It has always bothered me, as a person who has encountered a lot of romance fiction, that stories revolving between two pairings are often beaten around the bush up until the very end. Not that it's automatically considered a bad thing since I wouldn’t mind it if there was a sense of progression in terms of character development, but the potential of a love in bloom is often ignored and then the story tries to come back to it with a very rushed resolution that can leave an unsatisfying taste. Of course, I’m talking about shows that don’t have romance as the only thing going for it since one that is purely about romance is a rarity. But what if there comes a show that puts all of its strengths on romance alone? This is where Tsuki ga Kirei shines through as a simple yet memorable tale of young love.
One thing that makes this show stand out is that the romantic relationship is established midway and the rest of the episodes detail their life as a couple. Even though we had shows like Lovely Complex and Ore Monogatari in the past, Tsuki ga Kirei beats them in terms of subtleness and intimacy. It wants to be mature despite the dullness it can accumulate from stripping away so many elements that make up a typical modern school romance. It wants to show the naivety and stubbornness that first love brings and how it basically screams the laid-back yet youthful lifestyle that most of the older viewers can relate to.
Aside from the various skits presented at the end of most episodes, there is no actual comedy to be found in the show. It still maintains to be lighthearted despite that, as it never fails to leave a warm fuzzy feeling within. The chemistry between Azumi and Akane is beautiful, they are two socially awkward teenagers and it’s such a delight to see the two of them dealing with their feelings. Whenever they interact, their speech is limited but their facial expressions and body language brings up the message even clearer. There might be the occasional cliché moment here and there, but their generated reactions to such cases feel sincere enough to be not seemingly forced.
While the show brings its romance to the forefront, it still manages to provide glimpses of things outside of it. Azumi is an aspiring writer and Akane is a track-and-field member and the story details their struggles of compensating between priorities. If only the show was extended for another cour, it would be nice to see the story expound on this. It is a shortcoming that I admit prevents me from giving this show a greater score, but I still think it still sufficiently manages to explore that aspect of the story well enough.
On the more technical side of things, the animation is quite average. It can be mediocre at times, especially when crowds of CGI people are often used in the background. However, it gives more emphasis on individual movement towards relevant characters in the scene. One certain scene that stuck out the most is the one where Azumi is doing the festival dance with such eccentric animation but weirdly hypnotizing with its frequent thrusts and fluid maneuvers. The character design is quite good, nothing flashy but it’s pretty simple. The soundtrack is amazing and it helps set the mood and elevate emotional buildup at certain scenes. I can’t imagine the show without its piano-driven OST to be honest, as the show would’ve been too dull for my liking without it.
For a show that is about love, it might’ve been too optimistic. There were attempts to complicate the romance with a third party, but it got resolved swiftly. School matters were also used as a deciding factor for the couple’s relationship, but they still remained victorious in the end. It has its highs and lows and the story went ahead for a positive fulfilling conclusion. It might be too plain and basic for other people, but it feels very genuine enough to work as a compelling school romance. It might’ve been paced too slowly for anything interesting to happen every minute, but it’s that careful approach towards romance that creates a feeling of emotional tension. Maybe a straightforward story about love and its dealings like Tsuki ga Kirei can possibly save and revitalize the romance genre, that keeping things simple can be effective as long as it has a sense of direction leading to a realization that brings a profound emotional impact. Who knows, but I have still hope that romances like this will continue to exist in the future.
