It sucks when you fully expect a series to disappoint you with the ending and when it does, you’re still fucking disappointed.
I was looking forward to this ending with a great deal of trepidation even before I learned that in fact, Yesterday o Utatte was going to be 12 episodes and not 18. Turns out the 6 AbemaTV episodes were just the two-minute extras (the last of which I included here), and not actual episodes. That leads to some puzzling questions, such as why the anime paced itself perfectly for an 18-episode slot and then spewed out a mostly-original ending and basically skipped the last third of the manga. But then, one assumes that was a concession to commercial considerations from a series that made relatively few of them.
It’s a rather philosophical question – does a botched ending invalidate all the good things a series did over its entire run? The most obvious answer is no, and while I mostly ascribe to that view, I don’t think it’s quite that simple. The ending – especially with a serious show like this one – colors and contextualizes everything that came before it. So the two can’t be totally cloven – one does not exist independently of the other. I enjoyed the first 11 episodes no less when I was watching them (even if they did drive me nuts) but this finale makes it feel as though they were largely a waste of time.
The fundamental problem I have is not that Rikuo and Shinako broke up, because this was clearly no starry-eyed love story between the two of them. They had serious problems and we saw no indication that they had what it takes to overcome them. No, the issue is that manufactured ending that has Rikuo wind up with Haru and, quite possibly, even Shinako with Rou. I call bullshit on that – it flies in the face of everything we saw for eleven episodes. But then, I suppose a “forever alone” ending for all parties isn’t an easy sell to a production committee.
I don’t know the exact details on how the manga ended and I don’t want to know, because my curiosity may prompt me to find out for myself eventually. I’m guessing it was considerably more open-ended and less neatly tied up with a bow happy than the TV ending, which rang as false as it’s possible for an ending to ring. Simply put, there’s no basis for a healthy romantic relationship between either of these pairings. It just doesn’t exist. Shinako and Rikuo bombing out – which always seemed likely – doesn’t necessitate the two of them ending up with their teen pursuers. Sometimes people do end up alone.
I suppose the ultimate miss for me – the sour cherry on top of a curdled sundae – is that if the anime were to manufacture a fairy-tale ending, it should have been between Rikuo and Shinako. As unlikely as that is with as conflicted and emotionally constipated as they both are, the foundation for it was at least laid. They had something real, even if they couldn’t get their fingers to grasp it. But Haru is obviously the main selling point, the tropey genki girl, and if the anime were going to jump the shark it’s not surprising she was the motorcycle in question.
In a sense, this reminds me a bit of the final couple of seasons of Game of Thrones. We have the same scenario – an original ending tacked onto the end of a largely faithful story construction – and the same disconnect exists. Nothing that happened during the buildup supports what the TV version did to finish the story. Rikuo’s behavior towards Haru (and Shinako’s towards Rou, for that matter) made it very clear there was no romantic affection there. The adults were simply too weak to be honest with the kids. The result is that in addition to a general falseness, the ending comes as a little creepy to boot.
It all makes me rather sad of course, because there was so much good work done here and it was badly undercut by the finale. But the not the production itself. I’m a huge admirer of what Doga Kobo and director Fujiwara Yoshiyuki (whose resume gave no hint whatsoever that this was possible) were able to do with a modest budget. Yesterday looked fantastic start to finish – the character animations were expressive and the backgrounds an impressionist masterpiece. From something as simple as a supermarket to the depiction of the beautiful Inokashira Park in the finale, this show was consistently a work of art.
I guess this is all an object lesson to appreciate what you get rather than bemoan what you don’t. It’s a miracle Yesterday o Utatte got an adaptation at all, given how somber and frankly depressing it is. It was probably too much to ask that it stick the landing. An ending that was true to the story (which the manga may or may not have delivered, I don’t know) would have been a pretty big downer, so I’m not surprised we didn’t get it. If we were going to get an asspull ending I would at least have preferred a different one than what we got, but c’est la vie – anime hasn’t given us much to be happy about in 2020 (partly through no fault of its own, though only partly) so that this show existed at all is worth being thankful for.
Mus
June 21, 2020 at 2:04 pmNow that we get to see the anime in its entirety, what is this story trying to say, in your opinion?
Guardian Enzo
June 21, 2020 at 2:26 pmThe first 11 episode and the 12th are saying something totally at odds with each other, that’s the problem.
yastin
June 21, 2020 at 6:16 pmI thought Rikuo and Shinako would end up in a marriage.
Guardian Enzo
June 21, 2020 at 6:26 pmI mean honestly, I didn’t – but if they were going to conjure a neat and tidy ending that one would at least have been supportable by the first 11 episodes. It never seemed like those two were committed enough to overcome the huge roadblocks they were throwing in front of themselves, but it was still the only pairing that at least made a modicum of sense.
Dop
June 21, 2020 at 6:22 pmAh. I’d been expecting those extra six episodes and was disappointed that instead of extra episodes they were just the kind of stuff you get in the ‘Extras’ section of the blu-ray.
So that makes the ending even more of an abrupt turnaround than it seemed when I was watching it.
I’d still rate this show one of my favourites of the season (and still would be even if it hadn’t been for the shows that went on hiatus ‘in these troubled times’) as I’m going to prefer a more grown-up show about young adults trying to get through their lives to yet more ‘school girls do $ACTIVITY’ shows and grimdark isekai nonsense.
I’d much rather Doga Kobo do material of this vein than the kind of shows they were making recently, it’s a good change of pace for them.
Guardian Enzo
June 21, 2020 at 6:28 pmAgreed on all points. Still the best show of the season along with Major 2nd (and Great Pretender if you count that as spring) but the ending lets it down in a big way. And probably my favorite Doga Kobo series since… maybe ever? At least since Nozaki-kun or Natsuyuki Rendezvous.
dc22
June 21, 2020 at 8:03 pmI loved the finale.
A bit rushed? Yeah.
But it made sense with what was established.
Jaffa 619
June 21, 2020 at 8:14 pmThere were many things I had an issue with in the ending but my biggest gripe is how Shinako’s character was treated. She went from somebody who was overcoming her past and moving on to find happiness for herself and then we’re back to square one, not only that her character actually goes backwards. How the heck was it ok for Shinako to feel guilty for not taking Rou seriously or reciprocating his feelings. Shinako could have been left on her own if not with Rikuo but to force her down with Rou, ugh thats just disgraceful. So I guess the show is saying is fine if you act like a brat and self entitled , is ok to jump on to to Shinako because in the end she will come to you.
I can forgive how Rikuo ended with Haru but what happened with Shinako is extremely distasteful.
Guardian Enzo
June 21, 2020 at 8:21 pmI can’t really partition it, it’s all pretty shambolic to me.
tsirrus
June 22, 2020 at 12:46 amI agree with this opinion.
I am content that Shinako and Rikuo don’t end up together, and felt that Rikuo explained it well why it was so. The Rikuo & Haru pairing at least felt feasable, as it was a pairing scenario a large part of the series tried to explain.
However Shinako’s devolution and going back with Rou (with a romantic undertone given her last scene) felt way off.
I was curious about Takishita’s story at the end there… to bad 🙁
ibtachi
June 21, 2020 at 10:36 pmI genuinely dont want to watch the finale anymore after seeing the audience reaction…
Might just switch to the manga here and preserve my high opinions for this series
Guardian Enzo
June 21, 2020 at 11:13 pmIn hindsight I would probably make that choice. But who knew? I figured I had to give it the chance.
water imp
June 21, 2020 at 10:49 pmOrganically positive outcome: as every character has so much emotional work to sift through, there shouldn’t be any pairings.
Organically negative outcome: the characters pair-up however, but the emotional issues result in unresolved drama for each.
The problem is they went with inorganically positive just to make a tidy audience payout that (helpfully?) ignores the redflags:
-Haru/Rikuo will always have the reservations of “did I settle?” on both sides.
-Conflict-avoider Shinako with conflict-prone wear your emotions on your sleeve Rou is a disaster.
Princess Usagi
June 22, 2020 at 7:52 amThank you so much for your coverage of this show; I really enjoyed reading them! The ending was a bit of a surprise, as Rikuo’s interactions with Haru always seemed to be that of a nice guy, without any real romantic interest and those interactions being mostly driven by Haru. Maybe I’m remembering incorrectly, but I don’t recall the narrative giving a clear definition of Rikuo’s feelings for Haru? It was strongly implied that he was just showing kindness and felt sorry for her, as opposed to Shinako, where it was made apparent that he had feelings for her. I agree, it would have been better for them to have not ended up with anyone; it would be more consistent, plus it would have been a refreshing change from all of the other anime out there that have happy endings (I have nothing against happy endings, but sometimes it’s nice to see something different). But, this was still a phenomenal series, for the gorgeous artwork, the story, and the character’s slow, but realistic, processing of emotions, up until this last episode.
Guardian Enzo
June 22, 2020 at 9:54 amI don’t think you’re remembering incorrectly, and that’s why I had as much of a problem with the finale as I did (without even starting on pairing Shinako with Rou).
Goh
June 22, 2020 at 8:24 amFor me it’s the complete opposite, this finale redeemed the series for me. What would have been a conventional, forgettable show by any measure (it’s only exceptional in the wrechedness of anime normalcy) strived for something greater and took a risk that paid off.
The least realistic part of Rikuo and of the show in general (how come he is not tempted, having a cute, young girl fawn over him in such an obvious way???) turned out to be the key of the series, hiding in plain sight, the unnamed truth of the matter. We suddenly realize that of course he is tempted and everything clicks. He was just going through the motions of being a responsible adult, bullshiting us and himself by following through this stilted, constipated relationship with Shinako (who already admitted she secretly wants Rikuo to have the crazy brashness of Ro). Fuck that, he already has a girl who loves him and is ready to jump him without notice. Shinako was constantly flinching just by being with him, her attraction was not really there. He made the right choice.
So congrats to Yesterday for nailing an unconventional happy ending and for being honest about relationships.
Sing Yesterday For Me Fan
June 22, 2020 at 11:20 amIf you do ever read the manga, could you do a blog post about it? I’m curious how you’d feel about the original ending.
Guardian Enzo
June 22, 2020 at 12:47 pmGood idea – I’ll definitely think about that.
pieislife
June 22, 2020 at 11:14 pmRead the manga with an open mind, I won’t divulge if you’ll find satisfaction or not
pieislife
June 22, 2020 at 11:18 pmIn a way the writing for Yesterday wo Uttate is like a metaphor I feel for the final message from Honey and Clover. Would something that never fulfilled you and will disappear the same as something that wasn’t there from the start. Like Takemoto I’ll take it that it was worth it, for better or worse
Theleux
June 23, 2020 at 7:11 amI want to ask a question regarding this.
If there were an additional episode or two which highlighted more about Haru’s character (spreading out previous events so she doesn’t get as sidelined), would the ending have worked better for you?
Guardian Enzo
June 23, 2020 at 7:38 amI mean it wouldn’t hurt, but the problem for me is that we had 11 episodes where the only thing between Rikuo and Haru was her obsessive refusal to give up and his inability to be direct in cutting her off. Zero indication of attraction on his part at all. Could all that be counteracted in a single episode? I frankly don’t see how – you’d need to see his feelings for her slowly changing over considerable time.
Theleux
June 23, 2020 at 11:47 amWhat I mean specifically is, if there were a few more episodes, which allowed for Haru to have more moments in previous ones with Rikuo (many were removed to focus more on Shinako and Rikuo together), would that fix the main issue here?
I’ve spoken with a few other people about this already but its been hard to get a honest answer. I just want to see if the rapid pacing shift is the biggest culprit or if the actual act of Rikuo making up his mind and going after Haru is the cause for unrest.
Guardian Enzo
June 23, 2020 at 12:18 pmIf you had six more episodes that showed Rikuo’s feelings for Haru evolving into something romantic, it might work. As it stands the ending is a complete asspull. If they were going to cut out great chunks of the story, why cut out the chunks that build up to the ending you plan to use?
I don’t think your either/or question is answerable because those things are not separable. Maybe without the rapid pacing Rikuo going after Haru might have made sense, but you can’t know because that’s not how it played out. All I can say is that in the series we saw, Rikuo going after Haru was completely unsupported by the buildup.
Theleux
June 23, 2020 at 12:58 pmThanks for the responses. I want to pretense this by saying that I read the manga a good few years back and rather enjoyed it. The anime I also enjoyed but understand the disappointment regarding the rushed finale.
One of the main reasons I asked was because; having spoken with other anime fans, they seem to feel that even if this were 18 episodes in length: which show Rikuo slowly developing feelings for Haru, it would still have been a bad ending due to it disregarding the ‘message’ or themes of the show by having Rikuo get together with Haru.
To me, the cast struggles with letting go of things that are holding them back in life. Shinako and her dead ex, Rikuo and his supposed feelings for the college era Shinako, Rou and his feelings for Shinako. While Rikuo breaking up with Shinako to me was him getting out of his rut and moving forward in life, supposedly many feel that him going after Haru sends the wrong message… that “obsessing over your crush will yield results” or something along those lines.
I am just trying to grasp my mind around that. I understand that we got what we got and we really can’t say how it “could have been” as we won’t ever be able to see it, but I am sort of second guessing my own thoughts on the series because of these takes. Do you agree with that view? Is it just another unhealthy relationship that forms… or is that even a bad thing?
Guardian Enzo
June 23, 2020 at 1:13 pmWouldn’t you say that pairing Shinanko off with Rou in the end completely contradicts that theme?
Theleux
June 23, 2020 at 1:52 pmReplying here as the reply button does not appear under your newest message.
I absolutely agree there regarding it contradicting the theme. Shinako and Rou would likely be one of the most unhealthy pairings you could form here. But I also do not view the ending as Shinako entering into a relationship with Rou. To me Shinako really enjoys doing things for others. She loved looking after Rou’s brother who passed away, and Rou as well. Up until the ending when he starts branching out a bit (essentially the party at the end) Rou has always been someone in need of assistance. Shinako having been close to his family feels sort of obligated to continue assisting him. To me that is really all it is, she isn’t able to look at him beyond being a ‘little brother’ but is able to be happy simply supporting him. I will say however that it can easily be taken the other way, especially with how her dialogue during the break up scene was worded.
This was mentioned above but I do hope you get around to reading the source. I know a lot of people go on and on about “the source is always better” or what not, but I do think the anime suffers from a lack of characterization for Rou, Haru and even Rikuo and Shinako when they are together due to its runtime. It shouldn’t disappoint!
Michael
June 24, 2020 at 2:27 pmFunny, I wasn’t super disappointed by the ending. The characters made a lot of sense to me. In fact, we sometimes forget that 23 is quite young too. The Rikuo/Haru relationship probably, realistically, wouldn’t go anywhere. But them getting together in some ways makes a lot of sense. Shinako’s story, meanwhile, is quite tragic. She is still clearly struggling through things. I actually felt like the 10th and 11th episodes showed this very clearly. She was actively holding back in her relationship with Rikuo, because her feelings weren’t really there. She is still stuck in the past, and Rikuo is not going to be the one to help her get past it, at least as a couple.
Really, I think the extra is more problematic than the episode itself. Where the episode leaves off, Rikuo and Haru might start a fling and Shinako and Rou’s relationship is thoroughly undefined. The extra gives a sense of permanence to pairings that almost certainly would fall apart after a bit of time.
The biggest takeaway of Yesterday is that life’s problems don’t go away, unless you begin to actively tackle them. Rikuo begins to overcome his issues as the show moves forward, and he works to follow a passion in life. In contrast, Shinako doesn’t, because she never directly faces her problems. I would also argue that Haru hasn’t begun to address her problems either (though we aren’t shown them that clearly in the show). And that’s life – sometimes things remain unresolved..
syfm
January 1, 2021 at 4:00 pmI agree with the commenters that the haru x rikuo ending felt like it’d come out of nowhere in the anime. I just binged the manga, and I’m glad I did: that pairing feels a good deal more realistic in the manga.
If there are other folks who found the anime finale hard to stomach as well (and who enjoyed the first couple of eps otherwise), I’d highly recommend looking into the manga.
TW
July 12, 2024 at 12:45 amIt was a good ending. Shinako needs therapy and until she does there’s no chance of getting into a proper relationship. Once Rikuo realised that she was not “moving slowly” but simply stuck, he had to face reality and leave to be with someone who did actually want him instead of pining for someone who’s married to a dead guy. Sad for Shinako, sure, but sometimes that’s life.