English Dub Season Review: “Tsukigakirei” Season One

Yeah, this took a while…

Tsukigakirei promised a story of middle school love, and it absolutely delivered. The result was fulfilling and restorative of any hope left in romance. But it also suffered from quite a paradox. While the show clung tightly to its stilted, bumbling, adolescent ID, just like a middle-schooler, it found itself in an identity crisis.

As it became clear that Kotaro and Akane really were in moon-admiring love, Tsukigakirei scrambled to grasp a central conflict. The looming love triangles never materialized. Jealously couldn’t tear this couple apart, and in the end, it was Akane’s anxiety that very nearly did. This is where the show fumbled. The setup was flawless – it’s rare to see any media with such a subtle but impactful portrayal of mental health struggles. But Tsukigakirei buried its strengths by treating something so impactful as an afterthought.

It’s the quieter moments of the show that made it a joy to watch. Kotaro and Akane slowly falling in love, of course. The after-credits scenes full of catty gossip, and any middle school life that wasn’t painful. Halfway between a drama and a slice-of-life, Tsukigakirei carved out its humble home.

Episode to episode, the quality wavered, but looking back, it seems the series is best viewed as a whole. Tsukigakirei offers nothing but a story of the purest love. The ups and downs are subtle but so honest, and ultimately so worth it.

SCORE
7/10