First, for the unaware, direct your attention to A Thematic Analysis of Honey & Clover, a spoiler-ful post by our buddy eternal. For now let’s leave aside the fact that the ‘analysis’ doesn’t really focus on themes, and let’s examine the meaning of the word ‘analysis.’ First of all, a quote from the comments section, by the post author himself:

I know it sounds cliche, but I honestly think that the show itself wrote this blog post.

The nerve! (I’ll get back to this later. **)

Let me explain to you what an ‘analysis’ is: an analysis is a detailed examination of something, with scrutiny being the most important player. Now let me explain to you what a ‘reading’ is: a reading is what you get out of a work when you consume it.

Remember something called ‘book reports?’ Those things we did back in grade school, “read this book and write a page about it?” Yeah. Book reports involve consuming a work and then translating your reading of that work onto a sheet of paper.

Analysis is more than that, eternal.

I appreciated your book report on Honey & Clover.

I’m going to go write an essay.

** And now for the final blow, going back to the quote of eternal’s. Breaking news: analysis doesn’t write itself. If your post writes itself, then it’s just the stuff you’re taking away from the show at first glance. If you’re getting anywhere deeper than the surface of the show, you’re putting in some effort. Your book report is only as valuable as the depth of your reading, and your reading isn’t deep if your book report wrote itself.

I’ll say this right now: a post that merely summarizes the characters and their struggles, employing such beautiful turns of speech as “it’s as simple as that,” can never be the definitive piece on any work.

Sorry, eternal, the objection wrote itself.

And now a promise, lest I seem too much the angry troll: expect at least two posts coming in the not-too-distant future, one on an assortment of smiles, insert songs, hard-boiled eggs, and honey sandwiches, and the other on Morita Shinobu and how his backstory episode is a useless piece of tripe.