English Dub Review: A Condition Called Love “My First Love”

Overview

Hotaru and Saki both reflect on where they are and how far they’ve come, from the past to the present.

Our Take

This time around, we get a season finale, that delves deeply into Saki’s past, providing insight into his initial encounter with Hotaru during their elementary school years. This exploration revealed a consistent thread in his personality, although he seemed more airheaded as a child. His loneliness until meeting Hotaru and his first love was poignantly captured, showing character depth in both past and present timelines.

Interestingly, Saki’s longstanding admiration for Hotaru since grade school was uncovered, portraying him as a fan and even admitting to stalking her even if it comes across as unintentional. This revelation explained his reluctance to reveal his past to Hotaru, reflecting his fear and the shame of his actions. But also hopes someday he’ll be fully worthy of her love if he does reveal it…

Overall, despite the predictability of the narrative, the season finale still offered a traditional rom-com conclusion. As it primarily highlights the complexities of Saki and Hotaru’s relationship. Their past, filled with misunderstandings and unspoken emotions, culminated in a touching present-day bond. And that long-ass flashback sequence provided context for Hananoi’s fixation on Hotaru, stemming from his neglectful parents and loneliness. Although this doesn’t excuse his current behavior, it fosters some empathy that manages to tie the past and present beautifully, making it a sweet and memorable conclusion. While the show had its flaws, including inconsistent writing and animation, the finale successfully balanced character expansion and their current relationship, and if Season 2 becomes a thing, I look forward to seeing where it goes somewhere down the line.