Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi – 12 (END)

「先輩がうざい後輩の話」 (Senpai ga Uzai Kōhai no Hanashi)
“My Senpai Is Annoying”

This was an absolute hit for me, from the animation to the story, there was so much care put into each and every single episode, I have to give kudos to the production house Doga Kobo and to the web-manga itself written by Shiro Manta which I’ve started reading since my last post, I’m not very far into it but it’s also a very enjoyable time since it has a little bit more production than the most manga’s out there, aka it has colors!

Actually, this final episode felt more closely to what the actual web-manga is than other episodes, and the decisions behind how to structure the story and present it in a cohesive fashion stand to be really interesting. In the manga, chapters are sporadic, one chapter might be about a Christmas party, while the other might be about Valentine. The manga is more of a chapter-by-chapter snapshot into the characters’ lives and the shenanigans that are brought forward from their interactions. On the other hand, the anime is very much the opposite, episodes are centered around specific themes, and there’s a narrative thread that joins all of these moments together, that is not to say they are invented moments, most if not all the things that happen in the show actually happen in the manga. This episode is a clear example of when Futaba reminisces about how she got her start in the company and how Harumi mistook her for a grade-schooler, thinking she was a little kid, he actually buys her a drink not because he wants to be nice to a fellow coworker but because he thinks she’s a little kid here on tour. Touko also does something similar. Belittling her to no avail.

Nevertheless this decision to produce a natural narrative thread through the episodes, rather than jump from one story beat to the other in a mixed bag kind of fashion, was absolutely great and made all the more enjoyable this show for me. I really liked what Senpai ga Uzai brought to the table and I would say it’s a standout show (imo). Even if it’s just a daily life’s type of show, I was really invested in these characters, I wanted to see them flourish and fully formalize their relationships. Alas, that did not happen, but from what I’ve been informed, it seems that it also takes a good long time for that to happen in the story. So the fact they’re sticking to that is a testament to how good this show is, even if they took the manga and mixed it around so it made sense episode-wise. It doesn’t mean they’re pushing the pacing to go faster, the production team also decided to leave room for the romance to actually flourish between the couples of the show, and that is a decision I wholeheartedly agree with. A slow-paced romance, where feelings ring true and it actually takes time for the characters to grow on one another is super interesting and I would totally hope this continues, however, I will be referring to the manga now that the anime is over because I really enjoyed these characters, and want to know more about them.

This was a little gem if you ask me there was so much good in this show it’s hard to describe it all, and I’m certainly gushing at this point, there’s little to be mad about here, it was honestly a great time and I look forward to more content from this series. There are no complaints here, even if my episode 11 review looked that way, but in that post, I complained more than Harumi should be more forward with Futaba, but at the same time I sort of like this reserved friendship he has for her, it shows me that his feelings are true and wants to make it special, wants to make sure Futaba feels the same way. I just think it’s interesting how the show is handling itself, following the pacing of the manga when it comes to romance, rather than trying to fit it all in one episode.

Sure we didn’t get a resolution to the courtship between the characters, and that was sort of the whole point of the show, but the possibility of there being more content is always better than not at all. So I don’t know, maybe for some people it’s a thing of wanting to see the romance conclude, but maybe for some others seeing the romance flourish naturally is what they want to see, so I can’t tell, as I’m in the middle of these crossroads as well. That’s how it works with TV anime, leaving room for more content is always the best option. On the other hand, I do feel like this was a satisfying conclusion as Futaba feels some type of jealousy, but pushes through it, then she manages to give a presentation all by herself, and it went great! Then Harumi forces himself to go to a party the female co-workers want to throw for him. (Why didn’t they see him before? And now only after he gets credited with signing a very important contract for the company? Sounds like they’re after something if you ask me) Truly a testament to show how much Futaba has grown. But at the end, Harumi finds Futaba drinking alone at the Izakaya of episode one, pushes away a creep, and still manages to give some type of clue that they both might be into each other. All culminating in unspoken words and sharing an umbrella. What a great way to end an already outstanding series! Here’s hoping for more!

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