How much weight should a poor conclusion have in the final analysis of an otherwise well-executed series? Should you take a mathematical approach, calculating which percentage of its episodes didn’t meet an average standard of goodness? Or should you work based on feelings – the degree to which your memory of the show is stained by a lousy ending? Personally, I’d say that either method is fine, so long as you factor in the strength of the series before its implosion. In Yesterday wo Utatte’s case, its first 11 episodes were better than its finale was bad. That schizophrenic bus monologue and badly-timed confession can’t erase the heartache of Shinako’s backstory, or the show’s excellent supporting character work, or its vivid sense of nostalgia. This is an anime that stood atop the spring season for most of its run, then punted its crown in week 12. That doesn’t mean it joins Shachou, Battle no Jikan desu! and Shadowverse at the bottom of the seasonal barrel; it just moves down a couple spots on the winner’s podium.
