Isshuukan Friends.

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

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)

Just finished watching One week Friend... This Anime is so disappointing, the main characters is so doll and annoying, except for the supporting cast but even them couldn't save the show from extinction...
The Animation and the background music is so doll that i prefer to sleep than to watch this anime..

PS: Just watch 50 first dates instead starring Adam Sandler & Drew Barrymore..
They've Similar Concept 'cause One Week Friend is unwatchable and it failed so hard to become a better anime

Bro what the fuck, where’s the rest of show? It had a great premise and I was really enjoying it but then it just fucking stopped. Nothing got explained, nothing got resolved, it just… ended. Like it said fuck you, go read the manga. It was a goddamn teaser trailer not a fucking tv show. Man this could have been a 6 or even 7/10 if they just fucking finished the show. Goddamn. I looked up the manga and it litereally doesn’t have that many chapters, just fucking finish it you goddamn cowards. Fuck, I hate that shit. You had such a good premise and ... they just didn’t do shit with it. Fuck.

Ohayoo! Mina, It's 10:38am as im typing this."Why in the morning"You ask? Because rn i got nothing better to do so lets do this thang.

Well this show does more than give your brain just a bit of a workout on thinking about a “what if” scenario that is rather unusual.

They actually do a rather good job of helping you understand what your life might be like if you had the same affliction.

Just what would it be like for me personally to have a friend that every Monday morning I had to re-introduce myself as if for the first time.

How would it feel ... to be that person who is afflicted and only knowing people because of what you wrote in a notebook, always worrying that you might lose the notebook and thus lose your “memory”. I really enjoyed the show.

Well it wasn't the most interesting review I did lol but overall this is a nice, relaxing anime that has a good story and introduces you to some interesting characters and interesting concepts. *exhale* I'm done, i hope you guys enjoyed the review... Bye-bye (≧∇≦)/

(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site)

[Synopsis]: Yuuki Hase (Yamaya, Yoshitaka), noticing that his unsociable classmate Fujimiya Kaori (Amamiya, Sora) has no friends and is always alone, approaches her and asks if she would like to be friends with him. After some persistence on Yuuki’s part, Kaori reveals to him that she cannot make friends because she forgets all of her memories concerning her friends each week on Monday. Regardless of Kaori’s plight, Yuuki endeavors each week to help her and get closer to her.

[Characters]:

There is a relatively small cast of character in Isshuukan Friends and it mostly consists of other students ... at the school with the exception of their teacher and Kaori’s mother. Kaori herself I found to be one of the best parts of the show as she embodied something I found quite compelling. Most characters in her position, one of forgetting one’s own memories or of suffering from amnesia, at some point give way to despair or shut down but Kaori exhibited rather impeccable resilience to this; she approached each new week with a good attitude and a propensity for understanding the situation. I think this displays great strength of character and along with her other qualities made her my favorite character from the show. Behind her cold facade she is very kind and genuine and desperately desires friends despite her condition.

The other main character, Hase Yuuki, was likable enough. His determination and persistence when concerning Kaori was admirable and in this way he was quite kind and caring. At times he was selfish, even frustratingly so, however he had the ability to see this in himself and often rectified his actions and so I found him forgivable.

The other characters of note were Kiryuu Shougo (Hosoya, Yoshimasa) and Yamagishi Saki (Ookubo, Rumi) who are both slowly incorporated into Kaori’s tentative group of friends. Shougo is pragmatic and a little abrasive in how he speaks his mind however he is Yuuki’s best friend and is a reliable person. He often provides a practical standpoint by which Yuuki can judge things between himself and Kaori. Saki is a fun character who often forgets things and in this way can be juxtaposed to Kaori herself to a lesser degree which helps Kaori relate to her initially.

[Art/Animation]:

I think that the art-style was my favorite element of the show outside of perhaps Kaori’s characterization. The character designs are nice and simple and lend themselves well to each respective characters personality. Something I took special note of when watching, and I may be alone in this feeling, was that the light color palette, the hazy-white periphery of the shots and the excessive use of whites in the backgrounds often made the scenes loosely resemble the classic ‘memory/flashback’ technique used in many anime. I think it is a beautiful idea that a show that concerns itself so heavily with memories would frame its scenes like this.

While this sentiment and the intent of the technique is arguable, the ultimate effect of these things is enjoyable and and the overall relaxed style lends itself very well to the calm nature of the slice of life genre. I believe that the art in this show is one of it’s strongest features.

[Story]:

Something I would like to commend Isshuukan Friends for was the manner in which it approached its subject. The story element of forgotten memories is by no means unique to this show and has a good deal of history elsewhere however I myself have not seen any show tackle the concept quite like how it was done here. Shows like Golden Time and Ef: A Tale of Memories which also deal with amnesia and the loss of memories tend to take the route of the melodramatic or the depressing at times – which worked well for them. Isshuukan Friends however, true to its slice of life style, is fairly lighthearted and never quite delves into the potential despair of the concept as the other shows do. I thought this was a brave way to go about things and worked very well for the show in that it provided Kaori with a strong sense of courage and perseverance. The show does not outright ovoid drama however it does not commit itself to the more negative aspects of the story element and opts to become more comfortable and endearing than anything else.

I also thought it was a good decision for the show not to overly investigate the precise implications of Kaori’s memory loss. It does not scrutinize the concept and therein allows it to breathe within the show – doing what it needs to do without begging unnecessary or damaging questions. As a viewer you come to learn the reasons for her situation to a moderate degree however it does not investigate its premise aggressively with needless questions such as ‘when does Kaori lose her memories on Monday’ or ‘Why doesn't she do X, Y, Z to prevent this total reset from happening”. I am happy with the way in which the concept was presented and thought it rather intelligently simple.

One final note for perspective viewers – the weeks have more cohesion between them than one might think based on the first episode and so I would comfort those who are afraid of the potential ‘every episode is a new week with first interactions’ style. It is not done in this way and is conscious of its own history in a linear way.

[Music]:

The music fit the show and was simple and relaxed in accordance with the other aesthetics however I myself did not find any of the songs particularly memorable or gripping. Like many shows, the music did what it needed to do however occasionally it would chime in more notably given the intermittent, dramatic moment. Sweet and simple like everything else.

[Final Thoughts and Rating]:

I thought Isshuukan Friends presented a refreshing approach to a storied subject and had an incredibly pleasurable art-style to go alongside it. I think it is best characterized by the genre of slice of life because of its tone over that of romance or comedy however there are a few of those elements sprinkled in as well.

Rating: 7

I gave the show a 7 because I found myself genuinely enjoying it in on several different levels and the added feeling of refreshment in the way the show explored its concepts was an added bonus. What stops me from rating it higher I think is purely by product of the genre it represents – It was mellow and relaxed and so in that way pleasurable but not as gripping or as exciting as other shows. Someone who truly becomes enthralled in the slice of life setting may very well give this show a higher score based on their own enjoyment but I myself will leave it at: it was enjoyable and didn't need to be anything more than it was.

[Recommendations]:

I would recommend Isshuukan Friends to any fans of the slice of life genre as I have discussed above. I found the comedy, while somewhat present, to be rather light and so I feel there are better alternatives to fans of that genre than this show however the romance was present enough for me to recommend it to people interested in it pretty confidentially. I will warn that the show aims to discuss the more simple elements of friendship rather than the more intimate ones such as outright love and so whatever romance transpires comes secondary within the intent of the show I feel.

Welcome to another Robert's Too Late Reviews! Today we're working over the subbed version of Isshuukan Friends. We have a charming little series here, with a few issues that truly keep it from rising to the heights it might have otherwise achieved. Let's take it from the top.

Story: 8
I'm not saying I disliked the series at all, in fact I found it quite charming. There is, however, one MAJOR flaw that must be addressed as it is the focal point of the entire show, all the way down to what the series is called, that being the female lead's amnesia. The condition itself can ... be somewhat rare in real life, and almost never works in the manner depicted in fiction, but that's okay, as a story is, well, a story, yet this time we have a version of amnesia that truly stretches the suspension of disbelief to the breaking point. Our girl has the unique trait of forgetting her social interactions after each week. This appears to only affect her dealings in interpersonal interactions, as she's not shown to have any trouble with her studies in school, or in any other way. She simply goes to bed Sunday night, and Monday morning she has completely forgotten everyone she's interacted with the previous week. This of course puts her into a deep depression, and the entire show is built around trying to move her forward and bring the joy of friendship back into her life.

I'm pretty laid back on many things, but this issue was a bit of a stickler for me. If it had been portrayed differently, perhaps with a more 'complete' form of amnesia, such as what affected Haruka in Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, then I would have given this series a solid '8', no problem at all. Yet with the girl only forgetting her friends and nothing else, I just couldn't roll with that completely without it troubling me. However, as it was clearly just a mechanic to set up the story about the power of friendship and learning to open up to others so I didn't let it discourage me from watching. A minor *SPOILER* here, later in the show it is lightly suggested that perhaps our girl's memory problems are the result of psychological trauma and not any physical one, but this is only tapped on briefly and then never explored. In the end, there is no resolution on if she truly forgets because actual brain damage, or if she forgets as an emotional response similar to something like PTSD. *END SPOILER*

The other primary issue I had with this series was that as it wrapped up, the main guy makes a rather perplexing leap in logic in regards to the main girl's condition. It seemed a bit forced to me, there to pad out the series and give one last dramatic thrust.

So with that, let's talk about what is good here. This series is driven by our main guy who notices a loner girl in his class and decides to reach out to her. He bravely approaches her, and even when she holds him at arm's length at first, continues to befriend her. His efforts are rewarded as he does break through her self imposed exile, and learns of her condition. He helps her move forward, helps her find a way to make her continuously lost memories more permanent, and in doing so, helps her be the person she truly is, and helps her rise from her shell of depression into the light of life.

The story speaks to the fact that no one is without value, even the weird quiet person at school or work are still people, and maybe they are just in a situation that forces them into their behavior. Maybe they are just introverts who are too shy to seek out friendship with others. No matter the cause, everyone has value in the world, and even to others. As a famous author once wrote, "no man is an island". That is quintessentially true, as humans are social creatures by nature. There is something admirable about reaching out to those who are, for whatever reason, isolated.

I come to this subject with a strong personal view. I was always the loner, I am even today. I don't have many friends, I'm very shy and introverted, and I generally shy away from social situations. I am speaking of 'real life' as one would say, as here at my keyboard I feel I can truly be myself. But IRL it is easy to say I'm a bit of a hermit and always have been. I've had times when I wanted to be included or wanted to befriend someone but didn't know how, or couldn't summon the courage to step forward, and it hurt. There have been people in my life, however, that came to me and said 'hey, I want to get to know you, I think we could be great friends' that have brought a good deal of joy to my life. I am not dismissing the idea that there is sometimes a level of annoyance involved, as some of us prefer to be left alone for the most part, there is still beauty in someone, who has honest intentions, taking an interest in us. Even if I decide I don't want to socialize with that person reaching out to me, if they are doing so for the right reasons, then they still gain a good deal of my respect.

I'm not saying everyone has to be a social butterfly. What I am saying is that some people are alone when they don't want to be. This is clearly the case in this story, as the main girl is obviously miserable until the main guy moves to become her friend. The fact the main guy continues to try to be her friend even after learning of her weekly memory problem speaks to his honest heart. He isn't willing to just walk away because it's a bigger struggle to befriend the girl than other people. He sincerely wants to help her, and that is where the charm of the entire series really emanates from.

This isn't romantically motivated either, though the main guy does want a very special friendship, it's never indicated that he is thinking in any way of a romantic one. He just wants to be an important friend to her, as she becomes an important friend to him. It's through the efforts of the main guy that the girl is granted the life and friends she thought she would never have. The struggles everyone faces with the main girl is truly the meat of the series, and makes a satisfying meal, as long as you can see past the weird amnesia issue.

Art: 7
I would call this title's art 'simple and clean' if I had to put it shortly. There's not a huge amount of detail forced in, but the story doesn't require it anyway. By going with lighter details and a cleaner look, small touches like blushes are more apparent, and speak a lot more clearly than some of the more 'busy' art forms. The look works for the story well, and I don't find much to fault in it. I find the views on the artwork to be the most subjective, and I do tend to prefer the more detailed series, so I say '7', which by scale is still good. Your mileage may vary.

Sound: 8
I did enjoy the voice work in the show. The main guy sounds honest and sincere, and the main girl is appropriately bubbly once we learn her true personality. The rest of the cast is well done, though they do go with not one, but two rather monotone characters, one of each gender. The supporting guy is played as an aloof but wise personality, whereas the supporting girl is played more as a humorous deadpan. They both work, just not too often have I heard the 'flat' voiced character be more than a single person in most titles.

The music is pretty, the opening and closing themes match the sentiment and movement of the show nicely. The music is either airy and vaguely reassuring or is deep-keyed and mournful, which is exactly what the show calls for. Sound effects all hit, no wonky sounds to be heard anywhere.

Character: 7
Our main guy does seem to be too honest and good hearted at times, like he's putting in a level of effort that at first seems a bit excessive. His determination is admirable, but I did find myself at first wondering what was in it for him. This quickly dissipates as we see how wonderful a person the main girl is, and we quickly know that he continues to try because she is a great friend once she is reoriented with her relationship to him. Otherwise he's played off as a good person.

His supporting guy is, as I said, aloof but even though he puts on a tough act, his advice is pretty much always spot on, and while blunt, is truthful. He might act like he doesn't care about any of the things going on, but I believe we are shown that deep down he does. He just plays the 'whatever man' role, but he doesn't actually believe it himself.

The main girl is beautiful and tragic at the same time. When we see her in her states of loneliness and isolation, it's almost painful, but once she brought up to speed with who her friends are, she opens up and is just a joy to watch. She's kind hearted, and tender, and cares deeply for her friends. In a way, even her self imposed isolation is in the spirit of protecting those that would be her friend. Watching her move from this spirit of fear and hopelessness to a world where she can be as normal a girl as possible is enchanting.

Enjoyment: 7
Watching the main guy do his best to befriend the main girl is the admirable hook, and then watching his good deed enrich another's life draws one in even more. Watch the main girl learn to live again is the payoff, and is worth it, without a doubt. As I said before, the reason this isn't an '8' at least is the memory problem itself. I find it to be distracting enough that some scenes that were meant to be moving left me slightly annoyed because the arbitrary amnesia rules seemed at times to be there to complicate the situation and not for any other reason. However, I do recommend seeing this show, as it was a great story of personal growth and the love of friendship. It tries to show us that we should care for each other, and that friendship isn't all about what *you* get from it, but instead what *you* give to it as well. It's a great message in a nice little series.

Best Girl: I kind of wanted it to be Saki, but in the end, our main girl Kaori has to be the winner. She's just so adorable when she's out of her shell, and so heartbreaking when she's in it, I just came to love seeing her blossom over and over again, and watching as she overcame her challenging life.

So yeah, this is the one week anime version of 50 First Dates, but it doesn't fall nowhere near as flat as Adam Sandler's film did. I say spin it up, don't let the memory thing drive you off (though it is damn annoying at times) and see if you can remember this one next week. I know I will!

One Week Friends is a comedy-drama focused on the friendship that develops between high schoolers Yuki and Kaori that comes with a catch: the latter suffers from a form of amnesia where she forgets about those that she becomes friends with after a week. The series focuses on the gradual development of their friendship as Yuki adjusts to trying to befriend her in spite of her unique condition, comes up with ways to ensure Kaori retains her memories of him and having her learn to open up to others more easily as having her condition led Kaori to take on a passive and distant persona ... to drive away others to avoid having them learn of her condition.

Before I hop into this review, let us address the obvious deal-breaker with this series in the form of its amnesia storyline involving Kaori. The particular form of amnesia she suffers from, anterograde amnesia, involves victims of it suffering from loss of memories from the recent past due to some sort of traumatic event, while retaining the ability to recall memories that took place before suffering this form of amnesia. Real-life studies of it have varying accounts as to how long anterograde amnesiacs can retain memories of recent events, being anywhere from seconds to hours, as the symptoms can be temporary or life-lasting depending on the severity of the circumstances that triggered it. In Kaori's case, the effects of the amnesia lead her to forget about any person she befriended during the week every Monday yet is able to retain details on knowing those that she doesn't have close relations with in school and the amnesia being the result of a traumatic event in her past she experienced before getting into an accident of some sort. Also, the use of a notebook to help restore any memories she lost from the prior week doesn't always work out in handling this type of amnesia. The makers of the series are obviously taking liberties with a number of elements to anterograde amnesia to tell its story and willing to suspend disbelief over its depiction of amnesia will make or break your enjoyment of One Week Friends.

If you are open-minded enough to the show's lack of believably with depicting amnesia, then you will be rewarded with a series that is rather touching in its exploration of friendship that develops with Yuki, Kaori, Shogo and Saki. While it may seem like the series has nothing going on at first glance and seems like a typical slice-of-life title, One Week Friends features gradual developments in the relations that develop between these four characters having their high and low points, exploring the types of lives they have and their characters gradually changing for the better as Kaori learns to open up to classmates and Yuki learning not to be so selfish in the friendship he has with her. Some details about the events leading up to the loss of Kaori's memories are unveiled and get further explored in later episodes of the series when someone from her past appears as a transfer student at the school. The show has its dramatic moments that come along from conflicts and incidents that involve Kaori's friendship and memories, yet is smart enough to show restraint with the drama so it doesn't get too overboard.

The visuals to the series take on a minimalist style having simple details with a pastel-like coloring style that contributes well to the gentle mood found often throughout One Week Friends' run. The animation is nothing too impressive, but characters are depicted to move at a natural pace with the occasional vehicles driving by in the obligatory conspicuously rendered CG animation.

Overall, One Week Friends is a hidden gem from 2014 that is sure to ooze into your heart with its look into establishing high school friendships and overcoming personal conflicts that may arise out of them, provided you are willing to suspend disbelief with the title's handling of amnesia.

Talk about being a pain to watch.

Why? Because of the story? Nope! The anime actually have a pretty nice story (way too full of melodrama but still nice). Because of the art? Well the character designs were waaaaayy too cute and that was the point all along so again, no. Because of the sound? Well it wasn't unfitting but on the other hand I can't say I remember any specific soundtracks so it wasn't noteworthy either. Because of the characters? Yes!

Let me be clear. With the exception of one character all of the cast is wonderful and pretty likeable. Instead of starting with the protagonist ... or the female lead I'll start with the audience's No 1 favourite. Shogo is the protagonist's closest friend and is also the emotional/physical support FOR THE WHOLE CAST. And don't you underestimate that, these guys get depressed just by waking up and going to school. If it wasn't for this guy everything would have crumbled. To more accurately describe his role, imagine you're playing LOL. Imagine that 3 of your team members are tower-diving like morons and are about to die on their own because of their stupidity. Now imagine that from the heavens comes the fifth party member, Soraka, who heals them to full health and escorts them safely away from the tower. That's this guy.

Then there's the female lead, Fujimya. The girl has a rare condition, where every week (on Sunday night specifically) her memories get reset regarding everyone she considered friends. For that reason she is by her own for her whole school life and is considered creepy and arrogant by most of her classmates. The fact that she's an excellant student (because she spends all her time studying) doesn't help with the envy her class feels towards her. Throughout the series, Fujimiya gets in a close relationship with most of the cast except for Shogo. In other words she usually forgets about everyone other than him, meaning he is often the one who has to reestablish her relationship with the others in case someone fucks up (and believe me... that happens a LOT in this anime). So, that's one more burden for him.

After Fujimiya comes the second important female cast, Saki. Her role is being the absolutely, 100% useless character. If it wasn't for the anime's awfully cutesy animation perhaps I would want her dead, but instead you get to like her. She is clumsy as hell, forgetful to a point where it's in some ways worse than Fujimiya (aka going to school without her bag, unbelievably awful grades etc etc). She's practically incapable at EVERYTHING so guess who she absolutely becomes attached to. + 6 burdens for Shogo (6 is the average times she f$%ks up per episode.).

Now all of them, despite their faults are likeable. Fujimiya is actually pretty cute, since because of her memory resetting she is actually veeeery considerate and understanding to everyone she consides friends, Shogo is the motherf%$^ing hero of the day, every day, and even Saki is cute in her own way. And then comes the bag full of s$%&. The PROTAGONIST. Hase Yuuki, is the reason I gave the anime a 7 instead of an 8-9. His behaviour is so immature that it's seriously a pain to watch. He pretty obviously doesn't give a s$^t about Fujimiya having friends and is quite plainly looking for a hole. Or two. Or three. In any case, despite "helping" Fujimiya with making more friends (aka f%^&ing up every time and going to Shogo crying for him to fix things) he actually becomes jealous as hell when she does interract with people other than him. And that includes Shogo when Fujimiya ended up remembering him but not Hase. So, first he starts his usual whining about Fujimiya remembering Shogo, then when Shogo kindly explains that the reason she remembers him is that she does not consider him a friend, Hase is relieved and starts laughing at Shogo for not being considered her friend. The d$^k levels are over 9000. He even gets jealous of Saki when she seems close to Fujimiya. And again of course goes whining to Shogo. + 50 burden per episode for Shogo.

To sum it up the anime has a pretty likeable cast minus the main character, who unfortunately gets waaaay too much screentime. If he didn't, the anime would propably be wonderful. Give it a try if you're a fan of over-melodrama and super cutesy animation.

Oh, and... Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it is the support character!

Sorry for any English mistakes, I am still learning the language!

One week friends is the kind of anime that makes you feel relaxed by it's slow paced story, the sweet music and voice acting and the pastel colours. The storyline and characters are nice too, which made this anime one of my favourites from this year so far.

Story: 8
The story is about Kaori Fujimiya who has a rare disease which makes her forget all her memorie of her friends each week. Yuuki Hase decided to be his friend even with that problem. We follow them in their everyday lives as Hase tries to help Fujimiya ... regain her memories. Two other people join the group to make the dynamic more interesting. The way the story is slow but never boring keeps the anime interesting and not too cheesy.

Art: 7
At first I wasn't sure about the way the mouths and noses were drawn, but I got used to it. The pastel colours reminded me of a watercolour paint and made it really soothing to the eyes.

Sound: 7
I don't remember the music quite well, except it was sweet and soothing, so it fitted the mood of the anime. It is nothing outstanding or else I would have remembered it, but it also means in wasn't any bad. The opening and ending themes were really good.

Characters: 8
The characters all have their own personnality and none of them are cliché. I was afraid Fujimiya might be boring becaue of her memory loss, but she is not. She's actually very cute. The way Hase treats Fujimiya is really sweet to watch too. I liked how each character was interesting and had at least a little development. The cast is small, but strong.

Enjoyment: 9
This anime made me go from smile to tears. The humour is soft and makes me happy while the drama is really well handled and made me really sad and want to see more after every episode. The overall tone is nice too because it is so calming.

Overall: 8
This anime was really enjoyable and I think it could please to any fan of slice of life, friendship or romance. With only twelve episodes, the story is not completed though. I really hope for a season two, but if it doesn't happen, I plan on reading the manga because the story is completed on that medium and it is not too long with its seven volumes.

That's it for this review, I hope this was helpful! ^-^

Crappy ending and a huge disappointment. The story truly begins to develop at episode 12 and then it just randomly stops.

Friends aren't exactly necessary, but they're precious. And at times, isolation may get the better of you. You may feel alone, though not lonely. But one day, you spot the splint of light known as 'friendship'. When you gain that fundamental desire to take that alternative life, it's then you start to truly feel 'loneliness'. That is the fate of such a girl named Kaori Fujimiya.

'One Week Friends' has an intriguing concept, however a very loose one. The girl's memories reset every Monday; memories involving friends only. And if you view this on a realism point of view, it's way too loose. Why only her ... friends? Why every specific day? Why couldn't Fujimiya just see a therapist? Is the school informed? I can go on, but thankfully the story doesn't fall in its plot holes. It separates them from the story itself, and creates its own rules plausible enough to be believable despite not being too realistic in a high school setting.

What the anime manages to do well is convey a suitable atmosphere and pace. It's sweet and gentle like spongecake - hardly frustrating at all. The soft, whimsical art style maintains the aura of sweetness, and so this anime is pretty laid back at times. The execution on a lot of its drama is worth crediting too; only a few melodramatic events happen involving arguing, with a careful approach of presenting the problems with the characters without relying on shouting or exposition. For that, I think the anime's execution is wonderful at times.

The main problem I have though is the nature of friendship. They put forward the theme of 'friendship' way too often by the characters, and that isn't necessary. It feels unnatural. Most of their conversations involves either Hajime saying how lovely friends are, or them talking about her getting friends or discussing her problem. It'd be real dumb to erase all that, yes, but more everyday topics and subtle conversations help build a better establishment in their relationship. I get what you're trying to do, main characters. You don't need to tell me 20 times an episode.

That said, the development of Hajime and Hase's relationship is by no means bad. Due to slow pacing, it builds up gradually without rush. Throughout the series, you start to feel like there's 'progress' even though her memories reset every week. As said earlier, the story tackles its own concept without jumping into plot holes. Why not keep a diary to refresh her memory? Oh wait, they do! The anime then rolls on how the diary has its advantages and disadvantages. It's not just the diary, it's plenty of things - object or idea wise. The anime plays by its own rules and doesn't involve its apparent plot holes in the concept. I like that.

Despite having a fair amount of comedic moments, the anime does have its serious events blended in. As mentioned earlier, there's a few melodramatic moments. And although part of it does have to do with fine execution, it's also due to the lack of serious events and twists. Perhaps this is a positive thing; the anime is mainly comfortable and adorable. But it doesn't step out its territory, nor does it try hard enough. The revealing of Hajime's past and a lot of other serious moments aren't that impactful as a result; this can make the anime weak in regards to progressing its plot and writing at times.

The cast of characters is wonderful with the exception of Hase, the main male. Hase is by no means completely hatred worthy, especially at the start of the series. His incompetence of dealing with Hajime's problem drags him down - this is bound to happen. But he comes off as way too selfish or narrow-minded at times. One time he drags his friend to befriend Hajime. The next he goes all envious and claims Hajime is his. He blames others based on assumption, then he gives up the whole 'friendship' mission with Hajime as progression finally gets going. It's annoying when he starts throwing away Hajime's chance to earn friends because of HIMSELF.

But he's bearable and sweet at times. He isn't a beta or alpha, and thankfully he has a somewhat solid personality (possibly very feminine). Hajime is extremely sweet, and the other characters such as Shougo and Saki have personality and weight behind them that keeps the show interesting and enjoyable - especially in the slice of life department. Their actions are usually plausible too; for example, Hajime acts very ignorant in class. The writing justifies this with reasoning that makes sense. Therefore, the characters make sense and aren't either cardboard cut-outs or unjustifiable perfect beings.

I tried out 'One Week Friends' for a different high school experience, seeing how the concept is, although very loose, intriguing nevertheless. It didn't fail in that regards, but it didn't surprise me with anything spectacular either. I teared up for the first couple of episodes due to week resets, but any other dramatic events had little impact in me.

But hey, it was a lovely, comfortable experience, and a unique one at that. Does it need full serious mode to emotionally break down viewers? It doesn't, and even then its execution is enough for you to receive both warm and teary impression through the journey of 'One Week Friends'.

"One Week Friends" is an anime that doesn't have lots of action or excitement, and is rather slow moving,but it still is one of the best animes of 2014.
The story is about Kaori Fujimiya, a girl in high school who's good memories and memories of all of her friends disappear sometime between when she goes to bed on Sunday and wakes up on Monday. Because of this, she tries to distance herself from everyone. But Yuki Hase notices that she's lonely, and tries to be her friend.
It may seem like a story about amnesia, but it isn't. It is more about the character development and ... their relationship, with Fujimiya's amnesia just another addition. This is what makes this show so great: it managed to get an over-used story great. It can get very emotional, and I almost cried several times during the show. So if you don't want people seeing you cry, watch it in private or don't watching it at all.
Despite these good things, there is one disappointing thing about this show: the ending. I won't go into the details, but prepare to be disappointed. Don't make it stop you from watching it, it is still a great show.
Overall, this is a great show with great characters that managed to turn a overused idea into something amazing. It is extremely emotional, and has an ending that changed my rating from 9 to 7, but don't let this stop you. The show is extremely enjoyable show that everyone should watch

"Fujimiya-san, please be my friend!".

This is what Hase would say to Fujimiya every Monday.

Isshuukan Friends, produced by Brain’s Base, is a very special anime that shows how friendship is being cherished between the characters. Although making friends is one of many simple story ideas, the story is still great.

Hase wanted to be friends with Fujimiya, since she did not make any friends. He tried to build up the friendship between the both in the first week, but he learnt something new about her that explained why she couldn’t make any friends. Every Monday, she would lose her memories involving her friends. So without giving up, ... Hase would approach to her and ask to be his friend.

Well, you might think “hey, is this going to be very repetitive”. No, it isn’t. Hase tries to find ways to make her remember of her friends, including himself. The both of them have many challenges that have affected their relationship, but despite that, they are still together. The story isn’t fast-paced. The anime has done a pretty good job at balancing comedy and hardship. The conclusion to this anime is satisfying as it closes the story well.

Many speculated that this anime will fall to the romance route. While I think it would be nice, I don’t think that romance can fit into this anime. The main theme is friendship, after all. However, I can hint that there’s a bit of romance, although not developed.

The friends that Fujimiya have made are very interesting and likable. Each has their own personalities that are realistic.

It is great that Fujimiya has developed as she makes some friends. Her personality has changed from being shy to happy. Hase, on the other hand, despite trying to help Fujimiya, has the tendancy to avoid her making friends, just to be with her. It has been pretty ironic but afterwards, this such jealously disappear. He has also developed as he knows more about Fujimiya. A few more have also developed as well.

A charcter was introduced later in the story, but there isn’t enough information about him to make him a great character. Also, while you will get to know more about Fujimiya, there isn’t a next big step that can try to change her, apart from Hase’s help.

I absolutely love the art direction of this anime, as it portrays the “nice fluffy” feeling. The scenery is great, along with the nice fading. The visuals on the opening and ending are so gorgeous. The character designs are definitely cute, especially on the girls, and the facial expressions have a great impact in emotions invoked from the characters.

The sound direction has also impressed me well. Both opening and ending bring about so much feels and is relatable to the story. I love the instrumental trackings in both songs. The background music has always matched up the mood to the scenes, and the voice acting is very good.

This is one of the best anime made in this Spring season, and I really enjoyed this anime so much. It kept me in suspense every week for the next episode to be aired. The anime has caught up the translated manga, so the rest was a surprise to me. There was no fan service too. I hope to see more of this, showing how the relationship between Hase and Fujimiya will develop further.

I finished the anime Isshuukan Friends/One Week Friends in a week (haha). The anime is based on an ongoing shounen manga that I did not read prior to watching. To be honest, I just started watching it because I saw images of it online and thought it looked cute.

The anime is about a boy named Yuuki Hase who wants to befriend a girl named Kaori Fujimiya, because she always appears to be alone. Little does he know that befriending her is not as easy as he thought it would be. Apparently, Kaori loses memories of all her friends every Monday. Even so, Hase-kun is determined ... to be her friend no matter what.

The story is actually quite simple and might not appeal to those who like watching anime with lots of excitement and action. Most of the series is about their school life and Kaori gradually making friends. It didn't bother me, though, because I'm content with simple stories; they make for a "relaxing" anime.

The art is extremely adorable, as it is based on an extremely adorable manga. The whole time I was thinking "This is SO CUTE" because of the characters' round faces and their slight blushes.

I haven't listened to the entire soundtrack yet, but I heard that it was really good. I do like the song for the ending credits a lot, though.

The characters are great, in my opinion. Their feelings come through very clearly and it is easy to understand them and fall in love with them. A lot of the characters might seem like the sweet, nice type, but Shogo's (Hase's friend's) different blunt personality makes up for it.

Overall, I enjoyed the anime a lot and plan to read the manga. I recommend this anime to those who enjoy comedy, friendship, romance, and school life.

Anime with a simple story, with only two characters who each week utama.Yuuki struggling to get into the Kaori memory, but it must be sad because every Monday, Kaori forgot him. The story is very touching, of course, though illogical, his name is also anime ,, we do not need logic here ,, haha ​​... ~
Pictures, music, andstories that touch makes Isshukan Friends very enjoyable. Being able to make the audience get swept up in the story and to feel how the struggle Yuuki for at least able to carve memories in the hearts of Kaori. Viewed Kaori Yuuki tryingto recover memories, make him ... smile but continued to be forgotten would make theaudience emotionally up and down. This anime can make you smile, sad, and at a time when the same tense, hehehe ~ Although the story is simple, and perhaps somewhat boring, Isshukan Friends This may be an alternative on the sidelines watching anime Action or sport or being bored.

One Week Friends- Premise.
Kaori Fujimiya is a quiet, reclusive girl with no friends until one day a fellow classroom tries to befriend her. Yuuki Hase her fellow classmate wants nothing more than to be friends with Kaori but Kaori has a secret which effects her memory. Every Monday Kaori loses all her happy memories, including time spend with her friends and so their story begins!

What i love most about this show is the character based relationships! I really do. Most slice of life shows with forms of romance and comedy tend to shy away from the hard hitting subjects, but One Week Friends deals with ... them in their own way. Showing the characters develop and move on through the memory loss problems and see how they work towards a friendship around it and that is what this show does very well focusing on the friendship rather than the romance.

In terms of production, One Week Friends is really easy on the eyes with its washed out finish on the visuals. Brains base had 3 shows running this season and didn't let up with the stylised choices for this one at all. On top of this it has one of the best soundtracks for a show this season. Its is perfect for setting the right mood for those heart-melting moments [There are ALOT of them by the way.] I really did love this show and was pleasantly surprised by how much I was looking forwarded to it on a weekly basis and the amount of emotion it made me feel i did not expect at all. It had a way of making me feel so up and down throughout the entire series.

Overall I'd say if you're looking for a Slice of life with an undertone of romance and a hard hitting topic this is the show for you. Just be warned the pacing could feel a little slow is marathon this but from my view watching it weekly it moved the story along at a perfect pace and always left me wanting to know more.

Pros:
+ Very loveable characters
+ Story tries to stay away from anything too melodramatic
+ Gorgeous art & sound throughout
++ Great ending!!

Cons:
- Addison of new character near the end [Should have been done earlier]
- Kaori's mother didn't have her spotlight and felt left unfulfilled

Final score 7/10

An original shoujo drama which stands for its simplicity. The story is linear and without any major downhill, aside from the fact that the ''lost memory'' thing is something that i met in previous animes that i watched in the past like Ef-A tale of memories. Ruling that out, the storyline is pretty simple to follow and it doesnt take itself too seriously, even because some funny gags are present.

Characters art is very cute, with minimalistic facial features but coupled with a bunch of kawaii factors that i founded adorable. Backgrounds are drawn in a distinctive ... and detailed form and the setting itself is very colorful.

Opening and endings were good, nothing that stands out greatly but voice actors are fantastic at delivering the lines spoken by the charachters.

All five characters have distinctive personalities, and are refreshing to watch in a shoujo school drama like this.

Well the level of enjoyment is near at maximum because it never bored me to watch, except a few few parts.

The very definition of : Friendzone - The Anime
One Week Friends, or Isskuukan Friends is an anime with a not so traditional art style to it, which at first is harder for the average viewer to get used to. That aside, the character's have been crafted with quite unique back stories. Kaori looses her memories of all her friends on a weekly basis, meaning that come Monday, Kaori returns to her blunt state of mind and acts hostile towards her classmates. However, Yuuki is quite persistent and vows to make friends with her on a weekly basis, meaning that he is going to ask ... her every Monday to be his friend again. After a few episodes of this, it gets repetitive. But we do have to commend him for his dedication. He chooses to fight for her instead of fleeing, which appears to take it's toll on him late in the series. In general, most people would agree that his dedication does pay off in the end. As a whole, the Anime 'Isshuukan Friends' is satisfying and full of surprises, despite it's minor repetition. Although for being advertised as a romance anime, the characters don't actually develop any sort of romantic relationships, which makes me feel disappointed and I personally would have done that if i was producing this anime.

As a whole, This anime is alright, not exactly what I was expecting from a romance anime. However, the comedy/drama section of the genre is something else to discuss, as to be fair, there is quite a lot of drama in the later episodes, which I believe slightly pulls my grading further. In the closing episodes, the drama certainly does develop more interest into the anime. It makes up for the lack of romantic themes at the very least.

To conclude, Isshuukan friends is an overall alright anime, clearly with some issues that were detrimental to this anime. It's a real shame, I really enjoyed the plot concept, but sadly, It did not live up to my expectations.
Here is my overall opinions, marked in 5 categories for a total of 20 marks. 1 is god awful, 10 is Okay, 20 is Outstanding.

Art: 13/20
Plot: 14/20
Fitting to Genre (Romance, Comedy-Drama): 13/20
Entertainment: 15/20
Character Development: 15/20
Overall: 70

I found myself quite willing to forgive this show for not progressing a romance or plot. Its calming music, light-pastel art style and enjoyable, multi-dimensional characters made this a relaxing and moderately entertaining watch. Plus, clearly, the premise of weekly memory loss leads into naturally little changing from week to week.

Eventually however the story had to move on slightly, and when it did, it unfortunately faltered. The new character (I'd struggle to cause him an antagonist) wasn't particularly likable, relevant or interesting in any way.

Overall I enjoyed watching the dance between Hase-kun and Kaori week to week, but when things started moving forward ... (as they had to), I found myself disinterested and disappointed.