10megaman

Okay, so here's a thread for debating why Aoki and Rin are not perfect for each-other.

Please note that I'm not a psychological expert, and this is just rough guesswork. Therefore, if there are any legitimate psychologists on this site, or experts in psychology, or anyone studying for a psych major and is close to graduating, please feel free to correct me and elaborate.

First off, I'd like to bring up the topic of Rin's psychological state as a young child. Rin is not emotionally stable. She has had traumatic moments in her past, and combined with typical child psychology, this makes matters worse for her. The thing is, as a child, she is fickle and would likely easily find that what she says she wants, if she were to get it, would not quite be exactly what she wanted at all. As a child, she's uncertain about what she really wants, though one thing is for certain, she wants power and control.

Children tend to have wants and desires for various things, ranging from candy and toys and desserts to people. They especially want what they cannot have. They also tend to pick on people who are different (though not always, as this partially depends on the child's upbringing and other factors), and who like different things. They can be cruel at times, just like adults can be.

Though, aside from that, Rin has suffered a traumatic experience, which leaves her vulnerable and open to darker things. Her traumatic experience was the loss of her mother, Aki (obviously), and this left her wounded, so she eventually stopped talking and wore the same clothing every day to hold onto what she had left of her mother. She also suppressed her emotions, to hold herself together as best she could. Fortunately, Kuro, though intending for Rin to be a "dress-up doll" of sorts for her, ended up helping Rin to break out of her shell, in which she started to communicate more for the first time, by telling Kuro "no" in regards to removal of her dress. And from this they eventually communicated more and became friends.

Even while Kuro is a good friend (now), she still has some of her own issues as well, and hence would not be a perfect role model as to how to conduct herself.

Mimi was a victim to bullying from a past teacher, who resorted to verbal abuse which made Mimi too scared to even come to school anymore. So, Rin emulated the teacher back at him and mirrored his behavior against him through both use of speech and also through writings in his Teaching Guide book. This caused him to experience an emotional breakdown (perhaps giving him flashbacks of his own past traumas which led him to be verbally abusive to Mimi, through "projecting" is frustrations on her, instead of at the source of the conflict.), and this is where Rin's dark side started to manifest.

From here, Rin felt she had power over that adult, and with this taste of power, it can be tainting. She had a desire to destroy as a result. Time with Mimi, though, may have helped bury the dark side, for a time. Mimi, though a victim of abuse, at least had one caring parent, which was enough for her to cope, despite that parent often being away at work. Plus, support from friends helped her to recover from this, and eventually, along with help from Aoki, led her to return to school and resume her education.

Moving on, though, still darkness loomed within her. She might've channeled into it to help fend off others that would insult or bully Mimi, and which also allowed it to brood and grow.

When Aoki came to being a teacher, she fixated on him as a target, like he were prey to her. Apparently she may have developed a complex for control over adults, like Reiji, and Aoki. (Specifically, for their 'types'. Reiji is an equally-unstable person who suffered a shared trauma with Rin at the loss of Aki, and as such has a complex leading him to be attracted to most women that are similar in appearance to her. Including Rin, sadly.

Aoki, on the other hand, is naiive, and almost innocent, and pretty oblivious to the fullest extent of Human Nature. Naturally, Rin, in her perversion, seeks to, in a sense, corrupt him and take control over him as though he were prey, and maybe to be property or an apprentice.)

Current character of mine shown in avatar image: Cherry
(Note: The image isn't one of my creation.)

I am 10MM. Space-Time Cross-Universe Traveler and Time Lord by rank, not by race. I am also a Combat Mage that specializes in Mid-Childean, Belkan, Ancient, and Crossover magic. (Some of it is a Nanoha reference.)

10megaman

Rin seeks to have control. We've seen this a few times. Rin is kind and generous to her friends, but she still has problems to work out. Her becoming Class President was essentially to position herself in a position of authority, control, and power over other students. Of course, she doesn't do this through bossiness, but rather her understanding of how other kids think, since she herself thinks like one. From this, she is able to exploit their wants to get them to do something, like cooperate with an assignment from the teacher to go about cooking. (Motivation: Ice Cream.)

Earlier, Rin saw Houin as a threat and did almost attempt murder to push her down the stairs. Seeing as how Houin has feelings for Aoki, and is around the same age, she wants a relationship with him. So, Rin perceives Aoki as a threat and wants to rid of her, but circumstances do not let this happen, thankfully. Also, fortunately, Rin never makes an attempt on Houin's life ever again from that point on.

Anyway, Rin knows of things that some would assume she's too young to know. (She knows about sex, for example.) The thing is, at her age, though she knows and understands some factors of this, what she doesn't understand is that sex leads to pregnancy (though not at her current age, but she's getting there), and that pregnancy takes a long time (roughly 9 months) to run its course. She may know this, but she doesn't think in terms of the consequences of such actions. Additionally, sex has physiological effects. It changes a bit on how people act, not to mention it floods the brain and body with hormones that it can be overwhelming. (I've never experienced this, but eh, I know this from reading too much.) And at her age, it can probably be especially overwhelming. She probably won't be able to handle it, and it could result in either damages (physiological and psychological), addictions, and so forth. (Again, this is all from reading too much.)

Anyway, moving on, the thing is, it's a game to her. She wants to take advantage of Aoki. She may not know everything of what she wants, but one thing's for certain. She wants control over him. She tries to coerce him to go along with her acts, and even tries to persuade him to have sex with her, etcetera. She even sexually harasses him and threatens to accuse him of the action he doesn't ever commit, since the law basically would regard, while children as not being reliable witnesses to things like robberies and murders, would be a reliable source about rape crimes. (With little investigation as to reading her expressions and mannerisms to decern whether or not she's telling the truth or lying.) Therefore, she's trying to establish a form of leverage over him. She wants him wrapped around her finger to do anything she wants. A slave, basically.

She does this through varying displays of attention-giving ranging from being a sweetheart and saying she wants him to marry her all the way to molesting him and teasing him in order to force him to comply.

He's been resistant, but eh, well, he's partially under her influence now.

Current character of mine shown in avatar image: Cherry
(Note: The image isn't one of my creation.)

I am 10MM. Space-Time Cross-Universe Traveler and Time Lord by rank, not by race. I am also a Combat Mage that specializes in Mid-Childean, Belkan, Ancient, and Crossover magic. (Some of it is a Nanoha reference.)

10megaman

Now, on to Aoki. Aoki is a young adult, somewhat mature but still very naiive. He's a teacher now, and this is one way for him to gain life and social experience, but it isn't the best way to do so.

Anyway, Aoki has had a pretty simple life. He's grown up with a nice family and he may have had some rough moments in life, but overall it really hasn't challenged him all that much until he got this job.

He's a teacher. He'll have to deal with rambunctious students, rude parents, incompetent parents, and oblivious parents, as well as decent parents that don't have any idea what their children are doing while they aren't looking. He'll also deal with parents that are probably smarter than he is and might be very angry with him for not knowing how to handle himself and/or the students. He has very little life experience, and it's fairly difficult for him to stand up for himself since if he doesn't, he's likely to suffer some psychological damages if he refrains from ignoring or disregarding the frustrations of the parents that have no idea on how their kids act.

Also, he's a virgin. Nothing's wrong with being a virgin, and people can be a very socially developed person and very wise and knowledgable, and experienced, while still being a virgin.

Moving on, he's aware of the fact that there are teachers out there that are perverts, and some aren't teachers but are still perverts, etcetera, and there are rapists and people who take advantage of children out there. He's very cautious and delicate sometimes, but his lack of experience makes things problematic. He can easily be accused of being something he is not and can easily lose his job over it.

Put Michael Weston in such a situation, and he'd use cunning manipulation and psychological tactics, plus he'd probably create some dirt and leverage on Rin to get her to cooperate and behave herself. (Michael Weston is, after all, a Burned Spy. That is, was... He's now back in the CIA. Watch Burn Notice to see what I mean.) Even so, Michael Weston does lack some social skills, though he's working on it, and is in Miami.

Back to Kodomo no Jikan...

The thing is, Aoki lacks any understanding of psychology and child development, which are things that would be VERY helpful for teachers to understand how their students will think and act, and how to find ways to get them to cooperate and to learn something. He also is unable to read people at all whatsoever, and is pretty much blind and oblivious to people's moods. (This has the advantage of making him unable to really be too scarred by typical everyday verbal abuse, except from by the calliber that Rin brings it up to be.)

If Aoki were more socially experienced, he might better know how to confront Rin and others that come up to him to upset him, harm him, etcetera. He has little idea of how hostile life can be, and he has no idea what the world has in store for him. Thus, he needs to learn. He needs to develop. He needs to figure out how to stand up for himself and how to handle a situation.

Where Michael Weston uses trickery and manipulation, and digging up dirt to keep the everyday enemies in line, Rin's tricks would get her pretty far for a while but eventually he'd have something that could prove that she is the one with the problem. (For example, with 'bugs', cell phones, and hidden recording devices.)

However, this wouldn't be suitable for Aoki. Though, it would help to have hidden listening devices to record everything Rin says around him and that can be used as leverage to keep Rin in line, that is unless Rin can find a hole or the authorities can dismiss Aoki's evidence as forged. However, further analysis of tones of voice, etcetera, would indicate a clear lack of fear (which there would be fear in her voice of saying things if she were forced, unless she were under Stockholm Syndrome.), but since cops may care more about closing cases than finding who's really guilty, or prejudice against people they assume are guilty and rely on emotional manipulation to win court cases to convict innocent people rather than bothering to take a closer look, well, Aoki won't be able to get very far.

What Aoki needs to do, though, is either obtain some sort of leverage over Rin or find a loophole to avoid complying with Rin while at the same time protecting is reputation and helping keep students in school and learning stuff.

Barring that, he may get fired and may have to hunt for another job where he can't help children that really need it.

Thing is, Aoki lacks certain abilities that are key to social interaction and dealing with people that are out to control him. He's basically leaving himself open to being a victim, even though he's not 100% compliant with what Rin wants him to do.

Current character of mine shown in avatar image: Cherry
(Note: The image isn't one of my creation.)

I am 10MM. Space-Time Cross-Universe Traveler and Time Lord by rank, not by race. I am also a Combat Mage that specializes in Mid-Childean, Belkan, Ancient, and Crossover magic. (Some of it is a Nanoha reference.)

Ugetsu

I'm still hearing that Superchick song

Newnonimous

Relax buddy. I completely understand what you are implying but as i said it before many times IT'S ONLY A MANGA, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. In real life this type of approach that Rin and Aoki are having wouldn't work with anyone, there are many flaws with it. Take it easy on your analysis okay 10MM^_^. Just enjoy it!

Armonía y discordia son arbitrarias, 無意味な概念...

Dark Samus

10MM, I feel that I started this. Trying to analize a manga is not advisable, your thougths are valid however. Surely Nitro and the Newcomers will debate. I'm sorry but I look forward for this pairing.

La Oscuridad en el Corazón es igual a la Luz en el Alma

10megaman

I'm sorry, but I take everything seriously, everyone, and considering that Kodomo no Jikan is mostly grounded in realism, I figured I'd take the liberty to analyze it.

Even so, well, everyone, you're all entitled to hope for Aoki and Rin to be a couple, but eh, I stand by disagreement particularly because there are many psychological factors that need to be addressed and dealt with.

If Rin and Aoki were to overcome these problems that were addressed and Rin were to go from possessive manipulator fixated on Aoki to someone who genuinely loves him, well, I wouldn't have any problem, though working one's way out of a psychological mess requires not only outside help (which is unlikely to be recieved due to lack of willingness to do so), but also would take years to accopmlish, so...

Just that in my opinion, looking at the psychology, Rin doesn't really love Aoki. He's just a toy to her. And it's been made pretty clear, too.

Additionally, though, in my opinion, works of fiction, specifically like this, are actually intended to have someone psychoanalyze them. Because it adds to the depth of the story, and for some people, makes it more enjoyable when accounting for the psychological side of things.

Current character of mine shown in avatar image: Cherry
(Note: The image isn't one of my creation.)

I am 10MM. Space-Time Cross-Universe Traveler and Time Lord by rank, not by race. I am also a Combat Mage that specializes in Mid-Childean, Belkan, Ancient, and Crossover magic. (Some of it is a Nanoha reference.)

Newnonimous

Yeah fiction is suppose to give us in depth of what the story is about and it's characters, every story has a moral to it but others can choose to defy it as well.

Well i respect your analysis and opinions but as for me i stand by what Samus believes that Rin and Aoki will be together. It will not make sense to you but it's just us.

Armonía y discordia son arbitrarias, 無意味な概念...

Dark Samus

And I,m sure that we're not the only ones that hope it.I will say this over and over again: If they are not destined to be together, why the hell they suffered all this? Sorry, I was carried away.

La Oscuridad en el Corazón es igual a la Luz en el Alma

10megaman

Well, they've suffered because life is life, and it isn't easy. Still, it's worth living because it is the best (and only) way to test and build character.

Basically, it's a learning opportunity for both of them, should they choose to learn and choose what to learn.

And I'm not upset with or worried about you guys (gender neutral) for wanting Rin and Aoki to be together.

I just have a different opinion on the matter, but I can still understand and respect your opinions. (though to be honest, up to a point.)

Current character of mine shown in avatar image: Cherry
(Note: The image isn't one of my creation.)

I am 10MM. Space-Time Cross-Universe Traveler and Time Lord by rank, not by race. I am also a Combat Mage that specializes in Mid-Childean, Belkan, Ancient, and Crossover magic. (Some of it is a Nanoha reference.)