Masamune-kun's Revenge

Episode 12

If this is the last we're going to see of Masamune-kun's Revenge, then this was an irritatingly unsatisfying way to handle it. To state any more firmly that this is just an advertisement for the source material, you'd have to directly state "check out the manga for the rest!" on the episode's last frame.

This season finale's last half pretty much wastes its neat first half. While I wasn't surprised to see Aki pressing forward with the play despite the absence of her class' prince, I didn't anticipate until a few seconds beforehand that Makabe would offer to step in for the missing Kanetsugu, despite the fact that he was aggravating his fever and "helping the enemy." That being said, I don't see this being out of character for Makabe, nor do I perceive it as altruistic an action as it might appear to be. Since the beginning of the series, Makabe has been extremely fixated on appearances. This was initially portrayed as narcissism, but some scenes over the course of the series have suggested that he may actually be deeply-invested in aesthetics in general. Under that interpretation, seeing him recognize a beautiful production and effort for what it is and wanting to help finish it, entirely makes sense. From a more cynical viewpoint, Makabe taking over the role of Class 2-A's prince also gives the series a golden excuse to have him kiss Aki. Given that this series is ostensibly a romcom, is there any surprise that Aki punches him when he overdoes it?

The disappointment comes afterwards, when the episode takes that wonderful setup and does almost nothing with it. Instead, we get a karaoke contest, which seems much more fitting for an inclusion midway through the series rather than the back end of a season finale. That does give the series a chance to insert its intro, closer, and a couple of other songs along with Aki interacting more normally with her peers, but its climax is just a mildly funny joke about Makabe's catastrophically bad singing. The payoff definitely wasn't strong enough to warrant the extensive setup, but the show's humor shortcomings compared to the effort devoted to comedy has been a recurring problem throughout the series.

Then there's the lame and predictable ending. Yeah, I know this is a common kind of scene for a romcom, but why be coy on the couple kissing again when they've already kissed once? There was also little to no indication over whether Makabe was doing it with his goal of revenge in mind or because he was actually starting to like Aki. Kanetsugu's almost complete lack of presence in the episode also sapped it of any potential for conflict.

I will give the story credit for setting up the irony that Makabe unexpectedly comes through for Aki this time after not doing so when they were kids (because he had been deceived about Aki not liking him). I also like the direction that the story is going with Neko. However, the ending is not sufficient, and neither Makabe nor Aki are strong or likable enough characters to be compelling. I'll probably watch another season if one gets made, as I still think there is some story potential here, but it's not something I'll hold my breath over.

Rating: C+

Masamune-kun's Revenge is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.