Heads up fuckers, Asuka and Yu are in love and there’s nothing you can do about it. Last episode’s conclusion was all I could have hoped for and more, as Yu and Asuka’s emotional journeys reached their destined ends, and the show reaffirmed their relationship in the best way possible.
First off, the explanation for both Asuka and Yu’s current emotional stasis turned out to be a graceful reflection of this story’s inspiring incident. Kyo’s disappearance had shaken both of them to the core, driving a rift between them that no amount of time could really repair. For Asuka, choosing a future beyond her home would feel like a betrayal of her brother, and so she refused to think about the future. For Yu, her frustration at being unable to reach her friend would eventually build into an emotional wall, where she’s willing to joke and hang out with Asuka, but unable to truly speak her mind. With a little help from her less-inhibited self, Yu was at last able to break through that wall, and admit she loved Asuka – and with Yu’s love supporting her, Asuka was then able to love herself, and forgive herself for losing Kyo.
It was a perfectly crafted culmination of both their arcs, and a testament to The Girl in Twilight’s consistently elegant narrative structure. But as structurally sound as it was, that sequence wouldn’t have landed without Twilight’s equally compelling character work, or its charming, convincingly naturalistic dialogue. Asuka and Yu have sounded like an old married couple all season long, constantly bickering, but always acting with a clear understanding and respect for the feelings of the other. It’s easy enough now to see them as romantically coded – I simply didn’t expect The Girl in Twilight to break that barrier, and make their relationship explicit. Well, it’s explicit now, and I couldn’t be happier for these two idiots. Let’s defeat the King of Twilight with the power of love, heroes!