Silver Spoon (known in rōmaji as "Gin no Saji") may serve as a reminder of what is taken for granted, but it also happens to be a highly enjoyable experience in its own right. It shows why a simple, tangible story is often more effective than one involving superpowers and end-of-the-world scenarios. There is little here that we couldn't find in our own lives, and that's precisely why it works. Silver Spoon shows there is beauty in an unremarkable life.
"Beauty", perhaps, is not something that would normally be attributed to the handling of manure and the slaughtering of livestock. But Silver Spoon shows these issues under a different perspective. The farmers who let their livestock visit the slaughterhouse are not necessarily the heartless creatures the PETA tends to colour them as. More often, the farmers care for their animals; when they are given no choice but to send one of their pigs or horses to the slaughterhouse, the farmer feels regret. But they understand. They know that not every creature can be blessed with a long and happy life. There is a sort of bittersweet irony to human nature, and the protagonist, Hachiken, eventually grows to understand by the end of the story: things are not always black-or-white. A grey or a silver is maybe the most common.
Silver Spoon is not preachy with its themes. It does not proselytise or portray farmers as saints. There is a strong sense of maturity and realism to the story, and often these themes are presented with light-hearted humour rather than excessive drama. The audience is never forced to feel a certain way; they don't even need to think about the themes if they would rather not. There is certainly a deeper meaning within Silver Spoon, but as simple entertainment it succeeds just as well.
The protagonist, Hachiken, is where the story shines the brightest. He is rebellious, depressed, the epitome of the angst-filled teenager. Hachiken looks down on the activities of his peers; he finds the work tiresome and disgusting. The notion of cleaning a pig's cage or cutting apart an animal for food feels degrading and inhumane. But he matures. He does not learn to enjoy these activities, but he gains the ability to respect others' lifestyles. His internal world becomes less about himself and more about the people surrounding him. He understands that he felt alienated in the past as a result of focusing only on himself. Humans are a social creature that require cooperation to find peace... usually.
Hachiken does not mature from melodrama or heavy-handed 'lessons'. He matures simply by living. The episodes of the show rarely contain any significant drama, and controversial topics (such as the slaughtering of livestock for food) are treated in a very down-to-earth, realistic manner. Silver Spoon could have easily become a sort of pro-slaughter propaganda, but it is not. Not in the slightest. It portrays both the good and the bad in equal measure. The only real issue with Hachiken's characterisation is that his stubbornness can get irritating, but even that seems a part of the point. The characters are not portrayed as inherently 'kind-hearted' or 'bad' people. They are human beings with their own traits and flaws. It's also nice to see an anime that actually focuses on the adult characters, too, instead of conveniently erasing them through the 'overseas trip' cliché. I've had quite enough of that.
Silver Spoon is a joy to watch even if you have no interest in the agricultural lifestyle. The activities that the characters participate in is very insightful, and there's a good chance you will learn a few things about farming along the way (I certainly did). The only problem is that the comedy is very hit-or-miss. It is completely and utterly Japanese... filled with exaggerated reactions, slapstick, and other things that western audiences are unlikely to find amusing. It feels repetitive and uninspired, almost like the mangaka threw these jokes in simply to /have/ jokes.
That said, the art is of a consistently high quality throughout. Even during the last third of the season when animators tend to make the most mistakes, Silver Spoon still manages to look just as clean as it did at the beginning. There is a sort of 'chiselled' look to the characters' faces which also gives the show a distinct visual style. Being the second major project from Hiromu Arakawa (of Fullmetal Alchemist fame), you will undoubtedly see some similarities between the two. Silver Spoon's anime adaptation may not have nearly the budget of Brotherhood, but it looks just fine on its own terms. There's hardly a reason to complain.
The music verges from great to completely out-of-place. There are some beautiful tracks but they are hampered by poor usage. The last few episodes of the second season, for example, contain several scenes with sombre classical music playing while two major characters argue with each other. The piece itself is nice... but did it really have to be used in this particular scene? The more quiet tracks, the ones that are less noticeable are what carry the majority of the emotion. It truly feels like a slice-of-life.
I can't imagine there would be a reason for any fan of anime to skip a series like Silver Spoon. If you are looking for teenagers screaming at Titans, I suppose, Silver Spoon might bore you with its lack of action scenes. But this lack of action is the series' greatest strength. It is introspective rather than epic, mature without ever forcing itself. The subtle drama feels meaningful; it works because it focuses on ordinary people rather than superheroes. You do not need a vested interest in the slice-of-life genre to appreciate Silver Spoon. It is a brilliant, heart-warming story that nearly anyone can enjoy.
Silver Spoon may be the antithesis of what Fullmetal Alchemist represents, but Arakawa shows that an emotional story can also be told through the simplicity of everyday life. We don't always need superpowers and villains to be excited. A simple tale can be more than enough.
