This page marks the 1,000th page of Red String!
EDIT: I think that’s enough discussion about this page. I would turn the comments off, but I believe that will make all of the discussion disappear, so please just consider this page ‘closed’ for now. If you would like to discuss and debate it further, please take it to the forum where there is a thread for discussing this chapter.
Why do i have the feeling she got an abortion?
Its OBVIOUS she had an abortion a woman being pregnat before marriage is insanely taboo, just look how embaressed she looks and how uncomfortable the man looks, the only dirsturbing thing is how nochalant the girl speaking is
Well, you probably get that feeling because she did.
not necessarily. the whole “pregnancy” story could’ve been a lie they made up to get money out of his parents.
Awwwwwwwwwkwaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrd.
So out of curiousity, how do they usually treat abortions in Japan? Are they nearly as controversial as in the US?
Abortion in Japan is not something I really learned much about it other than it’s the second to Sweden in having the most abortions per year or something like that.
From what I understand, it’s part of the population problem in Japan (they’re population is decreasing).
Some shrines in Japan have little altars to give to the souls of unborn children (whether they be aborted or miscarried), from what I remember…
Re: not necessarily. the whole “pregnancy” story could’ve been a lie they made up to get money out of his parents.
good alternate idea, very plausable…but something about the faces in panel 4 tells me otherwise :/
Yeah, I feel like this is more of a western reaction to abortion. :/ I was under the impression Japan was more open about this.
Also Reika is really, really slow. I’m slowly losing respect for her character.
Welcome to Awkward Town!
I think they made it up. It can be awkward to explain that you never were pregnant in the first place. Not as much as abortion but still awkward and strange.
Andrea: Why do you feel Reika is slow?
She doesn’t catch on to things, even when she’s *right there* witnessing the situation. She took forever to figure out Eiji liked her, she still doesn’t understand that Aizaku was using her, and even though she watched Ken’ichi ask his dad for money to fix the problem, she’s still shocked to hear that Aiko got an abortion.
Really? …Really? She’s so dim-witted it’s ridiculous.
Well, to be honest, about the whole abortion thing, I thought they were just getting money so that they could get everything they needed for the baby. An abortion never even occurred to me. The fact that after all of this time, she seems just as skinny as she did when she first appeared was when the gigantic cluebat hit *me*.
Pregnancy in women, if its their first, usually doesn’t show up until very, very late into the pregnancy. (This is why some women who get their first won’t know it until a while; you also don’t always get morning sickness.)
I believe she got an abortion, because Eiji’s reaction is the most awkward. I think Reika didn’t exactly think it out, which isn’t necessarily a fault. It’s just an awkward answer XD
I have to second the fact that she could easily think that the money was for baby preparation.
Also, I don’t know when exactly women start to show during a pregnancy, but it’s possible she wouldn’t be showing yet anyway so…nothing too dumb on Reika’s part there!
@ she still doesn’t understand that Aizaku was using her
She probably doesn’t know the whole story but she does understand that Aizaku was only dating her because of Hayashihara.
http://www.redstring.strawberrycomics.com/?p=897
No, she doesn’t. That would involve her already knowing that Eiji likes her, which at that point in time she doesn’t know.
It seems like she should be able to figure out what’s going on by then, especially when she heard Aizaku say right before the fight “you [Eiji] came in second place with the most boring girl in school”. That’s basically blurting out Eiji’s ulterior motive in defending her, but she doesn’t seem to get it. It really was kind of about her, and not just Aizaku’s jealousy towards Eiji.
Not necessarily.
I know plenty of guy friends who kick some jerk’s butt if he really hurt me. Its happened before. Thats friendship. Sure shes wrong but its a common misunderstanding. You see it all the time all around you. I even bet most of us have gone through this kind of relationship. It doesn’t make her dim, she just doesn’t see it the way we do. Plus I think she got the hint after the almost kiss they had. Thats why she came over in the first place, to talk to him about it to clear it up.
Plus guys: We DO NOT know FOR SURE what they are talking about. It could be a scam to get money it could be an abortion. We won’t know until tomorrow.
Gina Biggs always stresses that we should just wait and see it out and try and not jump down her throat about this kind of thing. I was talking to her about it recently so thats why I’m saying this. So everyone just chill.
I think it’s okay.
I mean, at that age, people don’t always see what’s around them. Besides, everyone can’t be smart as a whip like Miharu. I think it’s great to have many flavors of characters. When I was in highschool, there were a few times guys liked me, but I just couldn’t believe that anyone would like me because I’m so insecure that I didn’t know til way after. You forget their ages. I think she is sweet.
Wow, I feel naive now. I didn’t come to the abortion conclusion at all (not that there’s anything wrong with it, I just didn’t think of it right away). I thought everyone was embarrassed because they took Reika’s comment to mean that Reika was implying Aiko looked fat or something. Since Reika thought Aiko was still pregnant, I mean.
I like your assumption better then most of the other options I’ve read. lol
I like your assumption too….
what I don’t like is how you’re so cold harted to dismiss the killing of an unborn innocent. (imaginary or real)
It is not a “Conclusion”! Let’s just see how the story goes…
…Reika is NOT slow. How is she to know the dealings of the family if she isn’t part of it? Don’t assume or accuse someone of being slow when it is more that of naivete, Andrea. Get your statements straight or explain ‘yourself’.
She doesn’t need to be deep in the family problems to draw the conclusion that Aiko wanted an abortion. Ken’ichi shows up out of nowhere, announces his girlfriend is pregnant, immediately asks his dad for money, and takes off. Pretty obvious what’s going on there.
I have my opinion and you have yours. Either way, as the story goes on I dislike Reika more and more.
Yes, happily announcing you’re going to have a baby would definitely draw someone to the conclusion that you were going to get an abortion. Because normal people do stuff like that, announce they’re pregnant and then ask for money to get an abortion.
I’m sorry for the sacrasm but it’s NOT a logical conclusion, Andrea. Most people do NOT announce they’re having a baby happily and then go get an abortion…they especially do not talk about it as if it were something small. If there’s anyone who is slow and child-like, it’s Aiko. That couple needs to do some serious growing up.
http://www.redstring.strawberrycomics.com/?p=735
That doesn’t look like “happily announcing they’re having a baby”. They look embarassed if not ashamed.
There’s a difference between saying “yay we’re having a baby!!!” and “oh yeah, my girlfriend is kind of pregnant. Can I have some money?”
Andrea, I work at Babies R Us. I know how expensive the little tykes are. Since we don’t know how much money was given, and it seems like Ken and his girlfriend don’t show up very often, I assumed along with everyone else that they were asking for money for the baby and not an abortion. Are all of us slow too?
Okay. No. It is obvious they were going to get money for an abortion. Andrea is right, because why would they only come back for some cash? If they needed money for the baby they would have got in in a check so they could have gotten more. Its is 100% Obvious that they had planned to get money for an abortion, if you look at that page and just looked at the set it. you can tell.
Of course, Eiji’s dad could have been WHISPERING and Reika might not have heard what they said. Just because a scene is shown to you, the reader, doesn’t mean Reika saw it. Jesus.
I second Reinfield on this one. Reika is not dimwitted at all, so don’t make her out to be.
And when it comes to Eiji liking her, It’s more common for a girl to NOT realize a boy likes her right away.
I’m with Heather all the way.
And am super excited to see Reika and Eiji again. Even if Awkward Town is going on. (Lulz.)
I think this is a lovely update, and I also think that a lot of people confuse dimwittedness with naivity. I think Reika is naive and also willing to look at the best in people instead of the worst. Not a bad character trait, after all.
The reason I have a hard time believing Reika is just naive, is because she’s had plenty of not-so-nice things happen to her before, like the rumors and her father leaving. Not to mention she goes to a school that’s very lax with rules and situations like the one Morita created probably happen a lot. Plus dying her hair and looking like a “delinquent” probably doesn’t help.
The things that’ve happened to her so far in life do not add up to being naive, especially when she has a long-time friend like Miharu who seems very street smart. People have been cruel to her, she should expect that even to a small degree and yet she doesn’t. She doesn’t expect anything one would think she should, she’s shocked every single time. If Gina meant for her to just be naive, she certainly doesn’t come off that way, she comes off as a bit stupid.
It’s very possible to be insanely naive while suffering through a slew of tragedies. It’s all in the personality type. My sister goes through more drama, disappointment, and disillusionment in a month than is displayed throughout the entirety of this comic so far, and she’s 35. But she’s one of the most naive people I know. It’s all in the personality type and the upbringing involved with it’s formation.
Andrea, I guess you just haven’t known people like Reika in real life. Sometimes a person suffering through a lot takes an extremely naive approach to the world in hopes that they won’t see the bad stuff going on. And sometimes naivety breeds suffering. But I guess that’s your prerogative not to like Reika’s character, no matter how callous it may sound to the rest of us.
What bothers me the most is your public bashing of a character. I know that not everyone is going to like all the characters, but Gina put a lot of time and effort into designing these characters and each one is probably very special to her. It’s fine for you to say to your buddies, “I don’t really like the direction she’s taking Reika”. But for you to so baldly say “I think Reika’s and idiot and a stupid character” is really harsh. There’s a difference between expressing an opinion and bashing. Try to remember that there is someone behind this comic that has put a lot of time and creative energy into it, and be respectful of that.
Actually I thought she expressed her opinion pretty reasonably. She only elaborated and repeated when challenged. I guess it’s a tribute to how many people love the imaginary character of Reika that they immediately dogpile a real-life person who thinks that Reika is a little slow.
I’m not sure I agree about her being overall dimwitted, but in this particular case I am amazed that she didn’t pick up on what was going on. It’s not a criticism of the author. She’s just made characters with flaws, kind of like real life.
Sometimes opinions can be harsh. You’re right, there is a difference between expressing an opinion and bashing. Perhaps you should learn what that difference is? I’m not calling her an idiot just to upset people, that’s how I feel. Yes I realize a lot of people like Reika but that doesn’t make what I say outright bashing simply because other people like her. I gave my reasons.
I like Red String, it’s just that right now, Reika is one of my least favorite characters.
I’d say Reika is just naive and quixotic, rather than dimwitted. Not necessarily looking for the best in people, but always hoping for a happy ending for everyone, even if said ending defies logic.
As to Aiko and Ken’ichi, I kind of get the feeling that she’s not the first girl he got pregnant, not the first abortion he had his dad pay for, and that he doesn’t really want to marry her. He doesn’t seem like the type to really care what his parents think, since he can’t really do any wrong in their eyes anyways as the first born. He never got any of the responsibilities Eiji got and seems to get a lot more attention and perks. He also didn’t bother sticking around to visit last time he showed up, even though it was obvious his mother missed him. So I’m kind of getting the feeling that he only brought her there to scare her off or find some excuse not to marry her. At least that’s my take on the situation. I don’t know why, but I mostly just feel bad for Aiko when she appears.
@ Not necessarily looking for the best in people, but always hoping for a happy ending for everyone, even if said ending defies logic.
I like Elle’s perspective – I don’t see Reika as lacking intelligence, perhaps choosing to look on the good side of things, (eternal spring of optimism?) wanting a “happy ending” – can seem naive, but can also be positivity in the face of adversity
Also, I recall reading/pondering Aiko & Ken’ichi’s situation in one of the chapter discussions (forum) – although the discussions here are just as heated/interesting it seems! :3
@So I’m kind of getting the feeling that he only brought her there to scare her off or find some excuse not to marry her. At least that’s my take on the situation. I don’t know why, but I mostly just feel bad for Aiko when she appears.
Interesting – I get the same kind of idea about Ken’ichi – I wonder how much Aiko knows, how much she’s just along for the ride? I feel sorry for her too.
I’m really glad that Aiko got an abortion. She and Ken’ichi would not have been fit parents AT ALL! Although she may seem a bit ditzy, Aiko must have some brains as she made the right choice, I knew I liked her for some reason!
Abortion, bad idea. Her character comes off as a poor parenting type, but Adoption would have been a better choice. Especially in Japan. Abortion isn’t AS taboo as it is here in the West, but for the area of Japan this is taking place in, it’s almost as bad. China is the one that could care less. That’s only thanks to their absolutely massive birth rate… Traditionally, they still have problems with it, but the size of their county and the size of their population mixed with the laws governing the number of kids a family is allowed to have, forces them to make moral concessions all over the place.
I have to say, I didn’t know abortion really was taboo. I know it’s controversial, and because these two are not “main” characters it looks like the decision was not thought through, but for some people abortion is simply better than adoption. I think the responses this generates is fascinating. I should also probably point out that I’m from Australia, where people are slightly more relaxed than America. That said, I don’t actually know what you have to go through to get an abortion here.
Yeah, still somewhat difficult here, though within the first trimester or so and for medical reasons, perfectly legal.
Unfortunately, abortion is still legal through all 3 trimesters for any reason in America, using any method. While you will be hard pressed to find a medical professional willing to abort an 8 months along baby, it isn’t against the law.
@Kathleen
That is absolutely not true! Many people scream that it is true in an attempt to get all abortion outlawed, but it’s misinformation.
It is true that in America an abortion can be performed for medical reasons (including defects in the fetus) at any point in the pregnancy, but “birth control” abortions can legally be performed only in the first trimester.
@Kathleen
Further to VeryBerry’s comment. In the States, if you have a D&X because the baby is not viable outside of the womb, ie deformities, Hydrocephaly, Anencephaly, etc… (if you look these terms up, be warned, the images are disturbing) it is considered by anti-choice groups to be an abortion, even thought the baby would die as soon the umbilical cord was cut.
Usually this procedure is done to prevent damage to the mother’s reproductive organs because there is no way for her to give birth naturally or because the incision would be too large and invasive if they were to remove the baby via a cesarean type procedure. And of course, a D&X is done to save the mother’s life. Sometimes its done on compassionate grounds because the mother cannot emotionally bring the pregnancy to term.
I hope you *never* face that sort of choice.
Re: Abortion being frowned upon in Japan.
I’m not sure where you’ve received your information, but I ilved in Japan for over a year and just returned to America last month, and I can assure you that is not the case. Abortion is actually the most common form of birth control in Japan. Even before the medical procedure was developed, they were using herbs to induce miscarriage for unwanted pregnancies. While it may not be brushed away as “no big deal,” it doesn’t carry ANYTHING like the Judeo-Christian stigma placed upon it in Western cultures. There is no notion of “murder” or “sin” attached to it, but rather a disdain for the person’s irresponsibility, which is minor at best.
^this
I was under that impression myself. I was also under the impression that adoption in Japan is actually incredibly rare. Does that make one or the other a better choice? I guess I don’t really know, but if cultural norms dictate a certain response, it takes an unusual person to break out of it.
Exactly. This is why I don’t understand Reika’s shock, I was sure Japan was more open about it.
I was under the impression that Reika wasn’t so much shocked at Aiko’s admission as she was embarrassed for making an incorrect assumption. I’ve done that before, admittedly never about someone being pregnant/notpregnant, but no matter what you assume, if you’re wrong, it’s incredibly embarrassing!
Actually, I feel because of what Reika’s been through it would make her if anything, awkward. While she is warm and gentle and quite positive despite all the negative situations in her life, she doesn’t appear to have as much experience with socialising unlike Miharu, for example. I think that’s why she has such a good relationship with Eiji, because of his harsh attitude towards life, because she must understand his outlook to some greater extent than others.
I don’t think she’s slow, she just doesn’t possess some of the social graces that most of us possess naturally.
@Melissa: Bingo.
Thankyou melissa.
@Melissa
This seems very plausible. Been able to understand the harsh side of life – not much experience socializing, awkwardness. etc All reasons why I find Reika’s character so real.
Heh. You’re welcome guys. It’s just so hard to analyse such things when you only have static pictures and a few words to pick up. Since we see them all differently, I can understand why Andrea feels the way she does about Reika. I still feel very positively about Reika because she’s awkward in such a corky way. …In fact, she reminds me so much of myself. I’m a very poor conversationalist. Reika here isn’t being tactful at all, she’s just doing her best to try and be positive about a potentially tense situation which she thought she knew everything about. It’s just apparent that this isn’t the case. I… hardly think that’s slow, really. Ignorance, definitely. But aren’t we all guilty of that at some point?
I….. *really* dislike Aiko and Ken’ichi. They just… they remind me of some of my cousins and their respective girlfriends or boyfriends, and just… ugh. >.<
Japanese perspectives on abortion vary widely, but here’s a well-written article discussing a popular Buddhist approach to abortions.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_24_44/ai_n30890011/
hmmm… it does seem a tad bit…akward doesn’t it…oh dear what have you gotten yourself into…
abortions are not nearly as controversial in Japan as they are in the US-it’s been an accepted form of birth control in Japan for a long time, especially since it’s much harder for women to get the pill in country because of taboos about promiscuity and the fact that they were only even legalized there in 1999. Hopefully this chapter isn’t about to become a soapbox…
Seriously, lay off Reika people. SHE’S A TEENAGER. The girl has had other things to concern herself with throughout the comic and not everyone thinks that any male friends they might have are in love with them. Sheesh.. just be happy and thankful that gina is going through all this trouble to produce such a lovely comic for us all.
Eiji has made it painfully obvious that he likes her. Not just to us, but to everyone he knows EXCEPT Reika. How long has Miharu been making comments about it to her? He’s tried to kiss her before the last chapter, and even though Reika looks embarrassed, she doesn’t seem to think anything of it. That doesn’t sit right with me.
I really don’t think it’s that unbelievable. I’ve been in situations where a guy has liked me, openly flirted with me, been PAINFULLY obvious about liking me, made insinuations, my friends made insinuations, and I was completely clueless until my friends sat me down and TOLD me flat-out that he liked me. I think it’s all a matter of self-image; if you don’t consider yourself to be someone that a guy would like, then you’ll never even consider that a guy does like you. Ergo, obliviousness.
OOPS. Foot , mouth, insert.
Personally, if I had overheard the initial drama involving the pregnancy announcement involving people I really don’t know, I would have done the ‘polite’ thing and not really thought about it, which would then most likely lead to saying something awkward.
Plus I think it’s a bigger social blunder to assume someone would have an abortion than to think they didn’t, so combined with the fact that some women don’t show for *months* (I didn’t show for a full *six* months with my son) would lead her to say something about the baby, which I don’t think means she’s dim, just trying to be tactful and unfortunately failing.
if she was really trying to be tactful she probably shouldn’t have even mentioned it until Ai did, although that might just be a reflection on her character
Somehow I think a thin Japanese woman would show a baby bump rather quickly. They showed up back home right after Eiji/Reika started school, which would have been some time in April. Now it’s summer vacation which starts at the end of July. That’s at least 3 months time. She would definitely show by now, even a little.
I find it odd that Reika didn’t notice Aiko looks as thin as ever, yet still assumed she was pregnant after 3+ months have gone by.
Why does all this stuff matter? You stated your opinion, others stated theirs, and you just keep repeating yourself in everyone’s comments. If you don’t like her; you don’t have to.
But please stop trolling.
It’s called discussion. You only think I’m a troll because my opinion differs from yours. Grow up, please.
Actually, I don’t like her at all.
So my opinion is the same as yours. I guess I didn’t understand why you were being so vehement about attacking people by repeating the same thing over and over in everyone’s conversations. Sorry if I offended you.
This is late, but:
There have been cases where skinny women have been pregnant and sometimes didn’t even know it until they were many months along (or in rare scenarios, until labor) because they didn’t show until late. So its very possible for Aiko to have been pregnant and skinny at 3 months. Honestly, if a woman I thought was pregnant was still not showing 3 months later, I wouldn’t have assumed she wasn’t pregnant anymore. In fact, I’ve seen pregnant women who didn’t look it even after 3 months, so I think Reika may have just assumed Aiko doesn’t carry big.
Although, I do agree with you that Reika should have taken Kenichi’s request for money as something of a hint. I don’t know about Japan, but in the west people usually don’t ask for money directly when they plan on keeping a baby– they throw a baby shower if they want stuff for thier new baby– so abortion is the only other reason I can think of that someone would directly ask for money regarding a pregnancy.
Wow, that’s real awkward~ I can feel the tension right here in front of my computer… My throat is all tight~ I wonder how Reika will react? I just want Saburou to get shipped off to Guam so he can’t interrupt Reika and Eiji’s romantic moments anymore~That kid has radar, I swear… He only seems to show up when it would be annoying, XD.
Perhaps I’m jaded… But the moment they made the pregnancy announcement and ‘pop’ asked how much money they needed, I assumed it was for an abortion. Just based on the characters involved, having met people like that in reality. But to be honest, I don’t think that makes Reika slow or stupid or anything. She’s sweet and naive, and I don’t think there are enough people like that anymore. Her fumbles are endearing to me, a reminder of her subtle innocence.
Oh, man, that’s one awkward moment indeed. Definitely more of a Western cultural reaction. All it takes is one line and lack of experience…
I believe both Andrea and Melissa have valid points concerning Reika’s character. One has to keep in mind several factors: this is a growing, evolving story about people learning about love. This story presents characters who, in a way, develop in different ways, at different “speeds” due to various influences. I think those who are on either side of the fence relate to aspects of the character being presented; as Melissa noted, she saw aspects of herself in Reika’s “poor conversationalist” scenes. We all know someone like this; some of us ARE this person. Stories that reflect what we find uncomfortable in others is also a reflection of who we are; a unique inverted mirror, if you will. Those who are annoyed at Miharu’s rebellious streak tend to find themselves more conservative and perhaps are afraid of breaking the rules. The game of Risk, after all, won’t tell us of consequences the way the game of Caution will. Those of us who see Reika’s character as slow, dim-witted, and extremely naive perhaps consider those who have these qualities as people who don’t want to take control of their lives.
That’s why I love this story so much. They really do remind me of real-life instances of awkwardness, insecurities, joy, hope, happiness, and yes, love! I cannot wait to see where this storyline could go. The possibilities are endless. We are raised to believe we all deserve our happy endings, but if the end, its done. I look forward to the struggles that will possess their lives and change their character and relationships over time.
I don’t see that situation being as awkward for Reika as it is for Eiji (look at that expression XD); Aiko thinks it’s funny, and Ken seems annoyed and trying to distract himself from the conversation. But Reika, if you look, seems a little horrified at the idea. It could be just shocking or really that embarrassing for her, but I think that hearing that Aiko getting an abortion was troubling to her.
With that said, I’d like to take a moment and say that not only have the characters changed throughout the comic, but also the way they are drawn. If you look back, in the beginning they obviously look much younger. Gina’s drawing style has changed, and looks great! It looked great to begin with, but time has taken it’s toll and given it’s gifts =)
congrats on a 1,000 pages :3
yes, 1,000… AMAZING!
Kudos to Monica for focusing on the right thing. 1,000 pages. WOW!
Happy 1,000!!! WOW!
That’s a lot of drawing!!!
I totally didn’t catch on to the abortion thing, much like Reika. Though in hindsight, the look on the father’s face while asking how much money they’d need is a little suspicious, BUT that could also be construed as needing money to prepare for the baby. Not to mention, they moved back in with the parents too, which also suggests needing help supporting themselves with the new baby on the way. It is a logical conclusion, especially if you’re someone like Reika who both thinks on the light side of things and who would probably never consider an abortion if she were pregnant. We all have our blind spots.
Poor Reika, it’s clear she feels badly for not catching on sooner. I like Reika a lot because I can relate to how hard it is to learn to socialize when you grew up shy and kind of ostracized from your peers. Poor Eiji too, who looks so shocked!
LMAO!!!! THATS AMAZING!!! xD I forgot about the kid!! WOOT!! XD <3 red string!!
Congrats on the page number. =]
..Awkward moment much..
It seems like Reika is pretty much in awkward town anyway, and looking for something to say to make conversation – it’s not her fault that what came out wasn’t something she thought through. Nobody seems very comfortable except Aiko, who seems totally oblivious…
Awkward City welcomes you to Eiji’s household~
I think people in general are quick to judge, whether or not our judgments are correct, incorrect, understandable, or ridiculous. What and how we think is so subjective; it’s based upon what we’ve dealt with, where we grew up, who we’ve known, etc., etc., etc. Assuming or not assuming can get you into awkward situations either way. Let’s see how the story plays out.
Congrats on 1,000 pages! I know I’m on the late train, so sorry.
[...] lies in part with reading the comic as an independent entity, rather than part of a whole. When starting at the start of the scene, the situation is explained better. Reika is not only in a situation where she’s feeling [...]
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