[Discussion] Zenkai Girl

After episode 9, I still like Wakaba too. I haven't watched 10 yet..saving that for my weekend. I have cringed at some of the cold / hard things she has said and done as well but whenever I see the flashbacks from her childhood I forgive her. She did what she had to do to survive the harsh world she grew up in...My heart melts at her tough shell and her stunted emotional growth. I agree with you. She may not deserve Sota right now but they are a perfect compliment to each other. I can already feel the love they have even if Wakaba is too stunted to recognize it or too scared to act on it.

next week's epi is the last.

i was really rooting for her in the beginning and i found myself forgiving her cruelty each epi until epi 8. lol the epi that damned wakaba. then her lame attempt at a confession had me rooting for soyoko even though i know a relationship bw her and sota won't work just like shindo and wakaba don't work cuz there is no chemistry or desire for each other. but damn it just once it would be nice for the good person to win in a drama, soyoko really deserves to be the one with sota. seriously i was rooting for wakaba and sota and now i just think she does not deserve a man as good as he is given the way she has treated him. i'm just thinking if the roles were reversed and sota treated her as cruelly as she treated him i would want to crucify him and i'd think she is stupid to want a man like that. i've yelled at my computer calling sota an idiot multiple times.lol.

it's a great drama and i'm sad it's coming to an end. epi 10 was a good change of pace. wakaba was generally kind to sota, it was nice to see her be jealous of soyoka and to be a lil down on herself. BAKA!! those kids were too cute in this epi. they are a huge part of why this drama is so amazing. i will missing seeing them on my computer each week.

i hope the fall drama season will have as many amazing dramas as this summer season had.

Finished it.
GREAT RIDE!!!
I loved this drama through and through: the characters, the setting, the music, the acting. The kids were such a wonderful pleasure to watch and listen to, I nominee them my favourite side characters ever! :D

I agree, Wakaba's father made me cry, I couldn't believe it when I saw the way she treated him, sometimes I just felt she was an ingratful selfish b*tch. But, in the end of episode 11, I still tought I'll miss her.
But am I the only one to think the real couple of the story is Pitaro and Hinata ? (especially those who've seen episode 10 and 11 will understand what I mean)

Those kids are adorable... I still need to watch last two episodes Ill come back and agree with you hahaha :p

NinaJade82 wrote: Im with you boutux... I hope it continues to be this good. I have been watching nothing but good dramas this season.
About Wakaba... man! Lets gang up on her and poke her forehead a few time... the way she treated her father is just not excusable. We can find a million reasons why she is HORRIBLE to such a good man like Shota, but to her dad?
You are right... if the tables were turned. Everyone would be hating Shota to the max, and there would not be a chance for him. Why, because he is a man? lol
I have yet to watch episode 10. I will miss Wakaba, despite everything!!! :)

Please, don't be offended, but this is very unfair. 90% of the dramas we all watch and enjoy depict an arrogant, selfish man who finally sees the light thanks to a humble woman. We hang on there because we know he's going to change and because, let's be honest here, most of the time he's a hot hunk.
Since I started watching asian dramas, I've read hundreds of posts of viewers hating the second female character: this one is a b*tch, the other one should die, I can't stand her, she's horrible, etc.etc. The same cannot be said about the male b*tches in the show.
The most vehement comments range from "he shouldn't treat her that way" to "oh, let's hope he falls in love with her".

So, for once we have a true anti-heroine and a very humble hero. Yes, she was horrible in many instances. But this drama, like many others, was the journey of a character, from a self-centred, material person to a human being. I wasn't more lenient towards her because she was a woman: I just kind of saw her reasons and comprehended them, even without sympathizing.

I am not confused with what the writers have tried to do with Wakaba, here is what I said days ago in this thread:

wrote: In fact, I think the writer/s might have just thought of writing a story with a protagonist that has very little appeal to the viewer. Is like they said (or he/she I don't know if its by many writers): "Everybody writes about protagonists that change for the better, or female leads that are constantly good... what happens to those people that are not NICE, but have some things that they should be proud of, and that everyone else should strive to accomplish as well. Here is that person. And we will not make her any better, because she is who she is, and people in life aren't always going to be liked by others. So... here I present to you, a story with a protagonist that you can all hate, and will hate, but you should pay attention!!!"

amrita828 wrote: Please, don't be offended, but this is very unfair. 90% of the dramas we all watch and enjoy depict an arrogant, selfish man who finally sees the light thanks to a humble woman. We hang on there because we know he's going to change and because, let's be honest here, most of the time he's a hot hunk.
Since I started watching asian dramas, I've read hundreds of posts of viewers hating the second female character: this one is a b*tch, the other one should die, I can't stand her, she's horrible, etc.etc. The same cannot be said about the male b*tches in the show.
The most vehement comments range from "he shouldn't treat her that way" to "oh, let's hope he falls in love with her".

So, for once we have a true anti-heroine and a very humble hero. Yes, she was horrible in many instances. But this drama, like many others, was the journey of a character, from a self-centred, material person to a human being. I wasn't more lenient towards her because she was a woman: I just kind of saw her reasons and comprehended them, even without sympathizing.

I understand your point, and I think your generalization maybe correct. However, as one of the people on this thread who has strongly voiced my dislike for her character, I can honestly say that I tend to dislike characters like her across the board regardless of gender. In fact, her character type is my pet peeve in real life.

But I can think of one example of a male character with a similarly rude and selfish behavior who ended up with the lead female and didn't bother me: Domuyoji from HYD. I didn't like him, but it didn't bother me that he ended up with the female lead (I can't remember her name). I think it may be because I didn't like the female lead either, so I just thought they deserved each other, lol. I think I am in the minority for this opinion though.

A really great comparison for your point would be Shindo-sensei and Sakuragawa-sensei. They have every similar personalities to me, but I think people may respond to them differently because of their genders.