My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU

## Season 1

### Soundtrack

The soundtrack is just fine. I enjoyed the opening. It sounded a bit like a traditional anime anthem opening, so there's nothing to complain about. The credits song's also pretty good, it fits within the comedy genre.

### Thoughts

When I first came across Oregairu online, it just looked like any other romance anime out there. There's a loser loner guy who's kind of upfront, there's a kind of popular girl, and there's another girl who's kind of the opposite of the guy but also the prettiest girl in the school. It looks and seems boring, especially with the relatively old animation. Just watching a clip won't convince anyone to watch this anime. Nevertheless, Oregairu surprised me with how solid its writing is. There is genuinely nothing to complain about. The show executes its themes incredibly well.

Oregairu is about Hachiman's so-called "rehabilitation" regarding his outlook on life. He's what you'd call apathetic by choice. I think this show portrays that really well. I enjoy hearing his inner thoughts every time. He's always so condescending to everyone, including himself. But, he does still care about the people around him. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to care about himself enough to care about his life. I can't say I currently feel the exact same way as him, but I've been in a similar situation, and I completely understand how he feels. It's as if the world is against you, it's changing and you can't do anything about it. He hasn't given up, but it's more like skipping to the "acceptance" stage of grief. He accepts life for what it is, for its flaws and all that. Yet, what he must learn is that he only has one chance at this life and he should treasure it.

I think this show really portrays how complicated relationships can be. It isn't just about friends and happiness and all that, nor is it about sadness, anger, and all the "negative" emotions. Yes, the show does portray those emotions, but it's not the main point of the story. I think Oregairu's true theme is about the many solutions in life. Everyone wants to think of themselves as righteous, pushing their own beliefs and ways to succeed in life. Some solutions might be better than others, but introducing a more "moral" solution won't necessarily bring a better outcome. This is what the show's truly about. People's lives are so much more complicated than in media (ironically). It's not just plug and play, copy and paste, follow what everyone else is doing. Life's more complicated than that, and some situations need more complicated, sometimes bitter solutions. This is why I love this show so much. The problems the characters are facing look so simple at first, then you begin to understand why a "normal" solution just wouldn't work. Everything's different!

Each and every character is just so endearing. Yes, there's still the charm of the medium that is anime. Nevertheless, there isn't a single conversation that I wouldn't expect to happen in real life. I think this is another thing this anime portrays well. About how each and every person's life is a result of the things that they did and happened to them. Everyone has their own worries and desires. This show portrays that aspect incredibly well.

Enough about the general view at the story. I'd like to talk about the story itself. For the first time, I can say that I really enjoyed the structure. At first, it was just about Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui solving other people's problems, bonding over figuring out how to solve their problems. If the show was just about that, it would be pretty good. What makes this anime special is the second half, though. The first 3 episodes after the midpoint were about Hachiman and Yui's relationship. I enjoyed how they juggled the guilt they had regarding Hachiman's accident. The way they resolved it was also incredibly mature, they just had to move forward. They were even from then on, and could still be friends. I was surprised to see this level of emotional depth in this show.

After that arc, the last 4 episodes were about Yukino. This arc's quite complicated. It touches on multiple themes at once. I could go on and on, as this is my favorite part of the anime. I won't be doing that, but I will highlight what I thought was the best part. There's this side character that assumed the position of chairman of the committee, yet she slacked off and basically gave Yukino the responsibilities of chairman. The show goes on and on about how burdensome this precedent is to other hardworking people. I love how Hachiman takes action, though. First, he just satirizes said girl in a meeting. He just ends up embarrassing himself, though it works somewhat to rile up the masses into working even harder. At the twelfth episode, it was portrayed how incompetent said girl was; she couldn't even read an opening ceremony script properly! So, she did what most people would do: run away. While everyone else felt bad for her, Hachiman was the only who saw how self-centered she was. She slacked, gave everyone else more work, took a lot of the credit, and now making up a scenario in order for people to pity her. While his friend, Hayato tried to persuade her to come back, Hachiman decided he had enough. He didn't care what would happen to himself. So, he verbally abused said girl, telling her what he truly thought of her. Of course, it worked to rile her up. It was a form of ragebait. Unfortunately, Hayato got angry at Hachiman. I think deep down he know how he was sacrificing himself. In that moment I realized how much of a gem this anime was. Sometimes, the best solution is a tough pill to swallow. In the end, everyone out of the loop felt bad for her and how she was brutally verbally abused. They also thought Hachiman was an asshole. Of course he was. Yet, he was the one getting things done, right? But it also begs the question: Is it selfish or selfless for someone to decide to be the savior?

The tags say this anime is a romance anime. Yeah, there is clearly a romance plot brewing. Maybe it's between Hachiman and Yukino, or Hachiman and Yui. Who knows who will win in the end? But I didn't feel like this anime was a romance comedy. It felt like a comedy first, then a romance. I laughed so much that I didn't get to feel the romance because it was barely there. They hid it so well in the blushes and the way the characters react. I love this subtle romance.

Speaking of comedy, I really enjoyed how funny this show was. Yeah, it pulls some cheap anime tricks sometimes. But it also does some convoluted bits at times. Like how Hachiman and Yukino interact sometimes. They're so hopeless, it's like the both them are losers. Moreover, the side characters are so funny sometimes. Especially the yaoi girl and chuunibyou guy. So funny. Amazing!

What about how I feel? I feel like this show speaks to the inner voice that my head has. Oregairu portrays how cruel the world can be, and how we can respond to it. Hachiman responds to the world in such a cynical way, and we see it through the lens of his actions and his inner monologue. Maybe the way he acts isn't the best, but that's never resolved in the anime because that's exactly what would happen in real life. Most people won't care if a bitter truth has to be justified. Yet, this anime asks the question: what would you have done instead? It's not easy to make a decision, is it?

One last thing. I really like the main character, Hachiman. He's a an apathetic loser. Yet, he isn't the stereotypical shy, smart, or interesting guy. Sometimes, he feels like a self insert. Maybe he is one? I think what makes him unique is his outlook on life. He's been through a lot, yet he hasn't killed himself. I wonder why? Maybe he hopes for better days, or maybe he does it out of spite for his unseen enemies. Nevertheless, he has a weirdly positive cynical outlook on life. Despite life's hardships, he continues to live the life that he wants to live. Despite everyone else opposing him, he still chooses to care for the people in his life in his own way. I think that's beautiful. This anime isn't just about taking control of your own life. It's also about breaking the shackles that life puts on you. Superb.

Overall, I give Oregairu a 10/10. It's probably one of the best, if not the best high school centric romance I've ever watched. Each and every character is developed so naturally, and the way they interact is so real at times. My only gripe is that one season is clearly not enough for the show to say what it really wants to say. I guess that's why there are 3 seasons. I can't wait to watch them!

## Season 2

### Soundtrack

I think the soundtrack has definitely improved in the second season of Oregairu. The opening is much nicer, along with its animation. It sounds more melancholic, if that makes sense. The credits song is also quite nice. It uses a traditional chord progression, and sound kind of cliche, but that doesn't mean it's not a good song. Definitely something to add to my playlist.

### Thoughts

Season 2 of Oregairu definitely lived up to my expectations. The story only deepens upon the themes that the first season brought up. Along with bringing up some story elements I enjoyed. More than that, I especially enjoyed Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui's relationship in this season. It definitely felt more real, they felt and seemed a lot closer, but still not comfortable enough to formally call themselves friends. It's weird, and complicated, that's life. So what?

Hachiman's rehabilitation continues on, and he's met with this debate regarding how to solve people's problems. He and the others are at an impasse as to what methods to use when solving problems. Do they adopt Hachiman's strictly results-based method, or Yukino's direct approach? This show portrays that debate heavily, and each scene with Hachiman and Yukino together is filled with so much tension, and I love it. It's not very explicit who won in the end, but to my interpretation, neither of them won. Hachiman had to take responsibility in letting Iroha win the student election, and Yukino had to come to terms with the different methods used, depending on the situation. In the end, Hachiman had to ask for help from the others, and Yukino had to use a similar method as to what Hachiman would do (this is when Iroha is dealing with her event). The compromise they had to make wasn't explicit, but rather quite implicit. I think that's an amazing part of the story.

There's also this theme of genuineness. In this season, it's portrayed so often how knowing what someone might think doesn't mean you understand them. After all, what one's thought in a moment doesn't completely portray their personality. There's a pivotal moment where Hachiman opens up his shell, becoming vulnerable, admitting to the others how his deepest desire isn't to understand the people around him, rather it's to find something genuine. It's not completely clear what that means, and the show even gets into how ambiguous it is to Yui and Yukino. Nevertheless, they work forward, with an aligned mission in their heart. I think that's beautiful. It's one thing to know someone, it's a whole another thing to understand them. Amazing.

I could go on and on about each arc. I won't do that, but I will spare some thoughts on each arc. I thought the Tobecchi Arc served as a good starting point to the story, and it also developed up the conflict around the main characters more. It makes you raise the question of whether the status quo in one's relationship is worth keeping up, instead of risking it all just for something better. It's a good arc, and it's resolved quite well. I especially enjoyed hearing what all the side characters thought of it. After that, there's the Student Council Election Arc. This is where the three main characters' conflict really hits the climax. Iroha is basically a side character here, she's just a pawn in the trio's chess match. What I love about this arc is how cold Yukino is when she disagrees with Hachiman's methods. It's as if the months the three of them had spent together didn't mean anything. Harrowing. After that, there's the Christmas Event arc. This is where the trio's relationship starts to get fixed up. Hachiman can't solve the problem by himself, and the others realize how important Hachiman is to their dynamic. It's not really an interesting arc, but it touches on some minor themes, like of people who say a lot and don't do much. Pretty much enjoyable. I'll talk about the last arc in the next paragraph.

Lastly, there's the Yukino Arc. This one left me dumbfounded. I have no clue what it's trying to say. Maybe that's the absurdity of life? Who knows. It's less of an arc, but a sign of a brewing storm for the next season. There are still a lot of problems that haven't been solved. It's not clear as to what Hachiman, Yui, and Yukino's relationships with each other are. It's weird. They're all weird. Even in lieu of them hanging out together, the tension still hasn't been resolved. There's still something there, and I don't know what it is. It's something visceral that's keeping them from getting closer to each other. As much as I enjoyed it this season, it's not the backburner rivalry romance between Yui and Yukino. I like to think the thing that's keeping them from being closer is Hachiman. As much as he hates to admit it, he has to realize that he actually does care about other people. He has put up a wall between him and everyone else for too long. It's time for him to open up. Maybe it's too simple, but that's my interpretation of it.

The romance aspect of this season was definitely more prominent than the previous season. On Yui's side, she's getting closer to Hachiman, while also spending more time with him. There's also a lot of scenes of them together without Yukino, which I didn't expect to see much of this season. On the other hand, Yukino seems to have gone through a weird development. It looked as though she hated Hachiman at the start. Maybe it was when Hachiman confessed his deepest desire of wanting something genuine that she truly understood that she and him shared this desire of hating superficiality. From then on, I felt like they grew closer to one another. As much as they hate to admit it, they understood each other. By the end of the season, she seemed a lot closer to Hachiman than before. It was as if she liked him or something. I don't know who's gonna win in the end.

Overall, Oregairu's second season only expanded on the themes of the previous season. There isn't anything to complain about. There are no plot holes, nor there are any themes that conflict with anything that was already established before. Maybe it's not as funny as the first season, but it definitely improved on the story. It's a smooth, natural continuation to the story. That's why I still give Oregairu a 10/10. It's amazing.

## Season 3

### Soundtrack

The soundtrack is just as good as the second season's. The opening is great, and so are the credit songs.

### Thoughts

Whereas the first two seasons of Oregairu split the screentime between the side characters' plots and the trio, the third season is completely about Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui. It completes the show not by adding more love, or more depth to the story, but so many emotions at once. There's not as much love as something like Your Lie In April, or care as My Dress-Up Darling, or as deep as Sonny Boy, or any other aspect I haven't mentioned yet. This third season made me really think retrospectively what this show gave to me. It was more than just love; something complex, more mature. I think that's what will stay in my heart forever after finishing this show.

Oregairu has the best love triangle I've ever seen portrayed in any piece of media. The third season only perfects it. I especially enjoyed Yui's character development. Her growing admiration, not just for the trio, but also for Hachiman is portrayed so intimately in this show. That just makes it so heartbreaking in the end when it's revealed that she's the losing heroine. The scene where Hachiman has to leave her in the middle of the sidewalk just shatters my heart. I also like that she eventually reconciles that even if she won't have all of Hachiman, she can make sure Hachiman and Yukino can love each other properly, even if it takes a lot of effort. Oregairu handles these complicated relationships between the characters so well. I think Yui might be my favorite character.

That's not to say Yukino's arc as a character hasn't been just as endearing. I feel like I've seen so much of her character, yet I find it hard to describe her into words. Sometimes she's kind, elegant, perhaps cute; other times she's a force of nature not to be reckoned with. Her growing understanding in how to live her life was so beautiful to see. It started with knowing how to help others, in the middle about developing how to help herself, then at the end it's about how she could keep the ones closest to her. In the end, Hachiman and Yukino reciprocate their so-called relationship. It's complicated; they can't describe it with the words they know. It's more than like, hate, dislike, admiration, and love. So what? They move forward with what they have because they want to be in each other's lives. The story that Oregairu portrays is beautiful, charming, and mature. It's not surprising that when you analyze it, Yukino is the center of this story. I am completely satisfied with her character arc. Though, I am disappointed that she didn't do anything intimate with Hachiman.

Hachiman is one of my favorite main characters of all time. Some critics may look at him as just a self insert. Maybe he is, because his backstory isn't that prominent in the story. I disagree. He's an incredibly unique character. It's a result of his cynical worldview that the characters in the story develop. When you boil it down, Oregairu is about Hachiman helping others. What does that mean exactly? At the start, Hachiman is just another apathetic cynical person with a distorted worldview. That doesn't mean he's a bad person, it just means the tools he uses to solve problems in the world are different from ordinary people. In the end, he doesn't give up that part of himself. Rather, he integrates his worldview with the person he loves most in the world. He finally realizes how it's okay to care about others, and especially how it's okay to care about himself. Even if it's painful, he's not going to beat around the bush and be superficial about it. He's going to care because it's his only life. He's going to fight for what he wants. I think that's a beautiful sentiment to give to watchers everywhere.

The side characters and their relationships with each other are also interesting. I also like how some S1 side characters, like Zaimokuza and Kawasaki are also sprinkled throughout the story. It just makes the journey the characters go through that much more believable. More than that, I also really really really like how unique each of the characters are. The show could have gone into a more cliche route regarding how to portray the characters' archetypes, like Hayato's for example. Fortunately, the characters are so much more complex than just evil or good. Their desires and their fears are portrayed so well in the story, and of course it ties incredibly well to the plot. Amazing!

Lastly, just so I remember what I love so much about this anime, I'd like to talk about the trio again. I already talked about their love triangle, so I'm going to try to not mention that here. Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui's dynamic is just so affectionally weird. They said it themselves. It's not really something they can describe with words. Maybe it's love, codependency, a love triangle, or something else. But, what they have is truly unique, so I really REALLY envy and admire that. The show (mainly Haruno) also goes on and on asking what it means to be truly genuine. I think Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui care and want to be genuine, but by the end I think they know truly within their hearts that it doesn't really matter. What they have is what they have. To put it in a weird way, if you keep peeling the layers of an onion, you're left with nothing. So, what does it mean for a relationship to be genuine? It's a nice thought experiment.

Oregairu is a must-watch for anyone who's into romance animes. It may not be the best of all time, nor does it really do anything tremendously well. But, it's a jack of all trades anime, so there are really no weak points to qualm about. I especially like how complex the relationships between the characters are, though. I think it's a fair representation of how real life is. Maybe the reason I like this anime so much is the story, the characters, or maybe it's something else. I didn't cry, nor did I feel like I wanted to burst with love. Just like Hachiman's true feelings, it's indescribable with words. But it's in my heart, somewhere. I don't have to describe it, but I will be able to act on it. And that's good enough for me. 10/10. Won't watch again. It's so hard to let go. Thank you.

The things you're handed on a silver platter are never genuine, and never everlasting.