My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax is the third and final season that is based on the light novels. This season is twelve episodes long. The anime follows the trio, Hikgaya, Yukino and Yui as they grappled with their issues during high school. They’re part of the Services Club, who help others’ problems when asked, however, this part takes a backseat in this season as it deals with the relationship between the three instead.
After the cliffhanger ending of the previous season, the first episode has Yukino slowly open up and we finally get a better idea of her family situation. It’s not much but it is enough to give it some more context to how things have been up until this point. It doesn’t paint a hopeful future though and there are still things that is hard to understand, but it keeps things going.
Perhaps more importantly is how much this season feels like it is the final season. Apart from the fact it has “End” in its Japanese title (and to a similar degree, “Climax” in the English title), there is a distinct feel that this is it and the story will end. All this time, it’s either obvious, or at the very least, you would suspect, that both Yui and Yukino has feelings for Hikigaya, despite some of their jabs at him. This is even more apparent early on and sets the tone for the rest of the season.
The season is charged with emotion, and focuses on things like familial bonds, friendship, and of course romance. Everyone seems to be hurt and overwhelmed by their feelings that they can’t put into words. It’s tough to watch but it also feels part of youth. A constant theme is how time continues to march on and they’ll grow into adults. Not only does it give it a sort of nostalgic feel in that aspect but it is also melancholic, especially with a lot of the scenes taking place during sunset. Then there are the graduations and farewells of several of the characters.
It can still be a bit confusing at times given that so many characters are holding their feelings close to their hearts. They don’t express everything that’s in their mind, which is reflective of reality. Although to be honest, the biggest drama is how the trio are so dependent on each other, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It lingers on certain events for a long time, yet brushes over other events afterwards. Granted, it wanted to focus on the relationships given that everything else is just a framing device for that, but it’s still inconsistent.
The tone and atmosphere have gradually become heavier and heavier so that it feels very different compared to the more cheerful first season. That said, similarly to last season, there are scenes where it just gives a classic romcom hilarious zinger that can feel so out of place, but so funny and worth it at the same time (a special mention to the rap battle that just randomly happened). It doesn’t help with the direction, where a heavy dramatic scene or event is followed by a lighter, almost inconsequential in comparison, scene or event.
Yukino’s sister and mother are the closest thing to an antagonist that the anime has. Her sister, Haruno, in particular, acts in a way that can be particularly downright confusing. She’s not malevolent by any means but can be quite meddling with the way that she provides seeds of doubt to each of the characters. Hikigaya does make things too difficult although that’s part of his character. He just can’t express his emotions in a simple way and must go via a more convoluted path. Yet he can see right through people and between the lines, he’s a perplexing character at times.
And with all romance where there is an official pairing, there will be a happy ending, and a not-so-happy ending. While you’re happy for the official couple, at the same time, a character will be cast aside and hurt. It’s one of those things where you want to see the ending, but at the same time, don’t want it to end (and as an extension, not breaking the status quo).
It has a spectacular ending, and the last episode feels perfectly at home in the romcom genre, in a great way. It was emotional, it was funny, it was sweet, and most important of all, it worked. While the journey to the ending wasn’t the most interesting or the best, it developed the characters enough so that you cared about them. You don’t want to tear your eyes away for a moment, and how the characters reacted, being shy, awkward but also earnest and (finally) true to their feelings, it was perfect. A shout out to the opening and closing themes of the series as a whole, as they are all great and used to good effect throughout the seasons. Although since it focused on resolving the romantic aspect, it was at the expense of all the supporting characters, who just kind of got left out.
Overall, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax, despite bogged down writing and some things that are not spelled out completely, is a good anime with characters that are strangely endearing. Each one has their issues and watching the three of them flounder while trying to get back on their feet has you feeling protective of them. You’d want them to be happy, and yes, just like the characters, you’d wish some of the happy times would go on forever. That’s the whole point though, with the characters having a tough time at their own honest communication with each other, but still managing to create such a strong emotion. This, and the fact that it approaches its themes with such subtlety and nuance is why the anime can feel so special.
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