Rec

REC only spans ten episodes (counting the DVD special) and those episodes aren't even full-length, yet it manages to be more heartwarming and entertaining than many longer series. It isn't groundbreaking at all, but if you don't hate predictable romance anime, it is a perfect way to cheer you up when you're feeling a little down.

Onda Aka is a rookie voice actress who one day encounters the salary man Matsumaru Fumihiko, who's been stood up by his date, in front of the cinema. Long story short, Aka makes Matsumaru watch the movie together with her and the flames of love are ignited. Later the same ... night, Aka's apartment catches fire and she is taken in by Matsumaru. Romantic events ensue, but when waking up the next day, neither of them regards themselves as a real couple. Incidentally, they end up working together with the marketing of Matsumaru's latest invention: a leaf-shaped crisp. Aka is - of course - voicing the product's mascot, Neko-ki - a tree with a cat's head.

The focal point of the story is, not surprisingly, the development of the two main characters' relationship and how it is affected by Aka's rise in popularity; is it right for her to prioritize her career even though it leads to her not being able to spend time with Matsumaru? Though the story is far from original, I still really cared about Aka and Matsumaru. Because REC is, unlike most other anime belonging in this genre, not full of unnecessary melodrama or supernatural elements - it is realistic, and that makes it so much more engaging.

Animation studio SHAFT, of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and ef - a tale of memories fame, is responsible for the animation. REC's visuals don't impress at all, but they suffice; Aka is heart-wrenchingly cute and Matsumaru is... well... ordinary. Backgrounds and the like are good as well.

The seiyuu (voice actors) did a great job with all the characters, including the minor ones, enhancing the warm atmosphere of the anime greatly. Music was always fitting though far from memorable. The opening wasn't my cup of tea, but, then again, I couldn't care less.

To summarize, REC isn't the most innovative romance anime around, but it's realistic approach to the genre makes it refreshing and the chemistry between the characters (who are the series' greatest strength) is wonderful and Aka and Matsumaru's feelings toward each other feel genuine. I would not have complained had it been longer, but it's shortness may also be a strength; it never got even close to boring, even though I watched it all in one sitting.

A highly recommended anime to all romance fans.

REC,

Story:
REC, incorporates real life problems with a warm feel. This story is basically life, while trying to understand your feelings with a cute spin here and there, but serious when it needs to be.

Art:
Art is good, borderline amazing.

Sound:
Soundtrack is good, character voices were cute, well portraying of the characters.
...
Character:
Character development is great, you end up liking the characters and somewhat can relate to their problems as time goes on.

Why did I like this anime?
It was pretty damn cute, life problems mixed in with a 'I love you, but wait do I really?' type of feel. It relates to life problems and is somewhat humorous and serious when needed. Very good anime, feeling of satisfaction I must say.

Well, I watched REC, and I think that it was quite a good storyline, for a short series! 9 episodes, spanning 12 minutes each. It’s a shame there wasn’t more.

But hey, onto 1st my review!

I’ll split this into 5 secions, rating each section, then give an overall x/10 rating!

Story 8/10

I enjoyed the story, some good twists in it, and it was good ’slice of life’, in my opinion. I wish that there was more anime for this series. It was a good start to the series, and the ending was quite good also, a little more wouldn’t have gone a miss though!

... Animation 9/10

I like the animation, there were some really good bits, some weren’t that great, but it did the job! I think that most of it borderlines on amazing, but after recently seeing the AIR movie, I’m not sure anything’s going to beat that!

Sound 7/10

The voices fit the characters, I think. I think that they were good at the roles, and nothing was out of place… Well, nothing except the ‘REC’ bits, that randomly appear throughout the episodes… There are some strange noises >,<… Never mind though.

Character 8/10

I enjoyed the development of the characters in this series, however short lived it was. You got minimal detail about the history of the characters, learned what they wanted, or what their dreams were, and then followed Aka as she fulfilled hers. Mind you, Matsumaru had his fair share of achievements!

Enjoyment 9/10

Overall, I really enjoyed this anime, even when it was so short. I mean, short series’ are okay, but sometimes I think the longer, the better. This one proves that theory wrong!

My overall rating…

Drumroll, please!

8/10

*Off topic*

Haha, I was reading about this anime on other sites, and I found out that, liek a lot of other anime, there is a manga for it, so I’ll be off to buy that one when I get paid! xD
But then, considering the Manga is, if I am correct, still being written, maybe they will go ahead and make more anime from it?

That is all!

There is nothing quite like sitting down to a nice down-to-earth anime. Sometimes those are are hard to find, yet here we are with Rec. It is the story about a guy and girl living under the same roof. Seems kind of cliche, until it actually gives a legit reason: her house burned down (sorry I saw the title and the burning house and immediately thought of mix tapes, I'm so ashamed). I know the length of the episodes seems intimidating, but it was not bad at all. I applaud the series for actually giving us something to enjoy while putting it in half the ... time frame of most other series. Now, lets dig into this...

Story-7
Short, yet effective, those are the best words to summarize this. We have our guy, Matsumaru, waiting outside a movie theater. Why, you may ask? He got dumped. By a woman whom most viewers will probably dislike. He then meets a 20 year old girl named Ako, and will precede to find solace in getting plastered with her. They will then walk home and everything will be over. Or so they thought. Sucks when your house burns down. So that's how we come to them living together. He works for a candy company and comes up with ideas for them to use. She is a novice voice actress. Throughout this series they have to deal with success while also balancing the feelings they start to have for each other. That's it. It's a nice, simple story to unwind to after a stressful day. It is not a bad story riddled by plot holes, nor is it an absolute masterpiece. It is just a refreshing look into the real world of business.

Art- 7
The art is average. It is along the same lines as the story, refreshing, yet not stunning. It uses mildly dull colors so it's not going to vomit rainbows in your face. The leading girl looks quite cute, and this series emphasized that. The guy was pretty standard for an anime protagonist. Overall I gave the art a decent score because I thought the art was fitting to what the series was aiming for.

Sound- 6
The weakest aspect. Not much to say here. There was no op or ed. You have background music and sound effects when the title roles on screen. Although those could be humorous at times. Really there was nothing bad about any of it as far as I could tell. It did what it had to do and didn't leap over mountains to give us auditory pleasure.

Character- 9
This I thought was great. For such a short series they really managed to capture the people we really care about. The male protagonist is just a man trying to rise up in the business world. The leading heroine is just a female voice actress trying to accomplish her dream. Throughout this series we get to see them both succeed and fail, and what it does to them afterward. We have all had times where we failed at something and took it out on others, that's where our male protagonist has trouble. We have all had moments where we had to do things we didn't want to do for our benefit, and that's where our heroine had trouble. It was pleasing to see such relatable problems on anime characters, and the series did a great job at portraying them. The rest of the characters are there to act as foils for the relationship of the two. We have Ako's manager who is strict, yet understanding. We have Matsumaru's co-worker who tries to cheer him up and let us know he is not a complete loner at work. And we have the woman who stood him up, who acts as an inciter of jealousy in Ako. In the end, she helps us realize the depth to which Ako cares for Matsumaru. Only problem I have is that Ako is all touchy-feely with Matsumaru in the beginning but then flat out denies they're together for most of the series. We know better, right?

Enjoyment-9
A fantastic little series I thought. I happen to love romance anime and this is one that would be a disappointment to miss. I enjoyed the down to earth setting, story, and characters. They were a good break from witches, warlocks, super power lolies, and everything else anime sometimes throws at us.

Overall-8
A cute little series. If you are into romance with the occasional hint of comedy and drama, this is one anime you will most certainly not regret.

What is a better day to post a review for Rec than Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn’s 85th birthday? Audrey Hepburn was a huge inspiration for the show’s aspiring voice actress Aka, and the show embraced her movie titles and movie quotes in each episode.

I warn you that you may not like this show if you’re expecting a steamy hot romance. It's more about the development of a romance. Some people who watched Rec, including me, rated it with a very low score, because it’s incredibly boring at first viewing. However, Rec is different from most other romance anime and not as cliché. It reflects on ... reality by displaying the disappointment and challenges of balancing a professional life with a private life. Rec revolves around an aspiring voice actress (Aka) and a marketer (Matsu) dealing with the struggles and pressure of work. One problem I had was that their relationship happened quite fast with Aka moving into Matsu’s place the same day they met, because her place burned down without any given reason. On a positive note, Rec goes behind the scenes of the media industry and excitingly shows the transition of a popular seiyuu, including the advertisement and work inside the studio.

There are a few problems I had with the characters. If it were not for the revelation of Aka’s age (20 years) and scenes of her drinking beer, this show would seriously appear as a lolicon. She literally looks and sounds like a little girl, while Matsu looks like an old man despite being 26. Matsu can honestly get pretty annoying. He is a loner who is desperate for a girlfriend and relieved when Aka walks into his life. This causes him to act perverted at times, and it may be entertaining and funny for someone who enjoys anime where a guy constantly experiences rejection. I honestly didn’t like it. Apart from that, Aka and Matsu are strong as a pair. They show support and feelings for each other as they work together in their career. The supporting characters contribute to the pair’s relationship by revealing life’s disappointments and giving advice that has an impact on them. They also participate in each of their careers and show how the media industry works in Japan.

The artwork looks old as if it’s from the 1990s instead of the 2000s. It resembles something out of a childrens’ book. The colors are bland. The backgrounds are plainly drawn, and the only activity are from the main characters. The rest of the society is still. The character design was average. The females were the only attractive characters in the show, and the males could not nearly compare. The settings, including recording studios, are drawn realistically as it suits the atmosphere of voice actors and advertisers.

The OP, sung by Kanako Sanai (voice of Aka), is pretty good, but it could be unattractive to others. The truth is the lyrics of the OP describes the show perfectly: “Don’t give up/Embrace all of your worries.” Not only does it describe their relationship, but it says not to let life get you down at the worst of times. The seiyuu expressed appropriate emotions for situations, including jealousy and excitement. The background music and sound effects fit the atmosphere well.

Rec is an anime that you’ll have to rewatch with a different mindset if you did not enjoy it the first time. Honestly, the few people that scored Rec below a 7 were bored out of their minds just like I was. I planned to drop it during my first viewing, but it didn’t make sense for me to drop an anime that only has nine 12-minute episodes. I couldn’t stand the anime, and the OP was completely annoying at first. After rewatching it, I actually enjoy it more than other romance anime, and the OP is one of my favorites. As I mentioned earlier, this is the most realistic romance anime out there as it features the complications of relationships because of busy careers, which is the primary reason why my score changed from a 6 to a 9.

Cute. Wish there were more. The character's were beautifully written, as was the plot. The relationship between the two main characers were perfect, as they explored the growth their personal and work lives.

The female Onda, Aka played the cute, happy, but vulnerable role quite well. At times you really wanted to strangle Matsumaru, Fumihiko ; who appears to be more crass than other sensitive male leading roles.

Perhaps it is truthfulness like this which mirrors real life; that adds to the beauty of this series. Now I"ll have to look to see if there are any Manga out for this.

(PS there is and it is ... ongoing. The anime touches volume one and they are currently into Volume 5)

Enjoy.

Rec is a romantic comedy about an aspiring voice actress. The manga was written by Hanamizawa Q-Tarou in 2002 and is still ongoing. In 2006 it got a nine episode anime adaptation. I've never read the manga, but how does a long running series translate into nine twelve minute episodes? Let's take a look at Rec and find out.

The plot is very simple. A guy, Matsumaru, gets stood up for a movie date. As he's about to throw the tickets away he's approached by a girl, Aka, who tells him not to waste them. They go to the movies and then drinking together. After they ... part ways her apartment burns down and she doesn't have any family or friends whatsoever so she ends up moving in with Matsumaru, how very convenient. Actually, convenient is the wrong word, contrived would be more accurate. The series is about her and Matsumaru living together and trying to keep their connection a secret for no adequately explained reason. It's every bit as stupid as it sounds. Does the comedy work? No, there are no funny moments in Rec, not one. Just the contrived romance.

The characters don't help matters. Aka and Matsumaru have no chemistry which makes the romance aspect just seem even more forced. They're also complete morons, as are all of the minor characters. Which makes them just annoying to watch.

The art is the best part of the series. It's pretty well done with some good details. There are some moments where the sound is out of sync with the characters' mouths but that isn't a major issue.

The voice acting isn't bad. It's not anything spectacular or with any stand out performances but it's decent. The actors probably could've done better if they'd had decent dialogue. The music isn't bad but it's not good either. It's pretty forgettable.

The yuri factor is a 1/10. There is no yuri in this.

My final rating for Rec is a 2/10. It's a terrible anime. The decent art and average voice acting can't make up for the terrible story, failed humour or moronic characters.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this anime. The reason why I decided to watch it is just because it's from Shaft, thus I thought the artwork would be great with the unique Shaft style. My thoughts was wrong. (If you're not familiar with the word Shaft, it's an anime studio responsible for the unique artwork, gag, and cinematography of Bakemonogatari, Madoka Shoujo Madoka Magica, Nisekoi and much more)

The story is about an office guy, a salary man(Japanese white collar businessman) to be precise, who is living with a girl who dreamt on becoming a voice actress. Although living together and already did ... 'something', the both of them doesn't consider themselves having a 'that' sort of relationship . They also kept their living-together a secret from the others because they thought that it would affect their career.

The pacing is a bit fast, well, maybe too rushed due to the fact that it's only 12 minutes per episode. There's nothing unique and complex about the story. It's quite predictable too. There are so many complications for both of the characters throughout the story. When the girl has a problem with her career, the guy takes care of it, and vice versa. What makes it 'not good' is that some of it seems to be trivial but considered a big deal, and.... the other, which seems to be a really big deal, is taken lightly. Despite of that, the ending is really satisfying.

Okay, so now let's talk about the artwork. Coming from Shaft........ It's horrible. It really looks like something coming out of the 90s. Compared to the other Shaft creation and anime(s) from 2006, it's really poor made. Seriously, it's not the quality of the video I have that makes it look bad, it's the anime itself.

Characters. We have the main guy, Matsumaru Fumihiko, and the main girl, Onda Aka. Matsumaru is an average guy working as an average white-collar in a not-so average company. But hey, he's got himself a pretty average face. He likes to tease Onda and even 'tried' to seduce her sometimes, and get's rejected 'almost' every time. On the other hand Onda is an energetic girl who likes to imitate a certain voice actress. She really care about Matsumaru, but she doesn't consider themselves as partners for some reasons.

Going through a lot of obstacle, their feelings seems to grow after each one. The development is really fast at the start, then it goes constant average throughout the rest. Though it's good overall. The side characters aren't that bad either.

So, if you ask did I actually enjoyed this 12-minutes/ep anime? I pretty much did, despite the not-enjoyable artwork it has. But then again, the story, characters, developments are -imo- pretty decent. For a rom-com though, I don't really laugh that much. I actually didn't laugh at all. Jokes are too.... you know... how to say it... predictable i think. (i couldn't find an adjective for it.)

Overall, 'Rec' or レック is decent rom-com anime that didn't surpass the average status. It has some good points, but also some major flaws. I don't really recommend this anime, but if you like rom-coms and would like to watch anything of the sort, just try giving it a shot. It isn't a full episode anime and only has 9 episodes anyway.

-Btw, after watching the first episode, I literally said "Well, that escalated quickly."

Rec is an anime I did not have high hopes for, I figured since it was so short, it would be super rushed and not have a lot of backstory, although it was somewhat rushed at the beginning, I feel the progression worked very well. There are 10 episodes in total that are about 12 mins each, I enjoyed the length of this anime because it was short and to the point, and quite heartwarming. Definitely a must watch for you Romance lovers out there.

This story begins with Matsumaru waiting for his date at the movie theater, however, his date is a no-show, just when ... he is about to give up on his date and throw away the tickets, Aka comes in to save the day! So they go to watch the movie together. Later on, a huge fire occurs, and her place is burned down, this is where Matsumaru comes in to save the day, he offers for her to stay at his place, and this my friends, is where the story begins.

Story 8/10
Even though the anime was fairly short with only 10 episodes that were 12 minutes each, it was a nice progression of the romance between the two. They were able to depict the working situation of both Aka and Matsumaru, and how they played a role in them becoming closer. The romance slowly starts to grow as they are living and working together, and of course, comes conflicts that they must overcome together. I also liked the fact I had not seen many anime with this type of story. The character following their dreams of becoming a voice actor, while also finding that special someone.

Art 6/10
The art was not anything special, but that is to be expected from a short anime from 2006. They did do a pretty good job on the main character designs, but the background details at times did have some lacking attributes, but as I said, it is a short anime.

Sound 7/10
The sounds were not really all that important in this anime, so they were alright, nothing great, nothing bad. The voice acting was done pretty well, Aka's voice actor matched perfect.

Character 7/10
They did not go into the past of either of the two, such as family or schools or anything, but they did a good job of portraying their feelings about situations, and also their goals in life. The supporting characters did not get much at all, but being that the anime is so short, that's understandable.

Enjoyment 9/10
I really enjoyed this anime. The shortness was something I actually enjoyed, it allowed me to see how they progressed romantically without wasting time on pointless side-story as in some anime. It was a really nice romance between the two, and to see it all come together was a real treat.

Overall 8/10
The reason for this 8 is the pure enjoyment I had seeing the romance in this anime. The story was great, I liked how they showed what the both of them went through in their work lives, and how that played a part in their romance, and vise versa. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of romance, and who doesn't mind it being short and sweet.

Audrey Hepburn would turn around in her grave if she knew what work her name was attached to.

Story:
On the surface, Rec leads us to believe that we bear witness to the blooming of a young love and a boy and a girl overcoming the many obstacles in their way to be together. In reality, what we get to see is the formation of an abusive relationship that is presented as the ideal romance. I’m at loss for words how disgusting this is. Apparently, the author is either an utterly broken victim of this in real life, or (more likely) a terrible human being that you ... should stay as far away from as possible. In their sick, twisted mind, it is heartwarming to guilt-trip somebody into a relationship and take advantage of a helpless individual. This is wrong on so many levels, that I would like to erase it from my memory, or better yet, from existence. Do you think I’m joking? Take a closer look, it’s not hard to see. Aka has no reason to like Matsumaru, but she feels indebted to him, that’s why she swallows all the abuse. That’s a topic for the character sector, all I can say about the story is, there is no romance, just one guy wanting pussy and a girl in dire straits. The fact that Rec pretends to be a romance is ludicrous.
1/10

Art:
This anime looks okay, but there is absolutely nothing special about it. Character design is okay, backgrounds are okay, animation is okay, it’s just a huge pile of okay. That’s acceptable for a "romantic comedy", which is supposed to score with other qualities. Yeah, that’s not much of a statement, but there really aren’t any strong or weak points to go into deeper detail about.
6/10

Sound:
The music (including opening and ending song) are okay. Yeah, I know, but they just don’t give me anything to work with. The voice acting is a bit disappointing. I don’t doubt that Kanako Sakai is capable of a good performance, but if you voice a voice actress, aren’t you supposed to show off your abilities? Judging from her very small number of roles listed on MAL, I may not be the only one who thinks she’s rather meh in an ocean of great. The rest of the bunch does a decent job, but they don’t have any big challenges to master.
5/10

Characters:
There is not a single likeable person in this cast. Matsumaru, the male lead is a despicable piece of shit, who keeps trying to take advantage of Aka all the time. Even worse, he somehow manages to twist the truth around to make her feel guilty about something that HE did. First he date-rapes her (I admit, this is debatable, but looking at how these two behave later on, I’d say the evidence is obvious), then he repeatedly tries to guilt her into sex by giving her shelter after her house burned down. When that fails, he terrorizes her with their work project, making her afraid of somebody finding out and being labeled as nepotist whore. After still not getting more pussy, he makes her feel responsible for his own failures at work and when he has her down to the point where she even apologizes for it, he literally tells her to fuck off. And to top it all off, after he managed to completely break her, he doesn’t ask her to be his girlfriend, no, he DEMANDS her to be his girlfriend. And don’t even get me started on when he tried to get himself another chick, that was a completely different kind of low that I don’t even want to speak about.
So, does nobody help this poor girl out? How about her agent? Nope, her manager tells her to dub porn or her career is over. None of the side characters is of any help in any way, nor do they add much to the show as a whole.
1/10

Enjoyment:
I hate this anime, it makes me sick just thinking about it. Everybody involved with this should feel ashamed. If they were trying to tell a different story, it could’ve maybe worked, but they want to sell me Rec as a romantic comedy, which it just isn’t. I’d rather accept Schindler’s List as one than this crap. Twilight is a better love story than this. But what shocks me the most is how many people apparently fell for it. My brain can’t comprehend the thinking process that goes into accepting these blatant lies. This isn't a personal attack if you happen to like this show, I just don't understand how or why. Anyway, any more words would be a waste of time, all you need to know is: Don’t watch it!
1/10

Overall:
2.8/10

In spite of this series being fairly short, with length and episode duration, it manages to tell a better story than a lot of full length series. With Rec you really are not expecting anything amazing when you first notice it, but your voice of the series changes astonishingly fast. Really the series itself manages to grab you and keep you from the first episode right to the final scene.

I want to talk about the Art and Animation first off. It's incredible, strictly speaking from a low budget series. The animation is fluid, it flows together very well. The art work is simple, almost ... lazy in some parts. But with that said the art work itself was unique and part of what grabs you into the series. Beauty in the simplicity. Overall I'd rank the art at around an 8.2/10. Now to focus on what actually grabs and keeps an audience, The Story.

With this series the story starts off quite innocent, you feel sorry for Matsumaru. You are introduced to cute main girl, Aka Onda(with an exceptional voice acting role by Kanako Sakai to mention). Then after the two enjoy a fated first meeting we are brought to the problem that brings this couple together. Now without spoiling anything, I can say it is not Deus-Ex like, but does seem kind of unluckily convenient for the story progression. With this Aka is invited to stay with Matsumaru, in which they begin a lovers relationship where they are not lovers. Now as the series progresses we have bonding moments and we having moments where the couple(who aren't actually a couple... yet?) are almost driven apart. But with turmoil comes the true feelings. And pray it is not too late. I an say the last 3 episodes have incredible pace for only being 33~ minutes of show time. The story had to be probably the best aspect for the series, personally I'd put it around 8.8/10.

To close I just want to mention how the characters were handled and overall enjoyment of the series. Introduction of each character was done pretty good, based on the role said character would play. But with a short story kind of series, there was no character background. Did we need it? No. But for a development stand point, minimal. Except in the case of Matsumaru and Aka. You had them develop a very cute romance, you had the two learn about each other and you had them grow to love each other. All in all Rec was a great series, just something to put on if you want to unwind and relax with a cute little series. I personally think Shaft did a good job bringing this story out.

I first stumbled on this anime when I was looking through a list of anime that had already been completely aired, and therefore found REC, I looked at the brief summary which said "A romantic comedy about a boy and a girl, one who is a marketer and the other a voice actor, due to a tragic iccident the girl had to stay with the boy at his apartment, as each day passed they began to develop a relationship."

This brief summary caught my attention, and therefore I decided to spare it some of my time, since they were only 12 minutes long, excluding the ... intro it was 10 minutes long.

What suprised me was how well structured it was, because it was only 10 minutes per episode and only 9 episodes all together. so in 90 minutes, there was a decent introduction to the characters, and then a good 8 episodes filled with development of all the characters and their feelings, it shows how each one gains confidence and how they begin to find themselves reliant on each other, how the guy grows to need her to be by his side, to live with him.

Though there is all these feelings, it is expressed through a series of well placed comedy acts.

To me it was a 1 and a half hour well spent.

Because the emotions in the voice acting, was there, and it made me feel good hearing it.

So yes I would recommend this to any one no matter what you prefer to watch.

I'm a sucker for big age-gap animes so I came across Rec, a magnificent anime I never would've known it was. I researched about its plot and all, and considered it to be something I would really enjoy. After I saw the characters, I felt my hopes go down a bit, since it's a typical kind of anime style: with moe and all that crap. Although I only focused my attention on the girl and her moeness, and my negativity took over, this didn't hinder me from watching it. And I'm glad to have done that. Rec was such a great anime.

It wasn't that ... big of a deal, but that's what makes it great. It's such a laid-back, and something that you would watch with your best friend or your significant other.

It kind of lacked something, which was the soundtrack. For me, the soundtrack always played a big role in animes. Though I liked the mini opening, it just wasn't enought to satisfy me.

When I watched this anime, I felt that breezy feeling of nostalgia. Like trees are swaying, birds were chirping, and laughter from all the people can be audible: that's the feeling I got from Rec. Totally would RECommend. (Ayy??)

REC is a relatively enjoyable short watch that goes through an adult romance, which is a rarity in anime.

Its upshot its some of its interesting premises, such as the episodes being themed by various Audrey Hepburn movies. REC unfortunately tends to devolve into the same "MC is as dense as a brick, which causes misunderstandings" comedy/drama that is horrifically common.

All in all it's an enjoyable enough watch for it's length (short). The only caveat is under no circumstances should anyone ever read the original manga. It jumps off a cliff violently shortly after the anime ends, in the worst of ways.

This series, while certainly cute an romantic, gets a lower score because at times it shows a totally disturbing view in the what might just be a cultural difference in relationships. The series is only 9 episodes (10 including the special) at 12 minutes each, and the relationship between Matsutaka and Aka seems somewhat schizophrenic.

Sometimes he is very kind and understanding towards Aka, and sometimes he is disturbingly sexually aggressive. Maybe in Japan that is to be expected since he is much older than her and they live together, but the lesson seems to be that Aka is wrong for not wanting to have ... sex with him. Maybe I'm being picky, and there are certainly people who like anime where the male is very assertive and dominant, but to me the way Aka is treated is somewhat abusive. He blows up at her for no reason, and even though he's very nasty to her she forgives him (even though he doesn't technically apologize). Some might say this is love, but as a person currently in a loving relationship knows it's more naiveté than anything else. This aspect of the anime is too distracting for me to enjoy it properly.

If you like romantic anime, this is an OK choice. It's pretty quick and has some very cute moments.

Ima keep this review concise and nice just like this anime,

this anime accomplishes what most romance animes fail to do by the end of their series. At least most of them, and what I mean is that most romance animes don't give you the feeling of romance or a relationship, the hardships that come with a relationship, the feeling of being reunited after that setback, or the confusion that goes on in your head during that time.

These are all important aspects that can be used in romance animes. But in most romance animes, they instead have either fan service, the protagonist being thick headed, or ... the girl/guy not progressing their intent of letting the other person know they like them. Basically, the plot never gets developed, and if it does, it happens very slowly and by the end of the anime you might get a confession or a kiss IF you're lucky.

Which is what I love about this show, they actually manage to delve into the hardships of relationships and bring out enough character and plot development in only 9 freakin episodes!!! (Each episode only comprising of 10 minutes). It shows a lot of realistic scenarios that can be seen in actual relationships, and manages to pick up the pace which is refreshing compared to other anime romance shows. Not to mention the fact that neither character sticks to a character troupe, but like as if they're actually people, like thinking "oh, what should i do?? ><" I just realized that sounds like a tsundere but I promise you in this scenario it's different.

Now admittedly, it's tiny amount of episodes is also sort of its own downfall (when you think about it it's only really 4 and a half episodes), as it doesn't give you as much build up as other shows. But it's a paradox, because for that same reason, that's what makes the show great, as it shows us you don't need 24 full length freakin episodes to bring out the subtle details of romance. It manages to make a fast paced show without making it feel too rushed, just perfect in my opinion honestly.

Other downfalls is that sometimes the voice acting felt a little flat, and the sound was over used a little bit (as in not having a diverse pool of music to choose from), but this could be just due to budget. Despite that, they were still able to make due, but whether it was due to budget or simple laziness, it still gets marked down from a 9 to an 8. Honestly, it's such a short show, if you like romances there's no reason not to get into this.

So with all in mind: being able to show the nuances of a relationship in such a short amount of time, giving you a satisfying and fulfilled ending, actual people instead of character troupes, this anime in my opinion easily gives you an 8.

Overall
A neat and very compact love story with a little bit of a different setting, focusing on an aspiring voice actress and the guy she lives with. I like short animes and even though this may be a wee bit too short, it manages to get the story across.

Er... is it marked as "Ecchi"? No such thing here.

Animation
Standard graphics, but with a little bit extra attantion to detail; stuff that happens in the background is often ignoren in anime, but REC has a lot of little details going on, which makes the anime come alive.

And the character design is good, too.

... Sound
Cute opening tune and varied and fitting background music. Voice acting is good (but should perhaps be top notch considering the theme of this show).

Story
A believable and very down-to-earth love story. It might be a bit too short, but I really wouldn't want REC to be another filler-filled 26 episode borefest.

Character
The characters don't have much time to grow, but they are likeable nonetheless, and feel like real people.

Value
The length of this anime makes it very re-watchable.

I watched the Lunar snime fansub, which was very good, and added to the enjoyment. The timing was great too.

Rec is short and good! A true gem. God I feel like I'm one of the lucky bunch that is SCREENING anime not yet aired while watching this anime !!! Each episode is like 10 minutes, but packed with so MUCH GOODNESS!

This is romance in a seiyuu setting, not school setting! I assure you it is a lot more interesting and tougher. The premise is a bit sexual which is EVEN BETTER !!! HELL YEAH AKA <333 Even so, Aka, our main girl who is 20 years old and so cute brought light to a failing 26 years old man (like an angel with ... the Audrey Hepburn quotes) and the man, named Matsumaru, helped Aka when she lost her home and succeed her dream to be a popular seiyuu. How they manage romance and work is so cute and romantic, and so cuddly.

The art is fantastic, it may look old, but that does not stop me from seeing how pretty Onda Aka is.

I love both the opening and endings. And Aka's voice is so cute. I'm getting tired of those squeaky voices that try to be cute, but are not.

Matsumaru is a great guy, he's a real man and a mature one, though he was once a failing one. Aka can be cute and young, but the guy cannot be a kid. Aka is the best girl!

Overall Outstanding I LOVE REC !!!

Spoiler Free review of Rec by Heralder.

"Short and sweet"

Rec is 10 episodes(9+1 special) short anime with episodes ranging from 10-12 minutes.Rec is romance/comedy anime with small amount of drama produced by Studio SHAFT in year 2006.

Story:8
Rec follows the story of our two protagonists Matsumaru Fumihiko(26 year old employed man) and Onda Aka(20 year old girl trying to became voice actress).Story is mainly focused on this couple and show us their day to day life as well as the struggles that they meet along the way.Story is short and sweet most of the time but get some drama at latter episodes.

Art:9
I really liked the animation ... and color this show had it is SHAFT show so that is to be expected the color palete would go from almost completely gray to vivid in a matter of seconds and character design are done quite well.

Sound:7
Op and OST are forgetable and even thou they complement the scenes quite well left me wanting some more tempo and variety.


Characters:8
Show mainly focuses on above mentioned couple with few side characters simply since it is a quite short show.
- Matsumaru Fumihiko is 26 old average salaryman who works in the marketing department of a snack company.He is quite cold and pesimistic at beginning but as the show progress it's shown that he's caring and kind.

-Onda Aka is 20 years old "egg" of the voice actress and huge Audrey Hepburn fan.She is eccentric and often quotes Hepburns lines from various movies.Due to events revealed in first 2 episodes she is living with Matsumaru.
For the side characters we have Aka's menager which serves and Matsumaru male coworker which both have a role of helping and supporting our main couple.

Enjoyment:8
Rec was exactly what i thought i would be and exactly the thing i wanted to see at given moment and that was sweet short romance anime.

Overall:8
If you are looking for a quick watch and want to rest from all the action horror and heavy shows with some light-hearted romance then look no further and go watch Rec.This was Heralder and im out!

Rec is a short series that captivates the heart despite its nine 12-minute episodes. It does this by being centered on the conflict between our two protagonists. This conflict being whether or not they can continue living together since their professions are closely tied and foul rumors may spread among employees. I won't into too much depth about their conflict since it is what kept me interested in the series and what I highly recommend you pay close attention to should you watch this.

Story: 9
The story can best be described as a rom-com without the com but that isn't to say that the story isn't ... funny. What I hope to convey through this metaphor is that the series focuses on the two central characters and their interactions.

If you are unsure about watching this show, watch the first 2 episodes first (Duration wise, it's like watching the first episode of a regular anime).
The first two episodes present the complications of their relationship and why their living situation could become a dilemma. These first two episodes are what made me forget about the rating on MAL and conditioned me to really pay attention to what was happening in the show.

Episodes three-eight solidly build on their relationship and how that could bring negative reception from their employers. They do a great job of building up tension and investment for the characters.

The last episode is a sweet ending, nothing more to be said.

Art: 7
I have much less to say about this topic. It's a 2006 anime, you shouldn't expect high quality artistic talent on a project like this. Compared to other shows I've seen from this time period, it's definitely middlingly average. Most of the characters' faces or designs aren't really memorable except for Onda.

Sound: 9
The voice acting is nice, nothing sounds off-mood or breaks the tone of the show. Onda especially shows change with her voice as she progresses through her career and it was very heartwarming to watch. The opening is cute but the lyrics sung, oh man, those give you a vague idea of what's to come and they powerful. I won't analyze the entire opening as that would require a video and a lot of editing, but I will tell you that reading the lyrics every time you start the episode will get you the full experience of sadness and happiness that made me cry.

Character: 10
While not too many are present in this anime, the main ones are very well developed and carry much emotional investment by the end of the series. Onda is a young eccentric girl who is a rising voice actor. The conflict between her rise to fame and her relationship with Matsumaru make for a tear-jerking viewijng experience. Matsumaru is an older man who has largely given up on finding a better life and tries to make the best of the situation. The conflict between his relationship with Onka and what he believes she wants also make for an emotional adventure that is sure to invoke feelings inside of you as well.

Enjoyment: 10
Onda is adorable and and worthy of one of your 10 favorite character spots. That aside, what I really enjoyed about this show was the ending. As they are adults in the workforce, they act like adults in the workforce and there is no hiding or confusion of feelings. They speak what they believe and they answer truthfully. Nothing more can be said without spoiling the show.

Overall: 9
Rec is a great show for any lover of the romance genre, the emotional payoff heartwarming and it explores obstacles that are non-existent in High School anime. If you feel the need to spend time on anime, I advise you to watch this. It's short, sweet, and will make your heart cry.