History YMMV / StarsAlign

** Rintaro's insecurities about being a failure and a burden because he's adopted are very indicative of the stigma towards adoption in Japan, due to the strong belief in carrying on family bloodlines and seeing adopted children as "inferior" because of that.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: After Maki and Touma's confrontation with Maki's father, the series switches to the student council president at home spending teatime with her grandmother. There, she reveals that her grandmother and mother disagree about her schooling (her mother got her to attend a "commoners" school to understand the townspeople better while the grandmother wanted her to go somewhere richer) and even had a physical fight about it... which the president recorded on her phone and apparently plays whenever she writes in her diary. The two also call her by different names, but she prefers to call herself Kaori. This scene is unrelated to anything previously shown in the series (all is stated is that Kaori's scene with her grandmother occurred a few days before Maki and Touma's), and no reference is ever made in future episodes, which is possibly a result of the anime getting CutShort.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped:
** Parents and their children aren't always going to get along, and it's not the child's fault.
** Just because they're related to you by blood, it doesn't mean you're obligated to acknowledge your birth parent as your real parent (especially if they're not the one raising you or are shitty at their job).

* LGBTFanbase: The anime was already gaining many LGBT fans thanks to Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was further cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[{{Transgender}} they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with Maki revealing that his mother's boyfriend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him while growing up). The episode marks one of the very few instances in anime where terms like "non-binary" and "[=FTM=]" are explicitly said out loud and discussed.

* LGBTFanbase: The anime was already gaining many LGBT fans thanks to Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was further cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[{{Transgender}} they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with Maki revealing that his mother's friend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him while growing up). The episode marks one of the very few instances in anime where terms like "non-binary" and "[=FTM=]" are explicitly said out loud and discussed.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: After Maki and Touma's confrontation with Maki's father, the series switches to the student council president at home spending teatime with her grandmother. There, she reveals that her grandmother and mother disagree about her schooling (her mother got her to attend a "commoners" school to understand the townspeople better while the grandmother wanted her to go somewhere richer) and even had a physical fight about it... which the president recorded on her phone and apparently plays whenever she writes in her diary. The two also call her by different names, but she prefers to call herself Kaori. This scene is unrelated to anything previously shown in the series (all is stated is that Kaori's scene with her grandmother occurred a few days before Maki and Touma's), and no reference is ever made in future episodes. Possibly a result of the anime getting CutShort.

** Rintaro's insecurities about being adopted, and feeling like a failure and a burden because of it, are very indicative of the stigma towards adoption in Japan (due to the strong belief in carrying on family bloodlines and seeing adopted children as "inferior" because of that).

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: After Maki and Touma's confrontation with Maki's father, the series switches to the student council president at home spending teatime with her grandmother. There, she reveals that her grandmother and mother disagree about her schooling (her mother got her to attend a "commoners" school to understand the townspeople better while the grandmother wanted her to go somewhere richer) and even had a physical fight about... which the president recorded on her phone and apparently plays whenever she writes in her diary. The two also call her by different names, but she prefers to call herself Kaori. This scene is unrelated to anything previously shown in the series (all is stated is that Kaori's scene with her grandmother occurred a few days before Maki and Touma's), and no reference is ever made in future episodes. Possibly a result of the anime getting CutShort.

* ValuesDissonance: Rintaro's insecurities about being adopted, and feeling like a failure and a burden because of it, are very indicative of the stigma towards adoption in Japan (due to the strong belief in carrying on family bloodlines and seeing adopted children as "inferior" because of that).

* TheWoobie: Maki, Touma, Nao, and Tsubasa became this to the fandom. They’re all endearing boys suffering from some type of [[AbusiveParents parental abuse]] and unable to escape their situations. It’s easy to see why people feel so sorry for them and think they deserved better. This was made worse by the ending. Due to the series being cut down from 24 to 12 episodes so late into production, the story ends with what was intended to be the mid-season finale. There is ultimately [[NoEnding no resolution to anyone’s issues]], and we end with Touma being disowned by his mother and Maki about to murder his father. And Nao and Tsubasa will likely continue to be abused by their parents with no intervention. Poor Maki, Touma, Nao, and Tsubasa is right.

* TheWoobie: Maki, Touma, Nao, and Tsubasa became this to the fandom. They’re all endearing boys suffering from some type of [[AbusiveParents parental abuse]] and unable to escape their situations. It’s easy to see why people feel so sorry for them and think they deserved better. This was made worse by the ending. Due to the series being cut down from 24 to 12 episodes so late into production, the story ends with what was intended to be the mid-season finale. There is ultimately [[NoEnding no resolution to anyone’s issues]], and we end with Touma being disowned by his mother and Maki about to murder his father. And Nao and Tsubasa will likely continue to be abused by their parents. Poor Maki, Touma, Nao, and Tsubasa is right.

* TheWoobie: Maki, Touma, Tsubasa, AND Nao became this to the fandom. They all suffer from some type of [[AbusiveParents abuse]] and are unable to escape. Due to the series being cut down from 24 to 12 episodes so late into production, the story ends with what was intended to be the mid-season finale. There is ultimately [[NoEnding no resolution to anyone’s issues]], and we end with Touma being disowned by his mother and Maki about to murder his father. And Nao and Tsubasa will likely continue to be abused by their parents.
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* LGBTFanbase: The anime was gaining many LGBT fans thanks to Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[{{Transgender}} they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with revealing that his mother's friend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him when growing up). The episode marks one of the very few instances in anime where terms like "non-binary" and "[=FTM=]" are explicitly said out loud and discussed.

* LGBTFanbase: The anime was already forming one with Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[{{Transgender}} they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with revealing that his mother's friend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him when growing up). The episode marks one of the very few instances in anime where terms like "non-binary" and "[=FTM=]" are explicitly said out loud and discussed.

* LGBTFanbase: The anime was already forming one with its mostly male cast and Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[{{Transgender}} they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with revealing that his mother's friend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him when growing up). The episode marks one of the very few instances in anime where terms like "non-binary" and "[=FTM=]" are explicitly said out loud and discussed.

* LGBTFanbase: The anime was already forming one with its mostly male cast and Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[{{Transgender}} they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with revealing that his mother's friend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him when growing up). The episode marks one of the very few instances in anime where terms like "non-binary" and "[=FTM=]" are actually said out loud and discussed.

* LGBTFanbase: The anime was already forming one with its mostly male cast and Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[AmbiguousGenderIdentity they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with revealing that his mother's friend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him when growing up). The episode marks one of the very few instances in anime where terms like "non-binary" and "[=FTM=]" are actually said out loud and discussed.

* LGBTFanbase: The anime was already forming one with its mostly male cast and Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[AmbiguousGenderIdentity they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with revealing that his mother's friend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him when growing up). The episode marks one of the very few instances in anime where terms like "non-binary" and "[=FTM=]" are actually said out loud and discussed.

* LGBTFanbase: The anime was already forming one with its mostly male cast and Yuu's crush on Touma being treated sympathetically, but it was cemented in Episode 8 with Yuu admitting that [[AmbiguousGenderIdentity they're not sure what gender they identify as]] and Maki's acceptance of that (along with revealing that his mother's friend Shou is a trans man who often looked after him when growing up).

* ValuesDissonance: Rintaro's insecurities about being adopted, and feeling like a failure and a burden because of it, are very indicative towards the stigma of adoption in Japan (due to the strong belief in carrying on family bloodlines and seeing adopted children as "inferior" because of that).

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: "Parents and their children aren't always going to get along. It's not your fault."
** In-universe, Maki and Touma are prone to doing this with the team. Instead of sugar-coating or simplifying the issue, the two of them are more than willing to tell everyone else how much they suck at tennis. Touma straight up calls them losers who will be losers at everything else they do, because despite being on the tennis team longer than Maki, they all still lost and had to resort to petty tricks. Sure it’s harsh, but it was definitely needed.

** In-universe, Maki and Touma are prone to doing this with the team. Instead of sugar-coating or simplifying the issue, the two of them are more than willing to tell everyone else how much they suck at tennis. Touma is straight up furious at them all for losing to Maki, pointing out how he’s only been playing for a day and he still wiped the floor with them.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: "Parents and their children aren't always going to get along. It's not your fault."