If Honey and Clover was my favorite series reflecting college life, then Manabi Straight would be my favorite to watch as a high school student. Power messages of Going forward and achieving your goals, and of friendship.

Fast forward two years later sees scenes reminiscent from the beginning as Mikan is late for school again, while being scolded on the phone for Mutsuki. This time though, she cannot help but laugh, after being intercepted by Manabi.

School council has a bunch of lively juniors, unlike when the times where Mikan was all alone. Graduation is here, and basically, thanks to Kyouko, nothing in Seiou has changed since the merger.

Everybody has their own plans going forward from here. Momo is going to a digital journalist school, while Mutsuki is joining a professional softball team, Mei is going to college, while Manabi is going to become a freeter, of all things.

Mikan? She’s going to America. Manabi talks about how Mikan is going there to search for excitement, even as Mikan herself think about how she has changed a little, even though Seiou didn’t.

Manabi holds a final reflection meeting after the graduation ceremony. In the end, Manabi reflects about how she caused everybody problems, just going forward towards her own goals.

Mikan closed by reflecting about how she always ended up following others, unable to move on her own. Suddenly the tears just flowed, and she started to entertain thoughts of not going to America. But Manabi insists that she should, and this isn’t an end. They will always be together no matter where they are.

On the day Mikan is supposed to catch her flight, we have everyone crowded into a car that Mei is driving, and stuck in a jam. (driving a manual car even though she just got her license too! cheap cheap! Engine stalls)

But they made it in the end. Final farewells with a forward go punch. No cliche crying or anything though! Just a very smooth goodbye.

Mikan returns 2 years after that, to see her friends all still waiting for her. Spray paint the school! (OP)

Thoughts

Lovely series that first got my attention by the character designs. But it was the themes that really kept me watching.

Speaking of designs, i love the mixture of cute, realism (what an accurate portrayal of the airport!)  There’s also always a punk rock feel to it all too.

Excellent job by the various seiyuus. Horie Yui, Nonaka Ai, Inoue Marina, Hirano Aya, and Fujita Saki.

In the end, Mikan was the focus of the show, the one whom everything was narrated through. It was quite a nice touch. Very sentimental themes of friendship, which can possibly induce tears of warmth at times. Where did my own secondary school life go to!