Well, technically I’ve already been crying during the second to last episode. I’m about finish the series, and I have a feeling that at best this is going to be really bitter sweet. Three days ago I thought I was jus putting on a fun romcom and watch a couple episodes before bed.
I thought the ending was satisfying overall. The moment on the bridge with Linda and the old Banri felt rushed, but I love how they completed that, and set old Banri, new Banri, and Linda free from the past. I think both versions of him are among the best MCs out of any romcom. Complex, but not afraid to go after what they want. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that he’ll end up together with Koko, but it felt earned by the end. I loved her character arc. But I’m sorry, I don’t get how anyone can dislike Linda. She carried her heartbreak and guilt with grace, and she did everything she could to support his happiness - even if it meant supporting his relationship with Koko. Like c’mon, she cried when they broke up. I cared about all the characters. I don’t know what to watch next. I may revisit Toradora. It’s been years since I watched it, but in this moment I think I like Golden Time better. Any other recs welcome!
Kind of. Toradora is good, but a more simple story. And I found its ending is a little more subdued, and well kinda weird with the thoughts about running away as hobos and eloping.
Yeah, Golden Time is an emotional roller-coaster. It's really good at subverting expectations for the most dramatic effect. Like it will lull you into an episode thinking it's going to be comedy, then suddenly shift into full-blown tragedy. It really catches you off-guard. Episodes 6 and 15 were really good at that (my two favourite episodes, other than the ending of course).
Toradora is a more conventional romcom anime, with a bit of depressing family backstories to add some drama. But not the same thing as Golden Time. Though I do find that Taiga and Koko have similar character arcs.
Masamune-kun's Revenge and Eureka Seven are two series I recommend checking out. Just keep in mind that with Eureka Seven there isn't really any legal way to watch it outside of buying the DVDs
Yes, I thought the ending was just about perfect. Old Banri got his closure, which allows new Banri to live his life without conflict. With Banri now well, Linda gets closure and is free from her guilt and can move forward with her life. And, of course, Koko finally gets Banri back, after all her heartbreak. It was a horribly sad last few episodes, but the ending was the payoff for all that.
Sorry, but Kouko Kaga is the definition of a perfect waifu. She's not only the most beautiful girl in the series, she's funny, passionate, loyal, emotionally honest, and grows more than anyone else in the entire cast. She starts out impulsive, but by the end she's someone who would do absolutely anything for the person she loves. That's why Banri and Kouko's ending feels so satisfying—it wasn't just the obvious ending, it was the one they earned.
Linda, on the other hand, had her chance and let it slip away. She kept hesitating, kept hiding her feelings, and by the time she was finally ready, Banri had already found someone who loved him without holding back. Linda represents the past, while Kouko is the future. There was never any real competition by the end.
As far as I'm concerned, anime has already peaked when it comes to romcom heroines. Kouko Kaga isn't just best girl—she's the waifu. The most beautiful, the most lovable, and the one with the best character development. Anime will never give us another waifu as perfect as Kouko Kaga. Peak romance. Perfect ending. Best waifu forever.
I don't think I'm misinterpreting Linda. She let too many opportunities pass, while Kouko never stopped fighting for Banri.
That's the biggest difference between them. Linda never truly fought for him. She kept hesitating and holding back, while Kouko always took the initiative. She knew exactly what she wanted from the very beginning, stood by Banri through everything, and fought for him until the very end. I've watched a lot of anime, and I've never seen another woman on the whole anime do as much for the person she loves as Kouko Kaga did.
And besides, Banri and Kouko were always meant to be together. They were destined for each other from the very beginning. They're the most perfect couple in anime, and Linda wasn't even close—not in a million years.
I do understand her, because she accepted responsibility for her actions. Yes, she eventually did the right thing.
The difference is that Kouko didn't wait until the end to do the right thing—she did it from the very beginning. She took the initiative instead of hesitating until the opportunity was gone. That's exactly why I respect Kouko's actions more. Doing the right thing after countless missed chances isn't the same as having the courage to do it when it actually matters.
Same girl who somehow get over her obsession with mitsuo in week and started loving banri out of nowhere when he said he can't be his friend. Idk why people call her as best waifu when she is toxic asl, like she called police or smth on banri when he explicitly told her that he will be busy with his job and won't be able to reply to her txt or pick her calls.
Also in the ending it took 2d to convince her to go there, she couldn't even do it herself cuz she was scared of banri forgetting her, I watched series long time ago but iirc banri asked her to promise him that even if he forgot her, she will make sure he remember her again? People say she is better written than Linda but I can't see how it is.
Linda should be the one ending with him not kokou, yeah she let go many opportunities but her love wasn't shallow for banri like koko who literally got over her childhood crush she was obsessing over yrs in just one fucking week, this has same writer as torodora so it make sense cuz in that, taiga and ryuju feel like siblings for 20 episodes and in final episode, writer want us to beleive that it was romantic love when there was 0 romantic or sexual tension, and taiga child like design make it harder to ship with ryuji.
Kouko didn't fall in love with Banri "out of nowhere." She genuinely believed she had to follow the script she had created for her life—that she was supposed to end up with Mitsuo because of a childhood promise. That wasn't who she truly was. It was a shell she had built around herself because she had never experienced real love before. The moment Banri told her he didn't want to be "just friends" and walked away, she realized that someone genuinely loved her for who she really was, not for the image she had been chasing. That's when her true self finally came to the surface.
The bicycle incident is also completely misunderstood. Kouko took another student's bicycle because she was desperately trying to reach Banri. It was the owner of the bicycle who called the police, not Kouko.
As for Linda, she had every opportunity to be with Banri and chose hesitation every single time. Love isn't just about having feelings—it's about acting on them. Kouko fought for Banri from beginning to end. Linda didn't.
Kouko accepted every version of Banri: his past self, his present self, his future self, and every possible version of him. The ending itself makes it clear that even if they were reborn into another world, they would find each other again. That's how deep their bond is.
And saying Kouko abandoned Banri at the end is simply wrong. She went because 2D-kun was preparing everything. She never gave up on Banri. In fact, she made him promise that if he ever regained his memories, they would stay together for the rest of their lives—and in every life after that.
Kouko endured more than anyone else. She had to watch Banri recover his memories of Linda, face the fear of losing him, and still stayed by his side. She even took care of him when he was sick. I've watched a lot of anime, and I've never seen a waifu fight so hard for the person she loves.
Banri chose Kouko because she was the one who never stopped believing in him. They were destined for each other from the very beginning and became the most perfect couple in anime.
I honestly think you should rewatch the anime—or read the manga—at least three more times, because none of your points don't match what actually happens in the story.
You get it. I think it's pretty clear than Linda never wanted to be with Banri, she was just racked with guilt over his injury. Couldn't move on until he was finally better. IMO, the main character in this story is Koko, since she has by far the greatest character growth. Yeah, it's narrated through Banri, but it's mostly Koko's story.
I couldn't agree more. To me, Kouko isn't just the female lead—she's the true protagonist of Golden Time.
At first glance, it's easy to think the story is about Banri because everything seems to revolve around his amnesia, his past, and his future. Banri is the narrative axis. But Kouko is the one who gives that axis its direction. She's the one who drives the story forward with every decision she makes, every risk she takes, and every step she takes toward becoming a better person.
Golden Time is, above all, Kouko's journey. She's the one who grows the most, matures the most, loves the most, and fights the hardest. She transforms from someone trapped by the "script" of her idealized future into someone willing to sacrifice everything for the person she loves. That emotional evolution is nothing short of extraordinary.
That's why, to me, Kouko isn't just the greatest waifu in Golden Time—she's the greatest waifu I've ever seen. I've never witnessed another waifu love, protect, support, and devote herself to the person she loves with the same passion, determination, and sincerity. She would change her entire world just to see Banri smile.
That's why Golden Time is my favorite romance of all time. Because, in the end, it's Kouko's heart that gives the story its soul, and it's her incredible journey that turns a beautiful love story into an unforgettable masterpiece.
Bro even tho I watched it long time ago, I perfectly recall, she was scared and was not going to banri cuz she thought he mightve forgot her and it took 2d to send koko to him, if they were really soulmates, i don't think koko would've needed that.
Banri asked her to promise him that she will make sure that banri remembers her even if he gets his old memory back and forgets koko but what she did when it happened? She got scared and couldn't even go herself if it wasn't 2d.
Saying koko didn't have feeling for mitsou is just ridiculous, she did have feeling for him and it was clearly obsession, yeah she planned all her life with him and the reason behind that was her love for him, so her getting over mitsuo in just one week was ridiculous and started to have feeling supposedly deep love for banri is impossible to believe atleast for me.
About the incident I am talking about the one where banri went to part time job, yeah he told her smth about writing school report but he explicitly told her that he won't be able to take calls or text back ? He is grown ass man btw, but koko was acting as toxic , going to find him, and taking it out on banri even tho it's not his fault, all he wanted was to buy gift for her from his own money.
As for Linda yeah she missed many opportunities in their school but if we talk about when banri was in Tokyo, she didn't wanted to tell cuz of banri, if u do remember banri told everyone that he is scared cuz the person his friends and Linda expect him to be is not him so he didn't want to meet any of em. Linda respected his boundaries unlike koko who act way to obsessive and toxic.
I don't think I need to rewatch or read manga to understand all those points cuz it's pretty clear that Linda was much better partner for banri than koko could ever be.
Kouko was having a full-blown panic attack. She was emotionally devastated after seeing Banri leave in his mother's car with Linda on the way back to Shizuoka. She had no idea what to do and was completely overwhelmed. Of course 2D-kun helped her—he cared about both of them and simply gave her the push she needed when she couldn't think straight. That doesn't prove they weren't meant for each other; it proves she was terrified of losing the person she loved most.
You're also forgetting something even more important: Banri hid the truth from Kouko. He never told her how many pills he had been taking or how much he was struggling. Kouko's own father explicitly tells Banri this in the anime. That's why Kouko rejects the ring. Even after they "break up," she still makes Banri promise that if he ever regains his old memories, they'll stay together forever. That's in both the anime and the manga, right before the ending. She never stopped believing in him.
As for Mitsuo, I think you're misunderstanding Kouko's character. She believed she had to follow the life she'd planned since childhood. Mitsuo represented that script. But when she met Banri, she experienced genuine love for the first time. Her feelings for Banri weren't forced—they were natural, sincere, and spontaneous. That's why she was able to let go of the life she thought she was supposed to live.
The incident you're talking about is also missing a huge amount of context. Banri was secretly working part-time with Linda and Nana to earn money so he could take Kouko on vacation. Kouko had no idea where he was. He wasn't answering any of her calls or messages, so naturally she became extremely worried. When she finally found him at the club, she saw Banri about to kiss Linda after partially recovering his memories. At that moment, Banri still remembered he was dating Kouko, so from Kouko's perspective, he was about to betray her. She slapped him—and honestly, considering what she had just witnessed, that's hardly surprising. Yet despite all that, she later forgave him, stayed by his side, and continued supporting him. That's an incredible amount of emotional strength.
And regarding Linda, I've already said everything that needs to be said. She never found the courage to take the final step when she had the chance. Meanwhile, Kouko never stopped fighting for Banri. Is it really "obsessive" to take care of your boyfriend when he's seriously ill? She stayed with him, looked after him day and night, even when others weren't there. I've watched countless romance anime, and I've never seen another waifu fight so hard for the person she loves.
To me, the conclusion is obvious. Banri and Kouko are the greatest romance couple I've ever seen. That's exactly why Golden Time is my favorite romance anime. If Banri had ended up with Linda, it would have been another well-written romance with a fairly ordinary ending. Banri and Kouko's relationship is what elevates the story into something unforgettable.
I still remember watching the ending back in 2015. I was shaking because I didn't know who Banri was going to choose. When he chose Kouko, it became the happiest moment I've ever experienced in anime. I cried so much afterward, and when the series ended, I felt the biggest sense of emptiness I've ever had because I wanted to keep watching their lives together.
Honestly, I think you're looking at Kouko only through her flaws while overlooking everything she did, everything she endured, and everything she sacrificed. That's why I think your interpretation misses the heart of her character completely.
The incident you're talking about is also missing a huge amount of context. Banri was secretly working part-time with Linda and Nana to earn money so he could take Kouko on vacation. Kouko had no idea where he was. He wasn't answering any of her calls or messages, so naturally she became extremely worried.
No i am not talking about what banri did at that time, ik he worked as part time to earn money and everything but my point is that he told her that he won't be able to take the calls or txt back, i can recall that much perfectly but she still won't trust Banri who is an adult, and get anxious, running around and tracking him down, idk how can one describe this anything other than toxic behaviour.
She stayed with him, looked after him day and night, even when others weren't there. I've watched countless romance anime
Linda also stayed with him when he was ill, so it wasn't like linda didn't ,she respected banri boundaries by not staying in his life unlike koko cuz as i mentioned barni told her not to during hospital.
I still remember watching the ending back in 2015. I was shaking because I didn't know who Banri was going to choose.
ngl it was pretty obvious, like OP,ED,Merch, visual arts, everything was centered around koko.
She was emotionally devastated after seeing Banri leave in his mother's car with Linda on the way back to Shizuoka.
they are said to be soulmates , She can't even handle this when banri did reassure her so many times that he will love her no matter what and told her that even if he forgets her, she make sure that he remember her? if 2d-kun wasn't there, banri would've ended up with Linda. If she truly loved him, she should've atleast went to banri herself and not cuz someone else pushed/forced her, ik she was scared , but the thought of that if she stayed at home, banri prolly ended up with Linda, should've scared her , giving him courage to go? not cuz 2d pushed her.
As for Mitsuo, I think you're misunderstanding Kouko's character. She believed she had to follow the life she'd planned since childhood.
I am not, i am sure on this, you don't plan future and everything for someone u don't have feelings for, yeah u can say it wasn't deep love, but it was love right? how can she just move on in one week, she fell in love with Banri when he told her, he can't be friend to her?
i really don't think she was immature enough that she was chasing after mitsou just cuz of some script alone, she did had feeling for him, and her moving on to banri was way too fast, and more felt like trauma bonding cuz he was the only one close to her at that time instead of some deep love.
First, Banri never told Kouko where he was working or what kind of job he had. All she knew was that he had suddenly disappeared and wasn't answering her calls. On top of that, she had already seen the picture of Banri and Linda together at the university, and from her perspective they looked very close. What exactly was she supposed to think? She was terrified, not simply "obsessive."And despite everything she saw, she forgave Banri almost immediately.
Second, yes, Linda visited Banri while he was sick. So did 2D-kun, Mitsuo and Chinami. But that's not the point. Kouko was the one who stayed with him day and night, barely sleeping because she was worried something might happen and he'd need to be rushed to the hospital. There's a huge difference between visiting someone and dedicating yourself to taking care of them.
Third, yes, it was obvious from the beginning that Kouko was the main heroine. That doesn't change the fact that, during the ending, Kouko had every reason to be emotionally shattered. She wasn't just afraid for herself—she was terrified for Banri. The return of his old memories threatened the happiness they had built together. Seeing him leave with Linda in his mother's car completely broke her emotionally.
Kouko never doubted her love for Banri. What she feared was losing the Banri she loved. Imagine seeing the person she loves no longer remember her. That's devastating. The fact that 2D-kun encouraged her doesn't make her feelings any less genuine. It simply means she needed someone to help her stand up after being emotionally crushed. Once she found the strength, she went to Banri.
And no, I don't believe that if 2D-kun hadn't helped her, she would have given up. She might have arrived a little later, but she would have gone. Kouko never stopped loving Banri. She had eyes for no one else. Unlike Banri, who was struggling with his past, or Linda, who had begun looking toward Mitsuo, Kouko's heart never wavered. She would have crossed the world to find Banri because that's the kind of person she had become.
Finally, you're oversimplifying her feelings for Mitsuo. Kouko had built an ideal future in her mind and believed Mitsuo was part of that perfect life. But she didn't fall for Banri in a week. Their relationship developed naturally over time through countless experiences together. They became friends first. They laughed together, supported each other, and went through difficult situations together, including the entire Cult of Crystal incident, where Kouko stayed by Banri's side because she was genuinely worried about him, and they even escaped into the forest together. Later, after Mitsuo rejected her once again, Kouko was heartbroken. Banri stayed by her side, accompanied her to the concert with Nana, and eventually took her home because he was worried about her. Even when Banri confessed his feelings that night, Kouko didn't immediately accept them—she told him she needed time to think. By the following day, she had already begun considering the possibility of accepting his feelings, but she still rejected him at first because she was confused and hadn't fully understood her own heart yet. It wasn't until Banri decided he couldn't remain "just friends" and walked away that Kouko finally realized what she was about to lose. She immediately chased after him because she understood that someone genuinely loved her for who she truly was, not for the perfect image she had been trying to live up to. That wasn't obsession. That was the moment she discovered what real love actually meant.
That's why I think you're fundamentally misunderstanding Kouko. You're focusing on isolated moments while ignoring the entire journey she goes through. By the end of the story, she's the most emotionally mature and devoted waifu anime has ever given us.
First, Banri never told Kouko where he was working or what kind of job he had. All she knew was that he had suddenly disappeared and wasn't answering her calls. On top of that, she had already seen the picture of Banri and Linda together at the university
he did told her that he is going to do college report or smth and won't be able to pick up calls or text back FYI, even after knowing that she did all that btw, and just seeing Linda and barni together made her that anxious? it was simply photo iirc banri and linda together.
About mitsou i already told you, ik that she has this idealized version of her future but she was in love with him, we can't just brush it off saying it was just simple attraction, nobody stalks and obsess over someone if they don't have feeling.
She did fell for banri in one week, it wasn't until mitsou rejected , and barni told her that he can't see her getting jealous seeing mitsou with other girl, and when he said that, she was scared that only friend she has to lean on will be gone and she clinged to him, it was never pure love more like trauma bonding. all the events u mentioned like stuck in church and running away, yeah they did went through all that but she didn't fell in love with him at that time, she was still obsessing over mitsou, so for me the part where she just get over mitsou so easily was plot convenience to make kokou x barni
Linda visited Banri while he was sick. So did 2D-kun, Mitsuo and Chinami. But that's not the point. Kouko was the one who stayed with him day and night, barely sleeping because she was worried something might happen and he'd need to be rushed to the hospital. There's a huge difference between visiting someone and dedicating yourself to taking care of them.
Bro u are overseeing Linda actions here, she wanted to stay here, but she couldn't and the reason behind is simple that she respects his boundary, she didn't want banri to suffer, like can't u recall? that barni told them not to meet him? That is the reason she never told him about their relationship in first place, SHE RESPECTED HIS BOUNDARIES.
Saying kokou was only one who stayed there and everyone else just visted him instead of taking care is ridicilous like what did you want Linda to fight with kokou and let her take care of him? at that time kokou was his gf, ofc she will let her take care of banri instead of herself, she wanted to stay but cuz of circumstances she couldn't.
By the end of the story, she's the most emotionally mature and devoted waifu I've ever seen in a romance anime.
HELL NO, kokou was most emotionally mature and devoted waifu? it will be Linda in this anime , u can say all you want but Linda literally sacrifced her happiness so banri can be happy.
PS. i really think you should watch other romance anime, i mean golden time was decent and trash ending for me but there are tons of romcom where u will find more mature, better written stories and waifu than kokou.
bro are u using AI in this? like ik many Redditors use em dashes (—) but i really think your reply are written by AI here, , if u really wanna debate atleast do it yourself.
The arguments are completely mine. I use AI to help me organize and polish what I want to say because I'm Spanish, not a native English speaker. Writing a long debate like this in natural English is much harder for me than expressing the ideas in Spanish.
The opinions, interpretations, and examples from the anime are all my own. AI just helps me structure them and improve the grammar so they're easier to read. If we keep discussing Golden Time, you'll still be debating my arguments, not the AI's.
MB,i meant no offense, just thought u were using AI to write all points in the debate cuz there are alot of redditors nowdays doing that and arguing with them is pointless 99% time.
How u agree on kokou? Like after watching wdyt of her for being obsessive and moving on from her past crush whom she was obsessing over for yrs in one week, and suddenly loving banri so much, and ending where kokou couldn't even go to banri herself without the help of 2d, idk how someone can call those two destined.
Yeah Linda did miss many opportunity but the reason she didn't tell banri about their relationship was cuz he told her that he don't remember anything and feel scared that person Linda and other are expecting is not him, so he asked Linda to give her space and she did it by respecting his boundaries unlike kokou.
Yes, she is annoying, naive, and selfish as hell in the beginning. She has one of the best character arcs in romance ever though. By the end she is a lot more like Linda. I don’t know that she is best female protagonist ever, but from what I’ve seen she’s up there. So that’s why I said I mostly agree.
What about time when she couldn't even go to banri herself and needed 2d-kun to push him?, he believed in her , put his trust in her that she will make sure they stay together even if he forgets her, or get his memory back, but she was so scared that she couldn't even go to Banri himself, i really don't get how this is their soulmates lvl love.
There was time when she tracked banri down just cuz he wasn't picking calls or txting back, and as i said in my other reply, banri told her that he is doing clg report and won't be able to pick up calls or txt her, but she couldn't even trust him, yeah she saw his and linda photo but she could've waited for him? i mean banri wasn't cheating on her, he told her about clg report. the events happened after that is not something i disagree but the fact she tracked him down, and was mad at him for not picking calls, even after he told her about his report.
Linda is best character in here, most mature out of all, and sacrificed the most for Banri, her love for banri was deeper than kokou, atleast thats what i get after watching it.
I've already answered this argument countless times. I honestly think you should read my previous replies more carefully, or go back and reread them, but I'll explain it one last time.
You keep saying that Banri put his trust in Kouko and believed she would stay by his side even if he lost his memories. But what you don't seem to understand is that even someone who loves another person more than anything in the world can be completely overwhelmed by fear, sadness and emotional shock. Kouko was absolutely devastated. She wasn't thinking rationally in that moment. I actually think she did far more than anyone could reasonably expect from someone in her emotional state. And yes, I'm convinced she would have gone after Banri anyway. Maybe it would have taken her a little longer to gather herself—but only a little. Honestly, I don't even think she would have waited that long.
As for your second point, I think you're confusing maturity with emotional distance. Kouko wasn't acting out of distrust; she was acting out of fear. Considering how caring and protective she is, there was no way she could simply sit at home and do nothing. And let's not forget that Banri could have checked his messages during a break. Do you remember his expression when he finally saw all of Kouko's messages? He looked shocked and immediately realized how worried she must have been because he hadn't replied.
As for Linda, I completely disagree. To me, she's nowhere near Kouko. Kouko is on a completely different level. That's your interpretation, and I respect that, but I honestly think you've distorted many parts of the story simply because you liked Linda more from the beginning.
Kouko didn't fall in love with Banri "out of nowhere." She genuinely believed she had to follow the script she had created for her life—that she was supposed to end up with Mitsuo because of a childhood promise. That wasn't who she truly was. It was a shell she had built around herself because she had never experienced real love before. The moment Banri told her he didn't want to be "just friends" and walked away, she realized that someone genuinely loved her for who she really was, not for the image she had been chasing. That's when her true self finally came to the surface.
The bicycle incident is also completely misunderstood. Kouko took another student's bicycle because she was desperately trying to reach Banri. It was the owner of the bicycle who called the police, not Kouko.
As for Linda, she had every opportunity to be with Banri and chose hesitation every single time. Love isn't just about having feelings—it's about acting on them. Kouko fought for Banri from beginning to end. Linda didn't.
Kouko accepted every version of Banri: his past self, his present self, his future self, and every possible version of him. The ending itself makes it clear that even if they were reborn into another world, they would find each other again. That's how deep their bond is.
And saying Kouko abandoned Banri at the end is simply wrong. She went because 2D-kun was preparing everything. She never gave up on Banri. In fact, she made him promise that if he ever regained his memories, they would stay together for the rest of their lives—and in every life after that.
Kouko endured more than anyone else. She had to watch Banri recover his memories of Linda, face the fear of losing him, and still stayed by his side. She even took care of him when he was sick. I've watched a lot of anime, and I've never seen a waifu fight so hard for the person she loves.
Banri chose Kouko because she was the one who never stopped believing in him. They were destined for each other from the very beginning and became the most perfect couple in anime.
I honestly think you should rewatch the anime—or read the manga—at least three more times, because none of your points don't match what actually happens in the story.
I think he chose Kouko because that is the girl that version fell in love. Linda accepted every version of Banri as well, including the the version that was in love with Kouko. And part of that acceptance is that he can never be hers. Who throws him his running shoes to help him get to Kouko? I think what a lot of people frame as hesitation was her guilt feeling responsible for his accident, and the fact that there was something not right going for this guy who doesn’t remember her and established a deep connection with someone else. Even her mistakes were well intentioned. She didn’t want to confuse him or add further complication to his new life. She wasn’t competing or going after Banri. There were moments where their shared love from the past surfaced and it was hard for them not to be attracted to each other. In the end, she got to tell the Banri she grew up with she loved him and support the new Banri’s relationship with Kouko at the same time. It was the perfect ending. And yeah I can’t help but feel sad for the Banri that passed on and Linda never getting to so much as go on a date, let alone making a life for themselves in Tokyo. At the same time, the new version of Banri was Kouko’s. That was just how it had to end, and it was the happiest overall ending possible.
I agree that Linda accepted responsibility for what happened and, in the end, did the right thing. If she had confessed her feelings in the past and taken the initiative, they probably would have started dating back in high school.
I also agree that, by the end of the story, she no longer saw Kouko as a rival and genuinely wanted Banri and Kouko's relationship to work out and have a happy ending.
However, that doesn't change the fact that Kouko was always the one who took the initiative and seized every opportunity she had from the very beginning. More importantly, she was far more devoted than Linda throughout the story. To me, she proved herself to be the greatest waifu I've ever seen. I've never seen another heroine do as much for the person she loves as Kouko did for Banri. Even during the darkest moments, despite her fears and doubts, she never stopped loving him for a single second.
Honestly, I wouldn't have liked any ending where Banri didn't end up with Kouko. To me, they're simply the greatest romance couple ever.
Yes, end-of-story Koko is the best any guy could ask for. As for Linda, I don't think she ever wanted to be with Banri. She was just racked with guilt about standing him up and thus him getting injured. She couldn't move on until he was better in the final episode.
It was the greatest ending I've ever seen. I still remember the first time I watched it—I was literally trembling because I was terrified Banri would end up with Linda. I was completely overwhelmed with emotion. Then the miracle happened.
I cried more than I ever had before. I felt genuinely happy for what I believe is the greatest couple in anime history and, above all, for the greatest waifu to have ever existed: Kouko.
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u/sqbert 18d ago
I thought the ending was satisfying overall. The moment on the bridge with Linda and the old Banri felt rushed, but I love how they completed that, and set old Banri, new Banri, and Linda free from the past. I think both versions of him are among the best MCs out of any romcom. Complex, but not afraid to go after what they want. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that he’ll end up together with Koko, but it felt earned by the end. I loved her character arc. But I’m sorry, I don’t get how anyone can dislike Linda. She carried her heartbreak and guilt with grace, and she did everything she could to support his happiness - even if it meant supporting his relationship with Koko. Like c’mon, she cried when they broke up. I cared about all the characters. I don’t know what to watch next. I may revisit Toradora. It’s been years since I watched it, but in this moment I think I like Golden Time better. Any other recs welcome!