Kyoukai no Kanata: Shinonome

Basically the backstory of how all the main characters in Kyoukai no Kanata met. This may be the prequel to the series story wise but I would watch Kyoukai no Kanata first. Everything will make much more sense in this if you watch the main series first. Plus some of this may be considered spoilers to events in Kyoukai no Kanata.

The story mainly focuses on the Nase family, Hiroomi and Mitsuki in particular, and how they become involved with Kanbara. The majority of the other main characters from Kyoukai no Kanata are in this special as well.

I always enjoy seeing backstories for characters, and this ... special did just that exceptionally well. It was never explained how Hiroomi and Mitsuki met Kanbara in Kyoukai no Kanata which was nice to finally see in this special.

"W-what's the matter, aniki?"

That's when Hiroomi realized that his little sister has entered her rebellious stage.

Okay, as we all know, Kyoukai no Kanata was definitely a good anime. It had its proper amount of fanservice, action, drama and even some touching romance between kouhai and senpai. This OVA is exactly the same.

The difference between the parent story and this OVA is that Hiroomi plays the lead role and we discover how his relationship with Akihiko began. It also explains the somehow vague beginning of the parent story.

The art was as captivating as ever. Kyoto Animation keeps up the good work of providing us with good ... eye candy.

The OP & ED haven't changed, but maybe that's a good thing, because of that, this OVA didn't really feel like an OVA and more like a part of the parent story.

Hiroomi is the main character and the origin of the scars on his upper body get their explanation. And then we have Mitsuki. We know her as the 'kuudere' type, but suprisingly she isn't in this OVA. She still calls Hiroomi "onii-chan" and warms the hearts of the spectators.

Enjoyment? What? Do I even have to explain why I enjoyed it? Well, see for yourself and I'm sure you can answer this question yourself.

All by all, a great OVA which doesn't really feel like one, but at the same time it is.

This OVA was definitely something I didn't know I needed until it was given to me. It's action-packed, serious, with the occasional "onii-chan!" to fill the empty spaces. It feels like the first arch of the anime all over again, lacking the unneeded fanservice that accompanied the episodes after the Hollow Shadow. I myself, was ecstatic.
The OVA really delves into Akihito's past before the series, making up for the backstory that he had, but never touched on, in the anime. But what it really revolves around is Akihito's dream in the beginning of episode 2 of the anime, tying itself in at that point. ... While the OVA is told from Hiromi's perspective, it does include almost all the main characters of the anime, with the infamous Izumi-Miroku rooftop battles, and even a debut of our bespectacled beauty.
The only odd thing about this episode was its title, "Shinonome." It differs from the rest of the episodes, whose titles revolve colors, ie: "Moonlight Purple, Bitter Orange", Shinonome means "early dawn," meaning when the eastern sky begins to show light before the sun appears. This may have to do with colors if you look at it the right way, but while we're being straightforwards, it does not have much to do with colors.
All in all, this OVA was outstanding. The topic of the OVA was something many people longed for during the series, the anticipation of the story somehow tying in an explanation finally taking form. It's definitely a must see for all fans of the show, and really brings you back to the original storytelling of Kyoukai no Kanata.