The signs that appear everywhere throughout the series, hinting that the romance in question may meet with some obstacles.
There she is!! is a five episode Web Animation series by Amalloc of the Korean web animation team SamBakZa.The series is drawn in the Korean Manhwa style, done without dialogue to K-Pop music. It's about Doki. a girl rabbit who meets up with Nabi, a boy cat, and falls in love with him, much to his initial dismay.The first episode, "There she is!!" introduces them, and she commences to chase him all over the city with hearts trailing after her all the while. The cat tries simply avoiding her; then, when that doesn't work, he tries to convince her they're not suited to each other due to prevailing prejudices about Interspecies Romance. She is unconvinced. He even tries to fix her up with other rabbits, which only serves to tick her off. Finally, he gives in, then realizes he's starting to return her affections. Their relationship begins.The second episode, "Cake Dance" has the cat doing the nice thing and bringing the bunny girl a birthday cake. She waits patiently for him at the party and eats the cake a relative baked her, unaware of the tribulations he's going through trying to get her cake delivered safely, including being attacked by the Jjintta set (a gang of spiky bunnies), whose leader perceives him as oppressing the helpless bunny girl, due to something one of his lieutenants said. The cartoon ends with a bunny girl in a situation that mirrors the beginning of the episode; the cat, touched, picks her up and rides her on his shoulders. A Shout Out to his earlier insistence that they're not a couple comes in the only English line in the episode.The third episode, "Doki & Nabi" finally tells the viewer their names. Doki is the bunny. Nabi is the cat. Doki continues with her over the top professions of love, and Nabi gives in a little more to his feelings. Doki calls a press conference to announce their first date. But during the proper date Nabi inadvertently insults Doki with his behavior. He realizes what he's done, though, and asks her out again. She's delighted, and they plan happily for another date. But someone really doesn't like the idea of their romance...The fourth episode, "Paradise", has Doki and Nabi officially romantically involved. But the anti-cat and bunny romance prejudice is a major obstacle, and things stop being cute and funny and quickly take a turn for the dark. They are kicked out of cafes because of their Interspecies Romance. They are accosted and attacked in the street. Doki is injured in such an attack, which Nabi takes very hard. Nabi doesn't resist the leader of the Jjintta set when he attacks due to having spied on Doki. Nabi still ends up in jail, separated from his phone. This leads to an unfortunate misunderstanding, when Doki calls him and gets no answer, as Nabi has begun distancing himself from Doki for what he believes is her own protection.The fifth and final episode, "Imagine", begins with Doki leaving to go to Paradise on her own, having only texted Nabi to tell him goodbye. He tries to get her on the phone, but she already threw hers away. Thus begins his race to catch her before she walks out of his life forever.The sheer emotional impact and cuteness of its art, plot, and message can not be adequately explained with words. Having taken five years to complete, There she is!! is still considered one of the best flash series on the internet and is a must-see.
In addition, it's better to try to make the world you live in a better place than running away to somewhere else.
All Love Is Unrequited - Subverted. Nabi spends the entirety of Step 1 running from Doki, only to find himself unexpectedly to begin returning her affection in the last shot of the episode. However, he still thinks it's a bad idea and tries to hide that, though he begins to express those feelings at the end of Step 3.
Possibly the case with Il-ho of the Jjinta Set. Common fan theory is that he has a crush on Doki. However, the connection between (either as a crush, siblings or whatever) has not been explained.
Also with the Gray Rabbit, seen several times to be chasing after Hana, the band manager friend of Nabi and Doki's. Subverted in the end as Hana appears to show interest after he gives her flowers
A Friend in Need: Oh so many in "Imagine", but the one-eyed Jjinta Set member's sliding off his motorcycle (injuring himself in the process) so Il-ho and Nabi can make the light is this combined with Crowning Music of Awesome with a side of True Companions. It might even have a dash of Heel Face Turn, considering he's the one who misinformed Il-ho about Nabi in "Cake".
Arc Symbol - The yellow sign with the (/) symbol over a heart with a cat and bunny, indicating that this city does not support cat and rabbit romances.
Aside Glance - Nabi gives one towards the end of Step Five, during the Call Back to Doki's daydream, as if to say "Eh, it's the best I can do."
Attempted Rape - the Jjinta Set leader is under the mistaken impression Nabi is trying this on Doki, but he chastises his henchman when he sees Doki is actively pursuing Nabi.
Badass Longcoat: Pizza, the large scar-eyed cat and bodygyuard of Hana. When a protestor flings an egg at Doki in Final Step, he catches it, and proceeds to give the offender an offscreenass beating.
Badass Pacifist: Pizza again. He usually is seen defusing things with intimidation, and when he is seen physically intervening at the Airport, he's shown aggressively petting an attacker into submission
Beauty, Brains, and Brawn - the three male rabbits Nabi presents to Doki as an alternative boyfriend.
Beware the Nice Ones - Doki is one of the sweetest, kindest fictional characters in existance. She's also extremely dangerous when angered.
Big Eater - Doki was offered a humongous tiered birthday cake, and consumed the whole thing in a few bites.
Blank White Eyes - the stares of people who see Nabi and Doki together.
Blind Alley - Nabi hides in one from the various animals chasing him in the second episode.
Color-Coded for Your Convenience - When Nabi realizes that the interspecies prejudice will harm Doki, his colors change. It's subtle; his green scarf is faded when he sees her hurt in the hospital. And while he's huddling in his apartment, it fades to grey altogether, and the rest of the scenes featuring him for the rest of the episode are in grayscale. Doki, who still has hope for their love, remains in color until the last moments of episode four, when after dropping her cell phone and losing hope, she too becomes gray. Nabi's scarf turns green again when he realizes he doesn't want to lose her and begins his run to catch her.
The green ribbons on all of Doki's pets indicate her love for Nabi, as they match his green scarf. He only realizes this himself when he sees she's tied green ribbons to the barren tree near her house.
And the chick that leads him there is a bright, vibrant yellow.
Bonus symbolism: The ribbons on the barren tree look a bit like the leaves it lacks. In one of the last scenes the tree sprouted leaves of the same colour.
Continuity Nod: If you watch steps 3 and 4 back to back, you'll notice the window-breaking rock at the end of 3 is in the exact same position on the screen as 4 starts.
Death Glare - Terribly cute and innocent Doki does this when angered.
Everyone gives this to the Jjintta Set when they dog-pile Nabi through the door, causing him to drop the birthday cake, in Step 2. Subverted as they're invited in as well.
Deconstruction - Step 4 could very well be interpreted as a deconstruction of the first 2 steps in which the anti-interspecies romance issue was taken as something comical. In step 4, it's taken more like a real life taboo, with more realistic consequences.
Despair Event Horizon: Nabi hits this when he visits Doki in the hospital in Step 4. Seeing her in the hospital bed, he is initially filled with rage as he remembers their relationship and is furious at those who would harm someone like her. However, this becomes deapir as he realizes that because of her relationship with him, she will continue being hurt by people and that there is nothing he can do to protect her from this as long as they remain together.
Easter Egg - By clicking on the Bulldog Mansion billboard (disabled since the original release when it led to the group's web page), and the fish flying in the moon, both in Step 2.
Also, there is one at the beginning of Step three: before it starts, move your mouse to the top right corner for an alternate beginning
Eyes Always Shut - Hana, the band manager and friends with both Doki and Nabi.
Face Palm: Hana gives an epic one in Step Two, complete with a mushroom cloud of smoke, in response to the grey rabbit giving Doki a cake that isn't the one Nabi is bringing.
Fantastic Racism - Cats should only be romantically linked with their own kind, and the same is true for Bunnies. This prejudice is why Nabi ran from Doki and resisted his growing feelings for her.
The whitebands (anti Cat/Bunny relations) are somewhat ironic, considering they're comprised of cats and bunnies working together TO SAY THAT CATS AND BUNNIES SHOULDN'T BE TOGETHER!
The racism appears to take the form "Some of my best friends are bunnies, but I wouldn't want my sister marrying one." It's specifically romantic/sexual relationships that seem to be taboo; nobody in the diner in Step 2 bats an eye at the fact that there are rabbits and cats at the same table until near the end, Doki and Nabi are thrown out because of a PDA.
Foe Tossing Charge - Doki throws anyone and anything out of her way while chasing Nabi early in There she is!!
And another one involving Doki's pet rhino in Step 5.
Foreshadowing: When Doki is in the hospital in Step 4, look quickly or else you'll miss it but the tickets to Paradise can be seen underneath her hands.
The rock-through-the-window at the end of episode 3.
Friend to All Living Things - apparently the non-anthro animals of this world just love Doki, to the point where her pet hedgie jumped off her and put itself in between her and an angry mob, at the cost of its life.
Funny Animal - World populated by the same, as well as the non-talking kind.
Funny Background Event - Around the beginning of Step Five after Nabi breaks through the crowd with the help of Doki's pets, to the right is a rabbit and a cat of opposite standpoints falling in love.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man - Il-ho tries to do this to Nabi in Step 4. It doesn't work, but does spark a riot after Doki and Nabi's supporters misinterpret Il-ho's motives.
The Glomp - Doki likes to does this to Nabi, to his (initial) chagrin.
Glowing Eyes of Doom - Doki's when angry, and the eyes of the angry, prejudiced cat and bunny population of their city.
Treated to a No Sell in Step 4, where a group of protesters find Doki with her pets. When they start to threaten her, she starts into her trademark glare; instead they chase her down, trample her hedgehog (who later dies from his injuries), and ultimately put Doki in the hospital.
Goldfish Poop Gang - Subverted. The Jjinta Set is only a comedic, not terribly credible threat in "Cake Dance" and become wary friends with Nabi.
Heart Symbol - all over the place, originating mostly from Doki. They seem able to turn solid, as Nabi is seen buried and conked on the head by them.
Heel Face Turn: The older rabbit that holds the Anti Cat+Rabbit Sign in Step 3, is later seen leading the Pro-Cat+Rabbit group in Step 4 and 5.
Maybe not. The sign in Step 3 is done up like a funeral portrait. He probably was protesting the Anti Cat-Rabbit movement from the start, and Doki and Nabi inspired him to start protesting on a larger scale.
Heroic Sacrifice: Doki's poor little hedgehog dies for his mistress.
Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: every episode after the first is named "Step(number)" before the proper title. The fifth and last episode is listed as "Final Step".
Doki imagines Nabi as a great romantic hero, riding off into the sunset with her on horseback in the first episode.
In the same episode, Nabi imagines the same thing Doki does, but with great sadness that he can't convince her that their relationship is going to be a very bad idea.
The third appears in Step 4, when Nabi imagines the already injured Doki being beaten up even more due to their relationship.
Another in Step 4 has Doki imagining what her and Nabi's life would have been like, had they gone to Paradise.
Ironic Echo - done visually; in Step 1, Doki has several fantasies with a rosy border around the screen, and later Nabi has the same fantasies, but with him crying and with thorns as a border. And this deviantArt page illustrates the Final Step echoing some of the images from Step 1.
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy - After an angry mob hurts Doki, Nabi begins to distance himself from her under this belief.
Also seen when Il-ho does whatever he can to get Nabi to come to his senses in Step 4 and get to the Airport in Step 5, despite his own feelings for Doki.
Le Parkour - Nabi in step 2, right between arriving at the party and meeting the bunny gang.
Let's Get Dangerous - When Nabi steels his resolve at the beginning of Step Five, nothing will stop him from getting to Doki.
Mood Motif - A Suspiciously Similar Song to "Greensleeves" (credited as being called 'Greensleevs" in the credits...) plays at the beginning of Step 5.
Mood Whiplash - Step 4... or more precisely, the very end of Step 3 which takes the series from lighthearted to ominous.
Necktie Leash - played straight in step 4, except with a scarf instead of a necktie.
Interestingly enough, there is a set of hearts he doesn't dodge, and ends up getting buried.
and Final Step: Imagine, Nabi pulls Doki out of the path of the fantastic racists' projectiles — turning it into an impromptu dance.
Which turns into Fridge Brilliance when you realize that dance mirrors the daydreams Doki had in the first episode.
Not What It Looks Like: The leader of the Jjinta Set attacks Nabi for breaking things off with Doki. He happens to accidentally do this in front of a Pro-Interspecies-Romance demonstration who see Nabi as a hero of their movement and the act as a Hate Crime. This is immediately set upon by an Anti-Interspecies-Romance demonstration, turning into a riot which leads to Nabi getting beaten and arrested.
Oh Crap: One of Nabi's most frequent facial expression, especially in the face of Doki's affections early on and the anti-InterspeciesRomance mobs later on.
The Power of Love: Not only do they unintentionally spark a race war, they solve it with their love.
Quoting a review on This Very Wiki, "it's not love saving the day as some vague all-powerful force - it's characters acting *out* of love and choosing to face obstacles because of it."
Race for Your Love: Not only does Nabi make a desperate rush to get to Doki before she gets on the plane, but all of his and Doki's friends and relatives help.
Rules Of The Road: The image for this page is the "no cat and bunny romance" sign that dominates the landscape of the city in which Nabi and Doki live.
Schedule Slip - The 3rd step took about 3 years to come out.
Shout Out: To "Hot Fish", another of the SamBakZa animations. The happy flying goldfish appears in Step 2 and Step 4. And Nabi feeding Doki hot bread at the end of Step 3 is a direct shot-for-shot reproduction of a scene in "Hot Fish"
Pokémon: There's a sequence in Step 3 wherein Nabi, still afraid of the anti-Cat and Bunny Romance prejudice, backs off from Doki during their date. She shows off she has ways of keeping him with her, including handcuffs, lariats, and a Pokéball.
Shrug of God: It's never made entirely clear whether Il-ho likes Doki, is just a friend, or her brother.
It's explained, but only in Korean. As far as I can make out from the Google translation, he has a crush on her.
Il-ho almost certainly only disapproved because he thought Nabi was being pushy, as he shows up at an anti-racist rally in step 4.
He also gives Nabi Doki's second airplane ticket (which she had left behind because she decided to go alone); and even when Nabi rejects it he gives him a ride to the airport on his bike. Or at least he would have, if it weren't for the crash and subsequent switch to car. He was obviously determined to get Nabi there, however.
Nabi's tearing of the Paradise ticket was more of a proclamation that he and Doki didn't have to run away to be together and happy. It's also probably what convinces Il-ho to actually help Nabi out (So something of a minor Heel Face Turn, since he wasn't completely against the relationship at this point anyway).
Trademark Favourite Food: Carrots for Doki, fish for Nabi. Doki tries to get Nabi to eat carrots, and at the end of the first step she tries fish (though with the assistance of a clothes peg on the nose).
Tsundere - Doki is usually sweet to Nabi, but she has been known to shove his face full of carrots, or chop down trees to get to him, when she's not snuggling him aggressively.
Not to mention getting quite violent on those rabbits Nabi tried to fix her up in Step 1.
In Step 4, it was also quite clear that she was going to attack an interspecies romance opposer, albeit backing away when she saw that she was outnumbered.
Vague Age - It's unclear just how old Doki and Nabi are supposed to be. They both seem to live alone, but their designs are noticeably shorter and more childlike than the more obviously adult characters.
That said, Hotfish presents them as the analogues of a pair of senior highschoolers.
What Happened to the Mouse? - The bunny in Step 2 with the black shirt and sunglasses. You'd think someone who looks this cool would show up again. Is he Doki's father?
He's actually part of a band that Doki and Nabi's manager friend owns. It's on the cast list.
Where It All Began - The series ends, full circle, at the vending machines where Nabi and Doki first met.
Window Pain - Step 3: Nabi & Doki ends with a rock through a window. In Step 4: Paradise, we see it was Nabi's window... and that there are more rocks.
Yandere - Doki starts as a fairly minor example of this: She does chase Nabi around the city and can't take "No" for an answer, but otherwise doesn't seem to be all that crazy or violent. Her love craziness reaches its apex midway to Step 3, only to vanish almost instantly afterwards, making her pretty much normal for the rest of the series.
Blasting through entire crowds and actively knocking aside his suggested lapine "replacements" notwithstanding.
It doesn't really disappear, it just has its limits: like an entire mob.
is a five episode Web Animation series by Amalloc of the Korean web animation team SamBakZa
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