YEEEESSSS
I was not expecting them to get together. They ones I cheer for usually don't win and I was rooting for Taichi. Maybe the curse got wasted when he lost to Arata in the finals, so he was able to win in the romance department?
I don't remember anymore if Yuu-chan (Arata's childhood friend that makes his bentos) loves Arata, but I always thought it would have been nice if they ended up together. It's a bit of a shame for Sumire, now that Taichi starting dating Chihaya, but Sumire x Taichi really wasn't going to happen.
The story ended well. I would have prefered Suou winning and defending his title, but Arata would have gotten too shafted if that had been the case. Would love to see a bit of Suou and his family together in their family home. But it was really touching to see him be honest about his feelings towards his family. Same for Shinobu and her grandma. Heck, same for Chihaya and Chitose.
So many touching moments. It's been a long ride, but a really good one. I'm glad I waited until the story was fully translated. I would have lost my mind if I had kept up to date.