Asian Addicts Anonymous

Okay, I wasn’t expecting an amazing ending…but nor was I quite expecting what we got. It feels unfinished and kind of trite. But…I wasn’t entirely surprised by some of the events in the final episodes. I am curious, though, because I thought there’d be a bigger backstory about Aoi and the Count, but nope. Nada. Go figure.

So Aoi finally comes back to the café after her lover’s death. Koma and Sakurako are as normal as ever. The three women then begin playing instruments after Sakurako confesses that she and Hayato are going to try to give their relationship a chance after all. Meanwhile, Ken is spending all his time trying to decipher the ancient books. Hayato broaches the subject about Ken liking Sakurako. The history geek doesn’t deny his feelings but tells Hayato not to worry about him because Sakurako has never vamped out in front of him—proof enough of who she really loves.

Hayato then hears the music and goes downstairs to join in the merriment with his guitar. His presence has Koma slipping away and going to Ken’s room to steal the stake. Ken sees her and vows to find a way to make vampires human so that she can be happy. Koma smiles and says he’s a big softy. Her smile fades and she says she’s too impatient for him to come up with a solution. She turns and leaves and meets the Count’s goons. They say the Count is always watching. Koma looks up and breaks the stake and promises the Count a good show.

Aoi leaves the shop and runs into Risa and her friends. Risa wishes Aoi to tell Hayato that she will fall in love with a much cooler man. Aoi smiles at this and says that she is certain there is a more suitable man out there for her. Risa’s friends call her cool and Risa then talks about a dangerous seeming convenience store clerk. The two goons overhear this and wonder just which one of them Risa is referring to. Back inside, Sakurako and Hayato are alone and Hayato is helping Sakurako with the guitar and goes in for a kiss. Enter Ken telling them to stop. He has just read a vampire can become human if they kiss the one they love. However…the human will then die.

The room then fills out with smoke and Aoi arrives telling Sakurako to run. The goons knock her out and Koma smacks Sakurako unconscious. When Sakurako awakes, everyone is in changes. She tries to undo them, but can’t. Koma tells her its useless as the Count paid special attention to making the chains. Sakurako cannot believe that Koma has joined the Count’s side. She chooses to believe in Koma and Koma tries her best to prove how evil she is—like cutting open Hayato’s neck and offering his blood to Sakurako.

The Count then comes and the show begins. It’s not much of one. Koma suggests that Sakurako feed on Hayato for three minutes and if Hayato lives, then all of the others can go free. Aoi warns Hayato about accepting the offer since the Count never keeps his words, however, Hayato takes a fork and stabs himself in his chest and urges Sakurako to drink. She refuses.

Then, somehow, the goons and Koma get the Count all buttered up and has him explain how he manages to hide his weak spot—his heart. The flattered Count then produces his heart and Koma shows her true colors. This was all a very elaborate ruse to destroy the Count by getting him to reveal his heart. Unfortunately, Koma and the stooges have no luck in destroying the heart. As Sakurako manages to be cut free of the chains and tries to chop his heart, the Count returns it to his chest.

Hayato then starts swinging at the Count wildly with the axe inadvertently setting Aoi and Ken free. The Count sends Hayato flying and Aoi and Ken wrap the Count in chains covered in musical instruments. These keep the Count’s power at bay long enough for Koma and Sakurako to create a fireball and send it straight at the Count. The ball ends up turning into Hayato’s guitar. The Count cannot believe it as he pulls the guitar out of his chest. How could these two girls do this to him? He tells Sakurako that he loves her and she says he loves only himself. The Count can’t disagree and he pulls Sakurako to him so they can die together. He opens up the window and the two are hit by the sunlight.

The Count disappears letting Sakurako fall to the ground. Koma rushes to her friend as Ken and Aoi rush to cover the window. Koma demands Aoi heal Sakurako once more, but Aoi can’t at this point. Hayato comes up and Sakurako apologizes for not being able to be with him longer. He tells Sakurako to live happily as a human and kisses her. Both Sakurako and Hayato are then very still and we get the narrator saying that when a vampire kisses the human they love the human can die…or a frog can be born…or they could both lose their memories. Say what?

We then cut to Sakurako happily walking in the sunlight as a human while Aoi and Ken are their usual selves and bickering about work. Koma no inhabits the Count’s mansion where she has created a book series about their adventures. She wonders what will happen next and writes that they don’t know as that is a different story. We do then see Hayato alive (and kind of zombie looking) and passing by Sakurako on the street. The two both stop and Sakurako looks back at him and smiles. It looks like Hayato (and possibly Sakurako) lost his memories.

End series. See? Doesn’t that seem a little…or a lot…like a let down kind of ending?