Yamato refuses to apologize. Cold war between Yamato and Suzuka but Miki and Honoka-chan come to the rescue. Suzuka takes Yamato to Tsuda’s grave and then gives the “I cannot go out with you because I like someone else” spiel to her deceased senpai. Suzuka and Yamato hold hands to school while the end shot shows Tsuda pushing up the daisies.
Honoka-chan, you are so selfless! Her character growth was just fantastic but I am a tad unhappy that she’s been reduced to a oh-so-understanding supporter of Yamato x Suzuka which the photo shoot scenario in the manga ameliorated somewhat.
For the series as a whole, I largely agree with what Kabitzin and Ren have said in their reviews. I really have thank them as well as Mentar for influencing me to pick up this series halfway through its run - added thanks to Mentar for highlighting differences in the manga and providing comparisons of the art.
Normally I dislike sports anime (especially when combined with romance) intensely because they tend to be about a very talented central character who finally realizes his or her potential through some kind of epiphany, lots of shouting and getting together with the love interest.
What I liked about this series was that it shows that shit happens and relationships aren’t always a smooth thing especially the arc when Yamato likes Suzuka but goes out with Honoka-chan and then they break up. A lot of anime tends to show characters who pine for the same character for the whole series without doing anything (which was what I expected Honoka-chan to do) and that there is a tendency to assume that once a couple gets together, they’re set for life or something. And while Yamato’s persistence does pay off in the end, it’s just as important that Honoka-chan lets go. Well, it’s not like SHUFFLE! where Yamato can have a polygamous harem. Though, of course, the real lesson is that because Suzuka is beautiful, she can be the ice queen and get away with it. The reason why the series is named after her even though it is mainly told from Yamato’s POV is that if she had been able to come to terms with her own feelings early on, this would be a very very short series indeed.
My favourite high school romance anime is still Kare Kano but Suzuka gets top marks for making me watch the slow motion multi-track train wreck out of morbid fascination as well as to winch repeatedly when some of the boo-boos of the characters hit rather too close to home. It’s also a great series to make fun of.
Agreed poor lesson for the children. “Yamato’s POV” had me laughing a bit since you meant point of view, but I read it as Personally Owned Conveyance (POV).
At least in a way St. Honoka did “die standing.”