A Star Brighter Than the Sun

Episode 12

I have rarely been so happy to be wrong. Last week, I said that it was probably Ayukawa opening the door to where Sae was crying, though I wished it would be Koki. And as it turns out, it was: Koki, having desperately run after Sae to let her know that she had no reason to cry, because their feelings are mutual. It's not enough of a twist to call it a subversion of the shoujo high school romance formula, but it still merits being called a surprise, and a very good one at that. So many romances rely on miscommunication that having Sae and Koki actually talk to each other as the season finale elevates the story, especially since we're getting a second season. Getting together isn't a definitive happily ever after; making the relationship work is a natural way to continue the story.

And it is going to take work. Sae and Koki are officially a couple now, but that's a big shift from where they've been for a decade. They've liked each other romantically since they were little, but they've been acting like just friends – and for most of middle school, not even that. This is where getting Koki's perspective really helps. We spent eleven episodes in Sae's head, and even if as outside viewers it was clear that Koki truly did requite her feelings, he'd never said so, plus we didn't really have an explanation for their shift in situation in middle school. That means that episode twelve does the important job of clarifying where he stands, confirming little details like what the scavenger hunt card said, and truly tying things up in a lovely bow.

It's not surprising that part of why Koki kept his distance from Sae in middle school came from the other kids. While his buddy Tatsuya understood where he was coming from, other kids were much crueler – they thought it was weird (and possibly lame) that Koki still called Sae by her first name, they thought she was too tall to be appropriately girlish, and just generally acted like what they were: middle schoolers. It's a mean age, and even if Koki and Sae never became jerks themselves, they were still susceptible to the words of their classmates. When Koki says that Sae became Iwata, he's not just talking about what he called her; he's clarifying how he was forced to change the way he interacted with her. It's a very real moment – no one can be more vicious than a middle school kid (at least when we're talking about being that age yourself), and Koki thought he had to create a distance between them in order to protect them both. It may not have been his first choice, but it was one he felt he had to make until he was big enough to stand up for her.

Sae and Koki's insecurities have shaped who they are. Both of them have moments and memories of being uncomfortable in their own skin, and neither of them recognizes that same feeling in the other. That's normal and more grounded than a lot of teen romances, and it means that they still have a lot to work through now that they're together. Luckily, both of them have the support of some very good friends, especially Sae. Sui and Mio are near the top of the charts as amazing friends, and they solidify that in this episode. From feeling awful when they think Sae's been rejected to being utterly delighted when they're proven wrong, they're always there for Sae, whatever she needs – and they're willing to give her the space to tell them what's going on in her own time. Everyone deserves friends like these.

I hope that Ayukawa finds some himself. As much as I wanted Sae and Koki to end up together, the final scenes of Ayukawa sitting by himself in his club room were heartbreaking. He may have known Sae and Koki liked each other, but he clearly still felt like he had a chance, and to have that taken away from him is, well, sad. He's a nice person, and I hope in the upcoming second season he, too, can find if not happiness, then comfort and equilibrium.

A Star Brighter Than the Sun doesn't break any molds. It hews close to most of the tropes of its genre. But despite that, it was still a charming way to spend an anime season, and I really enjoyed my time with the show. I'm looking forward to its continuation (both in anime and manga forms), and I hope that everyone will be able to find their shining stars.

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A Star Brighter Than the Sun is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.