English Dub Review: Meiji Tokyo Renka “Embraced by the Strawberry Moon”

Mei makes a new choice about her future.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Embraced by the Strawberry Moon opens with Mei reflecting back on the events that led her to be transported back to the Meiji-era of Tokyo. She grew up in an antique shop hearing ghostly voices as her only playmates. Later on, when the teasing began, she shut everything and everyone out. But thanks to Charlie, the weird blue-haired street magician, she was whisked away to this world where she’s been able to meet new people and grow into her own.

After regaining these memories, Mei realizes she can’t stay here, not when there’s so much lost time she has to make up for in life in her own time period. Instead of coming to the big ball in Ougai’s fancy dress, she shows up in her own school uniform, telling Ougai all he needs to know. They meet up later in the park where they first met, and she lets him know she has to leave. He accepts her decision, and Charlie sends Mei back as the full moon rises.

Our Take:

I’m just going to come right out and say it: the final episode of Meiji Tokyo Renka is one of the best all season, and makes for a fantastic ending to what has turned out to be a shoujo romance series that’s actually not too bad. While this show has certainly had its fair share of boring, inconsequential episodes and shoddy storytelling,  I’m glad that the crew of the show was able to go out on a high note. Endings are really important, and Embraced By The Strawberry Moon ties everything up in a nice, neat bow.

Mei’s big decision takes up most of the first half of the episode. I’m glad they decided to spend this time on recapping Mei’s memories now that she’s regained them, and showing how she’s ready to return to her life and give it another chance now that she actually knows herself. But I can’t help but wish the process had begun a few episodes earlier. So much happened last week, and now Mei only gets a short time to reflect on her big decision in light of this new information that’s returned. I would’ve liked to see more of her deliberation process as she deals with deciding to leave all the friends she’s made.

Speaking of those friends, I really enjoyed how we got to say a brief goodbye to all the boys Mei’s come to know. They each get a little dance with her at the party before she runs off after Ougai, and recap the lessons she’s taught them just by being herself. I couldn’t help but laugh a bit at all their reactions as she entered the room in her school uniform; there’s so many boys and it was unintentionally pretty funny to get so many vocal reactions in a row. It also reminded me that I still don’t know who half of these guys are… that’s definitely a place where the show has faltered.

The moment of Mei’s new beginning is one of my favorites. Even though I still don’t really like Ougai, or even feel like I know him enough to like him, I loved that he already had come to peace with Mei’s choice and didn’t try to talk her out of it or debate her. They both love each other, but they both know they can’t remain like this. Being transported back in time has given Mei a new lease on life, but it hasn’t given her a free pass. Now that she knows who she is, she owes it to her previous self to try living again.

The dub was good as always, though Madeleine Morris’s performance as Mei stood out even more than usual, probably because she gets some big emotional moments to work with in this final episode. Ougai and Mei’s farewell scene was written well. Out of place phrases and awkward translations always become more glaring in key scenes, so I’m glad to report this finale was done justice.

Embraced by the Strawberry Moon is a very good final episode to wrap up Meiji Tokyo Renka. Not only did Mei realise she’s grown up and make a new choice based on her own desire for a brighter future, but Ougae and everyone else accepted and supported her in that choice. She’s learned so much from everyone in Meiji-era Tokyo, but now it’s time for her to make new friends in her own time – starting with going to eat some yummy lunch in a cafe with her new girlfriends!