I started watching this when I was on a 14-hour flight and managed to devour 8 episodes in one go. I was tired and couldn’t sleep, so what better option than this, honestly? I had to choose between the three Evangelion rebuild movies or this. Given how I was feeling, there was no way in hell I was watching the anime equivalent of a depression drug. I wanted something uplifting, and boy, did this show do the trick.
Kirei: that’s the first thought that came to my mind right after finishing those initial 8 episodes during the flight. And that’s precisely what stuck in my mind even after completing the entire series.
The romance in this show had a unique flavour to it. It didn’t delve deep into a specific kink like that cosplay girlfriend anime, nor did it venture into the extremely bizarre territory like that mysterious girlfriend anime. Instead, it chose the more mature path, which was quite refreshing and I loved it. Typically, I despise the conflicts in romance anime; they often seem utterly foolish. Take Citrus, for example, even though I enjoyed that show for reasons I’d rather not discuss here, hehe, its conflicts were simply ridiculous. However, in this show, both the conflicts and their resolutions felt genuine and plausible. They didn’t shatter my suspension of disbelief in the slightest. It was truly enjoyable to watch, and it felt comforting as if I wished to live and experience it myself. This mature quality struck me in a way that few shows have, and reminds of me Bloom Into You.
The show did have its peculiar moments tho, like that half-episode or so where Nakami and Magari were simply strolling around, discussing how things unfolded throughout the entire season, like a recap. I mean, seriously, why? I just watched the show; I didn’t want it to backtrack! Except for that mishap, probably due to budgetary reasons, I really enjoyed the show.
It had the nuances of high school romance that made me hooked. Like the nuances of being a professional in Barakamon.