What goes first here is meant to be a short intro on how I thought this Spring season was alright. Well, I usually do pick a show I didn’t like…but aside from that, I’ve been quite content with how the season ended up for me. I have a show that’s already a top 5 show of 2019, another Ikuhara outing that went up then down then up again, 2 out-of-season shows I really should have caught up with long ago…and then we have We Never Learn.
As I said last week, I will not be watching episode 13 (next week’s episode) of We Never Learn – this is purely down to convenience, as all the other shows I’m watching end this week…although that’s not to say I haven’t completely enjoyed it.
This week concerns Uruka, and none more so than now do I get the feeling that this show will end with Uruka becoming the chosen one. Well, when I say ‘chosen one’, I mean the girl who will be satisfied the most. As the weeks have gone by, the focus of the show has been less and less about study, and more and more about which girl likes Nariyuki the most…whether it be Fumino, Rizu, Uruka, Asumi or Kirisu-sensei. But despite my on-off frustration with We Never Learn, I did find this episode heartwarming to watch.
We’ve known for a long time that, while the others like him more as they spend more time with him, Uruka has the biggest crush on Nariyuki; I suppose that’s why a lot of viewers see her as the best girl. Thanks to Fumino (who is a certified Love Doctor, it seems), Nariyuki and Uruka are able to hold a decent conversation again without being too awkward about things. I think what makes this week’s episode of We Never Learn a good watch is that we see a lot more how much courage Uruka has had to build up (ever since middle school) to admit to herself that she likes him. It also seems like she realizes now that expecting him to feel the same way isn’t going to immediately happen, so enjoying what time they have now is something she should treasure.
But…(that’s a big ‘but’, by the way) We Never Learn will still be a show I will easily forget. While I have giggled at the misfortunes that some of the characters in the show have had, and have been touched by Uruka’s honesty this week, they won’t be lasting memories. I do get the impression that the studios behind this, Studio Silver (who have never done a show before) and Arvo Animation (who have only ever done an ONA before) don’t want to continue this franchise when it ends either. I’m sure the original manga was far better, and so I won’t be lambasting the story itself; instead I’ll just criticize its adaptation.
It will be very sad to see Hitoribocchi end though; I mean how can you not want to protect this girl?!
The school year ends this week, with the first-years assigned to pin corsages to graduating students. More focus is spent on Kurai in this final episode though, as we learn she has a fever and is unable to attend the ceremony, and it’s really very adorable to see how ultra-tsundere she is too…which alludes me to think that Hitoribocchi could well get a second season. Saying that though, I don’t think it’s the kind of show that needs it. This could be one of those kind of shows that could be ruined by having a second season that could potentially be worse…or at the very least, be inferior.
I also only found out in this final week of the show that every characters’ names is derived from a phrase that describes their personality. For instance, hitoribocchi means ‘All Alone’, sunao na ko means ‘Honest Child’, honshou aru means ‘Having a Hidden Nature’, and kurai kako means ‘Dark Past’. Very interesting thing from the original manga.
Moving on, the newbie studio behind this gem, C2C, is definitely a studio to keep an eye on in the future, in my opinion. They were the studio behind last year’s surprise summer hit Harukana Receive, which became a top 5 show for me. All their own shows (they collaborated a lot with other studios for past projects) have so far done good jobs in presenting issues with great subtlety. It did as much in Harukana Receive, and here in Hitoribocchi, its themes on Social Anxiety Disorder have been put more in the spotlight. The main character Bocchi is not the only one having to fight her demons, but the rest of the main cast, too, all have their own social demons to fight. Comedy may be the main theme in Hitoribocchi, but I’ve been very impressed on how it has tackled Social Anxiety Disorder, something I had myself in my childhood. It was done in a very frank and mature way, and showed us that in such circumstances, remaining positive beats staying depressed.
Although I think more have been hyped on how Sarazanmai ended – I haven’t as much though, as I don’t think it has grabbed me in the same way that it has other fans.
I think that the stans have got the ending they want though: an ending that ultimately has a happy one, but in the most ‘Ikuhara’ way possible. You can see that I tried to put the most non-spoiler image I could from that final episode, as a lot is covered, mostly Toi’s connection with Kazuki and Enta.
As for my reaction to Sarazanmai? Well I began watching the show thinking it was pretty god damn amazing, then as the weeks went by, I began to get a little frustrated with the pace. Now that the show is over, I can say that I didn’t like it as much as I did Yuri Kuma Arashi, but it’s definitely not a bad Ikuhara show at all. I am glad that I caught it now (as opposed to watching it 4-6 months later in the year), and now that I have seen it, I don’t think I’ll rewatch it.
I was a little surprised that a show like Sarazanmai didn’t make it to any other streaming service; it just seems like the kind of show that would make either Amazon or Netflix get their check books out for. Also noticing how Netflix’s acquisition of Neon Genesis Evangelion has gotten a lot of mixed reactions, and it’s not just because they couldn’t get the rights to play ‘Fly Me To The Moon’. The old-school fans feel a mixture of delight and regret upon hearing a new English dub has been made; delight in having not to hear Shinji’s screams again, and regret for…umm…the same reason. I have my own long and sordid history with the show, and was one of those guys who bought one VHS tape at a time, each with 2 episodes. I’ll be avoiding the show in favor of catching up on other shows they’ve licensed, as what I’ve already seen of the show (albeit a long time ago) is enough for me.
Also was a bit of a surprise to hear about how their contracts work as well. As Knights of Sidonia (a favorite show of mine) was one of the first anime to appear on Netflix, its contract will be ending soon, meaning it’ll no longer be available there. Crunchyroll and Amazon and the like can all make bids, or Netflix can just renew the contract. Its third season has been green-lit though, so the last option is more likely. The show is, however, available on home video (Sentai Filmworks in North America, and Animatsu Entertainment in the United Kingdom).
And finally, while we’re at it, Netflix are missing some great opportunities to simulcast the shows they do have. Carole & Tuesday remains hidden away from the mainstream anime spotlight simply because Netflix have it, just as Hisone & Masotan, Little Witch Academia and Kakegurui were before it. They’ve proven that they can simulcast (when Violet Evergarden came out), so the question is why don’t they? I’m actually hoping to put a panel together on all of these points in a UK anime convention next year, as I think that Netflix’s current place in the anime scene has a lot of both pros and cons.
Okay, so that’s my Netflix anime plug over – back to the shows I’ve been watching this season…
The final episode of Kaguya-sama: Love is War mostly concerns the fireworks festival, and the fact that Kaguya’s father has barred her from attending doesn’t exactly stop Ai from doing the decent thing and sneaking her out of the house so she can make it…and meet up with Miyuki.
I will be the first to admit that I haven’t paid as much attention to Kaguya-sama: Love is War as I have with Rascal Does Not Dream. These 12 weeks will probably teach me never to do 2 classic/out-of-season shows again for The OASG. Will I watch Kaguya-sama again? I think I probably will, but instead do it at my own pace, so I don’t have to worry as much. Don’t get me wrong though; I have enjoyed the show, as I keep on saying…but I think the next time I watch this show, I’ll be able to absorb it much better than I have this time around.
So after watching the final episode of Rascal Does Not Dream, I understand why the movie will effectively close the story. It’s all Shoko’s fault.
For Sakuta, the older Shoko just seems to be at the right place at the right time, making her almost too convenient to be a real person. And the fact that no-one else has seen her only validates that theory. Everyone else has met the younger Shoko, when Sakuta and Kaede were taking care of the stray cat, but Shoko as someone who is Sakuta’s senpai is a different matter. And so having an imaginary girl come to you in your time of need is something Shoko can do, especially at this time when Kaede’s memories return, and Sakuta’s old wounds reopen.
Rascal Does Not Dream has been another joy to watch for me this season (even though I missed the boat by a few months). I do think that the end of this final episode left us with some unanswered questions, but I think that was its intention…to leave us in suspense for when the movie covers Shoko’s arc. I understand that home video distributors have already been scrambling to get the show’s license, and its movie, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, is to get its Western premiere at this year’s Anime Expo. Check out its trailer below:
And so that ends the spring season for me this year – bring on the summer and its Summer Curse™. Jokes aside, did you enjoy this season? What were the shows that stood out for you? Have any shows made you want to tear your hair out? Do you think the summer will reaffirm any lost love in anime? Feel free to hit that like button and air your opinions in the comments below…
…and to end, I present what is quite possibly the best ED theme I’ve heard in a long time: