A fine ending for my favorite show of the past year. There weren't any surprises, really, but I was struck by how tragic the ending still felt, positive as it may have been. After all, we're left to assume that Haruka went her own way while Takayuki and Mitsuki continued on together. The eventual outcome for all parties may very well be happy and for the best, but given their old friendship and all that happened over the course of the three years following Haruka's accident, it's a bit sad to see them separate - even if they have reconciled.

Am I happy with the outcome? Definitely. Takayuki and Mitsuki make the most sense together, destructive as their relationship may have been at times. Haruka showed incredible grace and maturity in her farewell - but while her recovery and eventual success are obviously good things, I still can't help but feel bad for her in the end. As for Akane - well, she looked pretty good all grown up, didn't she?

Anyway, it's nice to see an H-game based series finally present a solid, enjoyable story without falling victim to the usual traps and clichés of the genre. Yes, the drama was a bit over the top at times. Yes, the characters proved unusually frustrating at times. But I seriously enjoyed every single episode from the very beginning.

Never a dull moment. Never a point at which I doubted the show's resolve to follow through to the very end.

And that's what makes it a favorite.