Reviews

We all come into a new anime with our pre-conceived notions. In the case of romance anime, we all assume we can predict what will happen. Several girls vying for the affection of a clueless protagonist and a lot of unecessary drama occurs. "Oh, a girl who can't shed tears needs to fall in love with a guy, so she can finally cry." I thought the premise was interesting, but I thought that True Tears would devolve into something we've seen time and time again. With each passing episode, my assumptions were proven false. True Tears delivered a much more mature albeit melodramatic look at high school romance. Still, even with its faults, True Tears deserves your attention.

Story(7/10)- The story basically starts off like every other romance anime out there. Guy likes girl, guy is too scared to let girl know how he feels. Teenage angst ensues. But where True Tears deviates from the norm is in its execution. There is almost no comedy/fanservice, it strictly focuses on the feelings of the main 3 characters, Shinchiro, Noe and Hiromi. You are really able to empathize with the girls; you will be torn about who ends up with the MC. Where the story fails is in two places. First, the metaphorical usage of "the chicken who could not fly." That part was poorly handled as it was a little hard to understand at certain points. I understand that it was supposed to represent the maturation of the MC. It was unecessarily artsy, and took away from the show. If I had a word to describe it, I would say 'misplaced.'

My second problem is the twist near the end of the show. We have a show that already was semi-realistic but all of that was thrown out the window when the twist comes. I am not saying what happened is impossible, I just believe it is not plausible.

Art(9/10)-The art is very crisp and beautiful. The drawings are meticulously detailed, and full of vibrant colors.

Soundtrack(8/10)-The soundtrack is the standard romance anime affair. Full of moody soundscapes, tracks seeping with despair. It is good but nothing on it will make you say, "Wow."

Character(8/10)-The cast of this show seems much more human than that of most romance anime. Every character here strays away from the typical archetypes: Tsundere, Kuudere and genki. I would like to say Noe, is one of the best love interests I have seen in a while. She displays a sway of different emotions, jealous, sadness, happiness. She was the most human of all. The MC was still displayed some ignorance, but not on the level of most romance anime. The only problem is that not all of the side characters are evenly developed. Unlike most romance anime, the parents actually have a significant role in the story. I found that to be surprising, but also refreshing.

Ultimately, True Tears is a show that deserves your attention, especially if you are a romance-drama fan. I give True Tears an 8/10.