For the final season of OreGairu (aka My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, aka My Teen Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As Expected) (yes I know it’s a lot of titles) I’ve decided that instead of writing a normal review, I’m going to publish a running diary of my thoughts as I watched it. If you want to read my thoughts on the show leading up to the final season you can do that here.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
– It’s starting and I’m nervous.
– Every line feels full of hidden meanings and secondary motives. It’s not like anyone’s lying, they’re just not allowing themselves to speak full truths.
– Yukino is starting to try to change. By confronting her past and facing her mother maybe she’ll finally be able to.
– Has Yui missed her chance?
– There is a great run of sweet sibling stuff. Haruno declares that she will back Yukino in her plans. Hiki and Komachi have an incredibly sweet moment when she thanks him for helping her prepare for her entrance exam, which ends with them both in tears.
– This Hiki-Kawasaki flashback is a bit odd. Not really sure where this can go.
– We flash back to the previous night and get another patented scene of Haruno and Hiki talking. I really love their dynamic. They’re both pretty jaded, but it’s starting to feel like Hiki is changing.
– Hayama and Hiki discuss Yukino changing. It’s clear that Hayama is jealous of Hiki having this effect on her. I wonder how this will play out.
– Isshiki knows we’re in a high school rom-com and wants to have a prom. Thank you Isshiki, you’ve really grown on me.
– Yukino takes on the prom herself as a test to prove how she’s grown.
– At this point it’s really feeling like the end of something. Yukino is definitely using this as an end point for this part of her life and the others feel it.
– The odd thing is I’m pretty sure they have a year left of high school. Oh well.
– While helping Yukino pack for her move back to her parents house, Yui finds a picture of Hiki and Yukino from the theme park hidden on Yukino’s bed.
– Yui is conflicted about her relationships, losing what she has, regretting having it, and her fear and envy of Yukino and Hiki’s connection. In her monologue we find out that this was her fear all along and that her genuine attachment to the group is in spite of her initial goal. She didn’t want a genuine relationship. Fear is gripping me.
– To help the students learn what a prom is (Japan doesn’t have them) a prep prom is held.
– There are so many great character moments during this. I can’t wait for the real thing, although I’m also dreading it. Kinda like the characters.
– Hiki has great moments where it is made even clearer he loves both girls and murkier which he will end up with.
– Yui and Hiki go shopping to buy a congratulatory gift for Komachi and talk about the future. It’s very sweet and Team Yui has to be feeling good after these last 2 episodes.
– Goddammit, Yukino’s mom comes to cancel the prom. Yukino wants to take on this challenge herself to prove her worth to her mother. I hate her mother.
– It’s revealed Shizuka is leaving the school after graduation. I can’t handle all these emotions.
– Haruno and Hiki have another one of their conversations where Hiki calls his relationships a love triangle (can’t believe he said it), but Haruno calls it codependency. Is she being messy again or a good sister.
– At this point it is feels like Hiki will ultimately have to be the one to confess to one of the girls. For one thing it feels important for him to take action and it feels like if one of the girls confesses she would either be rejected or we’ll feel like he just picked whoever asked first.
– When Hiki finds out the prom is on the verge of collapse he rushes off to help Yukino and Yui breaks down in an alley.
– This happened right after I had become confident he would end up with Yui, tough blow there. It can’t keep swinging like this.
– Hiki has talks with Shizuka and Isshiki about how he can help Yukino and why he wants to.
– Isshiki really has become someone he can talk to. With so much focus on the triangle Hiki is missing that he has formed genuine relationships with Shizuka and Isshiki.
– Yukino and Hiki have a very tense scene that is full of unsaid words and plays as both a confrontation and flirting. It’s wildly tense.
– Yukino refuses Hiki’s help and he decides to challenge her, they are going to compete to see who can make the prom happen. That’s right we’re doing season 1 again, but this time the stakes feel incredibly personal.
– It must’ve been all kinds of uncomfortable for Isshiki to have to be in the room for that.
– Isshiki bemoans how hard it is to deal with our main triangle, poor Isshiki never really had a chance.
– Isshiki reveals that her real reasons for having the prom are pretty selfless and that she doesn’t want any regrets. Squee. It’s great seeing our characters grow.
– After finding out that Hiki was shot down in his attempt to work with Yukino, Yui offers her help to Hiki.
– While working together there are so many great Yui and Hiki moments, including physical contact! Does Team Yui live or is this a false flag. I think I know which one.
Alright I’m now halfway through season 3 and I’m going to sleep, but first a few thoughts and questions going into the final 6 episodes. After being completely torn through the first 2 seasons I am now completely Team Yui. I still love Yukino, but all of these scenes with Yui have won my heart. I knew for sure when seeing Yui and Hiki interact at the pre-prom thing. This sucks because it’s feeling real bleak on Yui island. I fear for my feelings. These sweet intimate scenes with the two of them together is really starting to feel like death by a thousand cuts for Yui.
My big question is where is Hayama? We haven’t seen him since his talk with Hiki in episode 2. This is probably a sign that Yukino and Hiki will end up together as it has always felt that Hayama might be set up as the consolation prize if Hiki and Yui were endgame. These feelings are too much for me. I’m going to sleep and will finish tomorrow.
It’s been a day to me, but no time at all to you, here’s the rest of the diary.
-I’m ready to have my heart broken. Team Yui I still believe! And here we go!
– Komachi might be Team Yui, you love to see it. It’s the hope that kills you.
– We’re bringing back the school of saying all of the nothing to plan a fake prom. Keep flapping them hands.
– Hiki is rapping and now hands is rapping. We’re off the rails now.
– Apparently his name is Taminawa. Ok.
– Hiki and Yukino run into each other and have a trademark, sizzling quip fest. Honestly I really like their repartee, but right now it’s just punching me in the gut.
– Yui comes out and sees them and things are getting serious. He was supposed to see Hayama and this hurts. She knows, we know, and we’re still gonna keep hoping anyway.
– Yui and Yukino both say without saying to each other that they both want to be with Hiki. Deep breaths.
– Guys the game is back on. Yui’s not out of it yet. I’m still in the denial stage.
– Honestly right now I’m more worried about what will happen to Yui and Yukino’s friendship than anything. They’re trying to stay friends, but these things can shatter that stuff permanently. Which is doubly sad as it’s really both of their first real friendships.
– Hayama’s back and is still definitely in love with Yukino. I used to think there was a chance he was into Haruno, but I’m pretty sure that’s not it now.
– Hiki says he is doing this in spite of it not being the right decision. He’s doing it to prove he’s not codependent. Hiki is actually taking pride in himself now. Or maybe he’s delusional and just desperate to have a connection with Yukino.
– I don’t know if I can handle Yui being Rem’d.
– After a charged conversation between Hiki, Yui, and Haruno where Haruno brings up their codependency, Yui asks Hiki what she means by that and… Hey you can’t cut there!
– In the showdown we’ve all been waiting for, Hiki is able to outmaneuver Yukinoshita’s mother and the prom is back on.
– Haruno has a conversation with Hayama, while the show cuts back to her conversation with Yui after their meeting from earlier. From these two conversations it’s pretty clear that despite all her talk Haruno really doesn’t know anything about genuine relationships.
– Hiki meets up with Yukino in the club room and the setup feels melancholy. They argue over who won the contest and while Yukino ultimately concedes that she won she is insistent that it’s because she relied on Hiki.
– She tells Hiki that her wish is that she wants him to grant Yui’s wish. While I think it’s important to remember his disclaimer that he’ll only grant the wish if he can, I don’t think this is how I want him to be with Yui. That being said I’m done with predictions because the winds keep changing.
– Their conversation does bring an end to the Service Club and the credits really do feel like an ending.
– There’s still 4 episodes left, but I think we can kind of view them as a new season.
– In the post credits sequence there is a meeting between Yui and Yukino. Yukino tells her there is going to be a prom. Yukino tells Yui that she told Hiki what she truly wanted, but not specifically what she said. Yui’s internal monologue states that she feels her and Yukino’s relationship is over. All of this vague talk is starting to piss me off and I think I’ve reached anger.
– In the preview for the next episode Yui says that she is selfish for wanting everything in regards to her relationships and while that’s true it’s also deeply human.
– While I love the nice Hiki and Komachi scenes, I gotta say that cat can go fuck itself. (To be clear I’m talking about a real cat, not his sister.) I hate cats. (Wow I really am in the anger stage.)
– This love triangle ain’t over yet, but please be Yui. And don’t Domestic Girlfriend this.
– Yui and Hiki have a conversation on the playground about wishes. Yui has so many small wishes she wants granted and when you add them all up they sound like a relationship. Hiki thinks about how he’d like to fulfill them all and this is really fucking with my emotions.
– The conversation ends after they agree to help with the prom. While that happens they see a couple walking and the implications are obvious. Yui tells Hiki to think about what he wishes for and tells him that soon she will tell him what she wants.
– Miura cares about Yui (unexpected) and tells Hiki not to half ass it with Yui. She cares about her and does’t want to see her hurt. At this point I’m feeling all twisted around like an emotional pretzel. This isn’t going to end well for me.
– “Hard to say how it will work out” and “I’m trying to make it work out” are the phrases of the day here.
– Isshiki can’t handle all of this talking around the thing stuff that’s going on. She like us just wants them to come out and say how they feel already.
– Very excited for Hiki’s excursion to Yui’s and not just to see her hot mom again.
– Hiki stop using the mom as a buffer to avoid being alone with Yui at her house. This could mean two things and only one of them is good for Yui.
– Being around your crush with your parents is so awkward.
– Hiki made Yui cookies as a thank you for her Valentine’s cookies, with a secret ingredient. What’s the secret ingredient?!
– Hiki wants to spend all his days making Yui’s small wishes come true. You can! All you have to do is be with her. God figuring out this triangle is vexing. I’m now caught between anger and bargaining.
– Hiki crying at the graduation ceremony is very squee-worthy. I didn’t realize how much he liked the former student council president.
– What plans does Isshiki have for Hiki and is the prom involved? Guys we’re getting into crunch time only 3 episodes left.
– Guys it’s prom time and Hiki’s gonna be with… the lights? That’s right he’s on lightning duty all night and Yukino does not look pleased. She hasn’t given up after all. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
– Isshiki maybe, kinda propositioned Hiki, and he definitely thinks life would be easier that way. Of course they both know it’s not an option and laugh about it. I definitely think Isshiki likes Hiki, but is smart enough not to get too emotionally invested because she knows either way he’s spoken for.
– Apparently the dance was only for graduates, but Hiki and Yui dance and she tells him her next wish will be her last. I’m officially in the bargaining stage. Please pick Yui, I’ll do anything. I mean there’s nothing I can do, but still.
– Hiki and Yukino flirt over the comms, but then she tells him she still expects him to fulfill the wish. It has to come to a head soon.
– Yukino gets a compliment from her mother and sister and then is pushed by Haruno into revealing her future wishes to her mom.
– Her mom gives her a yes that feels like a no.
– That messy ass Haruno is still fucking with our group. She is right though that this triangle is coming to an end.
– They all talk about the group in the past tense and then Yui and Yukino agree it’s time and put the decision to Hiki.
– Isshiki comes in and lets him off the hook. He bales, but Yukino chases him down and the exchange is charged. They touch hands during this exchange and that combined with the looks is really crushing my dreams.
– Hiki confronts Haruno and she eventually tells him that he has to make a decision. She says she doesn’t care who he picks (not sure I believe that). She’s been deceiving people forever and in her way is trying to tell Hiki not to be like her. She ponders if anything real actually exists.
– Shizuka takes Hiki out to talk and the episode ends on a cliffhanger as Hiki is maybe about to vocalize his feelings on the triangles relationship. Maybe. He is so infuriatingly vague all the time.
– 2 more left and I’m nervous as hell.
– Shizuka tells Hiki to take action and I think he’s going to.
– We see Yui first, this is a bad sign for Team Yui.
– Hiki and Yui have a talk about the future and Hiki says the one thing he can’t accept is life without Yukino. And now it’s raining in my house. This… this really feels like the end for Team Yui. She says she wants them all to still be together. God I’m really on the verge now. Yui seems convinced that he’s going to tell Yukino he loves her and so am I.
– He walks her home and once she gets through the door she breaks down. Me too Yui, me too.
– There’s a meeting with the Yukinoshita’s and apparently there’s going to be another prom. I’m having a hard time paying attention as the depression is starting to take over.
– Hiki proposes to work with Yukino to run the other prom and yeah it’s gonna be Yukino. I’m happy for her and unti season 3 I was open to both outcomes, but this one stings.
– All Yui island can hope for now is that this is a fake out and ultimately it’ll be Yui. Apparently there’s still a little bargaining left in me after all. This hurts way more than I thought it would.
– Hiki and Yukino talk on a bridge and dammit he’s confessing to her. He promises to distort her life forever and they go on one of their vague word journeys as they confess. In the most them way possible they promise their lives to each other. It’s beautiful and I’m in no place for their love right now. I’m happy for them.
– All of that being said this really hurts. Poor Yui. This is the depression stage.
– On to the finale. I’m not ready for this.
– This episode really has an epilogue feel as the big question was answered in the last episode and really the only question now is whether Yui can stay friends with them.
– Hiki and Yukino are so cute together and use the prom planning as an excuse to go on a date.
– Is a throuple out of the question?
– I am completely dreading seeing Yui at this point. I don’t think my heart can take it.
– Yui shows up to a full club room and it’s too much. Nothing weird even happened yet. She is too good. Deep Breaths. Deep Breaths! DEEP BREATHS!!!
– Whenever she and Hiki talk alone I’ll be done. I can’t stop thinking up wild scenarios in my head where Yui still has a shot, but honestly that feels like sports begging.
– I’ll never be OK with this. I mean it’s the what I thought would happen before I started watching the show, but Yui has completely won my heart.
– At the location for the prom Isshiki, Komachi, and Yui have a conversation about the future. Isshiki slips up a little and opaquely reveals her interest in Hiki. Isshiki tells Yui to never give up, and although I don’t think it’s to be taken all that seriously, I can feel denial and bargaining beckoning me back to them.
– We haven’t even gotten a Yui confession. I just don’t know if we’ll get it at this point. Do I even want it?
– I am overwhelmed by the Hiki-Shizuka relationship and it’s great to see a teacher really helping a student although they are a bit to touchy feely. Honestly they have the best sexual chemistry on the show and it really feels like the age thing is their only obstacle.
– All of this vague language is really starting to piss me off now. The game’s over let’s just be clear. Whew anger came in off the top rope there.
– Apparently they heard me because Yukino did it. She said I love you to Hiki! Hiki grow up and tell her you love her. I didn’t see Yui rejected for you to take it slow.
– The episode’s wrapping up and everything is being put into place. The Service Club is back in action as Komachi and Isshiki have combined to fill out the paperwork to keep them going. The first person that needs help: Yui of course as she likes a boy with a girlfriend, and she needs help staying friends with her. I can’t believe this is the end.
– And with that the show ends as it began, with Yui coming to the club asking for help.
What an experience. It’s only been five days since I started the show, yet at this point I can’t recall life without it. They managed to keep up the tension right until the very end and even though my girl lost it was still a beautiful, satisfying conclusion. (Except we never learn what the secret ingredient was in the cookies Hiki made Yui.) Even though I always believed Yui had a chance the signs were there right from the season 3 OP that she didn’t. The OP ends with a shot of Yukino and she’s the first one he met which is always a sign. Also I was suspicious of how much time they spent together. Hayama was the red herring. While he was in play Yui had a chance, but once it was triangle or nothing well, I picked up on it, but I just wanted to believe. While right now I find it frustrating and I’m just screaming that she was the one there for you the whole time, in future rewatches I’ll cherish those moments. If only we had gotten a kiss or even a straightforward acknowledgment that he also loved her. Honestly my commitment to Yui is so strong that I was pulling for some wacky ass ending where he picked Isshiki so Yui wouldn’t lose her best friend. Because let’s be honest their relationship is fucked. Even if they can somehow stay friends it’ll never be the same. The problem is still there. Oh well. Never before have I wished more for an alternate ending. There were some holes in the season as a lot of the side characters, namely Hayama, were kinda ignored.
Looking at the big picture, it all makes perfect sense. Hiki and Yukino are the characters on parallel journeys. They’re the ones who start out as loners, who through choice and circumstance have been isolated. The whole setup is Shizuka setting up these two characters hoping, probably knowing, that they will form a real connection. These two constantly clash and fight, then grow together. If Yui wasn’t on the show then this would be your typical love story. There’s an alternate version with no Yui that introduces Isshiki as a foil in season 2 and everything else stays the same. Hiki and Yukino still end up together, it’s nice and pleasant and we’ve seen it before. But that’s the thing, a show like wouldn’t stick with you. Yui is there and that’s what both elevates the show and makes it so emotionally devastating. I feel both a burning desire to run away and an irresistible pull to throw myself back into the show. I can’t help but think that this is the highest compliment I can give the show. It’s made me feel what the characters feel.
Whew, that was intense. I really unburdened myself there. It’s just that I really, truly love this show and I hope that comes across from this diary. I don’t want people to leave this with a negative feeling. This was an incredible journey and while the show is over I can tell you this story, and especially these characters will be with me forever. Yes, I’m still in the depression stage, but I know that in time will come acceptance and will be able to value this show even more in the future. Also I can always head canon a future for Yui and Hiki. Maybe acceptance isn’t all that close yet. Thanks for reading and leave a comment below. I’d love to discuss this show anytime. I think I’ll start my rewatch tomorrow.