The Dual Love Films with Parallel Endings Premieres on Crunchyroll

For months, the anime community has anticipated the release of the Japanese dual science fiction love films, To Every You I’ve Loved Before and To Me, The One Who Loved You. And finally, the film series premiered on Crunchyroll yesterday, 20 April 2023. The films are adaptations of Yomoji Otono’s light novel series of the same name, which has a third instalment, Because I’m Calling Your Name, released in August 2022. But why has the film series sparked so much interest in the anime community in the last few months? And is the hype around the anime films justified?

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According to the film’s marketing, depending on which order you decide to watch the films, you can end up with a different ending. In addition, your perspective on the films will also be impacted. For example, if you watch To Me, The One Who Loved You first, the ending will differ from that of someone who initially watched To Every You I’ve Loved Before. As a result, you get a fun interactive film experience that will be unique to these movies. So, the big question here is whether any of these claims are justified.

What is the Plot of To Every You I’ve Loved Before?

While both films are related to the other, the narratives tell the story from the titular character’s point of view. To Every You I’ve Loved Before explores the life of Koyomi Takasaki and his struggles after his parent’s divorce. The most glaring issue is his inability to make friends, which is quickly put on the back burner when he meets a girl named Kazune Takigawa. She reveals to him that they have already met, and she is from an alternate universe called World Line 85. Kazune further explains how she and Koyomi were lovers in this timeline, and jumping between dimensions was normal. But, of course, a revelation like this brings the question of whether Koyomi is the one from a different dimension.

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What is the Plot of To Me, The One Who Loved You?

In this film, we get Kazune’s perspective of things as she is the titular character. We start the film in what can be assumed to be World Line 85, where Koyomi Hidaka meets Shiori Sato at his father’s research centre. The two begin to fall in love, but unfortunately, so do their parents. Eventually, their parents decide to get married, and the young couple wants to avoid becoming step-siblings. Their solution is to run away to a parallel universe in hopes of finding a world where they can love each other freely. Of course, while dimension travelling is a common thing in this timeline, it can be expected that there are consequences. Ultimately, we must ask the question of what this decision will cost them.

Which Film Should You Watch First?

 As stated above, the order in which you watch the film will warrant a different ending. Therefore, it is advised to watch the films in whatever order you please. For people who like watching things in the most chronological order, perhaps finding out what happened in World Line 85 before delving into To Every You I’ve Loved Before may result in a more coherent narrative. People who have read the light novels also suggest watching the films in this order. However, we must keep in mind that the films were made so that either order will make the narrative sense. But if you still cannot decide, rumours have been floating around that watching both movies simultaneously will result in a third secret ending. How one would do this without getting confused is a mystery, but why not try it anyway?

Otono’s third light novel, Because I’m Calling Your Name, may provide a whole new perspective on both the films mentioned earlier if it also gets a film adaptation. However, how it relates to the plot of To Every You I’ve Loved Before and To Me, The One Who Loved You is yet to be seen.

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Which order will you be watching these dual love films in?