The past, to most of us, seems awfully bittersweet. To think of the days that we’ve found ourselves in bliss that gave us a sense of purpose, it’s no wonder most of us try to relive the “glory days”. Yet we forget to realize that the past holds us back, too. Sing Yesterday for Me follows four people as they navigate a point in their life where they’re left to decide their future on the past they’ve comfortably known, or the present they know nothing about. What follows is a bumpy journey, with an ending that feels a tad too optimistic.

The show mainly revolves around Rikuo Uozomi, introduced as a recent college graduate that accepts his loafer lifestyle, leading him to make retrospective comments on his life so far. It just so happens that two significant figures appear from his past: Shinako Morinome, a previous love interest of his now working as a nearby high school teacher; and Haru Nonaka, a mysterious girl that harbors unrequited feelings for him. It’s in these characters where the premise lies: six months into the real world, where does he go from there?

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself relating to Uozomi: he’s supposed to be the embodiment of the low points of our lives. Having lost his passion for photography, working at a convenience store just to make ends meet, it was only a matter of time before the pressure of finding success at his age would get to him. It’s why the arrival of Shinako Morinome and Haru Nonaka was disruptive to his deadpan daily routine.

As the show progresses, the overarching theme of the past becomes more prominent. We learn of Morinome and Nonaka’s backstories: one held back from finding love by the pain of losing her first love, and one clinging on to an unrequited love that seems impossible to exist. Past figures guide the story along, giving our characters ample time to realize their feelings and even have a change of heart.

It’s Morinome’s development that feels overbearing, then, as it’s her complicated history that leaves her the character held back the most by their past. These flaws of hers are explored throughout: an unwillingness to change relationships for the fear of losing the euphoric highs that occasionally comes, which leads to the tendency to fail to see a person beyond what she perceives them to be. Case in point: Rou Hayakawa, a long time childhood friend of hers, and younger brother of the person Morinome loved.

Rou Hayakawa is given an odd hole to fill in Morinome’s life. Due to the death of his older brother, he must now fill the position of a home that Morinome can find comfort in. At the same time, his desire to protect her has developed into romantic feelings, which have turned most of his actions into attempts to make her recognize him as a potential love interest.

And then we have Haru Nonaka: quirkiness enough to make any weeaboo declare her “Best Girl”, knowing full well that she was never meant to succeed in capturing the heart of our protagonist. Then again, we wouldn’t have had moments to delve into her backstory and psyche as a person if she wasn’t in the running as Uozomi’s potential love interest, would we? We learn of her flaws: her unwillingness to commit to any serious relationship and maintaining a mysterious aura, mainly because of the fear of people not living up to her expectations. Anyone with a passing knowledge of most romantic dramas would know that girls like Nonaka have less than stellar chances of ending up with the protagonist, but I like to be surprised.

As much as the first few episodes serve as necessary development, it’s only halfway through the show where we see the bigger questions get answered: is Morinome ready to open her heart to love again? Will Hayakawa succeed in becoming a man worthy of Morinome’s attention? Is Nonaka’s attempts of capturing Uozomi’s heart ever bearing fruition? And what path will Uozomi choose?

• It was bound to happen, but I enjoyed the process of Morinome opening herself up to the possibility of finding love. I am rather irritated that she had to lead two people on along the way, and the fact that she takes too long in relationships, but the courage she took to acknowledge Hayakawa and develop their relationship further was gratifying enough.
• I never liked Hayakawa as Uozomi’s love interest, but I give credit where it’s due: his development never felt forced, his realizations felt like his own, and he’s brutally honest when needed, even towards Morinome. After seeing so many characters hiding their feelings through discretely worded phrases, it’s refreshing to see a character as blunt as him.
• It’s worth noting that this is a show that doesn’t linger its emotions through vastly complicated scenarios. E_ach character is honest with their feelings, where nothing is left to misinterpret._ It’s why moments of simple actions reach farther than usual. That being said, it’s a show that demands your attention, one that you can’t take your eyes off, so be prepared.
• Now let’s talk about that ending. I was fine with ending it as soon as Morinome and Uozomi ended their “relationship”, but what surprised me was Uozomi declaring his love for Nonaka. Now, I don’t mean to discredit the development she’s gone through. But for a show that is meant to give its viewers closure through meaningful change, it’s rather melodramatic of it to end with such a development.

Then again, it’s a show that very much deserves its optimistic end. It’s a delightful story of self-change, romantic drama, and valuable realizations that happen throughout our lives. It might not be the best one out there, but it’s worth considering. “We overthink things and look back on yesterday. But still, our silly lives go on.”

★★★