foxinthestars (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
foxinthestars) wrote2012-08-07 12:39 pm
foxinthestars) wrote2012-08-07 12:39 pm
More Hyouka babbling
Because I was mulling my psychoanalysis of it and suddenly realized that I'm rooting for Eru/Houtarou (although I don't necessarily need it to be romantic).
See, I kind of love Houtarou, and I have a suspicion that his "energy conservation" strategy is his way of dealing with being a perfectionist; on some level he knows that if he gets drawn in, he's all in, which is a vulnerable position, so to avoid the danger he just avoids actually committing himself to anything ("If you don't have to do it, don't" is obvious, and "if you have to do it, make it quick" sounds like just getting through something without making a real investment). As an exhibit, see the previously-cited end of episode 10, where he reacts to "you forgot something" like he just got punched in the gut.
In this way, as sweet as the Houtarou/Satoshi 'fic was, and even though I love Satoshi and Mayaka more and more as we go along, I think some of the others --- notably Satoshi (and don't even get me started on Irisu; the poor guy was set up for that gut-punch so bad) --- aren't doing Houtarou any favors when they expect and wager on him to get everything right, which he's brilliant enough that he normally can, but that doesn't mean being put on the "master detective" spot is good for him. (I can say from personal experience that if you're a perfectionist, actually being able to make good on it can just set up your expectations of yourself and dig you deeper into the hole.)
And this is where Eru comes in; in the episode 11 debriefing, she was the one person who just discussed with him what went sideways there without raking him over the coals. She's the one person who can pull him off his center, but she's also the one with the grace to catch him if he falls on his face, and if we're trying to hook him up with a good influence, we need the second as well as the first.
Of course, his sister seems to have some master plan that is still unfolding...
See, I kind of love Houtarou, and I have a suspicion that his "energy conservation" strategy is his way of dealing with being a perfectionist; on some level he knows that if he gets drawn in, he's all in, which is a vulnerable position, so to avoid the danger he just avoids actually committing himself to anything ("If you don't have to do it, don't" is obvious, and "if you have to do it, make it quick" sounds like just getting through something without making a real investment). As an exhibit, see the previously-cited end of episode 10, where he reacts to "you forgot something" like he just got punched in the gut.
In this way, as sweet as the Houtarou/Satoshi 'fic was, and even though I love Satoshi and Mayaka more and more as we go along, I think some of the others --- notably Satoshi (and don't even get me started on Irisu; the poor guy was set up for that gut-punch so bad) --- aren't doing Houtarou any favors when they expect and wager on him to get everything right, which he's brilliant enough that he normally can, but that doesn't mean being put on the "master detective" spot is good for him. (I can say from personal experience that if you're a perfectionist, actually being able to make good on it can just set up your expectations of yourself and dig you deeper into the hole.)
And this is where Eru comes in; in the episode 11 debriefing, she was the one person who just discussed with him what went sideways there without raking him over the coals. She's the one person who can pull him off his center, but she's also the one with the grace to catch him if he falls on his face, and if we're trying to hook him up with a good influence, we need the second as well as the first.
Of course, his sister seems to have some master plan that is still unfolding...