Summary:
After Suzuka gets home, she ponders her conflicted feelings and stares at her photo of Kazuki. Yamato, after calling off Miki’s search for her, goes to Suzuka’s door to apologize, but stops himself. The next day, the two see each other as they’re leaving for school, but Suzuka doesn’t say anything to him. Yamato knows that he still has to compete with Kazuki and feels that he won’t lose to him. Miki, who notices that Yamato is running so hard to be number one and for Suzuka, suggests that Suzuka face him. When the two pass each other outside of their apartments later that day, Yamato confronts Suzuka about ignoring him and says that he won’t apologize. Yamato refuses to back down until she faces him, but Suzuka just runs away. The next day, Honoka sees Yamato staring at Suzuka fail to make a jump, so she finds Suzuka after practice and the two walk home together. Honoka, who admits that she’s leaving the manager position, encourages Suzuka to patch things up with Yamato.
Sometime later, Yamato learns from Miho that Suzuka is going back home to visit a grave. He rushes upstairs and tells Suzuka, who is just leaving, to stop visiting Kazuki’s grave. To his surprise, she asks him to come along. At the grave, Suzuka spends a very long time praying, until she finally, speaking to Kazuki, apologizes and says that she’s come with the person she likes. She says that this person is clumsy, irresponsible, meddlesome, and overbearing, but this is the person she really likes. The next day, Megumi and Yuuka find Suzuka outside waiting for Yamato. When they ask her about it, she gets embarrassed and runs off to school. Yamato comes out late and has to chase after her. He takes her hand and, since Suzuka doesn’t pull away, the two hold hands on the way to school.

As I thought, the end of chapter 72 is really the perfect place to end the animated version. Suzuka admits her feelings for Yamato in front of Kazuki’s grave, and the two end the series holding hands together. A very suitable ending for the anime, though many of you who read the manga know the turbulence that’s still in store. But that’s a different story altogether. Anyway, I’m glad that Miki and Honoka both ended up getting parts that allowed them to play important roles in changing Suzuka’s attitude and bringing her and Yamato together.
I think my only critiques of this episode are the “….” screens and the ending shot of Kazuki’s grave. The former just seems unnecessary and the latter places the final focus away from the main couple. Otherwise, I was happy with the changes they made to lengthen two chapters into a full episode, and I enjoyed the overall production value, especially their choice of music. And yes, that means that the animation is actually decent in the final episode.

Final Thoughts: The thing that comes to mind, and this has come up several times in my conversations with Mentar, is that I shouldn’t have read the manga after watching the first episode. It’s a great story, but reading it in the manga killed all of the surprises the series had in store. That’s a big part of why I have been so critical – because I knew what was going to happen and thus rated episodes more on the production aspects, which this show sorely lacks for the most part. So I can understand how some people regard Suzuka so highly, because it really is a good romance story. But for me, it’s just not as good as the manga.

61 Comments

  1. the flashback to last episode in the beginning cracks me up when suzuka is crying. all i can hear in my head is ‘cry me a riverrrrrrr~’

    ah well, at least the ice queen melted finally.

    Will
  2. I just discovered that right now Omni 😀
    I haven’t exactly checked out the manga-world for a few days, but I’m certainly surprised at their progress.

    On a side note, I noticed that this episode they actually made the characters look normal …as if they had budget for this episode :O!! (not a lot of detail but at least they didn’t make characters look unusual)
    Very enjoyable episode. Onward: to the rest of the finales~~ all the anime i’m watching are ending and I have to pick out new series now, while watching old released anime.. X_x

    Saga
  3. Ahahaha, oh Yamato, you are such a miserable guy XD

    Now the only thing I’m waiting is the final Shuffle! episode…So far, no other romance anime ending has beaten Lamune’s in my book. It may be because D.C.S.S. and Suzuka are on the same level. Let’s see if Shuffle! can pull it off 😀

    Rasmiel
  4. the ending was actually good, but not complete, and i don´t think there will be an animated sequel, because (Yamato gets Suzuka) = the resolution of the whole plot of this serie, so….finished.
    If not the series name wouldn´t be SUZUKA…the finishing lap T_T( I love my sarcasm )

    Dark_Schneider
  5. Unlikely. The adjustments they made compared to the Manga seem to indicate that this ending is gonna be final. Most notably the official “acceptance” of Honoka in the final episode (in the manga, she also quits being a manager and pursues a career of a photo model to find her place and shine just like Asahina found her place to shine). In other words, while in the anime, she officially gave up, in the manga she did not (not that with a show named “Suzuka” she’d have realistic chances, but still…).

    Also, to be honest, ending with chapter72 is the best you can do. Chapters 73-89 were not very exciting, and the better last chapter 90 didn’t rock our world either. Better quit it now. With the conclusion of the dramatic Honoka arc, the story lost alot of tension, and didn’t regain it until now.

    Mentar
  6. The anime has two scene which wasnt in the manga, Miki and Honoka parts. I agreed with omniscient that the “…” scene was not necessary, silence would be more than enough. And the last screen really kinda spoiled the whole atmosphere.

    fisherman horizon
  7. Saga, I thought the same thing …man ….that is a very bad taste!!!
    about the anime, it´s a shame that this anime has finished because i don´t really like mangas and comics, i do think animated stuff is better and has a more reality sense in it´s universe.I downloaded the suzuka 90 manga , the last one , and i thought ” this scrap sucks like hell…oH I mean this style draw sucks like hell!!” And i do think someone that likes this bad draw never should complaint about the bad animated episodes!So….my final thought is….ANIMATION ROCKS!!!!

    Dark_Schneider
  8. son of a bitch i havent even seen the last episode cuz 26 came out today and i read this. one thing, does the manga go farther than the episodes, in other words is there more after this in the manga?

    Jony jon jon
  9. episode 26 came out ??? where? link plz 😀

    Those that have read the manga and seen the anime, was the anime better then the manga? I’ve read what everyone said here but still…. I’ve seen up to episode 25 (I really want to see 26 raw or whatever!) I read the spoilers and think this wasen’t so good way to end, maybe a extra episode to show their future, did Yamato and Suzuka become nr 1 in Japan/World?

    Assi
  10. I’m curious about the talk of Lamune, I’ve only come across upto episode 6 of the anime (which im enjoying, reminds me of To Heart). Is this being subbed by someone still? Or is it licensed?

    Reactgyuunyuu
  11. Surprisingly, there actually WAS a decent ending for this anime, even tho i “hated” it since episode 18 or so. This episode proves again that Yamato is an ass, Suzuka is a bitch (Got a little bit less bitchier at the end) and Honoka is the best character in this anime.

    And what kind of a lame setence is “Youre the worst!”? They should have used something classy, like “Shut yer pie hole, dang it” or “omfg yuo sux0rs :::D”

    Ill give this anime 7+/10, since it had all the elements to be a 10/10, but yet something was left out (like a good male & female main characters perhaps).

    SP
  12. hey, im just wondering if anyone can tell me what happens afterwards with Honoka because everyone keeps on saying that theres some sort of development with her. Please use the spoilers option with your answer.

    nariza7
  13. well… I didn’t read the manga so I can’t really judge the storyline… but I think it’s pretty good… I mean, it’s okay.. but the animation was so crappy… =[ omg, when I looked at Suzuka’s tears, it is so bad.. Well, it’s not like I have the right to complain since I’m only a leecher and i can’t draw.. ahahahahaha.. but I just want to give my opinion..

    All in all.. Suzuka rockz! ahahaha…

    edward
  14. The Manga seems alot mroe interesting in the development towards the end. The only problem is that Suzuka kept to the standard 26 anime episode setup, which on my opinion sucks. So a buttload of manga stuff was cut out and rewritten for the anime. =( Suzuka should have gone 30+ episodes. But all is not a loss, the ending was predictable but decent.

    Booyah
  15. Great Ending, finally she sees him, for what its worth, Im glad Itsuki, never gave up on Suzuka. Suzuka, Always knew, from the begining, she just was too scared to loose another special person, as him. Good Series, love to see more, as, or similar, to.

    Alejandro

    Alejandro
  16. Personal opinion… SUZUKA SUCKS! I have no idea why Yamato chose her. She’s rude, doesn’t know how to respect others and their feelings, and she’s a home-wrecker. Honestly, Honoka and Yamato truly should have been together. The ending sucked!

    Didi
  17. Didi, keep the comments to yourself. Some people enjoyed the ending and if you dislike the character than don’t be so rude to spat it out that suzuka sucks. Because it’s quite one of my favorite anime.

    Nevon
  18. This anime kinda pissed me off being short… i mean not that most animes arent its just that at the end how could they just skip the details of every1 else… and just end it with them 2. wat happens to the track debut and miki honoka etc.

    David Kim
  19. I don’t like the end, because it was finish too sudden!! [-.-]
    but i prefer suzuka story in manga than anime …
    but it’s will be better if they make the next season [^-^]

    GumS

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