These last four episodes have been better than the first eight but in the end, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée was, at best, slightly above average. Short reviews for each episode are below and a series review will follow soon after.
Episode 9 - Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4/5)
Good News: The whole episode focused on Claude and Camille's backstory.
Bad News: From the look of things, it doesn't look like the two are going to end up together.
Honestly, it was quite painful watching the two interact as adults. Although they both constantly smiled when they were children, it seems that the burdens and stress that come with adulthood have taken their toll. The relationship between the two is broken, arguably beyond repair and, when the two converse, there is evidently a lot of tension in the air. All this is totally different from the past where the two happily spent their days playing together, despite the class differences. Still, I continue to be optimistic, hoping that Yune's words to Claude at the end of the episode resonate inside his heart and influence him to take the initiative to try and repair his relationship with Camille. Having the two - poor man and rich girl - overcome the class barrier that separates them will make for a wonderful ending.
Episode 10 - Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (3/5)
Primarily a Yune and Alice episode with a few Claude flashbacks, as well. For the most part, Claude's father appears to be one of those cold and strict parents. In all the flashbacks thus far, he hasn't even said a word to his own son. This may explain why Claude doesn't show any signs of grief when the death of his father was mentioned. Aside from the parts about Claude and his father, the rest of the episode was borderline entertaining. Sure, it was funny seeing Yune and Alice's reactions to the use of a projector and some spinning-wheel thing which gives the illusion that the still images on the wheel are moving, but overall, the episode didn't really capture my attention at all times. With only two episodes left, it's going to be interesting to see how everything's going be wrapped up.
Episode 11 - Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (3/5)
Well, at least they're attempting to tie up some loose ends. With this episode, we learn about the tragic past that befell Yune and her sister, Shione. It was sad and dramatic but yet, I wasn't greatly impacted by it. Aside from that, the new mystery of why Claude hates the Grand Magasin arises in this episode. Personally, I have a feeling that the ending is going to either be rushed or executed poorly. There are still many plot-related questions that have yet to be answered and I think a second season would be for the best. But like I said before, the content of the final episode should be interesting.
Episode 12 - Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)
This was clearly the best episode of the series - lots of emotion and a heartwarming ending. Despite there being no development between Claude and Camille, the revelation of what happened to Claude's father finally made me understand some of Claude's actions in the past. After going through such a traumatic experience - one in which he felt helpless - it's not surprising how it's still haunting him, even now. As for the ending, you can argue that it's Claude x Yune but there wasn't explicit acknowledgement of an intimate relationship. Personally, I felt that it was the right decision to make since those who support one pairing over another won't be complaining. With the way that it is now, I wouldn't want a second season. They managed to wrap it up fairly well, which surprised me. It was a great episode and the whole series was decent.
0 comments:
Post a Comment