Celestial Method

Episode 13

I waver on this grade even as I'm writing this. After all, Celestial Method's final episode does deliver a happy ending, one that solves both the Noel issue and the various personality problems that have plagued the characters from the beginning – heck, even Souta gets more personality in this episode. But the story itself feels very played out and overdone, extending at least two episodes past its sell-by date. It picks up with Shione's return to town as a happy, well-adjusted young lady. You can tell this because she's got an uncharacteristic gentle smile on her face and is wearing a flowing white dress and straw hat. Like Nonoka, Shione remembers Noel, and she wants to help the others remember her too. Thus begins an episode of Shione and Nonoka running around and convincing their friends to come to the Observatory to try once more to summon the saucer. Naturally by this point the others are starting to have their doubts about their own memories, and things are set up for a happy ending, with Shione even looking at a brochure for the local high school.

Now I love a happy ending as much as the next child raised on Disney, but this episode feels entirely too pat. It's as if someone handed the writer a list of what should happen to resolve all issues and the writer simply followed it with no elaboration. While parts of it are very heartwarming, such as seeing the twins getting along, it really could have happened in an after-the-credits scene in episode eleven or twelve. There is simply not enough of interest to carry this for twenty-four minutes, so that by the time the happy ending appears, I at least was more excited that it was over. (Although I did love when the hat came back.)

For all of that, there is some beautiful imagery in this episode, with bright yellow sunflower petals on the wind and a huge field of them turning their faces to the sky. The backgrounds seem to have been drawn especially well for the finale, with lush greens, vibrant yellows, and warm browns. There is some awkward walking from Souta in a few scenes (neglected to the end, poor boy), and the use of a specific filter at the very end of the episode feels unnecessary, although it may be intended to evoke childhood crayon drawings. That is almost certainly the intent of the ending theme pictures, which are delightful scenes of the gang in space looking for Noel, who pops up in random places. Given that the ending theme has consistently been one of the strongest parts of the series, it isn't surprising that this one should be as well, although I have to question who thought it was a good idea to let Yuzuki pilot the space ship.

Celestial Method began with melancholy promise, a story about a group of friends who drifted apart after each suffered some sort of tragedy, even if that tragedy was just losing the other friends. There was a good story in there, but it never really got developed, instead focusing on Noel's cuteness and the fact that none of the characters were particularly mature or likable. Its final episode does provide happiness and resolution to everything except the fact that Nonoka's mom is still dead, but it doesn't go far enough in making the characters people or the events really worthwhile. In the end it is a nice, pretty show featuring an adorable girl with blue hair and the ability to charm everyone. That may be enough for some viewers...but it isn't quite enough to really call the series a keeper or to say that it was particularly well done. It didn't fizzle, but it also didn't fulfill its promise, and that's really too bad.

Rating:C+

Celestial Method is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rebecca Silverman is ANN's senior manga critic.