Well, it's over. I say I was surprised at the ending. Some of you would say it was obvious, but considering the innumerable cliche's the anime scene has fallen into, can you really say you expected this ending?
( Click to show/hide )
As likeable as the characters are and as decent the story telling is, personally, there isn't closure. For the people watching this for the moe blah blah, alright, its got that covered, no contesting this. However, for those of the people that initially got into this serious really wanting to know how this awkward relationship triangle, later, uh, square or whatever, concludes, we're really left hanging. Unless there is a second season, which there is a possibility but I'm not sure how much popularity this show generated and I just don't see them doing it, the story's ending is incomplete. Alright so this goes into this whole; let's leave it to the viewer's imagination to finish the story type of story telling. I hate this. I'm not saying I don't have an imagination, but usually when this happens, there wasn't enough back story, context, or development done for it to work.
Love stories like Toradora is a good example, she comes back, she meets Ryuuji again they reconcile (kinda) and the official story ends there. We are left to imagine what happens next, they probably continue blah blah blah. What makes it work is that the original premise is fulfilled, we know who he picks, we know who ends up with who, we know what happens to some characters that had questions originally raised, and we get a view on what is to happen with them later on. All the questions get answered that made the original love story so interesting, it has closure. Then we are left off to imagine what happens afterwords, which is okay, cause there are no holes, we can build on what we know, I was satisfied with the story enough so I don't think too much into it. FMA, although not entirely a love story (though, Winry <3), is another great example that closed off very well. We find out what the philosopher stone is, we find out what happens to the homunculus, we find out where ed and al ends up (for the most part) and we find out what happens to the great hoenhime. I believe when it comes to story telling in anime, FMA is prime and one of the best examples. Almost everything is answered (I don't believe I had any questions at the end...thinking about it now, how did the door come about anyway and where the power originates, but we have to remember that this story was a deviation so we can give it at least some slack) and the best part about it is that it provokes thought and makes you think and wonder what happened to them next in a nice way, even better is that we can ANSWER this without the writer telling us (basically, they fail). It's a good way to end an anime.
Then there's this. Original questions are not answered, we are just left to dream ourselves. Though some people may like this and I suppose it kinda works for a romance, but I'm sure EVERYONE doesn't like the fact that they don't know what happens, there isn't even a hint. It gives the viewers that openness and ability (I can't think of the right word right now) to create their own conclusion, and I'm guessing this is what they want if no second season is announced, I just don't like this. The best hint we have is that he, Tsuchi, at the end of this season (or series) still likes Yamamoto. So I guess we're left to imagine that he ends up with her. How about Koume and that dude? Hii-chan and his disciple? Yamamoto's sister? The Yakuza boss, he's really interesting! There were some teachers that were introduced but barely spoken about. I originally thought there were only 4 teachers (Yamamoto, Tsuchi, blue hair and chibi), then I find out it's 5 (the reserved one and more sophisticated one), then there ends up being like what, a 6th or 7th one? (At the annual drinking thing). This other one was barely even mentioned and never seen in the teacher's lounge. The 5th teacher has made appearances but rarely and briefly.
I guess I really went into this anime for the story rather than for what it's for. Maybe I'm the only one that feels this way, who knows. The show was decent to maybe good at best, imo. Has potential to become great to excellent (ehh) if story goes on. I guess it does what it was meant to do, provide chibi moe blobs. Story though, is incomplete, which therefore means lacking. I'm REALLY hoping for a season 2 for that closure.
So that's my review on this, or well my gripes. In short, it's decent but could've been better. I guess it wasn't fair to compare this to FMA anyway, but to me it's a good standard to compare with. Toradora, I think, was a good comparison because they're both basically in the same genre. Not going to give it a number because I don't feel like it and I guess I really didn't watch it for it's purpose, or did I? If a season 2 comes out I'll definitely give it a number though.
Edit: I forgot to make clear that I did enjoy the series to an extent. So don't come out lashing with your vicious whips of flame.