Disappointing Ending. 4/10.
Overall, 5/10.
As a Gamer who isn't an arcade enthusiast or a fighting game fanatic, I didn't have any bias to the whole retro arcade video games involved in the story.
Visually and Audibly I have to state that the quality is greatly impressive in how they utilized licensed video games, not only to display gameplay, but also using the game characters as characters.
Comedic-wise, all-around, it's a little odd with the supernatural element which breaks the firmness of where this story lies. In a normal world, or a supernatural world.
It feels like a realistic normal world, but then the use of having the game character literally hit or speak to the protagonists, as well as aid him to reach the airport in the end at supernatural speed feels very out of place in a realistic setting.
The use of the game characters motivating, consoling or giving any insight to the main characters is interesting, somewhat funny, yet kinda odd.
Another flaw and disappointment is how surprsingly throughout the whole story ... Akira never ever speaks a word.
I would have hoped that throughout 3-5 years after primary school we would have received the satisfaction of her finally speaking something meaningful after never being heard from all the unknown candid emotions she has that she never speaks.
Unfortunately, the Mangaka chose to never do so which is a shame.
I guess for that originality... having her family, butler and Haruo, etc. speak for her was decently done.
My problem with this story, partly from personal taste is how love is forced through a game competition, Haruo's flaws and the love triangle itself. It's all stupid.
Even though I'm a sucker for heroine's who have a crush on the male protagonist, as usual I stayed loyal to rooting for Akira, albeit adoring her too much from the start, but... I have to admit that later on, even though I originally didn't like Koharu's dismissive personality before she fell in love, I came to like her more for her strong love, how sweet she is and moreso after she lusted for Haruo and aggressively tried to throw herself onto him with sex.
Some of the elements of the love triangle are good and entertaining.
Her scene of flirting him was surprisingly arousing, and her determination was thrilling, while being a use to force the main pairing to act on themselves,
but unfortunately the romance plot only progresses through (from a teenager) the strange childish idea to win a game against the wanted partner. First from Koharu to win and start dating. Followed by Haruo to win and confess. ... It's idiotic. Just confess.
Koharu's perseverance is oddly irrational as well. We know she'll never win, but she can't help herself but love him, so she tries, until she quits... after losing a game. Stupid.
Worse is how dense and in denial Haruo is to love, even with the aggressiveness from Koharu against Akira, while being fully aware (but in denial) that he has romantic feelings for Akira and that Koharu is fighting against Akira.
The rest of the characters are funny in their own silly way even though none are great characters. The mother, Akira's older sister Makoto, Doi and Chihiro are hilarious at times and serve their purpose somewhat decently to motivate or help Haruo to realize.
Haruo's friend Miyao was the one who had the strongest impact to change Haruo, but as underutilized he was and how dumb Haruo is, he should have been used better to make Haruo realize because he's not that dumb and dense-wise wasn't established as a logical idiot to have this bad of a plot to progress the romance to succession.
So, with all these flaws and not loving the focus on gaming competition enveloping the story's plot, it's bad for its flaws.
Including how easy it was for the tutor to suddenly (without any hints) change her mind and allow Akira to have some freedom.
... The open-ending of never knowing how they'll get back together after she moves out to LA is worse, but at the very least, the romance of the main pairing itself was sweet for the most part.
Akira herself is a good character but also lost a lot of potential in how complex her origin is.
A daughter who follows her parent's will to be perfect in grades, sports, arts, etc. by studying and practicing everyday without any distractions, including the 90's mentality of gaming being a unproductive loser/delinquent activity which is what saved her as an escapism of enjoyment, 3 weeks before she met Haruo.
Her being naturally talented to instantly be an elite gamer from a day to a few weeks is ridiculous, but whatever.
Her struggle and frustration, especially the moment where she is first about to move out and cries in Haruo's arms is bittersweet.
Her abusiveness is funny and cute when she's scared or hiding her embarassement, but it's a little execessive whenever she injures his face.
I would have loved a backstory to that character of her and where that violence stems from, to then her whole restricted feelings, including to being mute and eventually be rewarded to hear her speak for the first time and awe and finally listen what she has to say, but... unfortunately that never fucking happened. That complexity would have been fascinating to experience being fully exposed.
Of course, as well as the damn parents who are the whole cause of this, and how Makoto's rebeliousness affected all of this, and why Akira is not fully rebelling for her own desires. Damn shame. |