Pacing-wise, I didn't have many gripes, but the chemistry? Nah, it was still playing hide-and-seek. Now, in the sequel, Hirose's acting took a nosedive. Heck, on second thought, he wasn't exactly setting the screen on fire in the first one either. Sure, he dialed up the emotion a smidge more than Yamada, but that wasn't exactly a home run.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room—the actors' appearances. Hirose looking like he's about to hit 40 throws such a wrench in the works. It's like trying to picture a pineapple in a snowstorm—it just doesn't compute. Even if they'd transported the whole thing to a university setting, I wouldn't have been able to buy it. And chemistry? Oh boy, it was MIA. That ending? Yeah, it fell flat as a pancake.

Honestly, the story had the potential to be a skyrocket, but it ended up feeling more like a sparkler.