Isshuukan Friends.

While there are some people who prefer solitude and independence, most people are social by nature, and they desire friends to laugh and struggle with in both the good times and the bad. Good company is invaluable, and thus it is important to distinguish who your true friends are. Genuine friendship should not rely on a relationship that is give and take, but rather a relationship based on mutual respect, trust in one another, and unconditional support. A good friendship takes time to mature and develop into an unbreakable bond, and oftentimes requires that friendship to undergo trials and tribulations. One Week Friends explores this ... concept and follows the growing relationship between Hase Yuuki and Fujimiya Kaori and the struggles they encounter as they begin to understand the meaning of true friendship.

Set in an ordinary high school, One Week Friends tells the story of Fujimiya Kaori, a girl who mysteriously loses her memories at the end of every week. What makes this situation even more complex is the fact that she only loses those memories that involve people she befriends. For this reason, she distances herself from everyone else and appears to have a cold demeanor. Hase Yuuki, a boy in her class, notices that she is always alone and resolves to become friends with her and summons the courage to talk to her.

For a typical high school boy meets girl slice of life show, the story is nothing special; in fact, the whole memory loss of only friends concept is quite farfetched and unrealistic, even for an anime show. However, looking past that fact, the show is quite adorable and heartwarming. From watching Hase slowly help Fujimiya overcome her condition to laughing as Shougo scolds a hopeless Hase, One Week Friends does a good job of making you smile and induces a rather wide range of emotions. It is slow paced and mellow, but that adds to its charm and the relaxed environment of the show. The small amounts of drama are handled well without getting out of hand or being needless. Disregarding the unrealistic aspect of the show, the characters themselves are quite realistic and are characters that are relatable and likable.

Hase represents our typical awkward high school boy. While slightly airheaded and bad at studying, he does have a kind heart and has the patience and persistance needed to befriend someone like Fujimiya. However, he is human, and this is made apparent when he struggles with the problems that arise due to the complexity of Fujimiya's situation. He is quite selfish, becomes easily jealous, and can be immature at times, yet gives it his all and has a genuine desire to befriend Fujimiya and wishes for her happiness. Hase is appealing as a male MC for this reason; his personality is realistic and basic.

Fujimiya is our innocent and earnest girl whose biggest dreams include doing fun things with her friends. It is hard to imagine how incredibly lonely and depressed it would be having to purposefully ignore everyone while in reality you want nothing more to befriend them. She decides to shoulder her problem by herself, and doesn't want anyone else to get hurt because of her illness. While she appears mean and unfriendly, she's actually a cheery girl who has an affinity for math and cooking. Hase helps her slowly open up and become more confident in herself, and to not be afraid to make more friends.

Surprisingly, the supporting characters are fairly well developed and come into their own as the show progresses. Shougo is Hase's voice of reason and a guy who never seems to care much for anything. Extremely blunt and logical, he isn't afraid to speak his mind. He's constantly helping and advising Hase, and while he treats it as a bothersome task, he always seems to come through with solid counsel. For someone that seems unmovable and aloof, he is unusually helpful as he also helps Yamagishi Saki, an old elementary school classmate of his. A forgetful girl who is clumsy and often teased because of it, she sees Shougo as a reliable person who could take care of her, and her relationship with Shougo is unconventional but interesting and adorable to watch as they deal with their feelings for one another.

While there are hints of it, romance is not the central theme of the show. It can be easily seen that Hase doesn't consider Fujimiya as a simple friend, but the show doesn't emphasize it. Shougo and Saki's relationship is also clearly not just being casual friends, and while you get the feeling that there is something more between the two, the show is quite subtle and indirect about it. I'm sure that many people want to see Hase and Fujimiya together, or Shougo and Saki together, but dating and romantical relationships is a much more minor aspect of the show. Whether you don't mind or consider it frustrating, there are still many more enjoyable aspects of the show.

The show, being an adaptation of a 4-panel manga, has a quaint and delicate art style. Everything seems relaxed and the art reflects that feeling. The character designs are simple and fit their personalities quite well. The opening and ending theme songs are vibrant and mellow, and are nice to listen to. Being a typical slice of life set at a high school, the music and art both follow the standard conventions of the genre. No complaints about either art or sound, but nothing that deserves a commendation.

One Week Friends takes a delicate subject and an unusual setting and turns it into a nice slice of life high school story that may just make you laugh and smile. While the premise of the show is a bit too convenient and unrealistic, the charm of the show lies in its character development and tender moments. The show addresses a basic yet essential aspect of life that is present in most of us and presents it in a nice and heartwarming way.

“Please be friends with me” – Hase. (every single week)

A show about making friends that can be said in 5 simple words. You might think that could turn into a century old trope but Isshuukan Friends (One Week Friends) does something different. It revolutionizes that very simple idea of making friends to bring about a show that is so much more. Based off the manga of the same name written by Matcha Hazuki, making friends is more than just reaching out and extending your hand.

Taken for granted, Isshuukan Friends has a very simple premise. It’s about making friends. The title itself is also easy ... to take notice as translated to “One Week Friends” because main characters Yuuki Hase and Kaori Fujimiya become friends for one week before she loses her memories in the case of amnesia. The show is honest and to the point but at the same time thought provoking. After all, making friends can be simple for some people yet could also be the most challenging task in the world for others. Step in the shoes of Kaori Fujimiya, she could be easily be depicted as the one meeting facing such a challenge.

At first glance, there’s a lot of contrasting traits between Hase and Kaori. Hase is cheerful, outgoing, and is easily able to make friends. His strength lies in his ability to make other Hase feels good about what’s around them with his personality. On the other hand, Kaori is shy, repressed, and in general a solitary girl with little friends. Her strength is mathematics in class which is awful at. Taken for granted, the two doesn’t exactly match together as cookie and dough. Yet, there’s a unique connection between them. From minute one they meet, there’s a friendly atmosphere that Yuki brings towards her. His honesty and sincerity is worthy enough to allow Kaori to be open towards him and even others. The catch is the amnesia because she forgets every moment they’ve spent together for that week. It’s a heartwarming story yet with a slight taste of tragedy because of Kaori’s circumstances. As evidenced from flashbacks, Kaori was put into a situation that made her the way she is today. Not exactly the fun way to grow up I’d say.

Friendship is a key theme in the show. Almost everything builds off from the friendship that Kaori and Yuki share each episode. They learn more about each other and do simple yet meaningful activities together whether it’s studying, eating bentos, or karaoke. In essence, they craft memories but only Yuki is able to remember them. However, it’s also noticeable that Hase’s effort is not entirely fruitless. Throughout the series, Kaori is able to retain some of those precious memories. Take it as a treasure but every day, every hour, every minute, every second that the duo share is build off of friendship.

Despite being the main characters, others does get involved in the story as well such as Hase’s best friend Shogo and his classmate Saki. Both of them have contrasting personalities but plays an engaging role in the story overall with their persona. To further cement their roles, we see how they are able to bring together Hase and Kaori together in the form of an inner circle. But for what’s worth, it also ties back together the main concept of friendship. We get it as a simple idea but there’s a complexity behind it as well. Remember, Kaori forgets her memories every week with the friends she makes. Those precious memories might have once existed in reality but remains a fantasy for her. We see a glimpse of Kaori’s sadness behind her façade as she truly wants the friends she made be close to her. At the same time though, there’s also a charming presence we get from the way she reacts towards sincere moments. She takes friendly gestures, especially from Yuki, for what’s worth. In fact, Kaori even returns Hase’s friendship with her own actions and the two become like peas in a pod.

There are also other feelings this show can bring out quite well. For one, there’s honesty coming from Shougo and his words. He never hides anything from his friends and can be described as a sarcastic guy but with a warm heart. One other obvious feeling is the thought of romance involving Yuki. There are big hints but Kaori remains rather oblivious. But unlike usual cliché, there’s no misunderstandings, cheesy, or tsundere responses. Instead, we get innocence and even realistic feeling of relationships connected by friendship. It builds off seamlessly integrated scenarios related to the events of their time together. And regardless of amnesia or not, the time they spent together is real. There’s no taking back that, not now or ever.

As innocent and heartwarming the show is, Isshuukan Friends isn’t shy to demonstrate maturity. Characters grow and become like part of a stage play where they each possesses their own unique characteristics. But the biggest skill of the show is to tell a story. It doesn’t need to be linear or arc format to transit thought. Rather, Isshuukan Friends demonstrates slice of life by telling and showing the story of how these characters share friendship. It might sound a bit dry and cheesy. However, the way this show does it is delightful. The comedy doesn’t get in the way and neither is it forced. There’s no asinine sarcasm exploding like or love polygons with people getting hurt over trivial love. The drama only touches the surface of how friends come together and can be relatable. Remember the first time you made friends with someone? There’s that special feeling and this show brings explicitly out that idea to its very best, formulated with its unique gimmicks.

The artwork has a charming and colorful background to illustrate its innocence. It’s delicate with bittersweet moments decorated by the natural style of its backgrounds with some resemblance to Usagi Drop. Characters are designed to demonstrate their innocence such as Kaori’s frail stature. Camera angles are focused and sometimes lengthened during more memorable moments to accurately show how much they are worth. It’s more than just the classic ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. Instead, it creates feeling of emotions. The carefully concentrated focus on the eyes shows feelings from the characters and their personalities. It’s how the show lets the viewers know its feelings by showing rather than telling. No fan service or absurd misunderstandings. What we get feels real and is real.

Soundtrack is pleasant and lighthearted. That should be the given with everything already shown throughout each episode. The OST has a beautiful rhythm and is gentle that stays in unity with the atmosphere of the show. Character voices too are soft-spoken with characters such as Kaori and Saki. And while the guys’ voices sometimes can feel monotonous, they command honesty and sincerity. The OP & ED songs has a similar way of showing its style to match the overall premise, one that is endearing.

Isshuuken Friends is anime that anyone can watch firsthand. It’s charming, innocent, relatable, and beautiful with its aspects. Its drama isn’t forceful and neither does the story go off track with any trite of clichés. Although the story may feel slow at times with its pacing, the reward and patience is worth it. Take it as a gift, similar to how you feel like when you made your first friend. That’s how the show will feel like, one which is rewarding. Because friends are like treasures, this show is one that I definitely cherish.

A heart-warming and satisfying story centering around true friendship and the subjectivity of memories and all the meanwhile it doesn't get too stifling in the process of the story: Isshuukan Friends. Such a marvelous story that people should give a watch.

Story: Isshuukan Friends is about a girl named Fuijimiya Kaori who has post traumatic stress disorder, and her memories reset every Monday. One day, she meets a boy named Hase Yuuki who wants to be her friend, and the story starts from there. As Fuijmiya continuously forgets who Hase is, Hase tries to keep their friendship alive, or start their friendship anew, again and again ... by asking Fuijimiya to be his friend. In this friendship/romance anime, there's no love triangle, violence, or anything crazy like that. It’s about making friends, maintaining friends, and going through problems with friends until the end. Very touching and well-written plot, I thought. A very innocent and pure story.

Art: I don't know exactly how to rate art in an anime because I never really dislike art. The art in Isshuukan Friends was really colorful, and to me, it seemed like the character’s artwork reflected the character’s personality.

Sound: No special music that really caught my attention, but the opening and ending songs were lovely.

Characters: The characters themselves are interesting and really likeable. Fujimiya is a girl who puts up a nonchalent and somewhat cold personality act, even though inside she's innocent, and kind. Hase-kun is a boy who is naive, innocent and persistent. Alongside the main cast, are the side characters that bring realism of friendship into the anime. Kiryuu is Hase-kun’s best friend, who serves as a quiet, bored and wise wing-man friend. I really liked him! Throughout the anime, characters grow. Their relationships bud, with Fujimiya remembering trivial details about friends, Kiyruu showing more of his dear side, and Hase’s determination to repetitively be friends from scratch again with Fujimiya taking ups and downs. We are also introduced to the bad guy later in the anime, although he's not really a character the audience hates, but rather can relate to. I loved all the characters really, their liveliness added to the plot.

Enjoyment: I really enjoyed watching Isshuukan friends, despite it not having any really memorable moments, the entire story was just relaxing, touching, and feel-good to watch. Isshuukan Friends is a good anime to watch when you're feeling bored, sad, and tired. It should make you feel better, I think!

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**

Friendship: it’s a concept that has been done to DEATH not only by anime, but also by virtually every other form of entertainment known to man. When you think of cliché themes that TV shows and movies have senselessly bashed into our skulls repeatedly to the point that it becomes sickening, it doesn’t take long to think of “friendship”. However, One Week Friends (“Isshuukan Friends”) is proof that an over-done concept can still be very enjoyable and extremely effective when presented in a fresh and outside-the-box manner. At the risk of sounding much more like a girl than a guy, this anime ... can really be summed up in one word: cute. Not in the disgustingly moe, in-your-face kind of cute, but in a very pure and genuine kind of cute that lulls you into a state of tranquility. While I am normally someone who doesn’t enjoy slice-of life shows, I don’t need to be in order appreciate the good writing and well-constructed characterization of what is definitely the best anime I watched during the Spring 2014 season (granted I only watched 6, so take that for what it's worth…).

Synopsis: A girl named Kaori Fujimiya has a psychosomatic condition that causes her to forget every positive memory she makes with other people outside of her family every week, rendering her unable to make friends. This causes her to become cold and detached from all things social. Hase Yuki, a boy in her class, decides that he will break through her cold exterior and become her friend. Even after he learns the truth, he is still determined to be friends with Fujimiya.

The storyline of OWF is amazing to me because it avoids the two things I hate most about slice-of-life anime: shows with no plot what so ever (some people are into that, but not me) and shows that have a plot, but are ridiculously melodramatic. This anime is special because it finds what I consider to be the perfect balance; it has an engaging plot, but very little over-exaggeration. The show has a charming enough tone and good enough characters that it doesn’t need to show people breaking down in tears for some petty reason every episode in order to maintain the interest of the viewer. Not an episode went by in which I wasn’t charmed by the well-written characters and their adorable dialogues. However, like any slice of life, OWF is NOT a plot-driven show and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it starts to drag out a bit towards the end (starting around episode 8 or 9, I believe) and the pacing during the 2nd half could have definitely been better. Overall though, I was very impressed with the plot. The ending especially did a fantastic job of bringing the show’s message full circle in a natural way that never felt contrived.

The quality of the storyline may exceed the average slice of life show, but what about the characters? As we all know, if the characters in this sort of show are bad, the show itself is bad. Luckily, OWF delivers with its characters as well, providing strong lead characters in addition to well-written side characters. Fujimiya and Hase, the two protagonists, are surprisingly complex for this kind of anime. Hase can admittedly be annoying and cowardly at times, but his internal struggle of wanting to help Fujimiya yet not knowing quite how to do it was the driving force of the show. He has legitimate and believable emotions that really allow the viewers to get behind him and feel exactly what he is feeling. Also, it’s rare that I come across a male anime character that I would describe as “cute”, but Hase is one of them (then again, basically every character in this show is cute. Like I said, this entire show is just absolutely adorable). Fujimiya is also a well-written character. She doesn’t have as much of a personality as Hase, unfortunately, but her innocence and kind-hearted nature are part of what makes the show work so well. When Fujimiya is hurting, so are the viewers, and that proves how effective her characterization was. I also feel the need to mention the spectacular side characters, including the most adorable anime character I’ve ever seen: Saki Yamagishi. This girl is just INHUMANLY lovable. Every fiber of my being tells me that they laid the “cute” on too thick with her and were simply trying too hard to make her likeable, but those negative thoughts evaporate the second that Saki pops up on screen. And I don’t mean that only her appearance is cute, her personality is the thing that sells it. Coming from someone who is usually immune to “cute”, the writers of this show definitely knew what they were doing. Shogo Kiryu also stands out as a relatively complex and well-written character. Even Fujimiya’s mom makes a good impression in a very small and limited role! So in short, this is a very strong cast of characters and they truly make the experience of watching this anime worthwhile.

Something that is also worth mentioning is how instrumental the animation is in creating the amazingly pure and relaxing tone of OWF. The art style often gets compared to watercolors; everything is very soft, but vibrant at the same time. I can’t imagine a more fitting animation style for this show. The OP is also very fitting for the show as is the ED; I got goosebumps several times when that piano from the beginning of the ED came in during the backround of a somewhat dramatic scene. The only thing in terms of aesthetics that fails to stand out is the OST, which isn’t that memorable. The above average voice acting makes up for that slight disappointment though.

Overall, One Week Friends is a touching, relaxing and effective entry into the slice of life genre to the extent of which that people who aren’t fans of this type of anime can still enjoy it to the fullest (i.e. me). This show is a master of a writing technique that I consider to be very underrated; tone. OWF’s irrefutable feeling of tranquility and innocence was masterfully achieved through strong characters and a plot that knew exactly what it wanted to be. What else can I say? OWF is just delightful in every way despite its minor flaws. I would recommend this show to all people of all ages; it really is a worthwhile experience. Now excuse me while I go rewatch Black Lagoon and bathe in my own testosterone so I can feel like a man again.

I am unwilling to repeat what others have already said so read if you want a different opinion on this anime.
"Everyone hates a Monday, right, it marks the first day of a long week ahead but what'd happen if you feel like you have to start all over every Monday?" A special feature to slice of life is that while some ignore the genre, a certain section enjoys it whole heartedly, the only strong points of slice of life anime are the characters from it, each one with a different personality coming from different backgrounds, It's like getting to meet and discover new people.

There's ... nothing more to the plot of Isshuukan Friends than what could be read in the synopsis on MAL and it actually sounds like one that could be very fitting to an anime centered around fanservice, where the makers could supply the fans with unrestricted fanservice without worrying about any kind of development in the plot, it's characters and their relationships. If you're one of those people who carry a concept with you wherever you go, that anime can not be made without fanservice then turn around walk away and never look back.
Isshuukan friends is an anime adaption of a manga originally published as a oneshot comic of the same name by Matcha Hazuki. Isshuukan Friends is Hazuki's debut work. The anime adaptation was done by the infamous Brain's base (though they have done some popular if not great work over the past few years and is working on two of the anime projects of this season,recent noteworthy works are Brother's conflict, Amnesia & Tonari no Kaibutsu~Kun) and has been licensed by the equally famous Sentai Filmworks. It's an ordinary anime, with an ordinary genre of slice of life, and it revolves around ordinary children going to school,with main character's having Seiyuu's we don't even recognize. This anime doesn't wear a facade of grandeur so why the high rating you ask? What is really extraordinary about this anime is that it's ordinary and so simply beautiful, It's different as it's not trying to be anything.
The characters are not cliched and actually sound (kudos to the voice acting) talk, look & act their age. Even the deuteragonists have depth, that was just enough and just right to flesh a character out but also gives them nothing more than supporting roles to play (again a good thing)I like the nude palette of colours that is used for the animation.
All the songs in the anime have great music, There is a full version to Hase Yuuki's Kanade (the song he sang at the Karaoke) There definitely was background music but I just did not catch it, my bad I don't collect BGMs unless they sound like Beethoven,Bach or Mozart did, but combined with scenes it could create the right atmosphere at the right moments, the timings were perfect so the OST is a HIT.

I had some preconceived notions about this show, we all have, we're always pre-pared and ready to give out verdicts and I'm only human so I can never not have a preview of what I might feel and something about this show that worried me the most was it's pacing, each episode seems to cover a week and I thought it would slowly become monotonous but it all rested well in the end.
There are slight faults in the storyline that have made me question a few things but the show exhibits the complexity of the human brain with maturity, displaying what a new developing friendship has to go through to grow and bloom, it conveys all those feelings of shyness,love,anger,jealousy,forgetfulness,frustration,felicity, restlessness etc, how every Monday the girls memories got reset it sends the guy a few step backwards too. This anime doesn't provide you with extreme laughter or give you enough tears but it'll make you smile, from ear to ear :)
While for several of the anime fans it might have gone unnoticed on the Anichart it has made my list of season favorites very gracefully, even though i've been very lazy at watching anime this season and haven't watched much. Usually, by the time a show hits its end, my prepared perceptions of it are gone and my rating for it is lowered but my enjoyment in watching this show has been consistent, it hasn't gradually grown (it's not a bad thing for me)
It's only when I am writing a review is when I fully understand how much I have liked an anime, how much I recall from it conventionally determines it and if it will stay with me I'm not sure if they have tried to but this anime has felt very symbolic, maybe it's not trying to send any message at all but this is how I've regarded it-
If you want to live happily everyday, for the rest of your life you must seek joy in the little things in life. Memories are amazing but you can't touch them so what's more important than remembering memories is to keep at making them, keep making new memories.

"One Week Friends" is one of those rare animes that you don't enjoy because of the overly-dramatic moments or complex plot; it's an anime you thoroughly enjoy through it's simple story and loveable characters. It's a work of art that deserves more praise than it's getting right now. Let me tell you why.

The anime evolves around two friends; Hase-kun, a shy teenage boy with very few friends, and Fujimiya-san, a lonely girl who used to have many friends. When Hase-kun one day dares himself to talk to Fujimiya-san, she completely tries to push him away. It isn't until numerous attempts when Hase-kun gets closer to ... Fujimiya-san and learns her dark secret; she forgets everything about her friends once the week is over. It's up to Hase-kun to find out why and to help keep their friendship intact.

Needless to say, the animation is extremely well done. Even though it's just a cartoon, the shading, lens flare and tiny details from the uniforms and backpacks to the background bring the anime to life. It overall makes the anime even more enjoyable to watch.

What I really enjoyed about this anime was how well they portray the characters and their feelings. Even though this show is only twelve episodes long, you get to know them so well that you feel like you've known them for a longer time than that.

That's because the character development isn't solely through dialogue, but a lot of body language as well. The animators did an excellent job with body language and making sure the viewer always gets a feel of what's going on, even though things are fairly silent.

Another thing I enjoyed about this anime was the subtle humor. Even though this anime does have it's dark moments, it can give you a good laugh through second-hand embarrassment and "wrong-place-wrong-time" moments. Nothing raunchy here!

But I think the most important thing to note about this anime is that it's written so that it can still be called a great anime whether it has a second season or not. Sure, there are still some questions left unanswered, and fans will be dying to know what happens next once the anime is over.

But even if this series never continues you can still assure yourself that things will end happily ever after for everyone. Unlike other anime that never continued and forced you to read the manga to find out what happens next.

Yes, I would love it if the series did continue and we see how things turn out, yet there's a feeling that I know what will happen next at the same time.

In conclusion, "One Week Friends" is a satisfying anime that will make you laugh, cry and leave you with wanting more. This anime is proof that the best anime's out there don't need to have complex plots to be remembered forever, just excellent characters. I would definitely recommend it to anyone; whether you've never watched anime before or you've watched enough to catch every anime reference made in a show.

THE VERDICT:
+ Perfect Animation
+ Excellent Story
+ Great Characters
+ Wide Audience Appeal

SCORE: 9/10

EXCELLENT!

Story:
The show is perceived as a innocent slice of life anime. It serves it's purpose with that. The show was told in a nice fashion. It achieves a good momentum in which the story is told. The story was simple to understand for the most part and there wasn't really much complexity. There was never really a dull moment in the show where I got bored of watching it. As soon as a problem ended there was always something new in the way. For a "slice of life" anime, it really kept me wanting more. The plot of the show was unique itself, ... since I haven't heard about another anime that has to do with a character losing her memories of her friends every week. The ending was very heartwarming. After the series ended it had me wanted more of the two characters to see where their lives lead them.
Art:
The art in the show was probably one of it best aspects. The animation uses light coloring which makes it easy to watch. The detail in every little thing in the background made it even more better. The art style reminds me of the show Oreshura which I enjoyed also. The character art was spectacular. The light coloring of the characters really made it more of the innocent aspect in which I said. The art sets the mood the how the show is perceived. It shows it as a show about friendship and high school life. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sound:
The downfall of the show for me would have to be the sound. I never really found any of the BGM to be memorable. Of course that's not to say I didn't like the opening and ending. The ending was one of the best songs I've ever heard which was sung by the voice of Kaori. The VA for the characters fit in very well. No voice in the anime ever felt like it was out of place. Each VA in the show did a fantastic job to voice each character.
Characters:
This is where the show shines. You have Hase Yuuki. He's a nice guy that cares about others more than he cares himself. Through out the entire anime, everything that he does is for the sake of Fujimiya. Then you have Fujimiya Kaori. Probably one of the sweetest female characters in anime history. I mean come on! This girl is just so kind and she's so much of a sweetheart. She puts others in front of herself just like Hase. Main characters aside you also have a good cast of side characters. One of my favorite being Kiryu Shogo. He's Hase's bestfriend and does well in all of his classes. He appears to be a cold-hearted character but over time it is shown that he cares about his friends and just doesn't express it well. You then have the adorable Yamagishi Saki which in my opinion was the cutest character. She was always funny to watch. Even when they would study she would procrastinate which were funny to see her just goof around. Other side characters are shown but they don't really interact with the story as much. Overall I loved each and every character in the show and there wasn't really any character in which I disliked.
Enjoyment:
As a person that watches anime on a daily basis. I really came to enjoy this anime compared to other "slice of life" animes. I would highly recommend this anime to people that enjoy the "slice of life" genre. The anime is currently ongoing as a fan from the manga I would have to say I've enjoyed watching this series as much as I've read the series. I would probably watch this anime again just so I can see each individual character grow as the show progresses. If the show would be licensed I would probably get it just because I would love to be able to lend this anime to anyone who's interested. I would probably remember this anime through out my life because this was one of the best "slice of life" animes I've watched, another good example being "Kokoro Connect".

I have watched a fair amount of anime in the last couple months and my most enjoyed genre is slice of life/romance. I barely come around to writing reviews but I made the exception with Isshuukan Friends. ( I.F for future shortening). I remember looking at this anime on the anichart website. The description gave good premise of what was going to be and the hook for this fish (being me obviously :P) was that the main girl Kaori forgets her friends every Monday.

Once it aired I was watching it contently and awaited each week for a new episode to air. The characters were ... wonderful and the dialogue and banter between the characters so innocent and pure. The art style was stand out in my eyes as it almost looked like it was a watercolour painting half the time. The music was nice albeit not memorable but I think the overall plot and production values make this a must see.

I had a blast every week and this is what anime should be. I don't want to sit in frustration or anger. I want to be happy for the people in this world beyond my screen and this show managed that. I hope for a second season or even an OVA or two just to maybe give us some insight to their future as friends.

In the world of anime we tend to expect the unexpected. Explosions? A fantastical world? Monsters? Super powers? Super kawaii moe characters? BOOBS!?!?!?!? In the world of anime, all of those seem to be normal and expected in a show. However, once and a while a show comes out that is “unusual” and includes NONE, that’s right, NONE of the aforementioned things. In anime, the usual is unusual, and what makes it even more unusual (confused yet?) is when it is as excellent and beautiful as Isshuukan Friends.

Story - 7.8:
Read the summary that MAL displays above and you will completely, 100% understand what the plot ... of this show is. Its not a mind-bending psychological thriller, or an action-adventure with underlying political conflict. No. Isshuukan Friends’ story is as simple as the 2 sentences that MAL describes it with. Although simple, it is something that is rarely (if ever) seen in anime. A story based around someone trying to become friends with somebody else. What makes the story of this show amazing is its understanding of what it can do, and how to do it. The plot isn’t meant to keep you on the edge of your seat, it is meant to make you smile. Each episode has a handful of heartwarming moments that just make you feel all warm and gooey (and not the warm and gooey you might feel in your pants while watching hentai). Although the show easily could’ve gone a more melodramatic/depressing route due to its premise, it instead did something much more beautiful. The characters almost never pout and cry “why me!?!?!?! ToT,” instead they try to make the best out of their situation. Towards the end of the show a character was introduced that really was unnecessary, and the pacing of the show is very slow for all of you with short attention spans. However those few negatives hardly scratch the simple beauty of this story.

Art - 7.7:
The artstyle in this show is very reminiscent of the artstyle found in Usagi Drop partially due to the character designs and partially due to the simplicity. I have to point out that there is no fanservice whatsoever as far as I can remember which I found to be refreshing in the panty shot filled world of anime. For such a simple show, they really do go out of their way to make a variety of locations and pay good attention to all the background characters in each scene. Really the art was just beautiful and perfectly fitting to the feel of the show and there really isn’t much to nit-pick about it. It wasn’t jaw-droppingly amazing like a Fate/Zero but it was fantastic none the less and has to be commended for its beauty.

Sound - 7.6:
Isshuukan Friends’ OST was very fitting of the show. I wouldn’t say it was good enough to listen to without the visuals from the anime, but it was definitely good and set the mood for each scene perfectly. The show knows when to keep the music down, and when to just not even have music. I must note that I personally loved the OP and ED songs and thought they were some of the best in a season where there were plenty of noteable OPs and EDs. What was easily more impressive than the OST in this show was the voice acting. There is a wide variety of personalities in this show, and the cast fits these characters wonderfully. There are A LOT of shows where I can’t tell the difference between characters voices due to my lack of familiarity in Japanese language. However, this show easily let me distinguish the characters from each other even if one wasn’t in the shot. In short: OST was good, VAs were better. Very good job.

Characters - 8.1:
As I said earlier, there are a wide array of personalities in this show. The characters might not seem it, but when it comes down to it, they are all archetypes. You have your shy/kind girl in Fujimiya, your innocent/nice/slightly pussy main character in Hase, your ditsy/moe/awesome sidekick girl in Yamagishi, and your male tsundere/bro in Kiryuu. Like I said before though, you probably won’t notice this on the surface. The characters are all extremely easy to like and they all grow from one episode to the next (except Fujimiya cuz her brain has problems… jk she does too). This show absolutely would not have worked if any one of the main 4 characters were removed or replaced with someone else, and they all keep the balance of the show steady. Yes, they were all archetypes, but they were all pretty damn good archetypes and one of my personal favorite overall casts of main characters in anime. The side characters were pretty good, although for the most part out of the picture which is a slight shame, because Kaori’s mom was pretty fucking awesome. Also…. Hajime Kujou was absolutely unnecessary and annoying. That aside, the characters in this show were superb.

Enjoyment - 8.0:
So if you’ve made it this far in the review it should come as no surprise that I enjoyed the hell out of this show. There were plenty of shows I liked this season (No Game No Life, Kawaisou, Captain Earth to name a few), but none had me as excited to watch the next episode as Isshuukan Friends. It didn’t have that next level enjoyment that equates to me either shitting myself out of excitement or crying my eyes out due to sadness, but this show made me smile from ear to ear a countless amount of times.

Overall - 7.84:
It’s interesting that my two favorite shows of the Spring season this year are complete opposites. Where No Game No Life is the quintessential anime experience (fantasy world, fanservice, over the top characters, action, etc.), Isshuukan Friends is just a simple tale of friendship. No it wasn’t ground-breaking, and yes it did have it’s flaws (I’m looking at you Hajime Kujou), but Isshuukan Friends is still a MUST WATCH for all.

The Verdict:
The simplicity of Isshuukan Friends led by wonderful characters and beautiful production create a true piece of art that never fails to bring a smile to the viewer’s face.

Pros:
+ Extremely loveable characters
+ Story doesn’t pour on the melodrama
+ Makes me happy
+ Art and Sound departments perfectly match the show

Cons:
- Unnecessary addition of a character near the end
- Kaori’s mom didn’t get her spotlight

If you liked Isshuukan Friends, watch:
Usagi Drop
ef: A Tale of Memories

7.76/10 - Great

Isn't it simply frustrating to overcome all your fears, work really hard, only to be sent back to square one? Isn't it absolutely irking when you try to remember something but no matter how hard you think, you can't remember?

Romance is supposed to be simple...right? Is it, then, complex? Meet, be happy, fight, makeup, be even more in love?

In Isshuukan Friends by Hazuki Maccha, no easy ending lays in sight for the main couple as the two polar opposites struggle with not only their own character and problems, but with reality as well.

- - - - - - - - - - - - ...

From the beginning to the end, One Week Friends provides a refreshing view of an overused archetype in not only anime but drama as well--memory loss. Despite the seemingly lackluster plot, the presentation of the characters and their struggles is utterly heartwarming and at some moments, tear jerking.

The art style is nothing much to mention: simple and sweet. The animation is fluid but feels slow at times, but the pace of the plot is fine as is. Sometimes, however, it does feel like the plot seems rushed, but only at brief moments that in no way disturb from the flow and organization of the anime.

The characters are well rounded and developed throughout the show. Through the strain of a friendship to a complete and full repair, the male main character learns to overlook and overcome his possessiveness and realizes his friend's supportive nature even more as he pursues the female main character in a romantic relationship.

While labeled a Shounen work, this piece is suitable for all ages and all audiences.

If you are looking for a break from watching your main anime category, be it action, survival, horror, or whatnot, I assure you that this piece will not disappoint for its money's worth.

Genuinely heartwarming and concise, 4.5 stars out of 5 for Hazuki Maccha's Isshuukan Friends.

-Jayex

Amongst other anime, this anime only rely s on 1 heroine and that's what makes it special. The plot of the story is quite unique and fragile because the MC is trying to build a strong relationship with the heroine, however the plot is unique in this stage as the heroine always loses her memory of her friends.

What really caught my attention was the unique plot behind the content, its not some regular romantic comedy series it has a strong and confined plot to it. It brough me to tears as the MC learns that all his hard work goes to waste as the ... heroine's memory resets weeky.

It is a true taste of a very fragile relationship, every episode got deeper and deeper and the thoughts and actions were just so memorable.

The anime had quite the good ending, but kinda lame one.

Overall a very unique romantic series very touching to the heart.

*very minor spoilers*

Wow, I can't believe this Anime is done.. I started watching this anime when it was in its 4th episode,
I found that i would catch up with the series on the same night.

At first I have to say, I was confused as of why I was so intrigued by this show. As the show went on and on, I realized it was of how cute it was. Yuki Hase and Kaori Fujimiya have such a chemistry that one can only wish for. It is as if the creators wanted to make these two as cute as possible. And unlike most Anime Cliches Yuki ... was actually aware of all of Kaori's feelings, and wasn't a pervert not even in the smallest sense. For example, when they went to the beach, most anime guys would be totally stoked to see the girl in a bikini. Yuki was just happy to be there with Kaori. The relationship between these two has to be one of the best relationships in history.

It is the little things too that make this anime enjoyable. The beautiful scenery, the innocence of the two main characters, 18 grams of sugar, Shogo and Saki's relationship, how Kaori's memory starts to get better, the way the Ending song slowly fades in. In the end these all added up to make a masterpiece, and i never once felt bored watching this anime, in a world where I have trouble sitting through an episode, this anime was an exception. I would close facebook, twitter, shut off my phone, and lock myself in my room to avoid distractions. Everytime the credits rolled I would get sad that it was over so quickly and often times rewatch the episode.

I would finally love to recommend this show to everyone. Now that all 12 episodes are out, i'm sure many will stumble across this anime and watch it all in one sitting. I will now start another run trough, of the many more to come. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoy this anime as much as i did.

I'd like us to be friends!

Let me be totally honest with you. There's no real love story in Isshuukan Friends. You can easily describe all the feelings and interactions between main characters as 'love', but they actually put themselves in a 'friend-zone forever' situation. I keep wondering myself, if it's all because of memory loses, or because Hase was just a wet-rag.

The story is really mediocre, but that's doesn't make it bad. I can really describe it only with the words 'long-wided' and 'caramelized'. It can be boring at times, but is always warm and heart-melting.

The artstyle it what cought my eyesight at the firstplace, and it really lived up ... all my expectations. The characters and surroundings are colourful and well-drawn in general. Not much to say about the sound, but I find, that all the voices fit their characters perfectly.

I won't rumble about Hase, because I just don't like those genki-type but somewhat shy and always failing characters. I was really admiring the stoic and cold-minded Shougo though, those two made a great contrast.

Overall, I enjoyed Isshuukan Friends, but I still feel a bad about the relationship just hovering at one point. By the way, I was really surpised by the little scene with Hase at the end. Does he, by any chance, have the same memory problem as Kaori, or is my imagination playing a bad trick on me?..

One Week Friends is a cute, slice of life story that pulls at your heartstrings. Yes, this series does center around the repetitive, selective amnesia plot device. I know it's been done before. You know it's been done before. That said, it's worth getting past just that into the story itself. Plot devices are recycled constantly, and One Week Friends did a good job of making me care about the characters and their feelings very quickly. You initial response might be to recoil because of an overused plot device, but you'd be missing out if you let that alone make you avoid this series. It's ... a plot device, and this series did a really good job of dragging me through the highs and lows with the characters using it.

In a way, you know what you are getting pretty quickly with One Week Friends. The male lead is determined to become “friends” with the female lead, who each week loses the memories of her friends for some unknown reason. Despite repeated setbacks, the two stumble along the path to a closer relationship. I actually enjoy the supporting characters in this series. Compared to most series that have a lot of one dimensional “friend” support characters, the supporting characters have their own feelings, concerns, and interests. Even minor characters just summoned to do their bit parts seem to mesh into the story for their scenes. Everyone ends up likable.

The art style is definitely cutesy and subdued. There is some well done scenery as well. I can see the style being subjective to someone's tastes...and there were times I felt like the characters looked and felt younger than their stated ages because of it, but hey I guess that's just this anime's thing. It's not bad looking though, so just go with it is what I would say. It fits with the pure feelings of the story. If you're looking for fan service you won't find anything though. It's not that kind of anime. The music supports the same mood, generally being light and cheerful during the highs, and tense and anxious during the lows, but always measured and subdued to the point of not overwhelming everything else.

In the end, I'd say One Week Friends accomplished for me what I think it was setting out to do, get at your heartstrings at tug at them. If you're looking for a cute, emotional “love” story then this will definitely get the job done. Nothing revolutionary here, but it works.

"You eat your octupus weiners feet first."
-Kaori Fujimiya, Episode 8

50 First Dates, the anime! This show began with much promise, and was interesting to watch, but just seemed to fall apart towards the end. It got to the point where I was hoping there would be an unfortunate ending. (the resolution provided was very unsatisfying)

One of my biggest complaints is about the two main characters, Hase and Kaori (I don't remember people's full names because more often than not, they're not memorable). They both start off as decent-enough characters, but they become annoying with time.
75% of the time Hase is talked to, he will respond ... in a generic surprised way (ex. "W-Where did that come from?"). This might seem like a minor detail, but trust me, it will get annoying.
After Kaori [major plot event], everything she does seems so fake, even to the point where the other characters can tell. I get that it's part of the story, but it's just so bland and irritating.
It happens too often in anime when all it takes is just one character to screw everything up..

The art style was rather interesting for the most part, but sometimes it was almost impossible to tell what expression someone was making due to the lack of visible mouths.

Overall, this was a good show that just became a bit bland towards the end. It wasn't bad by any means, but it was a bit upsetting to see it falter so. I probably would've rated it the same score even if it had been different, despite my previous criticism. Still, this show won't leave much of a lasting mark..

In Depth Anime Review: Isshuukan Friends

Story
Isshuukan Friends, like most other slice of life anime, is almost solely about the characters. There is no really plot line other than the everyday life specific to these characters. That's not to say it's bad in any way. It is the proper course that all slice of life should end up taking. Life is a hassle. There are just as many challenges in life as there are in say a war or the defensive of earth. These maybe completely different in what's at stake, getting along with someone vs. millions of lives, but these challenges can be on equal ... ground depending on how they are presented. The magnitude of the challenges that these characters face determines the quality and can range from underwhelming to forced and over dramatic. Isshukan Friends presented the challenges of these particular lives in a way that felt very realistic. Characters that were affected by their flaws, their problems, their traumas, their challenges, yet they did not let those things consume them allowing for real progression and a nice pacing, never really feeling rushed or too slow.

Even the smallest things in this anime felt like a great triumph given the situation and the set backs... well they really hurt, almost to the point of hopelessness. Isshukan Friends's story was one that you could really get invested in. Even though at heart it is just another slice of life with a modifier that makes it unique (the forgetting of friends every week), even though many can say there are a lot of things that seem familiar about this anime, not much feels cliched or tacked on. Isshukan Friends presents a cohesive and progressive character driven story line.

Characters
As I previously mentioned, Isshuukan Friends had characters that were affected by their flaws, their problems, their traumas, their challenges, yet they did not let those things consume them allowing for real progression and a nice pacing. Having active characters will allow for an active story. Hase Yuuki, our male protagonist is an active character. Although he can become very nervous, he also takes more initiative than many characters in slice of life anime. His resolve and pure hearted intentions for a real friendship with our main female, Fujimiya Kaori, allows for a consistent and dedicated progression of not only the plot, but their characters and friendship, as well. His pure hearted intentions are also the cause of a few apprehensions that I won't get into to avoid spoilers, but this is the mark of a good character. Not only does Hase-Kun's character create progression, it also creates tension and complexity as not everything in life is so straight forward, especially something so sensitive as Fujimiya's condition.

Fujimiya is just as well written, and even though she is your typical shy and feminine slice of life female, at the same time she's not. She has her own desires, dreams, wishes, goals, and her condition has injected enough self sufficiency and maturity into her character for me to absolutely love the multiple dimensions... I feel hard pressed to not say much about Fujimiya because she is truly the focus of the anime's plot, but as you watch I would suggest to pay close attention to how she deals with things and how she must feel, how difficult life must be for her with her condition.

The two supporting characters Shougo Kiryuu and Yamagishi Saki round out the group of four very nicely. They create a dynamic which enhances the plot at draws out some thought provoking moments in our two mains. They each support the mains in their own unique ways, but both allow the mains to really think about situations outside of their own trains of thought. Shougo being the type to put things bluntly allowed for the harder questions to be asked. Many would see him as a cold character, but his intentions were always just to kick the characters in the right direction. Although his character is depicted as somewhat wise and calculating, even he doesn't have the answer to everything and he gets some side development that is very well done, albeit pretty much left open.

Yamagishi contributes in a bit of a clueless way, asking questions that no one would think of, yet when she does get a handle on something, she can be quite mischievous, suggesting and pushing in a direction that she believes would help. Most times she can't even really help herself and is mostly looked at as a pretty moe character.

Shougo and Yamagishi are both pretty well done for their roles, I believe. Shougo supports Hase mostly, and Yamagishi supports Fujimiya, but as they become a close group of friends, the interactions never felt limited and the characters meshed well all around. I would've liked for the supporting characters to be a little more developed but I think we can over look that... people generally want more of a good thing anyways...

Art
The art is absolutely spectacular. I can't get over the style. It's like nothing I've ever seen before and is probably one of the first things that really hooked me on episode one. It has such a soft and heart warming feel to it which is a welcome change from the super high contrast and high detail that I've been seeing in a lot of action anime. I feel it's particularly amazing because of how fitting it is of its story and genre. The soft delicate feeling of their friendships and the characters' lives is really translated through the art. Meanwhile the style still leaves it open to the spectacular as we can see in the images above. It's almost as if the style shifts to mark the moment as truly extraordinary and enhances the moment even more. The art although not the BEST I'VE SEEN EVER!!! is very fitting and unique.

Sound
Honestly, I wasn't overly impressed with the sound. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it and as for most anime nowadays, the quality was great, it's just for any anime to get higher than an 7 in sound for me, there has to be something iconic about it. Something that sticks in my head as an "OH THAT'S FROM THAT ANIME" moment. For slice of life, what makes or breaks in sound is almost always the OST. After hearing masterpieces such as the Toradora! and AnoHana and Tonari no Kaibutsu- Kun OSTs I'm always listening for those tracks that just shoot the feeling of a scene through the roof. For me, Isshuukan Friends was lacking in that department, but at the same time I'm glad they didn't go for some overly moe and incredibly sweet soundtrack. There were some nice tracks here and there but many important scenes were left completely silent. The focus on the dialogue in some scenes did create a more intense and serious feel, sometimes more melancholic as I recall a certain scene from the last episode. Overall I feel that Isshuukan Friends played it mostly right, but I also feel like at certain points they could've been played better. I won't remember most things about the sound, but you could at least tell it was polished to create the effect in the scene that they wanted. I will remember the OST for the very last scene though...

Overall
Quite simply, I was not expecting to enjoy this anime as much as I did. It has shot pretty high up on my list of recommendations for heartwarming slice of life anime. The anime had a Goldilocks feeling in so many aspects that made it feel truly near perfect; It was simply just right and never tried to be anything too much at any point. It was a great self contained 12 episodes, and although I could ask for more here and more there, I feel very very satisfied with how it turned out.

Story: 9
Characters: 10
Music: 7
Art: 7
Dialogue: 10

This anime was refreshing since I have been watching a lot of stuff that is a little bit above average recently. the characters were well developed. The main character got annoying sometimes however the heroine is a very well written character. Her friend Saki was by far one of the most annoying characters in all the animes I have seen, at least in the beginning, by the end, my mind completely changed about her.

The lines in this anime are probably the best part. Kaori's mother has a hilarious personality and says the funniest lines throughout the entire series. The dialogue ... is very well written and very humorous.

The artwork was only bothersome at some points because at a profile point of view of the characters, their faces looked slightly deformed. The only other complaint I have about the artwork is how far apart the artist drew the eyes. I didn't really judge to harshly based off that because it wasn't too much of a nuisance.

Overall the anime is well worth watching. It isn't quite a masterpiece and what prevents it from being one is the lack of depth in the story. The story concept is somewhat cliche but it was executed very well. The ending was also probably not the ending many viewers wanted to see however it wasn't a curve ball either. Without spoiling it, I can say that their was hope for the ending many probably desired, however it did not lead you on like others do and did not give any expectation. The synopsis itself does a good job of summarizing the anime but it does sound cliche. Realistically, it is a used concept. The reason why that is okay is because the writer did a much better job with it than others have. by no means was it unique and that is what prevented it from being a 9 or 10. Another thing that prevented a higher score was missing realism by just a hair. Sure a case where someone forgets their friends every week is unlikely but that isn't the part that was unrealistic. What I thought was not done well enough was the lack of drama. If you think about this happening in real life, it would probably play out with much more drama in the character's lives and that goes back to the story lacking some depth. The anime I would compare this to is nogizaka haruka no himitsu. There was nothing strikingly unique about it and it was somewhat generic yet is was really good despite not going into the deep, dramatic, and depressing genre that it seems like it could do well in. Definitely one of the better slice-of-life animes and is something that anyone who enjoys this genre without a ton of romance will like.

An anime so sweet you'll get diabetes. Seriously. I can't imagine coming across an anime cuter than this one- but I will certainly be on the lookout. One-week-friends or Isshuukan friends is an anime that I simply adore and it has a special place in my heart (err... I mean animelist!). I could not keep track of the amount of times I smiled during this anime- probably because I was smiling for the majority of it. That's not to say this is a boring happy-ending type anime. In fact the ending is something many people didn't like since it didn't give much closure. There are ... sad moments and there are frustrating moments. All of the moments come together to create an anime that I highly enjoyed and highly recommend.


Before I start with the categories- let me address something that annoyed me in other reviews. First look at the title. One-Week-Friends. FRIENDS. Now look at the genre tags. Comedy, School, Shounen, Slice of Life. DO NOT COME INTO THIS ANIME AND THEN GIVE IT A BAD REVIEW BECAUSE YOU WANTED ROMANCE. This is a slice of life anime about friendship. Not about a relationship. Got it? k.


Story: 9/10

The story is really what caused me to watch this anime so soon. I had a list of about 40 anime's on my plan to watch but decided to pick this title up cause of the plot summary. Kaori is a girl who loses her memory about her happy moments every week. Because of this, she isolates herself since having friends is useless if you can't remember your memories with them right? Then comes Hase. Hase wonders why this cute girl seemingly has no friends. And where does she disappear to during lunch time? The anime tells the story of Hase's mission to befriend Kaori. As expected, its not as easy as he might have imagined- since he did not know of Kaori's condition beforehand. However the sweet Hase tries his best to be as patient as possible as he tries to fix Kaori's condition so that one day she can call him a friend.

What stuck me the most about this anime is the fantastic pacing. That plot summary I just told you about? Yeah it doesn't take 12 episodes to develop. You learn pretty much all of that in the first episode. You learn about her condition and you see Hase try to befriend her right from the getgo. Too often do I get bored with anime's in the beginning to the point where I come close to dropping it. That's not the case with this anime. And what's perfect about it is that you will realize if you like the series straight from episode 1- so you might as well give it a shot right?


The story was well done and I highly enjoyed it. A cute story is a must for cute characters right? The ending does leave something to be desired- but I wanted something different from what most others wanted. And it's not that I disliked the ending of the series by any means- I just would have had a different vision for the ending if I wanted to truly make this a perfect anime.


Art and Sound: 10/10


Now this may be a controversial opinion- I haven't heard too much about how people felt about the art/animation/sound/music in One-Week-Friends. But I loved it and thought it was executed absolutely perfectly. That's not to say that I think by itself the visuals are out of this world- no. And the sound isn't too special by itself either. However- it helps create this fuzzy atmosphere in the anime. The character designs and visuals in general are nice and just reinforce the cuteness of the characters. The sound and music makes for a cheerful atmosphere most of the time which is great for this anime- since its the perfect feel-good anime. I don't think the art and sound could have been better for this specific anime- it made a cute anime look and feel even cuter.



Character: 9/10


Now I'll be the first to admit that not all the characters were perfect and lovable (I'm looking at you Saki). However, for the most part, they are really well done. The protagonist Hase is a very relateable character. He might be viewed by some as a typical nice guy- but I found him to be pretty realistic and I found my emotions linking with Hase during the anime. When he was frustrated- I too was frustrated because of an action that occurred in the anime. When he was happy- I was smiling alongside him. When something sad happened- I teared up as Hase felt destroyed. It's things like this that make Hase an excellent protagonist. And he certainly reminds me of myself and how I was during my highschool days.

Kaori is just the cutest and her character was perfect because you were really rooting for Hase and her to become friends. You have the nice guy paired up with the sweet innocent girl that deep down inside wishes she could make friends and have those memories remain. They're the perfect duo. Hase's friend Shougo is also very realistic (All these realistic characters really do make for a great slice of life) and he's just a down to earth kind of guy. I really liked his character because he just seems like that bro every male protagonist needs. He didn't feel like a convenient character to progress the plot, but rather acted as the voice of reason that would knock some sense into the main protagonists.


Enjoyment: 10/10


This might very well be the single anime I enjoyed the most. It's hard to tell since I have about 3 anime's that I really really fell in love with- but this one certainly took me by surprise as being an amazing anime- shocking given the score it has on MAL currently. Part of the reason I enjoyed this anime so much is because it reminds me of a very special friendship I had in highschool with a girl. I can relate to Hase's determination and all his other emotions he felt trying to befriend Kaori.


All in all this is a really solid anime and I would be shocked to hear of someone actually disliking it. Some people were displeased with the ending and had unrealistic expectations- but I've come to like to ending and its not the anime's fault for people's prior expectations. This is a slow paced anime and this is very slice of life- no major action sequences or anything. But yet the end product is still a highly enjoyable piece full of cute characters, animation, and music.


I give this anime a very personal 10/10. I know other people may not hold this in such high regards- but I fell in love with this work and perhaps you will too. I cannot recommend this anime enough for slice of life fans or people who just want to feel really happy while watching an anime. Check this one out. You won't regret it

So I'll start by saying what would of made the show a 10 out of 10 for me.
The brain is a very complex part of the human body that we still today do not know everything about.
Sigmund Freud was the first to scratch the surface.
Modern day we have neuroscience.

It would been really awesome if they went psychology route but you really can't expect a fluffy cute anime to dive into advance psychology. It is beyond most people's general knowledge.
I'm not going to penalize the show that much for that. It just would of been a big bonus.
The show just gives ... us that she was in accident and she suffered a brain injury that most likely affected the cerebellum. It is left up for your imagination.

When you look at the tags of the show.
There is no drama or romance tag. The selling point of the show is it's cuteness.
So what this means is that I'm not expecting romance from the show. It still makes you disappointed of what could of been but it should not irritate you because it is something you were conditioned for.

The main draw is it's cuteness.
The main draw of the show is Kaori Fujimiya.
My first impressions of her were that she was cold and kawaii and I loved her.
During episode 3 we saw a drastic change from her and at the time I felt that the change between cold and normal was too abrupt.

Thankfully the story did address this being that she acts emotionless so that people would avoid talking to.
This is something that I can relate to when I was going through my early years of my depression. I did the same thing. I was very emotionless walking through the hallways because i didn't want anyone to approach me.
I wanted to give off the illusion that I was unapproachable but when once someone actually starts talking to me a switch turns on and I'm my more friendly self.
So anyone who felt that it was unrealistic character change, I beg to differ.

The main plot of the show was Kaori Fujimiya writing in her diary to remember or for better words be informed of what was happening around her the last week.
This is not something that was made up for this anime. This is actually the same theory used to remember dreams.

Every night you will dream 4 times.
Will you remember all of them? No.
Do you sometimes remember one? Yes, and it is usually the last dream you were having.
I know you can remember countless times you've had a really cool dream and you do something like take a piss and poof the dream gone after that.
The dream has returned to your unconscious, the same unconscious that all of Kaori Fujimiya memories are trapped.

So by writing your dreams right when you wake up in the morning in a journal.
You will actually remember more of them.
Your able to tap into that unconscious like Kaori Fujimiya is tapping into hers slowly during the show.
Why she eventually feels naturally that it is Hase on Monday.

At this point I was thinking that this show could be an 8 out of 10.
Like I said, if it went the psychology route it would of been a potential 10 out of 10 at this point.
Then they did do something that irritated me with Kaori Fujimiya resetting after her reunion with Kayo. Pressing the reset button is one of my pet peeves. I find it lazy writing and it didn't lead to any pay-off.

Then of course it would of been nice if not just Kaori Fujimiya and Yuuki Hase became a couple. Also Shougo Kiryuu and Saki Yamagishi as well.
What it really comes down to it, what is the reason for them to not?
There isn't a reason. It makes complete sense for them to all end up being couples at the end of show and none of them are.
So you are left disappointed but to circle back to the beginning. I can't be irritated about it but I can't negate it either.
Do not go into this show wanting romance, it is destined to fail for you.

The final result is this landing as an above average show (7 out of 10).
There was a lot of miss opportunities that could of made this show special.

Memories. What is a memory? Memories are the embodiment of people. Without the memories that we create in our lives, one's entire existence could be essentially be washed away, becoming nothing. Isshuukan friends, an anime that focuses on the life and memories of two important friends.

Story (8.01/10): "Fujimiya-san, I would like for us to be friends" Hase Yuuki in every episode. A boy in his class sees a girl that stays distant and cold from everyone else. One day, he says the quote above, prompting the initial spark of a seven month journey in hopes that one ... day, he can truly be her friend.

The story of Isshuukan friends is essentially just that, making friends. A boy named Hase Yuuki tries his very best in becoming friends with a girl name Fujimiya Kaori, a girl who has a condition that results in her only having memories of her friends and good times with said friends for only a week starting from Monday, before it resets the next week where she has no memory whatsoever.

From this plot, something that can become very apparent, is the repetitiveness of the idea. Week 1, do one thing. Week 2, do the same thing in hopes the girl remembers. Week 3, well you get the idea. Surprisingly enough, the series didn't do that at all. While the basis of the idea was still a prominent feature of the entire series, what with the whole one week memory span, the story gradually made itself different every episode by adding bit by bit of solution that as a result, practically solved the series's problem. That's not to say that the show didn't have its fair share of conflicts.

What this series also did well on is the fact that there were conflicts in the series that made the issue of losing memory more dangerous and prominent, as the stuff that was worked hard to build up on was eventually tumbled down in more ways than one in multiple parts of the series. The conflicts themselves made the show more interesting as you can clearly see these small little details that were like a Chekov's gun play a more active part in the series, as small as they might be. As a result of this, the characters, particularly Hase, grew as characters and expanded what traits they had of themselves into something more. While the series did many things right, there were things it did wrong too.

One thing that the series had going against it was predictability. Sure, everything that happens in the series is very cute and all, but there were some parts of the series that were quite predictable and sort of like, "Yep, knew it was going to happen." While a good majority of its predictable plot didn't really impact the series too much, there was one thing that the series didn't hide right down to the synopsis. That my friends, is romance.

There were parts towards latter half of the anime that felt like a romance subplot, to the extent that literally every other character but the two main ones are aware of it and shipping the closeness the two characters share. It was something that I personally knew was coming, and while I didn't mind it, it was quite something that I found myself to be expecting given the synopsis of the show.

The pacing of the show was fantastic. No part of the show felt rushed, slow, or anything for that matter. It was a very even pace that introduced plot points at the right moment without any problems whatsoever.

As an ending, the show did itself proud. The series went full circle and accomplished what it wanted to do. It gave a cute ending and it was an ending in which I feel satisfied in watching, as to me, it completed the show. (Though, I do want to see more! Second season? OVA?)

Overall, the show's story was well done. There were issues with the plot being quite predictable as it went on, but the show was definitely executed well. There was an even pacing that persisted throughout the whole show, there were conflicts and problems that made the characters grow and made the show more interesting, and there some great themes and important things that stayed through the whole show, making the slow progress for the characters that the show excelled in more viable and noteworthy.

Plus, this show is just adorable.

Overview:
+ Very good story conflicts
+ Good character development
+ Very good material objects that made the show show's symbolism shine
+ Great pacing
+ Very cute
- Somewhat predictable plot

Characters (8.48/10): Isshuukan friends also does something great with its characters. Several things actually. The most important one is its cast. The amount of characters this show has doesn't even equate to a double digit number. (9 total). It is because of this small cast that the show has been able to put more emphasis and character development on them, giving them complexity, and making them better as characters overall.

Hase Yuuki, our main protagonist. What I can say about this guy, is the amount of perseverance he has. Throughout the entire show, Hase shows himself to be very willing to help Kaori with the condition that she is facing, in hopes that the two of them become friends. Over time, you get to see him grow as a person as he learns more and more about Kaori's past and what had happened before he even met her, prompting him to become essentially a better character overall, as he clearly exhibits caring for her very much. (I call it love, but according to the series, it's friendship.) It becomes very clear on how much he has changed from the beginning of the series, how much he grows as a character as his goal still being hard worked towards and aspired.

Fujimiya Kaori is the other main character in the series. Kaori is the whole reason this series exists. With her memory of everyone except her family being reset every week, she becomes the focal point of the series for Hase as he tries his best to help her. While she is the focal point, it doesn't mean she doesn't get development herself. Over the course of the series, you can see what her becoming less and less confined with herself. You can see her grow out from the capsule she enclosed herself in, and ultimately becoming someone completely different by the end of the series. The growth she has is quite heartwarming and overall, a very important and satisfying thing that the series provides.

Apart from these two main characters, we have a good chunk of characters that slowly enter the series and grow in their own ways. Shogo, Hase's only friend before Kaori who has a very pessimistic view of everything. Saki, a girl who is probably one of the more adorable characters I've seen in a while, and Kujo, a character that appears rather late in the series, but still plays a pivotal role in the show. (Plus, Kaori's mom who is totally fine with an adolescent boy being very close to her only daughter to the point that an accidental push down from said boy onto her daughter is totally cool with her. Best mom ever.)

With such a small cast, the show really makes itself focused on what they have and making what they have a more focused idea. I love how much detail and effort it took to make the characters they have good, and in the end, I felt as though it did pay off, as these characters are wonderfully executed and three-dimensional as opposed to one-sided characters from a good chunk of other shows.

Overview:
+ Small cast with great detail
+ Fantastic character development
+ Very good character interactions
+ Awesome mom. (Sorry, she had to be mentioned again.)

Art and Sound (8.88 and 8.21/10): The art stays very stable with what it is. It doesn't change at all from what it is and stays relatively the same throughout the entire series.

What the art really is, is watercolor. When I look at it, I see a watercolor painting with a very bright and white gradient to it making basically everything shimmering. The art is very simple, but beautiful, like the series it's in. The characters aren't overly detailed, and the background aren't either. But the simplicity of it makes it so much better. Personally, this style of animation fits perfectly with the series it's in and it makes it so pleasing and calming to watch. (Don't even get me started on the beautiful opening and ending artwork that legitimately look like beautiful watercolor paintings.)

The sound as well is staggeringly wonderful too. (For some reason, this season of anime has been giving out some wonderful, wonderful music.) The opening is this very light and instrumental piece that gives off a time of pure bliss. It's very pleasing to hear, and is an anime opening that I can treasure personally. The ending however is a bit different. While it does have that same light instrumental feel to it, it sounds a bit melancholic, sort of retaining to the opposite end of the anime where the internal conflicts of the characters lie.

Overall, the art and sound is beautiful and very fitting for this anime. Personally, I am a fan of both of them.

Overview:
+ Fantastic watercolor art style
+ Consistent animation throughout
+ Very calming and nice to listen to tracks.

Personal Enjoyment (9.04/10): When I first saw this show while scrolling through anichart's seasonal list, I thought to myself that this would be a show that I would like/love, and that there would be a deeper meaning to it outside of what the synopsis told me. Safe to say, I was right. Isshuukan friends gave a deeper meaning to what friends really are, and how just a simple person near you can change a person's life. It didn't just stop at just simply making friends, it went above and beyond by adding other things that friends in real life do.

This was a very cute anime and one that will sit on my favorite's list for a good while. The show itself made itself to be more than one can initially think, and it was overall, to me at least, a very pleasant experience to watch. It was charming, it was memorable, and definitely one of the shows this spring season, that didn't disappoint.

Overall Score: (8.24/10)