In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Has Been Interesting So far

Article at a glance:
High expectations, mixed first impressions: I was really looking forward to this one, and while it didn’t fully hit at first, it has slowly found its footing six episodes in.
Strong emotional core, slight imbalance in character writing: Yoi’s development feels grounded and layered, but Ichimura still comes off a bit too idealized.
Still a very solid romance overall: Despite my criticisms, the animation, pacing, and character dynamics make this an easy 8–8.5/10 so far.

If you read any of my articles, reading up to the Winter 2026 season, you would know that In the Clear Moonlit dusk was an anime I was really looking forward to. Then, when the first episode dropped, I was kind of let down by it. Not that I disliked it, it just wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. But now we are 6 episodes into the show, so have my thoughts on it changed at all? Well, yes and no at the same time. While some of my issues with the anime have been resolved, there are some things that I do wish were handled better.

Now, I am not saying that I dislike the anime, once again. I do like it, but I can like something while having issues with it lol. Welcome to another anime mid-season review, and today we are talking about In the Clear Moonlit Dusk. Let’s get started.

What do I think of In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Anime so far?

My biggest issue with the anime was and still is that Ichimura just feels a bit too “idealized” for my taste. Sure, he has had a lot of character development since the first episode. He has grown a lot closer to Yoi, and for the first time in his life, he is starting to understand what real love feels like. But the thing is, his growth is often rather isolated from any real challenge, which makes it feel “idealized,” as I said. I am not saying that he’s a bad character, or anything. But compared to how well Yoi’s development is handled, his feels a bit weaker.

Because Yoi really has been going through a lot emotionally. Yoi constantly struggles with things like internal and social pressures. Her whole life, people never really treated her like a proper girl, calling her “handsome” and all that, but now, there is someone who thinks she’s “beautiful” and treats her like a girl. So she has no idea what to do, how to react, or even if her feelings are genuine or not. Maybe it is because the show is written from Yoi’s perspective. But Yoi’s development feels a lot more grounded and natural than Ichimura’s.

I usually don’t like a third wheel in my romance stories, but Oji has been an interesting case. We still practically know nothing about him outside of the fact that he’s a nice guy. But I call him an interesting case because he may finally push Ichimura into a proper character arc. Where, you know, Ichimura gets his worldview challenged, too. Outside of that, though, the show has been exceptionally good. I love how well Yoi’s character is handled, I love the animations and presentation, and the show is decently paced, too.

That is all for now

But yeah, In the Clear Moonlit Dusk anime has been an easy 8 to 8.5/10 anime so far, in my book. Yes, despite my issues, I still do enjoy the show. But that is all for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments, and I will take my leave here. See ya!

Oh yeah, check out my thoughts on Dragon Ball GT here!