Citrus: Season 1/ Episode 12 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
So do Mei and Yuzu end up together? Really, you need to ask? Network Crunchyroll Director(s) Takeo Takahashi Writer(s) Naoki Hayashi Air Date 3/24/2018 Confess: Sara, Nina, Yuzu, Mei Despite Sara’s feelings, and Nina trying to hold Yuzu back, Mei gets her opportunity to confess to Mei. In fact, the way Sara presents it, despite…
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So do Mei and Yuzu end up together? Really, you need to ask?
| Network | |
| Crunchyroll | |
| Director(s) | Takeo Takahashi |
| Writer(s) | Naoki Hayashi |
| Air Date | 3/24/2018 |
Confess: Sara, Nina, Yuzu, Mei
Despite Sara’s feelings, and Nina trying to hold Yuzu back, Mei gets her opportunity to confess to Mei. In fact, the way Sara presents it, despite Mei being open to kissing her, it seemingly didn’t lead to the results she wanted. In the end, Mei seemingly was like Sara and didn’t know how to put herself and her own happiness first. Yet, while Sara may not be happy, at the very least she can feel like she helped Yuzu and Mei reach their destiny.
But, one thing was needed for that to happen: Yuzu would have to confess. Which she does and it leads to them kissing and making up.
Commentary
I feel the need to know what happened between Sara asking for a kiss and Mei leaving for the shrine. I understand Sara sacrificing her happiness, as seemingly she always does, and Nina trying to stop Yuzu but not picking her up like a cave man as we see in the episode. However, there is just something infuriating about how quickly that whole thing got shot down so Yuzu and Mei could be together again.
And while, granted, Mei putting her teddy bear to kiss Yuzu was a cute moment, it really doesn’t feel or seem like they worked out any of their issues. Yes, Yuzu confessed and noted how confusing Mei can be but there isn’t really any reason to believe the cycle won’t continue of one side being aggressive, the other side getting put off, the aggressor wondering what happened and backing down, and then things flip.
This Isn’t Love But Certainly Is Bliss: Yuzu, Mei
After the kiss, there seems to be progress. Holding hands in public is an option, Mei has chores now in her household, even calls Yuzu’s biological mom “mother” and it seems they are working things out. As for how they will deal with being siblings, in a way, and perhaps dating? Well, only an OVA may explain that.
Commentary
So, in the long run, Mei is the way she is because, similar to Sara, she sacrifices her comfort and happiness for others? That is supposed to be the argument? Yet now, with genuine feelings for Yuzu, she is being selfish? GET THE F*** OUTTA HERE! If that was the case, Himeko would have long been dating Mei and they would have been getting down. Heck, considering when Himeko made her move, that would have been the start of a relationship right there if that was the case.
So in the end, you can only push the idea that because of her dad changing on her, disappointing her, and leaving, that is the reason for the way she acts. Perhaps the man we saw earlier in the season, and never got referred to again, she was allowing him to do what he wanted because she saw a bit of her father in him. Then, when it came to Yuzu… I remain of the mindset that their relationship is like Netsuzou Trap.
Meaning, neither one is perhaps healthy for one another and, the whole thing is basically a mind game. Of which, because being queer isn’t that accepted in Japanese society, despite urges neither understand, as they cycle between lust, desire, and perhaps shame, they force the other person to experience their confusion as well. All the while never letting them perhaps find happiness with someone else because they turned them onto something new and think they should wait around for them to get to the root of their feelings.
Highlights
- It ended with Yuzu and Mei’s cycle back to its honeymoon phase.
Low Points
- We don’t really get deep into Mei’s issues and Sara pushing the idea that Mei’s issues stem from her and Mei being the sacrificial type doesn’t click well. Neither does Matsuri’s theory of Mei taking whatever she could get because Himeko ruins that argument.
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