And now the conclusion of one of the more unique drama series of this year, yet! We await what happens to Takuma and Hayami … his coping of his past … and the fate of the village! Will everybody survive? Are we guaranteed a nice future? More twists abound!

Status of soul: *jaw dropped?!* …which would qualify as rocked, I suppose

Synopsis

Takuma stops the Kagura elder from shooting Hayami. Hinata reports him to the police; he gets arrested. Doctors say Takuma’s mental condition where he thinks Hayami is his mother needs time to be cured, so Hayami plays along until the time is right. The two of them leave the village and move into the city together. Life seems good until Hayami is ready to break the secret to Takuma and have him accept his real mother’s death.

What happens here is that Takuma learns that his mom died trying to save a child from the train, rather than jumping in front of it in mere suicide. But in order to demonstrate that, Hayami does the very same thing, and disappears. Otoha is there to affirm the acceptance, and Takuma regains his eyesight.

Years pass. Takuma has returned to the village, where Hotaru has become the elder and supposed mother to Takuma’s child [not his baby]. Takuma finishes a windmill at the top of the hill in honor of Hayami. But suddenly a young Otoha pops out of the bushes and says she negotiated with the spirits in order to bring Hayami back. Good end?

Impressions

Thank goodness for the very ending, because I was really, really mad at the series after Hayami got run over. I mean, what a terrible way to set an example. Takuma had to suffer for years after the loss of his mother. But now that the pain is absolved, he has to suffer further with the sudden loss of Hayami. Arguably it’s a lesser form of hurt, because Takuma knows Hayami loved him to the end, while that was a major point of conflict with the memories of his mother … but it’s still not a really great alternative.

But maybe that’s the only solution Hayami could find. I feel so bad for her, or rather I have tons of respect for what she did, moving into the city alone with him and doing all of the work to take care of him, only to sacrifice herself for a greater reward she wouldn’t be around to experience. She’s just a prime example of selflessness.

So others ask the question as to whether Hayami was really physically back, or if she’s still dead but gets to manifest herself in front of Takuma just as Otoha can. It would make a little bit more sense, and I guess I just have to look at it optimistically to see that he’s able to see her again, even if in this form. But I would ask, why not sooner? Did Otoha need all that time to negotiate Hayami’s resurrection? Why couldn’t you keep her from dying in the first place? For a moment after the train passed, I figure Hayami made it to the other side without Takuma seeing. That would provide anyone enough shock to remember his past. But instead she dies .. and I guess the little boy also dies? What an unsuccessful rescue attempt. And the train operator didn’t seem to slow down or stop at all after the impact. What’s going on with the world? Trains aren’t even supposed to go that fast in municipal areas. *fume*

It’s almost as if the writers just brought Hayami back because they could, and to prevent people like me from having all the reason to throw things. Because they dug up her old diaries and read through all her feelings. Everyone moved on with their lives, and seemingly Takuma fathered a child with Hotaru (with Maki as the nanny while Hotaru is busy with elder work). So that destroys any true HayamixTakuma ending. [Wait, apparently the baby is Hamaji's, wtf!!] She’s just come back as a best friend figure who doesn’t even need to take care of him anymore, since he’s quite independent now. …So it’s a good ending in the sense that everyone is back and no one effectively “dies.” (Even the corrupt elder was just arrested.) But it makes very little sense … although the whole series has kinda been like that anyway. x.x

lol on the police and the press and Tokyo. Although the characters have gone into town before, any sight of modern life is hilarious to me, since 90% of the series takes place in the rural village with hardly any electricity and telephones. Takuma’s house seems the most advanced, even when compared to the more traditional-looking Kagura estate. And Yui spends her time in the rice fields instead of being pampered by modern luxuries. So it was just an odd feeling seeing cars and modern housing.

Hayami makes a really cute papergirl, and we get bits of fanservice with her living with Takuma. Unfortunately the pseudo-mom bit prevents anything further, but it makes it all the sweeter anyway, how she just loves him unconditionally and is always kind to him.

Hotaru with her hair up and dressed like that is kinda nice

The letter back to the village was nice, as we get to see changes in Yui, whom I still find awesome with her own big heart. And after the time skip, we’re treated to Yukiji again, who now looks like Hamaji’s twin minus the girl parts.

The HayamixHotaru goodbye was very touching, although the evil part in me also wanted them to kiss. >_> I mean they were quite positioned for it (and I had just recently finished rewatching Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, too, so…).

The uncle was a good character overall, being one of the few other male characters in the show who did something good or provided a bit of emotional support. He’s still weird, though, but his good intentions make up for it. Speaking of that, I still don’t forgive the A and B boys for beating up Hayami. Well perhaps B was starting to realize that A might kill her, but A wouldn’t stop. —Bah, Hayami really should have kicked them at least once. We know how much power she has; it’s a shame she uses it only on Takuma’s accidental ecchi moments.

Otoha, that cutie. She really does know her place as a spirit who can manipulate a few things as she sees fit … and has so much fun with it. Magical Girl episode aside, she brings the boar back again for an amusing re-entrance with older Takuma. I’m surprised she didn’t reintroduce herself with the long and proud title, but at least she delivered her important message. So in the end, she at least restores her goal of making Takuma happy and getting the village to be peaceful.

Overall I enjoyed this series. It was definitely a new experience in the realm of visual novels turned anime. It took some emotion from Key visual novels while adding lots of fanservice reminiscent of Ninomiya-kun. But the characters are likeable, and we had a villain we loved to hate. Again, if only the logic of the story made a bit more sense, but whatever. How did Takuma get his vision back this time now? Is it really back, or is he yet still blind in the perception of everybody else but yet he can do things as well as any normal person? Like .. you know .. building a windmill.

H2O: still Hotaru, Hayami, and Otoha, right? With very little references to water otherwise, and some random religious quotes with the “footprints in the sand” part. …I wonder what happens in root after and another. The characters seem all the same, but..?

~Crisu

Oh why couldn’t you have been Hayami’s…
–Wait, nevermind! A trap with a baby?! Maki can keep it!