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「Say ”I love you”.」
All good things come to an end, and Sukitte is no exception. This finale was not really a necessary episode. To me it felt more like the “unaired episode that ended up being an OVA”. Last week’s episode felt more like a proper ending, but nevertheless, more Sukitte can’t be bad, right? Especially if we can have some more romance. This anime has not been very generous when it comes to Mei and Yamato’s relationship. Their love story has been a central theme that has been involved in everything but most of it has been very vague because of how much screen time the other characters were given, namely Megumi. That’s certainly not a bad thing, but as a romance fan, I felt that I wasn’t very satisfied, however, this episode gave me what I wanted, and now, I personally feel that this anime is now complete. Satisfying shoujo endings such as Sukitte Ii na yo.’s are rare.
In this wrap-up story, we were given a chance to see how the other characters have changed or developed. While there was an epilogue last week that did the exact same thing, this felt better because there was dialogues in it and Mei was more involved here. The epilogue from last week showed the characters’ development while today’s episode focused on their current relationships with Mei now after all they’ve been through, and that was really nice to see. While I do think it was good to show Mei’s friends’ importance and how they support her through most things, it was slightly frustrating for me to see her act insecure about visiting Yamato. Insecurity doesn’t go away easily, and I know how hard it can be to gather up courage to do something, but watching all these misunderstandings made me wonder why there was so much doubt in both Mei and Yamato. For an example, when Yamato worried that Hayakawa might be interested in Mei, I felt slightly annoyed. While Hayakawa’s description of his girlfriend fit Mei, there should be no reason for her to like him. Perhaps after Kai, Yamato has become more scared of having other men finding interest in Mei, and maybe I’m a bit too hard on him. I honestly don’t know if I should be as irked at his doubt as I am. Being a girl, it’s hard for me to imagine what’s going through his head, but I’m not angry at him. I still think Yamato is a good man for Mei. The two of them complete each other, and they’re both capable of overcoming flaws together. But seeing misunderstandings like these in a finale makes the love of the main couple quite questionable to me. And Mei is by no means less questionable. Nagi is a child, a very adorable one. It was easy to see that she was just being jealous, and even if that would be hard to understand, I think Mei should’ve gone anyway. Even her friends encouraged her, yet she ended up running away.
Anyway, the misunderstandings were very questionable because they took place in a finale, but that doesn’t mean that the episode wasn’t likeable because I must say, even though I was irked, I often found myself smiling at the screen. I must admit, the characters were very amusing, and perhaps that was the point in this episode – have some comedy. As a standalone episode, this was really entertaining and adorable, but I was hoping to see something stronger as a finale. Aside from that, the last few minutes were really great and finale worthy. It’s amazing to see that despite all misunderstandings, Mei and Yamato’s love made them forget all their doubts. Simply seeing each other was enough for things to feel good again. I thought the end was really sweet, but I felt so sorry for Yamato who had to run around like that while being sick. Hopefully Mei will nurse him now, unless she, true to shoujo style, catches Yamato’s cold through that kiss! Now that Mei has finally done what Yamato wanted – what the title implied – told him that she loves him, this love story has reached its end, and I definitely think this was a satisfying conclusion.
Eyecatch: B-part
Epilogue:
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Final impressions:
Sukitte Ii na yo. has been an interesting show. It definitely stands out in the world of shoujo despite having several reoccurring clichés here and there. So what makes it so outstanding? It’s your typical girl meets popular boy story, yet it’s unique. I think it’s because of its characters and their traits. This anime has been compared with Kimi ni Todoke several times. While the two of them might be similar, they’re very different in terms of story development and moods. Sukitte to me, felt more realistic than KnT. Both involve a social outcast falling in love with someone popular, but the latter felt more like a romantic fairy tale while Sukitte is more down to earth.
One of this show’s strong points is, as I’ve mentioned already, its characters. They’re mature, realistic, and believable. Few times have I seen a series and recognised its incident in my own life. I have never really been bullied, and simply saying “I can understand the characters’ pain” would be a lie. While one can feel sadness or sympathy towards a victim, I don’t believe that anyone can ever truly know what a victim goes through. But I have met several people who have gone through hardships through their childhoods, and seeing things I’ve heard about through them in Sukitte made me appreciate the show even more than I already do. This anime portrayed high school life in a very realistic way unlike many other shows in this category. It also showed how people can grow and get out of the loathsome thing called bullying. Perhaps this show was more about hardships than actual romance? Sometimes, I forgot that this was a love story. The focus on human nature is stronger than anything in this anime, and for that, I truly appreciate it. That doesn’t mean that it failed as a love story though.
Sukitte was not very strong in terms of romance. I felt that the character development in Mei and Yamato’s relationship was very underexposed. Perhaps this anime should have been longer? The side characters had a lot of screen time, a bit too much if you ask me, so whenever things came back to the actual romance, it felt rushed. But despite the “mess”, every time Mei and Yamato overcame a problem, their love felt stronger than ever and it felt truly believable. This episode is a great example of that. Despite all misunderstandings, Mei and Yamato’s love is unaffected. Things like that – trust – makes this love story such a great one, so even if things could’ve been better, I think this show was a satisfying one in terms of romance.
That being said, I feel like I, as someone who reads (and even scanlated) this manga, should say something about how different some things were there compared to the anime. While I did find myself slightly sad about how censored the anime was, it wasn’t much of an issue to me because as a solid story, the anime did very well. Some of the changes were understandable to me considering how short this anime is. If you’re wondering about what the differences are, it’s hard to pin-point them now, but the bullying is more cruel in the manga, and if I remember correctly, there are sex-scenes that have been removed. Hazuki Kanae is known for drawing dark themes in her manga. Several of them involve human sexuality. She has even made some oneshots about issues such as rape. I felt that the censoring in this anime was a bit unfair because of that, but ignoring the mangaka’s style, the anime delivered a solid story so the differences don’t affect my view on the anime too much.
Sukitte Ii na yo. is a poignant love story. It could’ve been better, especially the romance aspect, but what it lacked there, it made up with its character development. This anime has an outstanding protagonist who truly is a loveable girl, and her brilliance makes her such a respectable character. Her humble personality affected many characters, and she also affected me as a person. I was truly touched and inspired by Mei, and I am very happy that she found people who love her. It was nice to see how everyone returned her kindness by helping her or being there for her. Bonds between people are truly amazing and I believe Sukitte portrayed that in a great way. The friendship in this anime is what I’ll remember more than anything because that’s what I liked the most. I’m very happy with this love story, and I wish more mature shoujo manga got proper anime adaptations. I know there are many people who want to see more than an OVA for Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu (I’m one of them). Hopefully Sukitte has been appreciated so we’ll have more shoujo shows like it. So to answer this series’ title – I love you!
And all that happened thanks to the fact that, in japanese animation, people get worried about a simple cold as if it was cancer.
(still sweet and funny)
Funny enough, compared to much of the criticism others have heaped on this “weak” episode, I thought ending the series this way seemed fitting. Here’s why:
Mei and Yamato are ridiculous, melodramatic teenagers. As all teenagers are ridiculous and melodramatic. If anything I thought this series has focused far too heavily on how serious these character have become. I like the idea that both were simply dumb in Ep.13, thinking way too much about the worst case scenario. Or that Nagi is a brat. Because she is.
All of Mei and Yamato’s friends weren’t so serious about the cold as much as pointing out to Mei how ridiculous she’s become. Oh, teenage love. These crazy kids… Puts into perspective the overblown drama from Ep.11, that the ending seemed so light.
The only thing I didn’t like was the little cassanova bringing flowers for Nagi. Hahaha! Play on, playa!
Oh, and Mei acting like a dumb, emotional, ridiculous, melodramatic teenager actually shows me how much she has grown from the first episode.
Did you reply to my message just to be on top?
Because I don’t see any connexions.
Third paragraph.
ewww he kept his eyes open during the kiss at the end, creepy
Actually, he closed his eyes but the scene became blurry. I capped the last frame before it was blurred.
Isn’t it weird that after Mei talked to Nagi’s friend, she went hiding behind the pole again…
Wow, this episode left me thoughtless for an entire 12 seconds. I’m done giving this series any more breaks. I’ll just make it plain: This episode made the previous (12) look good.
Yamato gets sick & everyone HAVE to tell Mei to go see him – & yet she doesn’t because she took something his brocon sister said at face value. Then she falls back to the BS in the modeling arc. Yamato gets a call from his friend & he suddenly falls back to the BS in the Kai arc. WE GET IT!
For an anime original episode this fails HARD. Instead of giving us something new, it reverts back to the garbage that infected the show in the first place. No MC progression, just SOS. It works for an ending to the previous episode but that didn’t do this show any justice either.
They could have given us the world but it just felt like a sub-character overture. I don’t get it. The 1st 5 episodes of this series were amazing. Characters openly talked about sex, inner problems, & horrible experiences. Then suddenly in the latter half, its back to the closed door policy that’s so common in other anime where the MCs have to keep everything bottled up for the sake of plot progression.
I’m not going to judge this series on its latter half though. The 1st five episodes earned it that right. It was a great series overall, even if the main couple is just deadly awkward. It’s their awkwardness that sells this anime. It took purely one-dimensional characters & made them feel real, for the most part. This show nearly got me making expectations rather than just watching it – something that NEVER happens.
At least from this we know they can actually animate some watchable shoujo rather than your usual timid ‘everybody liking everybody else’ dating sims.
Whatever, now I have to go indulge myself in some Superbowl re-runs b4 I put these last 2 episodes on a cd & sacrifice it to the anime gods.
I liked the series but man what a weak ass final episode. The last episode of a romance and the 2 main characters have like 5 lines together and a kiss at the very end? This was a good series but they should have ended it last week.
@Stereoman
Personally I think you were a little too hard on Yamato more than once, in context of the entire show, not just this episode – how can you understand Mei’s issues about Megumi being close to Yamato but fail to understand it when Yamato has issues with Mei being close to Kai or some other guy, while they may go about it/express it in different ways the core issue that’s bothering both of them is pretty much the same.
Well, it’s not that much of a problem, I just wanted to point it out.
Other than that I’m glad that at least one writer at RC has the same line of thought, as me, when it comes to anime.Nice job putting my feelings about this show in to words and thanks for all the reviews.
While this show may not be flawless, having watched it, like Stereoman said, it left me with a immense feeling of satisfaction.
If anything, this episode felt more like a window of opportunity for a second season. As stated before it did not really have the feel of a final episode but in some ways .. it was gratifying. I’m not familiar with the source material but I would presume there is still plenty of material to cover and so if there were to be a second season, I wouldn’t mind watching it at all.
As always, thank you for the coverage. It was another enjoyable journey. 🙂
Side-question: Have you watched Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun this season too?
I sorta got the same impression from watching this episode in regards to a season two; even though I haven’t read the manga, it would be great to see more of Mei and Yamato’s relationship, more of a focus on them the second time around, and shy away from a bigger emphasis on the supporting characters and their arcs.
I don’t want to be a wet blanket, but most of the manga material they (didn’t touch / skipped / ignored) focused on the side characters until VERY recently. They can still make a 2nd season though, but I fear it will have even less Mei & Yamato than this one did. Plus some of the events they screwed around with this go around directly effected things later on. That stuff will seem mighty weird if they don’t change it up or give us a huge amount of flashbacks.
This is anime original episode and it shows unfortunately. Last weeks episode would have been a perfect one to finish the show on and they should have just kept this one as a DVD extra.
Here Mai seems to have suddenly regressed in character and as for Yamato not getting the phone back from his sister and calling back??? What is with that?? A very disappointing end to the series.
so after mei & yamato have walk around next day yamato got cold with sister keep all watch on him with mei worry so everyone tell mei go visit yamato.
so mei go charge in try a call but denied by yamato’s sister then retreat then got call from everyone with kai tell mei go charge so mei go again.
while yamato stuck with his sister got a call from lady stealer guy with said he find one girl to keep & also work in bakery with yamato in panic if tried going to steal mei?
yet mei try to knock still worry oh a boy with glasses come in for yamato’s sister give also worry so mei help the boy charge in for have yamato’s sister.
all good yet yamato to find mei yet did mei was there to see bakery & lady stealer guy had own female & not mei so all relax oh baker lady yikes then kai to rescue for yamato.
mei still worry more then yamato appear & etc everything all fine & kiss end.
Stereoman — thank you for covering!
I enjoyed this series. There was some clumsliness with some plot devices (as someone mentioned
Yamato not calling Mei back after sister turned Mei away) through the series, but overall it left
me with a satisfied feeling about all of the characters.
Mei’s mom is 110% for Mei. I haven’t read the Manga, but I would have liked to see more of her mom
teaching her about relationships and what’s expected because I think those talks (hopefully) happen
more in real life than in Anime (I’m referring to Mei’s mom’s pep talk in episode 12).
Definitely make my top five list of the year, though…
And here I was expecting an entirely cliched “nursing your sick boyfriend/girlfriend” episode.
Would have been better than the standard mixture of miscommunication and anxiety that characterizes 50% of Mei and Yamato’s relationship.
lol that end
Megumi and her lesbian awakening ic
I was seriously wondering about that. The last episode was showing a lot of flags about it and I thought it was just me having some weird thoughts but seeing the ending of how everyone is ‘pair’ off, you see Megu with her ‘friend’. I’m all up for it regardless I just want a confirmation if possible, is Megu now a self proclaim lesbian? Lulz.
thanks for the coverage, Stereoman! I am sure I will miss both this anime and your posts about it… 🙁 need a season 2 with Yamato’s brother and his story…
I hope people who like the anime enough will check out the manga. There are definitely some chapters worth checking out xD
It’s as if an introduction to Yamato’s brother was completely taken out of the anime on purpose. He just appeared with Nagi that one episode and you thought (if you hadn’t read the manga, “Yamato has a brother?”) Perhaps because of episode constraints and what they wanted to include content-wise?
A second season would be great to delve into a story with Yamato’s brother and Mei’s mother as well as the “what happens after I love you” has been said?” I think I’ll be checking out the manga sometime soon XD
Ahhh~ I was so looking forward to a hotel scene. But I’m still satisfied with the ending.
I just finished marathoning the whole show 10mins ago. I couldn’t do the weekly wait. Everytime Yamato and Mei got all lovey-dovey, I’d go “AWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3" and laugh. They're so cute together and even moreso when they're kissing KYAA!!! XDDDD
Okay. So I had a lot of fun watching Sukitte. It was so sweet. Mmm mmm! Can't wait to see what's good the next season. :]
I liked it.
Now I have my hands full with Kimi ni Todoke and Sukitte Ii na yo. And I’ll put them both in a Basket of Fruits. ^_^ Arigatou Kami-sama~ I loved it! <3
I liked how the first thing Stereoman says is how this episode wasn’t necessary, because that was the first thing that came my own mind. In fact the I actually thought the previous episode was the finale, and after this episode I still feel that the previous episode was a better ending point for Sukitte.
Yamato is sick..sick enough for him to be absent from school, yet he manages to be lively enough to run to the bakery and somehow bump into Mei. Seems legit. Wait, shouldn’t he be half-dead lying in bed?
How he manages to run past Mei without either of them noticing, *insert anime logic here*
How Yamato came to the conclusion that Mei deserted him for the other dude, *insert anime logic here* Since this is a anime-original episode (?) I guess the oversights can be overlooked (oops).
Personally I’m not too huge of a fan for Yamato and Mei, their struggles and underlying themes are very real, but they feel a little over exaggerated at times, with this episode being a prime example. Granted, without being actually in those said situations – from an outsider’s point of view it does seem to be exaggerated at certain points.
Contrary to Stereoman, I would’ve liked to see more of the B-couples, MeguxKai anyone? (Not read the manga so this is just speculation). Even more of Asamicchi would work 🙁 On the overall I would like to echo Steroman’s sentiments – it was a satisfying one.
PS: Holy bananas, what are school in Japan teaching their kids, dat little boy visiting Nagi with a bouquet of flowers, dayum son..
“PS: Holy bananas, what are school in Japan teaching their kids, dat little boy visiting Nagi with a bouquet of flowers, dayum son..”
That’s nothing. From what I saw in the epilogue Nagi and her little boyfriend are more advanced in the dating game than Mei and Yamato.
I just watched all 13 episodes in one-go 😀 I liked this show! It is calm and relatable to, I feel like those are stories I lived, would like to live. I loved Kai’s depiction as the guy that’s gonna interfere in the relationship but then it turns out, it wasn’t what I had in mind and it made me like him.
I liked the fact that sometimes a pain someone inflicts on you becomes a perminant scar, that affects the way you live so much that when the time does come, you realize that everyone moved on but you. That is very relatable with how I lived, and I liked the way Kai dealt with it.
I could say that the charecter I found most admirable was Aiko. I guess at some point we all have that kind of friend, I wouldn’t generalize, but as a girl, I know plenty.
The last episode being funny was probably good for me, as I’ve watched many anime’s with an ending that didn’t give me a closure (Tonari no Kubiatsu-kun) so I’m happy with that. Perhaps I wished they would tackle her bullying story about the rabbit, but maybe that would diverge the plot of the show.
Thanks for your hard work and review!
Cheers,
M
Waaa! Can I ask if there will be season 2? I can’t wait! I have a lots of questions!
When?! hahaha! I miss Yamato and Daiichi a lot! 🙂
While the romance is endearing, the storytelling lacks coverage on dealing with breakups, loss of love, or some other factor that drives couples apart (aside from the use of love rivals that were used in challenging the main couple). So it just felt one-sided. I do think that it’s a nice exposée on what a loving relationship is, though.
wattt 13 wat the last ep…wat the helll chpzz i expected moreeeee after tht super dry ep 13 chupzzz
Reading english translations of the manga, I would not be surprised to see a second season of Sukitte. Hopefully sooner than later. If you haven’t read them, I’ll only say that Mei’s and Yamato’s relationship will continue to grow, and there’s some fantastic material waiting for us.