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** SPOILERS FOR PLOT **

Story:
- Slow in plot progress but very deliberate in a way where everything is pretty realistic, relatable, and many things could possibly happen (not exactly the same events but in similar ways) IRL
- Definitely different plot pace compared to shonen anime, can feel slow at times due to that but very captivating, speaks to the psyche, different from both mainstream anime and TV shows

Art:
- Rotoscope takes some getting used to
- Very minimalist compared to standard anime art style
- After you get used to it you pay more attention to the lines and details (in normal fast paced anime you won't have ... enough time to really fully pay attention to all the details in a screen / scene)
- Subtle facial movements show extensive emotion behind it. Probably one of the only animes where I can sense massive internal emotional/feeling changes with extremely minimal movement on-screen. (standard anime art style goes for dramatic facial expressions)
- Moments of stillness which some may really hate. I think of this as the 'awkward silences' that you may have when talking to someone, or those slow days / hours when it's just the usual in your day. It's refreshing to have an anime that straight on confronts that instead of having to make sure that there is always something happening, and it also feels more realistic that way.

Sound:
- Enjoyed the soundtrack, much of the music really sticks and is haunting
- Lots of ambiance / tone-focused
- Great ending theme
- Soundtrack also goes for that creepy / minimalist feeling. Also lots of orchestral which I personally enjoy.
- The way they mute / muffle some of the background sounds in accordance with the characters' POV is amazing and really draws you in.

Character:
- At first the characters can be hard to understand
- After getting used to the show you can really start to see the world through each of the characters' POV
- Characters seem very real and I can definitely see these archetypes existing in your average high school
- Very good dynamic between the kids and the parents shown. Parents' reactions fit certain stereotypes of parenting types but the reactions are realistic in a way that it feels frustrating because it feels like wouldn't be too far from IRL.

Enjoyment:
- Highly enjoyed since it makes you think about many real topics that many people don't think about after getting caught up in their day-to-day.
- Heightened enjoyment if you watch this alone at night. Gives a sense of feeling lonely in the world even though there are people everywhere outside.

Overall:
- Themes I enjoyed while watching this:
* Concept of society / group, and the associated 'normie' traits if you want to 'fit in' into society.
* Outsiders attract each other even if they aren't the same, but just because you are both outsiders. Two people can be very different but still bond together over how both are 'not included' into the mainstream group / society. For example, a stereotypical bullied kid in high school hangs out with someone who is a combination of mildly delinquent + edgy. The bond of 'not belonging in society' is somehow a very strong bond when compared with 'sharing similar interests' etc., and you can also see IRL how that bonds create very emotionally close groups between people who don't fit into standard societal expectations (e.g. ESP believers, incel groups, 'weebs')
* Liking someone due to idolizing them / putting them up on a pedestal. Many real crushes don't go well and/or end when they progress into a relationship due to this. When you find out about their human / dark / other side and the person isn't the same as the picture you painted in your head then everything goes to shit, even though you may have been obsessed with them before.
* Society is repressed and fake. This theme comes up a lot in the anime, as well as the notion of wanting to go against / reject the fakeness / cordiality that is required to be seen as a normal human in society.
- Anime that speaks to your psyche is very rare, pacing was slow so would be weird if you're watching this with people in the room but if you're able to watch it when everything is quiet / peaceful then the true immersion sinks in.
- All the elements cohere very well together and really draw you into the atmosphere of living in a small town with a strict traditional asian culture and generation gap.