The comparisons between Just Because and True Tears have started to fly hot and heavy of late, and it’s no wonder.  I’ve been sounding the trumpet that this show was eerily reminiscent of vintage P.A. Works since the very beginning (even as some were inexplicably claiming it was in the mold of a KyoAni series), and it’s certainly done nothing to dissuade me of that opinion.  But when it comes to the specific parallel with True Tears (right down to Noe = Komiya and Hitomi = Mio) which many have signed on to, I must confess that doesn’t resonate with me so much.

Ultimately, I think what it boils down to for me is this: True Tears was a series that was as expressly about the romantic relationships as it’s possible to be, just about.  It’s been my take right from the beginning that with Just Because the romance was the canvas, not the painting – that this was a show more about the transition from childhood to adulthood than adolescent romance.  I confess there does seem to be some movement in the other direction in the last couple of episodes (indeed, that’s what stirred up the shipping warriors and TT comparisons) but I find myself hoping Just Because doesn’t give itself over fully to that narrative direction.

That being said, romance was certainly the indisputable centerpiece of this ep – and of late, the focus has shifted more and more to the Eita-Mio-Komiya triangle and off the Hazuki-Haruto plotline.  And since Eita is the de facto main character and the other pair has had their cards on the table for a while, that makes sense.  No question, the Eita-Mio relationship is loaded with communicative dysfunction, even if Mio says she gets the “gist” of where things stand.  To the extent that I’m invested in the romance here, I’m not in the Komiya camp – but I do think Mio really had no business saying “no” when Komiya asked her about asking Eita out if she had no plans to come clean about her feelings herself.  The problem, of course (well, one of them) is that Mio isn’t really sure of her own feelings yet.

Komiya isn’t a favorite of mine (did you guess that?) but I did enjoy watching her in labor over what to do about Eita while being mocked by her brother and her cat (the animal faces in this series are hilariously expressive).  It was too perfect that it was Puta who finally sent her text to Eita, but I give her credit for getting it typed out – that’s closer to being open and honest about Eita than Mio has managed to be.  Was he wrong to accept, knowing that it was a date and that he couldn’t reciprocate Komiya’s feelings?  No, I don’t think so – and I don’t think she would have wanted him to say no, even under those circumstances.

You know me, I can’t have too much Enoshima in anime – I love that charming, quirky little island. And Haruto is right, Eita and Komiya do have chemistry – it’s clear that he’s at ease with her in a way he can’t be with Mio.  But the sad truth for Komiya is that Eita is at ease with her because there’s no risk – he’s not attracted to her romantically.  And I think she knows it, too.  In fact I don’t think she’s really even trying that hard to win him over – she just wants to live out her moment and make a few memories for herself, even if she knows this relationship has no future.  I do sympathize with her here, believe me, and I do respect that she’s at least willing to be open with her feelings.  And that wallpaper bit with his phone was pretty cute.

I’m kind of in a funny position with Just Because (which Ena finally says out loud this week, BTW) in that while I like all four romantic principals to at least some degree, I don’t actually find myself rooting for them to be together in the end. Why?  Because I don’t think that would be true to the sort of story I thought and hoped this series was telling.  Shows like True Tears and Ts*ki g* Ki*ei are love stories – the ending has to be about the romance, however it turns out.  But I think this series is something different, about the things (like first loves) we lose when we say our goodbyes to childish concerns and steel ourselves to face what comes after.  It’s going to be very interesting to see which route – and I don’t mean romantic route – Just Because takes over its final episodes.