With so many changes getting closer in their lives, the boys struggle with what they have to face.

What They Say:
The mock exams are coming up and Shun is worried about his future. Some of his friends are easy going about the test while others are serious about it. He feels stuck in the middle without a clear direction.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
One of the things that I like about slice of life school shows is that when they do treat it realistically, not full of flash and fantasy dreams, is that it can really showcase the characters well with who they really are. With this group of friends that are different in personality but with enough similarities to be drawn to each other, something like the mock exams can be a telling difference between them. Everyone views their future differently and works as it in their own way. Mock exams tend to be a little different form the real thing with how you go into it. A lot of kids tend to just be indifferent to it, focusing on the real thing when it hits, while others put their all into it in order to make sure they know what they’re getting into.

You can expect some of these characters to be pretty obvious here with how they are, especially since Kaname is completely into figuring out how to do his best and excel at the exam. His friends get it, but they’re also not exactly hugely supportive, trying to get him to do other things to relieve the stress of it all so that he doesn’t snap. There’s some good fun to be had in watching the back and forth about it that leads up to the group going and finding a way to relieve their stress overall through visiting a temple that helps with some techniques. It’s amusing that Kaname is the one that shows up in his full school uniform while everyone else is in varying normal clothes.

Through this bit of tea and companionship with an elder, everyone gets the kind of release they need in the laid back way that the show operates. In talking with an adult, in an position that’s not exactly on any of their radars, it helps to showcase to them some of the ways life can change and grow as you go on. It doesn’t diminish what they’re going through now or trying to achieve, such as Kaname with the tests, but it helps to show how others handled the situation in the past and where their lives lead them. It’s a challenging time for students who have so much in front of them but so many barriers they have to overcome that the chance to withdraw in a way isn’t a surprise at all.

In Summary:
While I have thoroughly enjoyed both seasons overall and a lot of episodes within this season, the ending note here is one that starts off with some interesting potential but falters along the way. The show is one that once again goes by quickly while not really doing much of anything, but it feels really incomplete and even more unsubstantial than usual. There’s an allure to shows like this for me, but an episode like this one doesn’t do all that much for me. I liked the bits with Kaname and Shu has a really sweet moment towards the end, but a lot of what’s in the middle just didn’t connect well for me. While I certainly wouldn’t be adverse to another season of the show and what it can do, there’s a strong sense of closure here in the final minutes that works very well. Enough so that it really made me wish they put more into the rest of the episode.

Grade: B-

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.