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Man, this show has everything: a vibrant art style, a sufficiently interesting premise, a diverse cast of characters, a series of pulse-pounding action scenes with fluid animation, a good mix of humor, and of course, a healthy amount of fanservice. So need I say more about this show when it seemingly has everything good going for it? For the sake of a longer review, I do.

Think of it this way. In reference to the title, a “quartet” can only pull off a beautiful performance when all four musicians play in sync with each other, complementing each other’s melodies to create the perfect harmony. It is ... not about one musician playing exceptionally better than the rest. Everyone has to make compromises and work together to get the perfect sound. The same idea holds true for anime as well, in that it doesn’t matter how beautiful the art is, how profound the story is, or how interesting the characters are; if these components do not mesh well together you risk getting a bland mishmash of an anime that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. And that is exactly how I feel about Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta.

Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta struggles to figure out its identity
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The show struggled mightily to find the perfect balance between all the different genres it tried to be: at times it tried to be a serious fighting anime, other times a shoujo romance anime, and sometimes a lighthearted slice-of-life anime. Not to mention, Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta was only a 1-cour, so the director didn’t have a lot of space to work with. As a result, I was questioning the identity of the show throughout because the show just felt like an awkward mix of genres that the director was trying to force to come together.

The starkly different pacing between shounen and slice-of-life anime not only messed up the pacing of the plot progression, but also messed with the “rhythm” of the show, especially towards the later episodes. Even in the midst of the fast-paced action during fighting scenes, slow-paced dialogues and tension-breaking humor would completely ruin my immersion to the whole scene. For example, for every little bit of fighting that went on there would be some sort of flashback about the villain or character in question. When the fight could have been over in about five minutes or so, Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta managed to draw the fight out to almost a full episode or two instead, showing long flashbacks that didn’t really add anything new to the characters or the villains. Yozakura no Quartet: Hana no Uta pulled no such miracles in terms of striking the perfect balance between several genres, and the inconsistent pacing that came about as a result broke my immersion to the show.

There is a severe mismatch between the amount of fighting and the villain’s purpose
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The show also had trouble trying to match its flashy action to a meaningful purpose. Every single villain that appeared in this show, except the main villain, had laughably trivial goals. The main villain was the only typical villain that wanted to achieve some form of “world domination”; the rest of the villains pursued explicitly personal interests that were as minor as wanting to reunite with a long lost sibling. And simply because of the fact that these personal interests involved our main protagonists in some way, there would be an “epic” showdown between the protagonists and the villains. As a result, there was a severe mismatch between the excessive amount of action and the triviality of the villain’s goals. The villains rightfully seemed menacing and intimidating when they were first introduced. However, once their goals were revealed, I skipped almost the entire arc and all of its beautifully animated fighting sequences because the end result was painfully obvious.

There is hardly any time for character development
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With the story rushing right along and the fight sequences taking up the majority of the show’s screen time, there is hardly any space left for character development. With a relatively large cast of characters, I was expecting a more character-driven plot with developments primarily focused on our main protagonists. Instead, the priority of the show goes mostly into fighting and exploring the backstory of the villains more so than the protagonists. Additionally, for each arc the focus of the character developments are on the secondary characters rather than the main protagonists, so there can be a loss of immersion because most viewers want to learn about the protagonists they always see on screen more so than secondary characters that appear in just a couple of episodes.

What also hurt the character developments was the rather lukewarm development of romantic relationships between certain characters. Especially in a 1-cour anime with barely enough room to fit in a bunch of fighting scenes and character developments, the romance felt pretty random and unnecessary (even if it was just staying faithful to the original work).

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Now, after having said so many harsh things about the show, would I still recommend Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta? Absolutely. I was not at all being sarcastic when I said that this show had everything. The art style is modern, young, flowery, and captivating; the premise is something we have already seen before but with a slightly different and interesting take; the fighting animations were exciting to look at, despite the large amount of fight sequences throughout the season and both OVAs; and finally, the humor was spot on for most of the show and the panty shots (and other forms of fanservice) were not too “in-your-face” about it.

However, my main complaint was that even with all these individually promising components, Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta had a difficult time combining said components in a way that works. Just like how it is difficult to mess up a dish with Grade A ingredients, the director took great components of this show and just failed to add the right amount of spices. Regardless, the show deserves some attention for being one of the better reboots to a series and deserves credit for all of its positive aspects.

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Story: 7/10
Character: 7/10
Art: 10/10
Sound: 7/10
Enjoyment: 7/10

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Overall: 7.4/10

Zankyou no Terror pricked up the ears of many anime fans when it was announced to be an original anime directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. Since Watanabe had previously directed widely acclaimed shows such as Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Kids on the Slope, Zankyou no Terror was naturally expected to be Watanabe’s next big work. Couple that with the fact that Yoko Kanno, another big name in the anime industry, handled the soundtrack composition, and the show instantly became a fan favorite coming into the season. So then the question has to be asked: “Does Zankyou no Terror live up to its hype?”

My answer ... would have to be, “not really.” In short, Zankyou no Terror is worthy of its praise for its impressive visuals and a phenomenal soundtrack, but those alone are not enough to cover up the lack of character development and the slightly problematic story.

Story & Exposition
Zankyou no Terror is about two mysterious teenagers, Nine and Twelve, who plan a series of terrorist bombings in Tokyo under the alias of “Sphinx.” Much like the Sphinx from Greek Mythology, Nine and Twelve give out a riddle to the public before detonating each bomb. An ex-detective named Kenjiro Shibazaki is the only one in the Japanese police force that figures out the answers to the riddles, and he vows to bring “Sphinx” to justice. Shibazaki, however, eventually realizes that Nine and Twelve have ulterior motives behind their terrorist bombings and figures out a disturbing truth. But before Shibazaki can process the truth, the Sphinx bombings come to a sudden stop as the FBI, led by an old friend of Nine and Twelve, intervenes and starts a wild cat-and-mouse chase to capture “Sphinx.” A three-way battle between the Japanese police force, “Sphinx,” and the FBI unfolds as they all try to carry out their own purposes.

Since you are sort of thrown into the middle of this whole situation, watching Zankyou no Terror initially feels like playing a videogame without in-game tutorials: You have to learn everything there is to know about the anime as it goes on. The show will leave you plenty of hints throughout the series through flashbacks, cinematographic details, and dialogue, but in the end it is up to you to analyze those hints and figure out what is going on. Since most anime rely on “info dumps” to spoon-feed background information to the audience, Zankyou no Terror really stood out in the beginning for its engaging style of exposition.

The problem with this style of exposition, however, is that there is a limit as to how much the show can tell the viewers without directly telling them. The more information the show holds from the audience, the harder it will be to explain everything towards the end. Unfortunately, this was the case for Zankyou no Terror, so even if the show tried to explain everything towards the end, it answered only the bare essentials of the questions raised by the show. Zankyou no Terror should have struck a balance between what they should tell the audience and what they should hold from the audience, but they decided to hold too much from the audience and paid the price of glossing over several questions that needed to be addressed. Although the show wraps up its story relatively well, there was a sense of incompleteness that left me dissatisfied in the end.

Style Over Substance?
When it comes to Watanabe, it’s hard not to talk about his style. Without a doubt, Zankyou no Terror is Watanabe’s directing at its finest, especially in terms of cinematography: Watanabe uses a lot of low-key lighting in order to convey a sense of despair and isolation, or in other cases a sense of mystery and suspense; he uses different camera panning techniques to give scenes 3D depth that makes them look dynamic; and of course, his love for the visual spectacle resulted in some of the most beautifully animated scenes to be seen in anime history.

However, Zankyou no Terror is the typical case of a show that emphasizes "style over substance," in which the captivating style overwhelms the comparatively weak substance. There definitely was a deeper message and a darker story behind Zankyou no Terror, but the show just didn't do a good job of conveying that message and story. Most of the story’s shortcomings and shallowness can be blamed on the length of the show, because a 1-cour was not enough to tell the story that Zankyou no Terror was trying to tell. The writers could definitely have planned it better, but what started out as a seemingly profound show about exploring the mindset of terrorists and discussing the corruption and degradation of a Japanese nation quickly became a blockbuster action thriller filled with clichés and empty characters. The writers tried too hard to combine a dark social commentary with action thriller sequences that the show ended up as a confused mishmash that lost the original focus of the story. Zankyou no Terror should have focused more on being either a dark human drama or a pulse-pounding suspense drama, but not both.

Characters & Developments
With the story trying to be two things at once and Watanabe focusing too much on his own style, the weakest aspect of Zankyou no Terror would undoubtedly be its characters. There just is not much to say about the characters because viewers never get an in-depth look into each character. At one point, viewers have to accept the fact that some characters are just plot devices in order for the story to meet a certain end. The characters definitely had the potential to drive the story in a better direction, but the characters are instead sacrificed in order for the story to finish strong.

However, it is not like the characters get no development at all. The show actually makes subtle attempts to try and develop its characters, and so if the viewers are willing to invest themselves enough to the show, they will indeed be able to find redeeming qualities within the characters. However, for most viewers the characters do not get developed enough for them to care. And without the emotional connection between the viewers and the characters, viewers cannot look beyond the dull and stereotypical personas to find the characters likable or relatable.

This is a real shame considering that the characters were actually interesting. Looking at it strictly from the characters’ perspectives, the story revolves around five social outcasts who each want to make something of their aimless lives and do something right for themselves. Seeing each of them struggle in his or her own way to carry out individual goals is actually both heartbreaking and heartwarming to watch. However, the show, again, never capitalizes on the emotional development of these characters, and thus the inner conflicts of the protagonists become largely overlooked.

Art & Realism
A rather unique aspect about this show is its sense of realism. Since the setting is in an alternative version of modern Japan, it is difficult for viewers to suspend their disbelief because the show makes everything seem so realistic and believable. For example, it is clear that the writers did their research in terms of how bombs are made, how hackers invade the system, and how the police would react to terrorist attacks. Not only that, the show throws in all these real life references, like YouTube videos, Puzzles & Dragons, Twitter tweets, and Bitcoins to further emphasize the show’s realism.

The realism can be seen in the character designs as well. For example, the show contains a lot of close-ups on the characters’ faces, so the facial features are detailed and well proportioned. The characters as a whole are given normal human appearances, but are still distinct from one another because of their facial and bodily features.

In terms of the animation, the show stomps its competition by a long shot. Although there was a quality drop towards the end of the show, the animation overall was smooth, detailed, and beautifully done. Briefly mentioned above, Watanabe’s choices in cinematography is really what made the animation stand out even more and resulted in visually stunning scenes that are hard to come by in anime.

Kanno & Soundtrack
Usually, the soundtrack is my least favorite part to review because there are only so many ways of saying that the soundtrack “enhances the mood or atmosphere of certain scenes in the anime.” I mean, which soundtrack doesn’t? Zankyou no Terror’s soundtrack, however, gives me something to write about. For one thing, the soundtrack is categorically indie, filled with several experimental songs that combine electronic, classical, and ambient sounds together with (or without) vocals in Japanese, English, or Icelandic. Yoko Kanno shows off her musical prowess once more and proves that she is not afraid to experiment with different styles of music in order to make a soundtrack appropriate for Zankyou no Terror. The soundtrack, therefore, is terrific. What makes it more than just an excellent soundtrack, however, is that it becomes better when complemented by the anime. Partly due to the cinematic quality of Zankyou no Terror, every scene in which a song is playing in the background looks and feels like a music video. In other words, the emotions evoked from the scenes mesh beautifully with the melody of the songs, thus making Zankyou no Terror’s soundtrack an essential part in enjoying this anime to its fullest.

Final Verdict
Watch Zankyou no Terror at your own risk. The realistic art and the remarkable music are enough to blow you away, but the problematic story and dull characters will reasonably disappoint you. Watch this show as you would any other show by lowering your expectations, and only then will you find that Zankyou no Terror is one of the better ones, especially among original anime, to come out in awhile.

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Story: 6/10
Character: 6/10
Art: 9/10
Music: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10

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Overall: 7.5/10

(Edit: I decided to weigh the "story and character" more (60%) and "art, music, and enjoyment" less (40%). That way I would be giving a more accurate score that reflects my review. Score is rounded up to 8 since MAL has no "in-between" score)

Your first impression of this show is probably spot-on. Yes, it’s a show about cute girls doing cute things. Yes, it’s flowery, adorable, and sweet to the point it makes you cringe. And yes, it’s a typical story about the friendship between five girls in a club setting. On the surface, Hanayamata doesn’t do much to deviate from being the stereotypical anime featuring everyday lives of girls in a school club. Since the anime realm is saturated with these types of anime, you will more or less get what you expected with Hanayamata, especially in terms of the overall plot progression and the character developments.

However, ... Hanayamata is obviously not a show you will love because of all its stereotypical aspects. It’s a show you will love because of how it takes those stereotypical aspects and manages to make them enjoyable. It’s a show that takes the predictable character developments and makes them heartfelt. It’s a show that takes the typical shoujo personas and makes them lovable. And it’s a show that demonstrates a genuine effort to deliver high quality animation and drop-dead gorgeous aesthetics each and every episode. Hanayamata excels at what it does and sets a gleaming example of how the typical story of cute girls in a club setting should be done.

Hanayamata tells the story of five middle school girls who end up joining the Yosakoi club, a club dedicated to performing a modern style of traditional Japanese dance. The story focuses mainly on Naru Sekiya, who is a shy, passive girl that considers herself as “average” in every aspect. Her wish going into middle school is to break out of her shell to become someone dazzling like a heroine found in fairy tales, but that wish is easier said than done, as Naru struggles to do anything out of her comfort zone. However, after the fateful moment she meets the "fairylike" girl named Hana Fontainestand, Naru's life slowly starts to change. After deciding to join the Yosakoi club with Hana, Naru sets out to gather members for the club one at a time, all the while unknowingly developing into someone she's always wished to be. The story follows the five girls that eventually join the Yosakoi club, as they try to understand one another and work together to eventually dance as a team at a local Yosakoi festival.

When I first read up on Hanayamata, I didn’t feel it as anything out of the ordinary from a typical club setting anime. So what exactly does Hanayamata do differently that sets it apart from the rest? Three words: Well-executed character developments. The anime really takes its time to explore the characters’ backstories and makes sure not to rush their developments. As a result, the characters’ backstories and their developments don’t feel forced or “shoehorned” in just for the sake of adding depth. This aspect allows viewers to better immerse themselves into the show since most of it is dedicated to the coming-of-age story of each character. It is generally uncommon for an anime to dedicate so much of itself to the characters, but Hanayamata purposefully focuses less on its main plot in order to focus more on walking the viewers through the gradual process of maturation and self-discovery as experienced by the protagonists as the show goes on.

Therefore, since the character development is the main focus of the show, the main plot undoubtedly loses some of its spotlight. Does this mean that the main plot is negligible? Not in the least. If the plot hadn’t been gradually moving forward in the background, then there wouldn’t have been such an emotionally satisfying resolution. Once Hanayamata painstakingly develops all of its characters, the main plot takes over and leads the characters towards the resolution they’ve been working for throughout the show: to dance together at the Yosakoi festival. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen such a satisfying resolution for a show, and that sentiment is owed to the effort that the show puts into bridging an emotional connection between the characters and the viewers, all the while keeping the focus of the main plot strong.

To top it off, Hanayamata displays a captivating art style and boasts some of the finest quality in animation. The bright color schemes and the vibrant art style really scream out “youthful” and “beautiful,” both adjectives of which are fitting of a story about middle school girls enjoying their youth. The flowery overtones go well with the theme that each of the girls represents some sort of flower, and overall the art style helps to amplify the bright energy given off by the show. Some of the backdrops and sceneries are just downright gorgeous to look at and demonstrate the amount of effort that’s been put into this show in terms of aesthetics. In terms of animation, the quality can most directly be seen whenever the girls are dancing. Although there aren’t a whole lot of scenes in which they dance, the scenes in which they do are smoothly and naturally done. Considering that animating the choreography without resorting to 3D animation takes a significant amount of money and time, I applaud the show for its dedication to deliver such high quality animation.

The music of Hanayamata isn't anything noteworthy, but I did want to point out its opening song, “Hana Ha Odoreya Irohaniho,” which is uniquely sung by the voice actresses of the show. As you get more and more familiar with the show and the characters, you will start to hear the characters’ voices within the opening, thus giving the song a feeling of intimacy nonexistent in most opening songs. It is often the small things that count, and details like this really made me love the show even more.

To end, I did a double take on this show when I realized that the writer for this show, Yoshida Reiko, wrote for shows such as Aria, Girls und Panzer, and K-On! among other famous works. Combine her with the director, Atsuko Ishizuka, who directed shows such as Chihayafuru, Nana, No Game No Life, and Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo, and you have a dynamic duo that knows what it’s doing when it comes to anime like Hanayamata. Although Hanayamata is filled to the brim with stereotypes of the typical anime featuring “cute girls doing cute things,” the duo still manages to evoke a sense of brilliance out of the staleness commonly found in this genre. Hanayamata as a show is nothing too out of the ordinary, but the amount of effort that is put into this show is astounding and the execution of the story and the character developments is one of the finest I’ve seen in awhile. Whether or not you’re a fan of “cute girls doing cute things,” definitely give Hanayamata a try.

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Story: 7/10
Character: 8/10
Art: 10/10
Music: 7/10
Enjoyment: 9/10

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Overall: 8.2/10

When we live in a world in which Japanese android newscasters can deliver the news and other “Geminoids” are closer to mimicking the exact appearance and movements of humans, the line between the living and the nonliving is constantly blurring by the day. What are the implications and the consequences of having lifelike robots live among humans? Will they fulfill Sci-fi lovers’ fantasies and take over the world? Or will they blend into society, disturbingly so, eventually becoming more humanlike than even humans themselves? All these possibilities and concerns are just humanity’s natural reaction towards the uncertain, and answers are sought out through various forms ... of media, like the movie “Eve no Jikan.” Set in the near future Japan, “Eve no Jikan” is about two male protagonists, Rikuo Sakisaka and Masaki Masakazu, who enter a mysterious café named “Time of Eve,” in which its only upheld rule is to not discriminate between humans and androids. The two meet several androids that act and behave like any other humans while in the café and in the process experience a whole new perspective unbeknownst to them before. “Eve no Jikan” explores its own answer to the future’s prospect of having androids and humans coexist by telling a hopeful tale of a gradual learning and understanding between man and machine.

The story of Eve no Jikan then makes sure that it doesn't rush anything. The plot takes itself slowly, with just the right amount of dialogue, to deliver a simple message in the end. The plot sets modest goals and achieves them with a heartening resolution. The plot knows that it’s not the star of this movie; rather, it acts as a solid background in which the characters can shine. Even though the most of the show’s characters are androids, and even though they should be screaming out “robotic” and “emotionless,” they shine because they all show the one crucial characteristic that, I dare say, makes us humans: empathy. Androids treating humans like family, androids doing whatever they can to make others happy, androids loving one another, and even androids switching up the coffee blend to anxiously wait for a certain someone’s approval – these are all very “human” things to do. Seeing these actions, from what are supposed to be beings devoid of emotions, is surreal but also strangely poignant. Rikuo and Masaki observe these humanlike actions and start to change their views of androids over the course of the movie. The two realize that the androids can exhibit a range of emotions and once in awhile live as the humans do. In just less than two hours, “Eve no Jikan” does an incredible job of developing its two male protagonists, without managing to rush the process.

The soundtrack is pervasive, but in a good way. With just enough of a mix between electronic, classical, and jazz, the soundtrack is full of songs that hide a gentler, calmer melody beneath its mechanical and electronic sounds – much like androids themselves.

This “robotic” theme seems to be consistent even in the animation of this movie. The characters are, for a lack of a better term, “jumpy.” Their actions are sudden and unnatural like those of androids, especially when they talk. The movie also makes frequent use of the “dolly zoom,” or basically zooming in and out, to invoke a feeling of a robotic camera focusing in and out of a target. However, these choices in animation in no ways take away from the appeal of the movie, but add more to its unique robotic charm. The character design and the overall animation are modern and rather plain, but plenty beautiful enough to enjoy.

Several Sci-fi novels written by George Orwell, Philip K. Dick, or Ray Bradbury often depict a dystopian society in which the relationship between androids and humans is hostile. However, “Eve no Jikan” purposefully chooses the less popular yet more optimistic future in which the interaction between androids and humans is one of harmony. What evolves out of choosing this path is a beautifully touching story of a peaceful and trustful union between man and machine.

Whether you enjoy your time of Eve or not is up to you, but I definitely enjoyed my time of Eve and I will visit again in the near future.

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Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Character: 8/10
Enjoyment: 10/10

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Overall: 8.8/10

With any open-ended question, there are various approaches that can be taken to reach an answer. The thing is, there isn’t always a “correct” answer. People have different perspectives, beliefs, and personalities that may all contribute to the answer that feels most correct for each of them. “Higashi no Eden” explores this idea by asking its characters the vague and overbroad question: “Given the resources, how would you improve a nation for the better?” Eleven people that are chosen by the mysterious Mr. Outside are each given ten billion yens to carry out their plans to improve Japan. Each of them, with different beliefs, backgrounds, ... and occupations, attempts to “save” Japan from all its lies and corruption in his or her own way. Although some players end up shifting their focus to achieving their own personal goals, other players, including the protagonist Takizawa Akira, actively try to find the “correct” answer to improve Japan.

Curious to find out what kind of philosophical clashes would occur between the characters, I got onboard the “Higashi no Eden” train with high hopes and anticipations. Unfortunately, this anime eventually became a train wreck piled up with plot holes, unanswered questions, and undeveloped characters (even with its two sequel movies). Above all, however, the most frustrating thing about this show was that the core question was never explored too well.

This is not to say that I disliked the anime. On the contrary, it is one of the more memorable ones that I have seen thus far. From the start, the anime immediately catches the viewers’ attention with its distinct art style resembling that of Studio Ghibli films. Then the opening song, “Falling Down” by Oasis, captivates the viewers in a state of complete trance. Not only the opening song, but also the whole soundtrack is phenomenal in general, especially the insert song, “Reveal the World,” with its soulful vocals and jazzy feel. Overall, the aesthetic and auditory components of the show blew me away at first glance and those alone were enough to keep me watching.

As I mentioned, however, I was more so interested in the different philosophies and ideas that characters had towards fixing a nation. Unfortunately, “Higashi no Eden” is the classic case of an overambitious story that fails to follow through after making a grand entrance. The following paragraphs explore the issues of “Higashi no Eden” as a whole:

(Some of the following paragraphs might contain minor spoilers, so please skip if you don’t want to spoil the show for yourself. The following paragraphs will cover mostly the first season, but also mention the two movies)

1) An overambitious story with unambitious characters:
The stage is set with 11 different people all trying to improve Japan in their own ways, but the story ends up narrowing the stage to essentially two people, the “politician” and the “dreamer.” All the other players more or less become irrelevant to this “game” because they had little to no interest in improving Japan. That set off the first alarm to me – I would have expected all 11 people to be well developed and thoroughly explored in terms of their personalities and personal beliefs. However, the first season ends with introducing about seven players, only four of whom received the most spotlight. In addition, once I learned that some players have no ambitions to improve Japan, they became so irrelevant that I thought it would have been better if the show had not introduced them in the first place. I would rather have had the anime place more focus on its two main players, instead of trying to forcibly insert other players into the plot and end up muddling it even more.

2) Little to no character development:
Because of the scale of the story, the anime neglects the development of its core characters. The female protagonist, Morisami Saki, seems like a promising character in the first episode because of her cheerful and lovely personality. She garners more attention when she falls in love with Takizawa Akira when they meet one day almost by fate. However, this love relationship between the two becomes tepid real quick and lingers on like a flickering light for the rest of the series. What’s worse is that Saki is seen as nothing more than Takizawa’s “helper” after the first episode, and every scene that she is in thereafter is her either worrying about Takizawa or being gloomy and helpless.

Then there’s Takizawa, who confuses me more and more as the anime goes on. His amnesia at the start of the show was a nice set up for the anime to develop him as he slowly learns more about himself. However, the anime fumbles around too much and Takizawa doesn’t learn about himself until the end. As a result, Takizawa comes off as a scatterbrained protagonist who seems to know what he’s doing but half of the time he wings it. Hence, I never knew whether I should support Takizawa because he doesn’t explain what he tries to do half of the time and he never strongly affirms to what kind of a nation he wants to build until the very end.

With the two main characters undeveloped, the supporting cast of characters is even less developed. Namely the “East of Eden” crew, a group in charge of an image recognition software, this group of characters can best be described as “monotonous.” They are always around to help Takizawa fulfill his noble goal of helping Japan, but their presence is rarely a welcome sight and thus their efforts seem underwhelming. Also, their range of emotions is limited to being gloomy, serious, or mildly humorous, so that made the characters dull and uninteresting. Overall, the little to no character development is what ultimately made this show surprisingly bland.

3) Plot holes and unanswered questions:
This show is full of them, even with 11 episodes and two movies. The amount of plot holes and unanswered questions eventually reaches a point in which the show tries to take the easy way out by explaining everything at once. The first season sets up for this disastrous scriptwriting because it leaves so many unanswered questions for the two following movies to answer. As a result, the two movies are filled with mostly dialogue and events trying to explain everything, thus preventing the story from moving forward. Even if the second movie ended more or less wrapping up everything, the ending is still somewhat forced, rushed, anticlimactic, and underwhelming.

To end, “Higashi no Eden” was definitely one of the most memorable anime I’ve seen because of its aesthetic and auditory components. However, the show fails follow up on its overly ambitious and potentially philosophical story because of its plot holes, unanswered questions, and undeveloped characters. Considering Kenji Kamiyama’s other esteemed works, this show definitely deserved better but ended up getting the short end of the stick.

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Story: 5/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Character: 4/10
Enjoyment: 7/10

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Overall: 6.8/10

Kyousougiga is like a book you randomly stumble upon that you end up reading until you finish it in one-go. Amidst the wide array of classics, bestsellers, and other popular books, Kyousougiga as a book would stand out quietly, waiting to be discovered. And for those who do eventually discover it, Kyousougiga rewards them with a refreshingly original and beautifully heartwarming story.

One peaceful night, a tomboyish girl named Koto accidentally crashes down into the “mirror capital” named Kyoto while chasing a magical black rabbit. In this weird city that models itself after the old medieval Kyoto, Koto discovers her three long-lost siblings that have ... been trapped in the city for a long time, waiting for their parents to come back. Follow Koto as she tries to mend broken family ties and reunite the family once more, all the while getting into all sorts of trouble.

A fitting description of Kyousougiga would be that it pleases the eye as much as it pleases the heart. Initially, you’ll be drawn in by fantastical world reminiscent of a Japanese version of Alice in Wonderland. The stunning and almost otherworldly sceneries and other eye-catching visuals (like those you would see in a fantasy game) give the show a certain charm unique to its own. You’ll then be drawn in a second time by the heartwarming story of the love and rebirth of a family, in which each family member undergoes some sort of maturation and self-discovery.

Before I get into the family members, it’s worth mentioning that Kyousougiga has quoted lines directly from Lewis Carroll’s poem, “Life is but a dream.” The poem is basically about the inescapability of time and the “loss of innocence” children experience as they transition into adulthood. I mention this poem because all the characters, both the children and the parents, go through this “loss of innocence” and move on to become more mature over the course of the anime. What makes these stories somewhat bittersweet but also emotionally satisfying is that the anime dedicates an episode to explore each member of the family to really help viewers understand their thoughts, their personalities, and their actions. Even as a 1-cour, Kyousougiga doesn’t rush the plot but rather focuses on the characters to build an emotional connection between the viewers and the characters. As some of these characters start to change and discover more about themselves, one can’t help but love the characters even more. The fact that the character designs are distinctively creative and unique help to further stand out the characters and give them identities like none other.

Now, it is a surprise (certainly a relieving one) that Kyousougiga managed to air 10 episodes. Considering the premise of the show and the fact that the five ONAs released beforehand were rather random and perplexing, Kyousougiga was definitely at risk for not even making it to a 1-cour. Moreover, Kyousougiga's lack of budget shows in some parts of the animation, especially when the show literally copies and pastes whole ONA episodes into its episodes. The newly animated episodes are definitely well-made and beautiful to look at, but towards the end there is more dialogue than action rather than the reverse. In addition, the dialogue is rather lengthy and drawn out, slowing down the pacing and overcomplicating the story.

However, Kyousougiga makes a genuine attempt to make up for its flaws. Too many times I see 1-cour anime giving up on wrapping up the anime well and ending it quite abruptly without explanations. In the case with Kyousougiga, however, the dialogue towards the end actually helps explain and make sense of everything. Sure, it takes at least twice or thrice of watching to understand fully, but once understood, viewers will realize that Kyousougiga wraps its complex story up so well that it is almost frightening that they did it in just 10 episodes. As for the animation, I understood the budget situation so I didn’t mind it at all.

In addition, what makes this anime even better is the anime's attention to detail. It is full of symbolism, subtle details, references to Buddhism, and allusions to Lewis Carroll’s, “Through the Looking Glass.” All of these components are actually really important for the show because knowing some of the background knowledge about Buddhism or analyzing some of the symbols and details leads to a deeper understanding of the characters and the plot. For someone who loves to challenge himself to really get to the heart of what the show is trying to say, Kyousougiga was like a gold mine waiting to be struck.

To end, here are some miscellaneous components that made Kyousougiga better:

Music: The soundtrack was the icing on the cake. With music ranging from classical to electronic, there is a wide array of soundtracks that fit the overall uniqueness of the anime. The opening song, “Koko” by Tamurapan, and the insert song, “The Secret of My Life” by Aimee Blackschleger (who sang DOA for AOT), are also still two of my most favorite songs, regardless of genre. The opening song fits perfectly to the anime because the emotionless vocals coupled with a cheery tune gives the song a feeling of melancholy and a sense of longing for loved ones.

Special episode: Usually, special episodes are unnecessary summaries with pointless commentaries. However, the special for Kyousougiga has proved me that some specials are worth watching. In the special, the voice actors visit places in Kyoto that were used as models for the setting in Kyousougiga, and in the process they went over some important background details that actually helped me understand the show better. The anime’s attention to detail was a pleasant surprise for me, and made me appreciate the anime even more.

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Story: 10/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Character: 9/10
Enjoyment: 10/10

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Overall: 9.2/10

P.S. If you have any questions regarding Kyousougiga, leave a comment on my profile or send me a message!

Before I get to the bulk of the review,

Imagine the thought of going to a bar for the very first time. Even after going through the trouble of eventually arriving at one, you stand outside the bar idly, wondering whether you should go in or not. Afraid that you’ll be made fun of, afraid you’ll embarrass yourself, you become anxious and the door handle feels heavy, as if it’s shutting you out. But mustering up the courage, you cautiously open the door and take a peek inside. Dim lights, gentle murmurs of people talking, occasional clangs of glasses, classy jazz playing in the background; all ... of this is very foreign to you. But then you hear the gentle “welcome” from the bartender, and your anxious heart has suddenly calmed down and you magically find yourself sitting at the counter.

In this otherwise foreign place, the simple “welcome” suddenly makes the bar a space where you can express yourself freely; and like the “gentle perch” that he is, the bartender calmly listens to all that you have to say. So starts the story from your heart… and from that story the bartender provides you with the perfect drink that carries with it the words, the emotions, and the memories of your story.

The above description depicts the sort of atmosphere you should expect from Bartender. This anime focuses mainly on Sasakura Ryuu, a young genius bartender nicknamed the “Glass of the Gods” because of his keen sense of discernment for his customers and his ability to make quality cocktails deftly. He works at a small bar called “Eden Hall,” but despite its diminutive size, several people with personal problems frequent here. Sasakura Ryuu listens to whatever these people have on their minds, much like a physician, and then prescribes the perfect medicine in the form of a cocktail.

The concept of solving problems through cocktails is what ultimately attracted me to this anime, but I understand that not all of us can relate to an anime about bartending; some of us detest the idea of drinking in the first place. However, as the anime takes on an episodic style of storytelling, each episode tells beautifully the story about a certain customer and a certain cocktail. Then the anime ties the two stories together masterfully to reach a heartwarming resolution. So if alcohol isn’t the initial attraction to this anime, just keep in mind that this anime focuses more on telling a memorable story to its viewers. The main criticism with the storytelling, however, is that the delivery can be a bit awkward and confusing at times, especially when the anime chooses to have some of the secondary characters start narrating the stories as omniscient third person narrators. In addition, since this anime is episodic, there isn’t an overarching plot connecting all the stories together. As a result, this anime becomes merely a collection of short stories rather than an anime with a continuous plot.

As for the viewers who can relate to this anime and appreciate drinking from time to time, Bartender teaches the basics of bar etiquette, fun facts about certain drinks, and the history behind several cocktails and other drinks. The main criticism here is that the anime is in some ways more educational than it is entertaining, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it having educational value. I, for one, rate an anime highly when it goes beyond being simply a form of art to teach me something new. However, since the anime does spend a good amount of time in each episode to explain the history or list out the various trivia about a certain cocktail, the focus of the story tends to deviate a little.

With the anime busy from telling two stories or more in one episode, there is barely any room for character development. Arguably, the most developed character in the anime is Sasakura Ryuu, because viewers learn about his personality, thought process, morals, and bartending philosophies. However, at the same time the viewers learn nothing significant about him because the “Sasakura Ryuu” introduced to viewers at the start of the anime is a professional with very little room for improvement and development. There is an episode dedicated to how he learned from a mistake he made in the past, but generally the episodes focus on him being a problem-solver and not a problem-maker. As a result, there is actually very little development of the main character and the development is more focused on the secondary characters within each episode. Although I fairly enjoyed this anime, in the end I cannot say I really formed a personal connection with either Sasakura Ryuu or the secondary characters.

To end, I want to point out some of the many subtle aspects that made this anime even better:

1) The music: As fitting of a bar setting, smooth jazz plays in the background throughout the anime to add a touch of elegance that is unique to this type of anime. The soundtrack itself is also a wonderful collection of smooth jazz that I could listen to while studying, reading, or relaxing in a café or library. Overall, the music is superb and ultimately aids in amplifying the “classy” mood of the anime.

2) The ending: Viewers usually neglect the ending because most often than not it’s the same song with the same animation playing every time. In the case of Bartender, however, every ending is special and unique to the episode. This is because an actual bartender makes a cocktail aforementioned in an episode while the ending song plays in the background. This aspect allowed me to appreciate the ending song even more, as well as further my interest in the world of bartending.

3) A touch of reality: Whether it’s the history, the fun facts, or other trivia about alcohol, I could always tell that Bartender did its research in regards to bartending. I could especially tell by Sasakura Ryuu’s movement when making drinks, because his movements mimicked that of the actual bartender when he makes drinks during the ending song. The anime also uses real life alcohol brands instead of censoring them, thus adding another touch of reality.

Bartender is definitely not for everyone; but it definitely has its stories to tell, and these stories are meant to be told to everyone. Much like a cocktail itself, Bartender aims to mend the tired soul laden with burdens, misunderstandings, pains, anxiety, and depression from everyday life.

If you are looking for a truly therapeutic and healing anime, look no further because Bartender will be there to listen to your stories.

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Scoring:

Story: 8/10
Art: 7/10
Sound: 10/10
Character: 7/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
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Overall: 8.4/10

One thing the viewers have to note about Jinrui Wa Suitai Shimashita is that as much as it sticks out like a sore thumb among anime for its originality, there is little to no justification for this originality. In other words, asking yourself, “What just happened?” will be a common occurrence while watching this anime. However, it is up to you, the viewer, whether to decide to keep watching or to just stop. The anime itself will not try to pull you back in with any fanservice or drawn-out explanations of what is going on in the anime. To enjoy this anime to its fullest, ... you have to accept it for what it is, and by doing so, you will come to realize that there is actually more to this anime than its blatant absurdity.

(If you want the short-and-sweet summary of my impressions on the anime, please refer to the bottom of this review)

Story: 8/10

Humanity has literally declined to the point of extinction, and has been replaced by a new race of humanity called “the fairies,” whose existence depends on only two reasons: having fun and eating sweets. Fairies possess supernatural powers that defy human logic, and yet ironically they are deathly afraid of humans. In fact, the anime hints at why humans and fairies never coexisted from the start. Therefore, the humans and fairies do not really get a chance to interact with each other. This is where our main protagonist, Watashi, comes in. She works as a mediator who attempts to bridge a connection between the humans and the fairies so that both of them can coexist with one another and live together in compromise, to hopefully benefit both races.

The main flaw of this anime actually comes from the many questions that the context of the story raises. Much of the blame can be put on the shortness of the anime, but it fails to provide answers to basic questions like “where do fairies come from?” or “what has caused humanity to decline?” Considering that this anime doesn't really have an overarching plot, answers to these questions are somewhat irrelevant. However, providing answers to some basic background questions would have made this anime much easier to understand and given this anime a better sense of cohesion. No matter how amusing the anime was, the anime as a whole felt like a postmodern mishmash of episodes without much direction. Therefore, this anime is not recommended for viewers that are trying to look for a solid story, because the anime does not answer all the necessary questions to make a coherent and purpose-driven story.

The anime is generally episodic and progresses backwards from Watashi’s current occupation to her early school years. This unconventional plot timeline can result in minor confusion because the anime itself is already a handful to watch. However, this flaw is mitigated by the fact that the viewer can start from any point in the anime and still make as much sense of it as someone who started from the beginning. In fact, any story arc (usually two episodes) can be considered a “beginning” or an “end.”

The story and content of this anime shines brightly because of Makoto Uezu’s brilliant scriptwriting and Romeo Tanaka’s original ideas. At its heart, Jinrui Wa Suitai Shimashita is a social satire of perhaps the current decadence of humanity. The anime pokes fun at the idea of religion, corruption of government, superficiality of appearances, and general incompetency of humanity. The anime even pokes fun at the manga industries out there, resulting in probably one of the most creative and hilarious episodes I have seen thus far. The anime makes several literary, “pop-culture,” and other famous references to amplify the viewing experience for viewers that understand the references. The anime is also at some parts an exploration of the human imperfections (this will be expanded upon in my “characters” section). There is so much more than meets the eye to this anime, and hence why the story and content deserves at least an 8.

Music: 9/10

The opening song is called “Real World” performed by nano.RIPE. This pop rock song really brings out the cheerfulness and silliness of the anime, especially as animations of Watashi and the fairies dancing play throughout the opening. The ending song is called “Yume no naka no Watashi no yume” performed by Masumi Ito. The song itself generally has a cheery tune with whimsical vocals that has a very slight hint of sadness.

The original soundtrack contains a song from almost every genre and type of music: classical and electronic; cheerful and melancholy; suspenseful and peaceful; traditional folk and futuristic; and creepy and sweet. This diversity of music really goes well with the anime because there is a music fitting to every situation or mood within the anime.

Art: 10/10

In this anime, human civilization reverts back to small villages with houses made of wood and bricks. Advanced technology is not seen anywhere due to frequent food shortages and the lack of electricity. As a result, majority of the times the background is verdant, pastoral, and filled with moss-covered ruins of past human monuments or cities. Other times, the background art is multicolored, abstract, and creative. The background has a distinct watercolor feel to it, so the characters seem like they are trapped inside a children’s story book -- bright colors, fantastical backgrounds, and surreal imagery. To give an example of the unique style of art in this anime, the lights from flashlights or lanterns project random polygons of light, rather than projecting light in a cone-like fashion. Despite the seemingly childish art, however, I rate the art highly because its unique and random (somewhat abstract) style of art appropriately represents the cryptic nature of this anime.

As expected from the animation director of Mushishi and Steins;Gate, the characters are designed beautifully and the animation is done quite well. The main protagonist, as well as other main characters, is given a change of clothes for each story arc (two episodes), so it is not always the same people with the same clothes.

Character: 6/10

The title of the anime being “Humanity has declined,” some of the characters have flawed personalities that make them disagreeable. This, of course, does not mean I disliked the characters. In fact, I liked most of the characters because they were realistically flawed. Although there was the component of exaggeration when it came to portraying some of these personalities, these flaws were ultimately what made this show so great and entertaining. For example, Watashi is not the typical virtuous and upright main protagonist; she is sarcastic, antisocial, and selfish at times. As much as it may seem difficult to like her as a protagonist, however, her snide remarks and reactions are what made several moments in the anime funnier. In addition, the fairies are known for their complexity but also their simplistic way of dealing with things, so I had many laughs when fairies tried to do something their way, even if their way was not ideal or appropriate.

The characters themselves can feel a bit impersonal because they are given titles or nicknames as names rather than actual ones. Watashi’s assistant is conveniently called “assistant-san”; her grandpa “grandpa-san”; her friend “Y” (as in “you,” possibly); and her school friends “Flower-chan,” or “Curly-chan.” However, at the same time I found it easy to memorize and distinguish characters because of the convenient way of naming the characters. Also, maybe the original author, Romeo Tanaka, thought using substitute names would be more fitting in a post-apocalyptic environment where nominal status and reputation mean almost nothing.

In addition to the faulty personalities and obscure names, the anime also has very little to no character development. As the episodes are generally episodic, the anime focuses on using the characters to convey certain points or ideas, rather than focusing on developing the characters. Watashi may be the only character that is well-developed, and thus I cannot rate this portion of the anime any higher than a 6. The characters definitely have unique personalities, personalities not common in many anime characters. However, the lack of character development results in a lack of connection between viewers and the characters. This lack of connection may eventually lead to viewer’s disinterest resulting from the viewer questioning the point of this anime (…when there necessarily isn't one).

Enjoyment: 10/10

Jinrui Wa Suitai Shimashita is a delight to watch from start to end and has high “rewatch value” because of the many ideas it explores and of the originality that it exudes.

Summary:

If I have not emphasized enough, the anime is full of scenes that are hilarious simply because of how downright silly and ridiculous they are. However, do not let only these scenes define your perspective of the anime. For one thing, there are several cleverly written jokes and subtle references underlying each episode. Most importantly, however, the anime takes place during a post-apocalyptic time in which humanity has literally declined to the point of extinction, so the anime itself is full of dark humor and negative thoughts. In addition, underlying the anime is also a surprising amount of thought-provoking ideas, social commentaries, and philosophical views. This anime is definitely one of those that makes you think and rewards you when you put in the time to pay attention to detail. There will be instances when some scenes will need to be rewatched over and over to be understood, so this anime is not for people who want a simple and straightforward anime. Otherwise, this rarity of an anime is definitely worth the watch.

8.6/10

“What color do you want to be?”

With this strange question starts the story of a couple of “problem children” at Sakurasou. A dorm for students who have violated Suiko (a.k.a. high school affiliated with Suimei University of the Arts) policies, Sakurasou shelters a diverse group of students each with a unique personality. As a result, there isn’t one day that the dorm stays quiet, and the students are free to express their creativity without worry of getting kicked out.

At the start of the story, everyone starts on an empty canvas, each with a brush that has yet to be dabbed in any specific "color." ... As viewers follow along the process of each character realizing his or her dream and pursuing that dream, it starts to become clear who they are, or what “color” they paint with. With its many heartwarming as well as heart-wrenching moments, this unusual group of friends at Sakurasou all together paints a masterpiece that will leave the viewers smiling from start to end.

(Below I provide the “pluses” and “deltas” of the show. Pluses will signify the positive aspects of the anime, while deltas will signify aspects of the anime that could have been changed or improved upon.)

Pluses:

(+) Overall message: The world is unfair. Those who are gifted are acknowledged and those who cannot keep up are left behind in the dark. Sooner or later, the feeling of frustration, depression, and helplessness will overcome anyone left in the dark, pulling them further and further back. The main protagonist, Kanda Sorata, suffers the most from the unfairness of this world, and cannot help but vent his anger out on others and blame others for his misfortunes. However, the anime sends out a positive message for those who suffer like Sorata, and that is to accept the fact that the world is indeed unfair and face the failures head-on instead of trying to run away. The anime reinforces the fact that failure is but a stepping stone to success, and there’s no need to become discouraged from it. Seeing Sorata overcome his struggles and move on with his life to tackle his next challenges is emotionally satisfying and surprisingly inspirational. Sorata proves that being optimistic and never losing sight of what you want to do will eventually lead to better results. With such a deep and meaningful message for the young demographic, it’s hard not to like this anime.

(+) Character development: Everyone in this anime has a goal that they want to reach. The anime shows the process of each of them trying to reach that goal, while they constantly go through struggles. And along that process, viewers see the characters gradually learning, maturing, and becoming better people overall. As much as I would love to expand on how each character changes throughout the series, I’ll leave the joy of watching each of them change to the viewers. The developments are perfectly paced so that they help viewers naturally develop deep connections with the characters. Towards the end of the anime when time inevitably drifts them apart, there’s a strong sense of bitter sweetness because one side of you is happy for them and the other is sad that they’re moving on.

(+) Realistic emotions: The emotions expressed and experienced by the characters as they go through their individual development are all too realistic and relatable. The fun yet exhausting nights of working on a project or practicing for a competition, the anxiety before an interview or presentation, the joys of getting accepted, and the frustrations of getting rejected – these are all experiences that all of us have experienced at one point or another in our lives. And some of the emotions that we express during these times are not pretty. This anime delivers the raw and ugly emotions such as jealousy, anger, bitterness, and hopelessness. Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is indeed darker than it seems. The anime is not about the characters starting from the bottom and making it big within 24 episodes, but about people starting from the bottom and struggling to make it big. Such is the stark reality of society right now, and the anime teaches the painful lesson that people who think determination and hard work are all they need to reach their goal are overly naïve.

(+) Well-developed ending: Unlike most anime whose ending comprises of both the climax and resolution of the story, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo manages to space out the climax and resolution over the last three episodes of the series. As a result, the ending is perfectly paced and not rushed at all; the buildup of emotions leading up to the climax is perfectly delivered; and the resolution is overall satisfying and doesn’t leave the audience wanting for more.

Deltas:

(-) Fan service: Anime productions often seem to feel a need to please the fans with underwear scenes, cleavage shots, and sexual innuendos. As enticing as these scenes are the first few times, the fan service quickly becomes stale, repetitive, unnecessary, and uninteresting. If anything, fan service hurts the value of the anime because it demonstrates the desperate measures that the production took to maintain or gain popularity. Sadly enough, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo is no exception. Expect a lot of underwear scenes, cleavage shots, and sexual innuendos whenever the anime isn’t trying to be serious.

(-) Stereotypical characters: When it comes to school-life + romantic comedy anime, nothing bothers me more than seeing the same personas fulfilling the same stereotypes. For example, there is always the overly enthusiastic character that usually brightens up the mood. There is always the quiet one with an emotionless face or a soft-spoken voice, and these characters tend to be airheaded, socially awkward, gifted with a talent, or all of the above. There is always the hardworking one that often works his or herself to the point of becoming ill. There is the overly cynical or critical one that says what is on his or her mind, but doesn’t mean it in a bad way. There is the tsundere, or a typical girl that is tough as nails, but emotionally sensitive. And of course, there’s the average male or female protagonist that is overly optimistic and unnaturally oblivious to the idea of romance. Of course, these stereotypes are simply some of the most common personas that I see in a school-life + romantic comedy anime and thus might not apply to a lot of school-life anime that I have yet to see. However, at some point I, as a viewer, will get tired of seeing the same persona, with more or less the same backgrounds, and more or less the same problems. Having said that, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo fulfills MOST of the stereotypes mentioned and thus their personalities felt familiar at best and not really interesting. What kept me interested in the characters was the realistic side of them, the side of them that tries to reach their goals.

(-) Lack of Art: As an anime about students at an art school, there is an unsatisfying amount of artworks shown. Also, as an anime that explores the world of painting, voice acting, anime, manga, and gaming, the anime only touches upon the surface-level knowledge of each world. However, the lack of art and the knowledge doesn’t take much away from the anime. This delta is more of a personal complaint, because the anime seems to only be TELLING how hard the characters work and how passionate they are, rather than taking the time SHOWING these things through artworks that characters produce.

(-) Depth of the relationships: There are romantic relationships developing left and right between the characters, so it is quite difficult to take all of them seriously. There is only one relationship in this anime that is explored deeply, and that is the only relationship the viewers should have been introduced to (namely, the Jin and Misaki couple). The other relationships take the focus away from the anime because they are neither realistic nor relevant (to the main story). For example, there is nothing more frustrating than an oblivious protagonist failing to notice two girls trying to get his attention. Many times I had to skip through the scenes that show the “progress” of the protagonist’s relationship with each of the two girls, simply because the conversations, the reactions, and the progress of the relationship seemed too cliché and superficial. Not to say I disliked the characters, but I preferred to see their serious side more so than their awkward romantic side. (If you’ve grown jaded from the harem-type anime, you’ll know what I mean).

Overall: Although Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo fails to escape the stereotypes of a typical school-life + romantic comedy anime, the masterful development of the story and the characters, along with several enjoyable and hilarious moments, is enough to make this anime a must-watch.

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Review by MAL criteria:

(This section will be kept short because I will simply be summarizing some of the points I made above)

Story: 9/10

The masterful development of the characters as they pursue their dreams, along with the various emotions that they express or experience, are very relatable and real. The story is perfectly paced and tries to deliver a positive message for those troubled like the characters.

Art: 9/10

Even if I complained about the lack of art in this anime, I could tell that the production spent countless hours trying to perfect the additional artworks while having to animate the characters. The watercolor artworks, the 3D rendering portion, and artworks for games were all beautifully done and with great detail.

If that wasn’t enough, some of the scenes in this anime were drop-dead gorgeous and stunning. I will leave the surprise for the viewers, but don’t underestimate a school-life + romantic comedy because of its school-life setting.

It goes on without saying that the characters are well-designed and beautifully animated. The style of characters is kind of generic and simple, but each of the characters have distinguishing features that make them unique.

Sound: 7/10

The soundtrack is nothing too special. Most of the tracks are short so that they fit a certain situation or mood in the anime. Both the openings and endings are your typical upbeat cheerful songs that are catchy but not quite noteworthy.

What gives the sound at least a 7 is the perfect voice acting, especially when the actors express realistic emotions like sadness, anger, bitterness, hopelessness, and jealousy.

Character: 8/10

Although all the characters are well-developed and lovable, they still fail to be 100% relatable due to their cliché personas of a typical school-life + romantic comedy anime.

Enjoyment: 9/10

There is not one moment when I felt bored while watching this anime (maybe except the cliché romantic scenes). The anime elicited out of me various emotions, so a lot of the times I found myself laughing one moment and then choking up the next.

8.4/10

“Because of the life they were born into, they are immediately stuck as an existence that can’t even choose their own life and death.”

Such is the life of livestock. Chickens are killed to be eaten if they don’t lay enough eggs; horses are immediately retired or put to rest if they don’t win any competitions or get injured; and pigs and cows are sold at a really cheap price if they do not eat enough. Behind the scenes of our farms and their livestock, the idea of the “survival of the fittest” is more clear-cut and harsh than it is in human society. However, humans ... are judged equally as harsh by the results they produce. In a generation that values the credentials of people more than the people themselves, people who fall behind even a little bit are often shunned or overlooked, just as if they are worthless livestock. Therefore, people of all ages, especially those that are younger, are put under a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed and sometimes forced to take on undesired paths for life. And sadly enough, running away never seems to be an option…

Or does it?

Gin no Saji (Silver Spoon) tells the story of Hachiken Yugo, a boy that decides to go to an agricultural boarding school far away from home after getting rejected from the high school he was aiming for. Hachiken’s tunnel vision to get into the high school causes him to lose sight of what he really wants to do, and so he chooses the agricultural school to get away from being considered a failure. All of us, especially in our teenage and early adult years, can relate to this experience one way or another: the fact that you work diligently towards a goal and realize soon after that the goal can never be reached is a daunting and depressing thing. To make matters worse, you are forced to see your peers achieve that same goal and become afraid of them lest they judge you for failing. You want to escape, but sometimes the pressure from society, from your family and your friends, all chain you down to sometimes lead the life that you don’t necessarily want.

So for all those that are troubled like Hachiken, I recommend this slice-of-life anime series. One of the core things that Gin no Saji teaches the viewers is to take a break from all that unhealthy pressure for once and reflect upon what is most important FOR YOU in life. Luckily for Hachiken, he is surrounded by classmates that are all passionate about what they want to do in life. For someone without a goal, seeing determined people who constantly pursue their goal may be discouraging but motivating at the same time. This indirect pressure encourages Hachiken to think earnestly about what he wants to do in life. The new experiences and fun memories made at this new school start to bring out a new side of Hachiken that surprises those that have known him in the past.

The magic of the character of Hachiken is that he came in knowing absolutely nothing about the agricultural high school. At least for me, I could personally relate to Hachiken, only because I had to face the same amount of pressure to do well in school. But not only that, just as Hachiken felt bad for the farm animals being killed off out of obligation, I did too; just as Hachiken had to wake up every morning around five to do work, I could relate to how painful that would be; and just as Hachiken felt indirectly pressured by his passion-driven friends, I did too. That’s why this character is really dear to me, and his development as a person is all the more exciting as this series goes on.

But if the story of Hachiken Yugo and his friends don’t appeal to you, Gin no Saji has high educational value. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of the agricultural businesses and farms, then this anime gives you a glimpse of what it’s like. And in addition to the fun facts about farm animals, equipment, and techniques, the anime takes on philosophical views on what the animals teach humans, and how the animals should be treated. For one thing, everyone in this anime has deep rooted respect for livestock. There are owners that hold extravagant funerals for horses to honor them; there are people who appreciate the animals for providing them a new insight or viewpoint in life; and there are people who make the necessary killing of farm animals as quick and painless as possible. Finally, this anime touches upon not only the future of the agricultural and farming businesses, but also sensitive topics such as animal cruelty and cloning. I value this anime highly because of what it teaches me, each and every episode.

Since Gin no Saji was in an entirely different setting, background, and pacing from Fullmetal Alchemist, I laid off the manga after two chapters or so. But the anime brought me back to the manga, and what a delight it’s been. As a fan of the slice-of-life genre, Gin no Saji is without a doubt a fresh addition to my list. I look forward to more heartfelt and warm moments awaiting Hachiken and his friends at Oezo Agricultural High School!

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Review by MAL criteria

Story: The synopsis is available in the MAL page as well as in the second big paragraph of this review. What gives the story an overall 10 is the number of characters that have very relatable and realistic problems and backgrounds. In addition, as mentioned before, the anime has educational value, as it teaches the viewers about farm animals, equipment, techniques, and the logistics of agricultural and farming businesses. Rarely do we consider a slice-of-life anime with educational value anything from interesting, but Hiromu Arakawa manages to pull it off.

Music: The opening song “Kiss you” by Miwa is a sweet and carefree song, but nothing too memorable. The ending song “Hello Especially” is sung by Sukima Switch, who also sang “Golden Time Lovers” from the third opening of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I mention this because Sukima Switch chose to sing a country song for this anime (rather than rock), and no doubt, the song is catchy and fits perfectly to the anime. Besides that, the soundtracks introduced thus far are nothing too special, but they often give you a very warm countryside feeling when you hear them playing at certain parts. (8/10)

Art: As the anime is in an agricultural setting, the scenery is pastoral and soothing. Not to mention the use of warm and bright colors to emphasize the warmth and homeliness of the environment.

As it is a Hiromu Arakawa work, you will see similarities between Gin no Saji characters and Fullmetal Alchemist characters. The depiction of the characters stays true to the manga, and you’ll notice the similar reactions that Hiromu Arakawa likes to use. There is great detail and personification of animals so it is entertaining to see various expressions from these animals.

Animation of this anime seems to be the most lacking of all the categories because it can get choppy and awkward at times. The animation is especially important because it is tied into delivering punchlines or depicting hilarious scenes, so the humor is not always delivered appropriately or properly conveyed due to the occasionally choppy animations. (8/10)

Character: Season 1 of Gin no Saji is focused mostly on Hachiken's development from being a gloomy and uptight guy to a more confident and relaxed one. Viewers are introduced to other characters and their backgrounds, but the anime has yet to develop any of them. I rate this section highly, however, because of how well Hachiken's development is done. Viewers see Hachiken learning something different about himself, his friends, and his environment every episode, and in turn his friends learn something different about Hachiken each episode. I can’t wait to see him develop more and more, until the moment he figures out what he wants to do in life. (8/10)

Enjoyment: On behalf of those who love this anime already, let me say to those reading this review that you’re missing out!! I can’t guarantee everyone will enjoy it, but I hope you do!

8.8/10