Gift: Eternal Rainbow

To tell you the truth, I did not expect much from these series..
but then, it seems I was wrong xD.

Story: the story is the usuall love triangle that I have seen so many times.
A childhood friend and a male protagonist getting along when another old friend that the male character had a crush on( usually) comes back and there goes the triangle. However, the story was, nonetheless, good. It wasn't boring, although there wasn'nt anything that stood out that much.

Art: the art overall was pretty good, and the figures didn't seem out of place. The characters were drawn nicely. The art did certainly bring the rating of this series up.

Sound: the sound was also very nicely fit into the scenes. It really helped set the right atmosphere to each of the scenes that it was put in.

Character: The characters were nothing new, as this type of genre is common, and their actions were almost always predictable. It would have been much better if there was somehting more unique about the characters... but then that may as well have affected the story as a whole.
But this does in no way mean that the characters were shallow. They were well, thought out and each character has his or her own development in the story.

Enjoyment: I really enjoyed these series, it was one of the series were i could lay back and enjoy the whole series, without troubling myself on trying too hard to think in depth on in.

Overall: Overall, I think these serie is really worth watching if you like romance stories and have got the time. I wouldn't say that its a Must-See, but still it is worth the time.
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Gift: Eternal Rainbow is yet another anime adaption of an H-game, usually im not into these kinds of anime but this series really proved me wrong on almost every aspect.

Now on to the story:
When I first read the summary I immediatly backed away thinking that its just one of those randomness anime that have no plot, But as above I was proven wrong and im really glad I was wrong, Gift: Eternal Rainbow has a very nice plot, quite confusing during the first half of the series and it starts at a rather slow pace, but as you progress through series It just keeps getting better and better.

The art was very nice and a pleasure to see

The sound was good, I loved the opening because it was catchy and the ending was even more catchier.

The characters were really good, the way art represents them was truly excellent.

I personally enjoyed every single bit while watching this series, It had a perfect mix of magic, Mature harem and love triangle that just brought sadness and sorrow for everyone affected by it.

Overall I give it an 8, I was truly dissapointed of how gift: eternal rainbow has only 12 episodes+ 1 OVA because I felt that this series would be best having at least 20 episodes, but hey im not the producer. read more

"Gift ~eternal rainbow~" is yet another show based on an H-Game. Really, what isn't based on an H-Game nowadays? In any case, I decided to watch it simply on the basis that it had no reviews on AnimeNfo. As such, I did not have high expectations. However, it turned out to be a decent show. By no means was it anything special, but it was somewhat enjoyable.


STORY: 5/10

The story of "Gift" isn't a particularly great one, and it doesn’t always make a whole lot of sense. Not to mention that the gimmick of this series, the Gifts themselves, are really kind of unimportant in the grand scheme of things. “Gift” is a romance, complicated by the sibling-esque relationship between Haruhiko and Riko and by the obligatory H-Game diversions. The show spends too much time on side characters. I assume their stories are nods to the source material, but they are simply unnecessary. As regards the relationship between Haruhiko and Riko, its effects don't feel well-considered in the long run, although it eventually doesn't matter. Once their relationship issues are "resolved," the story accelerates rapidly into a love triangle full of drama and betrayal for the final third of the series, with Gifts and the mysteries behind them playing a more central role. Although these elements are interesting, they feel like a bit of an afterthought. I did like the love triangle, though. It was well-motivated, although it was certainly melodramatic. The double-childhood-friend angle was a bit original.

Overall: 5/10 – What is essentially generic drivel is redeemed slightly by…I don’t know…the cuteness of the first arc and the intensity and understandable motivation of the last arc? “Please Twins” did a better job handling character responses in a siblings-but-not plot. “KgNE” and “True Tears” had more compelling triangles. Still, though, “Gift” wasn’t terrible. It just wasn’t particularly great.


ART: 4/10

Character Designs: Enormous eyes, almost completely filled by the irises. It took a while to get used to it. While this eye design seems to be increasingly common in bishoujo characters, it was odd (in a bad way) to see such large irises in the male lead. Also, the character designs, especially that of the male lead, are very inconsistent. This was most noticeable in facial design and hair, although it occasionally extended to female body proportions. The male lead fluctuated between being cool and attractive (ep 11) and being goofy-looking (ep 1). However, the female leads were consistently decent-looking, and occasionally very pretty. Riko looks a bit too much like Lucy/Nyu from "Elfen Lied" at times, though, which was...peculiar. The color palette is bright, just the way I usually like it.

Background Art: Nothing particularly amazing, but it was pleasant and consistent. Pretty much standard in recent years, it seems.

Animation: Nothing impressive, but nothing noticeably bad. Seemed fluid enough for its purposes.

Cinematography: I didn't notice anything particularly noteworthy. Pretty standard shots.

Overall: 4/10 - The inexcusable lack of consistency drags a decent visual production down to a bad one. It still has its rare moments of beauty, though.


SOUND: 6/10

OP: A pleasant but non-compelling piece. Guitars (acoustic and bass), strings, and vocals are layered on top of an uptempo rock/break beat. I've encountered quite a few of these lately.
BGM: Pleasant, appropriate, and yet forgettable.
ED: Actually kind of interesting due to the visual sync with Riko playing the guitar (with actual chords). Otherwise, it's pleasant but nothing memorable.
Voice Acting: As someone who is not a native Japanese speaker, I cannot hope to catch the subtleties of delivery. However, for what it's worth, I thought that all the seiyuu were appropriate and matched their characters and their emotions. Also, the occasional non-verbal noises caught my attention and were appreciated.
Sound FX: Gift effects sounded cheesy. It was kinda inevitable, though. Not a big deal.

Overall: 6/10 - Enjoyable all-around, but forgettable.


CHARACTER: 6/10

The characters, in general, were pretty flat or caricature-ish. Background stories were limited to the three leads, primarily to Haruhiko. However, Kirino and Riko acquired a little depth by the end. In addition, Riko and Haruhiko had good rapport as siblings...which was kind of wasted by the romance.

Haruhiko: A pretty generic harem-type lead at first, but perhaps a bit more empathetic and open with his feelings. Over time, he seems to become a better person, although I get the sense that this was due only slightly to character development and mostly to inconsistent writing.

Kirino: A shy, pleasant girl who likes Haruhiko. She has a more complex relationship with Riko than initially meets the eye. I don’t want to spoil much, so I’ll just say that I liked her motivation in the final arc, although that’s primarily because she simply HAD an understandable motive.

Riko: Basically Haruhiko’s adopted sister, who had to leave him years ago. They were great and lively friends, something maintained in their playful treatment of each other. She’s feisty and cheerful, but has a sensitive side and a selfish side that overwhelm her on occasion. She also has a fear of being/becoming alone. If you pay attention, you might notice that she uses slight regression under severe stress. Nice Freudian touch. Also, I was surprised by how kawaii she occasionally managed to be (kawaii enough for me to use fangirl Japanese to describe it). As an afterthought, I remember that I appreciated that she insisted on carrying her own suitcase instead of letting the male lead do it for her.

Maki: A supporting character and friend of Haruhiko, although he is more a caricature than a true character. He is the smart, controlling, cold-hard-rational-science-obsessed guy, although he’s really not scientific in his methods. He’s calm and collected, and he also considers the feelings of his friends, which is nice.

Then, in addition to these, there are all the girls who probably have their own routes in the game, like Rinka, Chisa, Yukari, and possibly someone on the student council. None of these characters seemed important in any way, really, and I think they detract from the overall experience, making it less focused than it could have been.

In terms of interpersonal relationships, we are often left with such ambiguous descriptions as declarations of “love.” However, Kirino eventually describes something a little bit more specific, and it isn’t too hard to figure out what drives Riko’s relationship with Haruhiko (he cares about her, pays attention to her, and is simply there for her, almost as family). Additionally, the relationship between Riko and Haruhiko is supported by a bit of casual banter near the beginning of the series, which actually seems to go a long way in showing their mutual compatibility in the long run. Still, I feel that the relationships in “Gift” are sketchy, primarily because what Haruhiko sees in the girls and/or wants from a relationship with the girls remains a mystery to the audience.

Overall: 6/10 – There are a lot of cardboard cutouts, especially at the beginning, when only Riko seems to have any depth, and that’s only because of the way she interacts with her foster brother. On top of that, many are completely unnecessary to the story. However, the added depth to the characters of Riko and Kirino, by the end of the series, manage to pull “Gift” out of the realm of mediocrity and into the realm of decency.


ENJOYMENT: 7/10

The odd thing about “Gift ~eternal rainbow~” is that, despite its flaws and rather unremarkable basic essence, I really enjoyed it. Well, I didn’t enjoy it THAT much, but it was a pleasant surprise. It’s probably because I didn’t expect much, as that tends to increase my overall impression. So, really, “Gift” is an unremarkable but generally pleasant romantic drama, with occasional points of noticeable enjoyment, usually provided by Riko in some manner. As such, I have rated my enjoyment as a 7/10.

I guess enjoyment would also depend on one’s tolerance for H-Game fare and harem fare: the stuff of male wish-fulfillment. My patience for such content has yet to be depleted, since I usually avoid the genres. “Gift” is far from being the worst of this kind of stuff, but it certainly cannot hold its own against the best shows these genres have to offer, which are often respectable titles within the whole of anime, across genres.


SIMPLIFIED RECOMMENDATION: Watch it if you’re in the mood for or have run out of other pleasant romances. Don’t watch it if you’re sick of somewhat shoddy character and plot constructions.
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"Precious gifts can be given even without relying on a miraculous power."

I feel like this phrase alone was indirectly against religions that believed in miracles, but please don't take me on that. A-Anyways, time to review!

Story: 9/10

Let me begin by stating my first impression that I was going to put the story down to a 6 or even a 5, but I was really wrong. This story started off happy, then kept getting better and better as it progressed. A good story always comes with a a good setting, problem and climax, which is why I would think this is a good story. Aside from the romance and school genre, there is not a lot of comedy in this anime. I would take comedy out and replace it with drama, as it somewhat hit me right in the heart. Manipulating your audience's emotions, mainly happiness but sometimes sadness, with a story will no doubt- bring a good anime.

Art: 7/10

An anime from about 8 years ago, is above average for its art. I've seen anime from that time period that have really bad art, not naming any. Animation was smooth but not a lot of detail put into the characters. Also, there is one episode where Riko's eyes were literally 2/3 the size of her head, but I can't remember which episode it was. Feel free to find it, I doubt you will.

Sound: 7/10

The piano piece that was played was very nice, bringing me on a wander in my thoughts. Ever heard of a Katawa Shoujo OST? I would say it's around its level. I'm not a fan of reviewing OP and ED that much, but I could say it's so-so. The first time you hear the OP, is that you might think that this is a romance anime.

Character: 7/10

I'll start on the protagonist:

Amami Haruhiko, a person who would do anything to fix relationships that involve him. A hardworking and a kind person. Not a pervert, thank god.

Fukamine Riko, Haruhiko's non-blood related sister who loves Haruhiko very much. A good cook, a good "cleaner", undoubtedly these aspects of hers would make her a very good housewife.

Konosaka Kirino, Haruhiko's childhood friend and a character I kinda hated, even thought a character like her was needed for this type of anime. The type of girl who wants everything the way she wants it to be. I swear she's mental, but thank god her brain was fixed. She gave that 'yandere' aura on her, that would kill the girl that Haruhiko likes because she was a childhood friend, spent more time than that girl Haruhiko likes, and won't give up on Haruhiko. Did I mention she likes Haruhiko?

I didn't mention the best character I think was out there, which was Edo Masaki. A side character and is Haruhiko's 'best' friend and would help him out anytime Haruhiko is in some kind of knot with either Riko, Kirino or both. The most helpful character in this series, no doubt.

Enjoyment: 9/10

I enjoyed this mainly because of the story because it hit me in the feels. Kept me on my toes to watch until the end and it didn't disappoint me. Would I re-watch this? Maybe.

Overall: 8/10

If you're looking for an anime that is related to Shuffle!, then this anime might be for you. Not as long, but I would say it has similar stories, just different characters.

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