It’s been announced on Twitter/X that Makeine‘s twelfth and final episode will be an anime original one written by the original author, Takibi Amamori. Usually, an original ending implies that staff is preemptively wrapping things up in case the production committee doesn’t renew the show. I’d be surprised if that’s the case with Makeine as it seems popular enough to warrant a second season but then again, I’ve had that same thought with other anime and got disappointed as a result. Alternatively, we could simply be getting an original ending because it just works better that way in terms of timing. If the next arc is a multi-parter like the past three, there’s no way the show can fit that in with what little time is left.
So at long last, Makeine finally reaches the conclusion of Chika’s second arc. If it feels like this girl has enjoyed the spotlight for awfully long time, that’s because she has had it for four episodes. This arc has lasted one episode longer than Lemon’s second arc and way more than Anna’s (though it’s not like that’s stopped Anna from giving us some gold). I’ve enjoyed this arc but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling its run time.
Following the school festival, Chika now has the task of introducing herself as the Literature Club’s president and reporting the club’s activities at an upcoming meeting with the other presidents and the student council. This is of course easier said than done given her social anxiety. Kazuhiko repeatedly offers to give the report in Chika’s stead though Chika rejects this as she wants to prove herself at the meeting. Per Kaju’s advice, Kazuhiko lets Chika give the report on her own so that she can potentially grow as a person. But when Chika screws up too much, Kazuhiko intervenes once again by taking her position as the club president, resulting in a big falling out between them.
There are two ways to view Kazuhiko’s decision to become the club president and either one is valid to me. On one hand, it is a step too far. It means less opportunities for Chika to challenge herself and gain more confidence and it inadvertently tells her that she can’t be the president, which understandably feels like a huge offense to her. Conversely, I still get where Kazuhiko is coming from. He just wants to help Chika, having done so for her and the other heroines since the beginning of the show, not to mention it’s his task as the vice president. It’s also possible that Chika humiliating herself at the meeting would do more harm than good so taking on the burden in her stead is a sound idea. I do like seeing Kazuhiko’s desire to help the heroines be put on its head again. It’s usually worked out just fine so I find it interesting that this case is riskier and messier. Kazuhiko always means well but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll always makes the right call.
After the meeting, Kazuhiko goes looking for Chika with help from the others. When he finally finds her, Chika confides to him that she’s afraid of being left alone and she feels Kazuhiko is ostracizing her with his recent actions. Realizing that he didn’t account for Chika’s own feelings, Kazuhiko apologizes for stepping out of line and assures Chika that he won’t abandon her. Chika confiding to Kazuhiko via text is an interesting choice. She is comfortable with talking to him but by having her resort to her writing, the show conveys how much Chika wants her feelings to be known to Kazuhiko. Kazuhiko responding to and reconciling with her in the same manner is a very nice touch. And yeah, this scene does come across as rather romantic, especially given how Kazuhiko phrases his message. The show is of course noncommittal in the end but I do wonder if this scene might factor in that way down the line.
I really enjoy Anna’s role in this episode. She’s essentially Kazuhiko’s assistant, giving him some food for thought on how to help Chika. She points out when he screws up but she’s not exactly mad at him as she still acknowledges his good intentions. It amazes me how relevant Anna is even when she’s not the featured heroine. A shame Lemon is mostly absent this episode. I’ve noticed that unless she has the spotlight, she’s absent most of the time. That said, she is of course included in the resolution and it is funny that she assumes Kazuhiko is bullying Chika before the misunderstanding is cleared up.
Curiously, Chika accepts Kazuhiko as the new club president. I suppose they kind of have to roll with it since Kazuhiko announced himself as such to the student council but it does surprise me a little. Having Chika as the president would help her become a more confident person and now, she’s not going have that opportunity as much. To be fair, we have seen how Chika pushes herself when she was the president and it was bordering on self-destructive. It does make more sense for her and Kazuhiko to switch roles. Besides, I imagine the story will still come up with situations where Chika has to be more confident.
Watch Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! on Crunchyroll
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