Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me episode 12 started with Runa and Ryuto as they walked around and talked about how they had grown in their relationship, with Runa expressing her intention to show more affection to Ryuto. They were at a cafe, and Runa discussed her plan to bring her divorced parents together for a Christmas Eve dinner, hoping to recreate a happy family atmosphere.
Now, at school, one of Ryuto’s friends, Yuusuke, greeted him. During their interaction, Ryuto noticed that Yuusuke had lost significant weight and looked very different. Yuusuke had taken some time off from school after being rejected by Akar at the school festival. Still, upon returning, he became popular with the girls due to his transformation, surprising everyone.
Akari, reflecting on Yuusuke’s change, suddenly found him cute and likened him to one of her favorite famous idols. People encouraged her to talk to him, but she hesitated, recalling how she had rejected him before his weight loss at the festival.
Additionally, Nishina, another friend of Ryuto, attempted to confess to one of Runa’s friends, Nikoru. However, Nikoru informed him that she already had a boyfriend. As she walked away, Nishina acknowledged that he was aware of the status of her relationship.
Runa’s idea of trying to get her parents back together seemed a bit rough. Reuniting divorced parents could be challenging due to the deeper issues behind a divorce. Since she was a high schooler, it might have complicated things even more. I was also not a fan of how she didn’t know that her dad would remarry and that she never met the woman before. It seemed somewhat unrealistic that she wouldn’t be aware of her father’s relationship life.
I honestly couldn’t believe that Akari suddenly wanted Yuusuke just because he looked like one of her favorite idols. The thing was, she had rejected him earlier, thinking he was only interested in her looks. The way the tables had turned messed with my thoughts about her character. She seemed to only care about looks, contradicting her statement about not wanting men to pursue her solely for her appearance. I was genuinely disappointed in her character; I initially thought she was pretty cool until this happened, which changed my perception of her.
Now it was time for the family Christmas Eve dinner, and everyone was there except the dad. My mom felt awkward initially because she didn’t know the dad was coming; it was a surprise Christmas Eve dinner between the two parents. However, Maria mentioned that they had avoided bringing up Dad because they knew she wouldn’t go, and the mom agreed. Although they were both adults, it was okay. The dad arrived with a new woman, revealing that he was getting remarried. This news hurt Runa because she had hoped for a happy family reunion, and it surprised her as she had never met this woman before. The revelation was a huge shock to everyone, leading Runa to have a breakdown.
Afterward, everybody went their own ways. Runa and Ryuto went to Runa’s place to try to calm her down. Ryuto, thinking she wanted some space, was about to leave, but she pulled on his clothing, indicating that he should stay and comfort her. He decided to stay, and she suddenly developed a fever.
Meanwhile, Nikoru decided to find Sekiya, as she still had lingering feelings for him. She went to his cram school, found him, and told him she would wait for him after the exams. While running off, he caught up to her and expressed that he should also have a say in the matter. They had a moment, and Nikoru teared up a bit.
The next day was Christmas, and Runa felt better. She gave Ryuto a Christmas gift, a bunch of good luck charms, and then he gave her his gift. He put on a Santa costume and gave her matching earrings to her moon ring, which he had given her at the night festival. Runa mentioned that her dad used to dress up as Santa for her, making Ryuto feel a bit bad. However, she reassured him that now he was her Santa Claus, making him feel better.
Later, there was a scene where Runa and Nikoru were on a phone call, discussing everything about their relationships. Runa expressed her desire to enter a more intimate relationship with Ryuto. Nikoru observed that it showed Runa was now fully in love with him, as it began with not having strong feelings for him, and now she appreciated him for who he was, finding true love through Ryuto.
After the end credits for the episode, there was a scene where they were in a photo booth. Runa was cosplaying as a maid, telling Ryuto that she was ready to be more intimate, hoping to turn him on. She kissed him on the cheek, marking the end of the season.
Relationships were particularly intense in this episode because it vividly portrayed each side of relationships in this series. We got a deeper look into each character’s perspectives and how they perceived true love. It was heartwarming to witness their significant growth throughout the relationship, particularly in how they gradually expressed love and affection for each other. This portrayal aligned with the idea that legends should unfold by building up a relationship slowly and striving to understand each other’s love.
What I enjoyed most about the Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me series was the exploration of different types of understanding regarding characters’ perspectives on love. The series delved into the diverse meanings of love, showcasing how sometimes love became a reality, while other times it didn’t. This exploration allowed us to learn about various facets of love – there was progress, heartbreak, building, and many other aspects that contributed to the complexity of love, providing valuable insights for all of us.
Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me episode 12 made me feel so satisfied, so I give it a score of 8/10.
Here is my overall review of this series. I found the series to be quite wholesome and cute. I appreciate the animation’s brightness and how it portrays love’s progression. While the relationship initially started on an unusual note with one character not really liking the other, it was interesting to see how they learned from each other and worked towards personal growth and understanding of love.
Throughout the series, there were numerous emotional roller coasters that at times made me want to pull my hair out. However, on the whole, I feel the series was quite good. It provided valuable insights into different perspectives and personalities, especially since the main characters had distinct personalities. Despite their differences, they tried to share and experience new things together, reinforcing the series’ theme that you can still explore new experiences with someone, even if they have or haven’t encountered them before.
The diverse and quirky personalities of the characters added an interesting dynamic to their interactions, incorporating elements of popularity and geeky nerd dynamics. This unique blend made the series stand out, presenting a type of romance commonly seen in anime but with a fresh perspective. Overall, the series positively impacted my perception of romance, and I appreciate its cute yet interesting ending.
Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me season, I give it a score of 8.5/10.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Makiko Nagaoka, magako / KADOKAWA / Kimizero Production Committee
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