Warning: Spoilers for A Condition Called Love episode #12!!
Since its debut, A Condition Called Love on Crunchyroll has been doing almost everything except for playing it safe, which is partly why so many shojo fans are divided by the controversy surrounding the series, but it was especially risky when the series decided to have Saki and Hotaru actually kiss in the episode before the season finale. However, episode #12 couldn’t have been more perfectly executed to the point that what some viewers might consider a premature kiss is now completely justified because of what happens in that final installment.
Part of what makes episode #11 so risky can only really be attributed to how actual romance fans feel. Those who truly appreciate the genre actually love the overused tropes and clichés that too many critics are so vocal about, and having the kiss take place in the episode before the season finale definitely broke with these conventions.
A major appeal for many romance fans is the thrill of the chase, and the coveted first kiss is the ultimate goal, even more so than the act of consummation. Reaching that goal too early can negatively impact the anticipation. Of course, a well-crafted romance can generate just as much hype for the journey that follows, but sometimes that “magic” can feel lost, and A Condition Called Love could have, at the very least, just ended on a lower note. Luckily, that didn’t happen at all.
The Massive Power of an Incredible Flashback
Original series created by Megumi Morino
A Condition Called Love was able to match or possibly even top “the kiss” through the incredible flashback in the season finale for two reasons. The first, and less exciting, of the two is that the love story was just incredibly touching. It was Saki’s first love, and the situation he finds himself with this girl is more poignant than it already was because it is deeply intertwined with his lack of actual friendship and of, on a deeper level, love from his parents. So when this girl he had loved in secret just so happened to make a very symbolic move to be his first and only friend, this girl suddenly embodied all the love that had been so elusive to him.
The second reason lies in that girl’s identity – Hotaru. This is meaningful on so many levels. Besides the obvious connection between this girl and Saki’s current girlfriend, the first level is that this act of identification is a moment that the series has been foreshadowing for quite some time. There were a handful of moments referencing the fact that Saki had actually met Hotaru before, and that she just didn’t remember. This memory is that moment.
The second level is that Saki turns out to actually be another unintended victim of a misconception that had also affected Hotaru’s friend and ended their friendship. The series has always presented this past misunderstanding as a massive turning point in Hotaru’s life that greatly impacted her and the fact that Saki was also indirectly involved is an incredible revelation. This is especially the case when considering the fact that his flashback ends in tragedy as a result of this misconception.
The Past Is Part of What Addresses A Condition Called Love’s Controversy
Coincidentally, this flashback is a direct cause of one of the justifications behind why so many people think A Condition Called Love is controversial. An earlier episode revealed that Saki’s grandfather had essentially cemented the importance of finding love in Saki to compensate for the lack of compassion from his parents. As a result, Saki now puts everything into the pursuit thereof and, in turn, “present” and “past” Hotaru from episode #12’s flashback.
This explains why Saki can seem so smothering and toxic. These traits serve as the basis for many viewers’ negative feelings about A Condition Called Love. Of course, A Condition Called Love has already long justified his actions by how Hotaru accepts and isn’t bothered by them, just like how the series now justifies having the kiss happen so early.
