as a girl who has been starved of the reverse harem genre, when i heard this was getting an anime adaptation, i was in good spirits. besides the surge in otome games holding up the roof that is the house of reverse harems, the media for it has gone downhill over the years. now, my criteria for a good reverse harem are quite drastic from the basic definition of a reverse harem. however, this comes from a good place, from how much i love the genre and how much media i’ve consumed over the years.

my structure for a perfect reverse harem story comes down to three pillars. dynamics, development, and outcome. dynamics: the relationship of the female lead with all the male leads present in a story, and vice versa. there must be a clear bond that’s either built or grounded between all the love interests. not something put together to satisfy the genre’s quota, but a basis to why these characters are drawn to one and why the female lead is drawn to many. development: similar to the previous anchor, but differing in the layers. if the girl chooses to be with more than one, the story from point A to B must be shown to show growth, in both personality and journey. outcome: the decision of one or all. to be honest, this final dependence is what makes or breaks a reverse harem story for me. i find it funny only one must be chosen when the genre is reverse harem, but i digress. i prefer if she ends up with all of them. if she chooses the one, then it needs a lot of good development and dynamics to reflect why she ends up with the guy she chooses (also, most importantly, cutting off the possibility of future romantic pursuits from other previous suitors once this decision is made).

on the contrary, my minor subsection i will add in the structure is amount. i found the number of men needed in a reverse harem determined whether i would enjoy the story or not. i understanding just having a second person fulfills the requirement, but that feels like a cop out to me. having only two guys makes it seem like it’s just the easier solution out of a love triangle forming. now, a third guy? still not enough for me. the reason for this is because then it seems like someone is just meeting the basic requirements for a reverse harem. like- two guys? that feels like a triangle cop out. three guys? the bare minimum. so, for me, a good reverse harem has at least 4 guys. reason being, it doesn’t have the baggage from the previous numbers, and it’s even.

the story ( •̀ - • )
moving on to the story. anyway, i’m falling in love with you reflects the story of a young mizuho who aspires to become a shoujo manga artist. here’s her problem: she doesn’t know what love is. now, does one need to know about love to write a shoujo manga? no. but does her story and editor tell her she needs it? yes. the story shifts many times between the future and past. the future takes place when the characters, i assume, are in their late twenty’s or thirty’s. the past takes place in high school. mizuho is in a position most girls (if you’re consuming this type of story, i presume) dream of being in: four boys who love her. kizuki, zhin, shuugo, and airu. while i understand her feelings for not ruining the current bond she shares with the four of them, when a problem arises there’s a clear method to handle it. it’s called, facing your fucking issues and putting your foot down. majority of the problems happening throughout the anime is because she never gives an answer to any of them. the reason why? not wanting to mess up the current friendship. however, by her not giving clear answers to each of them, it gives the boys open space to behave as they please because she gives them false hope.

here’s the cycle: someone confesses and they share a moment. mizuho runs away and tells someone her problems. person tells her she needs to communicate or face these problems head on. she agrees and sets off. proceeds to fail and runs away again. rinse and repeat for 12 episodes. oh and the boogey man virus ruining their high school life (covid, duh)

there is nothing i hate more than the “ya-恥ずかしい” being used, whether directly or indirectly in a romance story. because when this is spoken or shown, there is an immediate cycle of miscommunications or avoidance 9 times out of 10. ^overuse of this expression in the media i’ve read gave me irrevocable hatred whenever i hear it.

watching this story unfold was as enjoyable as watching paint dry on a wall. the saving grace? the boys. so let’s talk about them.

❤︎ KIZUKI HAZAWA ❤︎
blue-haired, upbeat, and a sprinkle of yandere traits. he is by no means a full one, but he is possessive to the point of a dog begging an owner to never let them leave the house. kizuki caught my attention with his determination. this man is the epitome of never letting go once he sets his mind on something. whether it be swimming or his love for mizuho. i originally wanted to say he was mysterious, but he is by no means when compared to shin or airu. i wanted to say mysterious, because whenever we jump to future moments, it’s clear mizuho and kizuki broke up and the adult version of kizuki isn’t seen till the final episode of the season. which strung the audience, including me, along, believing he wasn’t showing up because he died during the pandemic. but nope, there is an unknown reason the two broke up and have been apart for a while. the funniest thing is, while mizuho assumes they’ve done for while longing for kizuki, in the final moments, he doesn’t deny he has a girlfriend to his co-worker. along with the fact that he’s holding onto a worn stingray charm seen from their high school days.

i don’t know the full story of kizuki, but he has many reasons to love mizuho. she was there for him when he was struggling with school, when he was ill, his asthma, and motivated him to pursue the national swimming championships. all of this to say, i really want to know what happened between him and mizuho, when he was her biggest supporter and anchor throughout their high school years. especially now, knowing it’s not a disease keeping them apart. i’d have to assume something traumatic happened to kizuki since his determination unwaveringly pushes through during his youth. a scene i don’t know why they changed in the anime is the first birthday scene. in the manga, while mizuho and kizuki are on the staircase, where kizuki kisses mizuho on her birthday. instead, in the anime, we get a confession during the scene. the kiss was impactful in the manga as it’s what makes shin panic, rather than seeing the two in close proximity. the reason i’m upset with this change isn’t just the fact it’s different from the manga, is because they made kizuki kiss her by the end of the first episode anyway, so why didn’t they leave it in the beginning? it’s not like they were trying to make the bond between kizuki and mizuho stronger when he kisses her at the end of the 1st episode, either way.

what i thank for kizuki’s character is his skill to push the right buttons. listen, i know some people may dislike him for pushing mizuho so hard. however, the story would literally go nowhere without his meddling. we’ve seen first hand how mizuho keeps giving up or run away from any inconvenience. kizuki pushes mizuho’s buttons so that she might actually improve herself as an artist and as a person. though she is the slowest learner i’ve seen, his purpose does shine with each interaction with her. i think some people might believe his entire life revolves around mizuho, but it’s not true. while she is a huge pillar to center his life around, he has other goals, like swimming. sure, he swims to show off to mizuho, but it’s a passion of his own. that he leaves for practice and is dedicated to the sport, even if it means missing a chance to have a moment with her. additionally, he does care for shin, shuugo, and airu alike. it just so happens the priority of mizuho is higher, but he considers their feelings just as much. (sometimes i wish the story would be about the four of them without mizuho because of this). kizuki is such a complex character full of ambition. his youthful manner, being mizuho’s push forward then to be reduced to the shadows in the future, is a journey worth watching.

♡ SHIN KASHIWAGI ♡
blonde, kuudere, and sneaky. i can see why people assume he’s a tsundere, but his expression doesn’t change when he’s around others, unless he’s around mizuho. even chika calls him the cold calculated student. this isn’t to say he gets all pouty and upset when he’s around mizuho. in fact, his expression shifts a little when he’s met with feelings for mizuho. shin doesn’t bother me as people may believe (it’s a reverse harem, i don’t know why we must choose sides). he is smart and kind hearted, he just has trouble expressing his emotions. i say he’s sneaky because his method of flirting is like that of a snake. slithers around his obstacles then goes in for the kill. one of my favorite moments was when he backhanded his way into asking for mr nishino’s permission to marry mizuho, which i found to be charming af.

i fell for shin because i think he found out his feelings way too late or thought he could lie to himself. however, there’s a reason why he’s different from mizuho when it comes to denying his feelings. as shin mentions later during his confrontation with kizuki, he acknowledges his feelings and will start acting upon them, rather than supporting kizuki. shin knows he’s pulling a scummy move by going back on his word from pushing for kizuki with mizuho to now work for himself. but, that’s the difference with him and mizuho. when shin comes to terms with his feelings, he fights for them in his own way and evolves in mannerisms as well as emotionally. compared to mizuho who just runs away. shin knows the consequences of his actions by doing so, as do the others. however, shin’s mentality is that ‘if not now, it’s going to unfold in the future’ which was his desire all along.

shin wanted mizuho to be happy, he was content with the relationship he had with mizuho. so long as he had a presence and role in her life that was enough. his build up is what makes it satisfying to watch. first was him noticing the sudden closeness between kizuki and mizuho, then the birthday sequence on the staircase, then the aquarium date the two had. shin’s goals have always been rooted into mizuho’s life. while kizuki’s career choice was to suite his worth as being seen as a man and being cheered on my mizuho, shin’s life goals is to protect mizuho. he chose to be a doctor after the passing of mrs. nishino. his position as class president, being the best, and eventually becoming a doctor is all to protect mizuho. again, as i’ve said with kizuki, shin has his own goals. in the flash forward, he could’ve chose to ignore the emergency at the hospital (though, i know that would make him a shitty doctor, but it’s anime this can happen) but he doesn’t. because he cares about his duties and for others even if means he loses a precious moment to spend time with mizuho on her birthday. though, i don’t understand what happened between kizuki and mizuho, between the dichotomy of shin and kizuki i get the feeling shin is the type who has a higher calling to life than mizuho compared to kizuki who (at least in high school) could wait forever and act whenever mizuho calls upon it (to the extent he can).

emphasizing with shin was a great watch. to go from silently watching, putting others before himself, and being aloof to someone who’s a bit cunning and playful, someone who works hard to reach their goals. that’s what made me happy watching shin, he feels like a play off of what could’ve been for mizuho. when realization hits shin, he goes for it. does it take a moment to get his feet running? yes. but does he slowly take the first steps? yes. compared to a certain someone who constantly runs away from their feelings he actually acts upon them when he comes to terms with them. in the end, my heart does hurt for shin because his labor bears no fruits. he’s in a continuous loop of waiting no matter what answer he receives. i truly wish him happiness in the future or whatever outcome passes. the shield he provides is big, but comes at the cost of him being hurt and no one being there to pick up all the pieces.

♥︎ SHUUGO HOSHIKAWA ♥︎
glasses, brown haired, and the broken hearted. when it comes to shuugo, i really feel bad for him. i heard whispers from manga readers that shuugo didn’t care for mizuho as much as the others, making him out of the running. thankfully, this isn’t true. however, his story is more tragic than the others (less than airu, but tragic nonetheless). shuugo was probably the first out of all of them to really make an attempt on mizuho. he confessed around their grade school years to want to marry mizuho in the future. the others continue to tease about this moment in high school too. from this perspective, the moment can be interpreted as a passing crush that was in the moment of when they were children. especially, when in the anime they attempt to cause a misdirect by implying shuugo had a crush on their teacher. don’t worry, he does not. as the teacher points out countless times (i don’t know how she could tell, maybe a mind reader) he still likes mizuho but is trying to deny them by projecting them on their teacher. she can tell that this bravado won’t last long and he’s only digging himself a bigger hole by behaving this way.

shuugo is quite selfless, but in doing so he’s hurting any chances of being happy with his feelings towards mizuho. his complex or arch lies between the others and his life purpose. during high school, everyone seemed to have their life figured out. except shuugo. shin was working to become a doctor, kizuki (at the time) wanted to be a competitive swimmer, airu was already a model, and mizuho was working to become a manga artist. everyone seemed to have a role, a goal, everyone except shuugo. which is funny, because he looks like your typical nerd so one might believe him to be smart, but the smart one is actually shin. thankfully, in the flash forward scenes mizuho reveals shuugo’s become a chef. knowing this, i think this relates to mizhuo. sure, he could’ve always had a natural knack for cooking, but i think the skill could’ve stemmed from wanting to provide for mizuho. with her working all day and him being the warm setting to lay down when she comes home. going back to the past, i always wondered why shuugo seemed to quietly support shin (just as airu quietly does for kizuki, but that’s for a whole different reason). then it unfolds, his love is to play the long game.

if i remember correctly, in the manga, when it’s mizuho’s birthday dinner that’s when shuugo finally gets his first kiss scene. compared to the other two that had theirs during high school. shuugo’s love is silent, unwavering, yearning, and ever patient. if boys took yearning classes from him, i think they might pass out from constantly waiting. again, in the manga, shuugo explains to kizuki and shin that he will inevitability be the one chosen (if this will happen we won’t know because the manga isn’t done yet, also chances are slim with how much kizuki is rooted into mizhuo’s life). however, his deduction is that with the two of them constantly pressuring and hawking around mizuho she would eventually get sick of their antics and run to him. the only one who watched from the side and waited for her to come to him. thus concluding in his mind, the third choice always winning. i have to hand it to him, his silent love is beautiful as well as his patience. as i’ve said previously, i love all the guys so i wouldn’t mind if shuugo gets chosen too (in fact that would probably the best type of ending as i don’t see hope for him right now, and because it’s quite rare in these stories). this explains why shuugo’s presence during the anime felt so minimal as it centers around their high school days and his love doesn’t start moving till they’re in 2030. shuugo’s youth was full of denial and the need to be taken seriously. sure, he’s seen as somewhat of a grown up to mizuho in high school, but he wasn’t far behind kizuki in being seen as immature. as i’ve pointed out, he had no direction compared to the other boys and on top of that he has an older brother mizuho had a crush on (her first crush too) and that older brother is always getting praised. so yes, his arch is like the tortoise. slow but steady (but hopefully he wins the race).

ꨄ︎ AIRU IZUMI ꨄ︎
colored ends, model, and sensitive. when i first saw airu, i took him to be the happy go lucky sunshine with a bit of a jokester side. however, as the series progressed, i noticed he was harboring a deep secret. this secret is what makes him the most tragic character in this story aside from shuugo. but, let’s back track and start from the beginning. during their high school days, airu is always giving mizuho fashion advice, teases her the most, and is set in his career as a model. even in the future, the two are probably the closest among the other boys. it always seems like mizuho can let down her guard. the future dinner scene reflects their diner moment in high school. it left me wondering, what makes airu different among the other boys? why does mizuho only seem to let in airu? the amount of misdirect this anime does to make me think airu had feelings for mizuho was so much. but, i quickly figured out (and was spoiled massively) that airu has no feelings for mizuho. well i wouldn’t say none, but definitely no romantic feelings. i suspect most people to take mizuho’s line in the final episode towards airu in the flashback scene as a ‘oh there mizuho goes being oblivious’ (,,⩌'︿'⩌,,) but for once she was on point with her thoughts.

airu truly does not have any romantic feelings for mizuho. if the manga doesn’t spoil this later on, it’s definitely heavily implied in the last episode of the season. i don’t know the full back story of airu’s involvement in a gang during grade school, but the whole scene with the other guys beating up airu implying ‘don’t get so cocky because boss likes you’ is really because airu had feelings for their leader or them to airu (on or the either, it can be seen both ways). this leads airu to go to the playground to contemplate his existence. his conversation with mizuho in that moment was him wanting to make a permanent decision (yes the life ending kind) because of who he is. not because he was making bad choices at the time or because he didn’t know what to do with his life. but because he was gay (i know they haven’t said it out loud in the anime and i don’t know if they have in the manga yet, but it’s heavily implied). that’s why airu ‘confessed’ to mizuho because he wanted to use it as a means to be ‘normal’. he hated that he couldn’t be like any other guy and just like girls (romantically) like majority of guys do. honestly, i didn’t expect mizuho to clock his tea quickly, but her confirming that he doesn’t like her romantically only solidified my suspicions.

people might’ve seen that moment of mizuho saying ‘you don’t like me romantically’ as dumb, but it’s true. additonally, there was a moment while shopping where mizuho was getting looks for being seen as airu’s ‘girlfriend’ to which airu hints at to the girls. then he says ‘sorry kizuki’. most people would interpret this (since this is a reverse harem) as his way of stealing mizuho from the others, but that’s not why airu said sorry. he was saying sorry because he needed to be seen as normal in front of society. and if using mizuho as a girlfriend cover up worked, then he’ll use it. he’s saying sorry because he knows how much kizuki loves mizuho and doesn’t want to get in between that, but he has his own worth to save at times like this. moreover, this doesn’t mean airu has no love for mizuho. however, that love is that of a sibling or best friend then romantic. mizuho has always supported airu and was the first person to tell him he’s fine the way he is and that he shouldn’t change for any one else’s agenda. he even mentions mizuho is one he holds dear. now, why does airu constantly mention kizuki? why does he push for kizuki’s love to be accepted? because (huge manga spoiler) airu loves kizuki ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! crazy right?!?! doomed yaoi ૮(˶ㅠ︿ㅠ)ა apparently can’t escape reverse harem.

this is so sad because it’s basically set (unless we want to make an instance plot twist) that kizuki will never see airu that way. because of this, airu is more doomed than shuugo in this case. it’s why his support for kizuki is different from how shuugo supports shin during high school. shuugo saw shin as himself if he was someone who acted on instinct after being threatened with a competitor. also he needs shin to be more invested in order for his long term plan to come through. compared to airu who isn’t supporting kizuki for his own gain, rather from true love. airu is content with just seeing kizuki happy, because that’s how much he loves kizuki. i literally love airu because he supports my main notion on love, which is that if you truly loved someone all that matters is their happiness. airu is doing just that. he knows there won’t be any case where kizuki will love him back. this boy is forever cursed with unrequited love (╥﹏╥). honestly, airu is one of my favorites because he, like the other boys, brings so much depth and perspective (actual entertainment) into the story. airu more so because of his story and relationship with mizuho. i just need him to be happy. listen, if kizuki won’t accept then i hope he ends up with shin or shuugo if they get rejected from mizuho. if not, then at least with a boy who will reciprocate his love (｡•́︿•̀｡) please…

❣︎ TOUGO HOSHIKAWA ❣︎
older brother of shuugo hoshikawa and voiced by one of my favorite voice actors yuuichirou umehara (⸝⸝> ω <⸝⸝). guys, togo isn’t a weirdo he wasn’t going to do anything anything to mizuho. his presence is very light (like i think 3 episodes) but is important for mizuho’s growth (to bad she didn’t do anything with it). togo gives solid advice to mizuho, the word being she should face her feelings before she regrets in time. typical mizuho tells togo that she doesn’t want to do anything with her feelings, that she has no thoughts on what to do. togo is basically like ‘ok, you either keep going as you are and hurt yourself and others more, or you can do something about it’ towards mizuho. everything he does is in order to push both the guys and mizuho. his actions allowing the boys to act upon their feelings they’ve been hiding for so long. as the older figure, his presence is to show the high school versions of the group to see how much they need to learn when it comes to relationships.

he easily tells all the boys they have feelings or must act upon them (to bad he doesn’t know airu’s gay, but his advice can be easily applied there too). the reason his moments upset me is because mizuho has a deep conversation with togo and promises for the sake of togo being her first love to face her choices with a strong mind. she runs off ‘okay, togo! i’ll do it! thanks!’ the moment comes with her and kizuki and….what happens? she runs away (⩌_⩌). i’m tired. anyways, togo knows his brother and has no intention to steal mizuho, but he also knows what it’s like to play the long game (guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree). mizuho sees the person togo still holds on to and gains a perspective on what doing nothing with feelings will do to someone. one might think that would be the final push for her to grow, but she doesn’t. overall, besides the fact i enjoy togo’s presence individually, i feel like it’s a waste of a good character when none of the characters seem to budge from their position after acting like they would.

p.s. the fact he’s still waiting and yearning for his first love is so heart breaking ߹?߹

-`♡ CHIKA KURASHIKI (BEST GIRL) ♡´-
kuudere, common sense, and should’ve been the main character. chika’s presence is very minimal, but important. i think that’s the most concerning part. her appearance was quite minimal, yet i found myself to be very entertained why her that it made me wish that she was the main character. nothing is known about chika’s background other than she’s the only girl in her friend group. which makes her the only girl candidate for mizuho to confide her thoughts to. i don’t know if this story is trying to showcase the whole like ‘outside perspectives realize things quicker than yourself’ but it really makes mizuho slow on so many accounts. as i’ve mentioned countless times already, chika points everything as she sees it. i don’t know if it’s her bluntness or her kuudere like personality, but she literally tells mizuho what she should do, ONLY FOR MIZUHO TO NOT LISTEN TO HER! her case isn’t as bad as togo’s, however, since she’s the only other girl we see in the group i can’t help but compare the two. what mizuho could’ve been if she had more sense. looking into chika’s personality, i can easily tell if she was in the same situation as mizuho she would be very decisive. ‘choose one, choose all, or choose herself’ i can’t see which devision she would settle on, but the important thing is that she would be at least make a decision. INSTEAD OF WAITING AROUND CAUSING MORE PROBLEMS.

she tells mizuho she’s seen this situation happening for a while now. mizuho is shocked (idk why) and asks the age old question “so, who will you choose?” where mizuho just tells her she can’t or something about wanting to keep the friendship stable as is. now, we never get to hear chika’s decision (because she doesn’t like any of them) her interactions with all of them always seems the most stable. probably because there’s no feelings being thrown around, but it makes it refreshing to see compared to see the boys try so hard and mizuho being a blushing stammering running away mess. not saying mizuho needs to accept someone after being kissed, but it amazes me how she’s kissed twice. goes to confide in chika. she tells mizuho she’s shocked that shin had such a soft side to him (kuudere neurons linked together) and asks again, what mizuho’s gonna do. she’s basically the audience at this point pushing mizuho on what choice she’s ultimately going to make. on top of that she has no hesitation of calling her out. one of my favorite moments being “a shoujo manga writer with no experience in romance” (this is not to say all romances are shoujo nor does a shoujo story need to have romance to fall within the genre). chika, togo, her publisher, tell mizuho she needs to gain experience while in her youth. but what good is the experience if the main character is refusing to grow. additionally, chika’s existence seems to be wiped out in the future scenes. it makes me wonder what happened during their time in high school years. chika really is that friend that gives the best advice and being the friend where they just have to watch their friend not listen to them. i already know if she was the main character, not only would it be more entertaining, but it wouldn’t be dragged out this long either.

୨ৎ MIZUHO NISHINO ୨ৎ
i saved the worst for last (ᴗ_ ᴗ。) i honestly want to make this section short because i feel like even when i was describing the other characters i was just roasting her. even if i wanted to say her good merits, they would dull in comparison with the amount of dislikes i have. but, her strength lies in being a manga artist (a shoujo one nonetheless). it’s a hard field to work into, especially with someone who started so young and keeps failing (which does match the realities of being a manga artists). but, that’s pretty much it. i’m not gonna sit here and be like ‘oh she’s a good friend’ well duh? i would hope she’s nice to them because then she’s an unlikeable character that i’m stuck watching. perhaps my dislike for mizuho comes from the fact that i’m a very decisive person. it’s quite rare for me to be stuck on making a choice, as i analyze both the logical and emotional weight of any situation and make the best decision i can. however, i know mizuho isn’t me, and i’ve seen many people like her in society (but mostly about food). BUT these are people’s feelings we’re talking about. they can’t be left up in the air like food, not until they’re bubbling to explode one day. i understand her position isn’t a simple yes or no condition, but the story gives me no time to see how she develops her bond with all of them.

and i think that’s the issue. if mizuho struggles with romantic feelings my solution is literally to tell the boys about that. i feel like she thinks this is a disease or something. she’s not obligated to give into any of the boys, but it is upon her to communicate her feelings. oh my gosh (๑°ㅁ°๑) i know why i hate mizuho. she doesn’t communicate her thoughts. one of the WORST THINGS I HATE IN ANY GIVEN STORY. i read a sort of similar romance story where one of the characters confesses they’re not capable of romantic feelings or need a certain amount of time before they can determine how they feel. and guess what? once the character confessed that, their partner understood and now they’re together! all because of what? ₊˚⊹☆communication₊˚⊹☆ what’s worse for mizuho’s sake is that she has two, not one but TWO characters tell her WHAT TO DO!!! and she’s like “ok! i’ll do that! thanks!” runs to one of the boys. proceeds to run away ( ,,⩌'︿'⩌,,) AAAAAHHHHH I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE I CAN TAKE OF THIS! the future version of mizuho does seem to be better, because it’s the aftermath of being with kizuki so she’s not really running away from her feelings and want to do well for her proteges. so honestly, i think if they solely focused on future mizuho i would be less frustrated, but i tend to hate more on her younger self rather than her older one so it could be a split appreciation for her character. honestly, i hope they wrap up the high school days the first half of the second season to get this over with and focus on the future 2030 for the rest of the season.

__closing thoughts (ᴗ_ ᴗ。)__
overall, it was my fault for expecting too much from this anime. it has been so long since a reverse harem anime was made that it made my expectations go into overdrive. it seems the best reverse harem anime that i’ve seen can only be ouran high school host club (¬_¬"). i feel like this truly could’ve been handled better, if it weren’t for the critiques i pointed out. as for my thoughts on the second season, i didn’t think they’d get it, but considering how well this story is doing in japan i wasn’t too surprised in the end. if you’re wondering how much, well they have a theater production of this story. yup (ಠ _ ಠ). this anime/manga has its own theater production in japan. additonally, with the way they ended things in 2030 in the anime i believe it’s fair to have a second season. however, i want two main things to at least make the next season tolerable. 1) just focus and end the high school period in the first half and then focus on the 2030 timeline (because that’s the part i don’t lose it, at least for now) (also i doubt they’d do this). 2) if possible, focus on airu and his arc because where it goes on from here is only the most entertaining/heart breaking part of the story. but, to be honest, i don’t hold out much hope as i doubt they’d do the things i mentioned above. moreover, i don’t like dragging animation as much, but it really sucked here. at times i felt like i was watching powerpoint panels. and i get trying to show the audience the focus on the core group, but having still backgrounds make me laugh because it’s visualizing the whole ‘there’s no on but us’ dynamic, but constantly. all in all, i’d say the boys saved the day and it felt like a waste of potential.