Although A Couple of Cuckoos should run for two more weeks, the show runners decided to spoil the fans by giving us two episodes this week. Which means we get to enjoy episode 23 and 24 at the same time.
It’s no secret that A Couple of Cuckoos has been a wild roller coaster ride, especially the first part of the series. However, the last couple of episodes have been great. Every episode manages to give us a decent amount of drama and comedy. So let’s see whether the show runners can ride the momentum and end this series on a high note.
Previously On A Couple of Cuckoos
Episode 22 takes place in Erika’s beach house. Nagi, Erika, Hiro, and Sachi decided to spend their summer vacation there. The problem arose when Hiro found out that Nagi has been living under the same roof with Erika all this time. This matter has been largely resolved back in episode 21, but there is still an important thing that needs to be resolved in episode 22, namely the fact that Hiro tells Nagi that Sachi actually has a crush on him. As expected, Sachi absolutely refused to admit her feelings to Nagi, but things still ended up becoming a bit awkward between them. The fact that they have to share the same bed later that night makes it even worse.
The second half of episode 22 focuses largely on Erika’s missing brother. Sousuke Amano. They found clues that suggest Erika’s brother was staying at the beach house just a day before they came. Based on that fact, Nagi believes that Sousuke might still be in town. However, Erika suddenly feels scared meeting the brother that has been purposely avoiding her all these years. Thankfully, Nagi reminds her that she is not alone. He promises to look for Sousuke together with her and will be there as her moral support, which instantly lifts Erika’s mood. Unfortunately, after hours of looking around town, they couldn’t find any traces of Sousuke.
All That Matters Is That You Two Are Happy
Episode 23 takes place right after the end of episode 22. Since they couldn’t find Erika’s father, the group decided to head home. However, right before they enter the car, Hiro grabs Nagi’s hand and tells Erika and Sachi that both of them will go home on their own because they still have something to do. Erika and Sachi are clearly surprised with this sudden decision, but they reluctantly agree with Hiro’s suggestion, and head home first.
Meanwhile, Nagi doesn’t know what is actually happening. He is just happy because he gets to spend some quality time with Hiro. After collecting a stamp from a nearby shrine, they both ended up having to spend the night in an inn due to the heavy rainstorm. Nothing happened between them, because Erika and Sachi ended up going back and picking them both with the rented car. However, it is safe to say that that is one of the most stressful nights in Nagi’s life.
In the final episode, the story mainly focuses on Erika. This episode can be divided into two parts, with the first one being a birthday party for Nagi and Sachi’s father, Umino Yohei. The Umino family always take a family picture every year duringYohei’s birthday, and this time around, Erika is finally getting to be in the picture together with her biological family.
In the second part of the story, Erika catches a mild case of cold. Both Sachi and Hiro frantically try to treat Erika, with Hiro offering a cup of sake to warm up her body, while Sachi invites her to visit the sauna together. However, it is ultimately Nagi and his delicious rice porridge that finally manage to nurse Erika back to health. It is at this moment that both Hiro and Sachi realize that Erika is their main rival in this complicated battle of love.
End On A High Note
It’s no secret that this first season of A Couple of Cuckoos is rather underwhelming. The quality of each episode, especially in the first part of the series, differs greatly from one episode to the next. The main thing that holds them back is usually the inability to find the right balance between drama and comedy, which happens to be one of the most important things in a RomCom anime.
That being said, part two is where this series truly shines. Mind you, there are still some issues here and there, but more often than not, the show runners manage to hit it out of the park. That is especially true for the last five or six episodes.
And now, in this final episode, although it is not the best ending in the world, not even the best among the anime in this season, A Couple of Cuckoos still manage to end on a rather high note. Everything sort of culminated into a moment of pure wholesomeness. And that is pretty much as good as we can get from this series.
The Beginning of A Serious Rivalry
This first season of A Couple of Cuckoos can be considered to be one massive set up for Nagi’s harem. We start the series with the main heroines, namely Erika, Sachi, and Hiro, who don't really have any feelings for the main hero, Nagi. As the series progressed and the girls got to spend more time with Nagi, they began to develop feelings for him.Though in Sachi’s case, it’s more like a realization rather than a development.
That is why the last moments of episode 24 where Sachi and Hiro quietly admit that they are actually competing for Nagi’s affection (with Erika currently seems to be in the lead) is such a powerful moment. Because this is precisely the time when they start to view the others as serious rivals in this battle of love.
In a way, it is quite disappointing that it takes 24 episodes for such an important declaration/realization to happen. You can argue that 13 episodes should be more than enough time to convey those feelings and develop the characters properly, and you’d be right. However, you can also say that those “Filler episodes” contain some of the best moments in the series. That is why even though this spirit of rivalry between the Harem candidates comes a bit late, well, it’s better late than never, right?
Conclusion
These two last episodes of A Couple of Cuckoos are quite enjoyable. Because while there’s nothing remarkable happening, the fact that they manage to create a rather wholesome ending is certainly a good thing. It means the show runners manage to ride the momentum from the last episodes quite well.
That being said, this series should have a second season, because it is clear that this first season is merely a set-up for the next one. The second season is where all the drama will happen. Other than that, A Couple of Cuckoos proves to be a decent RomCom anime with a wholesome ending.