And like a lot of Shaft shows, the gimmick wore thin by the end, but at least their stories typically wrap up around here.
The last couple of episodes were the least funny of the season for me. Maybe the freshness is no longer there, but honestly, I just think the main story finished on the weakest aspect of the show: Riku and Nino.
Like I wrote weeks ago, Nino’s nothing more than another example of cinema’s magical pixie girl for the lonely, troubled young men in the world. Her unconditional affections for Riku is so massively contrived. As a comedy, it’s easy to ignore the shortcomings of their relationship, but as Arakawa swells towards the dramatic for its last few episodes, their love fails to strike a chord. Who can relate to such a shallow relationship? I should be cheering them on in the ending, but I’m not; it’s just too artificial.
Moving on, Riku’s father goes to the bridge only to lose his pants. Gosh, it’s like poetry; it rhymes! The end result is perhaps not as poignant as it is peculiar. Riku’s father obviously reminds Nino of her “lover,” but Nino in turn reminds Riku’s father of a certain somebody…
If the story’s implying what I think it’s implying, ew.
To wrap things up, I liked the series as a whole, but the energy really peters out near the end. The comedy is droll so of course it wouldn’t work for everybody. I still think there’s something to glean from the humor, but the drama is uninspired at best and should have been kept firmly in the background.
Bits & Pieces
Kappa and Hoshi are the best characters in my opinion, but Maria is fucking horrible. I don’t think I laughed once anytime she was around. The camera zooms into her face every time she utters a single line like she just dropped a wicked burn or something.
But like Nino’s love for Riku, it’s so forced and pathetic.
Moe Sucks 
Oh, it’s over? That didn’t feel like an ending in the slightest bit to me….In fact, I couldn’t even think of a possible end to the show. I don’t tend to like it when an ending has nothing to do with what the purpose of the show started out as and this show didn’t really start out with a purpose. It ended on the point of a situation that popped up being resolved, so it just seemed like there would be a lot more after then. Oh well.
I don’t think the show started with no purpose. I just think it took the safest possible ending, i.e. something to do with the romance of the show, despite being the weakest and shallowest possible aspect of the story.
The reason I think it started with no purpose is because when the first episode rolled around, I had no idea where this was going or what the point was going to be. Until about episode 4 or something, (maybe later,) I had no idea this even was meant to be romantically themed. I just thought it was wacky comedy, which I was okay with.
I’m not a fan of Nino&Riku relantionship either, it was dull and repeating – everytime Ric says something ‘wrong’, there’s that Nino’s angry face yelling some lecture which makes him blush. Got kinda tired of it.
I also agree that the comedy got less funny further in the serie, maybe because there are so many characters around?.. Well, dunno. Hoshi, Ric and Kappa make all the comedy I need.
There were still a few decent gags. Hoshi in the screencap above still made me smile. IMO, Arakawa had excellent comedic timing. But you’re right: most of the cast just didn’t measure up to the few oddballs we met early in the series.
There is going to be a second season in the autumn.
I agree that Kappa and Hoshi are the most intriguing, perhaps they will show more about their past in this next season.
I would be happy to see the relationship between Ric and his father mended, or at least improved. I’m a sucker for fatherly love.
cool.. i havent watch the ending :D but thanks to all the review, now i think im gonna watch it :d
The beginning looked promising but the story never went anywhere. Still, it was very entertaining while it lasted.