Kanojo, Okarishimasu - Vol. 20 Ch. 175 - The Girlfriend and the Sigh

[HalfCanadian]

With Umi coming back into the picture, here's some possible events (from least to most likely):

1) He runs into Ruka, recognizes her from the movie (because of course he saw it), and starts talking and flirting with her. This takes her out of her infatuation with Kazuya. If this happens, the series will wrap up soon.
2) He runs into Kazuya. They talk about Chizuru, and he tells her that he asked her to be his gf, and was shot down. Tells Kaz that Chizuru stated that she didn't like Kaz, but didn't not like him, which he took as her liking him. No idea what this will do to the length of the series. Kazuya might be encouraged to confess again, or he might be too intimidated.
3a) He runs into Chizuru, asks her to be his gf, and she accepts. If this happens, Chizuru will quit being a rental girlfriend, and her relationship with Kazuya will diminish (she already knows that Kazuya loves her). Kazuya may decide to pursue a relationship with Ruka (think back on her argument in the love hotel - she was right about everything). This will drag the series on considerably.
3b) He runs into Chizuru, asks her to be his gf, and she turns him down. If this happens, I wouldn't be surprised if Chizuru confesses to Kazuya. The series would wrap up soon.

There are still some areas where Kazuya needs growth.

Spoiler

His fear of inheriting the family shop is one point. I think that a story arc involving the movie would be interesting. The movie appears to have been well received. The director, I'm sure, will have submitted it to at least one film festival. A Japanese movie studio scouting for talent could see it, talk with the director, who heaped praise on, not only the lead actress, but the producer who made everything happen. This leads to a job at a movie studio, where Kaz realizes that he enjoys the work, and is actually pretty good at it. That leads to self-confidence, and self-confidence is attractive.

I also think that Chizuru is the last girl. He will end up with her. She has Grandma Nagomi's engagement ring. That's a plot device that you don't leave unresolved. Grandma Nagomi is going to learn about Chizuru being a rental girlfriend, and she will call her out on it. Chizuru will counter that she still has the ring, and has held onto it because she wants Kazuya to give it to her. After that, whether she was ever a rental girlfriend will be irrelevant. The fact that she held onto the ring means that she had some feelings for Kazuya. That's going to be a climactic moment in the series, and probably one that smacks Mami down.

 

[S0viet_Noob]

@startwindowsnormally

Think of it like this. A child is going bowling with their parents. It's their first time, so you'd expect them to be bad at it, yes? The child picks up the bowling ball, and throws it at the completely wrong lane. You'd expect the parents to say "Hey buddy that's not how you do it." or something of the sort, no? But instead, they say "Keep going, you're doing great!" Where does that get anybody? The child believes they're a master at bowling and continues to do things in such a way. Until 1 day, somebody comes and says "Hey, you're doing it wrong." and they don't believe it. Why, you ask? It's because their entire life, they were told by their parents they were doing it right, so now they are too ignorant to change.

Do you see what I'm trying to say? Kazuya doesn't need somebody who can except him as plain old Kazuya that 3 out of 5 viewers shit talk every chapter. Sure, Chizuru may be bland, but she is definitely not holding Kazuya back. Kazuya doesn't need a feel good machine, he needs somebody who can constantly help him improve. If anything, your case makes it sound like Ruka should be his therapist. You also say Ruka is emotionally intelligent. The whole reason Chizuru is emotionally idiotic is because she is a girlfriend you can fucking buy! How do you expect her to know her feelings when she disregards them and acts all the time? Do you know who it was that made her actually start to know what it's like to have feelings? It was Kazuya! (and Yaemori but that's besides the point) Kazuya made her realize there is more to it than just being a "girlfriend". Remember that Kazuya didn't do all that because they were in the grandparent situation, it's because he loves her! He did that all by his own merit! But then comes Ruka, the self-absorbed little asshole that got better with time, but is still there for no good reason at all. You have to remember, Chizuru was there before Ruka and Ruka should really has no place in Kazuya's life. Honestly, I do agree. Chizuru is pretty basic. But compared to Chizuru, Ruka is just fucking terrible! A relationship between Ruka and Kazuya would not last for very long, because they'd soon realize that it doesn't work the way Ruka thinks it does.

You also make Chizuru sound like a selfish bastard. She cares too, you know. In fact, she cared enough to follow Kazuya throughout his troubles, even crying on him at one point. The lack of chapters focused on what Chizuru thinks is what I'm assuming makes people think that Ruka is a better fit. Her character just hasn't been explained. I just wish Chizuru could have as many thought panels as Kazuya. Then maybe we wouldn't be so confused as to where the story is going and maybe even end it sooner. If we got to see what was inside of Chizuru's head, then I feel a lot of people would have a sense of security and relief for their view or purchase of the manga.

 

[seanibez]

lemme not lie the authors really stretching it at this point
I didnt mind cuz i understand the fact that a realistic relationship wont form after a few days but now the authors really pulling it
I like the manga nonetheless and its a good read but.....
Its really being stretched i'd say at this rate kazuya and chizuru will be dating at latest ch.200

 

[AMIdrissi]

@redwolf6056 respect for that comment , if you go to the early chapters and look at the caracters you realise that they actually recieved a decent caracter developpement , so let's just stop complaining and let's just enjoy it shall we

 

[gleamingcobra]

@S0viet_Noob Chizuru is enabling and has enabled Kazuya's unhealthy spending habits, although this is more his fault than hers. But stop abusing my man's wallet.

 

[Sekijou23]

@S0viet_Noob you're the first person I've seen call Chizuru bland. I'm... honestly surprised. What makes you think she's bland.

 

[startwindowsnormally]

@S0viet_Noob
Your analogy unfortunately fails, as you've misunderstood what it means to have any of the female characters accept Kazuya for who he is. None of the characters like the emotionally worn down, self-deprecating Kazuya, as that's not who Kazuya is. Kazuya is passionate, hopeful, and selfless person. Ruka caught a glimpse of those attributes that day on the bridge, and something in her realized Kazuya's true value as his passion broke through to Ruka's heart, causing her to fall in love with him, the real him. Sumi, Ruka, and Chizuru all accept Kazuya for who he is, not his current outlook on himself.

Chizuru recognizes she has feeling, but Kazuya forces her to confront them. Chizuru isn't emotionally idiotic because she's a rental girlfriend, she's emotionally idiotic because it's inconvenient for her to confront her feelings, and she has different ways of expressing herself. This isn't to bash on Chizuru, she is a tsundere and quite the independent spirit, she has different ways of showing affection. That is why I've said Chizuru is a bad fit for Kazuya, not a bad person, in fact she is very self sacrificing. The problem is Kazuya will spend his life pouring out his heart and his soul to Chizuru, only to have her reciprocate in a way that he doesn't understand, leading him to try even harder, or become stressed and fell rejected. Chizuru wouldn't mean to inflict these negative emotions upon Kazuya, she just isn't as open with her affections, and she needs room to mentally "stretch her arms" or take a break for a time.

Ruka exists to challenge Kazuya to stand up for himself and set boundaries. Recently, she's been challenging him to grow in showing his own emotions, as well as recognizing the emotional needs of others, and how to react. Ruka's not a bland character, as the arcs that she's in often either introduce a conflict, or points one out, has some drama surrounding that conflict, and then resolves it. As for being self-absorbed, I would agree with you if you were posting this pre-new years arc, but post new years arc, Ruka realizes that she doesn't want to hurt anybody. In order for her to not hurt anybody, she must allow some concessions for the happiness of Kazuya's family, and the wellbeing of Kazuya. You are correct that a relationship between Kazuya and Ruka would not go according to Ruka's fantasies, but we've seen Ruka take a near constant emotional curb-stomping, and still relentlessly pursue Kazuya's love. She's adaptable, committed, and resilient, leading me to believe that despite there being inevitable adversity in their relationship, she would persevere to make the relationship work.

I agree that Chizuru is woefully under utilized as a character, that's why I want her to have her own spin-off series without Kazuya or Ruka playing a major part. As I've said previously, Chizuru is limited by the narrative she is currently in.

 

[Sekijou23]

@startwindowsnormally Chizuru's under utilize? I don't know, because i often seen people praise her foe reasons i can't think of..

 

[S0viet_Noob]

I encourage that we terminate this impractical debate, as it seems presently we don't see eye-to-eye on the matter of interpretation nor the grounds of this dispute. Kazuya's well being and his own interpretation of what Chizuru does to show affection is certainly more important than the thought that's behind it, right? Because Kazuya is the main character.

We all know that Ruka isn't going to win anyways, so there is no rationale nor purpose of this banter.

 

[S0viet_Noob]

@Sekijou23 I was only reflecting on what @startwindowsnormally said. Although when you look at it, Chizuru is not really focused on, instead is the focus of Kazuya's head. We've never gotten to see what she really thinks unless it's through specific communication (Example being when Umi asked her if she liked Kazuya) which is what led me to ultimately call her bland. Me and @startwindowsnormally butt heads, not literally or actually, but when it comes to interpretation of the series and opinions, it appears as such. In my opinion, Ruka shouldn't even be in the manga.

 

[Ragegamer334]

Bruh, I can't even process anything you guys are flipping saying

 

[Strollas]

everythung feels sso slow

 

[arimareiji]

@startwindowsnormally You joked about it being drivel, but I think you locked onto a critical aspect that's easy to overlook:
What makes a relationship work or not comes down to whether both meet the other's deepest needs.
Collapsing for space:

Spoiler

In an unhealthy relationship, one person's deepest needs can temporarily be filled by "making the other person happy". And sometimes that can last. But it's like building on a foundation of sand.

As life goes on, things constantly change around us and pull us in different directions. We tend to react to those changes based on our deepest needs, which may pull us in a different direction than someone with different needs. In a healthy relationship, it's possible to talk out the differences and find a middle ground you can both stand on.

But how do you do that when every time you bring up differences, it's met by sheer denial that there are any? How do you meet someone halfway when all they'll ever voice as a need is "Whatever makes you happy"? And how do you stay happy when it becomes increasingly obvious that the person you love is not meeting their own needs, is not happy except inasmuch as they please you, and considers you responsible for maintaining this state of affairs?

Let's pretend Kazuya is a master of appearances 🤣 and a paragon of self-control 🤣🤣🤣, and he never gives Chizuru a hint of any of this as he gives up on any of his own needs by always chasing "what Chizuru wants". How will Chizuru feel when his family makes comments about the dreams he used to have? How will she feel when she finds out it's not just her gut feeling (despite Kazuya constantly telling her otherwise) - her grandmother's good friend, his outspoken grandmother, can also see as plain as day that Kazuya has sacrificed his identity? How deep will that blade cut, no matter how kindly it's put?

 

[Bestgirl_Ruka]

@startwindowsnormally

Too much "What if" in that post.

Spoiler

I'm sure Reiji has firmly given up writing for Ruka.
She has been relegated to a useless side character.

Look no further than the so-called Hot Spring chapter.
Rieji built it up, then took a break, then returned with a garbage 1 page bath house date.
It was terrible. Thats when i knew he was done with her though.

 

[startwindowsnormally]

@arimareiji
I concur with what you said, and I want to expound on a topic you introduced in your post, specifically this one:
> "talk out the differences and find a middle ground"
Collapsing for space:

Spoiler

Also paramount to any relationship besides meeting needs is the ability to communicate , how else would you be able to find out if another person is capable of fulfilling your deepest needs, and vice versa. Kazuya and Chizuru have a serious communication issue, that being said, most romcoms/harem start with a miscommunication, but it should be obvious that the degree to which this miscommunication issue is far beyond others, which is why people are getting frustrated with the series. Kazuya and Chizuru communicate differently, nothing wrong with that, but they need somebody that understands what the other is trying to say. For Kazuya, saying "I love you" means "I love you". For Chizuru, going to the batting cage together means "I love you". Both are saying "I love you", but neither are understanding what the other is trying to say. This is part of why I'm against the Kazuya x Chizuru ship, because they can't effectively communicate to each other, that and Chizuru is too independent of a spirit to be around Kazuya's neediness all the time.

Ruka and Sumi can effectively communicate with Kazuya. Sumi might struggle from time to time due to her social anxiety, but Kazuya is a healthy relationship and helps her overcome her anxiety. Likewise with Ruka, should Kazuya fall in love with Ruka, the relationship would be extremely healthy, as Kazuya helps Ruka with her physical, mental, and emotional issues, and Ruka does the same in return as they are able to effectively communicate with each other. For this we have plenty of examples, but I won't elaborate now unless I'm asked specifically to.

I'm sure you understand, but I have an analogy I made up and want to use.

Think of Sumi, Ruka, and Chizuru as Rubix cubes that once solved will release unimaginable joy, but every once in a while, life will scramble the cube. The problem is, Kazuya doesn't know how to solve a Rubix cube, and needs directions. Sumi is like a Rubix cube that gives you directions on how to solves it. Yeah, she'll make a mistake here or there, but at least Kazuya has directions. Ruka is like a Rubix cube that tells you exactly how to solve it, twist by twist, something well within Kazuya's ability with a healthy line of communication. The problem with Chizuru is that she's a regular Rubix cube, no direction, no communication. Kazuya will spend a long time just trying to solve the Rubix cube once, if he's lucky. He can brute force it by tearing the pieces off the cube and reassembling it, but nobody wants to brute force a cube every time as the time and energy wasted is tremendous. Eventually, Kazuya will begin to despair from this struggle, and give up. Chizuru needs someone who enjoys her type of Rubix cube, who doesn't need to brute-force thing like Kazuya.

 

[startwindowsnormally]

@Bestgirl_Ruka
The big "What if" is does Reiji still like making money? Or is he tired of his time in the spotlight?
Collapsing for space:

Spoiler

While I don't doubt you, Reiji seems to be a good business man capitalizing of each girl's popularity(see the sumi spinoff), and has a tendency to subvert expectations. Reiji would be throwing away an astounding amount of money to either:
1) Not develop Ruka to such a point that she can accept Kazuya's rejection, and move on to star in her own spin-off.
2) Not Give Ruka a satisfying ending as things are right now (either death, or a fulfilling relationship with Kazuya).

While manga sales may not bring in huge amounts of income, physical merchandise is basically pure profit. You know what kills sales faster than a character dying? Ruining a character. With Ruka being the second most beloved by the fanbase as a whole, mainly for the strength of her character as well, that's a massive amount of fans he'd have to be willing to lose as potential buyers. It'd be much more profitable for him make Chizuru and Kazuya "friends" and swap Ruka in as a "lover" to fully capitalize on Chizuru's popularity in her own series.

I don't think Ruka has anything greater than a 10% chance, and even that is optimistic, but I can see it happening due to Reiji's tendency to subvert expectations. New Years Arc, "Ruka's gonna ruin things for grandma she's the worst!" Nope, Ruka shows character development. Boyfriend and the Girlfriend Arc, "Kazuya and Chizuru are finally going to be together!" Nope, at best we got some nuance, which is par the series. The (Provisional) Girlfriend and Hotsprings Arc, "Ruka's gonna bring up her heart condition and emotionally manipulate Kazuya into not leaving her!" Nope, Ruka challenges Kazuya to be more connected with his emotions, and how to act on them.

Going back to the hot springs, we've seen hyped up events go by with little attention. See Kazuya's birthday date with Ruka. Hyped for several chapters, got a couple pages at best. Another example is the movie premier, hyped up event, got like two pages. While thing do seem to be preparing for a conclusion, we've had the sense of a conclusion drawing near for sometime, once again, the movie premier was speculated to be an exit point, but was hardly a footnote. That being said, I do feel a conclusion is nearing, more than likely the main overarching problem of Kazuya and Chizuru dancing around their feelings may get resolved. However, if we waited all this time just for them to say "we're dating!" and it ends, or even worse, we get a time skip to them getting married, and we don't get to see them date, there will be a lot of mad people.

Other than that, what are some of your big "What if"? I may be able to address them as I didn't address all of the possibilities I had thought of, mainly due to not wanting to type them out.

*edit
I think Ruka and Mami might be swaping role importance for awhile. Similar to how Mami kind of vanished for awhile, so may Ruka, as this part of the story does not need any contribution from Ruka.

 

[Ragegamer334]

Jeez guys stop with the fucking discussions you're making it even more complicated than it already is

 

[WhisCalifa69]

Spoilers from 176

Spoiler

Umi invited both Kaz and Chiz to a party. Said party is on oct. 25th.
Kazuya doesn't know he is entering into the tiger's den (an explicit reference to Tiger Mask's tiger's den. So, Kazuya is on deep trouble)
Only 6 days left in-universe for Ruka's closure or the trial turning official, depending on how the party gets resolved.

 

[Ragegamer334]

@WhisCalifa69 Can ya Elaborate the last line in the spoiler?

 

[S0viet_Noob]

@startwindowsnormally

When I was reading that "Rubix Cube Analogy" of yours, it made me laugh. Solely because of 1 reason. Can you guess what it is? That you can quite literally learn to solve a rubix cube in 5 minutes. The fact that you make it sound like Ruka is handing everything to Kazuya like a spoiled child makes me think you're now struggling to get your original point across.

You have to realize that Kazuya won't just "begin to despair from this struggle, and give up." Why do you think he made the movie? It's because he was willing to go that far or do something he's never done before, just so he could help Chizuru. You have to remember he's willing to do stuff like that, even if it means starting something difficult and seeing it through. It's Kazuya's determination towards his feelings for Chizuru which cause him to do those things. I believe he would go that far, just to break the communication barrier between himself and the one he loves. He would become the type of person that likes Chizuru's rubix cube, and not be lying to himself at the same time. He can become that person with time, which is why I think Ruka and Sumi serve the purpose of helping and pushing him to become that person instead of keeping him as the person he is now.