More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers

Episode 12

Yeah, so after constant bombshells last week, I am disappointed that this season's finale extensively wraps up nothing. If anything, this episode just reaffirmed the new status quo. I also understand why it was appropriate to end the season this way. If the show tried making any massive steps forward, then the episode would have ended unsatisfyingly no matter what since there was no way that we would've been able to hit another emotional progression point within the span of one episode. The series arguably already blew its load last week regarding dramatic revelations and character development. Still, that doesn't mean that there wasn't anything here.

This episode was mainly about Akari and Shiori, even though much was from Jiro's perspective. Everyone is in a different place at the end of the season compared to how they were at the beginning. Shiori is learning to be much more forward and fight a bit more for what she wants. Akari is getting in tune with her desires and chasing after something that is far less guaranteed than she initially thought. Jiro is finally starting to have his feelings waver and is constantly letting his insecurities get in the way of finally crossing that line that keeps presenting itself to him. After watching so many bad romantic comedies this year alone, it's nice that the show has definitive progression markers. While the show skews too much to Akari's side for there to be any actual romantic tension and unpredictability, I like how this episode ends. When the beautiful insert song plays as Shiori and Akari race to the romance shrine, Shiori passes by two kids playing in a park while Akari passes by two people kissing each other goodbye. But then they both run neck and neck past a couple just getting married and various other families at different stages in their life. Both started from different places in their relationship with Jiro, but both are fighting for the same thing, and at least at this point in the story, you could argue that they're on equal ground in Jiro's mind.

The show was about Jiro and Akari getting closer so they could move on with other people they had feelings for. But now things are different, and considering the very last shot of this episode was that goal being realized, it doesn't feel like a victory. The status quo is so irreversibly different that I sit here begging to find out what will happen next. I took up this show as a joke, and my expectations were so deep in the ground you couldn't even see them, but I ended up walking away from this with such a satisfying sense of investment. This is the kind of show that validates you for giving it a chance despite how things look on the surface, and I am desperately hoping that season two comes out soon.

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More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.