She's old enough to have a sexual identity, remember, these are High School students, and it's not like Kaorin is a child prodigy like Chiyo-chan.
I would have to say that her infatuation with Sakaki goes beyond hero worship. She craves intimacy with her, including the desire to be kissed by her.
I think most of us who had heroes we idolized as kids didn't want those heroes to make out with us.
This is not to say that she's a lesbian, just that at the time shown in the series, her developing sexuality is tied in somehow with her idolizing Sakaki.
Now, the funny thing I find is that, as viewers, we know that the Sakaki that Kaorin has fallen in love with isn't quite the real Sakaki. How would Kaorin feel if she knew that Sakaki wasn't so much cool but shy and mushy inside? Would she lose intrest, or would she dress up in a kitty costume?
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marsodyssey2010
18 years ago
At the start of the series, Kaori is only in Junior high, which is still too young for homosexuality to more than confusion about geneder issues, particulalry in a society like Japan where male homosexuality is accepted, but female homosexuality is still limited largely to porn.
You also need to remember that you're using American standards for 'intimacy' not Japanese standards. What you're seeing as intimate is pretty standoffish by Japanese standards. It would be considered pretty normal for the girls to go down to a public bath and spend ages sitting in the same hottub together totally naked in Japan, and for there to be a lot more phyical contact under normal circumstances than between American girls of the same ages.
English Language Anime: Dub it, don't pervert it.
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fabien-cortina
18 years ago
I agree with your depictiong of relationship with japan teenage girls (although I disagree about the idea of a "minimum" age for homesexuality). But I think Kaori is after something more with Sakaki because she is sickly... *jealous*.
It may also been linked to her worshipping of Sakaki, but jealousy is more common in a love relationship (especially a one-sided :P)
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marsodyssey2010
18 years ago
If there was some guy on the baseball team in your highschool, who you looked up to and followed everywhere, and suddenly he started doing batting-practice with me, wouldn't you feel that way too?
English Language Anime: Dub it, don't pervert it.
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neoendgame
18 years ago
Dont forget about the episode when we see a bunch of girls saying how cool she is. Thay have hearts above there heads i think. Would that make them the same? It looks like it may just be a fandom thing. Like a girl being a fan of J-lo or somthing. Wouldent they act the same way if they met J-lo face to face? Most girls do not need to face this. Kaorin has to see Sakaki alot. How would you act if your favorite actor/actress started going to your school?
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forherwealth
18 years ago
I agree with you here. I'm pretty positive Kaorin has more than a "girl-crush" on Sakaki.
I myself am quite familiar with Japanese culture, and I can safely say, that this is just "one of those things."
Besides, a fan site stated it well: "Kaorin adores Sakaki and thinks she's the coolest girl in the school. She is constantly day-dreaming about Sakaki, and even the slightest bit of contact makes her ecstatic. Sakaki, however, remains oblivious to Kaorin's affections."
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