My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex

A pretty decent anime that works best in the moments when the main couple is dealing with their past and present, that is, when they're trying to make sense of the situation they are in and move forward. This is when the emotions are powerful and I enjoy it so much that I’m willing to see past the fact that it's about a romance between stepsiblings, which isn't exactly my thing. What the show portrays really well is the conflict between family values and romantic feelings that can be hard to suppress, especially when the breakup didn’t provide a real closure for both characters (time would have made it possible, if they hadn’t been forced to be together again). There is nice chemistry between the main couple, even in the moments when they're just teasing each other. What I didn't enjoy very much were the supporting characters who were quite bland. The only thing I found interesting was Kogure and Akacuki’s past and Isana's occasionally funny behavior. Everything else, including most of the Irid family, somehow didn't grow on me. The anime was intriguing in the important moments, but there were only a few of them, and powerful romance and intense drama was sparse, so it all felt somewhat lackluster. On the other hand, I still consider My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex more engaging and intense than most of the episodes of A Couple of Cuckoos, but more about that later. A four would be too much so I’m giving it a strong three - 6.4/10. (21/09/2022)