School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To
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Review — School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To
I don’t think I have ever cried this much while watching something that wasn’t sad.
School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To is, on paper, a very simple story. A high school setting. A school trip. A boy who ends up in a group he doesn’t really belong to. A quiet, gentle romance that slowly unfolds between Hioki and Watarai. Nothing about it is loud, heavy, or overcomplicated. And yet, for me, it became something deeply emotional, intimate, and unforgettable.
From the very first episode, this series felt warm. Not dramatic warmth — but the kind that slowly settles in your chest. Week after week, every Saturday, I looked forward to it, and it never disappointed. It told its story through small moments: glances, shared silences, awkward conversations, soft smiles. It trusted the viewer to feel rather than be told what to feel, and that trust paid off beautifully.
When I watched the final episode, something unexpected happened. I started crying within the first few minutes — not because the story was sad, not because something painful was happening, but simply because it was beautiful. The tears didn’t stop. They weren’t desperate or heavy; they just kept flowing, as if my emotions had nowhere else to go. I wasn’t grieving the end. I wasn’t empty. I was full.
This series carries an incredible emotional richness despite its simplicity. It captures the tenderness of first love, the vulnerability of feeling out of place, and the quiet comfort of being chosen — not loudly, not dramatically, but sincerely. Hioki’s insecurity and Watarai’s gentle attentiveness feel real in a way that’s rare. Their relationship grows naturally, without forcing conflict, and that made it feel honest and safe.
By the time it ended, I wasn’t sad. I was happy. Completely, genuinely happy. The story didn’t leave a hole; it left warmth. It felt complete. It felt kind.
I can say without hesitation that this is my favorite series of 2025. More than that, within this genre, it has taken my number one spot. I already know I’ll rewatch it — not to relive drama, but to return to a place that feels soft, innocent, and emotionally sincere.
School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To reminded me that a story doesn’t need to be intense or tragic to move you deeply. Sometimes, gentleness is enough. Sometimes, quiet love is the most powerful kind.
And sometimes, beauty makes you cry — not because it hurts, but because it exists.
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