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Note that this review included Michi Random, as I don't consider them separate series.

What an emotional roller coaster.

With the final four episodes finally out, I can now review my favourite anime of 2012, Kokoro Connect. The goal of any series should be to create an emotional impact for the viewer, and Kokoro Connect succeeds flawlessly. I found myself going for angry to laughing to tense to sad to happy in a matter of 24 minutes every week.

Each of the five characters are completely different from each other and have very distinct personalities, and there are no archetypes to be found. The characters and their ... interactions are what makes this anime so good. You genuinely like and care for each one, and you're constantly kept at the edge of your seat with everything that happens to them. You cheer for their triumphs and cry at their failures. When they fight you want them to make up, and when they do something stupid you want to yell at them. By the end of series you truly feel like you know them.

The voice acting is amazing, and this is especially apparent during the first arc. When the characters switch bodies, you can still tell it's them by their way of speaking. The ability of the seiyuu to imitate the speech mannerisms of the others is truly impressive. Sawashiro Miyuki steals the show with her performance as Inaba. I was truly moved by her passion and realism.

The art style is great as well. The characters are look very 'real', but still have a very anime appearance. The animation during more intense moments is fluid and detailed.

While it's hard to imagine teenagers in real life thinking as deeply and making such eloquent speeches to each other as they do in the show, the messages are undeniably powerful and ring true. While there's a lot of them, the series does not feel preachy or seem like it's trying too hard.

This is an amazing show, and I fear that it won't get the recognition it deserves. I give Kokoro Connect a full10 and I'm very sad that it's over.