Spring 2017’s final finale is also it’s finest finale.
I’ll warn you up front – if you’re looking for an analytical series wrap-up here, full of balanced critiques, you’re not going to get it. The reason is partly just that I love Tsuki ga Kirei unreservedly, but mostly it’s because it’s hard to imagine a series more successfully accomplishing what it sets out to do than this one. I could nit-pick a few incidental things, like the consistency of the animation or closure for the side characters, but compared to what most series – even great ones – fall short on, they’re not even really worth discussing. This is mission accomplished, plain and simple.
Among the many things Tsuki ga Kirei represents is an example of what original anime can do in the right hands – that is, set out with a specific narrative goal in mind and a clear roadmap of how to accomplish it. It would be hard to find a better exemplar of “simple, yet profound” than this show – because Kishi Seiji and Kakihara Yuuko never bog things down with unnecessary complications. Tsuki ga Kirei is a masterwork of natural flow and spare elegance, worrying only about what’s important. And because what’s important here is first love and the unimaginably complex and conflicted emotions that go along with it, the series requires nothing else to be tremendously profound. Take notes if you plan on writing a romance anime, because this should be the textbook.
Kishi and Kakihara are true to form right to the end here, because they don’t milk the cliffhanger – it’s revealed literally in the opening frames of the episode that Kotarou has failed the Koumei entrance exam. In my heart of hearts I pretty much knew that was going to happen, but it still hurts (Kotarou, too). Rather than being the dramatic endgame of the finale this development is the catalyst for the rest of the ending, the starting point for all the developments that follow. And it’s a tug-of-war here – head vs. heart, logic vs. emotion, pragmatism vs. romantic idealism. Much, I might add, like life itself is.
And as Akane and Kotarou wrestle with it, so do their friends and family – and so do we, as emotionally invested viewers. Take Akane’s sister, for example, who urges her to break up with Kotarou rather than try a long-distance relationship. She comes off as rather blunt and even mean (as Akane notes) but believe me, she’s trying to be kind. She knows that distance is a death sentence for most adolescent relationships, and she knows how much pain Akane is likely to endure if she tries to beat the odds. From her perspective Ayane is trying to be a good big sister, to use her experience to shield her imouto from heartbreak. But this is the dilemma – no one can truly understand the feelings of someone in love except that person (and to an extent, the one they’re in-love with – sometimes). And once in a while in life, love does beat long odds.
Another topic sure to be discussed (too much, in my view) is Chinatsu’s last-ditch confession to Kotarou on the day she finds out she and he got into the local municipal high school. Chinatsu is like Ayane in believing Akane and Kotatou’s relationship is doomed, but she has a selfish motive too – of course she does. I wouldn’t call her actions here noble, but I do think they’re understandable. Circumstances seem to have conspired in her favor – from her perspective, damn if she’s not going to take a shot. I believe she considers herself Akane’s friend, and that she’d like to continue to be – but she’s also a fallible teenager driven by her own self-interest. And like Ayane, she has no reason to believe Kotarou and Akane can survive in a long-distance relationship.
In a sense the key moment of the episode might be when Daisuke-san (the adults in their lives have been very good to Kotarou and Akane, on the whole) encourages Kotarou to do two things – to keep writing as a means of coping, and to share his stories with the world via the internet. Writing is who Kotarou-kun is – it’s how he processes his feelings. This act of expressing himself through “13.70” is both a way to help him understand himself and to take the leap every aspiring writer must take – to be vulnerable and subject their work to the opinion of the world. In this instance it’s much more, too, though that won’t be known for a while.
What seems for all the world as if it might be the final scene between Akane and Kotarou is a brutally painful one, because it expresses the emotional distance that’s opened between them as a result of the spectre of the physical distance that’s imminent. Kotarou not having told Akane about Chinatsu’s confession isn’t really the problem, nor is Kotarou’s insistence on being the one to work to pay for train fare for their visits. Akane expresses it as not wanting to be a “burden” on Kotarou, and that’s the essence of the problem – they both know how hard this is going to be. For Akane it comes down to not wanting to be the reason why Kotarou doesn’t have a normal (whatever that means), happy high school life – what right does she have to ask that of him? If she could see his feelings as clearly as her own, she’d know – but she can’t.
And here, then, is where Tsuki ga Kirei stands at the crux of decision – what sort of ending does it want to spin and by extension, what sort of story does it want to be? It’s yet another tug-of-war – because the most believable ending and probably the one most consistent with the story is the one we almost get, the bittersweet parting. The ending where Akane-chan leaves her potato in the window when she leaves her old house (heavy symbolism), where it hurts too much for she and Kotarou-kun to even see each other one last time. The one where they communicate only via comments on the novel he’s written and posted as a love letter to her, the one where no one wants to say what happens next.
“To think that someone I loved could love me back… I thought it must have been a miracle.” What better coda for a story of first love could there be than that?
If Tsuki ga Kirei had faded to black right then, my tears would have been bitter ones – but I would have had no complaints. That would have been the naturalistic, organic ending consistent with the series as a whole. But in the end, Kishi and Kakihara told us that Tsuki ga Kirei was a fairy tale, and gave us an ending that endorses the idea that true love can conquer even against impossible odds. And you’re not going to hear me complain, because that’s what all of us want to believe is possible – and because it’s the ending I wanted for these two beautiful and fragile souls who deserved to be happy with each other.
It’s also the ending that the series told us was coming, because it’s been teased in the LINE messages that have accompanied the series on its journey via the ED sequences. And it does make one wonder what would happen if we took the harder road sometimes, if we endured the hard times we knew we’d be inflicting on ourselves because we knew if we did, the happiness we sought might be waiting for us at the end. I have no problem with an exceptional ending because Tsuki ga Kirei is an exceptional series, and because Akane and Kotarou are exceptional people. We give adolescents too little credit sometimes, I think – dismiss their wishes as driven by blind emotion. But maybe it’s at this time when we see some things most clearly, before our vision is obscured by too much “maturity” and the logic and detach that comes with it…
As I said a dozen paragraphs ago, you’ll get no balanced critique from me here – in my view, Tsuki ga Kirei is an unabashed triumph. It’s one of the best romance series in anime history, probably delivers the finest ending in romance anime, and may in fact be the best middle-school romance anime has ever seen (if there’s a better one, I can’t think of it at the moment). It’s special in every sense – heartfelt, as sure of itself and true to its vision as the agonizingly clear tone of a Shigeru Kawai concert grand. This is the first love story that anime has been waiting to tell and never has, so authentic that it literally hurts.
As far as I know Kakihara-sensei has never written an original anime before, only (often superb) adaptations, but she’s obviously a name to watch. And Kishi-sensei, much-maligned and often only as good as his source material, once again proves that he has a superb gift when he finds the right muse. feel. may not be a premiere studio and there may have been some ups and downs in the production (even in the end, the final episode was released late because it was delivered late), but Tsuki ga Kirei represents a triumph for them – proof that obstacles can be overcome when the parties involved have the right commitment and belief. That seems rather fitting, somehow.
I don’t really need a sequel after that ending, which caps this story as well as I could possibly hope for. Nevertheless it’s gratifying to look at the Stalker rankings this morning for Spring 2017 anime and see the two versions of the Tsuki ga Kirei box set holding the top two spots – evidence that there’s still an audience for smart, subtle and sincere anime about real human emotions. Evidence that if you create something beautiful and powerful, sometimes anime viewers will respond in numbers. We’ll see what happens when the volumes go on sale, but that can only serve to promote the idea that there’s still a market for shows like Tsuki ga Kirei – and to convince the people who created it that their efforts are deeply appreciated and that they’ve succeeded in creating something great.
ED Sequence:
yoloalchemist
June 30, 2017 at 11:13 amI must’ve gotten overly emotionally invested in this series (which is no complaint at all), because my mind was so engulfed by the final moments before the ED that I couldn’t interpret the ED sequence quite much because of the way it was drawn. I swear I thought Akane ended up marrying Hira in the end LOL. But no, of course it was gonna be only Kotarou.
This was… just something very special and endearing for me from start to end. There are no words for it that you haven’t said already.
But I’d like to add that, I think LINE was kind of a character in its own right, like a messenger that delivered the feelings of the involved parties as close as they could be when in person. That was a good way to utilize long distance comm. .
algoshuffler
June 30, 2017 at 11:23 amIt’s hard for me to believe how much I like Tsuki ga Kirei. I’m usually the type to like ambitious and surrealistic anime (like Kaiba or Ping Pong, for instance) but Tsuki ga kirei is everything but that. It’s modest and realistic. My only complaint for this finale is the Chinatsu confession and what resulted of it (I didn’t really relate to that at all).
sweejen
June 30, 2017 at 12:42 pmThe lovely ending to this anime was so gratifying. I was married very young, and the naysayers were a much more depressing obstacle than immaturity or lack of resources. We’ve made it work all these years, and I’m so glad that Akane and Kotarou did, too!!
Guardian Enzo
June 30, 2017 at 4:24 pmCongrats- that’s fantastic. Never let anyone else tell you what is or isn’t in your own heart.
jasper
June 30, 2017 at 4:15 pmI cried so fucking hard through this and every new picture made me feel more. The romantic ending that Akane & Kotarou deserved. And so rare to see this kind of thing! They really teased us hard with all the bad omens. What a beautiful show. Seiji Kishi is forgiven for making Danganronpa.
Couch Tomato
June 30, 2017 at 5:09 pmGreat ending to an amazing show. Has anyone figured out the meaning behind “13.70” though? I’ve been wondering about that for a while.
Guardian Enzo
June 30, 2017 at 5:31 pmThat was Akane’s personal best time in the 100, which Kotarou covertly watched her set.
Couch Tomato
June 30, 2017 at 9:27 pmOh duh! Now I feel stupid haha
Grizzly
June 30, 2017 at 5:31 pmIt’s the record time Akane set after beating her previous one in track and field “13.70 seconds”.
Grizzly
June 30, 2017 at 5:30 pmOne thing I’d love to say to this anime BEAUTIFUL, SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL, went up as one of my all time favorite anime and the pinnacle of romance anime. It brought me on a journey and utterly engulfed me in so many emotions that I smiled the whole time near the end of the 12th episode trying to hold my tears. Truly underrated. Kudos to studio feel and I hope that they see how much the fans love this original work. YOU GUYS WILL GET YOUR MONEY BACK. 10/10 would watch again.
Matti
June 30, 2017 at 5:38 pmUnicorn ending, but I’m not complaining. There’s hope for anime yet.
Too bad the upcoming season looks like a bunch of balderdash.
Wanderstrike
June 30, 2017 at 5:54 pmThis kinda reminds me of two of my friends who married their high school sweethearts (and they didn’t even break up through college and work). I’d say it’s rare but really possible for such things to happen in real life, having seen it for myself.
All in all a very, very good series which I can readilly recommend to anyone even if they’re not into romance animes.
HoTaRu
June 30, 2017 at 7:37 pmRather than a fairy tale ending, for me this felt more like an ending meant for a couple who realized that the love they have for one another is strong enough to overcome the doubts and hardships that they have to endure before finally getting their happily ever after. I absolutely adored the final montage of LINE conversations depicting the advancements of their relationship with the accompanying pictures of them growing older, etc. I was already happily crying before that final shot came up with the red strings showing just how meant to be this relationship was. I really can’t think of a better way for this show to have ended. Just beautiful.
Jennifer
June 30, 2017 at 10:16 pmThe moment the song breaks when Kotarou yells “I love you” was when my tears started. This was such a pleasure to watch and I did not expect such a brilliant series upon previewing this season. This wrapped up perfectly and I can’t wait to purchase this from Funi. I don’t think there will be a romance anime that can top this for a long time.
Flower
June 30, 2017 at 10:41 pmAnd they nailed the final episode. Huzzah!
Def secured a place among the top ten of the year … for me the upcoming Fall season looks quite strong, but I will be interested to discover if there will be another series that I am engaged in more than this one this year – at the moment I can think of a possibility or two that has not yet aired, but not many. ^^
What more can be said but thank you to the studio and staff that produced this? It was exceptionally lovely, and I am grateful for the chance to watch it. 🙂
Ah yes … thanks for blogging it too. :p
Guardian Enzo
June 30, 2017 at 11:38 pmIf it weren’t for Rakugo I suspect this would be my #1 so far.
JJ
July 1, 2017 at 6:18 amThere’s no shame in being second to Rakugo; it’s the best anime I’ve seen this decade, and I don’t think the next 2 1/2 years will change that.
Nevertheless, Tsuki ga Kirei has been a thoroughly uplifting series that hit the right notes every time. Nothing felt out of place or obviously contrived as we were deftly caught up in the whirlwind of a first love, depicted expertly by all involved.
My only remaining wish is for a (relative) commercial success so that other talents are inspired to take a risk on original series – like Akane & Kotarou, it will be a huge commitment in the current climate and naysayers – even well-meaning ones – will be incessant, but if you persevere you can make it work.
DP
July 2, 2017 at 7:46 amThis show was certainly lovely, but the “finest ending in romance anime” and “best middle school romance ever”?
Talk about recency bias!!
Again, I liked this show quite a bit, but in my opinion it isn’t even close to being in the same league as, say, Kimagure Orange Road. I guess the middle-schoolers from KOR would now be middle-aged, so no one wants to consider them anymore!!
Guardian Enzo
July 2, 2017 at 9:24 amI believe there’s a typo in your comment. Instead of “recency bias” it should read “nostalgia goggles”…
Kike12
July 2, 2017 at 1:52 pmDo you all think that they will make a second season or movie or OVA.
Guardian Enzo
July 2, 2017 at 9:27 pmIf the Stalker numbers are close and the box set sells decently (say 4K or more) I think an OVA or something isn’t totally impossible.
ruicarlov
July 2, 2017 at 4:53 pmThey teased this ending in the ED lime messages across the episodes? Damn, if only the version I watched had those translated…
Guardian Enzo
July 2, 2017 at 9:26 pmNone did as far as I know, but a couple folks translated them after the fact.
Maven
July 3, 2017 at 2:47 amI’m not usually a fan of romance animes so I thought at first when I saw this anime have high ratings that it was just a fluke but when I watched it myself, I fell in love with this anime. The romance is really modest and I myself as a young teenager can really relate to this anime as in super relate and that ending omfg, IT WAS SO AMAZING!!! Tsuki ga kirei changed the way I look at romance anime that is why I really recommended this to many of my friends cause it is just one of the best anime I’ve ever watched!
GiGi
July 4, 2017 at 8:29 amWithout you blogging it i wouldn’t have tried and fell in love with the series. I wish I have the love like that. Thank you for all your reviews. It has become a routine for me to watch an episode then wait patiently for your take on each of them.
Guardian Enzo
July 4, 2017 at 9:25 amMusic to my ears!
Totoro
September 6, 2017 at 4:35 pmI am so glad to have come upon this post. I was trying to interpret quite a few things that left questions for me, but this definitely cleared them up. I thought leaving the potato behind symbolized quite a few things such as her moving on or breaking up with Kotarou or her growth from beginning to end. I was torn apart when they didn’t get to meet at the end, but I’m glad she came across his novel. I honestly thought they would break up like no joke; a huge troll.
I love how they bounced back and faced all the odds of their relationship together until the end. I also like how the potato came back and was passed onto their child :). It was such a pure story. I was glad to continue watching it cause I was about to drop LOL. The development is slow, but everything that happened in the story was relatable. I understood Ayane’s point of view, Kota’s mom’s, Chinatsu’s (tho she’s still…eh), and understanding that only the people in love can understand what their needs are. Thank you for this!
Totoro
September 6, 2017 at 4:39 pmI forgot to add, I wonder what the title “Tsuki ga kirei” refers to? The moment she thought he said “Tsuki” and looks up at the moon? I honestly thought it would be the name of his novel. LOL
Guardian Enzo
September 6, 2017 at 5:06 pm“Tsuki ga Kirei” means “The Moon is pretty/beautiful”. But “Tsuki” also means “I like you” in the romantic sense. A nice little pun (the Japanese do adore their puns).
Nadavu
January 7, 2021 at 8:12 amAs Kotarou himself reflects upon, that night at the shrine as he’s trying to gather his courage to confess to Akane, Souseki Natsume had suggested way-back-when that the English “I love you” be translated into “The moon is beautiful”, because the literal “ai shteiru” isn’t something any sane Japanese would say out loud back in the Meiji period — nor today, actually. So the title is a literary, subtle and mischievous way to call the show “I Love You”, which is just the perfect name for the series.
Of course the writers then immediately top themselves by having kotarou try to say “Tsukiatte” (“please go out with me”), but because his voice breaks, it comes out as “tsuki”, which prompts Akane to remark that the moon is indeed beautiful — so she’s technically telling Kotarou she loves him (and you can tell from his reaction that he takes it to heart)
Guardian Enzo
January 7, 2021 at 5:32 pmIndeed, it’s a lovely bit of wordplay.
romcomgod
October 15, 2017 at 6:40 amHey Enzo, thanks for blogging this. You rarely give this high praise to a series these days, more so to an anime with the romance genre. But reading your finale headline convinced me to watch it.
Finally got around to marathoning and finishing it (though not in one day, cause it’s pretty damn exhausting – in a nice way of course). I loved it to bits.
Guardian Enzo
October 15, 2017 at 8:46 amYup, it’s a definite modern classic. There’s a 15 minute BD special out there now if you look for it.
Aquifina
December 27, 2018 at 7:49 amI am a year and a half late to this series, but better late than never. What a refreshing, and as Enzo points out, naturalistic portrayal of first love, but with the happy ending the characters quite frankly deserved. And how fitting that it was Kotarou’s *writing* that helped Akane realize the depth of Kotarou’s feelings, and that their relationship really could work. Usually actions speak louder than words, but the “burden” question Enzo highlights wasn’t going to be by itself resolved by practical plans involving jobs and train tickets. For much of the series, Kotarou’s writing was disconnected from his relationship with Akane–it was not something she ever saw directly, even if she supported it, and when he was cramming from the test it was even something he put on hold for the sake of their relationship. But it was the novel that let Akane know that Kotarou wasn’t going to work part time and take long train rides out of a sense of obligation, or even kindness, but because he himself *wanted* to be with her that much. He’d of course have to follow through in real life, but it’s completely in character that he’d do exactly that. Even the title of the novel even ties back into Akane’s running.
And some of those couple conversations in the ED are also hilariously true to life.
Guardian Enzo
December 27, 2018 at 8:00 amYup, agree on all points. This show is pure magic, and probably my favorite anime romance of the past several years. I suspect it would have been this year’s #1 series for sure.
Nadavu
January 7, 2021 at 8:15 amAnd as the ending sequence rolls out, the resemblance to 5cm/s is completely and utterly shattered… Praise the lord.