Shoujo Anime and Manga Group Discussion

👉Law of the Strictly Shoujo Article §72: Some anime start out with a keen observation about life, then unravel into a great story—no wonder we’re drawn to these masterpieces!

Oh, Free! This is an anime disguised as shounen but actually made for girls. Just look at those abs! If it were really just a swimming anime, I’d fall asleep. The reason we love it so much is definitely the character dynamics.

It didn’t take long for us to spot Makoto × Haru from a mile away. But that wasn’t the true canon. The story itself would never have begun—or reached any real consensus—without Rin × Haru.

Remember at the beginning, when Haru has that soliloquy about numbing his own talent? In a way, he sees it as a hindrance, because Rin is so eager to work hard to beat him at swimming—to prove that his effort is worth something. Like the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, Rin openly challenges Haru because he wants it to be about hard work triumphing over talent.

But in real life, a turtle will never beat a rabbit. It’s unfair, and that’s what makes Rin such a tragic character.

Everything is finally resolved when the boys come together as a relay team. Even though they’re disqualified, what truly matters is having fun and being brought together by their shared love of swimming. It was never about the medal!

It’s such an amazing anime that I could watch it again and again, each time extracting new meaning from it.

Looking for more insights into anime?
Come join us and rave about our favorite moments!

We will be meeting at the usual Mystique de Flora Cafe, which is located near Zhishan Station Exit 1, on February 14th at 2PM.

✨What to Bring✨
A 300 NTD refundable deposit is necessary.

The policy is as follows:
If you want to join an event, send me a 300 NTD deposit through bank transfer before the 3 day countdown to reserve your spot. If you arrive to the event, I will return you your money; if not, I get to keep it. If you drop out of the event within those 3 days, you forfeit your right for a refund. If you show up to the event anyway without signing up after the 3 day countdown, I will accept a 300 NTD walk-in fee.

This is our LINE group: https://line.me/R/ti/g/w36HxnBnK-

Our Meetup Records are on Notion:
https://www.notion.so/Sakura-s-Meetup-Records-2a510132c527801a84c3e3971c4ebee9?source=copy_link

The minimal charge for this cafe is 200 NTD per person. There's actually a special afternoon tea set, but I opted out because ordering that is quite heavy on my budget, since I'm not inviting more than 5 other people besides myself.

Let's have a happy afternoon tea party talking about plots and tropes, and raving about our favorite characters and whom we ship!

Lots of Love,
Sakura Sakura Miyoko (Risette)