It almost feels too good to be true. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU started as a coming of age show that turned itself into a social storyteller. There’s no anime this year that I can relate more to this anime and in fact, I’m pleased to say it’s one I can relate to the most. As our main characters enter another stage in their lives, they have to also face the future together, with their thoughts, feelings, and how they’ve changed. Like teens their age, is it a time to reinvent themselves? What is their purpose in life? How do they see what’s ahead of them in the future? With a stack of questions, this show is much more than just a simple animated story.
I’m not going to recap our character personalities at this point. Even if it’s been a few years, anyone coming back to this show should at least have a gist of idea about Yukino, Yui, and of course, the dead fish eye boy, Hachiman Hikigaya. However, the first episode does require a lot of evaluation to take its ideas in. We have Yukino making her resolve related to her family and furthermore, a deeper look at the trio’s relationship. It’s been 5 years after all and these three are growing up each day to face new challenges. One of the toughest challenges for a teen is growing up and that’s what Yukino is on the road to do. She’s becoming an adult with responsibilities and the relationships with people around her, such as friends and family. This also brings in Yui as she realizes what Yukino really means to Hachiman. Even if it’s reality, she has a hard time accepting the truth. It’s the type of character study that makes Yui a realistic character. Deep down, she has a hard time being honest to others although this season shows that she is changing. Yui becomes more confident and even more open towards others just as Hachiman. Similarly, Yukino becomes more understanding towards others this season. Still, Yukino’s main characteristics still return this season with her competitive side and sometimes being brutally honest. It adds doses of humorous drama while other times, we see vulnerable side of Yukino.
Then, there’s Hachiman Hikigaya, the lonely boy who had the audience’s attention since day one. His personality, combined with his interactions with others, has made him an infamous icon in the show. In Season 3, he still has a loneliness nature and believes that youth is nothing short of an illusion. As the third season is about change, Hachiman also falls into this category as his character blooms into a more mature sociable individual. Don’t get me wrong though. Hachiman doesn’t evolve into the sociable level compared to the likes of Iroha or Yui. That would be near inconceivable. However, he does become much more comfortable with the female cast, in particular Yui and Yukino. In rare circumstances, he isn’t afraid to speak his thoughts anymore. He even begins to trust in Yukino despite her ice queen personality, something that she’s been known for a long time. In some of the most climatic moments of season 3, we see Hachiman’s change reflect his character’s evolution. The show does a fantastic job at building such a character and evolving him in every way possible. He’s growing up, just like everyone in the real world.
As our characters grow up, we are greeted with events that celebrate them. The prom represents the perfect occasion as characters get together at school. It’s also a social event, something that the old Hachiman wouldn’t dream of attending. But now in reality, he is there in a suit and has these new friends to celebrate with – Yui and Yukino. Hachiman even gets involved with helping the prom serving as a lending hand to Yukino. By this point, Yukino has to come to realize that she can’t accomplish everything herself. This is where Hachiman comes in as a helping hand. Yukino’s growth to becoming independent is no easy road and she must accept that everyone needs help along the way, including herself.
Like the previous seasons, the climax is heavy on dialogue usage. What’s unique about the dialogues is how important lines can be interpreted differently. There’s no right or wrong answer and it all depends on how the dialogues apply to different situations and characters. Oregairu’s social commentary also reflects on the different personalities of the cast. Even the deceptively intelligent Iroha and their teacher Shizuka takes advantage of the show’s dialogues. It gives the audience their chance to see what changes about the characters and dialogues are just as important as the previous seasons. Plus, let’s not also forget the occasional blunt sarcasm from Hachiman to bring in the show’s humor. If that’s not enough, are you ready to witness the rap battle of the century?
I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the third and final season managed to live up to expectations from the moment it returned. Sure, it’s been 5 years but it felt like the show always had a special place for the fans. Combining elements of drama, socialization, and character evolution, we are treated with this glorious climax. For everything this franchise has delivered since day one, I want to say thank you.
