Love Through a Prism Ending Explained: Do Lili and Kit Get Together?

Netflix’s ‘Love Through a Prism’ or ‘Purizumu Rondo’ centers on the lives of two young painters. On one hand is Lili Ichijoin, a Japanese girl who arrives in London in the early 1900s to pursue painting at the Saint Thomas Art Academy. On the other hand is Kit Church, a talented English painter and Lili’s classmate at the academy. Despite their cultural and linguistic differences, the two connect through their shared passion for painting. Lili attempts to be the best in the class, but Kit just enjoys painting for the meaning it provides him. As the two develop romantic feelings, they find it difficult to confess the same to each other.

As external factors enter the equation between Lili and Kit, their friendship becomes a complex web of emotions, secrets, and hidden feelings. Towards the end of the story, Kit and Lili find themselves facing difficult choices. With their past, present, and future at stake, the two may have to take a leap of faith to find love. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Love Through a Prism Plot Synopsis

In the early 1900s, Lili Ichijoin, a young Japanese painter, sails to London to pursue education at the Saint Thomas Academy Art Academy. She comes across Kit Church, a fellow student and painter, who impresses her with a stunning sketch of the Thames. Lili is welcomed by Professor Brant at the academy, who tells her to do her best. She befriends fellow student Dorothy. It is revealed that Lili was permitted by her parents to pursue art in London on the condition that she tops the class. If she fails to do so, she will have to help her parents in the family’s Kimono boutique in Japan. Lili is exceptionally talented, but Kit earns first place in a critique session for the students’ paintings. Lili realizes that Kit is her only real challenge in the academy. During one of the outdoor painting sessions, Lili’s blue paint is stolen by some bullies. But Kit saves her day by lending her his own blue paint.

Lili paints a magnificent picture of the sky, and so does Kit. Lili gets second place, and Kit maintains his first rank. A group friendship develops between Lili, Dorothy, Joffrey, Peter, and Kit. As Lili sits dejected, she is invited by Kit to go on a tour to the countryside to find lilies growing in a cave. During this bicycle tour, Kit and Lili understand each other and recognize their mutual passion for painting. They find a beautiful place full of colors, and they develop a closer friendship. Shin, another student from Japan, starts his journey at the academy and befriends Lili. His little sister, Sakura, is his only companion in the city. Lili writes to her parents in Japan and hides the difficulties in her experience. During an art exhibition, it is revealed that Kit’s full name is Christopher Church and that he is the son of Henry Church, a renowned diplomat and a man of great influence in British society.

Henry invites all of Kit’s friends to Drunnheim Hall, the family residence. During this visit, Lili learns that Kit has no interest in his family’s elite life and that his brother Richard is forcing him to embrace the posh life. At a grand ball hosted by the Church family, Lili is unable to go because she doesn’t have a dress for the occasion. Kit arranges the “Silver Lily” dress for her, which belonged to his late mother. Kit and Lili passionately dance in the hall, which irks Catherine, who is revealed to be Kit’s fiancée. Lili and Catherine have a misunderstanding, following which the former returns to London. Later, Catherine hires Lili to paint her portrait, hoping to help her financially. Lili paints Catherine’s portraits, but the latter asks the painter to paint them over and over again. Their misunderstanding ultimately gives way to honesty, and they become friends.

Lili overhears a conversation between Kit and Catherine, wherein Kit confesses that he actually loves Lili. Overwhelmed by this, Lili runs away to the academy. Later, when Kit seemingly insults Peter for his lack of talent, Lili slaps him. Still unhappy with the portrait, Catherine asks Lili to paint again at her grand house. Lili does so, and towards the end, Catherine realizes that her engagement with Kit has to be called off, as they are not meant to be. Kit, due to his father’s ill health, considers leaving the academy, but Lili convinces Henry to let Kit pursue his passion. Despite mutual romantic feelings, Kit and Lili hesitate to tell each other. Kit helps Lili to win a critique session by discreetly submitting her artwork. This allows Lili to stay back in England to continue her education. Henry’s death leaves Kit no option but to follow his family’s legacy.

As Richard becomes the head of the family, he says that war is brewing in Europe and Kit will soon have to fight. Kit paints a beautiful portrait of Lili standing by the beach, and this becomes his best work yet. However, this turns out to be his last painting, as he quits the academy due to war duties. Shin and Lili are ordered by the Japanese authorities to return home due to the outbreak of the First World War. Lili finds out that Kit is leaving soon, but even when questioned, he promises her that he will find her again. Later, as Kit prepares to sail away, Lili runs behind the ship to confess her romantic feelings, but the ship sails away as Kit looks on.

Love Through a Prism Ending: Do Lili and Kit Get Together? Why?

Lili and Kit go through a long and arduous journey to reach decisive points in their lives. Despite the intense love they feel for each other, situations always go against them. Either their own insecurities challenge them or their ambitions get the better of them. As the First World War breaks out, Kit is forced to live up to his Church name and follow the path of nobility. His days as a student of art come to an abrupt halt as he decides to embrace his family name for the first time and serve his country in a military-political capacity. This isn’t an easy decision, and it leads to heartbreak. He never garners the courage to confess his feelings to Lili. She remains unaware of the passing of Henry for a while, and this makes it difficult for her to understand Kit’s actions.

Lili and Shin are ordered to go back to Japan by their own government due to the war. Kit quits Saint Thomas Academy and finds work as a diplomat. Catherine urges Lili to stop Kit before he sets sail to foreign territories. Realizing that this could be her last chance to tell Kit about her feelings, Lili runs on the docks, but is unable to confess her feelings. She loudly bids adieu to Kit, who looks on cluelessly as the ship horn blares through. Five years later, Lili lives with her parents in Japan and runs the Ichijoin Kimono Boutique, the family business. She is engaged to Shin, who becomes a real source of support. Sometime during the five years, she received a letter from Catherine, claiming that Kit actually died on military duty.

This leaves Lili heartbroken, feeling that all the colors in her life have vanished. However, in the present, Lili shockingly comes across Kit again, older, wiser, and very much alive. Their reunion is rather hilarious, as Lili beats him in a friendly manner to show him how much she missed him. Kit reveals that he miraculously survived after his ship sank and found his way to Japan after a long journey. When Kit finds out that Lili and Shin are engaged, he hesitates to confess his feelings. Lili too faces the same hesitation and swallows her feelings, as Shin realizes the gravity of the situation. Seeing Kit still paint pictures, Lili regains her passion for painting.

Lili Makes a Bold Decision to Pursue Her Passion and Choose Love

Once Lili sees Kit’s sketches, which he drew despite his involvement in the war, she understands what makes her feel alive. Kit bids goodbye again and sets sail to England, where his family remains unaware of his survival. Lili and Shin break off their engagement, and the former convinces her parents to let her pursue art again. Despite initial reluctance, Lili’s mother finally accepts, and her father happily agrees to let her go. A year later, Lili returns to London and sets up her own Kimono boutique in the city, honoring her promise to her parents. As she reunites with Dorothy and the others, she finds out that Kit is not in England. Kit travels to different parts of the world to find inspiration to paint, and Lili rediscovers her passion. Both of them become genuine painters again, as time tests their resolve.

Finally, as Lili paints by the shore, Kit finds her. They reunite nearly two years after the farewell in Japan. All their feelings rush into the void between them, making them mutually confess their feelings for each other. Kit and Lili recognize that they complete each other and that there is nothing else in the world that can replace this feeling. Their love for painting, their artistic interpretations of the world, and their unique ways of understanding people bring them together. After all the ups and downs in their connection, they reunite at the same beach where Kit promised to find Lili again.

The two lovers, now made whole, passionately kiss each other as the sun shines down on them. When they notice a beautiful rainbow on the horizon, Lili asks why rainbows are so mysterious. Kit tells her that when sunlight passes through moisture, it splits into the colors of the spectrum, which is a prism. He compares Lili to a prism and a rainbow, who fills his life with color. He tells her that she has always been the one, and she tells him that he means the same to her. The two lovers share another kiss as the rainbow graces the moment.

Why Did Lili and Shin Break Up?

Shin and Lili support each other during the worst of times and find a greater connection in this process. During their days in London, Shin hesitates to confess his feelings for Lili, choosing to be her friend instead. Five years after Kit sails away, Shin and Lili are engaged in Japan. They live without passion or painting, and only to fulfill their social and familial obligations. Shin and Lili don’t find a romantic connection, despite being engaged. Their lives turn upside down when they cross paths with Kit again. Shin realizes that Lili has always loved Kit and that she will probably not be happy without him. During this confusing period, Shin also gets the opportunity to pursue his sculpting passion in Italy. It has always been a dream of his to travel to Italy and pursue a career in sculpting. Just like Lili, his passion for art also resurrects.

Once Kit leaves, Lili and Shin come to terms with their realities. Lili hopes to paint again, and Shin wishes to travel to Italy. Their engagement becomes a major impediment to this, which is why they decide to call it off. The two realize that if they get married, they will have to sacrifice their dreams. Despite the difficulty, they convince Lili’s parents to forgive them and give them permission to call off the engagement. Lili’s parents understand the situation and wholeheartedly agree to let the two listen to their own souls. Thus, Shin and Lili choose to remain friends and pursue their own passions.

Though Sakura, Shin’s sister, grows fond of Lili over the years, she, too, will presumably understand why Shin and Lili had to part ways. Lili promises her parents that she will make them proud by opening a Kimono boutique in London and also becoming a better painter. Lili and Shin find a way to work through the chaos and insecurities of their own souls, ultimately finding a path towards genuine happiness as friends.

What Do the Post-Credits Scenes Signify?

The two post-credits scenes reveal significant arcs in the story. In one of the scenes, Joffrey realizes his dreams at a later stage in his life. Earlier in the narrative, he tells his friends that he wishes to open his own pub in the city where he wishes to display his friends’ artworks. Though his dreams look too far-fetched at that point in time, he works towards them. Two years after Kit and Lili kiss at the beach, we see Joffrey’s pub in all its glory. Joffrey proudly displays the artworks created by his friends at the academy, just like he promised all those years ago. He whistles and strolls outside the pub, awaiting the arrival of his friends. We see Peter, now a successful man, pick up Dorothy and her kids. Dorothy is presumably happily married to an unknown man and is a delightful mother to her children.

Shin also joins the reunion and heads towards Joffrey’s pub. Kit and Lili are revealed to be somewhere in Asia. Finally, all the members of the group are revealed to be happy and content in their lives. The blue paint that Kit loaned Lili also makes an appearance in the scene, signifying its importance in the saga. Shin, Joffrey, Peter, and Dorothy find their own paths. In the second post-credits scene, Lili and Kit are at an unknown place in Asia, staring at a beautiful landscape. Tucked away underneath the grandeur of the mountains, they find a cave full of lilies.

The moment spiritually connects them to the beginning of their journey, where they went searching for lilies in a cave in England. The two take out their canvases and start painting their interpretations. Not only do they find happiness in each other’s company, but they also continue to pursue their passion. Ultimately, all the challenges in their lives lead them to a life of meaning, purpose, and love.