Bonus Repeat: Watashi ga Ren'ai Dekinai Riyuu, Episode 10

Let's continue the festive season of Rape-hugMas with a revision of a dorama that surprisingly only had one rape-hug - Christmas themed one. In fact, in the Christmas spirit the awkwardometor has been turned down from four stars to a two-star rating. The original posting can be seen here.

The Actors
 

Rape-Huggist Tanaka Kei ♂
Rape-Huggee: Karina ♀



The Context

This dorama gave Rape-hug Community Watchmen like me a serious case of blue-balls, having to wait until the end of the finale for the first appearance of rape-huggery. The relationship between the two characters is so obviously going to work out in the end despite the fact that neither of them are ever seen smiling in the same scene. So you're just waiting out the other relationships that each of them inevitably have until the moment that one of them announces that they are going to America and the other has until the day before they leave - after a significant event - to decide if they want to join them as if it's some kind of reality TV show. So finally in the final episode when you see them standing 3 metres apart against a backdrop of Christmas Illuminations, he takes the inevitable step.


The Result

I guess this is the result that everybody expected and wanted, but notice how neither of them seems at all happy during the rape-hug. It's as if he is saying "fuck it, I will never be able to get a better wife than this so I may as well...". Call me a romantic, but I believe that it should take at least 6 months after getting married to be this miserable.

The name of the drama translates to "The reason I can't find love", and this is probably the most appropriate title for any Dorama I've ever seen.

The Depiction

The entire dorama series led up to this moment, as both characters work at an event lighting company. This final storyline is that they are co-producing the lighting for a big Christmas party, after which he will pack up and leave straight for the airport.  
Visually, the background is far more interesting than either of the characters or anything they say and do. Other than the sparkles, there a three-metre gap that is shown via a wide-shot, as he strides to embrace the emotionally-lifeless victim. ("Emotionally lifeless" is also a good general description of Karina's acting).

Revised Awkwardometor ☆☆

Although it's a night scene in a park, is a relatively admissable rape-hug. Besides, the park is well-lit and she knows exactly what was going to happen. Both of the characters aren't so much awkward, but just bad at life. It's supposed to be some great happy moment for both of them yet somehow it's one of the most depressing things I have ever seen. The reason the initial rating was a 4-star was the typical Japanese TV closed-mouth kiss which is in fact not a rape-kiss. It's hardly noticable, but Karina actually tilts her head a couple of degrees upwards before impact which in Japan is legally admissable as consent. Sure it kind of looks like she is simply bracing for impact of a blind-man but the law is the law.


Video
Much like the entire series, there's honestly not much more to the video than can be seen in the GIF, unless you like looking at sparkly Christmas lights and hearing crappy J-pop.

Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu, Episode 10

The Actors

Rape-Huggist:  Tanaka Kei ♂
Rape-Huggee: Karina ♀


The Context
They are best friends and she is a tomboy, who realises that after several years she does in fact like him. Over the whole drama, this plays itself out as he gets engaged and all that usual stuff and she is a total bitch unable to be happy for him. Predictably, by the last episode he finally comes around, rape-hugs her, turns it into a rape-kiss and says that he will go to America, and won't she come along? This sets up a dramatic running-to-the-airport scene to end the dorama. 


The Result
[Spoiler Alert]

The thing about these type of dramas that really pissed me off is the sterily of the relationships. Not once do the two of them laugh in each other's presence, as if falling in love is like finding out you have AIDS. She doesn't have to give an answer to his proposal straight away, instead he gives her a plan ticket and says he will be waiting  for her when the plane leaves. Really? Who does this? That is, except for every main male character in one of these ridiculous, predictable doramas. So, although it was disappointing when she declines his offer because of some shitty reason like "I want to help my friends", I though him being dumped at the airport was well deserved for being such a pussy.

The Depiction



The rape-hug takes place in the night-time park filled with Christmas lights and a shitty pop song in the background. They fall silent, he looks her in the eye and says "I like you", and with an extremely sad expression and a sense of duty, he gently goes in for the kill. Despite her being portrayed as 'just one of the boys', in reality she's simply another one of these opinionless female characters that are so popular in J-doramas. There are closeups of both of their blank faces, and they separate. Just in case that wasn't painful enough, he goes in for the combination rape-hug'n kiss. She takes it like a man. The closed-mouth kiss looks like a Barbie and a Ken doll making out, only with less human emotion.

Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆

In general, the location of a park at nighttime makes for a more awkward rape-hug, but this is slightly reduced by the Christmas lights because to Japanese people Christmas lights are like a table leg to a dog on heat. Also, the winter coats make the contact less awkward. Overall, there is not a very rapey atmosphere and it feels like both these characters are just not very good at being human beings. This is probably due to the fact that this dorama is so sterile, so it feels like you're watching two nerdy 40 year-old virgins figure out how to have a mutual orgasm. Which is truly awkward.


Video
Watch the "romantic" moment among the pretty Christmas lights to the sounds of the shitty J-pop song.