Possible spoilers ahead.
I have never been more mad at an anime and studio before. These three episodes were fantastic, truly amazing, until the last 5 minutes or so of the last episode.
A little bit of context:
This anime, for any who haven't watched it, is an anime focusing on societal morals, and the way they are subjective. And it handles it in a superb way. Instead of focusing on a point of view, instead of making one view right and the other wrong, instead of having a couple of people being the villains, who are incapable of changing opinions and want nothing but what they think is right, the anime goes out of it's way to make sure that all views are explored as much as possible, in a way that is fair and balanced. And they do it in a way that you might not even notice.
Towards the end of the second season, the anime as touched on otaku culture, polygamy, conceited morals, and a plethora of other things that go on in society. But the main two things are societal morals and incest. The main characters, siblings Kyousuke Kousaka and Kirino Kousaka, end up realizing they love one another, and then experience the dread of being on the other end of prejudice in society. This had already been experienced by Kirino, who was an otaku, and in fact, it is when she asks her brother who she hated for help fiding friends who she could share this with that the anime starts.
So far so good, you might be thinking to yourself, that is if you can get over the incest (I know some people can't, in which case you should never watch this anime). So why do i hate it and the studio now? Well, you know when a company starts to do something that people don't like? Normally, they would just stop, release a public apology, and move on. A 'cop out'. Well, this studio could have done that at the end of the first season. Because, at that point, while it was clear to everyone that the siblings loved each other, they hadn't started dating or really doing anything. They were just siblings with a platonic, positive relationship. Those who couldn't tolerate the incest had either left or started banging at the studio's proverbial gates. But the studio didn't cop out. They made a second season. Which was an action I loved. And at the start i loved this second season.
Now, back to the ending of the second season. Kyousuke and Kirino have admitted to one another that they love each other. They have started to have a relationship. Kyousuke and Kirino go to every friend they can, mustering support. Kyousuke denies every single girl that wanted to date him. They even have a mock wedding. While nothing official, it is of symbolic importance. At the end, the viewers have had an emotional journey that rivals pretty much any anime I have ever seen. We want them to be together, society be damned! They have their romantic kiss at the altar. At this point, they've done it all, cried together, laughed together, go on dates, slept together and kiss. They're relationship looked to be a long lasting one, full of hardship, joy, sorrow and society constantly a threat, but by the gods they would stick together. The final scene comes, they are on the street, it seems like a bit of fluff is about to happen, a moment for the fans to savour, a desert for the Amazing proverbial meal that was this journey of a incestuous couple who, against all odds had finally gotten their happy ending.
And then...they end the relationship. They end their loving relationship that they had fought tooth and claw for, that the viewers had wanted, that the studio had seemed to given us. And why? Well, that should be obvious, shouldn't it? It was a cop out. AT THE LAST EPISODE, AFTER TWO SEASONS OF HARDSHIP TURMOIL, SOCIETY BEARING DOWN, AFTER ALL THESE SIBLINGS WHO LOVED EACH OTHER HAD SACRIFICED TO BE TOGETHER, THE STUDIO HAS THE F*CKING GALL TO GIVE THE BIGGEST MIDDLE FINGER TO IT'S FANS EVER AND INSTEAD OF DELIVERING THE ENDING WE WANTED, INSTEAD OF LEAVING THOSE FIVE MINUTES OF SCREENTIME OUT, INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THEIR OWN LOGIC AND SAY F*CK YOU SOCIETY, WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS, LIKE THEY HAD DONE, THEY INSTEAD PULL THE SLIMIEST, THE MOST DESPICABLE COP OUT THAT ANYONE HAS EVER EVEN F*CKING CONCEIVED!
And that is why I HATE this studio, this anime and especially this ending. Because of the absolutely deplorable manipulation of the viewers feeling. And there is no subjectivity or second point of view about it. This was absolutely the most immoral thing I have ever experienced. EVER!
