In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Review - A Pretty Decent Romance

Article at a glance:
While the show boasts top-tier production and a genuinely well-realized protagonist in Yoi, it struggles to maintain that same level of depth across its supporting cast.
Kohaku is a vibe, but his overly idealized “Prince Charming” energy occasionally clashing with the show’s grounded realism creates a noticeable disconnect.
The anime leans a bit too much into forced drama and “third-wheel” tropes that feel more like plot fillers than actual character growth.

I am kind of mixed on this anime. I didn’t dislike it, far from it; I quite enjoyed the show, and I would like to have a second season as well. The manga still has a lot of juice in it, waiting to be squeezed out. But the thing is, there are just a few issues about In The Clear Moonlit Dusk that I just can’t put aside. I think I made these issues clear in my mid-season review for In The Clear Moonlit Dusk as well. The show is brilliant, but it kind of struggles with fleshing out characters aside from Yoi.

So welcome back to another review, and today we are talking about In The Clear Moonlit Dusk. I think I’ve already set the tone for the review, so let’s just get started.

Plot

I won’t waste much time here. No one watched a romance anime for the plot. You kind of already know what to expect from an anime like this. Shy girl meets a supposed playboy and the girl realizes that she is actually special and the dude is not who he appears to be. Classic setup, and there are quite a few of our typical romance cliches as well. Nothing too bad, the story is servicable overall.

My main issue is the whole forced drama between Oji and our main couple. That whole thing served no grand purpose in the plot. It did not influence Yoi or even Kohaku’s character development. Forced drama and forced stakes in a nutshell, and I really dislike plot elements like that in my romance anime.

Characters

I’ll be honest, Yoi is an amazing character. Her growth always feels natural; it makes sense why she isn’t good with guys, and when she eventually confesses to Kohaku, it makes sense. Her emotional arc is extremely consistent throughout the show, and her growth is very grounded. Easily the best character in the whole show for simply how consistent her writing is.

I wish I could say the same about Kohaku. Once again, I do not dislike Kohaku. I think he’s pretty cool and chill for what his character is supposed to be. My main issue is that he feels way too idealized. He’s rich, he’s handsome, and his special treatment of women is reserved only for Yoi. And maybe I am being too harsh, but he feels a bit too perfect for an otherwise grounded anime.

Then there’s Oji… look, I don’t dislike him as a character, but his character serves no purpose in the long term. And I despise forced drama additions like him.

Production

Once again, not much to say here. The animations and art style are really damn good. Everything from the colors to the character designs looks so damn good. The voice acting is great as well. The opening and ending themes are alright. Not bad, but I doubt I’ll remember them beyond this season.

That is all for Now

Here are my final review scores for In the Clear Moonlit Dusk

Plot – 7/10
Characters – 8/10
Production – 8/10
Enjoyment – 8/10
Overall – 7.75

So as I said, not a bad show at all. I would say Yoi alone is written well enough to at least give it a chance. But aside from her, the show kind of crumbles. But yeah, those were my thoughts and opinions on In the Clear Moonlit Dusk. Let me know yours in the comments below. I will take my leave here. See ya!

Also, check out my thoughts on You and I Are Polar Opposites right here!