. And here she is not doing that.
And she doesn’t learn anything. I mean, she understands the lesson she should be learning. But she refuses to fucking learn it. And keep in mind in one of those examples is sexual assault. The girl who knows she shouldn’t be forcing herself onto Kazuya sexually assaults Kazuya. And she does so because she doesn’t care about learning her lesson. Because it doesn’t matter what Kazuya thinks. This is the only thing that matters to Ruka.
She’s still the same selfish girl, not caring what Kazuya actually wants, but just searching for the big D O K I D O K I.
Can any of these things be done by other characters?
Let’s get a look at that final tally again.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend and her lack of intimacy with KazuyaNot be loved by KazuyaYell Mami out of the plotGet Chizuru to the party.Yaemori finds out about the rental girlfriend situation
First, I want to tackle the Yaemori situation. Note the manner in which she finds out. She records the exchange on the front balcony. We also know that Yaemori can hear their numerous conversations on the balcony. So, it’s not unfeasible to think that Yaemori could overhear the details of the rental girlfriend situation from their rear balcony talks, and has devices to record it.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend and her lack of intimacy with KazuyaNot be loved by KazuyaYell Mami out of the plotGet Chizuru to the party.
Now, getting Chizuru to the party. Remember, Chizuru wants to go to the party. And it’s actually Sayuri that forces her to go to the party. All we would miss from Ruka is this page of Chizuru going “i-its not like I like Kazuya or anything”. Ruka isn’t actually needed to get Chizuru to the party.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend and her lack of intimacy with KazuyaNot be loved by KazuyaYell Mami out of the plot
You know who else confronts Chizuru about her rental relationship with Kazuya and attacks their lack of intimacy? Mami.
Okay, let me tell you a little story. After a long thread with /u/Kerzic really diving deep into the relationship of Chizuru and Kazuya, it really got me thinking about what all the girls said about love. So I went off and I did some analysis, came up with some lovely structure, dug into the themes, related them to the girls. Badda bing badda boom I started writing. Started with Mami, wrote a couple pages. Moved on to Sumi, wrote a couple pages. Then I came to Ruka.
I started writing. And I didn’t stop writing. I had found a point to really eviscerate Ruka, piling on evidence after evidence, reference after reference at just how damaging, unfulfilling, and pointless this relationship with Kazuya was. But every page I added, I kept on being pulled back to Mami. I kept growing frustrated and unsatisfied with the analysis I had done on Mami. And I didn’t know why. I just knew there was more there, but couldn’t put my finger on it. Then, one thread, it clicked.
Ruka ruined Mami’s character. By existing as a bleached version of Mami.
It all made sense. Ruka and Mami both confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend. Both confront Chizuru on her inability to be truly intimate with Kazuya. Both serve antagonistic roles to Chizuru. Then I started to look deeper into the beats of how Ruka fits into the story. Using blackmail to get into a relationship with Kazuya. Using lies and deceit to try and drive a wedge between Kazuya and Chizuru. Using her sexuality to confuse and upset Kazuya. Trapping Kazuya in a relationship that stagnates his growth and doesn’t offer him personal enrichment.
Fuck, Mami was supposed to play this role, wasn’t she?
When you insert Mami into every situation Ruka occupies, it starts to say more about the relationship itself, and how it interacts with the other characters. The commentary on infatuation and love becomes more interesting when Mami is the one in the relationship with Kazuya because it speaks to Kazuya’s relationship with infatuation and love. Being a driving wedge between Kazuya and Chizuru becomes more interesting when it is done by a character who could believably effect those changes. Being a relationship that only stagnates and holds you back offers an interesting commentary when the harmful relationship is one with Kazuya’s first “love”. Even the theme of infatuation vs love still works with Mami in the driver’s seat of this relationship. Look hard (hehe) at the mid-nut realisation. Whenever he thinks of Mami, he sexualises her. When he thinks about Chizuru, he thinks about moments of kindness and emotional connection.
Man, Ruka can’t even keep not being loved by Kazuya to herself.
The only reason Mami is relevant to Kazuya now is his sense of obligation to his first love. Now imagine if the conflict became “She’s my first love, but I don’t want to be in this relationship any more”. Imagine if by having the relationship be with Mami, the driving force behind ending the relationship was Kazuya standing up for himself and what he wants, as a call back and rebuttal to himself at the start of the series, showing his growth as a character, rather than someone else taking ~120 chapters to realise they shouldn’t force a relationship? While the hanging thread of Mami’s twitter stalking and the movie premiere still leaves us hope that some of this might happen, imagine the impact of this being something Kazuya learns to do over the course of the series.
I bet what happened was that was Reiji’s initial plan, but the reaction to Mami led Reiji and his editors to get scared, scrapping this plan in favour of introducing another waifu that people would like to try and rescue his initial concept. A spoonful of sugar to make the Mami Medicine go down. Oh, and if Mami takes Ruka’s place in the plot, you don’t have to worry about yelling Mami out of the plot either.
Now, please note what the title doesn’t say. It does not say that Ruka is a bad person. It does not say that Ruka is a bad character. It says Ruka is an unnecessary character. Now, what is an unnecessary character? Well, unfortunately, there’s no simple google search result answer that I can point to, so I’m going to have to set some ground rules myself. In this context, I’m going to highlight these certain characteristics when I talk about unnecessary characters
Do they advance the plot in a way no other character possibly can?Do they offer additional insight into existing characters that no other character possibly can?Do they build upon the themes of the series in a way no other character possibly can?
If the answer to all three of these questions is no, then that character is unnecessary. Before we continue, I want to ask you certain questions, and I want you to think about them before I explain the answers to them. Those questions are:
How does Ruka advance the plot?Does Ruka effect change on or offer insight into the characters around her?Does Ruka herself grow as a character?Can any of these things be done by other characters?
Now, it’s going to be of no surprise that there will be manga spoilers within this piece. Spoilers for all the manga. If you haven’t read the manga. Go read the fucking manga. We’re here to engage with the text. We’re here to think critically about it and the characters in it. We’re being big girls here! So go read the fucking manga.
Before we get stuck in, let’s give a quick synopsis of Ruka as she is introduced.
Sarashina Ruka is a high schooler with Bradycardia, or “‘No Heartbeat’ condition”. Her condition causes her body to struggle when put under stress, whenever it needs to beat fast, but can’t. The effect it has on her life leads to her pulling back from certain things, should they stress her. This gives rise to an insecurity of feeling like she’s unable to feel. “It's kind of like I'm a robot...”. After a conversation with her classmates about love, she becomes a rental girlfriend to seek out an experience that can cause her heart to race. And where does she find what she’s looking for? Through Kazuya. This inspires her to “search for even more heart pounding experiences”
All that information is conveyed in one chapter, in one ED of the anime. And it’s the last meaningful character development Ruka has received as of 163 chapters of the manga. Now, let’s get to answering questions.
How does Ruka advance the plot?
For the length of this piece, I’m going to keep a running tally of reasons for Ruka to be in the plot. So, let’s start with how she’s introduced. Our intrepid duo, Kazuya and Chizuru, are hanging out on a date after returning from the Onsen, debriefing both the onsen trip and the beach arc, when they run into Kuribayashi Shun. You know, this guy. Turns out, young Kuri has a girlfriend too, and would just love to go on a double date. We then (literally) run into Ruka. One chapter later and guess who the girlfriend is (Note: the scream Aleks Lee (Kazuya’s dub VA) makes when Ruka pops on screen is hilarious)
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s girlfriend.
At the end of the chapter, she confronts Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend. She then proceeds to provoke and agitate Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend. Calling them out by saying “If you’re lovers, then kiss him”
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend and her lack of intimacy with Kazuya
The rest of the date happens, and then Kazuya confronts her, wanting to promise her not to tell Kuri about their circumstances, explaining cursory details about the situation. Then, the obvious twist drops and we find out she is a rental girlfriend. Stuff happens, and then Ruka shows up for some reason, being that one girl who asks “where's her hug?”. Note, Kuri’s been suss about this the whole time, and after Ruka’s phone starts beeping, he catches them, and then Ruka does this.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.
Our heroes discuss the implications of this, when Ruka arrives to offer a solution. “I swear I won’t tell anyone about your relationship with Mizuhara… If you go out with me!” After this shocking development, they go into Kazuya’s apartment where she agitates Chizuru some more. Finally getting some alone time for 5 minutes, they come to the conclusion that Kazuya doesn’t love Ruka and should not go out with her. Instead they will come clean about their relationship to Kuri.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by Kazuya
After a good ol’ fashioned cry, Chizuru states that Kazuya should go out with Ruka, and they will not tell Kuri.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by Kazuya
Skipping over Christmas because no Ruka developments outside of not being loved by Kazuya, and we get the shrine visit arc. Where Ruka desperately brings up an idea to save her plot relevancy. “Introduce me to your grandmother”. Also known as giving Kazuya an out to the rental relationship. But, Grandma Nagomi does us a solid and shuts that shit down, as Ruka herself realises she has no plot relevance.
In the next arc, the gang finds out that Kuri’s gone all incel over the Ruka situation. So what does Kazuya decide to do? Tell Kuri.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by KazuyaGive Kazuya a replacement girlfriend for Chizuru
Now, it’s time for Highlight Reel Time. Chapter 46, Ruka learns the lesson she needs to learn throughout the plot and then proceeds to not follow her own advice, and almost has Kazuya settle for her. But after Chizuru and Mami walk by, to remind us who the plot relevant women in this show are, that idea gets ditched. Next arc “The Girlfriend and the Night”, she fails to sleep with Kazuya. Next arc, “The Ex and the Rental”, she yells Mami out of the plot. In “The Girlfriend, Visiting the Parents and Kiss”, she exists to fail at getting the family to like her, to give the plot a reason to hide from Kazuya that Chizuru actually wants to go to the party, and to sexually assault Kazuya.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by KazuyaGive Kazuya a replacement girlfriend for Chizuru
In “What I can do with my Girlfriend”, she fails to help Kazuya through the cluster-fuck that is his life, leaving him more confused about how to handle the situation. In “The Girlfriend and Room 203”, she exists to make Chizuru salty about not having her omurice liked, and causes a scene which lets Yaemori find out about the rental girlfriend situation. And to be another body on the film production, playing a nothing role in the movie.
In “The Girlfriend and the Promise” she drags Kazuya out on a date, does nothing to help his insecurities with the whole relationship thing, rants on about train lines and once again points out how not loved she is by Kazuya.
In “The Girlfriend and the Boyfriend”, she exists to say “wow, sad thing is sad”, and maybe, hopefully, finally internalise the lesson she’s been trying to learn since Chapter 46. So, final tally.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Be Kuri’s Girlfriend.Not be loved by KazuyaGive Kazuya a replacement girlfriend for Chizuru
Now we have our final tally, let’s move onto the next question.
Does Ruka effect change on or offer insight into the characters around her?
No.
In my article about Kazuya, you’ll notice the two people that affect positive change in his life are Chizuru and Sumi. Ruka does not once inspire, inform, or influence Kazuya or his growth. All she ever does is make Kazuya feel guilty about being stuck in this relationship he doesn’t want.
We don’t even learn anything new about Kazuya through Ruka. His qualities, his growth, his backstory, his motivations. We learn all that through Chizuru.
Does she change or impact Chizuru? No. All of the events that change Chizuru are either provoked by Kazuya, driven by Kazuya, the influence of Kazuya’s family, the influence of her own family, or a confrontation with Mami. None of Ruka’s provocations leads to any impact to the plot outside of keeping her in it. Not even the not sleeping with Kazuya has any lasting effect on the plot, as the trust Chizuru has with Kazuya already means she believes him when he tells her the full story.
And, once again, we don’t learn anything new about Chizuru through Ruka. Much like how we learn about Kazuya through Chizuru, we learn about Chizuru through Kazuya.
Now, let's look at how the other girls interact and commentate on each other. Chizuru, Sumi, and Mami all have different dynamics that play off each other, commentate on each other, and present different perspectives on the plot and its commentary on relationships.
Mami and Chizuru exist as opposites, Mami uses a fake, loving persona to hide her dark feelings of obsession, spite and vindictiveness, whereas Chizuru uses a cold, unfeeling exterior to hide her tender, honest and caring feelings. When Mami and Chizuru interact, we get to see a clash and commentary on the difference between feelings of infatuation and obsession and the feelings of honesty, openness and genuine affection. Mami hurts Kazuya. Chizuru heals Kazuya. Focusing on Mami keeps Kazuya stagnant and trapped in his bad habits. Focusing on Chizuru gives Kazuya the opportunity to grow and better himself as a person.
Sumi and Chizuru exist as opposites, Chizuru can say almost everything she wants except for what she really wants to say, and Sumi struggles to say anything, but never fails to say what she really feels. When Sumi and Chizuru… Wait, they don’t actually share a page either. Ever. BUT. Sumi always shows up during a period of conflict, confusion and deadlock. Usually from someone refusing to open up. The commentary here is that Chizuru closes off and hides whenever she feels overwhelmed. Through Sumi, the series shows and demonstrates the value of opening up to people, being there for each other, the theme of support. It’s a lesson Kazuya learns, and informs how he interacts with Chizuru, finding new ways that he can learn to support her. Through this dynamic, the series teaches us the value of vulnerability and support by demonstration.
Mami and Sumi exist as opposites, Mami is the girl that says a lot but does nothing but lie, and Sumi is the girl who says barely anything, but always tells the truth. I don’t think I need to tell you that the core theme of Mami’s actions is acting through manipulation. Using manipulation, she’s able to confuse Kazuya and lead him astray. But relying on manipulation leads to the two growing apart fast. Sumi however acts purely out of honesty, goodwill, and dare I say it, purity. Through Sumi’s earnestness, she’s able to influence and help Kazuya grow, and they become incredibly close friends fast. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what that message is.
Each dynamic interacts with each other, advances the plot, and informs Kazuya and his growth. Each dynamic exists to provide commentary on certain behaviours.
Now, let’s look at the dynamics Ruka has with the other girls
Ruka exists purely to agitate Chizuru. She doesn’t idealistically oppose Chizuru in any way.Ruka Yells Mami out of the plot in the only interaction they have.Ruka and Sumi never meet.
There, one character she interacts with and fails to enrich. And two characters she either barely meets or never meets. And there’s a reason Ruka is never able to affect change on anyone else. Because Ruka never changes herself.
Does Ruka herself grow?
Again, no.
Ruka is a selfish character. She starts off the series as a character focused on finding “heartpounding experiences”. Experiences that make her feel things. The big D O K I D O K I. I mean, look at her confession. It’s all about her and how she feels. “You’re the first to go above 90 points.” “I’ve been looking for a passionate person.” “You would be able to treat your real girlfriend 1000 times better” “So I’m ahead then” “He’s mine now!” “I won’t let anyone else be by his side!” “You have no idea how much I searched for him!” “I thought I had to do this, otherwise you wouldn’t go out with me!” “Please let me be your girlfriend!”
Only once does she ever consider how Kazuya feels. “I know that you’re in love with Chizuru.” She knows this isn’t what he wants. But she still tries to force it because it’s what she wants.
Now, let's look at The Girlfriend and the Promise. “I want you to touch me.” “I! AM! YOUR! GIRLFRIEND!” Checking she’s still above 90 points. “Okay, I’m ready now!” “I don’t feel that way at all! “I’ve always wanted to be treated like a princess” “You’re my soulmate! I’ve finally met the one!” “Because I, for one, had a great time!” “Because it's my dream! To call my boyfriend by his name!” “Take that Chizuru-san. Now I’m in the lead!”
I mean, we can grant her some leeway as it’s her birthday, but everything is still about her. Responding to Kazuya opening up about his concerns is about her. She’s still obsessed over her heart rate and how she feels. She only cares about her being able to not use honorifics. And then you have the soulmate line. It’s not “We’re soulmates”, it’s “You’re my soulmate!” not once does she stop to think if she is Kazuya’s soul mate. She’s still acting just as selfish and inconsiderate of Kazuya. She’s had a whole 113 chapters to grow and change. And here she is not doing that.
And she doesn’t learn anything. I mean, she understands the lesson she should be learning. But she refuses to fucking learn it. And keep in mind in one of those examples is sexual assault. The girl who knows she shouldn’t be forcing herself onto Kazuya sexually assaults Kazuya. And she does so because she doesn’t care about learning her lesson. Because it doesn’t matter what Kazuya thinks. This is the only thing that matters to Ruka.
She’s still the same selfish girl, not caring what Kazuya actually wants, but just searching for the big D O K I D O K I.
Can any of these things be done by other characters?
Let’s get a look at that final tally again.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend and her lack of intimacy with KazuyaNot be loved by KazuyaYell Mami out of the plotGet Chizuru to the party.Yaemori finds out about the rental girlfriend situation
First, I want to tackle the Yaemori situation. Note the manner in which she finds out. She records the exchange on the front balcony. We also know that Yaemori can hear their numerous conversations on the balcony. So, it’s not unfeasible to think that Yaemori could overhear the details of the rental girlfriend situation from their rear balcony talks, and has devices to record it.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend and her lack of intimacy with KazuyaNot be loved by KazuyaYell Mami out of the plotGet Chizuru to the party.
Now, getting Chizuru to the party. Remember, Chizuru wants to go to the party. And it’s actually Sayuri that forces her to go to the party. All we would miss from Ruka is this page of Chizuru going “i-its not like I like Kazuya or anything”. Ruka isn’t actually needed to get Chizuru to the party.
Reasons for Ruka to be in the Plot:
Confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend and her lack of intimacy with KazuyaNot be loved by KazuyaYell Mami out of the plot
You know who else confronts Chizuru about her rental relationship with Kazuya and attacks their lack of intimacy? Mami.
Okay, let me tell you a little story. After a long thread with /u/Kerzic really diving deep into the relationship of Chizuru and Kazuya, it really got me thinking about what all the girls said about love. So I went off and I did some analysis, came up with some lovely structure, dug into the themes, related them to the girls. Badda bing badda boom I started writing. Started with Mami, wrote a couple pages. Moved on to Sumi, wrote a couple pages. Then I came to Ruka.
I started writing. And I didn’t stop writing. I had found a point to really eviscerate Ruka, piling on evidence after evidence, reference after reference at just how damaging, unfulfilling, and pointless this relationship with Kazuya was. But every page I added, I kept on being pulled back to Mami. I kept growing frustrated and unsatisfied with the analysis I had done on Mami. And I didn’t know why. I just knew there was more there, but couldn’t put my finger on it. Then, one thread, it clicked.
Ruka ruined Mami’s character. By existing as a bleached version of Mami.
It all made sense. Ruka and Mami both confront Chizuru about being a rental girlfriend. Both confront Chizuru on her inability to be truly intimate with Kazuya. Both serve antagonistic roles to Chizuru. Then I started to look deeper into the beats of how Ruka fits into the story. Using blackmail to get into a relationship with Kazuya. Using lies and deceit to try and drive a wedge between Kazuya and Chizuru. Using her sexuality to confuse and upset Kazuya. Trapping Kazuya in a relationship that stagnates his growth and doesn’t offer him personal enrichment.
Fuck, Mami was supposed to play this role, wasn’t she?
When you insert Mami into every situation Ruka occupies, it starts to say more about the relationship itself, and how it interacts with the other characters. The commentary on infatuation and love becomes more interesting when Mami is the one in the relationship with Kazuya because it speaks to Kazuya’s relationship with infatuation and love. Being a driving wedge between Kazuya and Chizuru becomes more interesting when it is done by a character who could believably effect those changes. Being a relationship that only stagnates and holds you back offers an interesting commentary when the harmful relationship is one with Kazuya’s first “love”. Even the theme of infatuation vs love still works with Mami in the driver’s seat of this relationship. Look hard (hehe) at the mid-nut realisation. Whenever he thinks of Mami, he sexualises her. When he thinks about Chizuru, he thinks about moments of kindness and emotional connection.
Man, Ruka can’t even keep not being loved by Kazuya to herself.
The only reason Mami is relevant to Kazuya now is his sense of obligation to his first love. Now imagine if the conflict became “She’s my first love, but I don’t want to be in this relationship any more”. Imagine if by having the relationship be with Mami, the driving force behind ending the relationship was Kazuya standing up for himself and what he wants, as a call back and rebuttal to himself at the start of the series, showing his growth as a character, rather than someone else taking ~120 chapters to realise they shouldn’t force a relationship? While the hanging thread of Mami’s twitter stalking and the movie premiere still leaves us hope that some of this might happen, imagine the impact of this being something Kazuya learns to do over the course of the series.
I bet what happened was that was Reiji’s initial plan, but the reaction to Mami led Reiji and his editors to get scared, scrapping this plan in favour of introducing another waifu that people would like to try and rescue his initial concept. A spoonful of sugar to make the Mami Medicine go down. Oh, and if Mami takes Ruka’s place in the plot, you don’t have to worry about yelling Mami out of the plot either.
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@Sekijou23
I think you are wrong about Ruka. We just disagree fundamentally.
Also lets just drop the whole "what ifs" concerning crimes.
How many times has Kaz slapped a girl in this Manga? Let's ask Yaemori if her head is still hurting.
It is technically Simple assault.
Grandma had to check him last chapter slapping Ruka mouth shut. That was like the 3rd time.
🧐
I like Ruka because she is honest. Chizuru is a Money-Grubbing liar.
Chizuru did not need to even be there. Ruka was taking over as Bestgirl....
and Chizuru should let her. It was selfish of her to show up knowing she wasnt needed.
I think you are wrong about Ruka. We just disagree fundamentally.
Also lets just drop the whole "what ifs" concerning crimes.
How many times has Kaz slapped a girl in this Manga? Let's ask Yaemori if her head is still hurting.
It is technically Simple assault.
Grandma had to check him last chapter slapping Ruka mouth shut. That was like the 3rd time.
🧐
I like Ruka because she is honest. Chizuru is a Money-Grubbing liar.
Chizuru did not need to even be there. Ruka was taking over as Bestgirl....
and Chizuru should let her. It was selfish of her to show up knowing she wasnt needed.
@Bestgirl_Ruka
I'm married. 😑
Kazuya was taken by surprise. He did push her off, then she launched back on him. Keep in mind he's a virgin and has conflicting emotions. The fact that he pushed her away made it pretty clear that he didn't want to do this.
Again, virgin, conflicting emotions. Does not mean he didn't want it to happen. You're trying too hard to excuse Ruka's behavior.
Of course it will. The court almost always favors women in domestic violence, sexual assault, divorce and child custody cases. This is part of the reason why men are several times more likely to abuse substances or commit suicide.
I've made my case. Your attempt to ad hominem with the virgin remark has fallen flat.
I'm married. 😑
Kazuya was taken by surprise. He did push her off, then she launched back on him. Keep in mind he's a virgin and has conflicting emotions. The fact that he pushed her away made it pretty clear that he didn't want to do this.
Again, virgin, conflicting emotions. Does not mean he didn't want it to happen. You're trying too hard to excuse Ruka's behavior.
Of course it will. The court almost always favors women in domestic violence, sexual assault, divorce and child custody cases. This is part of the reason why men are several times more likely to abuse substances or commit suicide.
I've made my case. Your attempt to ad hominem with the virgin remark has fallen flat.
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@Sprawl No you are wrong and just are trying to add fluff to a useless argument.
If you explained this to ANYONE in reality they'd laugh at you.
As i told @Sekijou23, Drop the what-ifs assault talk.
Ruka and Yaemori would have a more compelling case of Simple Assault against Kaz.
And if you dont think that is offensive, the next time your Spouse fixes her(or his?🧐) mouth to say something you want unsaid try slapping their mouth shut with your hands.
Just drop it already.
And yea he was taken by surprise but he didnt push her away until 10 seconds later.
Do you understand how long 10 seconds is kissing?
If Kibe or Yuri tried to kiss Kaz suddenly how fkn quick do you think he would have stopped it?
He liked the Kiss. Just admit that you are literally reading it wrong.
btw @Sekijou23
Let the girl Fight for Love
If you explained this to ANYONE in reality they'd laugh at you.
As i told @Sekijou23, Drop the what-ifs assault talk.
Ruka and Yaemori would have a more compelling case of Simple Assault against Kaz.
And if you dont think that is offensive, the next time your Spouse fixes her(or his?🧐) mouth to say something you want unsaid try slapping their mouth shut with your hands.
Just drop it already.
And yea he was taken by surprise but he didnt push her away until 10 seconds later.
Do you understand how long 10 seconds is kissing?
If Kibe or Yuri tried to kiss Kaz suddenly how fkn quick do you think he would have stopped it?
He liked the Kiss. Just admit that you are literally reading it wrong.
btw @Sekijou23
Ok Uncle Scrooge. 😂
Let the girl Fight for Love
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