English Dub Review: Citrus “war of love”

“This is gonna be fun – in like, a weird way.”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Yuzu keeps her promise to take Matsuri on a friendly date, but can’t help inviting Mei along for the ride. Driven by jealousy, Matsuri puts an evil plan into motion.

After being ditched at the mall, Yuzu and Mei have a sweet walk home amidst the falling snow. Yuzu is excited for the family’s upcoming Christmas party – it will be her first Christmas with Mei as her little sister.

Our Take:

True to form, any time Matsuri is involved, things get toxic. The first half of war of love spent most of its runtime being either a) boring or b) uncomfortable to watch. Seeing Matsuri and Yuzu pal-ing around at the mall didn’t really reveal anything about their dynamic that we didn’t know before. And even when things get less monotonous, Matsuri’s scheming personality makes for a cringe-worthy viewing experience. Enlisting two young kids to record her confrontation with Mei is downright devious. (To be fair, Mei didn’t behave any better toward Matsuri, though her actions are at least more justifiable.)

Luckily, the second half turned things around in a big way, with some well-done scenes that pulled on the heartstrings while uncovering information about why Mei acts the way she does. Her bus stop bonding time with Yuzu was super sweet. (That hand-holding! Now we know why the series is rated as ‘Mature’.) And it was great to see that Mei is beginning to trust Yuzu enough to let her see a more personal side of herself. Mei’s self-loathing is sad to see, but at least she seems to know she has issues that need to be addressed, which is more than we can say for Matsuri.

The dub sounded better to me than the last episode, mostly due to Matsuri’s dialogue is a little less obviously villainous. That said, there were still a few moments that sounded awkward in the dub, like when Momokino was talking with her friend about the school budget. Speaking of Momokino, she definitely has the best line of the episode: “I must solidify our bond!” So romantic.

Episode 8 wasn’t all positive. Matsuri continues to stir up the drama in ways that feel unnecessary and forced. But her arrival does seem to be causing Mei to explore her own feelings for Yuzu in a new way, so that’s something. Harumin was in fine form this episode, even if Yuzu didn’t appreciate her jokes. (I’ll always have time for your comedy routine, Mama Harumin.) We can only guess about what Matsuri’s plan will bring next week, but if her own words are any indicator, it’s gonna be fun – but in a weird way.