I won't be touching much on any elements outside of the story, as those are no different from the original anime- The animation is beautiful, the characters are lively and real, I adore the music.
The special opens with a 22 minutes long recap, which to me hinders the experience, in all honesty. It did not cover anything new, only went on the general premise of the anime. We already had one recap, two was excessive.
I went into this fully expecting a cryptic story, full of visual and storytelling nuances that the audience can construct their own explanation to (Like End of Evangelion, Madoka Magica Rebellion, Mawaru Pengindrum..)
Going into this in such approach meant I did not expect a cut clear ending, with a full complete answer. And I absolutely enjoyed the ride this episode was.
I wish we got to see a full 44 minutes special of that instead of half of it being a recap. Some character motives and stories could have been fleshed out more, but I feel like we got some closure and some open threads for us to tie, as well as potentially having a room for a second season. Which I enjoy more than a clear-cut ending. Then again, I also enjoy character analysis and there's plenty of room to do so in this special.
It's not a concrete ending like everyone expected, and yet I feel like it's fitting for the kind of anime that it is.
Teenage girls are just like that-complex.
