Rolling Review – Irozuku (13)

Episode Synopsis:

The time has finally come to send Hitomi back to her own time. All of her friends step up to encourage her and say what their time together has meant, though Aoi is still unable to fully express his feelings. But when something disrupts the time travel spell, he and Hitomi are finally able to confess their love before saying goodbye. Hitomi returns to the moment when she left her own time, now able to see all the colors she had long missed. 

Review:

Irozuku wraps up nicely with this final episode. The cultural festival is over, Hitomi and her friends have become close enough for their tearful goodbyes, and despite his best efforts, Aoi finally says what we’ve been subconsciously elbowing him in the ribs to say since around episode 6. We also get a lovely coda between Hitomi and Kohaku, which I feel is the strongest part of the show.

We open with Kohaku and the rest of the club finalizing the ritual to send Hitomi back home. Each of the members gets to say their goodbyes, and it’s satisfying to see how their time together has influenced them. No one seems to have changed much (with some exception made for Asagi), but for a friendship that lasted only one school year, it feels genuine.

Regarding Aoi, his final moments with Hitomi were fine, and I’m glad he didn’t end up being sent to the future with her, as that would’ve created far too many problems for a traditional happy ending. However, the lack of development in their relationship after episode 10 left things feeling cut short. I’m not sure how you would make it more satisfying without altering the entire second half of the show, but as it stands, their relationship never felt as crucial to the plot as it should have.

In spite of my misgivings about the two of them, the scene where Hitomi discovers that the picture book she could see colors in as a child was written by Aoi was moving. I teared up a bit as she read each character’s page, seeing their words laid over the friends that had inspired them. It’s a suitably emotional sendoff for the club, and a bonding moment for Hitomi and Kohaku, who can now share those precious memories.

Summary:

Episode 13 is a moving finale to an enjoyable drama. It pushes the soft, colorful animation that drew me into the show to the forefront, and brings the story around to its beginning, in a proper time travel tale. I wish we could have gotten a little more closure on some elements, but that’s a small complaint in an otherwise enjoyable show. Irozuku ends as it began – a melancholy but beautiful show, with a heavy dash of magic. Let us know what you think, and be sure to check out our podcast discussion when it arrives soon!

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