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My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax (TV 3)

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Drama, Romance, School
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The third and final season of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU begins airing today after being delayed a season.

Episode 1 Filling in Time
Or In Due Time, the Seasons Change and the Snow Melts.

Nothing like coming up with a joke title to sum up my feeling on the episode only to find out the creators already beat me to it. I know, they know and they know I know; It was practically a clip show of clips that were never shown.

Yukino speaks without saying anything, Saika and Hachiman fill in their history with School Rumble shenanigans we never saw, apparently Hachiman is a siscom with Saika's sister too and and for a disinfected loner, he's very public with someone else's sister to the levels of "Ehhh!" Komachi saves the episode with a little bit of genuine emotion.... once you get past the incest subtext that's more blatant than any other point in the series or ORIEMO for that matter.

They still haven't made Saika interesting but I don't know if they're aware of that.

Wow, it has been a hot minute since this series, like five years and we are coming back right where it left off. Not having re-watched anything since then, felt a little disorientating that I might have liked a little recap by the likes of a short episode 0 or something, but the broad strokes are coming back, that these characters have really moved forward.

@ Animegomaniac
I don't think that there is actual incest subtext between Hachiman and Komachi, I seem to remember that this is just their way of getting along where they take shots at each other by pretending to be a little "gross" and stuff, but they actually care about each other as siblings.

Hachiman's run in with Saika and her sister also generally gives this feeling of Hachiman having move forward from a lot of his previous awkwardness, not afraid to be the nice guy he wants to be without being possibly rejected. He does not want to be a "disinfected loner".

Without being tricked, bribed or guilt tripped into it, Hachiman's day with Komachi was the first genuine date he went on that he wanted to go on. But the section that made my eyebrows raise was what happened when their date was over. The two have the most chemistry in the series

Now that I see it, I realize I meant disaffected loner but considering Hachiman, disinfected works too. Those Hachiman germs have to be fought at every level. Still, Hachiman... I don't know what else to call it except "flirting"... with Saika's sister made me uncomfortable. Being infatuated with his own sister was a given but in this case, we're told that he's been the same with Saika's sister for some time, we just haven't seen it. Just like his interactions with the older sister, the younger sister was just introduced as a given in the third and final season.

And now that I looked up the information, it's Saki. The sad part is that I just finished up watching the dub of both seasons a few weeks ago.

1:

It's been five years since the previous season. No wonder it feels so long.

I remember the second season being more impressive than the first, for two main reasons: the witty dialogues, and the character dynamics. The former is simple enough; just look at how the characters talk to each other, and you can tell that this show stands out from other high school-themed slice-of-life series.

The latter, now that's the more amazing part. This is one of the very few series where character development depends on the interactions among them. Hachiman has always been a cynic with a good heart, and he's slowly learning how to have faith in people. Yukino is snarky and distrustful of people, but with the help of the "Service Club", she's slowly learning to trust the good ones. Yui is idealistic but has self-esteem issues, and she's making strides in it. This show has some of the most emotionally complex high school characters I've seen in an anime.

The whole thing between Hachiman and his sister Komachi? It's tempting to cry sister complex (and Hachiman's self-aware about it), but I'm not weirded out by it. It's one of the most endearing sibling relationships I've seen. Hachiman and Saika's sister? I don't think it's flirting by intention, but if I were Saika, I would be a little weirded out. Hachiman has never been sensitive about how people feel, so even if he means well, it predictably comes out a little strange. Saika eventually realizes and understands where Hachiman is coming from, after meeting Komachi.

And Komachi is the best sister ever. Sometimes I feel she's even too good for Hachiman.

2:

"You can't get drunk."

That's the scariest thing about Haruno (at least for the trio): despite her carefree demeanor, she can see through people too easily. Also, there's always something else beneath everything she says, be it a tinge of sadness beneath a positive comment or a dose of relentment underneath an uplifting quote.

You know she meant something when she said she can't get drunk even when she tried to. In translation: she can't fool herself even when she tries to, and is the kind who accepts outcomes she doesn't like (her definition of "growing up"). And she's be right for calling it for him too: Hachiman's never the idealistic type who challenges unfavorable outcomes.

Since Yukino is learning not to have any regrets, it's understandable she would want to help Isshiki. She said it herself: why bother organizing a prom now when it can begin next year? Isshiki doesn't want her idea to go down the drain, and thus wants it done now when there's still interest. In short, #NoRegrets.

I thought it was more of a matter of Iroha wanting to become Prom Queen and Yukino telling her that she'd never make Prom this year but probably next year. Yet both of them agree Hayama is a lock for Prom King this year.

Yeah, what we are seeing is a social chess game between Yukino and Iroha. Two queens, one king... well, the other king is Hachiman who Iroha was trying to "castle" for the following prom... so she knew she'd never get close to Prom Queen as a second year yet still insisted on Hayama being Prom King in his last year?

ACｘS wrote:

Since Yukino is learning not to have any regrets, it's understandable she would want to help Isshiki.

Perhaps on the surface level but what she did was become Iroha's solo volunteer before Iroha wrangled Hachiman into doing it. Again.

In short, I don't think Yukino's motives were pure... purely for the sake of the Student Council President, of course. Then again, I still think the same intent would have come across with two cats hissing "Mine!" at each other.

Hmm it's hard to say right now. We know Yukino isn't the most noble person but now that she's learning to be nicer in a way, it's harder for me to tell.

Hachiman isn't even that resistant towards the promote idea. The old Hachiman wouldn't even be able to stand the idea of anything remotely social, but since he's starting to understand where Yukino's coming from, he's more accepting of Yukino's request for help (regardless of her motive).

Last edited by ACｘS on Tue Jul 28, 2020 10:22 am; edited 1 time in total

3:

Getting one thing out of the way first.

That whole one-two conversation between Isshiki and Hachiman? Not a fan of it. Let me clarify: I recognize the wittiness of this show. Love it, for most parts. Most other shows resort to typical slapstick for humor, but not here.

But strangely, I'm not a fan of bokke-tsukkomi, that exclusively Japanese brand of two-man stand-up comedy that's exactly what transpired between them. Maybe it's a different because bokke-tsukkomi typically requires one party to make a not-smart comment, but both Isshiki and Hachiman make only cutting ones.

Now, about the thing they discussed: Isshiki breaking the fourth wall about Hachiman's sister complex and insinuating him about using "sister-zone" tactically (see, this is why SNAFU's different from other teen rom-coms). Isshiki is good at persuading (guilt-tripping?) people to do stuff so she's not exactly too different from Yukino, motives aside. Isshiki feels conflicted for making people help her, even if she welcomes all of them. Kinda sheds light on her character.

Hachiman... well, you know. Guy's smart but weak against girls' pleas for help. Can't kid himself to enjoy a social event like a prom, but can't kid himself not to have anything to do with organising it either.

I thought the conversation between Hachiman and Iroha was brilliant. It also cuts to Hachiman's cry of wanting something genuine; He wants genuine but he wants it on his terms, not someone else's and Iroha, rather than Yukino and Yui babying him, calls him out on his crap.

Iroha come out swinging in the conversation acting properly as his kohei yet he rebuffs directly. They both drop their respective acts for a bit until Hachiman, on his own, offers her some sagely big brother advice about things looking smooth when they're not which she finds insulting. She knows not to look at the surface and she knows not to overly rely on Yukino. It makes me wonder if he forget that she was there asking for his physical help and not moral support? She calls him overprotective which he denies but she then calls him the Big Brother type which he says he can't deny.

"You're not seeing us as women, you're seeing us as younger sisters!" but Iroha being Iroha also snuck in yet another "Please hit on me, already" line hidden within her reaction to his treatment of her as a younger sister.

This time, Hachiman must have caught the hit as he refused to look at her as she left. Honestly, I only noticed it in season 2 when someone cut together Iroha's reactions to Hachiman as she reused to look at him faster and faster as she tells him she just doesn't like him, not in that way, not now as she just has her heart broken but thanks anyway, try again some other time....

To me, Episode 3 was a return to the first season from the way the conversation was held in both words and animation and how the soundtrack was appropriately the first season's soundtrack of how it's fun to have fun.

Have i said I'm not much of a fan of the second season here? They lost so much character animation that I was afraid it was gone for good but I can say waiting five years did the studio some good. They can actually add a little nuance back to the character reactions even if they still need to work on Yukino.

4:

Never knew Hachiman's a vending machine otaku.

The whole PTO thing is a plot device. Too obvious. So obvious that how the whole problem came aboutーwhy didn't the PTO say anything before?ーis irrelevant. It happened, that's all that matters. Hachiman knows that Yukino's mom is scary because she's good at cornering and putting people into submission while luring them with a kind face (the trickiest kind people to deal with: those whose motives aren't obvious from the onset).

The whole thing about Yukino needing to do things by herself? It's been going for a long time; in fact, since the first season. Yukino habitually drags people into helping her, and Haruno calls her out. Yukino doesn't want be helped this timeーperhaps genuinely this timeーbut Hachiman is not the kind who can witness a damsel in distress, even when the former more logical Hachiman would say "you have no reason to help save the prom anymore, so why bother?".

What I find interesting is Shizuka's role in all this. She's supportive of Hachiman helping Yukino out. Why? She wants Hachiman to be honest with himself and perhaps learn to be more benevolent in helping his peers. She's different from Haruno, who's more readily willing to let Yukino suffer a bit if it's for her own good.

I mean, "co-dependency", as she clearly explains the relationship between Hachiman, Yukino and Yui. It is a love triangle (apparently), although that's not what Haruno is interested in, but her intention is clear when she told that to him. Why she thinks like that? Obviously, she's learned the hard way why relying on others has betrayed her; we just don't know the fine details.

^ He's not a vending machine otaku. He's a Max Coffee otaku, which is why he loved that vending machine. It was pretty funny watching his antics. For a moment, he was exactly like his sister. But to me, the best moment was the "Oh crap!" expression on his face when he walked into the Reception Room and saw Yukino's Mom sitting there. He knew instantly that something bad was about to happen, and he was right.

Oh right, I completely forgot about that part. My bad. It's been too long since the previous seasons.

It's not that the PTO has objections, I think it's because Yukino's mom is testing Yukino. The Prom is Iroha's pet project but it's been taken away from her and one of the more baffling events from episode four was Iroha defending her position as Student Council President who introduced the project in the first placed but was cowed into silence by the teacher of all people.

Haruno, Shizuka and Yukino's mom seemed to have handled the entire event over to Yukino in a replay of Yukino's job during the Culture Festival with Iroha in Sagami's role... let me think... Haruno questioned then why Yukino wasn't chairman of the Culture festival herself as she was rather than just be Sagami's lackey and in the previous episode, Iroha, after working closely with Yukino, wondered out loud if Yukino shouldn't have been SCP herself.

Wait, why was Haruno at that meeting? She was just there with her mother and no one questioned it?

What I think Yukino's mother really wants is for Iroha to step down and hand the SCP title to Yukino. The whole scenario seems to be made for "look at how useless and incapable you are and then look at Yukino! She can get things accomplished" Unlike Sagami who readily handed off the responsibilities to Yukino from the start, I believe Iroha's going to fight, for the Prom and for a little respect... Well, somebody going to have to stand up to Mother Yukinoshita and Haruno and the list of possible candidates grow smaller by the episode.

This whole idea is crazy... a PTO coup of the Student Council? Is it really that kind of show?... but I think it's crazier that a representative of the Parent Teacher Organization outright insulted the head of the Student Organization by ignoring her. There were so many things wrong just with the balance of power during that meeting; Years of shows where the Student Council runs schools and here's one President who's not even allowed to speak for herself.

What did Hachiman tell Iroha in the last episode? Watch out for upcoming trouble because things were too easy and don't rely too much on Yukino? And then Yukino's mother outright gives control to Yukino? And then Haruno tells Hachiman that his threesome.... Razz

... isn't a love triangle but a group of codependents... not that she cares about Yui... or knows Yui... or even gets Yui's name right... so Haruno really only cares about two of them yet Yukino isn't codependent... see the review thread for my thoughts on that... as Yukino seems to have been raised to be overly self-reliant.Yukino tries to do everything herself because 1 Her sister could do it... or so Haruno probably has told her and 2 her mother would seem to demand it or rather, she seems to be the type; A real "throw the tiger cub into the gorge" mother if I ever saw one. And Hachiman isn't codependent either; He'll jump in front of a Rolls Royce but not for the thanks of people or because he has a savoir complex. Hachiman sees a problem and if he has an idea of what the solution is, he'll do it without a second thought. And then he'll just walk away.... or end up in the hospital for several months.

Is it something as simple as pure jealousy? Haruno's at the meeting because she doesn't have anyone else? At the meeting she spent all that time on her phone... easier to take her in text form rather than in person?

This long and I haven't even talked about the date that Hachiman asked Yui out on... and Yui's emotions at the end of it. That'd be yet another page... returning themes, callbacks and the like...

5:

Welcome to bureaucracy.

I will step forth and say one thing: bureaucracy is universal, but it's a little unique in Japanese society because of the culture of indirectness i.e. you don't need to say no explicitly to decline/deny something. It's an ambiguity that has its use–saving face and such–but that's when people can exploit it: rejecting an idea without having to shoulder the weight of saying no. It's evident the board doesn't want the prom to go ahead, because of external pressures. That, and their passivity: they will just take the path of least problems. Forget about defending what's right or wrong; that's too troublesome.

It's the narrative that's all too familiar: youth and idealism go hand in hand, until adulthood destroys that image and makes you admit that reality isn't rosy (as Haru and Ms. Hiratsuka have echoed). In fact, there's a pang of cynicism in Dr. Hiratsuka's comment: adulthood sucks because everyone's going to step on you, unless you're a top dog who gets to step on others. Hard truths.

It's interesting to see Hachiman stating responsibility as his motive for still wanting to help with the prom. Like I said, the old Hachiman (and any average person) would think it's too much of a hassle–Isshiki's practically spelled it out already–so basically he's changed. Grown, actually. And I'm a bit surprised that he brought up an old challenge by Dr. Hiratsuka (which I've completely forgotten) as his counterproposal for Yukino's rejection for help. Hachiman's always been the astute type of person who can understand how people think (read: *think*, not feel), and he hasn't forgotten that Yukino hates to back down from any challenge.

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