Hold me

I don’t want to live anymore!

What the hell am I supposed to do every Tuesdays now? My life is meaningless without Kumirei to look forward to. Hell, I am even missing the insanity that went on in all the Hibike discussion sites! Nothing is gonna be the same ever again!

Perfection – Only way I can describe the way this series ended, hell, the whole series overall! The final episode was the best out of them all and I all but give up on anyone who was disappointed by this final episode! You don’t deserve anything if you did not truly love this closure! So much happening, so much KumiRei! You know how we used to get a moment each episode of the two? Well, this episode there was not one, not two, not three, but four!! We got four awesome KumiRei moments in the span of one episode!!! This is the only episode that should not have any time to spare on ‘not the focus of the anime’ moment like many seem to want to think of KumiRei!

Based KyoAni not only gave everyone else their due, actual competition and putting a stop to drama between Kumiko and Shoo1 but they kept to the skeleton of the anime story. And that is KumiRei’s closeness.

Seriously, why is it so hard to comprehend that the anime was about KumiRei first and everything else second?! 80% of promotional material is all about these two AND the distance between them! The anime began not with the focus on the actual music (KumiRei’s school playing and losing and focusing more on the team as a whole) but on KumiRei and their reactions on losing! Kumiko changed her mind to join the club because of Reina! Kumiko wanted to improve and worked harder because of Reina! KumiRei are the primary focus of this anime and the music is secondary! Hell, this episode that was supposed to be primarily about the competition was mostly spent on who? Yeah, I thought as much!

I have mentioned in in almost every post about this show but the progress of the story has been due to the chemistry between these two. At the basic level it has been Reina at the core of everything because she affected almost all of Reina’s decision through out the show! Every step forward had Reina’s insignia on it and though it mostly affected Kumiko’s life, if we take this to be Kumiko’s story then Reina, by relation, also affected the progress of the overall storyline.

I was just so blown away by the last episode! I didn’t actually think that KyoAni would deliver. I was hopeful but I was ready to be let down so hard I would lose my sanity! But KyoAni delivered and in Aces! They could have just as easily only given us that last shot, the best ever last scene in a movie, TV, or game that I have ever seen by the way! But they did not! They gave and gave us through out the episode as if saying ‘sorry, you can’t deny this anymore! We will remind you that we are seriously about KumiRei until the best deal sealer at the very end!’ And man, what a scene that was!

Now sure, me having a major fetish with hands, especially hand-holding, should be enough to tell that I was going to worship based KumiRei as the ship of the year but come on! Anyone who did not appreciate that ending, that whole scene, doesn’t deserve this series! God, I am so happy and glad that I got the chance to watch this as it aired! Sure there was a lot of anger towards the viewers (yes, the viewers not the show, hell, I liked Shoo1 more than most of those commenters in any discussion threads) but that made the conclusion all that heavenly!

Oh great, I am only on the introduction and it’s already 600 words! At this rate I either won’t have anything to say about the actual scenes or I will have to write a novel just to discuss a single episode! So with that said…

Me and KyoAni

 
 

 

As soon as I saw that music book, I did not even have to think about it before that promo art of KumiRei in Kumiko’s room listening to the same music through the same earphones invaded my mind! That had to be the same book, especially given the location. It was not, then Kumiko would have this book and there would be two of them. But there was one, Reina had it while Kumiko secretly adored her beautiful face framed with concentration.

This was just seconds into the episode, just seconds people and I was already clawing at the wall! Oh yeah, for some reason ever since episode 11 I have settle for clawing at my wall to supress the screams fighting to get free from all the excitement! Let’s just say I am glad not many come wandering into my room because I am pretty sure any day now I could walk into the house only to find a stretcher with a restrain jacket awaiting me in the living room with guards everywhere!

Kind of unrelated but I found it funny how all we saw of Kumiko’s parents so far have been shadowy people! I mean come on, you showed us her sister, would parents kill you? If you remember that time Kumiko went to pick up her phone from school, her Dad was also a shadowy figure. Well, I think that was her Dad anyway!

Speaking of last episode, isn’t is just marvellous how they totally ignored that scene where Kumiko mentioned Taki-sensei (What, he was cute this episode) and Reina went all NSA in demanding answers? And even funnier, the way they handled it instead?!

Okay, bear with me here. I am probably going to be doing this a lot, jumping through scene to scene but my sides are totally killing me when I think that if Reina still thought that that incident I mentioned at their second date last episode, she sure reacted to it in a completely opposite way! If KyoAni was being attentive, they could have started the episode with KumiRei being distant because of that misunderstanding! Christ, she was so shocked that she dropped the bottle of water (that I still believe she had brought for Kumiko BTW).

And yet instead of the cold shoulder, Reina was out for some Kumiko blood in a completely different way! All KumiRei developments this episode were initiated by Reina! It was just so side-crushing when this truth finally came to me. If anything, the way she was acting this episode I would go as far as to say that Reina was jealous of Taki-sensei instead of Kumiko! My God, Reina was all over Kumiko this episode! But then you remember back to all the previous episodes and realise that Reina has been the dominant since day one! Forgot? A quick crush course then…

Anime opens with Reina, whose tears affects Kumiko so much she still has vivid recollection of that face which haunts her months and months later. Then, though some will argue about this, Those memories combined with the fact that the very same Reina appears in her high school and joins the band, makes Kumiko decide to join too despite having said no to both Shuichi (Why the hell not? He is a bro now) and Sapphire and Hazuki. Then after three episodes of Kumiko trying to talk to Reina, Reina calls her out in private to apologise, in the process giving Kumiko the confidence to finally speak to Reina (even though she runs away soon after like a bat out of the Batcave). In the episode that some still consider the best KumiRei episode, Reina made Kumiko take off her armour during that flirting that happened on the way up to the mountains, a process that had already began the first time they met on the train and Reina did the thing. Still in episode 8, Reina showed Kumiko that she can be comfortable with her through the physical touches, and she opened up to Kumiko by spilling one of her secrets. An episode later, they were on first name basis and Kumiko made us all melt everything she said Reina’s name!

All happenings so far have happened because of Reina! Seriously, where would this anime be without her? I can’t come up with any answers, can you? Since the very first episode Reina has been surprising Kumiko and the best surprise had to be that last scene! I swear Kumiko’s mouth did not close during all that time! I just love how Reina can still surprise her after all that has happened.

 

 
 
 

And there I go again, totally swivelling off course! Back to the episode, a minute later, literally a minute later on the train we get out very first KumiRei moment! Raise your hand if you thought we would be getting anything that early. No one? Alright then, moving on…Kumiko is sitting on the train air-practicing her moves till the very end when Shuichi shows up and sits next to her.

Apologies. It was not Shuichi but Reina! The very first time in the whole of anime where the two go to school together! The very first time and the last!

Based KyoAni!

Anyway Reina saunters over to where Kumiko is sitting and totally ignoring all the space around she sits so close she might has well have sat on Kumiko’s lap! Kumiko was surprised because she too, like, I, was not expecting to see Reina! It was totally their first time going to school together! Reina greets Kumiko, who greets back with exactly the same feeling as Reina had! Then Reina starts doing the thing…

You all know what I am referring to and let me tell you all that one scene took me over tem minutes to watch! When Reina nudged Kumiko’s sides with her elbow I paused the video, turned to my poor wall, tried not to scream and started to scratch the skin off of my fingers! That took me five minutes. I pressed play and got Kumiko returning the favour! Paused that video and once again turned to the poor wall! Ths time it took me three minutes! Turned out they were not done, as Reina did it again, then Kumiko, then Reina again and then Kumiko who afterwards turned to Reina then let out a laugh I haven’t heard her give in front of Reina before!

Poor Wall-kun!

When my psycho mode meter was depleted, I hit rewind, paused, then went down to the kitchen to grab a coffee – It was 2 frikkin am! With my coffee in hand, I commenced the experience and watching that scene without having to pause it even second brought tears to my eyes! I was so not prepared for such a scene so early one! God, I even thought it was Shuichi who was coming over to sit next to Kumiko, but it was not him! It was Reina, the alpha of this relationship without a doubt! I had wet feet going into this episode. After this scene my confidence went all the way to 11.

 
 
Reina: Um excuse me…NO!






That homusekkusu, how hardcore will it be?

Why fuckin dares!?!

Oh, Natsuki-senpai. Don’t mind me…

I am just going to stick to KumiRei first because my God, if I don’t get them out of the system early I know I am going to be here all day! So let’s get on with the next KumiRei scene that comes out way.

Enter jealous Reina! As the band awaits their turn to use the preparation room, Kumiko catches sight of her friend from middle school, you know that one we saw in the matching episode that tried to steal Kumiko but the Reina pull was too strong and Kumiko had to decline. When the two see each other, the friend waves to Kumiko who returns it. The two smile at each other only to be interrupted by Reina calling Kumiko’s name.

Reina has her back to Kumiko as she asks Reina to help her tie her hair back. The surprise on Kumiko’s face is a dish that I have come to savour every single moment Reina and come come into contact. Reina just interrupted Kumiko and Friend’s sweet moment because Kumiko is hers and hers alone! This is not the first time she has crushed the party! The very first time Reina speaks to Kumiko she crushed Shuichi party that one time that she brought up Taki-sensei. Everyone else took the obvious away from that scene but not me! Kumiko and Shuichi will be left alone together over her dead body!

She did it again on the train if you remember! That time too it was the Shuichi party that she crashed! Yeah, sure, when Kumiko is by herself she seats a car away but when Kumiko is with Shuichi she seats an arm’s length away! Others call this autism but I call it genius! And this wasn’t the last Shuichi party she crushed! Remember the festival episode when she just so happens to be there when Kumiko is looking for a scape goat for the date? Yeah, Reina was so not raining on that parade!

And there is a scene that came before the festival that I forgot to mention. That time that Kumiko first has trouble with the notes. Shuichi is watching her as Asuka-senpai helps her out. Feeling the freezing gaze of Medusa on him, Shuichi turns in that direction and lo and behold, Reina has her burning eyes on him!

Speaking of which, funny how no one mentioned the inclination that Reina might be into Shuichi given the amount of fearful speculation surrounding every little scene in this show. Does Reina liking Taki-sensei make her so obsolete?

But that is not the point, the point is that Reina has had a lot of moments that could have been taken as jealousy towards other people getting close to Kumiko. Hell, I have already said this but thinking of episode 12 now and how Reina took that information about Kumiko being alone with Taki-sensei, I would think she was jealous of Taki-sensei instead of Kumiko. She just so blatantly cut Kumiko and Friend’s moment here to not see it as a party crusher!

Back to the hair tying, if we remember in episode 8, Reina was very fine with tying her own hair! It was the perfect opportunity given that they were alone and they were doing the seduction thing but they did not do it then. Instead Reina chose this moment with girls from all schools present and able to see them, to ask Kumiko to tie her hair for her!

First of all who does that?! I have seen many a yuri scene and I have yet to see a girl asking another to tie their hair for them! I have seen it maybe once or twice when the friend offers to help but no one ever asks another girl to tie their hair for them! So Reina doing this, in front of all those students was…OMG! Was this a statement?! Was she telling all that Kumiko is taken?

I don’t even…

And even if you think that is not the case, if you think that Reina did that just to put Kumiko at ease, it is as equally touching a scene! But since many seem to think that Reina is autistic, that thought probably never flew. So I shall settle for the Reina putting a claim of Kumiko in front of everyone.

What’s even better, those awesome Animators did not forget the consistency because we finally got the S & M insinuations of these two’s relationship put into actual motion when Reina asks Kumiko to ‘do it tightly’! Kumiko agreed, all accompanied with a blush to seal the deal!

My God, I am telling you all! This anime! Okay, that’s it! This is going to be the very first BluRay Anime Box I buy from Japan! I already know what my Christmas present this year is going to be! I am also already thinking of the music for those AMVs that will definitely me made once all the BDs are released! Hibike is just so good!

The way Kumiko was gently touching Reina as she prepared the mass of raven traces into a pony…My heart! But then Reina asked her to put more force into it and she grabbed that pony in a tight grip…

Please save me!

And that animation! It was perfect! From the moment that we see Reina standing, her ass in Kumiko’s face before kneeling down to her level, then the angel switching to the front of Reina and we get the shot of the two in one frame…based Kyoto Animation!

 
 

But if you thought Reina was done, dear Reader, where has your mind been during all the episodes? Once the band is inside the preparation room and Taki-sensei is giving them the last speech, Reina does it again! I found it absolutely funny the way they decided to align KumiRei and Shuichi. Was it Reina’s doing? I mean she could have just as easily been standing right next to Kumiko, especially seeing as now everyone must know they are close but for some reason she chose to stand behind Reina. Even better she made sure to leave space for Shuichi that was in the last row, had Kumiko in his sight! She wanted him to see what would be doing next.

Making Kumiko squeal out loud by running a finger down her lower back!

The jellies on Shuichi’s face were so grand the animators blurred his face out! Come on, you can’t tell me that the only reason he went up to Kumiko after words was because he saw Reina doing that to Kumiko and decided that the only way to move forward was to do what Reina had done, surprise her! Since you can’t go wrong when you bet on Reina, it worked and Shuichi won himself a bro-fist! Yay, friends again and everyone lived happily ever after! All that drama resolved with a single fist bump! Based KyoAni!

But back to Reina, unless I think of the reasons for her pocking Kumiko like that to be the one I have mentioned above, I just don’t see why she had done it there! If I think of it as another way of relaxing a nervous Kumiko then there was no reason for the Shuichi scene that was supposed to be the one to get Kumiko out of her nervous state. But that did not work because we saw she was still nervous when she sat down and Asuka had to do some more calming! So, not only did they take the romantic implications from poor Shuichi (there was hand holding from what I hear btn Shuichi and Kumiko in the novel) but they even took away his manliness of calming Kumiko down because Reina had done it three times already (If you count the train – She made Kumiko laugh damn it!) but Asuka and Natsuki-senpai did too! So that scene was more about Shuichi and Kumiko getting out of their weird drama stupor. I was actually all ready for that chapter to be closed because Shuichi looked ready to commit suicide if they did not talk some time soon. That shot of him on the train by his lonesome was just too sad!

This anime dear Readers! It just went and made me sympathize with the should-have-been love interest! This is like, a first time for me! But really, only a monster would not feel for this guy the way they have treated him this whole time. To think that in another universe he was Kumiko’s boyfriend…

HA!

 
 


The way Reina said Kumiko’s name…My God!
 

It’s a phenomena known as Déjà vu! You go to a place that you have never been but it seems familiar. You look into the eyes of a stranger but you feel like you’ve know your whole life – Déjà vu!

And so dear Readers, we are at the final KumiRei moment. It is the best ever in the whole show hands down! Forget running fingers down Kumiko’s nose and lip! Forget holding Kumiko in a tight embrace! Forget staring into Kumiko’s eyes only an inch apart! Those scenes, the whole lot of them, pale in comparison to this final scene! This scene was out of this world! So out of this world in fact, that when I first saw Kumiko and Reina sitting there on the floor side by side, I thought we were back to that flashback as they announced the middle school results.

Kumiko had the same hair-do, didn’t seem aged an inch from then and Reina had her head down just as that time! I was sitting there trying to think of the reason as to why they would be showing us that flashback now of all places but the joke was on me! This was no flashback! This was the now! It was like having those two scene running seamlessly in the same frame!

It was as if the feelings of their first real encounter were revived and running alongside the feelings they have now! Like, how damn romantic is that?! And everything proceeds as before at first! Kumiko is Kumiko, doesn’t shoe much of a reaction when they find out that they are going to the nationals. But of course we can tell that while she might not have been that affected with the results that time, this time she was more in surprised shock. But the surprises were just beginning!

Just like looking into both words at he same time, Kumiko is once again faced with moe-Reina! I call that crying Reina moe-Reina because come on! I nearly fell when Kumiko’s mouth dropped at seeing this Kumiko that she never thought would ever see again except in her dreams right in front of her in real D! But Reina as always still had a bag of surprises because unlike last time, this time she launches herself at Kumiko to hold her in a hug, tears all but falling like waterfalls!

Kumiko’s mouth!

Seriously, you would think that after everything that has happened that Kumiko would be ready for more Reina surprises but apparently not! That girls’ mouth couldn’t be lifted with a fork lift off of that floor! She couldn’t even say a word but then again, with her brain frozen on Reina ice-cream, who could blame her?

So, the last time Kumiko saw Reina cry, we got a whole season of Kumiko trying to figure out the reasons for those tears! She had dreams and constant thoughts about that crying Reina! And so I am left to wonder dear KyoAni, where is my sequel where Kumiko now is haunted by these bouts of tears? We know they are happy tears so what moment will make Kumiko understand these happy tears? Will it be after the two have a fall out and then get back together so hard they finally realise their true feeling, then kiss? Is that when? Make it happen KyoAni!

That moment dear Readers! Seeing Reina like that, I guess that is what surprised Kumiko most. A vulnerable Reina is a rare Reina and these being happy tears makes that much of a difference from the first tears! That look on her face as she leaned against Kumiko was just….hngggggggg! But that is only the icing on the cake! The cake was the very last scene before the prologues…

Feast your eyes at this scene, for it is the scene that killed Black Gekikara! The very last shot of the anime and it is a close up of…of Kumiko and Reina’s h-hands…Kumiko and Reina’s hand joined! KumiRei holding hands…

Excuse me, I need a moment…

Okay, where were we? Ah yeah, KumiRei holding hand with their fingers intertwined.

“…”

I’m sorry, I did not catch that, can we repeat that again? Because I pretty sure that I just wrote KumiRei were holding hands with their fingers inter-twined.

*Heavy Breathing*

Oh yeah, the camera zooned in on their fingers and we could clearly make out this invisible read thread of fate wrapped around their joined hands. It was marvello-

*Heart Attack*

*Sirens blaring*

 
 



 

 
 
 
 

*Awakens in a white room with beeping sounds*

*Grabs the N3 from the table*

Ah, sorry about that. I must apologise. Due to health risks, the Doctor has advised me against writing any more about the final scene so I will switch to the other happenings that are not KumiRei related!

And where best to begin than with the best girl (next to KumiRei of course. I just thought it is worthy mentioning because others forget to mention it when they declare best girls. Best girls come after KumiRei!). Anyway my best girl is Natsuki-senpai! Had Hazuki not fucked up at the festival when she declared to support Shuichi and Kumiko (something that did not happen at all actually), the happenings of the last few episodes actually made me like her quite a lot and she would have been best girl but episode 8, and the ones previous where she was pressuring Kumiko about her and Shuichi, takes a huge deal of points off.

So Natsuki-senpai is best girl! In fact next to KumiRei I think she has been the one that has grown so well through the show. This is the same girl that was looking out windows like she was emo personified! But by the end of the show she is the exact opposite of that girl! She is the Bro of this series! Between her and Kyoko (PMMM) there is enough Bro power to take down 50 Kaminas!

Not only is she such a bro but she is also one of the ships! The first and forefront being her and Ribbon-chan! She has been so nice to that little monster and I do believe it was because of her that Ribbon-chan went from best hated girl to, she is kind of cute girl! I missed to mention them last episode but they have gotten some nice scenes together and this episode is no different.

So, there is this scene outside with all the band members gathered. The ones that did not make it into the competing line-up had not been sitting on their asses. They surprised the participating members when they gave out good luck charms that they had made themselves. Natsuki-senpai made one for Ribbon-chan who was blushing so hard when she got it that she did not even react to the teasing from Natsuki-senpai.

I can just see these two ending up together down the line because really, we haven’t see Ribbon-chan with Kaori-senpai since the battle of the trumpets and yet she has been having fun with Natsuki-senpai. I guess those tears after Kaori-senpai lost were really of double-meaning!

Not that I blame her because really, when Kaori-senpai is not out to impress Asuka-senpai she spends more time with Haruka-buchou than with Ribbon-chan. And they are in different grades with Kaori to soon graduate while Natsuki-senpai and Ribbon-chan are in the same grade. Everything works out.

Really, if even a ship with only a year of difference doesn’t stay afloat, how is the Taki-sensei/Reina ship even going to take off? Oh wait I know, it doesn’t! Wait, why am I even talking about this? Novel and Anime Universes are two different things!

Going back to Natsuki-senpai, she was such a bro this episode. Not only did she do awesome work on Ribbon-chan but it seems like she got herself another admirer in Hazuki! Interesting because I think those two have the same atmosphere about them. Actually these two could be picked up all the way in the beginning of the episode while the band was still at school. Hazuki was looking melancholically at Shuichi, who of course was drowning in his Kumiko sorrows, when Natsuki-senpai took Hazuki away to save her from herself.

I was left to wonder of what that scene meant by the way. From what happened a bit later when Hazuki offered to help Shuichi with the cases, I think that she was thinking of just being friends with him because really, if even I could start feeling pity for the guy, Hazuki who had crush on him should have felt for his predicament too.

But if she did, isn’t it just interesting how she did not go and give Kumiko about a piece of her mind? I mean she doesn’t have to be all Ribbon-chan about it but still, I thought it would have been the perfect time for her to start that campaign in helping him get with Kumiko.

But it did not happen!

This is a serious point here. Instead what we got was she making an identical pair of charms for KumiRei that were only different in colour and had each other’s initials stitched on them. Hazuki even saw it fit to mention that little fact, they were identical! She should have been conspiring with awesome Natsuki-senpai to get Kumiko and Shuichi to talk!

And why am I saying this?!!

Back to the point, Natsuki-senpai was on a role this episode. The classroom scene wasn’t the only one between her and Hazuki. During the performance, she and Hazuki were listening in from the halls and I just can’t explain their moment there. I gotta say this ship came out of nowhere and yet I totally dig it! There is just something about two people with the same attributes being a perfect match for one another.

Natsuki-senpai for president! Seriously, she should be the president of the band next year! Ribbon-chan will be the vice-prezy of course! Things would not go to shit with Natsuki-senpai in charge, let alone with best Ribbon-chan (the one not blinded by Kaori-senpai) backing her up. KumiRei would be the Aces of course.

Sadfag
 
  
Ship!
 
 

Kakke Sapphire-chan!


She literally brought the two together! Based Hazuki!

Bro’d so hard!

My wish already came true! Based KyoAni!
 
Eh, why the hell not?
 
 
dat moment when…

Everyone is looking up in hope. Meanwhile Asuka-senpai be like…

And I’m like: Bitch pls!


Cute ^^

What was up with all that screentime?!
 
 

 
 

And there you have it Ladies and Gentlemen, the most rollercoaster anime I remember ever watching has come to an end and what an end! Be honest, you did not think we would get a closure even remotely close to this one! Everyone has had their minds spoiled silly by the novels but if there is a lucky person out there that is still innocent, how lucky you are! Without the novel bulshit this is a Rank ZZZ yuri anime!

Hell, even as I have been unfortunate to be spoiled by the novel people, I am still declaring this one of the greatest yuri anime ever! All that talk about could have’s, will be’s and might be’s took a lot away from the experience! Can you just imagine not knowing about what will happen and thus not worrying about the next episode and what each scene with anyone means? It would have been perfect!

But then again, that feeling of dread only to feel relief when the feared did not happen added a certain charm to the experience! The ending was that much sweeter and satisfying because we were worried about all the novel talk! But I still can’t help but think of experiencing the show for what it is instead of what might be! Looking at it from a person not known of the novel, there is no blurry lines in KumiRei’s relationship.

From somewhat strangers, to the level of their relationship by the end, it was bordering on perfection the way their story was told! I keep saying it over and over again but I will take hand-sex any day over kissing! Ending not only KumiRei but the whole damn show on a close of…of…KumiRei’s clasped hands with fingers inter-locked is the gayest ending to any anime I have ever seen!

Seriously, try saying a mantra of how the novel doesn’t exist, or the anime being an AU of the novels then re-watch the whole show and come back and tell me that it isn’t yuri!

The only other time I have seen a story being this about characters like Hibike is about KumiRei was when I watched that JDrama ‘Garasu no Kamen’ that aired way back in 1997 I believe. The chemistry between Maya and Ayumi was just so out of this world! That was the only straight drama I watched through and through because those two’s dynamics were record breaking! Interestingly, the teacher in that fell in love with Maya and despite the age difference that ship took off! Yeah, it was really painful sitting through that series (there was two seasons and some OVA too) but that Ayumi/Maya relationship was just so irresistible. Things in Hibike could have easily fallen apart, oh so easily the more I think of all the possibilities but it did not! KumiRei were ENDGAME, literally!

Hibike is the show of the year! All other shows wish they were discussed as deeply as Hibike was, even though apart from japan, they were al ship wars! I visited a certain Japanese board after episode 11 aired just to see their reaction to the kiss that maybe happened part2, and out of hundreds of different types of Hibike threads, I chose one that had about 170 sub threads. Out of those 170, I had to go back all the way to the 130^th thread to catch the scene in question being mentioned. These are all 1001 post threads!!! And really, there is no need to mentioned 4chan!

KumiRei on the other hand is the ship of the year!

That is a fact, no need to stretch it out! This is a year that has NanoFate in it! Even the het couple in what had to be the most anticipated anime (FSN UBW) Rin and Shirou, wish they garnered even a fraction of the interest that KumiRei received. Poor ufotable. If only they high fived KyoAni and went the Saber/Rin route! I have a feeling that could have saved the show from the borefest that was the second half of the series! I was so disappointed by that show, but you could already tell I am sure.

Everyone have the right to delude themselves that Hibike ruled because of the usual KyoAni animation ninja skills or because of music parts (that were like 20% of everything) but the truth is KumiRei made this anime! It is KumiRei that could have broken this anime as well! Thank God they did not do the breaking!

Best Anime of the Year!

My only disappointment from the finale, which isn’t reall that big of a deal and I believe everyone felt this, is that the planets were not mentioned at all. Now sure the events took place during the day and I am so deep in my delusions of KumiRei’s hands being a representation of those planets coming together but still, I was awaiting for a KumiRei moment under the full moon, accompanied by the two mingling planets! How awesome could it have been if they saved the Hand Holding for later that night? KumiRei would be back to ‘the place they found love’ then they don’t even have to say anything, they just hold hands as they look out to the sky, or over the city lights). How awesome would that have been?!

But I am inclined to believe in KyoAni, especially after giving us this ending! Many are speculating about that 14^th (OVA) episode with the last BD volume so maybe they are saving the planets’ romantic phase for that episode? I want to believe but I won’t get my hopes up. I have seen BDs that come with only one episode before! But if there is an extra episode, I have to believe that the planets will be in that one. The series is over so there is no more reason to keep in alignment with the real world happenings. For all we know that is part 2 of the last episode!

Or someone might put that in a fic and we don’t need to wait until December. Disclaiming that idea in case you come across such a fic BTW…nah, I kid!

Sorry guys, I just don’t want to end this post. I feel like when I post this that is it! I can no longer run away from the truth! That truth being that Hibike is over! This is it. Once I press this submit button it will be like the stamp of truth!

What do?

Oh well…