Have you ever been to a restaurant, looked at the appetizing pictures of the dishes, and eagerly ordered them, only to be disappointed when the actual food arrived and it looked nothing like the pictures? Well, that's the basic premise of this movie, which also served as the finale for the series.
Having just finished watching this movie, I must say I was thoroughly disappointed with how this series, which had so much potential, turned out in the end. Before you assume that my disappointment stems from "my favorite girl" not becoming the bride, let me clarify that my critique goes beyond that. It should be noted that I hadn't read the manga prior to watching this, so I went in without any preconceived notions of what would unfold.
Now, let's discuss the story, which is where all the problems lie. First and foremost, the author chose Yotsuba to be the bride for Fuutarou. While I don't dislike Yotsuba, compared to her sisters, she was the least interesting and somewhat bland. Although I was rooting for Miku, my disappointment with this movie goes beyond personal preferences. If we were to evaluate the romantic development between Fuutarou and the quintuplets prior to this movie, it would likely be Nino or Miku who had the most significant progress throughout the previous seasons. Itsuki also showed growth, but her chemistry with Fuutarou felt more like a good-friends dynamic. Even after Ichika's misstep in the previous season, I still believe she would have been a better choice than Yotsuba.
The first two seasons did a brilliant job with characterization and character development. I genuinely believed that this anime had one of the best characterizations in the harem genre, comparable to series like Saekano and Kaminomi. However, unlike those series, Quintuplets failed to wrap up its story effectively. Yotsuba was treated like a side character until the last few episodes of season 2. The movie tried to compensate for this by focusing solely on her at the expense of the other sisters. However, it was too little, too late. Nearly 60% of the movie had passed before we finally received substantial details about the history between Fuutarou and Yotsuba, including her past, which was covered in a mere 15 minutes. In contrast, her sisters had 24 episodes to grow and develop, but their progress seemed inconsequential. Ultimately, this did a disservice to all the quintuplets.
The pacing and length of the movie were major issues as well. The pacing fluctuated unpredictably, with a slow progression of the story for an hour followed by a rapid resolution of sub-plots in the latter half. This rushed pacing resulted in 30 minutes of unnecessary and pointless drama. Consequently, Fuutarou's crucial decision, which was meant to be the climax, fell flat. Why? Because Yotsuba had made no romantic progress with Fuutarou on screen until his confession, which was conveniently explained away as "love at first sight" or, in other words, an asspull. The entire childhood drama served as an excuse for Fuutarou's sudden and inexplicable decision. This one impulsive confession undermined the entire series and the fanbase supporting the other quintuplet sisters.
I also want to mention the unnecessary drama surrounding the quintuplets' biological father. What was the point of it all in the end? It felt like a scene taken from a late-night TV drama, and it only made the biological father appear even more foolish. Additionally, the appearance of Fuutarou's childhood friend had no bearing on the plot whatsoever.
Moving on to the animation, one would expect higher quality due to the movie format compared to a regular 1-cour TV anime. However, there was nothing exceptional about the animation. The production value was on par with a weekly airing anime, and in some instances, it even seemed worse. It almost felt as if the staff themselves were disappointed with the ending and simply wanted to finish the project.
On the bright side, the sound in this movie was a redeeming quality. The soundtracks effectively conveyed and heightened the mood of various situations and instances. While the opening and ending may not be as memorable as those of Attack on Titan or Demon Slayer, they were still catchy and enjoyable.
As for the voice acting, although I'm not an expert, I found it satisfying to my taste. There were moments where the dialogue delivery and well-timed soundtrack came together. I should note that I watched the movie with the Japanese audio, so I cannot comment on the English audio. However, I am familiar with the cast, and most of them are skilled in their craft.
Regarding the characters, I don't have much more to add beyond what I've already discussed in the story portion of this review. Each of the sisters became empty shells of themselves in order to highlight Yotsuba. Fuutarou's family was essentially omitted from the story, and the introduction of the biological father character came very late and had no significant impact on the storyline.
Looking back, the quintuplets were your typical stereotypical harem girls, assigned their respective archetypal roles within the story. In retrospect, the cast wasn't as impressive as I initially thought. There wasn't enough exploration of the interesting dynamics between the quintuplets, or perhaps I had overestimated the series in that regard.
In conclusion, this movie could have benefited from a longer duration and more substantial development surrounding Yotsuba. Alternatively, if Fuutarou had ended up with one of the already better-established heroines, it may have been a more satisfying conclusion. As the finale of one of the most beloved harem series, it leaves me feeling like I've been scammed.
I'm uncertain if the movie skipped chapters from the manga, but a 12-episode TV anime for the finale might have worked much better. Nonetheless, it managed to resolve its sub-plots while maintaining the main plot's drama.
Given how it handled and executed its key elements in the end, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it to others. If you enjoyed it, that's great for you, but personally, I feel disappointed
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