True Tears - Episode 13 (Completed)

So majestic has True Tears been as a series, that I can see myself buying the DVDs and affording them silk cushions upon which to rest in the utmost luxury. This show has worked so well from beginning to end that it seemed beyond inconceivable that the writers would make a mess of the ending, and thankfully they didn't, choosing not to leave the viewer hanging on for a conclusion until the last minute and instead opting to make it pretty clear quite early how things were going to end.

From that moment onwards, we see Shinichirō really getting to grips with his feelings and why he feels the way he does, and perhaps more importantly watch him finally 'do things right' as he promised to do a handful of episodes ago. Again, I can't help but find some of Hiromi's actions a little... well, bitchy, to be honest, but at least the show's characters have remained consistent throughout.

When it comes to the crunch, characterisation is what has made True Tears what it is - Every one of the main players in this drama has felt real to an unprecedented extent, to the point where I suspect that some of my prejudices regarding certain characters were more to do with real people they reminded me of than the actual character themselves. Beautifully coupled with this excellent writing and plotting was the animation, which captured the nuances of human interaction in a delightful fashion - Sure, every anime of this ilk uses those aversions of the eyes and the like to convey emotion, but in True Tears the subtlety of it brought the feeling of intimacy delivered by the series to whole new levels.

I've been gushing about this series for thirteen weeks now, so this is my final chance to sum up True Tears in a single word of my choice. And that word shall be... Masterful.