Tsukigakirei
a review by flashpool
a review by flashpool
I had a lovely dream the other night and when I woke up it was still dark out, I looked at the sky and saw the moon. I thought "the moon, isn't it beautiful?"
Yes, I was thinking of Tsuki ga kirei I suppose.
When I was younger, I had a first love. I had a crush. I had unrequited love too. I was also someone else's first love, their crush, and the source of their unrequited love. It went both ways, the good and the bad. But it was love in some shape or form nonetheless.
For me, I was all these things. For this show, a group of four represents these various forms of love. Particularly though, a pair of two is the focus but the others also play a role. However, for the sake of not trying to spoil too much I will only mention the main two by name here. Akane Mizuno and Kotarou Azumi are the main two and if I'm being honest, they were the source of my heart simply feeling the meaning of love as deep as I've ever felt it before. Or in other words, maybe I fell in love with their relationship intensely as they did with each other.
So when I was younger, I knew my crush made me feel flustered and happy and I just wanted to be around them no matter what. However, I sometimes just didn't know what to say. It was occasionally awkward.
When I tell you this show feels awkward at times, I mean it in a good way. The main pair struggles to express themselves with each other occasionally but the meaning of their intentions is still there. Through little actions, they discover how difficult but possible navigating a relationship can be. But to get to this point, you will have to more or less survive through the silence at the start. Even a simple hi can be awkward if you're avoiding looking at the person out of shyness, which happens here. These little nuances are intentional though and it is what makes this show a worthwhile watch once you see the result of all this.
When I confessed, I stuttered. I couldn't quite catch my voice and you know, it turned out okay!
Ah, from awkwardness to confessions. There is a moment here that simply had me enamored and it was a confession. When someone struggles to ask for contact info, have a conversation, or simply be in the presence of their crush alone, the confession is frankly scary and something that requires a lot of courage. The way this show went about it, it felt real. Both sides simply didn't know what to say yet they wanted to be around each other. Sometimes that's enough, and with an early love it is even more exponentially about the little moments. It takes so much courage but the result of going through with it made a specific scene wonderful.
Actually, on this note, I should mention how great the OST is. It mainly remains in the background but when it picks up, it does so to place importance to a scene. The occasional instrumental scores in particular are what the show does well and what helps make things memorable. A good soundtrack for sure.
"Ooh, who's your friend here? Is she your girlfriend?" "Hey, do you like someone from our class?"
When you're young, people tend to tease you about crushes. At the very least, I do relate to having had this happen.
Tsukigakirei does this too. It feels like a small detail one can easily overlook but seeing people tease or play wingman/wingwoman early on shows that these supporting characters are actually there to, well, support. As the story progresses, some do more than others but everyone definitely does play a part in the main relationship whether for a moment or not.
While the very unimportant background characters can look glaring (the crowds of faceless and undetailed people to help make the city look more full are an example of ugly cgi), the important characters were pleasing enough graphically given time to adjust to them. Visually, it could be a bit better but nothing too ugly either when it comes to the main focus. If anything, it's unique. Plus, the settings and environments are simply beautiful to look at in all honesty.
Regardless, let's talk about the support characters. Something this show does to give them more personality is to have some small shorts at the end of the episodes with their adventures. These are mostly humorous little shorts but they occasionally fail to hit the mark. Though they do give some semblance of characterization to characters like the teacher for example, there are some that I still couldn't really figure out the personality of that person. But considering everything such as these characters not being main ones, it's nothing extremely detracting in the grand scheme of things.
Our class went on a trip, and my crush and I split from the group because we wanted to share our time together. We also went to a festival one time. I did not win her anything. She said it was okay. I felt like I failed.
When you're young and have a date, there are limitations. Whether it be monetarily related or location restrictions, it's tough at times. So you make the most of what you got. This show does this to an extent. Occasions such as class trips, going to a theme park together, or going to a festival all happen within the boundaries of just being something they can afford or just what's around them. But there are also some things you can't control no matter what and as the story progresses, one of these things becomes a hurdle. The fact of the matter is, in your youth, you're under your parents' wishes and that ends up putting a roadblock in the main relationship here. On the other hand, the way your parents treat you is a result of them wanting the best for you. A specific episode best showcases this as the parents might seem disagreeable until you see their point of view. And well, as I am now I understand this, but if I placed myself in some earlier years, I would react more emotionally (as the mc does). All in all, these are small details away from the main relationship and yet they add so much to the world.
I told her I wanted to write a book one day. She said go for it. I was scared to share. She asked, how does the story go? She also told me she was nervous because she had an event coming up. I told her I believe in you, you've been practicing so it shouldn't be a problem. I like seeing you out there.
Now I've discussed some themes, some details about audio and visuals, some methods of worldbuilding, and some basics of the relationship...but still, I have to address the heart of it all.
Akane runs track and whenever she gets anxious she uses her squishy toy. So on the surface she looks like she's got it together but it's not particularly the case. Kotarou loves writing. He wants to write and likes Dazai among other authors. The problem is, he wonders who would even read his things.
Now here is where my heart melted and it all felt so real to me. When you find love, you support your partner. No matter how ambitious or grounded their goals, you unconditionally support them. You don't have to kiss, hug, hold hands, or even lean into them. You just have to say "You can do it!" or "I believe in you!". But wait, these are first time lovers and have just discovered relationships so it isn't this easy is it? No, it is not.
What the two main characters do for each other is just sit there together (while one of them occasionally speaks). They take slow steps but yet they understand each other's goals and make pinky promises to do their best. They like seeing the other person be happy and doing what they love. They send goodnight texts and maybe a birthday isn't a big deal to one of them but to the other it is. Small gifts get given and most importantly, the words "I love you" are not left unsaid. And that goes a long way.
I think my main point here is that this show doesn't just generically go through the phases of suddenly changing characters based on their relationship status but rather has characters love the other for who they really are and it remains that way until the end. It is a first love that feels like a true love and I adore that.
I have so much to say, but perhaps writing it down would give it meaning. I know we couldn't work things out and I'm sorry.
Now a lot of what I've written makes it sound like it's all worked out perfectly, but this show does address some of the tough parts that come with relationships, especially when you don't know how to handle them. Whether it's lack of proper communication, doubts, jealousy, or feelings that waver...they all have a presence here. And honestly, that makes this show's presentation of a relationship real.
I can endlessly praise this series but what has made me realize that it feels real is the fact that it gave me nostalgia and had me longing for companionship at times. It was an extremely wholesome relationship portrayed in this show and well, maybe that's what I miss about my first love (before the intricacies of growing up and being unsure of things got involved).
These are times I've thought about every now and then, the time I had with my first love.
As a note, I've blended my experiences with the show's through the italicized parts of this review and if that isn't an indication of how heartfelt I feel about this show, then perhaps my given score will make it obvious.
Throughout my time with this, the greatest feelings I felt were the feelings of love. Blend it with nostalgia and personal longing of companionship and I simply came away feeling the butterflies that love seems to give.
A perfect show about love and relationships and probably the most wholesome relationship portrayed on screen that I have ever seen.
The moon, it's beautiful isn't it?/ I love you
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