A Galaxy Next Door

Episode 12

Some shows have a grand finale. Others fizzle out. A Galaxy Next Door manages to do both at once, which kind of feels like par for its course. At its best, this episode touches on important moments that have been largely ignored by the larger story. Machi tacitly admitting that she's been turning down invitations from her friends, even when Fumio is included, is probably one of the strongest of these. She's consistently been shown to be more mature than her years, and when we see her this week quietly observing Ichiro doing his finances, some of that is explained. She's old enough to be fully cognizant of the fact that he's both brother and parent to her, and she's made a conscious decision to make that as easy as possible for him. She doesn't want to ask him for money for ski trips or amusement parks, and she doesn't want to disturb him to ask for permission to go out with friends, even just over to their houses. So instead she pretends that she's happiest playing with Fumio at home. When Shiori calls her out on it, and Fumio offers to let her go off by herself, she bursts into tears – not because her hard work has been for nothing, but because she doesn't want to let anyone know she was making sacrifices in the first place.

It's a very good contrast with the Goshiki family dynamic. Where Machi is hyper-aware of what she wants to do to make Ichiro's life easier, Shiori's family completely disregards what she might want. Shiori's concern for Machi is that she's allowing herself to be repressed in the same way that Shiori was, but it's not at all the same thing. Machi isn't unhappy, she's just trying to take responsibility alongside Ichiro. Shiori's family thinks that only by following their dictates can Shiori exist; happiness and consideration aren't anywhere in the equation. Should a little girl have to do what Machi's doing? Of course not, but it's still her decision, and now that Ichiro's aware of it, they can find a balance between what she wants to do and what she feels she has to do. And there still may be some truth to not liking to go over to friends' houses; I certainly didn't enjoy it at Machi's age.

The other particularly strong moment in this episode is almost a blink-and-you'll-miss-it. It's when Shiori comments that she's finally able to do what she wants to, to figure out who she is and what she wants to do in life. That was her goal in leaving the island, at least in part, but the whole stinger episode made it less possible for her. But now that that's resolved, she's able to grab hold of that dream again. Not that Ichiro was ever deliberately holding her back, but without the supernatural component of their relationship, they can finally have a real one – and being able to give your partner space is just as important as being able to be together. That's something that they can have, now. Shiori deserves to grow in all ways, not just the textbook romance ones.

For the most part, this episode feels a little rushed. It tries to cram in a stinger-free date, family issues, and the utterly unsurprising revelation of Chibi-chan's feelings for Ichiro, plus a summer festival in winter into under half an hour, and while it works, it doesn't stand out. That's how I feel about this series as a whole, though: it's nice, but not spectacular. There is something comforting about it, but this wasn't a season (for me, at least) where “comfortable” was quite enough, and it really is a shame. I think that the best way to watch this show is over a cold week in winter when you just need something cozy to warm you up. It might be worth a rewatch when we hit that time of year again because at the end of the day, A Galaxy Next Door just isn't made for a season like this one, and that's too bad.

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A Galaxy Next Door is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.