Yes, I know that I have already written a discussion for Inu x Boku, but I have recently come back to it and have more to discuss that I didn't in the previous discussion.
I introduced my friend to anime, and the second one I suggested to watch with her was Inu x Boku SS. Inu x Boku has always been a special anime to me since the frist time I watched it, and I have just come to the realisation as to just how special it really is after watching it for a second time. It's a short anime, but it's perfect in it's entirety.
In my last discussion, I said things like the hentai-ish moments pulled it down, but now I have different opinions. I have decided that as cringe-worthy as they are, they are moments that make Inu x Boku, Inu x Boku - it adds to it's comedy or it's 'cheeky yet sincere' effect. I watched a 'live action' interview/ gathering of the Japanese voice actors of Inu x Boku, on YouTube. There were two videos, one that was about 2 hours and one that was about an hour and a half, and I watched both of them - mind you, there were no english subtitles, it was just me watching and listening with my little knowledge of Japanese language and gestures and references to the anime. I do greatly wish there was a version with english subtitles; I found it hilarious as it was, but I would find it a whole deal more if I understood exactly what they were saying and the jokes they were making xD Anyways, watching this live action brought me a lot closer to the anime as a whole and I developed a different love for each individual character as well as their voice actor. So watching the anime a second time round after watching that, I found myself constantly finding references to the live action, and appreciated the funny moments a lot more with each character.
The whole 'S' and 'M' - sadist and masochist categorisation thing, became a constant reference between me and my fellow otaku xD We joined in on the action and calling everyday things 'esu' and 'emu'. Fun times.
I love all the characters; Ririchiyo-sama, Miketsukami-kun, Nobara-chan, Karuta, Watanuki, Natsume-chan, Sorinozuka, and Kagerou! I also love all those extra random characters that have such hilarious personalities. Sometimes I may not remember all their names, like Sorinozuka, but I definitely remember their characters, so here goes:
Ririchiyo-sama: I tend to call her the way Soushi does, just because its cute and repetitive in the anime. She reminds me of myself, the way she puts on a front and finds it hard to be close to someone or socialise. I love her uniform! What I would do to have such a cute uniform for school! I would love to cosplay as her sometime c; My favourite scene with Ririchiyo-sama is the scene in the last episode where she realises Miketsukami's feelings about himself, and resolves to confessing, where she later does that repetitive expression of her love. That scene where they both keep declaring their love for each other, over and over, is perfection. It makes my heart melt everytime. My favourite thing Ririchiyo does, is when she has a goal set, and goes off into her own world, and Watanuki and Karuta are in the background like "Chiyo? What are you doing?" and then she does a little righteous fist pump.
Miketsukami-kun: Just like Ririchiyo, I tend to keep the 'kun' <3 He is such a gentle character, yet can get so dark one minute and cheeky the next! I adore his plead for affection from Ririchiyo-sama, it slowly becomes more and more as they become closer. One of my favourite scenes with Miketsukami-kun, is when he is fighting Kagerou and Ririchiyou-sama arrives on the same floor, out of the elevator, and Kagerou and him are saying some naughty things. Miketsukami says something like "I fool others with my calm demeanor, but really I am a filthy *bleep* and a pervert- " And then in a flash says "Oh Ririchiyo-sama, good morning." smiling sweetly again. :'D Another favourite scene is in the special episode, oh I love that episode, when he is changing forms to try to make Ririchiyo feel more 'comfortable' around him. I tried imagining him doing the same things he was doing, as his original form, oh how hentai-ish he would be xD haha.
Nobara-chan: She is a really hilarious character, her voice actor Youko Hikasa is also very quirky and suits her character's enthusiasm well xD Despite her ecchi obsession, her character is very lovable. My favourite thing about her is when she says "Maniac!" like "Meiniaaaku!" (japanese pronunciation) Her 'ice-cold' powers are so awesome and I love how she becomes her power against Kagerou.
Sorinozuka: I just generally love his laid-back personality. It is just sensational. His voice actor, Yoshimasa Hosoya, is on point with his character. In every situation, he just reacts with such a voice that makes it unreal. His transformation is so ridiculously relative to his character - I love it! One of my favourite scenes is when he is eating udon, and then Nobara goes all ice-cold on Kagerou and his udon freezes, then everyone is talking and then you just see him wandering around like "I need more udon please" xD Another favourite is in the special episode when everyone is poking everyone, so Sorinozuka decides to poke Nobara in the forehead, and then she grabs his finger and bends in backwards. Then Sorinozuka just keeps saying, in a really calm voice "Nobu-chan, my finger isn't supposed to bend that way..." "That hurts... fingers don't bend that way Nobu-chan, ow, ow."
Natsume: I just love Natsume because he is such a trouble maker, he acts really innocent, but is completely guilty 99% of the time. He is also voice acted by Miyano Mamoru, who I have come to be a fan of since the live action I watched, I have also watched a few other anime he has voice acted in so his voice really stands out for me. He really is a quirky person, and his voice acting is so incredibly awesome and fitting for Natsume's character. I love how Natsume is always up to something, but it generally turns out to be a nice thing, like helping Watanuki be closer to Karuta. My favourite scene with Natsume is also in the Special episode, and is when he is acting all bored and then randomly pokes Sorinozuka like "PIN PON!" and he says "maniac!" and then starts poking him a million times, so that's how the poking extravaganza starts. The sound effects they make are priceless :'D
Watanuki: I just love Watanuki because he is so cute, yet he hates being called cute, but has an exception for Karuta. His whole drive to be a delinquent it adorable, it's so funny and ironic that even though he tries to act tough and be a delinquent so he isn't seen as cute, everything he does is so sweet and cute, even his drive to become stronger to protect Karuta is just so kawaii. Even though Karuta is already a lot stronger than him. His voice actor Takuya Eguchi, is so funny and cute as well, him and Miyano get along well and are like a stand up comedy. My favourite scene with Watanuki is when Karuta pokes him and says "that button is to make you like me more" and he is all cute and stuff then Karuta overwhelms him with pokes, and he is left dead with happiness xD
Karuta: I love Karuta! Her obsession with food is what gets me :'D She is such a strange character, like she lives in a world of her own, filled with food, and Watanuki, yet is still somewhat conscious to the world we see. Her little acts of love towards Watanuki and Ririchiyo are adorable! One of my favourite scenes is when she goes missing with Kagerou, and then suddenly comes back in his car. Watanuki is like "Karuta!!!" with tears streaming down his face and then its goes to a shot of the window winding down very slowly and then she just shouts enthusiastically "Peking duck!" with the japanese pronunciation.
Kagerou: Oh Kagerou. He is something. His whole 'esu' 'emu' is his character in a nutshell. I love how he just goes on a rampage and starts naming everything and anything a sadist or a masochist. Or everytime he comes back he gives everyone a weird gift, and always gives Natsume a whip xD There isn't much to him besides that, although he does show a little tender side, where he gives a litte apology note to Ririchiyo for not taking the time to care about her letters. His voice actor, Tomokazu Sugita, is a walking comedy show. He is so stern and then makes a joke and keeps his stern face and does funny little gestures c': He has such an eccentric voice that goes well with Kagerou's character.
Can I just take a moment to recognise how awesome the end songs are? I love them so much. The fact that the actual voice actors sing them and the lyrics reflect the characters so much, it's so funny. Usually I skip the end song because its generally the same, but they always put a different one, and I feel like it's a part of the story that you don't want to miss. I find myself trying to sing along with them c;
Well that concludes my reflection on the characters. I will link you to the first Live Action show, I think it's actually part of a DVD, but they probably only sell it in Japan. The first video is in the youtube link, and the second one is in the external link. It's not that hard to find on YouTube anyways, just type in 'Inu x Boku SS Live Action" and watch it if you're up to it! A total of 2hours and 20mins and no subtitles! Yay!
Soshite, I will see you next time, after I've read the manga!
Yoshi!
~ Lara Rara ~