[IXRollOutIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnstenchfartface

Man Onari is just the worst.

I really think the enjoyment of Onari's antics really makes or breaks this show. Personally, I certainly like him more than Shunpei. Shun was a boring character and useless on top of being annoying. Furthermore he was completely unnecessary even within the reality of the show.

Onari has a more important connection to Takeru and a deeper obligation to the situation at hand. Plus, while his enthusiasm and mugging can be extremely over the top, at the very least he's usually genuinely helping in some way and legitimately proving himself as somewhat of an asset to the team. Not to mention, despite this side of himself being unfortunately seldom, it's clear he has been a great friend, guide, and some kind of mentor to Takeru for most of their lives.

I could do without the overacted silly faces in every episode, but I don't find him much more grating than most of the SCU team in Drive was around this point in the show. Maybe I'm just more tolerant but if nothing else his gung-ho devotion can be charming to me, and the once or twice he's ever been serious and emotionally helpful I've tended to like him a lot.