[Sorrow-K]

I don't have any major criticisms of this final episodes (well, none that Mirrinus hasn't already brought up) other than the jarring slow down in pace (although as others have pointed out, Sola is at its best when it slows down), but the damage was done in the previous episodes, when this series couldn't create for itself a cast of sympathetic lead characters.

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Spoiler for ep13:

I ended up liking them all, if it comes to that. I tend not to like discussions of what writers should have done with a certain show. Other shows can do different things, but this one did a sola-thing very well, in my opinion.

The only "should" that I'm throwing at the writers is that they should have written stronger characters. Had they done that, this would have almost certainly have been a far better anime, and we (as in, this show's critics) may have had a better chance of really connecting with the story and the drama. Ok, that, and the writers should have written a plot with less inconsistencies and inane plot devices.

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

I'm not the type of person that can take a (fake) position of objectiveness in order to judge a series, so it's hard for me to rate one.

Allow me to respectfully take that position.

Originally Posted by Mirrinus

Spoiler for Episode 13, duh:

- Inconsistancy of injuries. First Matsuri's kneeling in pain, and has to be carried by Yorito. But then in that very scene, she gets off of him and walks as though everything's normal, and still seems to be in almost peak physical form in her final fight with Aono. I expect her to at least sound tired or in pain. Same deal with Aono; she was way too calm for someone who's taken an unhealing injury and is losing her powers.

- Where in the world did Yorito come from to take that blow for Matsuri? Or did he somehow learn to teleport? I had lots of difficulty suspending my disbelief with that scene. First thing that came to mind was Itsuki's lake scene in SHnY episode 1..."wait, was the protagonist standing there the whole time?"

- Why is Aono no longer suicidal? What was so amazing that changed her from not being able to live without Yorito, to being so friendly and happy and sky-obsessed? Did she get mind-wiped by Matsuri when she was stabbed as well? If so, what did she mean by "the sky that those two gave me"? If she still does retain all her memories, then why isn't she suicidal? It's not that I'm unwilling to accept that she's changed for the better; it's that I'm frustrated because I have no clue how such a huge pivotal change in character occurred. I'm hoping that the extra DVD episodes may answer this, because right now this gaping plot hole just feels way too awkward. Character development is cheap and worthless if a main character undergoes a 180 change without any given reason. It's equally cheap and worthless if brought about by a convenient memory wipe.

These are some really good points, and I found myself thinking much the same things as I watched this episode. Some of them are minor, but they do exist as inconsistencies. As others have said (Skane from memory... apologies if I'm wrong), there almost seems to have been some very poor planning go into the storyboarding stage of production, and the results seems to have been these inconsistencies... most of which are minor, IMO, but all so frequent, that it adds in a cumulative effect and becomes difficult not to notice.

Great points on the character development. As you say, it is cheap if characters do complete backflips or if all their changes can be traced back to one moment, but it's not the first time this series has done it. Much worse than Aono's change in this episode (which redeems itself by the fact that it offers a resolution... even if it isn't exactly a strong one) was Yorito's sudden desire to end his life in the last, which virtually came out of nowhere. I can forgive the former, but I can't forgive the latter.

Overall verdict: for me, this show falls smack bang in the middle of mediocrity. There are a few good points, but they're overshadowed not by one or two significantly bad things, but numerous little flaws that simply add up. I think, rather forgettable in the end.