Citrus (Episode 1) – love affair!?
Yuzu’s mother remarried and it means she’ll be going to a new high school… an all-girl high school… a very strict all-girl high school… and her new step-sister is the student president! Urgh!
Citrus (Episode 1) – love affair!?
What happened?
Yuzu sees high school as a chance to focus on boys and fashion, however, a school full of girls will make one of those things disappear. Actually, this school will make both disappear as Yuzu discovers on her first day. Having spent the morning doing her hair and makeup and picking the perfect blouse and accessories, she was met by the disciplinary committee who told her that her entire outfit was a violation of school rules, even her hair. Yuzu begged for leniency as it was her first day, but then the student president came over and gave her a hug. When they separated, she had taken Yuzu’s phone and warned her not to do it again.
Yuzu was disappointed and pretty flustered by the whole thing, but then she met a cute teacher and that eased things. Well, that was until she introduced herself to her new class and was met by the cold dead stare of the student president. During recess, Yuzu attempted to make friends, but no one knew how to handle her enthusiasm and vigour. Yuzu was dragged away by Harumi who joined the school last year. She brought Yuzu up to speed with the way the school worked and the girls behaved.
After getting her phone back, Yuzu spotted the hot teacher and followed him in the hopes of getting his contact details. However, she stumbled upon the student president and the teacher kissing. Then, the student president saw her. Yuzu ran. After getting home, Yuzu asked her mother when she would meet her new father, but discovered he was going to be out of the country for a while. She also found out she had a new step-sister. The student president walked into their apartment and declared she was home. Awkward!
What did you think?
For full disclosure, I have read the entire manga and those reviews will start in a couple of weeks, so I will be reviewing this with the knowledge of what happened and I will be making some observations based on the difference between them. This first episode was fairly slow but did enough to show us the world in which Yuzu lives. We saw her bedroom and how half of it was bright and colourful, her side, and the other side was grey and lifeless, Mei’s side. I also liked how when she was walking to school the other students all looked like clones walking in rhythm while Yuzu was bouncing along. I’m surprised no one prepared her for the new school, especially as this is quite a change to her normal life.
So, let’s talk about that kiss. Yuzu was getting frustrated that Mei was blanking her despite her efforts to make amends for their first encounter together. When Mei continued to ignore her, Yuzu brought up the kiss she witnessed and started talking about how that might not be allowed at the school. Before Yuzu could finish her sentence, Mei leapt on her and kissed her. Now, in the manga, that kiss was basically a panel. You get the sense of how it shocked Yuzu from her reactions during and after. I think the anime made the scene way too long, making it feel far more sinister than it was. It’s not supposed to be a nice kiss, but the anime took it too far, especially with Yuzu struggling to break free, knocking over her makeup with her foot.
Episode Highlights
Other posts in the series
- Anime
- Season One
- Episode 1 – love affair!?
- Episode 2 – one’s first love
- Episode 3 – sisterly love?
- Episode 4 – love me do!
- Episode 5 – under lover
- Episode 6 – out of love
- Episode 7 – love or lie!
- Episode 8 – war of love
- Episode 9 – love is
- Episode 10 – winter of love
- Episode 11 – love you only
- Episode 12 – my love goes on and on
- Season One
- Manga
- Citrus
- Citrus+
- Volume 1 – She’s Coming Home Tonight!
- Volume 2 – This Time, We Handle it Together!
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Have not watched that anime, but I have heard a lot about how “problematic” that kiss was. A lot depends on how the “aftermath” was handled. If it is a one time thing, it ought not to taint the whole show.
I don’t look to anime – or any other form of art – for moral guidance. That’s either moral laziness or ideological constipation.
I think the issue was with how they did it in the anime. In the manga it was more of a surprise than an assault. I’d still recommend it, although the manga is better and does tell a much longer story.
Most people do not read the manga. I’d consider it a shortcoming in the anime.
Absolutely. You can’t rely on everyone experiencing both formats.
The crazy thing is it was a matter of seconds. They held the shot too long which made it look far more sinister than it was.
I think they were trying to follow the “she needed to be forced into it to realize she enjoyed it” trope rather than the “sudden impulse” trope which was the original intent. They thought it would appeal to a particular audience.
Female fantasy romance novels seem to accept more “use of force” than you’ll ever see in contemporary mainstream fiction. I remember one in particular where the heroine’s kyrtle was ripped off her by the dominant male (who evolved into a romantic interest) at least once every chapter.
For sure. It was definitely the catalyst and it was forced. Before that point, falling in love with a girl was never a thing for her. It was interesting seeing her coming to terms with it and accepting it. I guess people sometimes need a push to realize who they are.
I think people probably made too much of it, but compared to the manga it was more forceful. It’s funny what a difference a couple of seconds can make to a scene.