Buzzer Beat, Episode 7

The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Mizobata Junpei ♂
Rape-Huggee: Kanjiya Shihori ♀


The Context
He is a professional basketball player on the verge of being cut from the team, and she is a college student studying to be a flautist. The end up moving in together - making it clear that they are just friends - to save money. Then suddenly, he starts feeling hug-rapey. and she feels the creep of evil about to happen. She gets up and flees, however she is a woman, and he is a professional sportsman so he quickly grabs her.


The Result
They end up together. I mean, you knew this would happen all along, but I was just hoping that the rape-hug would be the deal-breaker rather than when friendship blooms into love.


The Depiction

 
The opening act of this scene begins with them talking on the floor. This is when his conversation gets creepy, he says that he likes her, and she says "What is this? It's a strange situation", as she gets up and tries to flee. Like a greyhound at the track, as soon as the prey moves he also gets excited, chases her and grabs her from behind, wrapping his arms over her arms and holding her firmly around the stomach. 

"Wow."

That is the word she utters. "Wow". My thoughts exactly. Only, whereas my "wow" is more to do with the fact a man is chasing a woman to rape-hug her, hers is "wow, I just made a boyfriend."

They stand there motionless as he whispers in her ear his case for them being together. I have to give him credit for this, as if he is unsuccessful, instead of having a girlfriend he would be kicked out of his house, and have a criminal record and a restraining order. That's one hell of a risk. 





Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆☆
I'm giving this the full level of awkwardness. For one, it is from behind and there is the typical blank look of fear on her face. Also taken into consideration is the extremely awkward conversation (also, thanks to the fan-subber for the stilted English translation that adds to this) and there is the quotable "wow" to keep this rape-hug extremely fresh in your mind. I guarantee you that this will not be easy to unremember. But then, any time a man is literally chasing a fleeing woman to rape-hug her you're probably looking at a 5-star on the awkwardometor.

Video
"Enjoy" the gut-wrenchingly awkward conversation and the pathetic attempt to flee. Also pay attention to the placement of his hands - they almost brush the underboob - and in his attempt to minimise surface-area contact he clasps his own fist on her midsection which makes it look like he is giving her the heimlich. 

 

Love Shuffle, Episode 4

The Actors
Rape-Huggist: Matsuda Shota ♂
Rape-Huggee: Yoshitaka Yuriko ♀

The Context
He is a playboy and she is a severely depressed suicidal teenager. In fact, although the concept of this dorama is about four people switching parters, she is actually a therapy patient of one of the characters. Also, she is a teenager. In this scene she tried committing suicide by jumping off a bridge. You see this in Japanese dramas quite often and it makes no sense to me. How is jumping off a bridge - which isn't even that high - into a body of water an effective way to kill youself? Maybe you'll be lucky and land on a barge. The "jumping off a bridge" method of suicide in Japanese doramas is only behind "Walking out into the sea" method in terms of stupidity.

The Result
It is unclear whether the intent of this rape-hug was to say "I want you to be my posession", or "please stop trying to kill yourself". Either way, this storyline doesn't really seem to go anywhere.

The Depiction



There are several classic elements to this rape-hug, primarily the completely limp female body as she accepts whatever the male decides to do to her. The moment of impact is all shown in a wide-shot against the sunset backdrop across the water as a lone clarinet plays a solo. What makes this rape-hug unique is that before he pulls her towards him, he puts a condescending hand on her shoulder, bows down to look her in the eye and speaks to her as if she is a child - which she is!!!. 

 
Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆
The age difference makes this rape-hug extremely disturbing to me, as well as the fact the is a severly suicidal teenage girl. I know there is a conception out there that feeling loved is the cure for everything, but do you really think a suicidal teenage girl will be able to process being rape-hugged by a man at least 10 years older than her? Also, the condescending nature of the arm on the shoulder and perfect limpicity of her body makes for a scene that is hard to watch.

Video
Watch the incredible acting by Yoshitaka Yuriko as she channels her inner jellyfish and makes it look like she has no bones. 

 

Mitsu no Aji, episode 2

 The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Kanno Miho ♀
Rape-Huggee: ARATA ♂



The Context
The onscreen couple are in one of those weird TV relationships that will clearly never work out. He doesn't really appear to love her but still wants to get married, and she only wants to get married when another girl starts looking at her man. This rape-hug comes at that point. It's one of those "claiming your posession hugs". It's like after having a fancy dinner with your friends and the host brings out a box of fancy chocolates, so you quickly lick the caramel ones so you aren't left with the crappy fruit-flavoured ones.


The Result
As you can see in the above GIF, after a moment he puts down the book he is holding and turns around for a legitimate hug. Also, they end up getting married. Also, they end up breaking up again, which only goes to show you that a rape-hug is never a good foundation for a relationship. It is interesting though, as most rape-hugs come near the end of a dorama series - or at least the 'successful rape-hugs' end with a happy-ever-after scene. It would be interesting to take a look back after, say 10 years, to see what the long-term success-rate of those relationships are.


The Depiction
 
 He is minding his own business with his book while she stands there staring at him like a serial killer. [Note: in this dorama, Kanno is prortrayed basically as a serial killer.] She sneezes, as in the previous scene she got wet and in the world of dramas the rule is that if you stand in the rain, at the start of the next scene you will have a cold. He makes an inane comment, and her face changes to an expression we like to call "hug-rapey". 
Once she has her prey in her arms she makes a demand "Hug me tightly", and he slowly puts down the book not to startle her, turns around and makes a consensual hug.




Awkwardometor ☆
This rape-hug gets the lowest rating possible primarily because they are in a committed long-term relationship. Now, I'm not saying that I condone spousal rape-huggery, but it is very difficult to argue in the courts. Also, the context of this scene comes after they return from saving a little boy's life, so it's almost okay that she is so vulnerable. I would still prefer it if she advanced from the front. Finally, this is quite a rape-huggy dorama, and awkwardness is amped up. Stay tuned!




Video
Watch the scene in real time, paying close attention to how incredibly sad the whole atmosphere is. Remember kids: "Rape-hugs destroy lives."

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.

Love Shuffle, Episode 1

The Actors
Rape-Huggist: Tamaki Hiroshi  ♂
Rape-Huggee: Kanjiya Shihori ♀

The Context:
 He is dating a girl with zero personality, and in a last ditch attempt to prevent her from leaving, he goes in for the kill.

The Result
As would be expected of a rape-hug in the first episode, this misguided display of affection was not received as he would have liked, thus setting up the premise of the dorama to have several people switch partners over several weeks.

The Depiction
Tamaki Hiroshi is a true professional at Rape-hugs - and it's amazing that he is still only 32 years old! He has still to his his rape-hugging prime. We here at J-dorama Rape-hugs.com expect great things from him in the future. Here, he is in top form.
First, he completely misreads the situation where a girl is trying to distance herself from him.
Then, he stands there motionless, staring at her like he has been lobotomised.
He runs up to her and attacks her from behind, which is all the more amazing since he approached from the side.
Then he doubles down and professes his love into her ear while he has her encased in an unwanted hug.

What annoys me the most is how he couldn't quite get the arm motion right. I appreciate that he was carefully trying to avoid touching her boobs. Speaking from experience, it's always difficult for a taller man to hug a girl from behind without at least brushing her breasts. Instinct tells you to go above the breasts, but in reality your arms could slip down a few centimetres into the erogenous zone. In reality below the breasts there is less chance of inappropriate contact, but in that case you definitely need to be sure that the hug is consentual.

Here, we see Tamaki Hiroshi straddling that no-fly zone, as if the script doesn't specify whether the rape-hug should be above or below her boobies (or perhaps doesn't even specify that it needs to be from behind). This makes me think that we are probably witnessing a method-acting rape-hug here. Usually we could entrust Tamaki to the task, but there is that split second before impact where he thinks he might be going too low to the boobies, so he recalibrates his arms and grabs the safe areas of her shoulders, ending up in a hug that is far too high, almost an atttempt at strangulation.





Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆
This is a startingly awkward rape-hug for one in the first episode. It is from behind, he has the crazy eyes, and nothing about the situation suggests that a hug would be approriate.

Video
See the crazy eyes, the speed of approach and the slight hesitation of the arm placement. So much going on in such a short amount of time. 

Hana Yori Dango (Season 1), Episode 4

The Actors
Rape-Huggist: Matsumoto Jun ♂
Rape-Huggee: Inoue Mao ♀


The Context
He is an incredibly rich douchebag who is a douche to the girl he likes despite her being poor. In other words, he is the guy every girl dreams about (if you are to believe anything that has ever been on TV). Anyway, so he tells her to meet him for a date, and she has no intention of going, so he just ends up standing in the rain for the entire day. I know, it's so romantic, but it doesn't make any sense if you think about it above the level of teenage girl. At the very least he could have gotten his limo driver to buy him an umbrella or something. Seriously, he is so rich in this dorama that he could have gotten someone to build a giant roof over the city. But no, standing in the rain makes for a better drama.
Eventually, for some reason, she decided to go down to the meeting place at the end of the day, and when he sees her... Well, that's when angry aggressive rape-hugs happen.

The Result

I guess they eventually get together, and this was their first "romantic moment". So you know... Call me old-fashioned, but when I'm half of an old couple, I'd rather that our first romantic moment didn't include the words "get off me".


The Depiction
The production values of Hana Yori Dango are incredibly high, and that is in full effect during this scene. Lots of wide angles and over-the-shoulder shots, and the artificial rain is getting some good use. The actual mechanics of the rape-hug are less admirable, however. First she calls his attention by shyly saying the very Japanese "anooo...". He, shivering wet, looks up and goes into attack mode. She tries to escape, but he is too fast and snatches her from behind. The contact is made so forcefully that she drops her umbrella, and she now also gets wet.

There is a long awkward pause, and then he whispers in her ear "I'm cold." At least we can be sure there's no poking going on, which is reassuring when watching a rear-entry rape-hug.




Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆
I would have given this another awkward star, but this whole series is so rape-huggy that I can't start with a perfectly awkward score. But it is a very good effort. There is a lot going on here - the going from behind, the agressiveness, the crazy eyes (and the fact that it is happening in the rain only adds to the crazy). 

Video
Enjoy the visual spectacle, along with the romantic silence as all is drowned out except for the pattering of the rain and the romantic music.  

Jiu, Episode 5

The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Shirota Yu ♂
Rape-Huggee: Kuroki Meisa ♀


The Context
This is the 2nd rape-hug of the series (the previous one is covered here), under almost the same circumstances - the only difference being that they did the dirty after the first rape-hug, so their genitals have already touched. Again, this rape-hug comes after she throws a punch at him, he swats it off and decides that it would be a perfect time for a hug. I honestly can't blame him since he was so successful last time. The main difference here is that while holding her hostage in the rape-hug posiition, he patronises her with Christian things like "I want to save you". (By the way, where does this idea come from that you can "save" someone by boning them?)

The Result
They end up in bed together again, which makes it sad when he dies.

The DepictionAgain this rape-hug takes place at night, after a disappointingly short and badly filmed fight-scene. Seriously, she is supposed to be an elight police SWAT officer, and one guy simply wraps her up? They both end up standing for the duration of the rape-hug with their muscles flexed while he gives his pattronising "I'll save you" speech. (And yes, he is Christian, if you're wondering. Even Japanese Christians are patronising.)




Awkwardometor ☆
This would be more awkward, however a girl loses all rape-hug credibility after sleeping with the guy. Talk about giving off the wrong signals. I'm not saying that it's fair game, but it would be far harder to prove in the court of law.
 

Video
See the shitty fight scene and heavy breathing in real-time.