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- BirthdayJul 31, 1999
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Feb 27, 2024
What an incel fantasy... a pure maiden wife of some depressed man to save him...
First of all, I cant stand the "a girl too pure for this world" troupe, which is what the FL of this anime is. However, the story concept sounded very similar to my favorite webtoon (yes talking about Happily Ever Afterwards), which also had this troupe. So with that in mind, I decided to give this anime a chance. However Taisho Otome was not an exception like I had hoped.
First of all, the main couple has no chemistry - for good reason. They are two strangers thrown together through arranged marriage.
...
FL was purchased to be a bride for ML, who was banished and currently living as a depressed shut in. FL appears as his savior, saying she feels sorry for him and takes care of him out of pity love. Thus the very basis of their relationship doesnt have romance. And just like the openjng says, "Too shy to ever speak of love or romance, she dares not allow herself to even dream of a kiss." Falling asleep yet? So when any romance moments happened, it was very empty feeling.
With that said, heres how the story went:
Story: 4/10
Just your average savior complex story. This guy was depressed and had no purpose until this girl shows up, and changes how he is by being happy all the time around him. Now his life is better. A lot of anime is based on cliches - and I dont have a problem with these as long as they are interesting. But I struggled to find ANYTHING of any intetest in Taisho Otome.
Characters: 3/10
WHY are there so many pointless characters???? Oh right. More people for the FL to "save." ML's sister was a great character addition and gave the FL a companion and brought ML closer with his family. FL and the sister bonded and encouraged eachother to become better, so this wasnt bad. Also ML makes a friend at school - while the character himself wasnt important, it was important to see ML creating those bonds for himself. Aside from those two side characters, the others end up adding literally nothing. Especially the nosy neighbor girl and famous local singer girl. Like why were they even there... oh yes, only to show how pure FL is to them...
Art: 6/10
The character designs for the girls is very cute. FL has a cute hairstyle thats rarely seen in anime and the kimonos are very pretty. However ML is your average bland self insert. Cue the eye rolling. However my main problem comes along with how FL is so clearly designed to look younger than she is - for clear fantasy purposes. This already makes me ick. She is 14-15 and he is 16-17. (In this time, the marriage age is 15.) And there is literally no reason to make her like this. While super short x super tall is a VERY cute dynamic, it just feeds into the incel fantasy part of the story with her being innocent and childlike.
Sound: 7/10
Its fine, the songs are enjoyable. Nothing special.
Overall: 5/10
With all that said, theres nothing really enjoyable I found about this anime. I wanted to like it, but this anime is already broken from the core. Instead of Taisho Maided, I reccomend Tonikawa (romcom based around two innocent teenadults falling in love and learning to live together as complete strangers) or My Happy Marriage (much more serious themed romance also with an arranged marriage and making eachother better concept). Both of these animes take what Taisho Otome is doing and does it 10x better.
Theres nothing horrendously wrong or hatable about Taisho Otome, and if you like it, good for you. However this is not an anime I would reccomend to anyone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 10, 2024
As an avgeek and HUGE fan of pilots since 2003, this anime was a big letdown. From what I read on the description and saw on the cover, I thought this could be one of my favorites. But the anime was nothing like that description.
The biggest flaw is that I watch aviation anime for one reason.... the pilots. I think pilots are one of the coolest types of characters there are for an anime. Gundam and mecha pilots are super awesome, but I LOVE seeing actual plane pilots do their thing especially because of the pilot x plane relationship and watching them both work together
...
to overcome obstacles... its AMAZING. I also love their passion for planes and flying... I love that kind of stuff.
Kotobuki does not have this whatsoever. Thats the biggest flaw...
The second biggest flaw is that there are 6 main characters, all pilots.... and only one, Reona, really acts like a pilot. Zara had some great moments as well and both of them deserved WAY more screentime. And dont get me wrong, the other characters are fine. They just arent pilots, especially Chika and Kylie. If you watch pilots you know what I mean. If they just had other roles on the airship and let Reona and Zara be the only two pilots, that woulda improved the story 20x. This anime wasnt specifically CGDCT but it definitely had some of the themes, but the serious style of art and story was the main focus.
The third flaw was the inconsistant anination. The guys look and move normal, but the girls look like 3d vtube models for some reason and the contrast of these characters really stands out on screen. Normally this isnt something that bugs me a lot, but it definitely didnt help an already failing anime.
As for the pros, the plane scenes are AMAZING. Its obvious the studio had a lot of knowledge on WWII planes and it clearly shows in the battles. Sometimes they even show pilot pov which is SUPER cool. If they had studied pilots as much as the planes, this anime coulda been AWESOME!!!! The planes and the fight scenes are definitely the strong point of the anime. Additionally, the anime got a LOT better in the second half (which is good because the first half made me drop it, but then I picked it back up). It still has all the flaws I mentioned earlier, but the story plot got a lot more decisive instead of just random air pirate battles each episode/episodic format, and the battles got better, and the stakes got higher. The last battle was fantastic as well. I think if someone is a WWII plane enthusiast they would probably love this anime, whereas I am more of a pilot enthusiast.
But even with all that, it went up from 5.2/10 to 6.2/10.
Quick Breakdown
Story: 7/10, it gets better in the second half
Characters: 4/10, Reona and Zara were great, Emma and Kate were ok, Kylie and Chika were fine but should not have been pilot characters
Sound: 8/10, it was pretty nice
Visuals: 6/10, a little inconsistant and not very pretty but epic animation on the planes is awesome
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 16, 2019
First of all I write this to say I did enjoy School Days. It got 8/10 from me. The drama and plot twist in the anime were pretty interesting.
However, Uwakoi might as well be called "The Shitter Version of School Days." I honestly can not think of a single good thing about this manga.
Yes, I officially only read five chapters, but after that I skipped around slightly to see if this manga would prove to be what I thought it was. School Days.
School Days might be infamous for its little shitboy, Makoto, but personally I feel like Yukiteru of Uwakoi was worse.
...
Also the drama was a literal pile of shit. I thought maybe my eyesight was going bad, got me prescribed a pair of glasses. Nope, still a brown gooey pile of shit.
So heres the story. The entire story:
Guy likes this one girl, but acts like a couple with this other girl. Guy doesnt like the other girl but doesnt want to hurt her feelings. So he decides that he will be with the other girl in secret... and she knows about it and is way too okay with this. LIKE LOL OKAY!!!!
So their love triange goes on a bit like this, and we are introduced to several more girls, all of whom will have sex with our MC in some way or another.
Actual wtf from this anime... I aint even going to grade this, just saying its shit. The story is literally guy has sex with these girls. The end. Go home.
It is NOT romantic, cute, or even dramatic! From what I could tell when I left off, it was basically a plotless, tasteless hentai manga. Yep, I noped that crap right out of there. Bye bye.
If you dont want to waste your time but still want to read this manga, go shit in the toilet and stare at that for a couple minutes. It'll give the same effect.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Oct 16, 2019
This is one of those animes that was absolutely flawless in its execution... but doesn't let the story or characters be what we want. This is a drama + romance + school anime that isn't a fairy tail love story. Without spoiling in the end, all I can say is that no matter who you like in this anime, you will be broken hearted by the end.No spoilers so everyone can enjoy this review. :)
Story: 10/10
It was FULL of drama and romance at every turn, the epitome of what a drama romance anime should be. It doesnt have dull moments or pointless filler. However, just
...
because I rate the story highly... its an awful story. I hate what happens. Not that the story is written poorly, its just that I can not stand what is happening. Similar to an anime like School Days or Clannad... where you dislike what is happening or what is happening to the characters but it is INTERESTING and you cant put it down. So I just want to get that straight... the story is 10/10 but what goes on inside the story is SO crappy, and I hated it.
Art: 7/10
It's fairy cute with a strong 2000s vibe - as it should as a 2003 anime. It's not awful and I enjoyed it (I love that 2000s art after all) but its nothing to hype over.
Sound: 6/10
Soundtrack is pretty much just background noise. It's alright, and pretty expected of the 2003 anime, but nothing special. I wouldnt mind listening to the soundtrack over again though.
Character: 9/10
Theres three main characters. I wont say who is who... but... One I LOVE. This character is perfect all around and enjoyable and likeable. The other two are disgusting and I hate for different reasons. HOWEVER, just because they are bad people doesnt mean they didn't play their role perfectly in this romantic drama, which they did. The reason horrible things happened in this anime was because of these two... no they didn't kill anyone lol. The characters are well developed and are solid characters... I just don't like them because of what they do. You'll know who is who after a while. XD
Enjoyment: 10/10
I know I keep saying I hated this anime, well I do... but you cant always like what goes down in a drama anime. Especially when its paired with romance. The ending was completely painful and emotional... but it was the only ending that really made sense.
Overall:
This anime was enjoyed NO DOUBT... but I still can't believe all the things that happened... this anime is a must watch for hopeless romantics who want a deep PAMDS and to be emotionally scarred forever. Maybe not forever, but at least for a while. If you love drama and romance, this is a perfect anime. It is a 10/10 anime... and like I said absolutely amazing... but you'll hate what is happening and wish you could change it! But thats romance for you!
It's too incredibly emotional for words and will make your heart go </3
>_<
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 16, 2019
This anime has some of the best romance I have seen from an anime, and has quickly become one of my favorite romances and favorite animes ever.
Story: 10/10
The whole concept of prince and commoner girl fall in love and struggle to be together is in no way a new concept. However, Snow White did not follow the usual trope. Zen (the prince) and Shirayuki (the commoner) are not introduced as characters that are "worlds apart" or that they have to sneak around to be together. Also this trope usually has the prince giving up his status to be with the commoner OR the commoner
...
becomes a princess by marrying the prince, and thus has a place in the castle. Snow White, however, does not follow either of these two paths, and instead shows Shirayuki as a strong and capable woman who can raise her status with her own skills, and use them to become close to Zen.
No the concept is not unique, but the story certainly was. And the romance that was between these two was passionate, strong, and pure. I absolutely adore it.
Art: 10/10
The art is stunning - as expected from 2014 and the modern animation. The characters and backgrounds are brightly colored and well animated. Backgrounds especially were stunning and visually beautiful. It honestly felt like looking at art.
Sound: 8/10
Not the BEST soundtrack out there, and was pretty subdued, but it was nice and enjoyable. Nothing to brag about, but it is enjoyable to listen over.
Character: 10/10
Theres a lot of characters in the anime, that all either fill their role well as playing their supporting roles or the complex and deep main characters, besides just Zen and Shirayuki. Every character in this anime made it enjoyable and exciting to watch and fit their roles perfectly.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Like I said, one of the most enjoyable romances I have seen. If you're a fan of romcoms, this serious romance stuff will be too much for you. This anime features adorable and passionate romance, many kiss scenes, and lotsa romance!
Overall: 10/10
This is a must watch anime for romance fanatics. I've read plenty of reviews calling this trashy or cliche, but that is the last thing on my mind when I see Snow White. It's an overall romantic, exciting, and fun filled adventure/romance/royalty story that will not disappoint! I fully recommend it!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 16, 2019
My goodness this anime wins an award! FOR THE FASTEST ANIME I HAVE EVER DROPPED!!!!
This piece of trash is the single most disturbing and trashy anime I have ever seen.
Take one, hard good look at this cutesy adorable romance cover..... and this anime is the ABSOLUTE OPPOSITE of that.
Ever wanted to see an eight year old, gender confused, little brother of a "Sex God" offering his body for practice to a boringass thirty year old virgin dude who is virgin for a reason so that he can be experienced enough to have sex with a real girl? Well then this is the anime
...
for you. No just kidding. STOP. YOU HAVE PROBLEMS. SEEK PROFESIONAL HELP IMMEDIATELY.
Story: 0/10
Dumbass 30 year old dude who is boring, perverted, and unlikable overall is visited by a gay "God of Sex" who refuses to leave until this guy has sex with a girl. Thats the story.
Art: 4/10
The art on the cover looks cute, right? And the art in the anime is a small step down... however they keep transitioning to poorly drawn animations and the backgrounds are awful.
Sound: 2/10
it doesnt have a soundtrack worth remembering. characters sound like shit too. sound quality is fine, but their voices made me sick. Just like this whole anime.
Character: 0/10
Nothing worth mentioning here. I met four characters in the 2 eps I watched.
The Main character: boring blank slate pathetic loser dude with no life
The Sex God: arrogant, perverted dude who acts like a gay asshole
The Little Brother: no words here, this character is seriously disturbing
The Supposed "Love Interest:" she might not be an awful character, but she was mainly just in the scene so the MC could act perverted and make a fool of himself in front of her.
Enjoyment: -10000000/10
Worst anime I have ever seen. VERY misconceiving cover.
Overall:
It's literal shit. No one should see this.
It starts off AWFUL and goes down the hell hole from there.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Jul 1, 2019
For those of you who haven't seen this anime, fear not for this review is almost entirely spoiler free :)
First of all, this anime looked plain from the start.. just a slice of life romance story about some high schoolers. Boy was I ever wrong. Seems this underrated gem is a true masterpiece.
The plot and characters are both incredibly unique and interesting. This anime also covers some very deep themes as well, including the fact that just wishing for something wont make it true. I loved this anime to its core, and its far from being a lighthearted school anime, for this anime harbors some
...
deep, heavy, and emotional weights. Be cautioned...
Story: 10/10
Like I said, the plot is very interesting from beginning to end, and has a level of uniqueness I didn't expect from a story like this. The plot follows Naho, a high school girl who receives a letter from her future self to help her not experience so many regrets. She attend high school with her four other friends, and a transfer student, her love interest, who joins their group. The letter warns her to keep a close eye on him, Kakeru Naruse and be careful in making decisions involving him, as it tells how Kakeru has died in the future. Using that letter as her guide, Naho tries her hardest to protect Kakeru from that future.
The story is very intricately woven and it never has a dull moment as Naho tries to accomplish her goal of protecting Kakeru, and falls in love along the way. Also, I think its worth to mention this anime does not just write off this whole "letter being sent into the past" as fate, but actually goes through the effort of explaining this "fate-like" act.
Art: 9/10
The art is really enjoyable, and has the usual pastel-like aesthetic of shojo romance. The art also takes strong notice of the characters' lips and also facial expressions. It was a bit different than the typical style in this sense and was quite nice. The backgrounds are also really good too, and go smoothly with the color schemes of the characters. As an anime of the 2010s, this animation quality is generally expected, but the art really did fit the story well, as their distinctive features highlighted the animes' more serious vibe - unlike the usually cutesy style of shojo romance that just would not have fit this anime.
Sound: 9/10
The soundtrack was very enjoyable and fit the anime to the key. It didn't stand out too much, but the story is also strongly this animes' main focus, which makes its other elements be blurred. The openings and endings were both nice, but very subtle, which worked great as this animes' supporting factor.
Character: 10/10
First of all, I've noticed a lot of people complaining about how annoying these characters were or how stupid their actions sometimes would seem. I'd agree. It was frustrating. BUT! These characters are high schoolers. They are kids. The amount of realism this anime used in making these characters act that way was actually very well done, contrary to popular opinion. These characters weren't made "oblivious" to progress the plot, but they are naturally so that way because of their age, their experience, and honestly they are oblivious to a lot of things because they are young, so why shouldn't they act that way? Also, they learn as they go along, becoming more bold or looking from a new perspective, just like normal, growing kids would. Especially with the burden they carry with Kakeru. They were all very well designed characters and I don't think I would have changed a thing about them. Again, this anime focuses on serious issues and emotions, and has characters that reflect this.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I've said this plenty times already, but I thoroughly enjoyed this anime. I also found myself relating a lot to these characters, especially Naho, and quite honestly, Kakeru reminded me a LOT of how I use to feel. That relating to these characters is, I believe, just another reason I such enjoyed this anime. For a romance anime, that honestly is not the focus of the anime, but it does play a beautiful roll, and one I deeply find myself relating to.
Overall: 10/10
This anime obviously doens't appeal to the general public, who give it such mediocre ratings. Nothing about this anime is mediocre. Overall, I'd say this anime is one of the best I've ever seen in this genre, and for that, it surprised me. It was not the ride I was looking for, but it was the one I needed. Surprisingly, this gem is the second great romance anime from the year 2016. I commend it for standing out, and giving me that emotional, romantic, and heavy trip of a lifetime. It might be only 13 episodes (and a movie), but this anime is full-packed. I'd recommend this anime to someone who enjoys, and expects another story such as: Erased, Anohana, Kokoro Concert, Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Ao Haru Ride. Thanks for reading, and please consider this anime if you're looking for a serious, semi-dark anime highlighting the light of romance, and love from another person, and how it can truly change the future. Overall 10/10, and one of my all time favorite romances. Full points from me all around. Don't listen to those other reviews; this anime is a masterpiece.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 15, 2019
I'm sure you'll all be glad to know I just found the cure for insomnia. And I give this cure the title of Yuri on Ice. OUTSTANDING levels of pure boringness that it will put even the hardest insomniac to sleep in minutes! No joke. No clickbait. This is the only cure guaranteed to work!
I am also proud to announce and welcome Yuri on Ice to my dropped list. Why waste my time with this shit when I could be watching good anime? Or okayish anime. Or really any other anime that's not Yuri on Ice.
Story: 1/10
There's more character progression in Your Lie in
...
April than this crap. Yuri is supposedly a good skater who's in a slump. Or so we're told. Then along comes his gay lover and suddenly everything's perfect. Talk about no substance for a story. It's basically YLIA with ice skating and gayish lovers who don't die.
You'll get tons of lengthy performances by poorly introduced characters that you neither know or care about. Exactly like seen in YLIA. It gets so old, you'll yawn and go to sleep.
(And in case you want to know my reputation for falling asleep during anime, I watched every single Naruto filler without dying of boredom. This, though, this is boring.)
And no, I'm not a fujioshi or a yaoi fan by any means, but if I were, this anime would have disappointed me. Is it gay? It's gay. But is it gay, gay? Who knows.
Art: 7/10
It's average. Nothing extraordinary. It's a 2016 anime so that sort of art is expected. I'm meh about it, but it's alright.
Sound: 9/10
This was the only part I enjoyed. The opening. In fact that was the ONLY part of the entire anime that I wasn't snoring through or tempted to skip. The opening is very catchy and also nostalgic memories for me. I could listen to it for hours. Also the character voices were great too. I watched in the dub, and for one reason only. Victor was voiced by Jerry Jewel, the same voice actor who voiced Russia from Hetalia. And THAT I gotta hear. It was like gay Russia and I was 10/10 all in for laughing at that. But even that got old and I went back to snoozeworld.
Characters: 1/10
They all sucked. Dick. Because they were gay.
Enjoyment: 2/10
Like I said, it sucked. It all sucked. Besides that op and Jerry Jewell.
And making fun of Yuri for being a pathetic gay loser. That was fun.
Overall: 1/10
Pathetic. 100% pathetic. I dropped it because there was no way, no matter the ending, that this anime could be anything but a boring, crappily made snoozefest. No ending could convince me otherwise at the point of failure Yuri on Ice reached. And to the fujioshies who fangirl for this shit, I think ya'll can do better. -_-
Yuri on Ice? More like my snoring face on ice.
The end.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Mar 4, 2019
Let me start this off by saying I am not a fan of harem genre animes in general. They're often cliche, boring, and lack interesting romance. But there's plenty of harem animes I enjoy, and even some I love. Ichigo 100 was not one of them.
Story: 3/10
This is the MOST SORRY EXCUSE OF A STORY I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!! Sao did it better. No joke. At least it had a story. Idk what Ichigo 100 did. Romance?
Think again kind sir, cuz it most certainly was not.
So we get our typical harem protagonist and the typical girls that are crazy for him. Blah blah blah,
...
the usual. But the story never GOES anywhere. Just when he thinks he finally picked a girl he likes he suddenly sees one of the other girls and his feelings waver. Oh joy, my least favorite trait of the protagonist. And spoiler, it goes unresolved. And he gets none of the girls. Big whoop.
Basically here is the story:
Film enthusiast is really good at getting in compromised situations involving the panties of the female characters.
If you like that, you'll enjoy. Romance? Hmm gotta look elsewhere bud.
The most romance this anime has to offer is the relationship between Manaka (protagonist) and Toujou. It is very cute, well-developed, and has a strong building history. However she is nothing more than a girl in his harem. The reason the anime even interested me enough to give it a 6, is because I thought their relationship would progress. I wanted to give that potential a chance.
Art: 8/10
for a 2005 anime especially, the art is relatively attractive. It's pretty cute and overall I have no issue with it.
Sound: 8/10
The ops and ends are catchy and I enjoyed them a lot. The soundtrack is also pretty nice. Nothing too much standout, but it was good nontheless.
Characters: 6/10
The characters were are all pretty interesting. The problem was just that they lacked development and story progression.
Manaka: He has a strong passion for film and filming that sticks with him throughout the anime. But his dumbness ruined his character. He spent the entire anime trying to choose a girl and talking to himself about who he liked. Then it seemed he was finally waking up and making a decision, only to go back to square one the next episode. This dumb pattern filled the whole anime and wasn't even resolved in the end. He's all worried about hurting people's feelings, which is nice and all, but he'll never get anywhere in life.
Toujou: she's the mysterious, shy, and timid girl who has a passion for writing and wants to make movies with Manaka. She's the blushy, runs away when stuff gets serious type and has been in love with Manaka since very early in the series.
Nishino: she is the studious, popular idol girl who falls for Manaka after a misinterpretation in middle school. She goes to a different high school and pops in on occasion. Her relationship status with Manaka is very confusing. She is a likable character, and isn't pushed around easily by Manakas annoying ways, even though she has feelings for him.
Satsuki: she's the tsundere of the series. She's energetic, playful, and athletic. She is first cold and mean towards Manaka, but eventually falls for him too in the typical tsundere way. She becomes very aggressive with trying to get her love across. For the tsundere, she isn't terrible, I just don't like them in general.
Yui: Manakas childhood friend who basically will randomly get random ecchi moments with him. She is mostly used to fill a character space and isn't very likable or plot progressive.
The other two supporting males are typical supporting male characters. They aren't awful but none of them progress the plot any which is really stupid and sucky. With the addition of more girls in his harem, the characters are technically the same beginning to end. Satsuki isn't as tsundery and Toujou is not as shy, but romantically there's no even a moresal.
Enjoyment: 5/10
I obviously did not enjoy this anime. Simply because the romance sucked and the protagonist was an idiot. It was a pain to watch and made me bang my head into the wall so many times I probably have a concussion.
If you wanna see a stupid guy look at cute girls' panties, boi I found your anime!
Overall: 6/10
Like I said. It's the perfect example of what I hate about harem anime:
-cliche
-LOW story progression
-dumb main character
-indecision that eats up the whole anime
-LACK of romance
-end of episode teases that get erased each new episode
-ecchi overload
Its terribly formulated and progressed, and mechanics-wise deserves a 3 or 4, but it DID succeed in keeping me interested so thus the higher rating. I rate based on how much an anime interests me, so even crap can get a higher score than it deserves.
Ecchi and harem fans will love this I'm sure, but as a romance fan, this one belongs in the trash.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 2, 2018
Tsuki ga Kirei is easily the most subliminal, emotionally intense, romantic masterpiece existing in the world of anime today. However, the absolute perfection of this masterpiece is very easily missable. Outwardly, it looks bland and boring. "Basic plot, boring characters, emotionless romance, no depth..." I've heard it all before. TGK has been hated on for being emotionally dull, having a shallow plot, being too damn slow, and for "doing something thats been done a million times before." Yes, TGK does have a pretty high ranking here on mal, but hardly anyone I talk to can understand the true depth and emotion that drives this anime.
...
Story: 10/10
Two middle schoolers discovering love for the first time doesn't sound like the most interesting and unique plot, but heres where TGK surprised me. It's the realistic, awkward portrayal of these emotions, the way it handles the steady development from tension into trusting eachother, and how consistently realistic and emotionally driven the story and characters are that makes the story such a masterpiece. The progression of plot doesn't rely on words, but rather expression. We don't need to see inside the characters' heads, because we can already understand their thoughts by their nervous gestures, their eye contact, their movement.. everything you would expect to see in getting close to someone in a real relationship. TGK is an extremely simple love story between two young, but mature kids. Because its simple, the raw emotions key to a successful romance are extremely present. The fluttering beat of their hearts, their innocent, longing gazes, the pure desire to be close to eachother... TGK just keeps them so real and in their natural element. The way their hands awkwardly find eachothers... each of their romantic scenes are so simple, but so extremely well executed they just awaken my desire for romantic interaction every single time. Tsuki ga Kirei is beautifully crafted with pure simplicity. The minimal dialogue use and reliance on expression throughout the story is what I believe to be one of the most unique elements of TGK. People taking issue with this saying it makes it "dull and boring" are really just MISSING what this anime truly strives to be. The slow pacing of this anime doesn't make it boring. In fact, its what brings it to life! Scenes where the two characters are just staring at eachother are full of emotion, nervous tension, and in fact are very realistic. This anime touches on themes such as the anxiety, fear, vulnerability, and heartache love brings along with it. However, despite the quiet, awkward characters, they are both quite straightforward. This anime doesn't waste time to get to the point - romance! They start off as shy, barely talking to eachother, yet there is an instant "spark" between both of them that draws each of them to the other, as they struggle to overcome their own issues so that they can experience romance with eachother.
One of the other interesting aspects of the story is how the mains communicate using LINE, online texting, and how their important their messages to eachother are. I would definitely recommend pausing the anime to read these, as they are quite important in the development of their relationship. This is the first anime I have seen to use online communication in such a way, and it was a rather interesting contribution to the story.
[a bit of spoiler] The feels started to hit me from the very beginning, only strengthening each episode until climaxed by the end. It captured in detail the raw emotions of the two mains falling in love together for the first time... looking over to someone who loves you as every bit as much as you care for them... nothing captures these emotions and experiences I long for myself as much as Tsuki ga Kirei does. It makes my heart pound because their emotions match mine. When Akane breaks down about not wanting to loose Kotarou to another girl and over her fears that his interest in her will fade with the distance, I felt that deep inside. Seeing her break down after holding it in for so long, not wanting Kotarou to think she distrusts him, was literally a direct blow to my heart. Or how Kotarou summoned bravery, being the first break the tension that hung between them, boldly confessing to the girl he likes **without having ANY idea whatsoever that she likes him back.** And us as the audience, don't know how she will even reply to this, as we only can read her emotions - not see her thoughts. The fact that shy, quiet, and nervous Kotarou took his feelings so seriously enough to step out into the unknown like that and speak so openly about his feelings to a girl he barely knows was awe-inspiring to me. Truly proved in that moment that his feelings towards Akane were greater than his fear of being rejected, which by his actions during the scene, we could all tell he was struggling with.[end bit of spoiler]
Art: 9/10
The art isn't masterpiece perfection, but it is still very beautiful. Smooth animation, enjoyable, simple character designs. The "watercolor" palate is also pretty unique. The scenery and characters are both well done and quite pretty to look at. Some of the CGI's could use a bit of work, but regardless, it was still enjoyable.
The art itself emphasizes the real to life emotions and expressions. It was so clear to me, made me sad how a lot of people missed it.
Sound: 10/10
Now like the anime, the OST and OPs to Tsuki ga Kirei are pretty simple and minimal. However, they are beautiful tracks and really fit the animes whole theme. Can listen to any of them on repeat for hours on end, bringing back emotional memories. The music plays right along to the emotional ride your heart is on... wouldn't have changed a thing.
Characters: 10/10
As I mentioned while writing about the story, the characters are truly what makes TGK special. Kotarou Azumi is a soft spoken aspiring writer, who loves the author, Osamu Dazai, repeatedly taking advice from his writings and quoting him beautifully throughout the anime. It's Dazai that inspires Kotarou in both his career path and his love with Akane. Akane Mizuno is the equally quiet star of the track team. The two wind up being in the same class for their last year of middle school, where sparks of innocent love and desire begin to slowly flood their hearts.
Another thing I enjoyed about this anime, was that while love triangles existed, they didn't consume the plot. Now this can be looked at both as positively and negatively. The side characters almost seem to only be present to create this said love triangle. They are hardly developed, and exist primarily for the soul purpose of the love triangle. However, considering this anime only has 12 episodes, its forgivable... yet I still mark this as TGK's only flaw.
Chinatsu Nishio is a bright, energetic friend of Akane who loves to tease Kotarou, eventually developing a crush on him. Her feelings towards Kotarou actually has a little more depth, as she did seriously pursue him romantically, and had development with her feelings towards him. As a side character in a 12 episode anime, its actually pretty decent development, although something I'd say could have still used a bit more.
Takumi Hira is also a member of the track and field club, and is a friend of Akane, with a romantic interest in her. Unlike Chinatsu, he does get hardly any development as a character, especially one involved with the main characters' love triangle. His character needed the most work, but I forgave the fact simply for it being a 12 episode anime.
The two main's have very different dreams and goals in life, yet their hands still find their way to eachother. It's this that makes it such an interesting love to watch unfold. What was it that made them notice eachother? The story never really tells us flat out, but I believe the two characters were attracted to each other because they both think alike. Their energy levels mesh together perfectly, and while writing isn't Akane's passion, she enjoys listening Kotarou talk about it and read his writings; likewise Kotarou sucks at running, but gets a thrill out of watching Akane do it. They weren't drawn to each other for any specific reason, rather then just liking the person. While they might be labeled "dull and boring" its really only a matter of perspective. However, TGK focuses on being true-to-life, not overly dramatic, and not exaggerative in its emotions (blushing, stammering, interruptions with comedy, etc). The awkwardness of their adolescence is handled very delicately and in extreme perfection. For what it aims to be, TGK hits 10/10!
Enjoyment: 10/10
From start to finish, I completely and utterly enjoyed TGK. The romance made my heart pound, my eyes water, and my imagination soar. The ending especially really tore my heart apart with feels. The extra bit after the credits is really the perfect conclusion to such an anime. Take your time watching it.. that scene in particular really hit me with feels. Tsuki ga Kirei consumed me emotionally. Not because it was tragedy like Clannad, oh no. It consumed me because it completely nails a realistic love story I would have given anything to make my reality. Actually, TGK is the only anime to make me cry more and to drop into a deeper depression then after Clannad. I would love to rewatch this anime someday, but a bit worried about all those feels coming to consume me again... it truly is a romantic masterpiece.
Overall: 10/10
I'd give Tsuki ga Kirei an 11/10 if I could. This passion-filled anime romance is truly my unsurpassed favorite. It's a rare romantic masterpiece that progresses naturally instead of resorting to the typical anime tropes. Unfortunately, this type of anime is so rare that many people can't understand the beautiful, complex simplicity that is love. I am so overwhelmed with emotion and overcome by romantic fuzzies every time I even think about this anime or hear its soundtrack. I can't stand how adorable the romance is between Akane and Kotarou, makes my heart flutter even still. TGK had way too many moments when I had to take a breather and calm down.. really made me go on an emotional high. Expect some major PAMDS and tears in the end.. I can't even write this review without getting a shaking hand and romantic desires in my heart... and its been months since I first saw it! Thats why I'm so incredibly passionate about my love towards TGK... it truly is unrivaled.
The anime itself was also way more enjoyable than a lot of other (good) romances I've seen, because it wasn't focused on getting the main couple together in the end, but rather spent each episode making progress towards a greater and deeper love.
I'd recommend Tsuki ga Kirei to slice of life/romance fanatics who have enough brain to understand the true beauty of a simple and subtle romance story. The key thing to remember is that TGK doesn't tell a story, but rather shows us one. Be prepared for an emotional and heartfelt ride with lots of feels, tears, and warm fuzzies.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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