English Dub Review: Citrus “love is”

Matsuri makes more mischief in a crazy Christmas episode.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Matsuri attempts to blackmail Mei into skipping Yuzu’s Christmas party, forcing her to meet up with one of her ‘clients’ on Christmas day. Thankfully, things don’t go according to her evil plans. Once Yuzu finds out about Matsuri’s meddling, she abandons their date to go to Mei’s side. By the end of the episode, Matsuri seems to have realized that she went too far and that she and Mei have more in common than she thought.

Our Take:

Boy, was this a weird Christmas special. Matsuri’s plan is not only detrimental to Mei and Yuzu’s relationship, but it is potentially very dangerous for Mei herself. After pulling a stunt like this, I thought my opinion of Matsuri’s character would be unsalvageable.  While the episode provides us with flashbacks to her being neglected during childhood, these don’t really produce any sympathy from me. Matsuri’s actions are unforgivable, and parental problems are a weak excuse. That said, it’s nice to get a little insight into what made her who she is, so we can at least try to understand where she’s coming from.

After a crazy first half, things got much better. I’m so glad to see Yuzu go head-to-head (literally) with Matsuri and let her know that her behaviour is unacceptable. (Even if Yuzu seems to blame herself for it later on.) This outbreak seems to strike a chord in Matsuri, who realizes that her choices have only pushed her big sister farther away. She gets a sweet moment with Mei, who gives her a bit of sisterly advice about accepting love from people around you while not forcing it to happen.

The dub is definitely hitting its stride, with Megan Shipman perfectly embodying Yuzu’s kind-hearted nature. Amber Lee Connor’s performance as Mei is growing on me as she opens up and shows a softer side of herself. Best line of the episode? Yuzu’s forlorn exclamation as she’s gazing down at her many failed baking attempts: “I’m a failure.”

All in all, this episode went a bit overboard in the drama department, but at least it wrapped up Matsuri’s character in a fairly interesting way. Now, all we can do is hope that no more barriers lie in the way for Yuzu and Mei during the final few episodes! (Though some stress-free romance would be welcome, I seriously doubt if that’s what Citrus has in store.)