Score: A

What a way to wrap things up. This is one of those shows where I’m seriously hoping for a swift announcement of another season. It was just a fun show that was easy to stay into from start to finish. It had the right amount of fun with the right amount of drama. There was enough to care about the characters without being overwhelming. I still attest to this having the best looking cast of any show this season. The girls were fantastic and Arata was a solid lead. In terms of art and art style it was an easy watch. And this was an episode that let things end in a good way. There was some nice developments between episode 1 and 12.

Sure you can’t see her romantically

If nothing else Arata’s resistances are steadily being worn down. The guy in episode 1 would have thought nothing about seeing Ouka in her swimsuit, jumping down with Minami, or grabbing Seiha’s swimsuit when she had a wardrobe malfunction. No matter how he tells himself that nothing has changed and that they are the same as ever…they aren’t. Things have changed. Their reality changed and their perception of each other changed with it. His own reactions are getting more intense as he doesn’t have the immunity that he used to. Whether that’s Banri pressing herself against his back or Ouka…existing. His reactions are becoming more obvious to the point that I’d expect most of the people within the family to know something is up.

He’s still putting up the resistances of course. To some degree it’s comical that he can tell himself that he can’t see Ouka in a romantic light. He has no problem seeing her in an erotic one…Joking aside, I do get it. The way this works is him being the one that is the last to give into his feelings. Story would be over a lot faster if he simply went with it. At the same time…he really is just kidding himself. While he can’t flip the switch after just 3 months, his wording implies that with more time he could. Honestly if he’s not ready to accept Ouka’s feelings or anyone’s feelings then there is no solution for him. There’s no resolution to be had outside of the girls being patient while also continuing to put on pressure so he doesn’t get used to the situation.

Great showing for Kotono

This episode was a case of one red flag being raised after another for Kotono. She was the first to confess, the first to make a move, and threw down the gauntlet. And to some degree she still probably felt safe since almost everyone was unwilling to face her feelings much less admit to being in love with Arata themselves. But the last few episodes and this one in particular just showed her how that status quo has changed. Whether it’s how Arata reacts or how the other girls are reacting it was clear that basically everyone is into Arata right now. Seiha is the safest ally she has left since she’s not showing that much interest as of yet. But it doesn’t help that much since Arata is still pretty aware of Seiha’s charms anyways.

Kotono’s backstory and reasoning for falling for Arata made sense. She was the youngest and the least attached to her parents of this group. This isn’t a case where the youngest was really fawned over. Kotono was brought into the picture later than the others. Eventually her mother was gone and her father was both a single parent of a large family and running a company. No one did so with malice, but she was kind of treated like the useless child that was best to sit down and be cute. No one had specific goals or hopes for her. So when Arata dove desperately to save HER it mattered. In that moment she felt like the main character. So I do get her falling even before the truth came out.

“Let the Bro Conference Begin!”

The conference of Arata was interesting! I kind of love having the trio most true to their feelings having that chat. Arata of course was listening in, but the important thing was that group communicating with each other. Kotono apologized for adding pressure onto the both of them despite what they had going on. But at the same time it didn’t end there. Minami and Ouka couldn’t face Kotono who was being earnest and continue to pretend they felt nothing for Arata. It wasn’t good for each other and it wasn’t respectful to Kotono. Good on Minami for being the first to step forward. She did fall for Arata after Kotono so it fits that she went before Ouka. And naturally once the ball got rolling Ouka was open with her feelings as well. I don’t blame the others for being shocked since she’s a scary contender!

It was good for everyone, and I include Arata there. They needed to clear the air and face each other with sincerity. Kotono was blindsided, but in some ways it’s better this way. She isn’t alone with her feelings and the others don’t have to feel bad about hiding how they feel from each other. Minami did a good job guiding the conversation and getting them on the same page. Regardless of how the shipping turns out they are still going to care about each other. It is of course easier said before Arata ends up with someone than after though…But I think this was really good for Arata. He had to face all of their feelings and that came after his silly “how do I resolve this” thought. There’s nothing for him to resolve. Just to face their feelings and respond to them.

Who will be the true sibling?

Naturally it ends with dropping the bomb of there being one more pair of real siblings in that family. It could just be sister and sister. If Seiha and Ouka are real sisters that changes nothing here. The implication is that one of the girls is related to Arata. So that throws an “oh boy one of these is a real sibling” options into the mix. Probably a terrifying concept for anyone who was already iffy on this show as it is.

But it does mean that someone is going to end up dropping out just purely due to bad luck in this case. My gut would say that it’s either going to be someone like Kotono who already has a low chance or someone like Ouka who is an overwhelming heavy hitter. Minami and Seiha are probably safe from getting dragged into that. What a way to leave the show though. Ouka, Minami, and Kotono end this show with strong feelings, but one of them may get eliminated by genetics.

This cast was good

Really strong final episode. It has all the high points of the characters dealing with their feelings, but also some real drama. I don’t know how things will play out for these characters, but obviously only one is going to win in this case. The future vision also made it seem like everyone really drifted apart so I don’t think Minami’s “no hard feelings” angle will actually play out very well. I don’t know if we’ll get a second season for this show, but I’d hope so. It feels like the kind of series that should at least be well received enough to be worth pumping out more seasons of it. But that’s something to deal with in the future!

Until next time

Final Thoughts

This was overall one of the most comfortable shows to watch for me this season. Whether that makes it a great show, I’m not sure. But it was easy to talk about. Each of the main girls were likeable and their arcs were easy to get engaged with. Whether it was Minami’s injury, Ouka’s drama or Kotono dropping the bomb on everyone it just left me with something to talk about. With some shows they are enjoyable, but there’s nothing to really say. But this one it was fun, but left me with plenty to chew on. So that’s one reason I stuck with it this season ahead of other shows.

I won’t go into a huge recap of the show since I feel good about what I’ve already said. But I will say that this show’s concept was never a bother for me. It’s fiction and having fun with absurd ideas is perfectly fine. I don’t blame Arata for dragging his feet since that’s a sensible thing when he’s been part of this family for as much of his life that he can remember. But I also enjoyed seeing the various girls falling for him and getting more invested in their feelings as the show went along. It really turned into a fun harem for me. If this show gets another season there’s a good chance I’ll still be around to talk about that.