avoidance+afraid to talk to other people = big lost in life

Not in the case of Sawako. It's not her will to be isolated socially. She did try to befriend others, but people around her avoided her, due to some misunderstandings, started by her friend accidentally called her Sadako, then her appearance of long black hair and fair skin reminded people of Sadako. Rumours were spreading that those who make contact with her would have bad luck.
People were afraid of getting involved with her, and they even ran away when she talked to them. After a while, she simply concurred with how people see her.

its a weakness bro, no matter how you see it. its just the sugar coated anime world making it seem so sweet, and people like you apparently forgetting it being a weakness in the first place.

i mean, read what you wrote:
>She did try to befriend others, but people around her avoided her

doesn't matter who's fault it is, she cant make friends, thats a problem and a weakness.

FYI, in case you didnt know, this happened before her current school (which is what we see in the anime)

It's mainly people's fault and you think it's her weakness. Maybe your definiton of weakness is different from mine. I didn't forget, because in the first place, I've never regarded her social isolation as her own weakness. Right, it's sugar-coated anime, that's why I said she is nearly perfect.

Her isolation condtion, be it in primary or secondary school, it's not her weakness, it's due to others' weakness who couldn't understand her.

I am not sure why you are bring that weakness part by simply putting the faults at other people. In human society, it's always a norm for people to follow conformity with other members to their understanding and other matters which leads to 'harmony' in their own context. For this matter, I'd rather say that that's her weakness for not able to get along with other people. She couldn't speak properly since like people said about avoiding others. That's her weakness and it's a matter of fact. What you brought up is the reasons of why she have the weaknesses.

If you don't really understand about 'weakness', define its meaning. Looking though the meanings of weakness we could have failing, weak point, flaw, helplessness, lacking of physical or mental strength, fallible, deficient and decrepit. By implying these meanings, 'unable to communicate with others properly' is a weakness.

So, what we have here about Sawako is that her weaknesses can be turn over for her strength as well. Kazehaya looks at her inabilities and tries to help her in various ways with the help of Yanocchi and Yoshida.

This is not a matter of your definition is different with others, like Quazacolt. It's the definition of 'weakness' itself that you don't understand.

Thought I jumped into RWI in /as... The poor chap probably didn't hv enough words to describe his intention...

Here's the gauge - how many people in real life is like sawako? With all that writing notes and baking cookies and stuff...

1. I didn't simply put faults on others. Look at Sawako's condition, when she tried to talk or even offered help, some people juist ran away even before she finished her line. They didn't try to listen to what she was going to deliver. They thought that she was scary. So those people were not wrong?

2. Conformity's definition is 'Action or behavior in correspondence with socially accepted standards, conventions, rules, or laws'. So her behaviour was no acceptable socially? She has been nice, sincere, caring, helpful etc..

3. 'Weakness fot not being able to get along with others.' It's not that she was not able, in fact her behaviour should make her popular, just like she is now, so what is the problem?
IMO, it's people around her didn't try to understand her and get along with her. If they also think that ' Oh, it's Sawako's weakness for being not able to get along with others.' Then people will not befriend her until she changes, thinking that it is her problem, in fact she has such inner beauty. But what else can she change when she is already such a good person?

4. My definition for weakness is behaviour/action that is not good for the person himself/herself or for surrounding people that he/she should change or improve. The meaning of weakness is subjected to people's opinions. Just like some people might regard being too good-hearted as a weakness but others may disagree. I understand this so I said that maybe Quazacolt's definition is different from mine. Plus, opinion=/=fact. You said 'being socially isolated is Sawako's weakness' is a fact but you didn't realize people have different scales for defining weakness.

Just like Myclamyra said, actually my first post regarding this topic is that Sawako is nearly perfect to the extent that I doubt someone like her does exist in real life.
And guys, stoping calling me bro or chap. I'm a female. And I didn't expect everything turns out like this. Haha..

Aha, it seemed like I just jumped into the middle of discussion and making things went a bit ... somewhat a fuss, I guess? lol

I just looking around, seeing things and simply attracted to this.

Ok, ok... PEACE TO THE WORLD!!!!

Finally! We have valuable feedback from our female viewers on the matter. Though I wish the English language has a term similar to the word 'dia' in Malay, denoting gender indifferent he/she.

Back to the topic, I mean, in real life, nice, quiet, shy and heart warming gals are available, just that they don't carry scary faces with them too.

This post has been edited by Myclamyra: Jan 27 2010, 08:43 AM

this is the reason why kimi ni todoke so special. it doesn't reflect a story about a harem guy with tons of girls. but it was more on human behavior, social status and sense of belonging. i'd must say that what myclamyra said is true. how many of us out there shared the same traits as sawako?
it's a good story on simple human can be. it's good that Karuho Shiina brought something that had been long forgotten, being honest with character and i like how sawako was presented. and i know a girl exactly like sawako. being abandon and isolated from the rest of the group. and people like her usually scored high in exams. more structured and focused notes beforehand, and tend to finish assignment and homework faster than the normal one. it's a hidden talent wanting to be exposed and that's what kimi ni todoke.

mamiko suit this character well. It's the same on how jigoku shoujo portrayed on how bad a human can be.

@Shah - Intro that girl to me la... Provided she's still single

@Shah also, don't you think Sawako reminds you of Enma Ai

girl like sawako-type always special to me. weird for most of us. special to me. but that's the best part of it. i like girl with less attention from others. only i know that kazehaya type is really easy to find. btw i'll work on this issue, yeah the real girl.

at first when i heard she was mamiko noto, i already can imagine what kind of character it will be. enma ai was almost similar to sawako in terms of appearance. but in kimi ni todoke, they turn the dark enma ai into something cute and humanoid character like sawako. indeed i can't stop myself from watching it cos my heart knows that if it's a good anime, i can't hold my patience any longer.

^
this, pretty much. lol

oh and:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/weakness

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Added on January 27, 2010, 10:01 ammmm cookies.

id have a sadako too even if i may shit my pants in the middle of the night seeing her

This post has been edited by Quazacolt: Jan 27 2010, 10:01 AM

sawako was labeled as sadako cos of appearance. it's not that she is the real one, but the people around her make it that way. it's not like she was born as sadako, but she was named by one. it's not her mistakes but it's others. rumor saying that she possessed supernatural power was the reason she's being avoided by some. of course when the majority took it as "weakness", i rather treat it as "special" and indeed she's one of her kind. different from others. she's getting used by it since she was a child. people around her was the main problem. not even try to reach her heart.

Nice discussion here. I don't really watch the show, so my judgement might be a bit off, but I do agree with Aeiou11. Sawako for me is too perfect to exist in real life. Sure, she might look scary, but other than that, she's a goody two shoes, pure, innnocent, does not even have one ounce of jealousy, and never think bad of others.

I've lived majority of my life with females, as all my siblings are girls, and my dad died when I was really young, and I can assure you, I doubt there is a girl out there that is significantly CLOSE to Sawako in real life. So thus this comes back to the question, why create a character like that? Easy. It's what the market, or in the original case the reader wants. The target market for the manga was for high school girls that are still trying to learn about love, and thus, this is a pure love story that most of them will just lap it up without thinking much.

But love is also a universal appeal, thus why it does not only attract the original target, but also people from all age range as well. I mean c'mon, deep down inside, everyone loves a good love story. And what's more can anyone ask for than one that involves two pure characters that is slowly learning on being true to their feelings. Even the title reflects that. Kimi ni Todoke, or to "reach you", in regarding to their feelings.

This post has been edited by linkinstreet: Jan 27 2010, 10:17 AM

*out of here*

it's good to have an interesting anime like this once in a while. both girls and boys can share the same interest in it

Once in a while? There are a lot actually. Eden of the East was enjoyed by both genders, and so does Bakemonogatari. Just that here, the females are the silent minority that it's hard to hear what they are really thinking actually. During Code Geass, you should have seen the the number of fangirls out there, and yet here, it's mostly guys that talks about it. >:3

yeah i agree but this time i heard many of my office mates talking about kimi no todoke more than bakemonogatari or geass. although i am the one who asked them to watch it, it seems that non-otaku side prefer kimi ni todoke on comedy, love and personality. i do asked them why. they say that they felt attached to sawako. it's a shoujo manga originally but went global when the first 5 eps causes mixed reaction here. enormous feedbacks as they keep asking for ep 16. it's the same reaction i get when tora dora was aired long time ago. but well tora dora is different anime with a twist of tsundere character in it.
those non-otaku group doesn't really have the time to watch anime like us, but it proved to me that this anime was something fresh

What I meant was from in international view, not just from your office. and no, I don't consider myself as an otaku. An otaku is a misused phrase.