No-Rin Episode 12 (Finale)
Sensuifu: So it all comes to an end, and a pretty good one at that. Despite not expanding on Ringo’s side of the story, the series ends up counterbalancing the hatred Kousaku’s been harboring all this time. What Ringo was missing in her life was exactly what Kousaku took for granted, and what Kousaku fantasized was only invalidated by Ringo’s desire to live simply in the countryside.
Many of the more serious, dramatic moments (perfectly exampled in Kousaku’s apology during the fake wedding) have a hint of yin-yang/Taoist aspects to them, which viewing from a broader perspective, actually fits pretty well considering the show is set in a natural setting. It feels that this show had a lot of thought and research put into it to make the dualities fit so well with the characters and their situations i.e. Kei vs his dad; Ringo retiring her idol career only to move to the country; Kousaku vs his hometown, etc..
Kousaku discovered that he was mistaken about his livelihood, or at least viewed it with some regret due to bad memories. Yet, with his flashbacks of the better times he had with Minori, and with Ringo’s influence, he was able to reconcile his lonely, hurtful past. Similarly, Ringo was able to fulfill her desire to appreciate something she felt wasn’t just for a fleeting moment. The genuine love she saw in all her new friends meant she wasn’t just acknowledged in a superficial way or forcing smiles instead of being truly happy.
I’m glad I stuck with such a wonderful, little series. It’s one of the bigger surprises of the season considering many other shows I’ve been following haven’t been able to finish as strong from a promising start.
Nork22: This really.
While it did had moments of dumb humour, it does have a surprising amount of depth, almost like a role reversal of Silver Spoon where Kousaku is a farm boy who grew up not by choice as well, and how he sees the city as the better side of things. With Ringo’s introduction, he was given some insight to why the simple farm life is also a good thing as well.
Also it’s a rare show to see Yukarin playing a rather stoic role.
