Quote from mavnent
That's not true at all. You can like a manga without feeling compelled to like each and every character. Or should we all share the same opinion?
If you refuse to challenge another person's point of view, you're just going to get a bunch of posts like:
"OMGOMG Riceball is the coolest!"
"I love Eri x Harima!"
"Kid's Meal here!"
"Why isn't Harima x Karasuma up there?"
etc.
At which point the thread itself becomes completely redundant with the poll.
This is a forum. I'm sure we're all more than capable of challenging each others' points of view and defending our own. Besides, if I'm being unnecessarily critical in my points, it shouldn't be all that hard for you to refute them, no?
If you refuse to challenge another person's point of view, you're just going to get a bunch of posts like:
"OMGOMG Riceball is the coolest!"
"I love Eri x Harima!"
"Kid's Meal here!"
"Why isn't Harima x Karasuma up there?"
etc.
At which point the thread itself becomes completely redundant with the poll.
This is a forum. I'm sure we're all more than capable of challenging each others' points of view and defending our own. Besides, if I'm being unnecessarily critical in my points, it shouldn't be all that hard for you to refute them, no?
I will admit that your posts have added engaging discussion to what would otherwise likely be a pointless reiteration of the poll results. Rest assured I share your enthusiasm for debate and conflicting viewpoints. What's more fun to do on the internet than argue? The fact that I'm glad you made your posts doesn't make them any less one-sided and self-contradictory, however.
I read through your exchange with SiLNet. Clearly, you love Eri and despise Yakumo, and nothing is going to change your mind; you've made no attempt to hide your character bias. To each his own, I say. You have, however, attempted to wrap your bias in a billowing cloak of logic, and it is this I object to. Your posts are well-contructed and worded such that, individually, they appear to make very strong arguments. Take them together, however, and the double-standards become apparent. When it comes to Yakumo's misdeeds, you make mountains out of molehills. When it comes to Eri's misdeeds, you make molehills out of mountains.
Early on, you delve into an analysis Yakumo's penchant for actively defending her sister's honor, accusing her of being unable to accept Tenma for who she is, and having a deep-seated anger against Tenma which she displaces onto anyone who insults her by lashing out rather than speaking up on her behalf, concluding that the source of her anger is that, deep down, she is in agreement with them. This is an interesting analysis, although this and nearly every subsequent argument you make that involve an analysis of Yakumo's actions run counter to your first implication, which is that Yakumo is a shallow, undeveloped character (no shallow, undeveloped character can be the subject of 3 pages of debate and analysis). Yet you offer no support for your notion that Yakumo is unable to accept Tenma for who she is (if anything she's too accepting, and her constant coddling of and looking out for Tenma would necessitate a knowledge of her shortcomings), or that she agrees with Tenma's detractors (in chapter 216 she makes it clear than the reason she can't forgive those who treat her like an idiot, i.e., the source of her devotion to Tenma, is the lengths to which Tenma would go to protect Yakumo and make her happy, even while suffering herself).
You also accuse Yakumo of lashing out physically, and when discussing her reactions to Tenma being insulted or belittled, use language like 'snap', 'lose control', 'go berzerk'. It seems you would have us all believe that Yakumo is, in addition to being cold, manipulative, and a gossip, a denial-ridden, borderline psychotic headcase. This is, of course, blatant exaggeration on your part. Yakumo is guilty of three (count 'em, and do correct me if I'm wrong) acts of violence throughout the series, two of which are related to Tenma being insulted and none of which warrant any of your language. The first, when she flips Hanai over, is more than justified, since she reacted this way when he insulted Tenma *after* making several attempts to manhandle her in a misguided attempt to convince her of the necessity of joining his Aikido club. He'd already and quite inappropriately initiated a physical confrontation with her (though of course it's Hanai, his intentions are always good). The second time she was asleep and pinned Hanai out of reflex.
The third was the oft-referenced slap. Even though she admits later that part of her motivation for slapping Eri was that her knowledge of Eri's feeling for Harima were painful, the slap came because of Eri's cruel and high-handed treatment of Tenma; Yakumo clearly would not have slapped Eri out of the blue. This is the only time she can be said to have physically lashed out, but apparently it's enough for you to seize on and imply that Yakumo is of a violent temperament (when she's clearly not) and just barely 'controlling her rage'. And, of course, when SiLNet brings up the fact that Eri has, on several occasions distributed rather evenly throughout the story, punched, kicked, slapped, or knee-dropped Harima - demonstrating beyond all argument that Eri has a far greater penchant for violence than Yakumo, you gloss it over, alluding to Eri supposedly making amends for every transgression (which is false; Eri makes amends for some, but not all of what she does).
The other incident involving Yakumo being overprotective of Tenma involves her beating Eri at a game such that, had Harima not been there, Eri would have had to let Yakumo draw on her face with a marker. Vicious, I know, and highly indicative of displacement and barely controlled rage.
Another glaring contradiction is your undue (almost comically so) focus on the incident with Hanai's glasses. Yakumo dislikes and avoids Hanai most of the time, you say, except when she needs something from him - this is proof that she is manipulative, morally bankrupt, and undeserving of Harima or anyone else, you go on to imply. When SiLNet pointed out how utterly trivial that event was, you insist that it still says something about her character. Possibly, but I'm not as sure as you are. First off, Yakumo makes it clear, as she's asked about it on at least one occasion, that she does not dislike Hanai, nor does she consider him a bad person. She is simply (very) uncomfortable around him because of his pushiness (as made apparent in his words, actions, and thoughts) and the way he constantly hounds her for attention. Her willingness to use the fact that she's placed into a situation with Hanai (more by Hanai and Akira's doing than her own, to be sure) to borrow Hanai's glasses to help Harima get his groove back does not, I think, stain her character nearly so much as you imply.
The source of the contradiction from your focus on the incident involving Hanai's glasses is that, when similar (on a superficial level, but far more grave) actions on Eri's part are brought up, that is, her casting aside of her friendship with Tenma due to petty jealousy, you again gloss it over, saying that it's her choice who she does and does not spend time with. Wouldn't it be Yakumo's choice, too, then? If Eri casting aside her friendship with Tenma because she's jealous of the way she gets along with Harima (temporarily of course, I haven't forgotten that they reconcile) isn't that big a deal, rather Eri's prerogative, then you damn sure shouldn't have a problem with Yakumo stomaching Hanai and his cosplay desires for a few hours because it's her job, and using the situation to borrow his glasses.
As for Yakumo's meddling, it's hardly fair to call her a gossip for telling Harima about Eri's feelings for her. *Everyone* else already knew about it; Eri's friends knew it for fact, and there were all sorts of rumors circulating, which Harima knew about. Even Togou knew. It's quite clear in chapter 217 that she's telling him to explain Eri's actions to him, and, as her revelation is juxtaposed with her conclusion that Eri is better suited for Harima than her, pretty clearly not out of any desire to sabotage their Eri's relationship with Harima. All other situations in which you claim or imply that Yakumo has attempted to sabotage Eri's bid for Harima (and it is Eri's bid for Harima, as Harima makes it clear on several occasions that he has no intention of getting involved with Ojou any more than necessary) are ambiguous; there is no concrete attempt on Yakumo's part to sabotage Eri's relationship with Harima.
Having said all this, I voted for Yakumo and Harima simply because it's the current underdog. I could be satisfied with either pairing, or disappointed with either - it depends on how it's executed, how it's resolved.
The fact is that both Yakumo and Eri have had quite a bit of development over the series. Yakumo's has been subtle and slower, involving a lot of introspection and a slow process of her coming out of her shell. Eri's transition from a side character to a, if not the, main heroine, has obviously been more pronounced and showcased. Both have developed, both have issues and flaws, and neither is more deserving of Harima than the other in my opinion. It's pointless to focus on one character to the point of ignoring or belittling the very real developments and expansions of another, just because your favorite and least-favorite characters don't get along. It's even more pointless to apply an amalgamation of double-standards, exaggerations, and heavy-handed bias to two characters, both of which are integral to the story.
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Allow me to reacquaint you with... THE GROUND!
yeah! 
