As we at long last have reached the apotheosis of Oregairu’s, I’ve to look back at all developments and regretfully admit that I’ve never understood Oregairu and its intentions with its commentary essentially. Oregairu has touched a lot of people’s hearts, and at some point, in time I, too, was engaged in Hachiman’s social loneliness endeavours – yet I stand here confused and appalled by how shallow everything turned out to be.
This season was easily an ultimate snorefest if I’ve ever saw one. Outside the occasional decent character interaction - which are sparse to find – the entire season focuses on one central task and the resulting conflicts that come with this task. Summarized as the following: The main 3’s relationships as a group, Yukino’s mother problem and Hachiman choosing his waifu. The first two leave room for exploration, yet in a span of 12 episodes the results are deficient.
This task at hand being a prom. Yes, you’ve heard me right. This entire season is focused on planning a simple western-themed prom which is a completely different event organized separately from the other school events. This event is commissioned by Iroha as it is her wish to do a prom and for it to be this year.
Why is this so hard? Because Yukino’s mother, the menace, the villain, the antagonist so to speak – at least as far as this series is concerned – is part of a committee that generally oversees these types of events and because of reasons do not approve this prom to be held. Why? The series never really goes in depth or any details really, on what the exact reasons are for the disapproval and we do get is really vague and odd. One such wishy washy reason is “they didn’t like the images on social media”, but the solution to that is to simply not allow the students to upload any photos to social media then? Right? Sounds easy to me. But no, that is not enough. The committee wants it to be cancelled and done for. Because they are depressed boomers or something.
Henceforth this whole conflict lasts us 10+ episodes where the rest of our time is spent with the characters roaming together the – very easily forgotten and mostly irrelevant – side cast to help with the task and Yui and Hachiman hanging out.
Speaking of Yui, I don’t understand her either. Not her infatuation with Hachiman and Yukino, nor why she is so focused on her “I am a greedy person who wants everything” shtick as if it’s a morally detestable wish or why everyone treats the act of Hachiman choosing his waifu as some act that will ruin the entire dynamic. By the end of the show they make it such a big deal for Yui to arrive to the clubroom yet when they actually meet it is just… fine. Obviously! Because there was never a reason to be concerned about all that to begin with! Yui for the most part in this season runs around in emotional inner monologues that are really corny and cries fat hot tears. And that’s really all she does. She is emotional support and consults Hachiman in his “Yukino won’t speak to me because she wants to do everything on her own now” problem but that’s all there is. Besides that, you would be a fool to think there was ever a chance for Yui to begin with. This whole rollercoaster was a hoax. Simply looking at the first volume cover spells out the answer to the “Who will he choose” question for you, like almost every LN. Don’t let anyone convince you Oregairu is not part of the mold. Yui has always been a third wheel in the romance aspect and as much as the series tries to persuade me that this is not the case, it hardly does a good job in actually executing so.
In regards to Yukino’s mother, the series has been teasing Yukino’s conflict with her for a long while, but it essentially only ever resulted in teasing. This season is allegedly the first time she actually is forced to face her and it ended up being an utter disappointment. I honestly expected a more intense arc about how her family has been imposing very strong authoritarian values about leadership onto her as she is a rich girl coming from an – implied – influential family of some sort, and how that has psychologically ruined her in ways that hinders her to interact with other people. The series tries to imply all these things, and with trying to imply I mean it is vigorously stated - and narrated - by almost every character, that Yukino is socially inept, just like Hachiman, but of a different kind.
Since I have already mentioned it in passing, it is not just that, but literally every character has something to say about the love/friendship triangle. It honestly seems like every single person in this school is highly concerned with the dynamic of these three teenagers. It is repeated ad nauseum and makes up 70% of the runtime. Nobody ever states their relationships and relations to other people as often or even at all as many times as Oregairu characters do it. It is bizarre.
Anyways, what really makes me scratch my head is the presentation of Yukino’s mother and older sister. The older sister especially just seems to appear to spout some pretentious dialogue, pseudo-psychoanalyse the main cast and then leaves with a smug smirk being happy in her accomplishment in making the characters uncomfortable. It’s very lame and obnoxious. She is irritated by her upbringing of having to try hard for her accomplishments and I guess feels insulted by Yukino getting help and support by friends. Boohoo. So sad.
The mother is presented as an ultra conservatist. She has her hair up in a traditional Japanese hair bun, she arrives anywhere she goes in a kimono, she is forcefully friendly and threatening. But that’s it. That’s all to her character. She never insults the characters; she isn’t really that rude. The final – and only, really - confrontation Yukino has with her mom this season is where she tells her that she seeks to continue her father’s business (we don’t even know what these people’s work is) and the mom just… accepts it. It makes the big sis mad but the whole scene was reasonably calm. What are the consequences here? Is Yukino’s mom simply strict? Is this really what tortures Yukino so much? I don’t understand.
And of course, I still don’t understand whatever horrifying implications it would bring to rely on your friends and ask them for help occasionally, but this series makes it a really big deal that helping your friends is somehow awful. I can understand that letting your friends handle all your real-life problems is bad, especially if these real-life problems are rooted in abuse, but it is hardly presented in a mature, understandable way. Hell, we don’t even know if there is any abuse here. The only way I can tell that this hurts Yukino in any way is by the show telling me constantly, as well as Yukino acting like a kicked dog anytime Hachiman takes initiative in any way. There seems to be zero psychological consequences otherwise. So basically, inconsequential. As are most conflicts and headaches in this show.
The dialogue is – unironically – pretentious and on the nose. Episodes will end with puffed-up monologues leading to title cards so pompously worded it almost never not made me erupt in hysterical laughter.
The characters range from archetypical to bland background characters - basically anyone except the main 3. The series wants to act like the side characters actually matter to the plot and anything that happens in it, but no matter how many key visuals with 15 characters on it you throw at me I am aware of the truth, and the truth is they are accessories at best.
Oregairu was always very ‘anime’. The characters are very typically ‘anime’ and the drama is predictably ‘anime-ish’. A little over the top drama has never hurt a good man but it will become repetitive and exhausting if the drama comes from presumptions and alienating thought processes by the characters. Season 2 already pushed the limits of my suspension of disbelief and this season has put the final nail in the coffin. Oregairu has to have the roughest mono- and dialogues in any anime I’ve seen. It edges on poetic parody.
Nobody talks like this, especially not teenagers. All in all, I can only describe watching Oregairu as an alienating experience. Nobody communicates in human ways, nobody words things in human ways, nobody is even socially awkward in ways that are believable. Characters have weird, up-their-arse life philosophies about the world and feel morally just or superior in comparison to other characters because of shallow non-explored reasons, because this is only highschool and not an epic thriller like ‘Monster’. Essentially it results to barely any commentary in regards to anything. Conflicts are completely inconsequential to anyone psychologically and do not impact their life significantly whatsoever. It is true that eventually Hachiman becomes a more likeable person, but I also think Hachiman was occasionally right in calling out people on their bullshit.
And then there is the show’s production too. Hand on asscheeks: It looks like shit. This anime has the worst lighting I’ve seen in my goddamn life. Especially modern productions. The series manages to completely overlight scenes and any light emits light from a 3k Watt source apparently. Imagine opening your phone in the middle of the night, now imagine that feeling but it’s the middle of the day from several different spots around you. That’s what it looks like.
The backgrounds are generic rubbish: Badly drawn, pseudo-realistic, plasticy, generic buildings inseparable from any other, use of CG chairs, and such a heavy blur over the entire thing, it feels like you forgot to clean your glasses. Everything is orange. Am I wearing glasses with an orange filter or is the show like that? I can guarantee you it’s just the show. This Oregairu season is simply hideous. The only saving grace is that the character art isn’t off model for most of the characters and general lack of animation errors but dear god is it ugly. So damn ugly.
The female characters have a constant blush effect on their cheeks and below their eyes (you know the rosy spot), glossy lips and shiny eyes. The show is just “shiny” now, but not in good way. You can tell they are trying to gloss up the girls so you just think “They are so pretty OwO” the whole time. This overpolish actually diverts your attention away from the serious intentions, and when compared to every male character just looks jarring.
Music and voice performances are all generic, forgettable, nothing to say about these. One track sounds like it is straight from animal crossing. Another from Clannad.
One tiny thing I also wanted to mention is the teacher. She is Hachiman’s mentor character and has a few scenes with him in this season as well and I consider her role in the story kinda odd and problematic? In season one she hits him over the head a few times, and there are semi-romantic implications between them. In the last episode they dance together and she – deadass – falls on-top of him. They don’t touch but I very deeply clenched my teeth together at that scene. She seems to be there to up the harem factor more so than anything.
And with that I am at the end of my review. I do not like Oregairu. I do not like this season especially. In fact, I would even say I hated it. Whatever anyone says, do not be fooled by anyone that Oregairu actually does social commentary, love triangles or highschool drama well. If you want a cynical MC watch Hyouka. If you want a great RomCom watch KareKano or Love is War. If you want better romance, especially watch KareKano. If you want a good highschool show all these 3 are miles ahead of this one. Or you know, watch this whole 7 year long built up disaster and judge for yourself.
Overview
Story: 2/10 – Boring, pretentious, self-important. Inconsequential conflicts.
Art & Animation: 3/10 – Ugly as fuck
Sound: 5/10 – Mediocre
Character: 3/10 – Nothing humane.
Enjoyment: 2/10 – I absolutely hated it.
RomCom: 1/10 – It speaks for itself
Overall: 3.0 (range: 2.5 – 4.0)
