Welcome all to the finale of Runway de Waratte! This week we see Ayano Toh’s show, find out the winner of the event and once more get to watch pretty girls cry. So if that’s your idea of a good time, lets jump right in.
Right off the bat, I have to come out and say it, I found this finale to be pretty “meh”. Compared to last week, Toh’s show just lacked any sort of real impact. It was presented in an almost matter of fact nature, compared to Kokoro or Ikuto’s more emotional ones. Runway tried to shock us with Toh’s formatting, but I don’t think it really works. Sending out 2 models at a time, or starting with a t-shirt, might have worked had it been the opening of the show. But after Ikuto’s performance of closing with such a simple outfit, or Kokoro’s incredibly emotional show, Toh’s feels like a footnote. It’s like last week was our finale, and this was more of an epilogue tying up loose ends. I just found it dull, all the while one of the worst music choices of the show played over it.
This isn’t to say Runway didn’t get some things right, Kokoro winning was a good idea. It was a nice culmination to her arc and she earned it after the event that was last episode. That it came from Toh basically forfeiting only serves to highlight how far above the rest he is further. I think that aspect of it all worked really well, because it made sense for all 3 characters. It was made obvious a while ago that Toh never really cared about the fashion show. Afterall, he already knows he is better than everyone else. At this point he is competing with his grandmother, and anything short of victory there is a loss to him. So kudos to Runway for actually managing to close out that narrative arc. Now if only it didn’t undermine Ikuto’s arc at the same time.
What I mean is that giving Ikuto last place could have worked, it was the shot of reality he needed. It could have been a very brave way to end the season, with the lead character getting destroyed. Sadly Runway seems unable to really commit to that. Going out of its way to paint Ikuto as the same level as Toh. Or at least competing with him, by saying he was the only other person to get a business card. Runway immediately tries to raise him and to Toh’s level and establish them as rivals. Both with the card and by demonstrating Ikuto could have fixed Toh’s dress. But that isn’t really something you do after the confrontation in my mind. Especially not after such a crushing defeat as what we saw. This is supposed to be the real starting point for Ikuto. Instead it falls flat.
The last thing to talk about is more of a personal gripe. A grip with both Runway as a show and with the fashion industry portrayed. And that is: I don’t think I like fashion. Because I found the reasons given for Ikuto’s loss, his last place, to be terrible. “Designers have a duty to push fashion forward”, sure, but who cares about clothes people won’t wear? Why would you order clothes and sell them, if no one is going to wear them? It’s a fundamental flaw I think and just sort of paints the entire industry in a ridiculous light. Add on to that how I just thought a number of the outfits were ridiculous and impractical. Why even bother to put them on a model if people aren’t supposed to actually wear them? Long story short, it feels like Runway and the industry have their priorities backwards.
So all in all, how was Runway’s finale? It was… meh. It honestly feels like last week was the shows finale and this week is more of an epilogue. Yet the way Toh’s show was presented and the way Runway lays it out feels like that isn’t supposed to be the case. Combine that with my general lack of interest in anyone not named Chiyuki and the whole thing just sort of falls flat. Once more Runway shows sparks of promise, hints of something greater. But it fails to really live up to it and reach the heights it sets out for. Anywhoo, thanks for sticking with me for this season. That’s a wrap on the last show left before we pick new ones! The final review should be up in a few days, it’s already done and just needs some touching up. See you then!
