The anime adaptation draws to a close with tough choices being made.
What They Say:
High school is coming to an end and a huge portion of Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui’s world is about to change, whether they like it or not. With that realization comes another epiphany: even though they’ve spent so much time helping others, the three Service Club members still have issues of their own that need working out.
But even as Yukino decides to move back in with her parents and attempt to put that part of her life in order, she accepts the major task of helping plan the graduation prom. Trying to accomplish such a major goal will be one of the hardest jobs the Service Club has ever taken on, but as long as they have each other to rely upon, they’re determined to see it through in the third and final season of My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU!
The Review:
Audio:
The audio presentation for this release brings us the original Japanese language track only, which is done in stereo and encoded using the DTS-HD MA lossless codec. The show has a fairly standard high school-oriented design to it where it’s all about the dialogue in the classroom and some exterior events that doesn’t have much of an opportunity to go big. It does do it a couple of times with certain events, but by and large, it’s a dialogue-driven piece that keeps it casual and simple if not with some internal dialogue that’s kept at an even conversational tone. The show handles all of this well with a decent bit of directionality to it when needed and it gives us a clean and decent presentation that doesn’t stand out much overall. The opening and closing sequences add a bit more warmth to the events and it’s certainly noticeable, though not a game-changer. We didn’t have any problems with dropouts or distortions during regular playback.
Video:
Originally airing in the summer of 2020, the transfer for this TV series is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in 1080p using the AVC codec. The twelve episodes are spread across two discs in a nine/three format. Animated by Brain’s Base, the transfer for the show definitely reminds you of the difference high definition can make in a lot of ways. Colors have some great pop to them in many scenes, they’re rich throughout with some great shades moving across various areas, and detail is well managed with clean linework and more. The show doesn’t go for a lot of high-action moments, but when it does it comes across very well here with no noise or breakup associated with it. It’s definitely a solid increase in quality, quite noticeable in many areas, though more so on larger displays than smaller ones.
Packaging:
The packaging for this release brings us a standard-sized Blu-ray case that holds the two discs inside against the interior walls. The front cover uses the familiar key visual for the season of our three leads together with the cherry blossoms about as Yui and Yukino are tight together for a selfie as Hachiman watches on. Similar to previous volumes, I quite like the detail of it but I also like the way the logo brings some real pop to it with the blue, pink, and white. The back cover uses the same color scheme to good effect as the center has another large dialogue bubble where we get the premise covered nicely while surrounding it is a series of shots from the show itself. We also get a small bubble that breaks down the disc’s extras. The bottom section brings out the production credits in decent form and the technical grid covers everything smoothly and accurately with no issues. The show doesn’t have any inserts nor does it have a reversible cover.
Menu:
The menu design for this release plays off of the color design of the main cover but also gets a whole lot busier. The right side features the navigation with episodes by number and title which is done with a good-sized font and some solid colors that makes it appealing and it doubles well as the pop-up menu. The rest of the menu changes with each disc as we get the leading ladies getting their own main menus to themselves with the school uniform focus. That’s made more so by some very splashy colorful backgrounds that just busy it up but works because it has a kind of visual intensity that works. Submenus are few and far between as it’s basically just for the extras but the release as a whole is quick and easy to navigate with no problems in getting done what you need to do.
Extras:
The only extras included in this release are the clean versions of the opening and closing sequences.
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU hits its climax storyline here as it essentially brings things to a close. Running in the summer 2020 season, five years after the second season, the twelve-episode run takes what’s been built in the light novels and takes us through the final storylines. Wataru Watari’s work, which began in 2011 as a light novel series, wrapped up in early 2021 with fourteen volumes but we’ve also got a new novel series coming up with one of the characters. For me, I fell in love with that 2013 season and what it delivered at the start with its cast. It worked well in the second season but you could feel that it was a little hard to sustain it in some ways. The final season here, however, with its intent to bring things to a close and a whole lot of internal dialogue through narration, it delivers a strong and emotional piece that hits the right marks.
While the stories and characters have covered a lot of ground over the years, the reality is that as an end story everything revolves around the relationships. The will they or won’t they, will there be a choice or will they punt it down the line somehow so nobody is happy. And that can be thrilling because the potential for a real choice can be had here. What makes this one particularly interesting is that all three of them are aware of the situation and we even get a few moments throughout where Hachiman is told that he better not hurt anyone, in the sense of not making a choice and not being clear about things. There’s a good sense to me about this that reminds me of Kimagure Orange Road with its movie in that when you’re trying to make a real decision, things slow down somewhat and it gets a little more somber and reserved. Which is why all the narration that goes on here with the cast is helpful as it lets them express things without trying to water it down through speaking to others.
But even the relationship dynamic has other things going on in their lives so that it complicates things to a degree. Largely, this focuses on Yukino as she’s ready to set her own path than that of the one her parents have set for her, or not set for her as the case may be. That lets Yukino focus on something beyond the relationship and one of those things is all about a prom for their class, which sprawls over the season as there are all sorts of issues to be had with the school in actually letting it happen, understanding and experiencing what actually is a prom, and then all the tension and drama that comes from the actual event itself. While this does allow Yukino to separate from the group a bit, we do see some strong moments between her and Hachiman over it and how these two understand each other on a whole other level, consciously or subconsciously, with what needs to be done in order for it to happen.
The reality, however, is that Yui is the primary character that spends time with Hachiman throughout this. You get a sense at times that Yui is going through all of this to enjoy the time she can with Hachiman and work through he feelings at a slower speed because she suspects that Hachiman will end up with Yukino no matter what. But in doing so, you know she’s becoming only closer and closer to Hachiman as it progresses and you can see just how badly this will end. Again, we all have a show where we’ve seen similar unfold when there’s a real romantic triangle and you know someone is going to get hurt. And while I’m firmly in the Hachiman x Yukino camp, Yui makes such a great showing throughout this in revealing who she is to Hachiman in full that you can’t help but to root for her. At the same time, you know Hachiman doesn’t truly view her that way, or allows himself to while he knows his feelings for Yukino are what they are, that he’s always pulled back just enough to not truly commit to finding out how things could be with Yui. And that’s saddening and unfortunate because the potential is most definitely there.
In Summary:
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax takes us through a lot of movements when it comes to the prom, school, social interactions, the service club, and, obviously the relationships. It’s not in a rush to do so here which is a huge plus in its favor and things get to resolve in a somewhat natural, if heartbreaking way. The emotions run high as it gets closer to the end and it delivers the kinds of things that you want from a series. A sense of choices being made, clarity about it, fallout from it, and the potential to start moving forward again knowing how the event has now changed the course of our lives and defined us. The cast here handles this wonderfully, regardless of the language track you listen to, and it deals with all the subplots that come with it to help elevate it as a whole. I liked the time Hachiman spent with his sister throughout it as their relationship really is delightful, but the reality is that the bulk of this season feels like the Hachiman and Yui show while things weave toward their inevitable conclusion. It’s wonderfully handled in the script and with the animation to deliver a solid culmination that will stick with you for quite a long time to come.
Features:
Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0 Language, English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Language, English Subtitles, Clean Opening, Clean Closing
Content Grade: B
Audio Grade: B+
Video Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B+
Menu Grade: B
Extras Grade: B-
Released By: Sentai Filmworks
Release Date: August 24th, 2021
MSRP: $69.98
Running Time: 300 Minutes
Video Encoding: 1080p AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Sony PlayStation3 Blu-ray player via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
