This review include spoilers, so continue reading it at your own risk
This movie is the final piece of media for this amazing series and it's a fairly great one at that. The adaptation is nearly perfect, there are some moments they have done even better than the manga, but the decision to skip the chapter 90 wasn't a good choice in my opinion, since it was one of the most impactful chapters with a lot of emotion. However, I can overlook that because they have done the ending part much better than the manga. It was a lot less confusing, and it was very conclusive.
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Of course, the background musics, voice acting, visuals, story etc all result in an adaptation that is very well-enough to satisfy most fans
I think the main criticism and disappointment comes from the inevitable ending in which only one of the five girls is chosen. I am not surprised that this is the case since I already knew that people would understandably get disappointed about their favorite character not being chosen, even though the series clearly warns people of this outcome right from the start. However, saying that the ending doesn't make any sense is just plain nonsense. Those that put forward this argument claim that the ending is bad not because of their girls is not chosen, but because the girl who wins is the least developed one. This is also completely incorrect, because all the girls have nearly the same development. If anything, the one with most complex development is the winner Yotsuba. You might disagree with me but before doing that just bear in mind that screen time alone does not necessarily equal to character development. In fact, I am even of the opinion that the fan-favorite Miku is the girl with a lot of screen time but she does not have as much development as her screen time. Furthermore, one thing we also shouldn't forget is that one-sided character development does not necessarily mean that the MC will have to feel the same as they do. If anything if you re-watch the scenes where the two of the most popular characters in the series (Miku and Nino) confess to our MC Fuutarou, you'll see that if it weren't for the their interruption he would reject them on the spot, simply because he never shared the same strong feelings they had. For Yotsuba, however, he always had a soft spot for her. This story is basically about him accepting his feelings for her and the journey he goes through while doing that
Now lets analyze the winning girl of the series, Yotsuba. She is the one Fuutarou met in Kyoto 5 years ago, and also the one who caused a great change in Fuutarou after the promise they made to each other, which was becoming smart and afterwards wealthy enough to take care of each of their respective families, in turn, becoming someone necessary. Fuutarou keeps his promise of working hard and becoming smart, while Yotsuba on the other hand is not able to do it because of her lack of commitment to her studies, which also causes her sisters to change schools together with her. So, she has some lingering regrets, causing her to feel that she is unworthy of being happy if it means taking away from the happiness of her sisters. This is her main character flaw that can be seen throughout the series just like the flaws of the other girls. With this kind of unhealthy mindset, when she learns that her sisters are in love with Fuutarou, she decides to sacrifice her own feelings and support her sisters. She wants everyone to be happy in the end but Fuutarou tells her in the bus scene that there is a limit to what one can do and that in the end she will have to make choice as well, hinting at the ending. Moreover, Yotsuba can't stop her deep love for Fuutarou, so she decides on supporting him with everything she has got, no matter who he ends up falling in love with (She says this to him directly in the chapter 72 which is unfortunately skipped in the 2nd season of the anime, to make her win less obvious I guess). She is the only one to accept him as her tutor and help him right from the start. She helps him in his school trip duties, tries very hard to make him enjoy his high school years and events, tries to make him appreciate feelings like love and friendship that's why she nominates him as a class rep. She ends up being successful, Fuutarou starts to question his mentality and the ice in his heart slowly melts. However, this also causes him to develop feelings for her as their relationship is very natural. They get along very well to the point that their classmates start thinking that they are couple way before they start dating for real (chapter 72). She is the only to make our cold boy Fuutarou have a genuine laugh throughout the series (Swing scene). She also fits his description of an ideal girl the most (caring, cheerful, good at cooking). In the end, our boy falls for the same girl twice. He would still choose her even if she didn't turn out to be his childhood friend, as he tells ''Rena'' that the present is much more important than the past in ''Yotsuba's Side'' of the movie
In conclusion, this series is one of the best when it comes to the harem-romance genre. All the main characters are developed to the point that they captured the hearts of many fans, and became their precious waifus. This movie ends the series in a pretty great way. It gives fans enough closure by giving all the girls great moments to shine throughout the movie. There is good amount of fan service, great voice acting, good music, good animation, great plot, great characters. All the good elements from the first two seasons are here, if not better. Greatly recommend it, especially to those who are already a fan of the series. Just please try to watch it without high bias, and try to enjoy your time with it. Your favorite girl might not be the winner but the amount of scenes and the development she has should be enough for you to enjoy this movie
10/10 #TeamYotsuba 🍀
Dec 1, 2022
5-toubun no Hanayome Movie
(Anime)
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This review include spoilers, so continue reading it at your own risk
This movie is the final piece of media for this amazing series and it's a fairly great one at that. The adaptation is nearly perfect, there are some moments they have done even better than the manga, but the decision to skip the chapter 90 wasn't a good choice in my opinion, since it was one of the most impactful chapters with a lot of emotion. However, I can overlook that because they have done the ending part much better than the manga. It was a lot less confusing, and it was very conclusive. ... |