Chris’s Final Impression:
It’s over… well, I guess it was technically over last week but I didn’t get to write about that so give me a break! In the end, Yahari was the same comically cynical show that it started off as and that’s awesome, I’m glad that Hachiman is still the same guy we saw in the first episode, he is ‘proof’ that it’s okay to be who you are… to some extent. This extra episode serves as more of a ‘filler’ to tide us over until the feasible next season… and I liked it, it was good. It was funny, it was refreshing (in the sense that we’ve finally come to an episode where Hachiman isn’t a flat out ass hole in his attempts to ‘save everyone’) and it was everything we thought it would be. It was true to the Yahari formula and that’s not necessarily bad.
Now before anyone actually replies to my caption (the one above) I’d just like to say… I know that’s not a real O.S… it might be a linux O.S? But I digress, the episode started off in true The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Yahari fashion, someone needs help, the club members agree to help, they go off to help. Yup. It’s hard to make a ‘final impression’ on an ‘extra’ episode because that’s what it is, an extra. It’s anime only so there’s no real plot and the simplicity of the episode is something that I could easily criticize… I won’t because that would make me a hypocrite but you get the gist. Whilst it was good to see Hachiman and the gang teaming up and doing what they do best, I could have done with something new, something different. Maybe they go to the beach (as cliche as that would be)? It would be different at least!
The comedic aspect of Yahari was this episodes catalyst, it’s main focus. All of the characters from the previous twelve appear at least once and whilst some are funnier than others, it was just nice to see that they still exist. I’ll be honest, when I watched the preview I was almost certain it would be a harem. There were an abundance of women and whenever another girl would appear in the early episodes I would think ‘oh no, here we go, club expansion alert’… and it never came. That silver haired chick who had some issues? I was certain she’d fall in love with Hachiman. Nope. Yahari decided to derail my expectations in an awesome manner and I loved it. It’s nice to see something different. It’s nice to think that girls aren’t swooning over Hachiman for no reason (and to be honest they really don’t have a reason).
*Epic nosebleed that sends my flying to the ground*
Ehem, passive homosexual tendencies aside (how dare Totsuka be so cute! Tis a crime!), I loved the epic Dragon Ball/Naruto fight scene involving Zaimokuza… it was fun!
So I guess I should probably wrap this up. There wasn’t much to say about the episode itself because it’s filler (an extra) and that is in and of itself disappointing, but I guess I could use this final paragraph to talk about Yahari as a whole (the collective 13 episodes). It was great, I really enjoyed every episode, but what I really enjoyed was Hachiman cynicism’s and self deprecation. Hachiman made Yahari epic, just like Kyon did for Haruhi (although Haruhi also had Haruhi (if that makes any sense), a strong female lead, to make the show better) and whilst it can be argued that Hachiman’s shrewd view of society is more extreme than Kyon’s, the point still stands. Hachiman is awesome. I wasn’t blown away by Yahari and I wasn’t completely enthralled, but I do hope that it gets a second season and I do hope that we get to see more Hachiman… and maybe some more Totsuke.
*Nosebleed* (Honestly, I’ve never really understood the concept of ‘the orgasmic nosebleed’)
Eva’s Final Impression:
Ahahaha oh man, that was one hell of an epic athletics festival that’s for sure! I absolutely loved the fact that Hachiman had Yui call in Zaimokuza and Hina who indeed spiced up the festival. One of my favorite things about it was definitely the Saber Cosplay for the girls’ Chiba Citizen Cavalry Battle match. It was awesome to see everyone wear it as they look fabulous. Then there was the Zaimokuza, which was hands down the most hilarious part of the episode. Hachiman had made a crafty plan of everyone on his team drawing attention while he stealth his way through while Zaimokuza and Saika were the main distractions. Of course Hayato the commander of the opposing team already had him marked, but luckily Hachiman had a trump card up his sleeve. Zaimokuza’s abilities really shined this episode because he was so epic to watch. It was even more hilarious because Hayato was like, “SHIT!” and Zaimokuz had successfully knocked the pole over. It was such a pity though that they were disqualified- they were awesome.
The only thing that kind of threw me off was the massive plothole of “everyone despising Haichiman”, but whatever. We can always interpret it as that ordeal already blew over.
Overall Yahari was probably one of the underdogs of the season. The show starts off rather on a calm note rather than dramatic theatrics that we are so used to seeing in these types of romantic comedies shows. As result of that some people may find it boring- and it may have turned out that way if our favorite protagonist Haichiman was an entirely different type of character. It was Haichiman’s character that makes this show so different to what we’re used to seeing. It breaks the same old trend that’s been recurring for years. Haichiman’s cynicism is so brutal that he is considered a ‘freak’ by his peers. But he is also an intelligent and genuinely caring guy who won’t be silent if he smells something foul in the room if it involves someone who he is friends with and is quite a man. And that is why we love his character.
But what really sets an original element in this show is the combination of Haichiman’s cynicism on the outlook of life and Yukino blunt personality with a sharp edge. The two cold and reserved characters are balanced out with Yui who is a bubbly outgoing girl who relishes Yukino’s honesty and forward personality. All three of them have their charms and are likable characters, which makes a strong cast.
Then there’s that realism element. This show hands down really does a good job addressing real-life woes. It’s something I feel a lot of people, including myself connect with quickly and it does a good job delivering it. I also liked that they kept away from the more ‘theatricals’ humor for most of the time and when we did have those moments, they really shined and made it all more enjoyable to watch.
In the end I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this show as much as I have. However I do feel that Yahari needs a second season- not to mention I do expect one to pop up as well and I will be sure to watch it.
It’s highschool so I’m sure everyone forgot about what Hachiman did over a few months.
Also, the episode itself was written by the author of the series. So it’s possible that it’s canon.