4.0/10 - At least I got a lovely ending. Still I'm greedy.

Well I called it in my episode review for 9. Foolish plot devices that wasted Yuri and Harumi's time. Not to mention mine. *sighs* Yes, there was a happy ending kiss and HEA. However, I am a very greedy consumer of stories. This episode ticked off almost all the boxes I have for a wasted ending.

Many might be okay with it. However, the whole accident wasted important time, not to mention the time table. Just think of it. If Harumi would have walked him to the test. The news he paste came up faster. Then the ending of this episode (dramatic kiss and proposal) came in at the 15 minute mark. This would give us the wedding and some actual happy couple moments. Not to mention getting to see her parents and his accept it. Because if I really think about it the true romance is coming up. The weird adults entering their wonderfully weird romance. Isn't in sad. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed Hajimete Koi wo Shita Hi ni Yomu Hanashi. For the most part. It just spend so much time on studying and denial.

Because Harumi denies her feelings for Yuri. No matter what she said or the reasons. It was fear. Complete fear. Every time people kept talking about how she had moved on from failing her test I kept thinking she hadn't. She was trapped. Harumi was affraid to do anything but things involved with studying. Romance and love interests scared her because that meant she had to do new things. She did go out on a few limbs during the course of the show, but she really hunkered down this episode. Not to mention that Harumi really hurts and lets Yuri down. Simply because some people mentioned the confession of students to teacher. How it's mature for the teacher to understand and let them go. To pat them on the head and realize these kinds of things occur.

Also, the side characters lost time. Masashi is just a tool to keep Yuri away and help Harumi mess up. Not to mention that he would have been perfectly happy to wait FOREVER for Harumi's answer to his proposal. Masashi gets no development in the end or growth. I had hoped for a bigger Masashi and Mo-mo ending.

I was happy with Eto Mika and Kisa (I think that's his name, the quiet one that rarely spoke) were heavily hinted to start a romance. Though wasted time means we didn't get a pick further down the line for them either.

The most important part is that Miwa and Tsukasa had an engagement party. Though didn't the white dress mean married? It was so sweet. They learned to dance together and were clearly happy. They were a couple, and people, that others rolled their eyes and said were crazy. They didn't waste any time. Even with crazy lies and misunderstanding. They were the ones with the best romance the entire drama. So I suppose that does help make up for Yuri's and Harumi's disappointing rush of an ending.

The ironic thing is that Harumi was weird and Yuri was. This drama was a drama of weird couples finding each other. Yamashita's wife always asking for a divorce then wanting him back. Then when she gets the divorce she wants him back, then when he's supposed to marry her again she's making him work for it. Yamashita seems happy in the end. Miwa and Tsukasa, the best couple in this drama. Then Harumi and Yuri.

Finally Harumi and her mom resolve things. Really I didn't understand how they could have dragged it out so long. In the end her mom wants her not to marry someone for Todai. Ha-ha.

The dramatic ending was sweet. We get our HEA! I've rambled on and on. So I will say I did appreciate the Harumi like ending. She realizes that Yuri truly likes her. That her feeble attempts to hide behind her age and other practical adult things was stupid. The best part for me is she finally decides, when her fear is cast aside, that she doesn't want to waste any more time. She wants to marry him ASAP! That was brilliant!! Heck! I might have loved her quizzing him about begin with her more than the final kiss! So I will give mad props to that whole setup. They did a good job there.

I'm a picking last episode viewer. *shrugs* Also, I realize how badly I want to see them as weird adults openly in love. It still is a wonderful HEA.

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