Oregairo was a fascinating anime during seasons 1 and 2 as the main theme was about building relationships. Hikki, the protagonist, was a loner and felt that he didn't need human connections because it was too much of a chore. The other characters, Yukino, Yui and Iroha, to some degree also felt similarly isolated, albeit different circumstances. Yukino was similar to Hikki and just couldn't jive with other people; Yui has insecurities with her relationships with people and to avoid conflict simply agree with them even if she's not comfortable, and Iroha hides her true nature behind her cute gestures despite being really conniving and manipulative. You could consider these people as "rejects" of society that can't fit in, which was a dominant theme way back. It was entertaining to have these people find comfort with one another, but due to their past experiences, question the authenticity of what they have, which led the famous "I want something genuine" line of Hikki.
Now, we go to season 3. The first part of season 3 for me was extremely boring. This is just my personal preference, but I found the prom dilemma too juvenile for my taste, especially when the previous seasons were a lot more mature (i.e. even adults have issues deciding whether their relationships are "genuine"). Then, for the latter half of the series, it became a typical romantic comedy. Yes, I'm aware of the title, but because seasons 1 and 2 were quite different from season 3, I never really considered Oregairo a rom-com. Finally, we move to the last part of the show, where one girl was "chosen" and became the official partner of Hikki. Yes, a part of me is salty about the choice, but I'm much more concerned about why he chose in the first place. I find it extremely odd that a loner for how many years, with barely any idea at how to handle (platonic) relationships and even questioned the authenticity of such a relationship, decided it was alright to pursue a romantic one. It just felt out of place, especially since there were never any major hints (at least to me) that he valued any particular relationship over the other.
Even though I didn't enjoy most of oregairo s3, I have to applaud the ending. I liked that the relationships they built over the course of the story didn't just crumble because a girl was "chosen". Moreover, it ended the story in an open manner and the viewers are more than welcome to tailor their own ending depending on your own preferences.
Overall, Oregairo 3 just didn't click with me as much as the previous two seasons. A part of it is because my ship didn't "officially" sail, but more so because I felt it deviated from what it previously established, which was building and strengthening relationships. Either way, I appreciate the author for giving us a predominantly good story and I congratulate the people that enjoyed this last season.
