HecticLeo said:While browsing through Crunchyroll's seasonal chart I stumbled upon
Sweetness & Lighting. A quick glance at the visual and I thought to myself this looked like a rather boring show. However, unless I am completely opposed to watching a show, I always try and give seasonals a fair chance. Without a doubt, I am very glad I decided to press play because
Sweetness & Lightning may just become an anime that I will remember for awhile and will hold dearly within my heart.
Being a young adult male myself I often do think about what's in store for my future. Many times I have thought about being the best dad I could be. This anime really connects with me on a more personal level as Inuzuka represents what I wish to become. A father that loves his child to the moon and back is something that I want to be when I reach that point in my life. Seeing how happy Tsumugi is being around dad mad each and every scene joyful and happy. I couldn't help but smile. Their relationship is touching beyond words. The premise of this show reminded me a lot of Wolf Children but the key difference here is that the lone parent is portrayed at somewhat incompetent, Inuzuka is capable of reaching the bare minimum but when it comes to cooking, he is rather inexperienced. And he knows that. This is someone who isn't blinded but instead aware of reality yet he still tries his hardest at being the best dad he can for his daughter. His love for Tsumugi is really charming and throughout this first episode there were so many moments where I just sat back and took in the sweetness of the anime.
We're then introduced to the other main character, Kotori, and right away I noticed she is voice acted by someone who voices characters from some of my favorite shows, Shirayuki from
Akagami no Shirayukihime, Ayase from
Oreimo, and Yukino from
Oregairu. Her voice fits perfectly with how Kotori is being portrayed, a shy and timid girl, and with Kotori added to the mix I can see a lot of funny moments in future episodes. I couldn't be the only one to ask myself, "is she going to boil that rice?", when she poured the water into the pot and let it sit to soak in the water. Given how she reacted when she was not sure how much water to put into the pot, it's not too crazy of me to think she doesn't know how to make rice.
As much as this show is cheerful and bright, there were some serious and down to earth moments. It's hinted that Tsumugi does not know the fate of her mom and when she innocently asked Inuzuka to write a letter to her mom, one could see how much impact that one phrase had on the poor father. It hit me pretty hard as well. There will always be the debate on whether or not young children should be told of these things. Is it better to let them know now and allow them time to grief or protect their smiles until they're older and hopefully better at comprehending and accepting the situation. Both routes has it's issues and there will never be a satisfying answer. I wonder if this point will be brought up later into the anime. While so far the anime is shown as a lighter more happy show, I think it would be nice if this situation got dealt with later on as a point of development for Tsumugi.
Seeing Inuzuka emotional at the sight of his daughter enjoy a simple cup of homemade cooked rice was incredibly touching. It showcased how hard the situation was on him, being unable to cook a proper delicious meal, and it actually made me tear up a bit. Relating back to how much his Tsumugi means to Inuzuka, even eating something as basic as rice, without any side dishes either, the happiness he experienced in that moment was very moving.
The Summer 2016 lineup felt a bit weak to me compared to the previous Winter and Spring. The only shows that I was really looking forward too were the much anticipated
Orange and
Food Wars Season 2. Everything else seemed to be just your average show, ones that I'll most likely end up liking but none that would leave a lasting impression on me. I am tremendously excited to add
Sweetness & Lightning to my list of potential seasonal favorites and will be looking forward to every Monday for the next couple of months.
They say you will miss every shot you don't take, I am glad I took a shot today.