YMMV / White Album 2

• Alternate Character Interpretation:
  • Setsuna, Setsuna, Setsuna. Done more by game players (as they'd have played through Concluding Chapter and Coda), but Anime-only watchers aren't free from doing this either. Is she a manipulative schemer who's somehow convinced everyone that she's this constant victim? Is she this unrealistically-forgiving saint, who will accept Haruki despite the frankly deplorable things he's done? Is she a hypocrite, in saying that she loves both Kazusa and Haruki, but still wants to keep Haruki to herself? Is she insane, for not caring about what happens, as long as she gets Haruki in the end? One interpretation is as good as any other.
  • Does Haruki always love Kazusa the most and by extension is their failure to admit their feelings to each other the root of the issue in the first place' or did he love Setsuna equally all along but is simply unable to commit to either of them when both are within reach? On the one hand, the fact that he is willing to sacrifice absolutely anything to be with Kazusa (and literally does in her True End) along with their chemistry and mutual desperation to be together suggest to many fans that she is the one for him. On the other, the bonus story Twinkle Snow ~Dream~ shows a story where even when he gets together with Kazusa first, he still cheats on her with Setsuna, suggesting that rather than choosing the wrong person to be with, his commitment issues and indecisive nature are the real problem. Or is the truth some kind of combination of both?
• Awesome Music: For a series that references music, and whose primary themes tie in with music in general, this is expected.
  • koi Valentine (届かない恋　バレンタイン) , performed by Setsuna and Haruki during the Valentines Day Concert, which comes after the two reconcile, and finally consummate their relationship.
  • ''Toki no Mahou'' (時の魔法), sung at the end of Setsuna's True End, during Setsuna and Haruki's wedding reception.
  • ''CLOSING'', played only after finishing Kazusa's True End, as well as the Orchestral version, ''Cloture'', notable for being the in-universe song Kazusa's mother wants to hear her play in the bonus story To My Sworn Enemy, which she does in the climax of the story.
  • ''Powder Snow'', in the epilogue to Kazusa's True End. A love song in which the context where it is sung makes it incredibly poignant: It reflects Setsuna's deep love for Haruki. Setsuna shows this by 1) having spent the previous 2 years learning how to play Haruki's guitar, 2) using his guitar to sing that song and 3) deliberately changing the lyrics of the original powder snow song and turning the chorus of the song into "I still love you" and "I will never forget the warmth of the lips I first touched (kissed)". Through the guitar, Haruki had empowered Setsuna. As shown in closing chapter, without him, she could not sing . Without his presence, she couldn’t be true to herself. She had taught herself to play the guitar — she had emulated the role that he had carried out prior. She declares blatantly she loves him, not only through the lyrics of the song, but also by making his guitar an important part of her life. For 3 years Setsuna had been deperately trying to become Haruki's girlfriend. She had become depressed because he wouldn't accept her and she would spend many nights crying for that. Once Haruki truly accepts her feeelings and tells her she is the girl he loves the most Setsuna says she is the happiest she has ever been in her entire life. Two years later Haruki becomes Setsuna's fiancee but upon Kazusa's return to Japan he suddenly decides to break up with Setsuna and go to Europe with Kazusa. Even so she shows her love for him never did fade. Never did diminish.
  • Todokanai Koi '13, used in the anime's OP, and Sayonara no Koto, the anime's ED.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Takeya is surprisingly well-loved, being a steadfastly loyal friend of Haruki on basically every route, and usually the one talking sense too.
• Even Better Sequel: General reception of both the visual novel and the anime is that it is by far more superior to the original White Album and its subsequent adaptation, with more complex themes, conflicts, and characters introduced and with vastly improved and superior writing compared to the original.
• Diagnosed by the Audience: The argument has frequently been made that Setsuna suffers from at least some degree of borderline personality disorder, with proponents pointing to behavior like her intense mood swings, severe problems with processing and expressing her emotions in an healthy manner, and intense fear of abandonment. The fact that she has a rather dysfunctional family dynamic, with both of her parents being quite emotionally abusive (her father is extremely controlling, her mother is manipulative) under their seemingly wholesome facade, which is often considered a root cause for BPD, is also brought up in relation to this.
• Fan-Preferred Couple: Haruki and Kazusa, though not for the usual reasons. They bring out the absolute worst in each other, but they also bring out the absolute best in each other too. They're both willing to utterly annihilate themselves for each other - They'll lie, cheat, destroy anything and betray anybody. Kazusa would gladly never play music again if it meant that she could have Haruki, and for Haruki she's like a lethally poisonous, hyper-addictive drug. Yet, they also bring out the very best in each other. Kasuza can only really excel musically when Haruki's there to support her, and Haruki can accomplish anything if it's for her sake.
• It Was His Sled: The Closing Chapter being a misnomer and the existence of Coda which follows it as well as Kazusa returning from Vienna is more or less an open secret these days.
• Les Yay: Some moments between some of the girls can make you raise your eyebrows over their relationships despite them falling for the same guy:
  • Setsuna and Kazusa: Although Setsuna and Kazusa always wanted to be friends, neither can bear the thought of only being friends with Haruki, and much drama emerges as a result. Yet, as is revealed later in the series, both girls are aware of how their friendship will be destroyed should one of them start dating him. Still, though, they can’t give up Haruki. And, despite knowing they might be on the path to destruction, neither girl can accept defeat and the battle continues to the point that they even call each other enemies in Coda.
    
    In Episode 8 of the anime, shortly after Setsuna’s confession of her love to Haruki, Setsuna has a conversation with Kazusa. In the visual novel, she states that, not only has she fallen in love with Haruki but also that she doesn’t care what anyone might think or say because, when she is in love, she really means it! Yet, Setsuna continues by saying that she was aware Kazusa had exactly the same feelings for Haruki and apologizes to her friend and displays affection for her by telling her “if you were a boy…” In the anime, Setsuna’s words end there. The rest of her speech, which appears in the visual novel source material but not in the anime, either explains what might have happened in that hypothetical situation or it shows that they actually care for each other despite the apparent betrayals to their friendship. In the visual novel, after hearing Setsuna say those words, Kazusa inquires what would have happened in that situation?
    
    Setsuna then tells her: “Then… then…, I would have probably liked both Kazusa and Haruki…, and I think I would have been a bad girl, after all.” (Quick reminder that the verb used ‘suki,’ which literally means to ‘like,’ can also be used to show romantic feelings as it does in English; the second part of the sentence uses a subjective adverb of epistemic modality where it’s not certain it would have happened, but is usually said with some expectation of it happening; as for the third part of the sentence, she ‘thinks’ (‘omou’) she may become a ‘bad/terrible’ (‘hidoi’) girl should she like them both if Kazusa were a boy.) Kazusa responds by saying, “that would also be a hateful situation.” (Literally, she says that it would also be an ‘unpleasant’ 嫌な ‘bloodshed fight’ 修羅場.) Except that this time, it wouldn’t be Setsuna and Kazusa fighting for Haruki, but possibly a male form of Kazusa and Haruki fighting for Setsuna.
    
    Later in the same episode it becomes Kazusa’s turn to shine: At the hot springs, she throws streamers at Setsuna and they have a friendly fight in front of Haruki. Later, Kazusa tells Haruki that if she were a boy, she wouldn’t let him have Setsuna. When Haruki responds that Setsuna is her friend, Kazusa is very pleased and smiles (“She must be really weird, wanting to be my friend.”) However, things don’t stay that way for long and the mood changes when Haruki asks her immediately afterward if he can also become Kazusa’s friend. Kazuza cannot even bear to hear the words because they make her heart ache and she shouts “stop” before he can even finish saying the word friend. Later, during Setsuna’s birthday party, she reveals to him that she had been suffering all this time because of her love for him.
    
    After this encounter, Kazusa announces to Setsuna and Haruki that she has decided to live in Vienna after graduation next month, but they still cannot resolve the situation despite time being left to do so. Setsuna is quite aware of what is happening, that she could let Haruki and Kazusa be happy together and yet still remain friends with them, but still, her love for Haruki does not let her cease the battle and hand him, willingly, over to Kazusa.
    
    Haruki too has problems. He still lacks the decisiveness to get just one girl that eventually happens in the true endings. He doesn’t break up with Setsuna - but he isn’t loyal to her either! - and he sleeps with Kazusa at the last moment while he is still in a relationship with Setsuna.
    • The anime's Picture Drama included in the blu rays (anime-only material) also includes a moment of tenderness for the heroines. The Picture Dramas show funny situations where Haruki could have seen the heroines half naked before the school’s festival concert! And there’s a scene where, as in Episode 6, Setsuna clings on to Haruki's back for an entire train ride to Kazusa's place, but with Kazusa this time. Although Kazusa is present and complains, she tolerates the situation and allows her friend to stay behind her because Setsuna doesn’t want other people to see that she is still wearing a kimono. The situation makes Kazusa even more nervous and she continues complaining that now she’s gathering lots of unwanted attention from other people, making her blush. But Setsuna thanks her and refers to her and Haruki as her “two knights in shining armor.”
    • In the Extra Story,"To You, My Sworn Enemy", which follows Kazusa's cheating route, Kazusa hits a terrible slump in trying to prepare for (what she thinks might be) a final performance for her ill mother. At her lowest, instead of calling Haruki, she calls Setsuna instead. It starts out affable at first, before the two of them break down and lay bare their respective problems (Kazusa with the concert and her mother, and Setsuna with Haruki, who had withdrawn himself from everyone). The two descend into a screaming match and fight over Haruki while "After All ~feelings put together~" plays, the same song that played during Kazusa's and Haruki's confession to each others, and despite crying their eyes out and declaring each others enemies, the experience proves emotionally cathartic and fulfilling to both, and they overcome their respective troubles as a result. The concert is a success, and in the ensuing interview, when asked if she has any message for the viewers, Kazusa switches to Japanese as she turns to the camera and says "Serves You Right", a provocative boast toward Setsuna and Haruki. Setsuna realizes the two of them are now Sworn Enemies, which in turn implies the performance was also for Setsuna just like how her performances in Coda were for Haruki, and Haruki internally describes it as a farewell filled with love. Despite both women still being in love with Haruki, their relationship with each others is arguably the climax of the story, with Haruki being out of focus for most of the plot.
    • The cover for White Album 2 ~encore~ Original Soundtrack has Setsuna and Kazusa on the cover... dressed like a bride and a groom singing a duet, with their arms around each others.
  • Koharu and Yada: Despite not having as much screen-time as Kazusa and Setsuna, Koharu and Yada have a friendship which is certainly no less strong. This pair have been confirmed best friends for a long time. The two girls have been inseparable for years and Yada even chose what to study just so that she could go to the same college as Koharu. Then, when they were forced to go to different classes at school, Koharu began to cry “as if it were the end of the world.” These two friends felt they simply had to be together yet, despite all their loyalties, the bliss would soon end;
    
    In Koharu’s route - where Haruki’s heart leads him to decide that she is who he loves most in the world - Koharu had initially only gone to talk to Haruki to help her best friend. Then she discovers that her love for him is just as strong as Yada’s. In the same way that Setsuna and Kazusa began on a path leading their friendship to destruction because of a man, Koharu and Yada each also find themselves head over heels in love with him. The end result, of course, is destruction. Not only does Koharu fail to help her friend, but she actually starts making out with Haruki behind her best friend’s back! When Yada realizes what is happening and confronts Koharu, the girl promises never to lie to her friend again and, to save the friendship, promises that they will “Always, always, be together.” But she does lie! And once more embarks upon a relationship with Haruki and continues to make love to him because her love for the man is just so strong!
    
    Unable to stop being with Haruki, Koharu ends up betraying all those in her world whether they are friends or acquaintances. And, even though she herself admits that being with Haruki is going to isolate her from everything and everyone that was once important, she still does it, and even says it’s made her happy! Once she’s lost everyone around her, Koharu cries and her last words to her best friend are that she loves her, that she hopes a happy day will eventually arrive when they can make up and that she will treasure their friendship always. By this point, Koharu believes that a life of isolation from the rest of the world is her unavoidable fate. It is most fortunate that Haruki later tells her that he had made up his mind to spend the rest of his life with her, whom he loves the most, as otherwise it wouldn't have been a happy ending for Koharu.
• Never Live It Down: Many would remember White Album 2 as "the anime with that infamous airport scene" instead of a visual novel with musical theme.
• Signature Scene: The concert scene from Episode 7, Haruki and Kazusa's confrontation/confession in Episode 10 (when After All ~feelings put together~ plays for the first time), and the infamous airport scene at the end of the anime.