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Ok so I must admit I never watched barakamon before picking up this anime from the library and seeing as this was a prequel and spinoff, I though it was a good place to start. Seeing as this is my first review, I will just highlight some key thoughts about this series.

Story (5/10): So the story is pretty basic in concept and I sort of find it acceptable. The base concept was Handa being an introvert who was unknowingly popular. It's an interesting concept with some potential for amazing comedy but the show never really goes far with it. Handa does get some subtle and ... slight development but it's almost never about him. The entire focus point ended up just being on the setting around Handa than Handa himself and it tends to get sort of boring as the setting never really changes, just keeps adding small bits more to itself.

Art (6/10): The art is fine, it's non offensive, pretty standard for a slice of life comedy anime like this and it's pleasant to at least look at. Not much else to say here.

Sound (8/10): This is probably my favorite part of the series, not because it stands out or anything but the soundtrack, though quite tame and soft, has a nice rhythm to it that is pleasant and gets stuck in your head after a while. The opening is also decent but I think the slice of life sort soundtrack is a highlight from this anime. It's catchy and pleasant. What else to say?

Characters (4/10): Um, this show has a slight problem with characters. Some of them get development, some don't, when some do develop then it's for the wrong reasons and the show has the issue of constantly adding more characters almost every episode as if we needed more. Then the extra characters stay in the background whenever they do appear and even then some of them only appear for 2 or 3 actual episodes. There's just not enough time to really get used to them or develop liking to them except possibly the main cast which even then can be a bit dislikable for all their shenanigans. it's just bad writing honestly, I would have liked the show more with its characters if they had a better habit of reappearing. Heck we get that psycho eraser girl most of the show as one of the female main support characters and she is unbearable to like at times while a more calm character like the fortuneteller girl who actually figured out Handa gets no real development or purpose in the show. Like 80% of all the characters in on Handa being this divine figure are all grouped in that familiar mold. Whenever we get a character who breaks the mold a bit more and figures Handa out, dislikes/hates Handa for more personal reasons, or is reasonable enough not to jump in on the Handa bandwagon, they're always shoved to the side or not given much of any fair treatment if anything. It's just one of my gripes with the show.

Enjoyment (6/10): Well let me touch up on this in my overall rating.

Overall (6/10): Handa-kun as a show is very tame and plays it safe, rarely if ever being offensive if not a bit weird but it follows it own formula so closely that you never get a kick out of it trying to do something unique. It's got a very neat concept to work with but it just sort of screws itself over. Going into the show, I really expected to find something over the top or exciting and this show did not deliver. That isn't to say it's not impossible to get enjoyment out of this show but at the end of the day it's just gonna be another anime you most like will forget as something among the average anime pile. For me personally, it's a bit hard to hate on a show or rate so low unless it is really frustrating to watch that it's recognizably bad. 6/10 is an average anime to me, at least it's not completely boring. 7/10 would be an enjoyable anime, 5/10 would be a boring anime, and anything below would be a frustrating piece of trash or worse than boring. This anime plays it safe enough that I can at least give it that 6 but that's just my own preference. Honestly would rate it a 5 based on what everyone else says about it.