Hidamari Sketch

Hidamari sketch is a wonderful 12 episode slice of life comedy about (SUPRISE!) four high school girls attending an art school. So what makes this show unique from all the other high school comedy's about a group of girls?
Their story may be the same as everyone else,
but their delivery is unlike most other high school
sitcoms you have seen.





When you start watching this show, the first thing you will notice right away is the art style and animation. Its definitely like nothing I've seen before. Well its more like theres two opposing art styles to the show. One is the standard cute ... chibi loli look (round faces and short stature). The second style is the super simplified look of the first style but taken to a whole new level. Its a little hard to explain but when you watch it you will realize what I mean. On top of that you will notice that the character backgrounds are quite unique as well. They emphasize more on simple single color backgrounds with light patterns. My favorite part of the show was how they used real photos of actual Japanese food and products.

That is another thing you will notice is that this show does a lot of fast camera switching. Basically changing scenes/viewpoints in under 2 seconds. It's long enough to understand what they're showing and what they're joking about, but it's a style that most people might get a little confused at first (i certainly did). This is what makes this show a little more unique than others of the same genre. It's comedy focuses more on one-shot gags more than anything else. While some shows do this once and a while, this show relies heavily on them. One-shot gags are basically telling a joke and showing what they mean real fast and then moving on to the next joke. Its a difficult style to understand since you will have to understand what they're talking about or you'll just waste your time trying to understand the previous joke. The casual anime viewer will most likely be confused more than anything since they're all jokes about Japanese culture, but its also a good way to learn the culture too. The show is also set as a sitcom style, with each episode representing one whole day (and specific day's at that). So you can essentially watch all the episodes in any order.

What seems to be where all the hard work (aka money) has been put into show is from the choice of voice actors. It's a mix of veteran seiyu's and rookie seiyu's but the outcome of it all comes off perfect since they all sound so insanely cute. From their school principal all the way down to one of the characters little sister's, they all have that air of cuteness in their voice. Even though their character types are very stereotypical of a high school sitcom, I found the characters to be very memorable. They are all drawn very cute, sound cute and act cute, so I found it VERY hard not to like every single one of them. But if i had to choose, the chemistry between Hiro and Sae would have to be my favorite part of the show. But as far as individual characters go, Miyako is my favorite even though I'm not a huge fan of the energetic-type characters.

For a show that sounds like just like another cookie cutter high school sitcom, they try their best to make this show different from the rest. From the story telling to art work, to even the way they tell their jokes its all unique. I definitely recommend this to anyone who love high school sitcoms or who wants some cheap laughs (or lolicon). Unfortunately, casual anime viewers might want to steer clear of this show simply for the Japanese one shot gags.

Welcome to one of the most relaxing anime's you have ever watched! I was pleasantly suprised about how this series turned out. I expected it to be an average slice of life with nothing special, and thoroughly enjoyed the series.

Even though the series is slow-paced, its never dull or mlacking in any way. It does exactly what it says on the tin. Each episode follows the trials of our 4 main heroines through the course of a day. That means no magic battles, no mushy romance, just staight up good, enjoyable slice of life, and all the bettter for it. What makes it a winner ... is its mix of comedy and heartwarming moments. From Hiro's constant worry over her weight, Miyako's obsession with food, Yuno's cutesy whining, Sae and her sister problems and everyones favourite cosplaying teacher, the series continues its run of constant laughs and entertaining views of the lives of these girls. And even though there is very little overriding plot, the development of the characters as they grow, and how the themes develop is a blessing on what could have been a total snorefest.

Animation-wise, you know what your getting into watchinbg a SHAFT series. Limited plot, but visually represented in a beautiful, yet simplisitc way. A perfect blend of bright colours, live-action photography and the pure moe of the characters make watching the show a treat to the eyes. The character's look distinct and cute, and the chibi deformations are used effetively and neither are over the top or underused. The soundtrack may be the shows weakest factor, but its by now means bad. Background music gives a calming effect, and moves elegantly from daft over the top during comedy to gentle, moving pieces when the need arises. The Opener and Ender Songs are perfect examples of this, with Sketch Switch acting as the fun, chirpy happy tune thats so addictive, it gets better every time you listen to it. Mabae Drive, on the other hand, is calm and sweet, perfectly complementing the series' moral and sweeter side.

There is very little to complain about in Hidamari Sketch, as it is a beautifully quaint show. Sure it never hits those comedy/tearjerker highs that other series experience, but what it does, it does extrememly well. Needless to say that the show itself is part of a small niche audience and if you don't like slow slice of life, you wont like this. But I feel You will miss out if you miss this series. Its an underappreciated gem, not helped by the fact that it was released around the same time as another 4 girls at high-school comedy slice of life, namely Lucky Star, which recieved much more critical acclaim being KyoAni (but in my opinion Hidamari Sketch is the better overall series). Watch this show, and it shan't disappoint.

Hidamari Sketch is sort of a cross between Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight and Lucky Star. One thing is to be sure: all of these titles center around high school girls living their daily lives (although Lucky Star advertises to a more general audience and Manabi Straight focuses a bit more on maturing). What makes Hidamari Sketch a little different though is the way the show comes across. The animators were obviously sort of unique in their thinking. It’s just sort of directed in a different sort of way. One might say arty, even. Which isn’t so much a surprise considering Hidamari Sketch takes place at ... a art school, Yamabuki Art High School to be exact.

Hidamari Sketch starts off with Yuno, who, mostly, is the protagonist, but mainly it centers around the four high school girls. There’s not so much of a story, as with all the other slice-of-life high school animes. You’ll get many a laugh out of it though, and it has it’s sweet moments as well. Some shoujo-ai is integrated in, mostly with Sae and Hiro, but it’s definitely not extreme, purely fluff, and it sort of depends on how you look at it. It could be just seem as a very caring friendship.

Speaking of the characters, they were all very likeable. Yuno is kind of the typical airhead who wants to do her best, but she seems introverted; Sae is unquestionably shy as well, blushing a lot (mostly due to Hiro’s teasing) but also levelheaded; Hiro is the gentle and sweet of the girls, but what sets her apart is her weight obsession: she’s constantly dieting and worrying about weight; and finally Miyako, certainly the most inimitable of the bunch, and also the most nonsensical. However, you don’t really delve into the characters lives or relationships that much, but that’s because the setting never strays away from the high school (besides the school trip and going shopping) and the Hidamari Apartments. Which is good, really, because it isn’t about their lives completely, it’s about their lives at Hidamari Apartments. You can’t forget their extremely silly teacher, Yoshinoya-sensei, and as she said in an episode, looks like she’s “enternally seventeen”. Seriously, how old is that woman?? Yoshinoya-sensei often dresses in various outfits which she insists, is most certainly not cosplay. Her childish actions provide a few laughs (and she always ends up being scolded by the frail eccentric principal).

The art, though not outstanding, is completely adorable and the animation is very creative. The angles it’s shown at, and the fast switching of the “camera” makes it more interesting. Also, what I really loved, was how they incorporated quirky things real-life photos, or the wiggling of Hiro’s wavy hair. The characters switch into chibi mode a lot, and their regular expressions are already adorable to begin with.

Oh, and I really loved the music. The opening and ending themes were so adorable! They contrast one another: the opening is peppy and chipper, while the ending theme is a little melancholic and has a sweeter, gentler sound to it. The seiyuu were wonderful, too, and all their voices were cute and fit the personality of the character, providing believable displays of vocal range.

You might think this is one of your typical high school girl lolicon sort of show, but I believe it goes beyond that, ranging from the wonderfully done animation to the relaxing feel to the show overall.

An experimental take on the slice of life genre that manages to create an artistically relaxing piece of art soothing for the soul.

Hidamari Sketch is a simple slice of life anime circling around the highschool lives of Yamabuki Arts High School freshmen, Yuno and Miyako. As they adjust to the new life as living independently in the Hidamari Apartment, they are guided by their 2 seniors Hiro and Sae which also living in the Hidamari Apartment and attends the same school.

From the get got Hidamari Sketch story at its core is “Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” set in high school type of narrative which ... is now becoming a typical staple nowadays. But Hidamari Sketch was very unique and innovative for the time it was released in 2007. Back then the number of anime about "Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” is very limited. Most of the time the story follows the same pattern as Azumanga Daioh formula it predecessor in the anime medium.

What is unique about Hidamari is the way it executes its themes and concept. It created an identity for itself, more specifically on the visual art direction. The Art style visuals are a combination of cute hand-drawn animation with a mix of real-world photos of objects. Its seems kind of weird there is two contrasting art style but it doesn’t feel out sync with the 2D visuals. On the contrary, the two styles blend well with each other. It looks natural in the sense. It also has a very inventive way of illustrating certain scenarios that work with the show's overall artistic theme. It uses colors and symbolism to demonstrate that a person is deeply sick but sometimes it also features also dementia-like visuals. Sometimes I forget I am actually watching a slice of life comedy and not a queer psychological anime.

Hidamari Sketch uses warm and calming colors heavily on its visual design. This range to pink, blue, orange, grey, green, yellow for a comforting and cozy atmosphere. And with a combination of white and light color for a sense of purity, cleanliness, and peacefulness. It uses these color combinations to express the show's good nature of being laid back and easy going.

The soundtrack does an amazing job of complementing the show's overall mood. The music used is a rather unwind tone that has a soothing flow. The OST gives relaxing vibes that get better over time. Mebae Drive by marble is a good example of a relaxing ending song that delivers a soft conclusion in every episode closing. The "Sketch Switch" by Kana Asumi, Kaori Mizuhashi, Ryoko Shintani & Yuko Goto however is the opposite. The Op is quite a cheerful and energetic upbeat which is pretty fun to listen to at the start of every episode.

As for character dynamics, Himdari Sketch has a lovable set of main characters. Their interactions and everyday conversation are quite entertaining to watch every episode while side characters are also while compelling supporting character's roles.The short second gags are very funny on many occasions. You will also learn some Japanese culture along the way because some gag is based around it and might be harder to comprehend. Miyako is my favorite girl in the series for being energetic, outgoing, playful and purely care about her friends though she is a bit clumsy at times. Nonetheless a good comedy anime for its genre.

Final Thoughts

Hidamari Sketch lacks a linear plot on its episodes. The show is pretty episodic in a format where its first episode starts in January last days then skip to August then revert back in June in the same year. You can actually watch in any order want except for Ep 1 and Ep 12 which the intro and the finale of the first season. But even it lacks and plot or direction it manages to deliver its message around. Hidamari Sketch is primarily an anime you watch to sit down and relax on a hard day of work. The characters did well in reminding the audience about simple but good things in life.

Hidamari Sketch reminds me of Azumanga Daioh highschool comedy while at the same time the relaxing slice of life aspect makes of Aria the Animation Series.

If you are feeling like a yawning metapod with that want to watch something simple and relaxing. I highly recommend Hidamari Sketch's warm and comforting aesthetic display and elegant audio tone.

Overview:

Well, my friends were always talking about this anime, so I figured I would pick it up and see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't disappointed at all, and if you go into it expecting a typical boring slice-of-life anime, you will probably be pleasantly surprised, at least if you like this type of anime. If not, steer clear of this anime as it is just about the daily lives of some art students. If you don't mind anime about everyday life, though, I think you will enjoy Hidamari Sketch.

Story:

The story is the only category I really subtracted a bit from. The story ... is a typical bunch of girls live together, become friends, and go to school deal, but this is really what you should expect in this type of anime. The story doesn't disappoint, but it doesn't redefine the anime genre either. Despite this, I thought it was good.

Art:

The art style is honestly one of the main reasons I decided to watch this anime. You can't really make an anime about an art school and have bad art. That just wouldn't work well. The art style in this is very unique, unlike anything I've seen before, at least one of the art styles in this anime is. There's a typical Japanese anime realistic looking style which they use a lot and isn't really unique, and also a super deformed almost chibi-looking art style which is very cute and each character has an extremely wide face. The art style was wonderful, in my opinion. I won't ramble on any more about how great it is, but I really liked this aspect of the series.

Sound:

This anime has a VERY catchy opening theme and perhaps a not-so-catchy ending theme, but they are pretty good. It gets you in the mood for the anime and does its job well. I also found the music in the preview for the next episode to be very relaxing for some reason and it fits the "everyday life" theme well. The characters all sound very cute. The sound is creative and used well.

Character:

Well, there are quite some odd characters in this series. Most of them tend to be flat (one-sided, don't change much), but that's exactly what I enjoyed about them. The characters were so predictable in their actions you could almost imagine what they would do in any scenario: Yunocchi worries about lots of stuff, Miyako eats anything available, Hiro worries excessively about her weight, and Sae worries about writing stories and her sister. How each character is so one-sided they seem like they have infinite sides to them somehow is what made me like the characters. They are very enjoyable to watch interacting with each other. They tend to be very simple characters, but all of them are cute in their own way.

Enjoyment:

I highly enjoyed this anime and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys slice-of-life anime. I never got bored with it and never paused for very long to stop watching. It is a very fun series, in my opinion. If you enjoy anime of this type, you will probably enjoy this series.

Overall:

I rated it a 10 simply because it's just about the best everyday anime I have seen. You may or may not like it as much as I did, but I mostly found this to be an excellent show. I tend to rate things higher than most people do, but I really thought this series was great. So, if you haven't seen it yet and like slice-of-life anime, I would recommend watching it sometime.

Happiness has a name, and that name is Hidamari Sketch!

If you're a fan of slice of life animes that leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling then look no further! Every episode guarantee to leave you in a euphoric joy! take a peek into the life of some of the most lovable, adorable, and kindhearted characters ever made.

While Hidamari Sketch may not be a fast paced action packed show that usually top the charts, its a slow and steady anime that will never let you down or fail to make you smile :D

Lets start with the beginning! The opening theme song for the first season ... of Hidamari Sketch is "Sketch Switch" sung by the cast themselves. This catchy smile inducing song mixed with the opening really shows you what you're about to expect 4 girls, art school, living together, and their close knit friendship and their generally carefree view on life.

The first thing that surprised me is the simplicity of the art style, and this by far is not a drawback, if anything its simplicity is what gives it its charm. its unique "wide faced" style really caught my attention on how well it works to both show the feelings and emotions of the characters, as well as knocking you out of your chair in joy :D

The storyline gives you just enough to feel like you're there with them, living at the hidamari apartments going through the'yre hardships and happy times by their sides. you'll want to give Yuno inspiration, toss Miyako a little snack, tell Hiro shes fine the way she is, and tell Sae to hang in there!

And speaking of the characters, I have yet to be introduced to one that I didn't like! Everyone has they're place, from the fun loving childish sensei to the kindhearted chain smoking land lady. The four girls themselves fit perfectly in what I like to call a "cozy family" (there is even a reference to this in the 2nd season) the friends care for each other unconditionally and are always there to support one another in times of need.

But this show isn't without its cons.. :D and my biggest complaint? its far too short! 12 episodes is hardly time to say what needs to be said and to explore what needs to be explored. At the end of each episode you'll be begging for more! It was almost too hard to watch the last episode you'll hate to say goodbye to these girls that you feel such a bond with...

That's where season 2 comes in ^_^

There is a certain beauty to everyday life. The same old same old routine one has for every day. The time spent just enjoying the little things. The growth every person experiences which does not happen spontaneously but over long drawn-out periods of time. That beauty is what the entire slice-of-life genre strives to depict and portray. A good slice-of-life must fully illustrate the subtle happiness of everyday life, filling itself not with epic adventure or intense circumstances, but with the normal everyday problems and struggles we experience on a day-to-day basis. And I would like to say that Hidamari Sketch is a shining example ... of this genre.

Hidamari Sketch is a show about four high-school girls who all study at an art school and live together in the Hidamari Apartments. They spend lots of time together and are really good friends. (Some would say they're even more than friends). And the entire show is just them hanging out and having fun. I can't really judge its story because there really isn't one. It's just these four girls enjoying their normal everyday lives. The episodes aren't even set near each other. Each episode is set on some random date of the year. Not really on any significant dates either (except the last episode which is set on Christmas). This was most likely done so as to emphasize the every day instead of the best days, to showcase the normal instead of the significant. It really shows that Hidamari Sketch is not supposed to be a show about our high points in life, but a show about life itself in its own regular variety.

I really have to praise the Shaft team for this show. The animation and art for this show is absolutely stellar, which makes sense for a show about art students. The animation of the characters specifically is amazing and is my absolute favorite aspect of this show. I think by calling the art "absolutely stellar" probably made you think about stuff like Studio Ghibli or Mushishi or Aria or something, however the artstyle of this show is just really goofy and fun. What I think is so amazing about this art is because it of how it can improve jokes by like a hundred percent. There are so many jokes in this show that probably wouldn't have landed if it weren't for the art. Heck, it even made jokes that didn't actually exist land. Just show chibi Miya-chan's face as she says something only slightly stupid and I'll smile my heart out. Maybe the real reason why I thought the art was so amazing was because it's just so cute.

I think I also have to mention the directing in this show. It's just as crazy as Shaft's usual directing (*cough* Monogatari *cough*). This, I believe, puts this show at the goofier end of the slice-of-life where shows depict emphasize the silliness of everyday life in contrast with the other end of the slice-of-life spectrum which prefers to emphasize the monotony of life instead (iyashikei).

The music in this show is not really that memorable. Other than the OP (which is pretty catchy), there's not really anything about its music that I'd like to point out. However, I really have to give props to the voice acting, especially for Miya-chan's voice actor. The way her voice cracks (I think their voice cracks) makes some of her jokes incredibly hilarious, make her actually sound like an actual high schooler, and just overall an incredibly memorable character. She's actually my favorite character from this entire show.

On that note, let's talk about the characters. The protagonist, Yuno, is one of those shy quiet types who don't really have that much self-esteem but still love hanging out with friends. Sae is the senpai who's not very honest about her feelings and has a fair amount of insecurities. She gets really pressured with deadlines and doesn't have the best relationship with her family. Hiro is that girl who'll always ask if this dress makes her look fat, and is rather wary about her looks. She's that person who always says she'd go on a diet just before eating all your cake. Finally, Miya-chan is basically the comic relief character who's lazy, clumsy, spontaneous, hungry. I'm sure everyone has had someone like her as a friend, right? Compared to the rest of the Hidamari residents however, she's actually fairly confident in herself. Unlike the other three, she's never really been shown to have any real insecurities. She's never been depicted as worrisome or unconfident. And she always helps out her friends when they feel down. When one of her friends need a small injection of self-esteem, she'll be there. When one of her friends need someone to talk to, she'll be there. When one of her friends has any food, she'll be there. The way these four act and interact with each other, and the way they grow and learn are what make this show great. There are episodes that specifically revolve around one of these characters insecurities and they learn a life lesson at the end of these episodes, however it never feels hamfisted or cheesy. The way this show depicts growth as an important aspect of everyday life makes it really shine amongst other lesser slice-of-lifes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this show. It's cute, relaxing, nostalgic, and, most of all, fun. If you just wanna watch something to relax you after a long stressful day, give this show a shot. Its crazy, but in an "everyday life with your friends" kind of way. All the characters are relatable and really fun to watch. In the end though, this show's biggest strength is its ability to make you smile.

If the world of anime was a diner, Hidamari Sketch wouldn't just be the cake, it would be a whole damn bowl of chocolate frosting.

Here you will find a show for an extremely specific audience, one that probably isn't for most fans, to be honest. Not only is it the dreaded slice of life genre, but it's unapologetically moe to boot! Both of these subsets have quite vocal critics, and if you insist on rejecting a show based on either qualification, then stop reading right now.

But if you're curious about why I hold Hidamari Sketch in such high regard despite these two facts, ... and if you're patient enough to judge something for yourself, you'll find here a production without equal. Like any anime, it just requires the proper mindset going in. Especially if you've never seen a real slice of life show before, prepare for a whole lot of nothing. Each and every of the 12 episodes begins and ends exactly the same way; Yuno wakes up hitting her alarm clock and goes to bed after taking a bath. But the magic lies in what the writing does for the show despite such an unexciting premise. Anyone can create tension and drama with premises like magical witches, superhuman fighters or giant mechs; it takes something special to make viewers respond to everyday activities. Yuno and her friends have that in spades.

That pacing is the most unique thing about Hidamari Sketch in the end. Unlike just about every other show, it's shown anachronistically (out of order), with one episode for each month. But instead of being chaotic, the resulting pacing is seamlessly continuous. The subtle beauty of connecting motifs and barely stated plot points one after another creates an experience that seemingly never ends. When the last episode finally arrives (quite quickly, as the show tends to suck you in), the full context of the first episode is revealed and a real sense of maturity descends.

That's the other beautiful thing about the show, the delicacy of the themes. Common things like coming of age, friendship, independence and childhood dreams are addressed, but instead of being beat over the head again and again like less articulate shows, morals are only ever implied. You have to look for the rewards here, but the result is much more satisfying.

Outside of the writing, that overriding moe style is quite unavoidable, for better or worse. It really is for the best if you can at least stand cuteness upon cuteness, and if that's a delicacy of yours, then look no further! Basically, that overused chibi style is used more often than the character's normal designs. And the loli fan-service, for lack of a better descriptor, rears it's ugly head more often then any cute pretext could pretend to require. While on the subject of design, the animation could be called...simplistic at best. To fit with the overriding cute style, things are seemingly left out. For example, other students are left as blank silhouettes, random objects like alarm clocks and vegetables are drawn photo-realistically, and passing cars are only animated as a cutout with the word "car". If you're a stickler for big production value, then this might be an issue. But again, it's not a bad thing. If you can open your mind to see what kind of story can be told without all the bangs and whistles, then you can begin to appreciate it.

Yuno and her three friends are quite a paradox, really. Each one can be quickly associated with a primary color personality, but the way they mix together will astonish you. You'll see them gradually mature over the course of a year, and you'll grow right along with them if your inner child can at all remember what that age was like. For an anime based on the lives of student artists, it might seem like very little drawing actually takes place. Just like everything else, this is all part of the illusion. Each time something small is sacrificed, tiny and intricate rewards pop up at every turn. Whether you're looking for a pleasant diversion for the young at heart, a blatant nostalgic trip to childhood days gone by, or an incessantly cute comedy craving, Hidamari Sketch will leave you with a smile.

It was my boyfriend who first introduced me to hidamari sketch, and we watched the first few episodes together. i found from episode to episode they didn't make much sense. it took me a while to really appreciate it for what it was.

it was fun, it wasn't trying to be anything, not serious or too funny, or to sweet. and it wasn't even trying to tell a fully plotted story either. what they focused on most was the interactions between the characters in the setting. And it really showed in the quality.

Hidamari sketch, and it's second season hidamari sketchx365 encompass almost two years of time ... withinthe anime. each episode opens with a date, and after watching enough, you can see where it lies in the timeline. one of the fun points is watching an episode and there's a gem of a hint hidden somewhere in there, and you don't think of it much until perhaps 5 episodes later when it's earlier in the timeline and it's explined, and it seems all that much funnier to you becuase they had that forsight. sometimes jokes aren't revealed untilthe second season.

hidamari can be a lazy anime, there isn't action or real conflict, it really is a slice of life fluff anime. but i find lately that's what's the most fun. you can burn out on watching the drama filled, harem sutffed, or action packed animes, but a nice fluff is always welcome. especially for cuddling up in bed or on the couch.

the characters are quite funy and each bring something special to the group dynamic. and even the supporting cast shows enough of itself to really find a place.

i would liken this anime to azumanga daioh, but, lighter.

All in all very enjoyable, and just. Fun.

Hidamari Sketch is able to drag you into it--in to the everyday lives of four high school girls. "Boring or not?" you may ask. Usually these slice of life anime would have some sort of a twist to it such as the supernatural. As for Hidamari sketch, it's just a normal day to day life that might seem mundane to some. However, I enjoyed this anime more than other with the 'twists'. So, what makes it special? It comes with amazing sound soundtrack and tripy art that helps alleviate the mundane-ness from the simple plot. But ultimately, it comes with a well portrayed human interaction ... which reminds me of the better days in my life.

I first heard of Hidamari Sketch when I downloaded a video. It had parodies of an opening of an anime I like, and Hidamari Sketch was on there. Later I rediscovered it by watching/downloading the opening. I thought it was gonna be a good anime, so I slapped it on my "Plan to watch" list. When Hidamari Sketch was next, I gave it a good looking. At first, I didn't finish the first and second episodes because they were boring, but by the time the 3rd episode rolled around it got more and more interesting. So I am gonna write a review on this wonderful ... anime.

Story: 8/10

It is about a girl named Yuno. Last name not given. She finally manages to enter the school of her dreams. Yamabuki Private High School....Private? I guess so. She moves into an apartment and lives on her own, along with her friend Miyako, and her senpais Hiro and Sae. Yuno enters the art department which is packed with beautiful art, and a cosplay lover, Yoshinoya sensei. Yoshinoya often get's scolded by the principal (like at my school, except my homeroom teacher is not a cosplay lover) and other things happen.

Art: 9/10

The art is pretty cute, fabulous, pretty, and just flawless. The girls designs looked just like the characters in the manga. The later the better.

Sound: 10/10

I got addicted to the opening the first time I saw it. I also loved the ending as well. I don't often pay attention to the music in the anime, but I liked it. The characters voices were pretty unique. None of the characters sounded alike, and none of them sounded like ten-year-olds on helium.

Characters: 8/10

My favorite character changed overtime. First it was Miyako, than Nazuna, than Hiro and Nazuna. The characters are so awesome, it's difficult to not like them. The principal is the only character I was "eeh" on. I didn't hate hin, but didn't like him either.

Enjoyment: 9/10

While in the first couple of episodes I did get bored, wishing it was over, but when the 4th episode rolled along I found it more and more interesting. After I finished it, I was satisfied. (Fun fact, I did want to watch Hidamari Sketch and I told my mom to change it to that channel. I found out later that anime only air in Japan on the date it airs.)

Overall: 10/10

I really enjoyed it. It was sort of an anime I would like, and I did! And the only thing I will say now, is if you love a lighthearted and cute anime, then Hidamari Sketch is for you!

Hidamari Sketch is a Slice of Life/Comedy anime about four girls attending an art high school while living together in an apartment building called Hidamari Apartments that's right across the street from the art high school.

This anime is extremely simplistic on the surface and does not offer much of an actual story since what it mostly focuses on are the girls living out their daily lives in Hidamari apartments interacting with each other while also attending school

What makes this anime truly a wonder to behold are the characters themselves and their personalities for each girl has their own special unique quirks and traits about them ... that make them each lovable.

Now to give a brief example of the characters and there personalities I shall briefly go over each girl and give a small bit of insight about who they are.

First we have Yuno who has a passion for drawing art but is not very good at it and seems to have issues as it relates to her height and being short

She decides to move to Hidamari apartments while attending an art school inorder to live on her own and become more independent from her parents.

There she meets three residents from Hidamari apartments.

One being a happy go lucky blond girl who is an appsolute genius when it comes to stuffing her face with everything in sight as it relates to food.

Another being an upperclassman motherly senpai who despite being self conscious about her weight has a desire to consume sweets on the daily bases.

Then we have a bi-spectable blue haired girl who is obbessed with being writer but seems to care more about others and tends to neglect herself.

I really enjoy how all the girls personalities seem to reflect and bounce off each other continuously throughout the series.

One of the things that continuously touches me the most about this
anime is the way it displays the girls interacting with each other for I'm always able to emotionally connect to and feel how they each care
about and love one another in a way that always melts my heart and
gives me that warm fuzzy feeling inside T.T

This anime has a great amount of humor to be found within it as well
and you will find yourself continuously laughing at all the ridiculously silly yet extremely cute funny moments that take place with the characters.

Also would like to mention that I really love the art style and
animation of this anime.

The animation in question was done by the well known Studio Shaft whos responsible For many well-known animes like Madoka Magica and the Monagatari series for example.

The person responsible for the art style in Hidamari Sketch goes by
the name of Aoki Ume who is the same person responsible for the character illustrations of Madoka Magica so if you enjoyed how those characters look from that anime you will most definitely enjoy how the characters look in Hidamari Sketch.

Though compared to Madoka Magica Hidamari Sketch characters
have more of a chibi style look to them.

In closing this anime is a great watch for anyone looking for a
wonderful feel good type anime to relax and enjoy if they're feeling depressed or are looking to unwind from a stressful day or just want to
enjoy an easy going yet cute anime with adorable lovable characters.

This anime is very percious to me and I can only hope its able to bring as much joy to your life as it does to mine(:

Hidamari Sketch

Super cute slice of life about 4 girls in an art club. Though the art club isn't exactly a focus of the show, it's very slice of life based with the girls, Yuno-chi, Miya-chan, Hiro and Sae just living out their lives in high school. The sensei for the art class is beautiful and excentric Yoshinoya-Sensei; she's pretty amazing and the mystery behind her is very intriguing, I hope the other seasons of Hidamari Sketch delve into her backstory some more.

I love the chibi forms of the cast when they're doing things in an exaggerated way, especially the face reactions, they're so ... funny, cute and adorable!! ~

I also love the art style used in Hidamari Sketch, it's very cute and colorful. Big cute eyes and great expressions. I also love how the artists used real life objects and food when they felt necessary, the blend of anime and real life works surprisingly well. I also like it when the art looks like it's being magnified into dots of RGB, really interesting and unique style that I haven't seen much if anywhere before.

The OP used for Hidamari Sketch is pretty good, verging on really really incredible. It's the ED that really shines for me though, I love the slower paced music and the vocalist is beautiful to listen to. The anime itself uses music well enough, though even after watching the anime, I can't recall many scenes where it stands out.

Another great slice of life anime that has some length to it, considering there are 3 more seasons to watch, so I'm pretty excited to see what happens.

Would not recommend if you don't like slower shows, since Hidamari isn't always on the comedic attack or anything; there are also ecchi scenes, mostly taking place in the bath houses and bathing scenes, of which there are plenty (Wasn't expecting this, but I enjoyed it regardless); not detailed nudity, but there are people who may be like "Nope", shame.

I really like Hidamari Sketch though, it's fun and the cast of characters makes it great to watch, especially Yoshinoya-Sensei, the sieyuu for her has a super kawaii voice!! Even if it may be slow, I don't find it dull, then again, shows like this are never dull for me because I like them to begin with!

When I thought about slice of life + comedy I only could think about something cloying about the comedy part, with full of nonsense and cheap jokes, till I discovered Hidamari Sketch.

I have to admit that I was very reluctant on watching it because the plot seemed boring and simple but one day I started to watch the first episode and I could not stop. The magic engulfes every detail in a surprisingly positive feeling and makes the viewer to enjoy even with the simplest things of life.

Since there are only 4 main permanent characters you get to know them very well, but the story ... manages to avoid you get bored of any of them. I could say it evokes the opposite, the more and more you watch and go deeper in each one's lifes and hearts the more you like it and stronger the feeling towards them. That's maybe one of its best traits and will make you cry more and more the further you progress in it. The last episodes really touched my heart.

I also like the references they give to the spectator regarding the japanese culture and traditions, which is a basic thing for the slice of life genre imho, and even with that they do it in a funny and entertaining way.

It's an overall very well made anime that will dose the exact medicine for those who are ill for watching more anime. Totally recommended if this is your genre, I will never regret having invested my time on it :)

Thankfully my nutbladder survived…for now.

Story:
Like with most (all?) slice of life anime, “story” has to be seen as relative, as there is no plot moving forward here. We witness a bunch of art school students doing what they do with their lives, which only rarely includes art. Most of the time they eat or talk about eating. I somehow get the expression from shows like this and many others, that food is very important in Japan. Anyway, Hidamari Sketch is certainly not one of the most exciting shows out there, but it manages to be somewhat entertaining with all its little interactions. Yeah, this anime ... is a slow one, even for its genre, but it makes up for it in other departments. As somebody who has neither any knowledge nor interest in art (in terms of creating it, of course I enjoy consuming art in form of, for example, Asian cartoons) I was relieved that it wasn’t the focus, but means for the purpose. It’s not that easy to make something interesting for laymen, as many sports anime can attest, but the times art played a part in here was well done.
7/10

Art:
The directing, cutting, camera angles etc. are the usual unnerving style we know from other Akiyuki Shinbou shows like Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei or the Monogatari series, but not as massively used here. It’s very interesting to see the style of Akiyuki Shinbou in a show that is not the least bit bizarre (otherwise). This contrasts heavily with the character design by Ume Aoki, something that fans of Madoka might be all too familiar with (is this what Madoka would look like without the influence of Urobuchi?). Hidamari popularized the wideface, which can be seen on occasion even today and which I personally like a lot. The girls all look pretty cute and the world of Hidamari is colorful, yet not in bright, flashy colors but more in mellow and calming tones. Again, I don’t know the first thing about art, so please don’t call me out on my lack of terminology. All that said, I still don’t think Hidamari Sketch looks very special compared to other anime. It’s all solid and good, but not spectacular.
7/10

Sound:
The opening song is cute and catchy, as one would expect from such a show. I don’t remember much about the ending, rather forgettable song, but not terrible or anything. Pretty much the same can be said about the rest of the score, it was unobtrusive, which is better than something annoying or unfitting, but nothing to write home about. The voice acting was solid throughout, many of the cast members are well known names who know what they are doing. Yuuko Gotou amazes me everytime by playing well-mannered, soft-spoken girls (the total opposite of her real self). It’s also kinda sad how enthusiastic the late Miyu Matsuki (as Yoshinoya-sensei) sounds, poor girl. I had some issues with the sound quality, loud voices sounded overdriven, but I don’t know if that was a quality problem of the show or of the source I used. I tried a different one, but it still seemed to be that way. But since I can’t pinpoint for sure that Hidamari itself is to blame, I will not hold this against it.
7/10

Characters:
Hidamari Sketch has the classic four girl ensemble, with all the stock characters present. That doesn’t sound very fascinating, but it’s really all you need as long as the writing is good. We have the soft-spoken cutie, the total nutcase, the well-mannered lady and the tsundere tomboy, as well as the airheaded teacher and very eccentric principal as side characters. Everything that happens in this show is based on the interactions between these people and for what it’s worth, it does its job. Yuno is the main focus of the anime and therefore acts as the viewer surrogate. How well this works is dependent on the viewer of course. For me, I could relate to her love of anything cute and the friendliness (I try, I swear), but her interest in arts and food didn’t click with me. I had more fun with Miyako, who was by far the funniest character in the show. I also enjoyed their interactions, as Miyako is not a complete troll like others of her archetype, just a playful friend who is a little…special. She’s not only about having fun, but having fun with her friends. There was one episode where she helped out Yuno while she had a fever, that was really sweet.

Sae and Hiro weren’t fleshed out enough for my taste, so I couldn’t get into them much. They felt less like main and more like supporting characters. Sae did get somewhat of an arc dedicated to her, but that wasn’t all that relatable for me. Hiro didn’t have much to say besides having weight issues (for whatever reason, she looks perfectly fine) and having romantic subtext with Sae. In fact, I’m not even sure this is still subtext, they seemed to be pretty much a couple. Yoshinoya was a fun side character, but I’m glad she only appeared on occasion. I think I would have gotten tired of her by too much exposure. So, while I think the characters worked well enough for this show, they didn’t give me anything on top of that, which is not a problem in itself, but the possibilities weren’t exploited to their fullest.
6/10

Enjoyment:
I apologize if my review thus far seems a little lackluster, but it’s very hard to put Hidamari Sketch into words. This show is more of an experience, for lack of a better word. However, I found this anime to be a little too slow for my taste. Pacing in slice of life is a delicate art and in this case, I feel it didn’t work out all that well. It’s still enjoyable, but I think there is a reason Hidamari Sketch is not as popular as, for example, Lucky Star or Azumanga Daioh. It’s a solid show by all means, but it misses that special something, that one thing that sets it apart from other anime of its kind. For a fan of the genre, it is worth a watch. But if you want to take a peek inside the world of cute girls doing cute things, you may be better off starting somewhere else first.
7/10

Overall: 6.8/10

This aired way back when Shaft was a struggling up-and-coming animation house, and I was fresh off of watching Honey and Clover's second season, so I thought "Huh, another anime about a gang of art students? I'll give this one a go."

TL;DR: LOL cute art students.

You'd think this show would start right around where the manga started, with Yuno taking the entrance exam. Uh, well, not quite-- you begin with a "day in the life of Yuno and her housemates", and that's pretty much how it goes for the entire series. I don't know if Shaft took cues from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, but ... the episodes in early seasons of the Hidamari Sketch series isn't strictly chronological, though you can make out a timeline because every episode/sub-episode has a date attached to it. There are little details here and there throughout the series that also help anchor each episode into the timeline, most notably the caterpillar. I thought that was a nice touch.

Basing an anime off of a 4-panel ("yon-koma") comic strip is a challenge all its own-- usually all there is to work with are quickly-drawn characters and their gags, so an animation studio has to come up with some story to bind together assorted strips into a more cohesive narrative. With shows like Lucky Star, the studio simply lets fly with the gags and the episode's scenes seem to fly by in an instant. The direction Shaft took this comic strip is very much in the iyashi direction. The opening scene of a typical episode starts with birds flapping in the morning and Yuno's alarm clock going off, and ends with a relaxing bath time scene (there are probably more bathing scenes in this show than any other show of this type for this reason)-- it eases you into the world, and eases you out. And despite Shaft's incomplete animation during broadcast, they did a great job of creating the atmosphere that is typically missing in comic strips-- because the quick setup/punch line is so important, the background is often just a single shade of grey or a gradient. Shaft made sure that we're always aware that the characters live in a 6-room apartment house across the street from their school. The animation combines hand-drawn with, surprisingly, either photographs or photorealistic drawings of real-world objects. This adds an extra layer of fun, and ties in nicely with Yuno's situation in the first episode.

The chemistry among the characters is easily one of the best parts of the show. Usually a gag would begin with Miyako's shenanigans (her description aptly called her a moodmaker and troublemaker), and one or more of the other 3 girls would be the straight girl ("tsukkomi") in the manzai act. One of the great things about this is, Miyako's stunts seem dangerously stupid but are often ultimately harmless, and usually end with her getting bonked on the head. The central quartet is very well written and directed, each girl is detailed and has her own hang-ups and quirks.

Unfortunately the characters are also one of the biggest weaknesses of the show. Other than Yuno, who grows at roughly the same pace as a bonsai tree (not strictly referring to height), pretty much all of the characters in the show are the same people from start to finish. For example, Yoshinoya is still a cosplaying, slightly perverted art teacher who regularly gets in trouble with the principal (who seemingly has Parkinson's, but has the athletic capabilities of a gymnast).

But I could forgive that easily-- the gags are hilarious and often catch you off guard, Yuno's imagination is very colorful, and all the characters are lovable. This is true for every season of this wholesome series.

I want to live in Hidamarisou.

More than any other slice-of-life I've seen, I want to live this perfect life. Yes, this is a perfect life kind of slice-of-life: everybody's always happy, they live on their own and go to a high school for art, and they do fun things even when things look boring.

Now the story...uh...who cares about plot, it's basically a direct feed of happiness and sunshine into your head. I grew rainbows out of my eyes after watching this. And no that's not painful. It feels warm and fuzzy.

I absolutely love how SHAFT does anime, really, and this is ... no different. In fact, I think this is the pinnacle of SHAFT's distinct artsy style--and it's quite fitting, taken the art theme of the whole thing. That, coupled with the unique random stretched-out face thing (you'll get what I mean if you don't already), makes the art especially memorable.

So basically, if you are feeling sad for whatever reason, this is a perfect way to turn your frown upside-down ^___________^

Hidamari Sketch is, by a reasonably large margin, the best Slice of Life anime I have ever watched. This review isn't going to have any real structure; I'm basically just going to list off things I want to say about it in the order I want to say them.

Yuno is a literal angel. No, she's better than one. That is how perfect she is.
Miyako is my ideal real-world girlfriend. Cute, hot, kind, supportive, energetic, playful, a great singer, a tomboy—the list of good traits is endless.
Sae strikes the ultimate balance between dashing and facking cute.
Hiro is just really really huggable. Mommy
I feel like Nori is ... just a way better version of myself in the sense that she's a temperamental geek, but cute and nicer than me.
I would die if it meant stopping Nazuna from being sad.

Hidamari Sketch is pretty much designed specifically to be relaxing. Not only does it accomplish this all-too easily, one doesn't even have to watch past the OP for the happiness the show gives off to infect them. CGDCT is the best antidepressant out there.
One way it does this that I like is repetition, specifically the shots of the birds frying in front of the school to signify morning, and Yuno using her bath bomb to signify the end of the day. In addition to the show's realisticity which I'll talk about in a moment, it really helps in keeping the show "grounded," which I think is an important part of why Hidamari Sketch is great.

Every single event in this anime, big and small, is something that happens in real life. (Excluding the Ume-sensei scenes she's not real) Why is this good? The answer is relatability and wish-fulfillment; which of the two depends on the specific scene and the viewer's situation. Hidamari Sketch takes you to another world that is a reflection of our own. I'm finding it hard to explain why I appreciate this fact as much as I do, so I'll leave it at that.
The show has some ecchi that comes off to me as surprisingly tasteful, given the wholesomeness of everything else. I think it was inserted by Shinbou—it wasn't in the manga. Nonetheless I appreciate it personally.

Love the little scenes with Ume-sensei, the little animal who lives on top of the Hidamari Apartments. Having a representation of the anime's original mangaka like that, voiced by the mangaka herself, is a novel concept and it works great here.

A lot of SoL's have transition slides to signify a change of scene, but few use theme as well as Hidamari Sketch does. Each one is a unique picture, and more often than not it's something that adds to whatever line of dialogue it follows.

I love the side characters. Yoshinoya, the landlady, and Chika are obviously super fun people to watch, (and "watching" characters in hidamari sketch feels like being around them) but even the few male characters like the principal and Matsuoka add a lot. I wish we got to see more of some of the other girls, especially Arisawa, but I'm happy for what we got of them.

Lastly, visual and audio. The show adopts a pretty low-detail artstyle rather suitable for 2007 Shaft. Speaking of Shaft I like how they put their name on every product instead of nothing or the common product displacement. And as I've said many times, I love the style they applied to this. I feel like the simple backgrounds and lack of extras common for the studio somehow make the show even more immersive when you're watching in the right mindset. Also the real-life objects, though less numerous than I was led to believe, are charming. The OST invokes the repetition I mentioned earlier, getting the viewer to associate certain songs with the lackadaisical calmness of the scenes they accompany. The violin they use is great.

The OP's are ICONIC. Each one is better than the last, at least until they peak with Hoshimittsu, great as the last two are. I love how for every season's OVA they completely change the lyrics and slightly change the visuals—more shows should do that. As for the ED's, they're pretty.

When I say Hidamari Sketch is my favorite SoL, that's not a light claim. I'm saying I love this show more than I love masterpieces like Yuri Yuri, K-On!, Non Non Biyori, GochiUsa, KinMoza, and plenty of others. But I still make that claim confidently because I feel Hidamari Sketch is special. Like, I GOT CHOKED UP AT THE END WITH NATSUME AAAAA
Just as a fun time in one's life tends to feel short once it's over, looking back, Hidamari Sketch's four seasons feel like four episodes.
Sadly Hidamari Sketch effectively can't continue ever, (even though the manga is somehow still ongoing) but god Shaft needs to do a CGDCT again.

The least I can say about Hidamari Sketch is that I'm glad it was recommended to me. This season is 12 episodes long, 24 minutes each that feel longer because of the extremely well paced format. I'm told the character designer later went on to design characters for Madoka and it shows.



Story: 7/10

The main character (and best girl) Yuno begins her classes at
Yamabuki Art High School and makes friends with the girls in the Hidamari apartments where she will be living by herself after being dependent on her family for so long. The characters bond and their bonds allow them to depend on each ... other for support, whether they're unhappy with their physical appearance, can't make their own meals to save their lives, or didn't quite get a project finished on time and are unhappy with it.
The girls are there for each other and Sketch makes this apparent without ever delivering the message in a heavy handed way.
This tone blends beautifully with what is now possibly one of my favorite art styles.



Art: 9/10

The art style alone is something you could write pages on.
From the first scene it caught me off guard with a mix of real object renders and drawn animation. This use of real objects and products was something unexpected from an anime that mostly uses flat colors and simple techniques but it works really well with the jumps between the Chibi design and character backgrounds. There's a lot of unique charm to the way Sketch looks, and it works because of the very artist oriented story it tries to tell.
It's fast. It's moe. It's simple. And it works.



Sound: 8/10

The VA's all did fine jobs, and every time Yoshinoya (their teacher) would get excited about something or fawn over herself it cracked me up because the delivery was perfect. The OP is catchy and when I wasn't watching the show I'd find myself humming it while doing chores and other activities.



Characters: 9/10

The characters are all lovable and great from the perspective that they aren't supposed to be groundbreaking or have complex moral dilemmas. They're 4 girls having a good time in a slice of life show about an art school. Their interactions with each other are fun, sweet, and simple.

Enjoyment: 10/10


Overall: 8/10



Conclusion:
I enjoyed Hidamari Sketch a LOT more than I thought I would have after seeing the first episode. As the series went on I felt attached to the characters and wanted to see them succeed and felt for them at their most minor inconveniences. Thankfully, there's a lot more of Hidamari Sketch and I'm looking forward to the rest of it.

I was originally going to review both the two seasons separately, but I felt like they were too similar to warrant separate reviews, so this review kind of sums up both. Don't worry, it's a comedy, so I doubt I could spoil anything from the second season that would make you dislike watching the first; it is not a drama, after all. I would have wrote this on the second season, but I want people to watch this, so I figured here would be the better place to advertise.

Actually, I was originally going to wait until I finished the entire anime and then I would ... write a single review on this season alone describing them all, but the third season onward began to show different vibes that I felt were worthy of another time. With that out of the way, let's begin.

What's to be said about Hidamari Sketch? Well, not a whole lot, and yet a whole bunch. If I had to use one phrase to describe this anime, it would be nonchalantly sparkling. It comes off in this nice, calm school setting surrounding four young girls; all possessing pretty unique personalities for this genre.

Before I go on, one thing I would like to note is that this anime actually shows boys. And I mean, shows them talking and everything, to the point where a whole scene had two of them talking to each other and, at one point, to one of the main girls. This is quite a departure from most girl comedies that normally only show them as background characters, either due to not wanting any romance involved (well, besides one special exception) or because they would not fit into the girly atmosphere. Though, from what I have seen, there has yet to be one that is a recurring character thus far. Note how I did not mention minor.

Anyway, the girls' are very fun to watch and their personalities are very fitting of interacting with one another. If you want a girl comedy where you will feel warm and fuzzy on the inside with a relaxing tone of anecdote delivery, look no further than Hidamari Sketch. Even better, this one will last you a good fifty Or so episodes. And, to top it off, it is made by Shaft. Yes, that is a synonym of the male (...) I heard it all before, but these people also made the infamous Madoka Magica series. So, expect some wide faces to exist here as well. Oh, and once they are drawn in their comedy form, your prior conceptions of how far an anime face can stretch will be outmatched.

So, yes, this review basically sums up the essentials of the first two seasons. Both deliver nearly identical comedy and all the characters are the same from the first season, though a few of them develop quite a bit in the second and it is quite enjoyable to watch. Most notably is a girl in their school that basically became a breakout character, as she had only appeared one time in the first season and immediately became, not a minor, but recurring character in the second season.

This is a pretty short review, but I do not have to say much about Hidamari Sketch. It delivers comedy, and delivers it well; it is made by Shaft, whom made my favorite anime (which I loved Hidamari Sketch for referencing) and it also carries over their tradition of having a goofy mascot appear randomly throughout the entire ordeal.

At the very least, you would feel neutral if girl comedies are not up your ally, but this one delivers no cringe humor in the slightest. The comedy feels natural and the production value was more centered on the dialogue more than the backgrounds, so expect some simplicity on them when you first start it. In fact, expect a lot of comedic things done with the art the more you watch it.

So, I hope you at least give this one a go before you shove it away. It is a bit hard to take in at first due to the backgrounds fooling you into thinking it is a low production, but the characters become very lovable. You will have at least one favorite by the end of the first season.