Sep 30, 2020
So, after many years of waiting, we're finally done with Oregairu. Quite a ride it was, and I was hoping it wouldn't crash and burn in the end. There were some bumps, but it didn't.
Story: 8/10
The story remained relatively true to the prior seasons. It maintained suspense about what the outcome was ultimately going to be. And while I won't spoil that final outcome, I will say that there IS one. Too often in this genre, the final episode ends, leaving you shouting "Wait! That's IT? But what actually happens??? You forgot to write the ending!". You won't see that happen here.
While I haven't myself
...
read the novels (yet, though now I very well might), I see a lot of indications that substantial portions of them were elided. That's unfortunate, and seems to be a symptom of someone asking "How can we fit this story into ___ episodes?" instead of asking "How many episodes do we need to make in order to tell this story properly?". The ending seemed a bit rushed, and apparently is not so in the novels. But overall, it hung together, and the ending of each episode left me wanting to start the next one.
I would love to see a Season 3 OVA written to see the characters in the wake of that outcome, and to tie up loose ends. I hope that we will.
Art: 8/10
The art is not stunning or mind-blowing, but it is of reasonable quality to support the story. Ultimately, it doesn't need jaw-dropping scenes.
Sound: 10/10
I usually find myself skipping OP/ED sequences after a few episodes. I didn't here; I watched every last one. The voice acting was superb and fit the characters exceptionally well. I never heard any jarring or poorly executed sounds that took me "out of the flow". The times when they brought back the prior seasons' OP/ED music for a reprise were timed well and a great use of that technique.
Character: 10/10
This is where Oregairu truly shines. The characters, at first, often seem the flat and one-dimensional caricatures one too often sees in this genre, only to surprise you later.
The main protagonist, Higayaka Hachiman, starts out getting an almost audible groan. Dark, brooding, hates-the-world loner teen. Stop me if you've heard that one before. (Well, stop me if you haven't; that'd surprise me.) Yet he shows himself even originally to care deeply for his sister, and the reason he's so closed off is explained with a fair amount of backstory. As the series goes on, he opens up, but without losing the essential part of who he is. Instead of having to change completely, he finds people who will accept him as he comes, while challenging him to make himself better.
He then meets up with the other two main protagonists. The first he meets is the (then) sole member of the "Volunteer Club", Yukinoshita Yukino. Again, starts off quite the stereotypical "ice princess", who, while brilliant and beautiful, is also cold and apparently unreachable. Yet over the course of the show, she learns that sometimes she can be every bit as dense as anyone else, and that she cannot do everything herself even when she wants to. And that perhaps, it isn't even a terrible thing to have someone you can call on for help.
Shortly thereafter they're joined in the Volunteers' Club by Yuigahana Yui. She at first seems the stereotypical sweet but vapid and superficial counterpart to the ice queen type, and is indeed often bubbly and upbeat, especially compared against the gloom of the other two. Yet she proves herself to be much more, capable of deep insight, great compassion, and to provide a voice of reason when Hachiman and Yukino are stubbornly talking past one another. And she's also every bit as capable of hurt and despair as the other two, even if sometimes she hides it better.
The supporting cast is also brilliant. My own favorite is Iroha Isshiki. She first comes to the Volunteers' Club asking for help in throwing the student council election, as she was nominated and does not want the role but does not want to be associated with having withdrawn from it either. Yet after being convinced to let things fall as they may, she proves herself to be a capable leader, and it is clear that her own "airhead" persona is an act she puts on. She is actually intelligent and insightful, and not above doing some flirting to get something she wants, including on many occasions with Hachiman. In the course of the story, he says he wants someone "genuine", and at least with him, she's comfortable enough to let the mask slip and be herself, and in turn she takes him as she finds him rather than expecting him to be someone he's not.
Enjoyment: 10/10
This one was a roller coaster, but I loved the ups and the downs. There were many ways the ending could conceivably have come out, and all of them would have been okay with me. The only thing that could have made this bad is to just leave the ending off entirely, and that didn't happen.
Overall, this was a great series. It was not flawless, but the flaws were minor ones and it was overall well worth the watching. The characters were relatable, and while they weren't always realistic, who on Earth watches anime with the expectation of realism? I hoped for them when they stepped out of their comfort zone and tried, cheered when they succeeded, ached when they failed, and hoped for the best when they got back up and dusted themselves off. I will miss spending time with them, and really, doesn't that in the end say it all?
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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