Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

[ Episode 13: Bonds ]

You know, the first half or so of the episode was pretty damn saddening and depressing. Seeing the revelation of the true starter of the fire and even the conflict before that was really heart-wrenching and to think that Nanaka experienced it all was even more saddening. The thing that scared me the most though was when Nanaka wouldn’t respond to Sana while in the bath. My mind had instantly thought “Oh god, don’t tell me she’s going to slit her wrists/commit suicide” and all I could do was hold my head when I saw her in the bath bleeding. Thankfully she was saved by Sana who finally revealed that he did the same thing in the past and removed his watch to show Nanaka.

One thing I didn’t expect though was the sudden jump to 10-years-later jump. I thought it was a little abrupt but that was just because I thought they would have shown a little of Sana and Nanaka after her ordeal. The 10-years-after epilogue brought a lot of closure for most, if not all, of the characters whether it was actually shown or implied. Sana and Nanaka were obviously a couple and Sana successfully proposed to her; Yuzuki is looking as sexy as ever; Hinako and Youta are also together; Aoi is as high-pitched and normal as ever; Asami managed to redeem herself; and we even got to see Shuusuke and Shuri who I thought weren’t going to appear at all in this final episode. I don’t think I need to say anything regarding the latter couples’ relationship at this point.

This episode ended up better than I thought it would be. Most series tend to drop the ball when the finale arrives but Myself; Yourself did a great job at tying up any loose ends and giving a more-than-satisfying look (or glimpse) at the lives of the characters we’ve grown attached too over the past 13 episodes/weeks.

[ Final Thoughts ]

When I first picked up Myself; Yourself, I went in with almost no expectations and the few I had were simply about wanting a satisfying romance series and having great characters. Well, those few expectations were pretty much met and Myself; Yourself more than managed to surprise me. One of the less-talked about reasons I really like Myself; Yourself was the way it broke out of the school setting. I’ve seen countless anime that pretty much revolve around the school being the main setting and while they are great in their own way it was refreshing to see Myself; Yourself take a different approach.

The characters are really what make Myself; Yourself an enjoyable show. Initially, the main focus of the show were Sana and Nanaka but along the way Shuusuke and Shuri received more prominent roles. Shuusuke and Shuri had quite the dramatic storyline if you ask me. The whole mess with their father and no-good step-mother and the scandal that Asami caused were really testing on their well-being and their relationship but in the end they managed to shake off the trials and strengthen their relationship (both as brother and sister and whatever else you may think :P). Sana and Nanaka’s story didn’t quite go as I expected either. I honestly thought that Nanaka would have been at odds with Sana for at least half or a little more before they made up but I’m glad that the writers went a different way. Their relationship was one of the closest I’ve seen in a romance story for a while and I felt that all of the issues involving their individual problems were resolved nicely. Also, while it was unfortunate that it had to happen I thought that the suicide attempts from both of them was another powerful element to their bond.

When it’s all said and done, Myself; Yourself went beyond the scope of what I had initially thought of in the beginning episodes. The theme of suicide is rather dark and should always be approached with caution and the series managed to handle it wonderfully, especially with the message Sana said at the end about not giving up. Indeed, Myself; Yourself really left me feeling content and smiling. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a satisfying romance story that deviates from the norm. It’s not the best show of the year but it is one of the best of the Fall 2007 season and it is well worth your time.

[Overall series review: 87/100]