Dreams do come true.
Mashiro and Azuki's dreams are finally coming true as the first episode of Reversi airing on TV. So what's next for these two? Also, much to my surprise, the ending of the anime is more satisfying compared to the manga!
This episode is seriously fantastic as it properly wrapped up the 75-episode TV series neatly. The flashbacks basically showed us that they concluded a lot of story arcs properly, and that they are not living a single bit of detail left out. The flashbacks also showed us the growth of the characters, from teenagers trying to pursue their dreams, into adults who are now living their dreams and now enjoying the fruits of their labor, in this case, the first episode of Reversi's anime adaptation finally airing on TV.
But before we talk about Mashiro and Azuki finally fulfilling their dreams, Mashiro thanked some people who made it possible; the scene wherein he thanked Kaya for giving them the pen name and him talking to the "spirit" of his dead uncle are really nice additions to the anime adaptation. Though the scene with his uncle is kinda nice, it feels a bit creepy. I mean, is he talking to himself or does he actually see the spirit of his uncle? Even if that is the case, it puts the series into full circle in a sense when it comes to the uncle-nephew dynamics that the show had.
As for the Reversi anime, it looks good, and it basically cemented my idea that Reversi is basically Death Note done right. Now that I am done talking about the anime adaptation, it's time for Mashiro's plan to propose marriage to Azuki. To put it simply, it's really sweet. It's like they didn't change a single bit even after their dreams come true. They still act like teenagers and not responsible adults when they are together! At the end, Mashiro finally made his proposal, with a little help from Azuki. I just love that she understands her boyfriend perfectly. Oh, and they finally kissed, and yes, Azuki initiated the kiss.
In the original manga, that's how it ended. It feels so lackluster that I wished there is another chapter to properly wrap things up, and even though I waited for another week, it's hard to accept that is how Bakuman ended. That is why prefer the anime ending more. It wrapped the series properly by showing us what happened to some of the characters after Mashiro and Azuki's first kiss.
First is Hiramaru and Aoki's wedding, I love this love story and to see their wedding ceremony is quite a treat, since in the manga, we only saw them plan for it. If there is one thing weird about this scene is that we see two of Ashirogi's assistants in the wedding ceremony. I mean come on, this is not Mashiro's wedding, why have two people who has nothing to do with Hiramaru and Aoki attend the wedding? Next is with the other Shonen Jack authors, Iwase now under Kosugi, and to my surprise, the two might become one good editor-writer team.
Speaking of Kosugi, Nanamine is now serialized is Jack Square, making his character development more authentic. Seriously, one story arc of the manga ruined Nanamine's character development that I don't want to talk about it. As for Takahama, there are plans for a Seigi no Mikata movie, and they want it big. By the looks of it, it seems that Takahama now trust his editor more. I still remember the time in Season 2 wherein he doesn't trust his editor, because of his decisions. The two sure matured a lot in just a short time. As for Shiratori, he is now under a new editor.
As for Ashirogi, they finally submitted their new serialization storyboard. But what's interesting about it is when it comes with Azuki and Mashiro, or should I say, Mrs. Miho Moritaka? I just love that Mashiro and Miho moved the house where it all started. Though it's kinda big for the two of them, the house is a witness to the three important events that happened between Mashiro and Miho. What's more, even though the two are already married, they still don't have a marriage ceremony yet, and once this new work is serialized, this is the only time they will have a marriage ceremony, which we sadly never have the chance to see. Just a picture and that's about it. So what are my final thoughts about the series as a whole? I will post it with my Bakuman series review tomorrow.
