I hated this movie. It started out funny, and then just got progressively dumber. Kaguya just goes full borderline, and says the classic "If you can't love me at my worst, you don't get me at my best." And every character is screaming at him to have empathy for her, meanwhile she is BRUTALLY shutting him down and then demanding he read her mind and force through. That's a great recipe for horrible mistakes and tragedies, not exactly good romances.
And while demanding empathy for herself, she refuses to have any empathy for him. Instead she pressures him relentlessly to open up to him and for physical intimacy. I doubt she'd appreciate him pressuring her for sex.
She keeps acting like she'll love him no matter what, when we already know that's not true. She forgot the first time they met when he grabbed her ribbon out of the pond because he was just a normal guy back then. She didn't take any interest in him at all until he became the top student. And she gets angry at him for being apprehensive and vulnerable in certain situations, and then says she wants it the next.
I nearly lost it at the nurse's advice too. Most women don't want their guys vulnerable all the time. Yes, those breakthroughs are definitely often fetishized by many women. But notice the opportune word "moments." And it often has to be when they want it, in the way they fantasized about it. A lot of women get angry, scared, or lose respect for men for showing a level and/or type of vulnerability they didn't want/expect. It's unfortunate, but it's often true. I can normally forgive that in an anime, but not when it just backfired; and not when it was just shown the relationship would have never existed had he just been himself the entire time. I mean did they just forget the episode where she didn't like him when he was well-rested?
It felt like endless melodrama and pointless hypocrisy that could have easily been cleared up if they'd had the talk he kept asking her to have. But it doesn't happen until she suddenly demands that it happen and in the way that she wants. And then somehow everything is just fine and neatly wrapped up in a bow at the end.
I know this is a galaxy brain take, but relationships usually deepen naturally over time, and it's pretty likely that a boyfriend will eventually initiate physical intimacy with his girlfriend. You waited 2 years, but you can't wait a few days? Instead you try to destroy the entire relationship because it isn't exactly how you want it to be?
I liked the first 3 seasons. I really liked Kaguya's character up to this point. This movie just feels like an excuse to both reset the story to slow the pacing, as well as an attempt to portray character/relationship development without actually having it. It really betrayed her character. I would have appreciated it much more if this was given some time and cropped up slowly over weeks or months of dating. And then they finally have a deep heart to heart now that they know each other better. This entire thing just felt incredibly hollow.
3/10. Points for the fetish fuel, chibi Kaguya, Chika, and the hall monitor.
P.S. Pretty cruel that his family left him alone when he was that depressed. Like good luck on your own. Now that an entire day has passed and you haven't eaten lunch, I can make you porridge before I go to bed if you want... Like gee, okay, thanks. Such support. Doesn't match up with earlier in the show either. |