Final Impressions / First Impressions / Harukana Receive

「だから私たちは、かけがえのない一人を選ぶ」 (Dakara Watashitachi wa, Kakegae No Nai Hitori wo Erabu)
“And That’s Why We Choose our Irreplaceable Partners”

I don’t know how Harukana managed to do it, but I don’t think we could have asked for a better finale.

General / Final Impressions

Unlike most posts where they get a dedicated final impressions section, I think I’m going to throw everything together into one giant amalgamation of feelings since that phrase perfectly describes this week’s episode. An episode that was literally a giant amalgamation of feelings.

Starting with the best part first, I’m shocked how emotional I was throughout the entire episode. Because as I’m sure we’re all aware of, this show has definitely had some shortcomings when it comes to telling an engaging story. However, after throwing some seishun (feelings of youth) into it, everything turned around real quick. So quick in fact that the steady flow of tears coming out of my face could barely keep up with all the different things going on. Honestly, I think a lot of us come into shows like this for the tear jerking moments associated with the high stakes of competition. And if there was one thing that Harukana Receive proved to us, it’s that even with all of its various issues, this show knows what it takes to push our emotions to an 11.

Switching things over to the characters, I think everyone has had enough time to really show us just what they’re made of — except Akari. As a character who was introduced super late into the season, I was basically expecting her to be a background character who was there to help push along whatever elements the story needed at the time. Instead, we were given a cheery character that served as the foundation for this fantastic finale. Looking back at it, I think one of the biggest reasons why I was feeling so emotional was the thought of all of our characters breaking up as friends. Because as much as I want to believe that friendship will “overcome” whatever challenges are there, you can’t deny that being defeated by someone you’ve hand trained can be, at the very least, bittersweet. Toss in the fact that all of our characters are high school students who haven’t really experienced the outside world and I wouldn’t have been surprised if Claire just straight up disappeared after that moment with her and Emily at the beach. Thankfully Akari was hard at work on the sidelines making sure that everyone could stay together and I will be forever thankful for her hard work.

At the end of the day, I don’t think there’s anyone out there who would say that Harukana Receive was a fantastic show. There were a lot of cuts to save on animation, the story could get awfully bumpy, and the motivations driving the characters could sometimes get lost in-between all the fanservice. All that said, I think that as a whole, this show managed to accomplish what it set out to do. For a show revolving around beach volleyball, it managed to not devolve into a smoldering pile of fanservice and instead gave us a fun story about growing up while experiencing the youth of high school.

Thanks again to everyone who’s kept up with the posts! It’s been fun reading the comments and I really appreciate it. Boy, wouldn’t it be great if we got a season two that had more money dedicated to it? A fan can dream, right?

In any case, I’ll catch you guys around when the next season kicks off! Be sure to take a peek at our newly released Season Preview to figure out just what you want to watch!

25 Comments

  1. Well, yes, despite the ending being no surprise whatsoever, I found this episode surprisingly emotional too. And even though the series has had its low-budget moments, they had obviously scraped a little bit extra together for the finale because Haruka’s boobs actually obeyed the laws of physics in a few cuts.

    Angelus
    Reply

      1. My point was that there were some who took this anime much too seriously and approached it as though the beach volleyball techniques and rules was central to everything. In Harukana Receive, had something like badminton or ping pong been used, the messages and themes would’ve been applicable, as well. No part of Harukana Receive demanded requisite knowledge of beach volleyball to be enjoyable, and this is a strength in the series.

        Doom Slayer
        Reply

    2. Even as a coming of age anime it’s simplistic and formulaic. Let’s face it, this show was about bikinis and buttslapping first and foremost with sports and character arcs coming second to that.

      Puffles
      Reply

      1. Says the guy who analyzed over half the episodes in a serious manner! I note your opinions are very similar to those of the linked article’s; personally, the guy being linked to offers much more interesting insight than anything here. Wondering why not more people read and comment on their articles, to be honest.

        Sonic Firestorm
        Reply

  3. I’m not watching the show personally but I think you’ll get a season 2 Takaii. The studio no doubt will be getting some money from Amazon Japan for including it with Prime. The shows pre order numbers look modest. And they have the licensing cash from overseas companies. I’d imagine they’re making a profit from it.

    Lyfe
    Reply

  5. The girls were well shaped, the story was interesting but what got me hooked by the second episode wasn’t the above. What interested me to Harukana Receives was what’s below

    https://randomc.net/image/Harukana%20Receive/Harukana%20Receive%20-%2012%20-%20Large%2029.jpg

    I don’t want to say I have a soft spot for innocent pets but this single shelled animal had made Haruka unique and from there Higa. The Thomas’s are pretty so no disapproval from me.

    RenaSayers
    Reply

  8. One of my most-liked shows this season. Sure it might’ve missed the mark where the sport itself is concerned but it’s hard not to appreciate the blonde twins slapping each other on the ass way the main group has come together. Fortunately manga scans have conveniently picked up where the anime leaves off

    Arche
    Reply

  12. An enjoyable show. They gave enough tidbits about the sport to keep it interesting and then gave what must be one of the best three episodes in a sports anime. At least for me. It was an exciting friendly match, that intensified but never really boiled over. Most that I’ve seen would be intense or friendly, but rarely a good combination of both.

    This good combination also applies to the two main characters. Even though it mainly focuses on Kanata, Haruka is what keeps the mood bright and cheerful. She’s enjoyable to watch but is sadly lacking in development. Ironicly, I think her development as a player was actually displayed in a logical manner and it did actually help keep the club together.

    My only gripe, they never really showed what those hand signals mean. Would’ve helped me appreciate those butt shots a lot more. XD

    Hoping to see these two a lot more if a second season arrives.
    https://randomc.net/image/Harukana%20Receive/Harukana%20Receive%20-%2012%20-%2007.jpg
    Didn’t really expect to like them so much.

    theirs
    Reply

  13. Well, this show was definitely fantastic for me, but then again, the only thing that matters to me is whether I find it an entertaining watch in the end. I do not nitpick it’s many parts, like plot, characters, music, etc. Instead, I look at the whole package and give it either a thumbs up or thumbs down. Harukana Receive easily earns a thumbs up and strong recommendation from me. It may have started out kind of slow, but it quickly became one of my favorites of the Summer season. (And I think the fanservice might have given me a slight preference for swimsuits that I did not have before.)

    Now I need a second season so I can see shequasar girl Akari in action. Despite appearing late and being relegated to the sidelines in a support role, she still managed to become my favorite girl (along with Emily).

    vanfokerdumplestein
    Reply

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