Junjou Romantica 3

This review will contain spoilers so proceed with caution.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The best way to describe my relationship with this show is to compare it to an ex you want to cut off but can't. This, from what I remember, was the first-ever Boy's Love show I stumbled upon. It is, also, one of the worst I have seen not just because the art style is in the uncanny valley, but also because the relationships the author, Nakamura Shungiku, displays throughout the whole anime's run are among the most toxic I have seen.

There is only ONE couple I can remember this author writing that is actually about a healthy relationship between two adults, who actually talk about their problems and that doesn't result in one party taking sexual advantage of the other (This pairing is also from another series that is equally as bad as this one called Sekaiichi Hatsukoi)

Oddly enough, this show is called Junjou Romantica, when it should honestly be called Junjou Assault because nobody in their right mind would think any of these couples are about real love. If you honest to god believe that, however, you may need to have more self-love.

Every single bad trope you can think about, this show has it. Extremely jealous partner? check. Sexual assault as a "form of love"? check. No repercussions from disrespecting or otherwise hurting your partner? check. Yaoi hands? check. The most hilarious thing about this show being terrible is the fact that it could be better just by removing the harassment.

The author can write memorable characters, the arcs in the manga are overall as long as they need to be and make sense, and the comedy in the series actually lands extraordinarily, but the show is always ruined by a character forcing themselves on the object of their affections. Can you believe I once rated the first season a 6 and the second one an 8? I'm clearly insane.

Anyway, the season opens up with Misaki (the main protagonist) talking about how he passed all of his university classes, and then... oh my god we are back with yet more unwanted sexual advances. Nice to know this is the third season and everything is the same huh? and by nice I mean fucking terrible. Thank god it looks like the scene got censored since I was not going to sit thru it.

We are introduced to one of the conflicts of this season which is that Misaki's brother, Takahiro, thinks after he graduates from university, he will no longer need to live with Akihiko, since that was the deal at the very beginning (to live there only till he graduated ).

Misaki and Akihiko are a couple but Misaki's brother does not know that. They both are clearly shocked about having to separate. Akihiko is prepared to open up to Takahiro about their relationship but Misaki isn't, so that is another issue of its own, just like the issue about this show implying that jealousy is something good. The opening theme plays right after this and it is average at best. I remember the opening for season 2 was a banger so this was certainly a step-down. The ending theme is better in comparison and it is kinda cute how the main couple has a red string connecting both of them. By kinda, I mean it would be cute did I not know how their relationship dynamic works.

After three seasons, we finally meet a decent man in this show by the name of Todo. He and Misaki become friends over their shared interest in the same manga. It is thanks to what Todo says that Misaki starts thinking about getting a job doing something he actually enjoys. He ends up meeting Aikawa (Akihiko's editor) and she tells him to try working part-time at her company since right now they are looking for a part-time manga editor. Misaki likes manga so he is willing to give it a shot.

Back in the infamous yaoi condo, Akihiko has been thinking about what his father said about his relationship with Misaki being fragile, and he has started to become distant from him. They later finally talked about their insecurities with one another and Akihiko seems to finally realize that it is his own selfishness that is limiting Misaki.

Going by what I know of this show, I know he will probably still be an extremely jealous and perverted ass but an attempt was made(I say attempt cuz just like I knew, he later on went to get jealous over a BABY). By episode 3 we get introduced to the second-best man in this series, Ijuuin. He is the mangaka of the manga Misaki and Todo read and way nicer already than Akihiko ever was. With this, we are now set for the love triangle that will unfold between Akihiko, Misaki, and Ijuuin this season. The other two couples will have some screentime too but their arcs weren't anything new so whatever.

All I'm going to mention about the side couples is that they are still as bad as they were before. Nonetheless, I thought Shinobu and Miyagi were actually a cute couple until I was reminded that Miyagi was the ex-husband of Shinobu's sister. We can now add the NTR tag to this.

Overall the show continues to be the same as always. The animation is mediocre for the most part, the anatomy is still terrible, the backgrounds aren't too detailed, and the romantic relationships in the show are beyond toxic. Usagi is still jealous over everyone and everything and thinks he owns Misaki, and Misaki just lets it happen. Usagi faces no real punishment for mistreating Misaki and treating him like an object, and honestly, I am not surprised.

Romance anime almost never makes the protagonist end up with the second love rival, and I know that, but even so, I can't help feeling disappointed over knowing how Ijuuin's feelings for Misaki will not be reciprocated. This man is a thousand times better than Usagi but given the type of show this is, it is obvious Misaki will never realize this and that Ijuuin will be paired off with someone else.

The potential for this series to get better was there. Misaki and Usagi are not good for each other and their co-dependency on each other is nothing to praise. The most praise I can give to this season is the fact that the art was less hideous but the improvement wasn't too much. If you've watched up to this season you probably are already aware of this show's flaws, which is fine and all. One day I hope that I stop expecting Junjou Romantica to portray a healthy and loving relationship. Do I recommend this series? No.