Orange

Naho Takamiya's first day of her sophomore year of high school is off to an uneasy start. After waking up late, she receives a strange letter addressed to her. However, the letter is from herself—10 years in the future! At first, Naho is skeptical of the note; yet, after witnessing several events described to take place, she realizes the letter really is from her 26-year-old self.

The note details that Naho's future life is filled with regrets, and she hopes that her younger self can correct the mistakes that were made in the past. The letter also warns her to keep a close eye on the new transfer student, Kakeru Naruse. Naho must be especially careful in making decisions involving him, as Kakeru is not around in the future. With the letter as her guide, Naho now has the power to protect Kakeru before she comes to regret it once more.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Suwa, Hiroto Main

Furukawa, Makoto Japanese

Naruse, Kakeru Main

Yamashita, Seiichirou Japanese

Takamiya, Naho Main

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Hagita, Saku Main

Okitsu, Kazuyuki Japanese

Murasaka, Azusa Main

Takamori, Natsumi Japanese

Chino, Takako Main

Kinugawa, Rika Japanese

Naruse, Mother Supporting

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Ueda, Rio Supporting

Sakura, Ayane Japanese

Takamiya, Father Supporting

Tsuboi, Tomohiro Japanese

Naruse, Grandmother Supporting

Takashima, Gara Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Yoshizawa, Takashi Producer

Hayashi, Ikumi Producer

Herek, Samantha Assistant Producer

Reviews

Apr 19, 2025

duskwoven

Recommended

Orange is what I’d call painfully underrated. It doesn’t get talked about nearly enough, especially for an anime that holds so much quiet emotional weight. I think I understand why, though. The story leans into fantasy, a girl receives letters from her future self warning her about the silent, invisible grief behind Kakeru’s smile, and for some people, that might be a dealbreaker. It’s not as grounded or “realistic” as most slice-of-life fans might prefer. But for me, that fantasy wasn’t a flaw, but a frame. A gentle, hopeful lens to explore the ache of regret, the heaviness of depression, and the desperate longing to ... do things differently if only we could.

What makes Orange so special is that it doesn’t try to be sad. It just is. The grief here isn’t theatrical. It’s soft. Subtle. Sometimes even unspoken. And that's what makes it hit so hard. It captures the kind of pain that tiptoes into everyday life, disguised as silence or hesitation or a smile that doesn’t quite reach the eyes. Kakeru’s story isn’t built for shock or spectacle. It’s just heartbreakingly human. And the way Naho and her friends stumble, falter, and still try to help… it’s gentle in the most devastating way.

This anime doesn’t handhold you through its emotions. It just puts them there, raw and bare and quiet, and lets them sit beside you. There’s discomfort in that. The kind that slowly builds in your chest until you don’t even realize how much you’ve been holding in until it spills over. It’s the kind of story that doesn’t command you to cry, but instead lets you find yourself crying because something in it felt too real to look away from.

It’s not a perfect show. The pacing has its hiccups. The fantasy element might not work for everyone. But that doesn’t take away from the heart of it. Orange is about trying, reaching out and choosing to be present for someone even when you don’t know the right words. It’s about how small moments can shift entire futures, and how sometimes, all someone needs is to know that they’re not alone.

TL;DR: Orange is a tear-stained letter to anyone who’s ever wanted to go back and say, “please don’t go.” It’s about love, grief, healing, and friendship that fights for your life when you can’t. Its fantasy angle might not be for everyone, and its pacing isn’t perfect, but its emotional truth hits deep. It doesn’t beg for tears, it earns them. Underrated, quietly powerful, and worth every second and if you let it, Orange will stay with you long after it ends. Watch it when your heart needs a little breaking and a lot of reminding that you matter.

Thanks for reading.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by duskwoven (33)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Apr 20, 2025

Amditi-_-

Mixed Feelings

Oh my god wtf was this?
I really did not like the animation at some scenes it just became too funny like when he was crying but the story was kinda creative i kindof liked it but the guy was too annoying and was acting too much nonchalant i dont know why some animes just make the mcs too annoying,boring or dumb.
I am really not sure if anyone who is reading this review will agree with me or think the same.
It had too much overdramatic shit and was really something for what i was not looking for.
Below mid anime,creativity was top notch.
"Appreciate what you have before ... it turns into what you had."
Until then Jaane!

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Amditi-_- (4)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Oct 19, 2022

Executor23

Not Recommended

Informative

I am not a big fan of shoujo shows (or manga). Mostly because it is the most formulaic type of all media. But that doesn't mean when one title catches my interest (like this one) I don't give it a try.

I liked the cast of characters. The personality and acting of the main female lead makes her more of a hit or miss (I had no issues with her); but the way she and her friends act together is really heartwarming. Their friendly interactions are likable and it seems they trust each other, since they are willing to talk about their issues to each other ... and trying to find a solution together.

It got a very good start, but a very bad conclusion; to give you an idea without spoilers, imagine it this way – you are cooking a very tasty meal and you are looking forward to eat it (that's the first half of the show), but then, instead of black pepper, you add cinnamon (that's around episode 9-10) and when you start eating, you realize you added cinnamon instead of black pepper, because it tastes terrible, and the whole meal is ruined (last episode).

The non-spoiler flaws I can talk about goes back to its root formula – being a shoujo show. Expect a lot of cliches (e.g. running away from people during serious dialogues, melodrama, acting on emotions, misunderstandings…).

The premise is very easy to get into, but the show won't deliver anything close to satisfying.
Watch only if you are a diehard fan of shoujo genre, yet still, you may find yourself end up being disappointed. I had high hopes for this one, but it all got shattered to pieces. The conclusion is nonsensical and pointless (and even somewhat illogical).

Pros:
+ hooky premise; easy to get into
+ initial chemistry between characters

Cons:
- final events destroyed the whole story
- insignificant/meaningless conclusion
- use of too much shoujo cliche

Double-edged:
+/- potential to be very good, but it wasn't
+/- female protagonist’s nature/traits are hit or miss

4/10 (BAD)

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Executor23 (37)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Romance targeted at a female audience Part 1:

by __potato__

50 Entries · 589 Restacks

2010's: Animes dubbed into Latin Spanish from the 2010's (2016)

by bolakabuto666

42 Entries · 6 Restacks

Project Depression

by KK_Kenmi

30 Entries · 8 Restacks

North American Anime & Manga Releases for October

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for October Week 1: October 2 - 8 Anime Releases Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S: Kaguya Hime no Koibito DVD Bis...read more

Oct 1, 2018 10:27 AM by Sakana-san | Discuss (7 comments)

North American Anime & Manga Releases for October

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for October Week 1: October 3 - 9 Anime Releases Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen - Mirai-hen Comp...read more

Oct 2, 2017 12:07 PM by Sakana-san | Discuss (6 comments)

	Poll: Orange Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Sep 25, 2016	390 replies	by dndlion »» Apr 1, 6:48 AM
	Poll: Orange Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Aug 28, 2016	207 replies	by dndlion »» Apr 1, 6:47 AM
	Poll: Orange Episode 7 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Aug 14, 2016	244 replies	by dndlion »» Apr 1, 6:46 AM
	Poll: Orange Episode 5 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Jul 31, 2016	229 replies	by dndlion »» Apr 1, 6:45 AM
	Poll: Orange Episode 4 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Jul 24, 2016	217 replies	by dndlion »» Apr 1, 6:43 AM

In Numbers: The Best Anime of the Decade

What's the #1 anime of the 2010s? Which year was the best? What studio had the most hits? We have the answers to all these questions and more!

by Shymander

658,319 views

Why Bill Murray is The Best Anime Character

This article is not actually about Bill Murray being the best anime character. But an awful lot of popular anime and manga have been reminding us of a certain Bill Murray movie...

by removed_user

38,532 views

Spoiler

AnalysisEditorial