Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun – 13 (Fin)

Shizuku is home alone studying when Haru bursts in asking if she’s “seen him”. Before she can find out what he’s talking about, he’s gone, and left his phone behind. He does the same thing to Natsume (his net), Sasayan (his goggles) and Yamaken (his gloves and keys). Yuu comes across a rooster and sends a photo to Ooshima, who tells her it’s Haru’s. Shizuku crosses paths with her while on a rice run, and they go to the closed batting center, where Natsume, Sasayan, and Yamaken are assembled. On her way home, Shizuku bumps into Haru on the steps, where he tells her he’s looking for a firefly. Sure enough, both of them spot it as it flies off into the night.

This finale takes pretty much every character and shuffles them around here and there, all motivated by Haru’s strange (even for him) behavior and penchant for shedding belongings. It’s a clever way to say farewell to everyone, although as narrator Shizuku laments, there’s a lot more she wanted to say about them: Natsume, Sasayan, Yamaken, Ooshima, Nagoya…and Haru, who she still can’t quite come to terms with her feelings for him. She doesn’t mind being with him, but isn’t sure she could ever match his intense innocence and sincerity. To which we’d respond, why try to? Haru isn’t looking for a more peppy Shizuku; he’s fine with her the way she is (as long as she stays away from Yamaken, of course.)

She should be fine with the way she is too. She is working hard, but is still able to occasionally spend time with not only Haru, but her other friends who legitimately care about her. Why is she so obsessed with understanding why they care about her, or why he loves her, or matching those feelings precisely? This whole series she’s been fretting so much about how to proceed with a relationship with Haru, she’s overlooked the fact that she’s already in one. She’s his handler; his tamer; the one who makes his life more fun when she’s around. He’s her release valve from a dour, tedious life of study and work; someone who makes her heart beat faster. Quit over-analyzing everything and just enjoy the ride, Missy!

Rating: 7 (Very Good)

Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse – 25 (Fin)

When Major Christopher activates his TSF’s onboard thingamajig, the Scarlet Twins go berserk, killing him, ripping Lt. Sendak’s TSF’s arms off, and tearing Chobi’s TSF to pieces. Yuuya bails out Yui by facing off against them, trying to talk them down. He eventually drops his weapon and lets them spear his TSF. They come out of their hypnosis. The American Air Force mops up the Beta, ending the crisis. In the aftermath, the XFJ Project is in doubt, and Yui Takamura is recalled to Japan for debriefing and inquiries. She promises to return. She and Yuuya say farewell without words, and Cryska tells Yui that she also loves Yuuya, making them rivals in love.

Well, you’ll have to forgive us for getting the final episode count wrong again. Episode 20 was just a recap, making this the 24th “real” episode, despite being numbered 25. So this is the final episode. And while the end of the world was averted (for now), a lot is left on the table. Who Yuuya picks to be his mate is not resolved. Admittedly, that’s not the biggest deal in the world, as even his most tender moments with Yui never exactly set the world on fire (that’s for the Beta to do.)

We were glad Major Christopher got a quick exit stage right, but his mysterious “Master” is never identified, nor is his specific plan for the world, a map of which is hung in his swanky office upside-down, suggesting he intends to turn the world on its end, though that’s just a guess, and like we said, who the heck knows? Sendak is apparently a bad guy too, with plans for the Scarlet Twins that they probably aren’t privy to. All these hanging threads leave open the possibility for a sequel one day. Would we watch that sequel? Our answer is a firm “maybe.”

Rating: 7 (Very Good)