Shuvo Ul Alam I had origionaly posted this over the summer as a response to a debate over which ending to KOR was better: The movie or the manga. I said neither. I think that the TV show actually was the best ending, but it had left the question of what happened to Hikaru up in the bright rose filtered air of spring with its end. The movie was so much a tribute to Touch that I kept wondering wh en Hikaru would be biting that big moving vehicle;). The movie had a lot of things left unresolved, or unexplored. I wish they had actually made Kasuga and Madoka's relationship seem a little more romantic, rather than the jealouse shrew and the daring knave story it was. I really didn't see Hikaru as t he manic obsessive from hell during the TV series either. I did like the movie, but... The manga ending was too rushed. There was no proper set-up for Madoka to suddenly go super depressive (I've encountered PMS many times in my life folks and even that ain't THAT bad folks;). Hikaru had very little reason to suddenly change her mind th e way she did. All this plus the fact that that cute little "like that's infinitely close to love" play on words did NOT go over well with me at all. I'm sure every little boy and girl in net-land knows the difference. Matsumoto, however, intended it only to be a cute little suspense gag with the idea that "infinitely close" is like saying "same as" (a case may be made for this, but...). For this story, I hit upon the idea of combining the TV show ending with the manga story. This would give the seamless plot-line of the TV show with the definite ending. At the beginning, I went with the "Hikaru's mystical transformation" and "Madoka's hidden feelings" plot devices of the manga, but this version has some added dialogue which might help in clarifying the whys of the items above. Kimagure Orange Road Finale by Shuvo (Well what the hell, might as well) Alam This is with the parts of episode 47 and 48 intact up until the parallel world jump. This means that Kasuga and Madoka have already had their conversation about Kasuga's true nature, and their feelings toward each other: *** Kasuga is going down the stairs until he loses balance and... KASUGA: WHOA-- *** He lands on his head on a piece of rock, right in front of Hikaru, who is very surprised to say the least. He gets up and surveys his surroundings. There are no buildings in sight, just trees and shrubs. He turns back toward Hikaru-chan and notices that she is scared out of her wits. She looks a little older and is also dressed a little strangely... KAS: Hi-Hikaru-chan... HIKARU: WAAHHHHH! *** Hikaru is very distressed by Kasuga's appearance. KAS: (totally surprised by the outburst) Hi-Hika- *** Suddenly, he is interrupted by a big brute carrying a club. It's Yuhusaku! Both Hikaru and Yuhusaku are wearing primitive garb. KAS: YU-YUHUSAKU! *** He barely dodges the club as it comes crashing down with a- WHAM--- *** The scene changes to that of the playground where Kasuga had left Madoka behind. Madoka is called from behind. MADOKA (younger): Say, oneechan. MADOKA (older): That's... *** The rest of this scene is the same as that of the TV show up until the younger Madoka says that she wants to marry Kasuga. (For those of you who haven't seen the show, but still are reading this story and don't care about spoilers: The younger Madoka asks if Kasuga is older Madoka's boyfriend, and eventually reveals that she is in love with him. ) WHAM--- *** The scene has switched suddenly to the prehistoric encounter with Hikaru and Yuhusaku and Kasuga. Kasuga barely dodges another hit from Yuhusaku, and starts running. KAS: This isn't funny! Whoa- *** Kasuga trips on a rock at the top of a rocky hill. He falls down the hill. KAS: AAAaagh! *** Kasuga lands in a pile of life sized stuffed dolls. He is no longer in the prehistoric world. KAS: Huh? *** A gigantic pair of geeky guys look through the glass cage holding the bunch of dolls and Kasuga. They are very excited about something. GEEK1: (greedily) I want a Madoka UFO catcher doll! GEEK2: (same) Yeah! GEEK1: Huh? Oh rats. GEEK2: (greedily) Get it anyway. Get it anyway. That way he can look enviously while we do nasty things to Madoka-onesama! *** They have, of course, picked up Kasuga. Kasuga looks horrified as he is pulled high above the other dolls. Below him, he is shocked to discover a cute Madoka UFO catcher doll. All of a sudden, the crane lets go of him. GEE1&2: Waah! KAS: WAAH! *** Kasuga has slipped into another parallel world. He lands in a big mecha (looks like a retro designed mecha, like a silly version of the Voltron design). The cockpit closes immediately, and Kasuga barely has time to look around him before- CONTROLLER: Unit 2 launch! KAS: Waah! *** Kasuga gets shot down a launch track that looks like one of those from Gundam. In his wake a guy is standing with huge eyes and a gaping mouth. GUY: He-hey, that's my mecha... *** Kasuga is worrying about something. He has a flashback of what he saw right before he was launched. He saw the back-right side profile of a mecha pilot boarding her mecha. He replays it in his mind again. KAS: Ayukawa... KAS: (thinking) But she's in my dimension too... And if she meets her younger self... *** A vision of what grandfather warned about before comes to him (same as the episode) *BOOM* KAS: Waah! *** A whole bunch of missiles shoot at Kasuga. Not knowing how to control the thing, he flies out of control in the mecha. He tries to make th mech run (as in physicaly running with its legs), but (as there is no ground in outer space) he careens out of control before he can take the third step. A whole bunch of mecha surrounds him. The action is really speeded up like the SD comedy shows. KAS: (shocked) aaa... *** Suddenly, Madoka's mecha comes and blasts the other mechas (they don't blow up, just go careening into space, out of control. This is Orange Road after all;). KAS: Wow... Who was that? *** The face of a fellow mech pilot suddenly pops up on the screen. MECH PILOT: That's the famous Madoka Ayukawa, a.k.a. The Pink Meteor (;P). *** The mech pilot notices that he's never seen Kasuga before... MP: H-Hey, who are you?!?!? KAS: A-Haha, I just uhh.. Transferred in...But she is really good 'ne'? *** Kasuga has just hit the mech pilot's sweet spot. MP: Yeah! She's amazing! Wait 'til you see her stats! *** A list of stats appear on the screen beside the mech pilot's face, including cute pictures taken at five year intervals, ending with current picture (flashing by very fast). MADOKA AYUKAWA a.k.a. The Pink Meteor age: 17 height: 5'5" (guess, and it would be in cm) eyes: Black hair: Black blood type: O weight: 50kg . (whole bunch of stuff like favorite food, hobby, parents' names, place . of birth, bust-hip-waist size ;P, pet peaves (indecisive people ;), . etc. ad infinitum) Asessment: WOW! -adm. Komatsu And what a babe too! -adm. Hatta *** The list (which flew by pretty fast), isn't the main concern of Kasuga... KAS: It's pretty quiet... MP: Yeah, the center of battle changes pretty rapidly. KAS: But she's always in the middle of it... *** Madoka's mech has just cleared out another band of enemy mechs, when suddenly- MADOKA:(quietly) I can't stand it anymore... *** Madoka's face is displayed in Kasuga's screen. It is down, and sad. Sad violin music a-la GunBusters. MAD: Day after day... This has become my life... And what is it for? KAS: Ayukawa... MAD: I've been alone for all my life... Without anyone... *** A switch in the scenery to that of Madoka conversing with her younger self. MADOKA(older): I'm behind you all the way. MADOKA(younger): Let's shake on it! *** That ominous moment before their hands meet... The scenery changes. MAD: What have I achieved if I have nobody to share it with? What do I really have to fight for? *** The enemy mechs take this chance to launch a full barrage of missiles at her. They completely surround her so that there is no more hope of escape. KAS: **AYUKAWA!!!** MAD(mech fighter): Huh? ***Madoka in the playground seems to have heard this as well. \ MAD(older): Kasuga-kun? *** Same effect as the TV show in the world of the past. Back at the space battle... BABOOM! *** All of the missiles that were targeted toward Madoka have found their mark. EVERYBODY(except Kasuga, who has his head hanging down): GASP! *** The explosions clear and Madoka's mech is still in perfect condition with a bubble shield around it. EVERYBODY(same): Wow! KAS: Ayukawa... *** Scene shifts, and the Madokas part. Scene shifts again. *** Kasuga lifts his head. His teeth are gritted with concentration. He is the person who created the shield. With a gasp of relief, he lets go of the shield and it disappears, bursting out to knock away the enemy mechs. KAS: Ayukawa, I love you... I always will... MAD(she is confused as to who is speaking to her): W-who... *BOOM* *** Missiles go off in the vicinity of Kasuga's mech. Kasuga's mech is knocked toward the moon. KAS: WHAA! *** At the last minute, the craters of the moon turns into the flat on the stairs (you know which stairs;). KAS: Ouuch! KAS: Ayukawa! *** Madoka meets Kazuya, the same as the t.v. show, but this time Kazuya explains that he has been sent here by grandfather to take them back. Kasuga returns the same as before, the rest of the scene is the same to their kiss under the tree. Since it is still mid'day, Kasuga decides that they spend the day together. MAD (very happily excited, nods): Umh *** Madoka joyously agrees. They go to a restuarant (the one that they went to at the beginning of the series, right after Kasuga had rescued the little baby). Afterwards, they take a walk in the park, sit on a bench. All of this is done in the pastel sketchbook style of Manami's da te from Manami's Big Adventure. MAD: Kasuga-kun... KAS: Hai MAD (shyly): Kasuga-kun... I... I am happy... KAS: Ayukawa... ***They are almost on the verge of kissing again in the evening sunset, BUT--- HIKARU: Ka-Kasuga-sempai... Madoka-onesama! KAS&MAD: Hikaru! *** Hikaru has been following them. She looks down sadly... HIK: When Kasuga-sempai missed our study session, I went to his home. When I didn't find him, I checked at ABCB, then I saw... I saw you come out of the restuarant at the park... and... MAD: (concerned, and sad) Hikaru, you have been following- HIK: I hate Madoka-san! *** She runs away, crying. MAD: Hikaru-chan! *** Madoka runs after Hikaru. After a moment of indecisiveness, Kasuga jumps up and starts going after them too, but- NOSY1: Wow! You're so lucky! NOSY2: Yeah! Two girls! *** He has been snagged by a bunch of obnoxious geeks who have popped out of nowhere. A WHOLE BUNCH OF NOSY GUYS: Wow! *** Kasuga shakes them off angrily and runs after the two girls. Cut to the gate at Hikaru's house. Madoka is talking on the intercom. HIKARU'S MOTHER: I'm sorry, Hikaru doesn't want to see anyone right now. MADOKA: I see. KASUGA: This time we can't go back... MAD: (angrily at him) And you want to see her hurt? KAS: (sadly) no. *** Both Kasuga and Madoka lean against the wall, head bowed in sadness. Inside, Hikaru is crying into her pillow. Her mother knocks on the door. H'SM: Hikaru, are you allright? HIK: (softly) 'Hai' *** Madoka returns home to find a phone message from her mother, and her place not-packed. MAD: (thinking, introspectively) An esper huh? So strange that it's hard to believe. MAD: I don't know what to think... It's more than I imagined. *** She goes to the window. Her saxophone case is on the bed. She looks out over the nightline, and a breeze flows in blows her hair out behind her. MAD(speaking out softly): Hikaru... *** The next day. Kasuga gets up early in the morning and (after saying bye) leaves to go to Madoka's place. While his voice over is going, he is walking or running toward Madoka's place. KASUGA: (voice over on his actions) Ayukawa asked me for some help with her packing today, but if I had known what was going to happen while I was gone... *** It is a while after Kasuga has left. Hikaru is pacing around the outside of the apartment building the Kasugas live in. After a while, she gets the courage to go in. Kurumi and Manami answer the door. Upon Hikaru's inquiry, Kurumi says that Kasuga is n't home: KURUMI:(happy as ever) Oneechan left early today. MANAMI: He seemed in a hurry. HIKARU: (cheerful-sparkley) That's okay, I was wondering if I could get something. I ..err.. left a notebook here. *** The twins, of course (having no reason to not believe her), let her in to his room. Hikaru looks at the room sadly. HIKARU:(softly) Darring. MANAMI: Is it here? *** Suddenly Hikaru notices Jingles playing with the red hat. HIK: I don't remember seeing that before... KUR: Really? That's been here almost since we moved in. Oneechan is weird, keeping a girl's hat like that ..errr.. if it's not yours... HIK: No. KUR: He was really weird last night. He kept playing with the hat for a long time. HIK: (with a flash of realization) Madoka-sa-an..? KUR&MAN: eh? HIK: How does Kasuga-sempai feel about Madoka-san? KUR&MAN: EH !?!? KUR&MAN: (alternately) Well...errr...He is your boy-friend...ne? Ah haha.. *** Hikaru can't stand it anymore. HIK: I have to go. KUR&MAN: 'eh'? *** Meanwhile Kasuga is happily helping Madoka pack. He does a few tricks on putting stuff in boxes with his power, much to the delight of Madoka. After a while of this, they sit down on a couple of boxes. Madoka brings a couple of drinks over. MADOKA: I'm worried about Hikaru. KASUGA: 'hai'. MAD: What do you feel for her? KAS: I like Hikaru-chan very much, but... only like a little sister. *** They both look down. After a while, Madoka breaks the silence. MAD: This has gone on far too long 'ne'? KAS: I shouldn't have let this even start. *** Suddenly Kasuga get a bright idea. KAS: Maybe I can go back and make it so this never happened! *** He is happy about the idea until he looks at Madoka, who is facing down. KAS: A-Ayukawa... MAD: I like my memories as they are Kasuga-kun. KAS: ha-hai... *** Madoka announces that she has some clothes that she wants to give to Hikaru. Kasuga offers to come, but she insists on doing it herself. This is about noon time. *** Next scene, Kasuga has returned home, and found out about Hikaru's visit. KAS: Nani!?!? KAS: I'm done for... *** Madoka is waiting outside Hikaru's door. Hikaru's mother is talking to her on the intercom. Madoka has a box of things for Hikaru. HIKARU'S MOTHER: I'm sorry, she still doesn't want to see anybody. MADOKA: (small) 'hai' *** Madoka decides to not go away. The hands of a clock pass by... 1 PM... 2PM... 3PM... 4 PM... 5 PM... At 6 PM, the scene cuts to Hikaru's room. Hikaru is watching a drama on her cute little portable TV. There are two actors on the screen (male and female). MALE ACTOR: I'm sorry Naru-chan. FEMALE ACTOR: (overacting tremendously) Hai. Sanjouin-sama... Even though I am heartbroken that you do not love me, I will continue bravely. Do not worry for me. Please be happy. *** Hikaru is obviously into this, because her eyes are twinkling more stars than an astronomer's dreamland. She is in the 'Hikaru (tm)' state of happiness. Suddenly her mom buzzes the intercom. H'S M: Hikaru, Madoka is still waiting for you outside. I think we should at least let her in. *** Hikaru sadly crashes back down to earth. The next scene, Madoka is still waiting outside when the gate opens. Hikaru comes out. She doesn't look at Madoka. MAD: I ah.. brought you some things. HIK: Why? MAD: Huh? Oh, I forgot... I still haven't told you that I'll be leaving for America. HIK: Do you love Kasuga-sempai? MAD: . . . . (silence for you ignets ;P) HIK: Well? MAD: What do you feel about him? HIK: eh? MAD: Well, I'm leaving... and he... *** Hikaru looks questioningly at Madoka, who has her head down. MAD:(dejectedly) Maybe I can remove myself. HIK: EH!?!? *** She looks at Madoka surprised for a little while, and then looks down. HIK:(angrily, on the verge of tears) He isn't a present you can give away! HIK:(crying and with an ironic tone) You don't have to be so giving all the time! HIK: Perfect Madoka-onesama, you always win don't you? *** Hikaru runs back inside, leaving Madoka. Madoka starts crying too. She goes away, leaving the box of stuff at the front of the house. She wanders for a little while, aimlessly. She has several flashbacks: A young Madoka is being chased by some bullies. One closes in, but she trips him. She then picks up a rock in one sweep and throws it at the leader, knocking him backwards into some others. One of them however has escaped her notice, and comes out of nowhere, hitting her squarely. The scene shifts to a little later, and she is cringed in an alleyway hiding, having been hit several times. She is crying. She sees a few kids in the distance playing. The scene shifts to another time (Madoka is still young). Hikaru is holding her hand and jumping up and down excitedley. HIK: Madoka-san is Hikaru's best friend! *** Pastel stills of Madoka and Hikaru growing up together show in sequence. It finally ends with a close-up on Madoka's face. She keeps wandering and ends up at ABCB. She orders a drink (alcoholic). *** The scene shifts to Kasuga. He is outside Hikaru's house. KAS(voice over with a still of his face, and the outside of Hikaru's house): I didn't know if I should be doing this... But I guess I owe Hikaru something... *** Hikaru is outside in front of Kasuga. She is (pretending to be) very happy to see him. HIK: Darring came to see me! KAS: Hi-Hikaru... gomenasai... HIK(no longer pretending to be happy): Why? KAS: . . . . . . HIK: Why does darring like Madoka onesama better than me? HIK: I can do anything for you. I've loved you for so long... KAS: But... HIK(yelling): BUT WHAT? She can't love you as much as I do! Why are you doing this to me? *** She has worn down Kasuga's patience. -slap- KAS(regretting what he just did): I'm sorry Hikaru- HIK(softly): Please come back. KAS: It's- It's not something I can change. I care about you a lot, but it was never... *** Hikaru's eyes turn imploring toward Kasuga, and then flash with anger. She runs back into the house. KAS: Hikaru-chan. *** The scene is back at ABCB with master expressing concern over Madoka's order of alcoholic drink. MASTER: I don't think that Madoka-san is in a good shape to be drinking. MAD: Please master, you shouldn't torment young people with these restrictions. MAS: Madoka-san... MAD: I may look sad, but I'm really celebrating. MAS: Eh? MAD: Kasuga-kun... He loves me... MAS: . . . . . . MAD (raises her head with a put on smile): I'm celebrating! *** Master, despite his intentions, gives her a couple of drinks. After the place closes, he walks her home. After he leaves, Madoka leaves her home to take a walk. She stumbles around a while, reaches a payphone, and calls Kasuga. MAD:(drunk, sad, etc.) Kasuga-kun... KAS: Ayukawa! *** Madoka starts crying and hangs up, sitting down in the telephone booth. Kasuga, of course, is not in a happy state. He calls her number, it rings for a while, but nobody answers. He is about to go out in the middle of the night in search for her, but- RRrriiing KAS: Mushi mushi... Mushi mushi...... *** There is no answer. KAS: Ayukawa? I'm so worried about you. Ayukawa where are you? *** It (oh, and as if you couldn't guess ;) isn't Ayukawa. Hikaru hangs up the telephone in a fit of despair and bawls her eyes out :(. *** Kasuga, not knowing it was Hikaru, runs out the door in search of Ayukawa. Follow with the usual search montage and music... He finds her unconsciouse in the telephone booth. Apparently, she didn't make it that far from her home. *** The next morning, Ayukawa gets up and notices Kasuga zonked out on her bedroom sofa. He wakes up too and is happy to see her, but she gives him the cold shoulder. Rest of the day, she is still giving him the cold shoulder. KAS: (voice over) Ayukawa was back to her thorniness (horny for all you Arctic Animation fans ;P), and I didn't know how to break through it... *** Change scene to airport. KAS: (voice over) It was finally time for her to go... But I didn't want it like this... *** There are a whole bunch of the KOR gang there, except Hikaru. Some hug, some stand back and some exchange formal farewells with Madoka. Kasuga fall into the formal farewells catagory. Suddenly Hikaru runs toward them (sap alert! sap alert!). HIK: Madoka-san! KAS&MAD: Hikaru. YUHUSAKU: (happily) Hikaru-chan! HIK: (looks at Yuhusaku suspiciously) Mo... Nani yo? *** She runs past a dazed Yuhusaku. HIK: Madoka-san, I'm sorry I'm late... Ah! Good luck in America. MAD: Doomo Arigato Hikaru-san HIK: Hope you come back soon! I know Kasuga-sempai will be waiting anxiously. *** Both Madoka and Kasuga look down and away. Hikaru realizes what happened. HIK: Madoka-san, Kasuga-sempai, you shouldn't be unhappy for me... HIK: I can't win by taking away Kasuga-sempai. The only way I can win now is by being right. 'Hikaru-chan no presento'! *** She excitedly pushes Kasuga and Madoka together. They are surprised and reluctant. Hikaru sees this and get VERY pissed off. HIK: (yelling) If you two keep acting like bozos, then none of us can be happy! *** Kasuga looks at Madoka. KAS: Ayukawa. MAD: Kasuga-kun... *** Madoka suddenly looks down and starts crying. MAD: I'm sorry Hikaru. HIK: (embarressedly waving her away) Never mind. Never mind. Come back soon! *** Madoka looks at Kasuga again. KAS: I'll be waiting for you patiently. MAD: I'll return soon. *** They hug tightly. KAS: (voice over) With a simple goodbye we left the early spring of our childhoods behind. Kasuga Kyuosuke 16 years old. That goodbye was actually a hello to summer. *** As the camera pans back to turn the picture of the two hugging into a snapshot we hear the following. YUHUSAKU: (crying loudly) BWAHWAHWAAAA! Madoka-san we will miss you! HIKARU: (angrily) Yuhusaku! Quit crying all over me! You're getting my dress wet! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kimagure Orange Road Finale by Shuvo ("so how much free time do you have anyway?" Not much at all.. "And you're wasting it doing this?") Alam Well that's a wrap. Any comments are welcomed. I hope you enjoyed this. The run length of this probably would be an hour so I think that the last episode should have been an hour special. The only payment any fan-fic writer ever asks for is feed-back. As long as they get that, they are happy. Comments are welcomed! The reason for the delay in posting this to the r.a.a.s is that I had simply sent off the posting without bothering to save it. I had to have someone send it back to me from his mailbox, and then wait until I had enough time again to repost. Again, on the movie: I don't really know what to make of it. It is a fairly good movie, but I really don't think that that's the true spirit, style, story of KOR. They could have ended it a lot of ways, and I don't think that that one needed to be it. It is very emotional though. I'll grant it that much. To Zoner: Well, here it is. The other story should be washing up on your shore any day now;) Shuvo Alam tiger_sa@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu Johns Hopkins University ========================================================================= "Songs of glory I cannot sing. My presence you will not hear. I am a bird of prey who has forsaken song for survival" - Pindar's Song