Little Busters! - 26 [End]

"The Greatest of Friends"

It'd be nice if Refrain isn't long in the making, because I'm a little sad to be saying goodbye to the Little Busters, if only for a while.

The straggler of the Winter season, Little Busters! ends its first series on a cheerful note. There isn't much in the way of the secret of the world, unless you count Kyousuke's behavior (which I do and will address in a moment), but for the most part this is a proper closing to all the drama and friendships that have been formed over the last twenty-six episodes. It's also a celebration of the Little Busters as a group, and of Riki's growth from a follower to a leader. Riki's newly instated position places him in an awkward position and forces him to take a look at himself through new lenses; whereas before he always considered himself a follower, of Kyousuke specifically, his friends have never seen him in that light. He has been the most concerned member of the team from the beginning, and he's always sought to help whenever possible. That of course comes from his own experiences with Kyousuke (their relationship is bordering on bromance, I must say, which is interesting for this kind of series), but nevertheless, he is the glue between them all, and no one understands that better than Kyousuke himself.

Of course, that's not the only reason Kyousuke seems to be handing over the leadership of the group. His strongly implied involvement in the secret is pretty much confirmed in his monologue as he mentally encourages Riki on, and it seems to be a requisite to what lies ahead that Riki take the helm. Whether or not the rest of the team is in on what's going on, they all have a part in helping Riki accept the responsibility of their little group. The girls have their thanks to give, and their encouragement really helps cement the nature of the Little Busters as a support group of sorts. Each and every one of them was a loner before Riki took them in and showed them happiness was attainable, just as Riki was taken in by Kyousuke all those years ago; now in return, those members are ready to lend their support to Riki (and Rin) for what needs to happen next.

Unfortunately we won't get to know what that is until sometime later this year (I presume), when Little Busters! Refrain premieres. At the very least this episode was spirited enough that the hiatus seems fulfilled, and I certainly had a lot of fun with Kengo's new attitude (who knew he'd love it enough to make his own custom letterman jacket?) and everyone's quick acceptance of Riki's appointment. The baseball game itself too was fun; it didn't take itself so seriously that the episode spent an uncharacteristically long time on it, and it was a great way to showcase the teamwork and group dynamic of the Little Busters one last time this season. It's not an exaggeration for me to say that I've come to like this series more than I've ever liked a Key work during its first cour, and that if the second season surpasses this one as it promises to do, it will probably be my favorite adaptation of theirs to date.