©Teren Mikami, Eku Takeshima/Shueisha, Watanabe Production Committee
That certainly isn’t the notion I expected to end the whole season. Still, the show is full of surprises. I know this will be the natural conclusion of the Ajisai character arc. The show isn’t always subtle, and Mai literally explains that she needs to go through her face when the two of them pass into the aquarium on the episode, but just because a show isn’t subtle doesn’t mean it’s bad. I’ve invested very emotionally in Ajisai’s character arc because I personally relate to it, and I feel like it’s the least confusing character arc anyone has ever encountered in a show so far. This is also an arc related to Renako, as it reflects her. Ajisai is so afraid of excessive stomping that she is seen as a bad girl that she is willing to constantly compromise to comfort others. She is not a passive character in nature because she wants to be more selfish and extroverted, but she is a passive character, which is the opposite of Renako’s character, which is very passive to nature, but needs to be learned to strengthen.
The show isn’t very straightforward to those similarities, but while Renako is barely in the last episode, they’re there, and it’s a bold choice. This episode is mainly from Ajisai’s point of view, which is actually welcome. Actually, this is something I hope the show does more. Even though I’m not very familiar with the original material, I feel like a lot of character growth has been cut from this adaptation. It’s great to see how Ajisai sees everyone, how she connects with others, and especially how she stops herself. Ultimately, she finally stepped up her selfishness and got rewards, which felt the best conclusion to her arc. I don’t know what I think about the literal final notes of the show, but it’s a completely different conversation, and it seems like this new dynamic is probably what the recently announced film will play, so when we arrive we’ll cross that bridge.
My feelings are also different in this episode. On the one hand, it’s nice to see Mai actually behaves like a real friend. I could hardly see her interacting with any other girl in the whole show, outside of Satsuki, I would die on the hill because she was Satsuki’s bad friend. If anything, seeing her very patient, insightful and understanding of Ajisai’s situation makes me hate her relationship with Satsuki even more because at least if they have a real heart to heart, then at least this conflict can be avoided. Likewise, Mai literally explains the significance of the show when the audience is in the aquarium, by candidly defining some of the differences between relationships and friendships. It really feels like this is a Mai, he went through a character arc that I didn’t have a chance to see, which is weird because I wish I could see more of this version of the character throughout the show.
However, I have a bit of a mixed deal with Mai. She did declare to Ajisai that she was in love with Renako, but she also made the relationship sound very vague. I think Mie intentionally makes their relationship sound much more misleading than it is actually, especially Ajisei wouldn’t be involved. Interestingly, she said she didn’t want her friends to put on the account, even if it felt like she was doing it in the last episode. Even here, when Renako asks Mai what’s wrong, she intentionally vaguely, and the situation may have been resolved, even though she knows she can push Renako to talk to Ajisai. Maybe I’m reading too much, and even if you do accept my explanation of these events, it’s understandable why Mai does this. Mai is still a very selfish person and I noticed that she is afraid of the hint of Renako being won by others. I know Mai announced that she was confident that Renako would choose her, but I saw her hand shake for a second, which meant it was all an act.
Finally, I laughed when Renako accepted Ajisai directly asking her to be her girlfriend, even if I wasn’t sure if the show wanted me. Although Renako is most open to Ajisai throughout the show, Mai is very confident in Renako, which is a little fun. Renako may have denied this herself, but compared to the huge push she needs so far, all she needs is the effort to be intimate, which is the possibility of being intimate. But the question is, what should we do now?
Will Mai be discarded when Renako and Ajisai continue to be the new main couple of the show? Are the two going to reach a similar agreement with Mai? Is this the first Yuri-only anime I think I’ve ever seen? I don’t know, it’s exciting. Even though I have a lot of questions on this show, I love it. There are a lot of thoughtful character writing here with some humor. I like the second half more than the first half in Ajisai’s way. It’s hard to say whether my performance issues boil down to being disoriented in translation or adapting the original material into animated form. I’m curious about what this kind of story looks like, or what the next arc of the show will even look like. However, the show has accumulated enough kindness with me at the end that I can firmly believe I’m excited and look forward to the crazy fools that follow.
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