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Masterlist

I know some of you have likely been wondering what happened with this show. I mostly enjoyed it to the end but for some reason my brain very suddenly did NOT want to do reaction posts any more, probably due to Complicated Gender Feelings.

So here's the reactions I wrote before my brain ground to a halt, and then a brief summary of what happened next.

I'm not saying this show is TRYING to portray the protagonist as a gay trans man struggling with internalised homophobia and transphobia. But to the extent anything in this show makes sense, that's sure how things come across.

Love 10: The Pretty Boy Trans(forms)

(brackets mine)

Ruka notices Mito's distress but assumes she's just bothered by the whole "forced into a dress and an unwanted engagement" thing so puts his jacket over her, picks her up, and jumps in the sky. Ren watches them leave, Brooding.

Mito takes a shower and looks at herself in the mirror sadly, thinking that Ruka won't be willing to be with her with this (male) body.

So... if he WAS willing to still be with you, you would otherwise be fine with it? Cos you may be making some unwarranted assumptions about Ruka's sexuality...

She has short hair in the shower so I guess the magic took away her long hair (and wig?) as well as her boobs? Sure.

At work, Komori announces that the cafe will turn into a "haunted mansion full of handsome men".

Juri, blushing: You look really manly today, Mito.
Mito, blushing: No I don't! ...well, um, maybe...

Juri says their school has a legend that if a couple kisses at the school festival bonfire, they'll be together forever. So he's determined to confess to Tanaka before that.

Ren stumbles across Mito half-undressed in the changing room. The show is really enjoying the chance to show Mito topless with a flat chest as often as possible, which... idk maybe the assumed audience of straight cis women will be into that. As for me, Mito looks too much like a young boy to be sexy, but I'm certainly having complicated Gender Feels.

Ren, blushing: Sorry! I'll leave!
Mito: Wait! You have something to do with me being like this, don't you?! Change me back!
Ren: I can't do that. You would become Ruka's. I'll stay by your side forever, whether you're a woman or a man. So... *pulls her shirt back on* Don't lead me on any more.

LEAD YOU ON?? And not even a SORRY for CHANGING HER SEX?? You're lucky she's trans or that would have been a really big deal!

Ruka shippily helps Mito as they put on matching vampire outfits.

Ren stops another guy from getting a bit too close to a customer he's 'scaring', I guess to show Ren's respectful towards other women lol.

I mean it's not clear that Mito has ever said to him that she wouldn't be interested if Ruka was out of the picture, or if that's even true. I think if she was unambiguously not into him he'd back off, and he does have the excuse of thinking Ruka is a Bad Choice for vampire reasons. I get the feeling his end goal is to live chastely with Mito, respecting her personal space and never drinking her blood, and hoping she one day returns his feelings once she's had a chance to get over Ruka, but supporting her either way. Which still doesn't make his behaviour ok, of course, but we're grading on a Shoujo Secondary Love Interest curve here.

Ruka, in a vampire costume: Give me your blood.
Girls: OMG SUCK MY BLOOD :D
Mito, also in a vampire costume: Hey. I want to drink your blood too.
Girls: AHHHHHH :D :D
Ruka: Wait. If you're going to try and take them from me, I'll suck your blood first!

He dips her and moves towards her neck, wearing big fake plastic vampire teeth which hopefully fit comfortably over his ACTUAL vampire teeth.

Mito, blushing and swooning in his arms: Bite me gently, please?

Ruka blushes and freezes, completely losing character. I love that while he's in many ways a classic Toppy Vampire Prince he's also a bit of a dork.

Mito was using the androgynous/boyish personal pronoun "boku" when playing the role of Vampire Uke, when as a woman she uses the typically feminine "watashi" and as a man she uses the manly "ore". (Juri uses boku, afaict all the other guys use ore though I think Komori may use watashi, since as well as being associated with women it's formally polite)

We cut to Tanaka (dressed as a mummy) and Juri (dressed as a werewolf with cute little dog ears and a fluffy coat) STUCK IN A COFFIN :D MXTX has given me a soft spot for this trope.

Juri: Why do we have to share a coffin >:T
Tanaka: Your werewolf costume isn't scary enough if you're by yourself. *patting his head* It's 'cause you're cute, y'know.

Juri hugs him, blushing.
Tanaka: Juri? Are you ok?
Juri: What do you mean by cute? More than other girls? I like YOU more than all those girls!

Wait, IS he a crossdressing girl after all? Who even knows.

Juri says he can give his answer at the bonfire, then runs off, leaving Tanaka dumbstruck. Later, we see Juri standing alone by the fire, while Tanaka watches from the shadows, looking conflicted.

Ruka: I thought being at a human school would be boring. But I'll never forget standing by this bonfire with you.
Mito: Wouldn't you rather be with your Destined Partner?
Ruka: I don't know where to find her... but when I do, I will make her happy as my bride and never let her go.
Mito: (This is technically about me... yet I feel so hurt...)

They have a moment and both really want him to bite her, but he turns to walk away. She thinks "If I'm your destined partner, look at me", grabs him, and kisses him!

Mito: Instead of loving this absent Destined Partner, love me, who's right in front of you!

Juri decides that if he can't date Takara, he'll make sure Takara dates a nice girl, and organises a mixer.

... and then my brain stopped!

So, off the top of my head from memory...

Takara ignores the girls and has a moderately shippy conversation with Juri.

Ren's dad uses magic to turn a (sentient??) cat into a copy of girl!Mito. Fake!Mito pretends to be Ruka's Destined Partner. Ruka isn't sure what to feel and is manipulated into being too wishy-washy to move fast enough to stop Mito fall off a cliff. She....drowns???

Episode 11: The Pretty Boy Drowns

She does not drown. Komori dives in and saves her.

Mito wakes up at Ren's house. She asks him to help her forget the pain of loving Ruka, who abandoned her, and he uses his magic to take her memory.

Ruka is on his way in a helicopter to marry fake!Mito, but realises he can't do it, he loves Mito too much. Ren's dad is like welp I tried and the cat turns back into a cat. Ruka JUMPS OUT OF THE HELICOPTER and makes his way to Ren's house.

Mito is living as Ren's butler and fiance, believing that she is a cis boy who was taken in by Ren's family and then got together with Ren before losing his memory. Ruka decides he has no choice but to become Ren's butler too, staying by Mito's side but not trying to separate Mito and Ren since they do seem happy together. I don't think the question of whether Mito has romantic feelings for Ren is really examined, or if they're kissing and so forth. But there are signs of Mito's love for and memories of Ruka breaking through.

I was pissed off at Ruka for being so wishy-washy after Mito confessed, but him pining silently while consumed with guilt was very sweet and romantic and made up for it. He was sure better about being rejected than CERTAIN OTHER PEOPLE, REN.

Ep 12: The Pretty Boy Vows

I do not remember 90% of this episode, there were some VERY DUMB plot shenanigans I do not remember in detail. But it culminates in Ruka declaring his love at Mito and Ren's wedding, which breaks the amnesia and sexswap spells. Mito and Ruka affirm their mutual love, Ren's dad is inspired to stop being a jerk or whatever. I remember finding this moderately romantic, but it was undercut by the ENTIRELY PREDICTABLE dysphoria of her happy ending being turning back into a girl, even though THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY THIS COULD END, DUMBASS.

Anyway.

I know other stuff happened after that, but I can't remember, so I'm going to skim back through the end of the episode.

Ok! We then cut to them cuddling in bed in their dorm, with Ruka... with a flat chest and short hair, implicitly wearing a wig and chest bindings while asleep? Sure. GENDER.

Ruka has decided they're not going to have sex before marriage, so "Mito doesn't have to worry". IDK dude she seemed pretty into it.

Komori: Watch out, people might try to attack you both for dumb vampire reasons that will presumably be explored in a hypothetical season 2.

Juri and Takara see male-presenting!Mito and Ruka holding hands.
Takara: Ooh are you two...
Ruka: WE'RE DATING. BECAUSE I LOVE MITO. YOU GOT A PROBLEM??

Aww. Sure, he knows Mito's a girl, but noone else does.

Takara: No, if you love someone, then... *looks thoughtfully at Juri*

Ren apologises to Mito for the way he treated her and wishes her happiness, saying the one thing he doesn't regret is her teaching him how to love someone. And then he kisses her as a 'parting gift' and rides off into the sunset. Goodbye Ren, I wish you could have been more of a friend and less of a Shoujo Secondary Love Interest in the end.

Takara apologises to Juri for not answering him before, saying he still isn't sure how to answer his feelings. Juri says he's just happy to be Takara's friend as long as he's prioritised. Takara says ok but with a blushy expression like he's on the verge of coming to terms with being in love with him. Aww.

Mito realises her sang sucre is blood red and thinks about how she's 'ripe' as she and Ruka kiss, sure.

And then, as the final episode draws to a close, we meet... a NEW, MYSTERIOUS, SILVER HAIRED PRETTY BOY TRANSFER STUDENT!! DUN DUN DUN!!!

THE END