Forum - View topic(The) Dreaming Boy is a Realist (TV).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11304 Location: Frisco, TX |
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(The) Dreaming Boy is a Realist (TV) Source: Light Novel (ongoing @ 8 volumes, written by Okemaru, illustrated by Saba Mizore) Demographic: Shounen Animation Studio: AXsiZ Studio Gokumi Genres: comedy, romance Themes: school Plot Summary: Watary Sajou dreams of a mutual love with his beautiful classmate Aika Natsukawa and so approaches her. However, one day he wakes up thinking that he's not good enough for her, and so starts keeping his distance, unaware of how much Aika is dismayed by this turn of events. Thus begins a romcom about two people who incorrectly believe that their love for the other isn't requited. Air Date & Platform: July 3, 2023 (Monday) Available on: HIDIVE Episode Count / Runtime: 12 episodes Last edited by Tony K. on Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:12 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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Edjwald
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I’m not sure what was up with that soccer ball – was this the equivalent of someone’s life flashing before their eyes or something? Anyhow, this one was different from what I was expecting, but it was different in a good way. The dreaming boy isn’t exactly a realist – he’s become more like an undercover romantic. But you know, since most burned out romantics just go to the other extreme and try to romanticize acting all cynical and bitter and loner-like, I think it’s a bit refreshing. This anime has elements from different things I’ve seen, but when you put the sum together, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an anime completely like this one before, so that’s worth bonus points. I’ll definitely keep watching this one unless something takes a left turn.
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23817 |
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Episode 1
Yep, this one certainly is different. In my case, I'm not entirely sure it's different in a way that works for me, but I'll give it the ole 3-episode try-out. I like that this isn't a rom-com about a guy who's terrified to admit his crush. That's refreshing. The premise does seem one note so I'll be waiting to see how they handle that. |
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Animegomaniac
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I don't know if it's a good sign or a bad one but the show caught my attention with Kei.... starting from the end of the episode and then I worked backwards.
At the end of the episode, Kei called out Wataru for monopolizing Aika so much, she never made friends among the girls... because Kei couldn't be bothered to just talk to the girl before class began. Looking through the episode, I guess Kei isn't really Aika's friend but rather Wataru's friend. In the opening credits, Kei doesn't connect to ANYONE. Kei's not even in any group shots. I have so many suspicions about Kei... "Wow, they're so like minded!"... I'll just say the most blatantly obvious for now: Kei wasn't there before the soccer ball incident. You don't have to "stalk" if your best friend plays the wingman role as Kei was throughout the episode. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1997 |
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I got a weird feeling from this episode. It started off with the soccer incident that felt like it was more than just simply a ball flying close by. It is also weird how the mc basically stalking the girl is seen as normal and once he stops doing so and admits it is creepy/weird everyone around him scolds him for not doing it anymore. I agree that something feels off with Kei too. The way the whole thing with Rena was solved reminds me of Oregairu and how it loves to overly complicate matters.
All in all it seems like something that might remain interesting. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1997 |
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Good lord. the mc can barely have 5 minutes to himself without getting dragged into something. In the first episode it was the girl from a different class who may or may not have been interested in him. This episode it were the girls from the moral committee. Simply bumping into someone can get you dragged over to the moral committee like 3 times to talk about what her rejection of your help might mean and how she will change herself in the future.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1164 |
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I kind of like that. I'm not saying the segment was hysterical or my favorite moment of the week or anything, but again, I'm digging this show cos it's not just recycling the usual rom/com tropes. I mean, I can forgive recycling the tropes if it's good recycling, but this is a nice change of pace. Again, I don't think I've ever seen an anime where the head of the morals committee was the female equivalent of a muscle head and inept at dealing with the tender feelings of her juniors. Or where the head of the morals committee used her authority to corner the protagonist and forced him to give her leadership counseling. I think my favorite moment of the show was when Rin clapped Yuyu on the shoulder and said "It's okay, Yuyu. You're okay." then paused and went blank faced as she studied Yuyu from the corner of her eye to see if this complicated piece of social engineering worked. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1997 |
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Episode 3 was mostly about Aika and big sis Kaede. In the case of Aika it is hard to tell whether Wataru no longer bothering her is something she wants or not. Sure, she now talks to a lot more people and has made new friends, but she seems pretty miserable and is showing some unstable jealous outbursts. In the case of Kaede it is doubt about whether her dissing him like a normal sibling caused him to feel bad about himself and thus give up on Aika.
While the situation with Kaede was solved, it has once again made me question the whole trying to woo someone for years thing. Wataru has stalked/bothered Aika for years and him realizing that being rejected like a hundred times makes for a good point to give up is something good in my opinion. Yet we have lots of people complaining that he has given up on doing so, including his sister who says it is a pity to give up after years of trying. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 1164 |
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The thing that makes this hard to comment on is that the behavior was animated and the voice actors were playing it for laughs. So I could argue that the guy was a stalker, and that no means no, or that the girl is getting what she deserved if she kept turning the guy down and then suddenly got interested when he stopped chasing her. But I could also argue that a lot of what constitutes the difference between bantering and joking and asshole behavior is energy and facial expression and body language and such. "I love you" could be sexual harassment if someone said it a certain way or in a certain circumstance. Whatever dynamic the male and female lead got into, she apparently wasn't feeling threatened. But there was clearly a lot that was unhealthy about it too. Just the fact that the female lead is suddenly making friends, and the male lead is suddenly proving himself insightful and competent in ways no one ever suspected shows that the dynamic they were in was limiting them both in ways it shouldn't. And that seems to be part of the mysterious soccer ball epiphany that the MC had. That part of the show is squidgy, no doubt about it.. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1997 |
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Yeah, it becomes even more murky when you take into account that Aika is a tsundere and thus not honest about how she feels and what she finds annoying/uncomfortable. The whole thing is just quite unhealthy and many people saying it is a shame that it is over feels weird to me.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1164 |
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It could just be bad writing. But accepting the premise of this anime on its own terms, what the MC and the female lead were doing apparently existed in some kind of grey area between disturbing and cute. It seemed like a kind of cute and consensual game to the people who witnessed it. The MC was more like an over eager puppy than a stalker, and the female lead wasn't seriously communicating a desire to get rid of him so much as acting like it was par for the course. But it wasn't good. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1997 |
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I am a bit unsure on what to say about episode 4, there was lots of talking, but there was not a central theme this episode and thus it felt a bit....aimless I suppose. There were some updates on a few characters and it seems like some things are changing for better or worse. A new suitor has appeared that is after Aika and Wataru seems to have less drive. As for romance, I would honestly suggest the mc to go for Kei, they seem to have a solid click/understanding.
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1997 |
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This week we had the trope of the good old killer cold going around. If you get a bit of rain on you then there is a 99% change to get the flu and with that a little fever that makes it seem like you are suffering from some terminal disease that makes you faint and be unresponsive.
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1997 |
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So, having just finished the final episode (yup, knocking them down today), Dreaming Boy is an okay anime about a former (creepy) stalkerish guy who gets to know new people and solve issues they are having. This includes classmates, a fellow part-timer and more. Most of those issues are kind of forced on him, he solves them anyway. The girl he kind of stalked grows to miss him and in the end they kind of start something. I am not sure what message to take from that, but oh well.
Fair warning to those interested: it is a chatty show and like 90% of every episode is talking. |
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