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Wow. It's hard to put one's feelings into words at the end of an amazing journey like that. I need some time, as I usually do. But I can say with certainty, this was a wonderful end and did a better job wrapping events in 22 minutes than I ever would have guessed possible.
Kou and Aoba now joins Balsa and Chagum as the two most moving and believable relationships in modern anime, for my money. To whoever it was that sang the praises of Miyu-Miyu, let me echo it - that was a bravura performance. But that performance paired with one of the best-written characters in anime makes anime Kou maybe the best male lead ever.
What also strikes me about the end is - everyone is true to themselves (ironically, given the emphasis on lies in the final arc). As I suspected, Kou was always waiting for Aoba to catch up to him emotionally - patient, discreetly caring for Aoba without hurting her pride. While he lied to others he always knew the truth himself. Aoba OTOH had herself convinced of the big lie, one thinks, right up to the end. It was Akane's role to pass Waka-chan's benediction on to Aoba, to give her blessing to be with Kou. Azuma was, as always, knowing and selfless. Akaishi clever about most things but not about himself.
The baseball, of course, wasn't bad either. My first emotional eruption came on the "Ball Four!" call to Mishima - was that the 160? While Kou didn't strike him out, he did just as well - threw him a pitch so tough Mishima couldn't pull the trigger, even knowing that a walk would effectively end the game. The second eruption came when Kou finally raised his arms in exultation - the great soul who carried everyone on his back through baseball and life finally rewarded with the unadulterated joy he'd so richly earned. Koshien, correctly, was not covered - that wasn't the point. Life is about the journey, not the destination.
Finally, the "consummation" of Kou and Aoba's relationship. While I would have liked a little more affection from Aoba, she was true to herself in the end too - tsundere through and through, though Kou is GAR enough to handle even a first-rate tsundere. Her emotional breakdown was enough, and Kou strong enough not to demand that she change who she is. The image of them together on the platform, holding hands, is the one I will take away from this amazing series. It's a fitting and suitably understated way to bring things to their conclusion.
So - anyone else going to start it again from episode one tomorrow?
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