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.

They're keeping us guessing right up to the end! I haven't a clue how everything's going to turn out.

When you think about it, Haruka has been the most emotionally stable principal character in the show, but now that she finally knows the truth about everything, it's no surprise she's being crushed under the weight. Mitsuki and Takayuki may have it bad, but Haruka...sheesh. Poor girl.

I initially thought this episode would offer some resolution; instead, it brought about new complications. I still can't say how it'll all come together in the end.

The ball is very much in Takayuki's court, however. It's time for him to make the decision he should have made long ago.

Oh Shinji, what have you done?

This was not a good episode for the guys. Takayuki is in worse shape than ever (literally), and poor Shinji, who had managed to stay out of the middle of things for so long, screwed up royally. Beware of Mitsuki, for she is dangerous.

Can this show be any more a soap opera? I mean, I have friends calling me up on the phone just to talk about it!

And if you take a step back and look at the way the drama has played out from the beginning, it is a bit silly and overdone. But, it's still so good. It's been so long since I've been this anxious for each new episode of any show. To be honest, it reminds me of the first time I watched Maison Ikkoku - my all-time favorite series to date. Sure, the two shows are quite different, but I'm left with the same buzz following each episode.

Speaking of which, I think Mitsuki's going to need a new liver by the time the show's over.

Is Haruka finally starting to catch on? I figured the fact that her sister's bust size increased all the sudden would have tipped her off sooner, but I'm not the one writing this story.

Anyway, this was actually a great episode - perhaps the best so far - and just leaves me wanting more, more, more. Seriously, this show is like a drug, and with so many potential directions for the story to head at this point, it's rough waiting a full week for another hit.

I wonder if the game has a "bad ending" where Mitsuki flings herself off that hill with the tree?

This time, it's Takayuki's turn to be a jerk. However, given the situation, it's difficult to fault him too much for making a mess out of things. After all, it's not like Mitsuki didn't have serious issues in the first place. But it's difficult to fault her, too.

And that's what makes the show so painful to watch. It's as if someone's playing a cruel cosmic joke on all the characters - and all they can do is suffer through it for the time being. But that's also what makes it so addictive, as you simply don't know how it's all going to end. Pretty? Ugly? Who knows?

Mitsuki should go out and get plastered more often. For the good of the show, of course.

Everyone is screwed up beyond belief. Mitsuki is falling apart at the seams, Haruka doesn't even know what year it is, Akane hates everyone, and Takayuki is stuck in the middle. On the other hand, the waitresses appear to be enjoying life.

Careful, Takayuki! You're not smart enough to handle two women...

Flashback to what occurred between the time of the accident and the present. All of the uncertainty surrounding Mitsuki and Takayuki's relationship makes a little more sense now, although I am a little surprised to see that Takayuki was in such a bad way.

Kiminozo has become one of those shows I anxiously look forward to every week. I guess you could argue that it's unoriginal and overly melodramatic, but I simply love the way the story has been playing out. I'm finding myself thinking "so what happens now?" at the end of each episode - a clear indication that I'm hooked. Not many shows can do that anymore.

This is pretty heavy. And good. Best drama I've seen in awhile.

Mitsuki's voice kind of bugged me at first, probably because she sounds so transparent when she lies. She seems awfully insecure, but I guess that's to be expected given the situation.

Lots of pain and emotional anguish to go around...

Pia Carrot?

Anyway, a few years have passed, and everyone's grown up. Oh, and Mitsuki's hair no longer weighs more than her head.

I like how this is turning into a nice, mature drama. Those who wrote the show off following the fairly generic first episode are really missing out.

After watching the first episode, I took the time to do some research on the story from the original game, so the major "event" that occurs at the end of this episode wasn't necessarily a surprise. Although, I sort of wish now that it had been a surprise. Oh well.

It did explain why the story seemed to have progressed at a breakneck pace up until that point, however. That is, one could look at the first two episodes as an extended prologue.

Anyway, very nicely done. I'm pretty excited about the show now.

Fairly good first episode. It looks to be your generic high school romantic drama - with extra emphasis on the drama. The soap opera atmosphere kind of reminded me of Boys Be, which isn't exactly a bad thing. Anyway, the characters are mildly interesting and the direction was pretty solid, so I think the show has potential.

Animation was decent and the character designs, while not all that original, weren't bad. Mitsuki does have a little too much hair, though, and I'll have to get used to Haruka looking an awful lot like a grown-up Kinomoto Sakura. Music was understated, but fit the mood. No OP or ED this time, being the first episode.