Final Approach

Final Approach is a 13 episode romantic comedy based on the visual novel by Ibe Yukiko.  The series aired its half length episodes on TV in Japan in 2004.

    The story revolves around high school student Ryo Mizuhara and the hell he resides in once his government appointed fiancé Shizuka Masuda moves into his apartment. Due to the declining birth rate in Japan a program titled R.T.P. was instituted to save the nation. The project uses a super computer to pair all available single people in Japan together with the aim of procreating as much as possible. Ryo and Shizuka’s selection is part of the pilot project, to test how well it works before it is officially implemented. Along with an army of silent G-men Shizuka forces herself into Ryo’s life. Ryo relents and gives her a limited amount of time before he will kick her out, bending to her iron will and allowing her to attempt to change his mind.

    Ryo’s friends and classmates, Emiho and Miki, attempt to console him. Emiho tells them that she too is in an arranged marriage. Ryo, outraged, works to convince her that she should not just casually accept the marriage and starts to casually date her to convince her that she has a choice. Loving and understanding Shizuka allows her betrothed to date another woman, saying that she would rather have him be unfaithful before they are wed. While Ryo continues to despise Shizuka, she works hard at trying to convince him that they will be perfect as a couple. In the end will she be able to change his heart to love her?

    Ok, high school slice of life romantic comedy forced marriage concept, nothing new there, it’s been done plenty of times before and plenty since. The interesting thing about this show is the concept behind the arranged marriage, the government program to increase the countries population. Now, while this is funny and probably needed in real life in Japan, it actually is a cover for the real reason the annoying and subservient Shizuka has latched onto the resistant Ryo. As the series nears is completion you find out the truth behind the matter. This is a mediocre series at best. The biggest positive about it is its length. Other then that it is just rehashing every old gag and scenario in the genre as possible. The animation is substandard, even for 2004. It looks like it came from the mid 90’s. Some of the humor is entertaining, at last at first. The whole G-man thing was funny for the first 2 episodes, but after a while it became overplayed. Aside from that there isn’t anything of worth to the series. Ryo is the typical hard-head and Shizuka is the mindless servant. She will go to any lengths to please her man, even though he wants nothing to do for her. Let’s just say this series isn’t going to help the women’s lib movement very well. In the beginning I thought Ryo had a thing for his younger sister Akane, given everyone wanting to make sure that the engagement wouldn’t hurt her. The siblings are also orphans, which mean they live in their apartment alone. They do have a guardian in the owner of a local café, but he does little to maintain their existence aside from employing them and offering advice.

    This isn’t a series really worth watching aside from the fact that it will take you about two to two and a half hours to complete. Aside from that you can skip it. I don’t think it was ever released in America nor do I see any possibility of that any time soon, if ever. So, don’t fret over not being able to find this series, its better off that way. That is unless you enjoy romantic comedies that retread worn ground and offer little to no entertainment or originality.

  As of August 2016 this series has never seen the light of day In North America.  It is available in Spain though.