Back to VoidX's Profile VoidX's Profile

Just your average-everyday anime-viewer here, with another review!

With the summer-anime-season finally ending and many, many reviews have hit the board on MAL, I feel like I just slow-lagged myself onto the computer and thought: "Yeah, what will be my chosen review from the menu of this season?". Well, if you are blind in any way, shape or form, either you can't read that this review is about the fan-loved and highly appreciated show "Shokugeki no Souma", or you are LITERALLY BLIND AND CAN'T EVEN READ THIS GODDAMN REVIEW OR EVEN WATCH THE SHOW AT ALL! And...I feel so so so sorry if I offended anyone ... who might actually BE blind and being able to read this...but what I can tell you is that despite being a great if not a fantastical show, in more aspects than one, this show ain't perfect. But it ain't bad either, oh, far from it my friend! Like a real chef (such as an amatuer myself), this show hides it's weaker and more bland parts of the dish and covers it up with an amplified strong-point and often in several layers! And if you are already heading for that "Not Helpful" button, make sure that you smack that one as hard as you can because I don't give a crap!

Before reading on, this review is spoiler-free, so don't worry should you want to watch this show after reading the review. I take it that you've read the synopsis yourself and maybe even watched the show. This review also comes with a TL;DR section as well as a few additional details, right at the bottom before the conclusion. I will only refer to the ANIME and not the MANGA from which this show originates from, although I might throw in a note of things to come or reference to the original source-material (since I'm reading the manga right now). Beware that alot of food-related terms might pop up here and there in this review. You have been warned. Beware also that this review might get long, just sayin'. You have now been warned twice.

The Story: 8/10
Although not the most original plot ever concieved, Shokugeki takes the generic recipe and amplifies it to a degree where it perfectly balances between the flavours "Great Plot" and "Parody". Although its main-focus is pretty straight-forward and actually easy to follow, the "Parody" comes as an aftertaste, adding a tonal flavouring to the mix. I love when shows does this, only as long as shows SELFAWARENESS, the cornerstone of parody. And Shokugeki displays many moments and events showing their selfawareness towards die-hard and superserious action-plots. This is also one of the shows "a-little" weaker parts. Yes, they are fun to watch and are exectued hilariously (DO NOT FORGET ABOUT THAT), but Shokugeki either re-uses them quite often to the point of "Dafuq, again?" or they just shrug it off completely, which parodies does not do. Parodies embrace the quirkiness and makes them to an original and fun punchline. I won't say that Shokugeki failed to do so, but their overall execution and intensity could be more controlled. Other than that, the anime follows the manga faithfully if not perfectly. More than one time, I had to compare stills from the show to pages from the manga and they were pretty much are identical. Another thing I want to point out is that the level of interest and climaxes varies wildy from different parts of the show to another. Not only that, but the way Shokugeki builds up the climax is absolutely insane (in a good way, of course). It's like going on a roller-coaster and when it's time to go down, it goes hella fast. But, the show doesn't have the same power in every story-related climax, and is only reserved to the main-dishes of the show, which I believe was a smart strategy to go. That way, they make the climaxes that matters matter even more. And that doesn't also mean that the other "smaller" climaxes are bad.

The Art: 8/10
Never in my life before have I ever experienced a Foodgasm the way they depict them in the show with that great emphasis on a more "Ecchi" approach. But then again, I have never eaten such food that is so innovative and displayed with genuine and faithful mirroring of real-life-food. Again, this is a part of the parody I mentioned in "The Story", but that is what makes this show not only fun to watch, but it serves as their trademark speciality as well. Outside of these "Ecchi-foodgasms", Shokugeki holds itself to an stronger neutral point between "Original" and "Generic". What I mean is that I feel like it's neither. On one hand, the enviroment looks detailed and the utensils and ingredients look surprisingly natural as Shokugeki holds up to the same formula as many anime do in the industry. On the other hand, just through the art, you'll actually see our characters emotions, stress and work-flow. Talking about work-flow, it kinda disappoints. It is often hidden to keep the dish in a mystical-feel and when we finally get to see the action, it's either a paned still or a mini-gif. But combined with the music and talk-overs of our characters in the kitchen that gradually explains what they are currently doing to thoughts of reasoning and action taking place, it still feels like a flow of water at work. There is one particular episode which is absolutely mind-blowing since you actually get to see and witness the epicness that our chefs do (you'll know which one if you've seen the show). To summarise, it's not the most generic pieces of art you've seen this summer, but it looks far from an original and the way they display the food is gonna make you hungry either way XD

The Sound: 8/10
I'll start off the same way an episode of a usual anime starts, with the OP. Having two OPs, the first one being "Kibou no Uta" performed by Ultra Tower is one that reflects the show's personality right from the start with neutral intensity and along with that competitive egde that of which this show has immensly great amounts of, OP1 embraced that tone and out comes a great signature OP for our ears to listen to while we ourselves get ready for the show. And as they usually do, they replace it halfways. Compared to the first, "Rising Rainbow" performed by Misokkasu is handled a little differently as the epic guitar steals the show and gives us a more intense and powerful opening in contrast to the first. OP2 uses empowerment and inspiration as it's way to play the game and it works not only for us but for the show as well, reflecting Souma's core purpose of this show. Inside the episode, there are many trademark soundtracks befitting different situations that occur in the plot. All are great to listen to and are often on par with masterpieces made by Hiroyuki Sawano (may you live a long life...)(ok, maybe not but close enough), but the problem here is the repetitiveness and re-occurance of which most if not all soundtracks have. There's that same soundtrack for when they cook, present, explain, rebuttle, reason, epic and so on. But they are set on repeat. Don't get me wrong, those soundtracks doesn't elevate the situation, it adds chili to the mix and out comes the most pumped-up and blood-boiling music that absolutely dominates our ears and combined with dat gorgeous gorgeous animation that's like a feast for your eyes, Shokugeki is a great example of how a show should be done as (on a technical level).

The Character(s): 9/10
Now, to the meat of the dish. With many characters representing their own category in many different ways, we've got our "hero" (Souma), our "yandere" (Erina), the "shy" (Tadokoro) and the "rival" (Takumi). Great! And then another "rival"? And another yandere? And even more characters?! Shokugeki, this is a 24-episode dish. You can't have as many characters as you want! So, enough about that comedic add-on. Our characters in Shokugeki are easily rememberable and you can easily tie their personality (and therefore, identity) with how they look, since all characters are easily distinguishable from on another and all play a great role in all of the arcs of this show. The characters might feel generic, but I actually see them with a refreshing originality mixed in with the generic. Then there's the small problem of which I (and hopefully you) will had to add a pinch of salt to since this show had that parody-feel to it. Many characters dreams and reasons are standard "oh, I've got to be the best because [add action-generic reason]!" and that's fine and all, considering that Shokugeki is a semi-parody towards action shows. But these reasons become a part of our characters identity and they (again) shrug those of as if it was nothing. One prime example is the reasoning of Takumi Aldini, Souma's "rival" whom Souma himself probably doesn't even see him as one. This strikes a cord within me, since Shokugeki is a parody but wants to keep the serious elements of an action-plot. That's not how you do it. You go all the way or you go home.

My Enjoyment: 10/10
This ride was more than awesome, more epic than I can describe. It just felt that despite having 24 episodes, it felt way too short and the ending simply begs for a sequel/season 2. Rewatching this show is more than welcome, as it adds a familiar heat to your tastebuds and you might actually learn a thing or two from the show which are REAL TRICKS to making food taste even better!

How it was Overall: 8.6/10
This show is seen on multiple "Top Ten anime of summer-season 2015" and with damn good reason. Despite having a few issues, they just felt like literally insignificant towards the parts that made it's signature and trademark of the show! Have I rewatched it? Stupid question, more like: How many times have you rewatched it (like five times)? Pumped and ready for season 2? You bet!

TL;DR
Story: 8/10
+ Straight-forward
+ Easy to understand
+ A slight Parody to the mix
+ Climaxes of epic proportions
- Disregard of several parodic-core-elements
+ Mirrors the Manga great if not perfectly
+/- Demands a sequel, read the Manga instead

Art: 8/10
+/- Not the most original piece of art but better than a generic one
+ Food, ingredients and utensils look very real and natural
+ Great enviroment and bright, crisp colours
+/- The way they prep the food is very stale and stiff. But with a combination of Talk-overs and epic music, it'll still feel like real work is being done and witnessed
+ Will get you hungry
+/- Ecchi-themed Foodgasms (depends on whether you like ecchi or not. I do)

Sound: 8/10
+ Balanced and great OP1
+ Awesome and downright epic OP2
+ Signature-grade background music
- Background music set on repeat for different situations

Character:
+ Great, interesting and diverse main-characters
+ Refreshing characters
+ Different "roles" to different characters
+/- Copy-paste those "roles" a bit much on new characters
+/- Reason and motivations on characters are reasonable and motivated rather ok (wut?)

Enjoyment: 10/10
+ Worth it
+ Learn yourself a few new food-tricks
+ High Rewatchiblity

Additional Details:
* Romance?: Well, if there were any, it wasn't shown that greatly
* Gore & Blood?: None at all
* Comedic add-ons?: Quite alot of them and used with great effect and hilarity
* Feel-warning?: If you consider a fist in the air as "feels" and hell yeah! The more tear-feels are non-present here. This is a "feel-good" anime
* Fan-service?: Served with two dishes: Food and Boobs (censored)

Oh, and did I warn you that this show WILL get you hungry? Well, you have been warned three times now...

Well, if you've managed to get this far without immediately spat out this dish of a review or just headed straight for the "Not Helpful" button after having read the intro to this review, I would like to thank you for your time spent on reading this review by basically the most pathetic, average, no-life of an anime-viewer that I am! :)

So, smack that "Helpful" button for me (or for Foodgasms, whatever you prefer) and leave a constructive and productive comment on my profile so I can make better reviews that might fit your taste better :)

- Just your average-everyday anime-viewer
//VoidX

Just your average-everyday anime-viewer here, with another review!

As any accustomed anime-viewer on the internet and surfing about in the vast corners of the ever expanding sea of information (or in my case, the shallow waters of 9GAG), then you have probably already heard of what could really be considered as the birthplace to "The Original Overly Attached Girlfriend", or at least by the anime community. I am of course referring to Yuno. Booting up the first episode and having quite a few expectations as to what I am about to witness, not only were they confirmed but actually exceeded these expectiations quite exceptionally. But (yes, ... there's a butt), as this show is highly claimed to be one of the better horror, gore and phsycological anime out there, which I totally agree on, there are a few flaws that just needs to be adressed. And now, I can already feel that DEAD END coming for the button "Not Helpful" by mobs of people who are sharpening their pitchforks and lightening the bonfires. In this case, the Mirai Nikki fanbase...

Before reading on, this review is spoiler-free, so don't worry should you want to watch this show after reading the review. I take it that you've read the synopsis yourself and maybe even watched the show. This review also comes with a TL;DR section as well as a few additional details, right at the bottom before the conclusion.

The Story: 9/10
With a premise of a Deathgame (one that we should be quite used to after this, Deadman Wonderland and many others, including The Hunger Games), this one actually has the most interesting twist to the game, or at least in my humble opinion (IMHO). In the beginning of the show, everything we need to know is covered, nothing more and nothing less, leaving what will actually happen in the game itself very vague and up for the imagination to come up with how they will execute the plot (and players). This is crucial, as this leaves an exciting and often curious mind-set into each and every episodes, which however lasts only in the first few episodes. They show us these few episodes and the set-up quite remarkably fast and informative. Then, the show divides itself up in different parts where Yuuki and co. has to kill (or something else) the player of the episode. Or rather, episodes. Here lies one of the problems I metioned in the beginning. While the player-arcs are interesting, thrilling and a treat to watch, other arcs feel emptier. Not by means of action and excitement but BECAUSE of the player-arcs, they seem insignificant even though they are not. Towards the end, everything connects and starts to conclude the series when you suddenly remember that one thing from the second or third episode and realise that there's three more episodes left. I'm not saying that the ending was bad, but if it was something I want to adress to the ending, it was that urge and need to stand out, and therefore, it felt rushed and incomplete. Mirai Nikki, you already stand out in terms of storytelling, execution and characters. C'mon, you're better than that. But, it still leaves with a hail-mary and a strong, solid exit (as long as you see the OVA: Mirai Nikki Redial).

The Art: 8/10
One thing I immediately think of when referring to the art of Mirai Nikki is its great crispness of details and actual emotions & distress (and on multiple occasions, Yuno's absolute horrifying expressions she can make) that they manage to display to us. Blood and action is basically the name of the game here and it is where Mirai Nikki truly shines, with progression through aggression. Action-scenes are a feast for the eyes and every action counts, every DEAD END significant and every death remarkable. It blends extremely well with the tone of the show and even parts that aren't that common in anime makes great usage here. And by that, I mean how they use 3D models. Sure, 3D-models shouldn't really be used unless with absolute necessity but they managed to pull it of here. And after all this praising and telling how good it was, I gotta tell ya, it doesn't stand out. For a thriller, the colours are warmer than most other thrillers out there, but can get to those levels when the plot requires it to be so or under heavy rain (...). But still, it passes with flying colours and there shouldn't be any complaints here, but neither should there be excessive amounts of praise. Have to balance out...

The Sound: 8/10
I'll start off the same way an episode of a usual anime starts, with the OP. Having two OPs, the first one being "Kūsō Mythology" performed by Yōsei Teikoku is one that not only reflects the anime brutally perfect within the one-and-a-half-minute it is on air, but also sticks on your mind during the episode and after it as well. And as they usually do, they replace it halfways. Compared to the first, "Dead End" by Faylan has nothing on OP1. Inside the episode, the music amplifies the scenes complimentary with great effect, but only the heavy action scenes and the rare "feels-scenes". Here lies another problem, as great as they are, none are rememberable and are used a few more times than I wanted. Still, I find Mirai Nikki having great pieces of music that fit well with the show but not outside of it.

The Characters: 9/10
We've got the coward, Yuuki. We've got the mad one, Yuno. And we've got a heck of other characters where we do not know who to care enough of shit about. Don't get me wrong, the cop and the girl who can escape from anything are interesting characters and have an interesting backstory to boot. But what about the other characters? Is a two-minute explanation of a players motives good enough? Here, they can variey, as all characters are unique and have unique motivations along with unique diaries. Then there are the side-characters, who the series try their very, very best to make us give an actual fuck about and even made one of them important! All I'm saying is that there are many great characters, add on a few characters where we kinda give a fuck about and a handful of which we give absolutely no fuck about. The problem lies within the amount and significance ratio between them and spread butter evenly on a 24-sliced loaf and some characters will have more fucks deserved and a few lesser than they need. And you only have so much fucks to give...
But, all the significant characters are interesting, have actual human thoughts and reasons (excluding Yuno or others when thinking about it...) and their reactions and emotions feels real (excluding Yuno at certain times...).

My Enjoyment: 10/10
It was a fun ride, and with that 26-episode mark, a rewatch was all worth it. I give 10/10 here and I have nothing more to say other than that I really enjoyed this show despite its flaws that comes along with it.

How it was Overall: 8.8/10
By no means is this the best show ever, trust me. But it is a fantastic show that has the stamp of a "Must Watch" on it and it is a perfect addition to my (and hopefully yours) ever expanding library of anime. Having one of the craziest lunatics in anime-history, Yuno will kill you if you don't watch this anime and enjoy it to a certain extent. If not Yuno, then the Mirai Nikki fanbase. This show has hype, and most of it is well deserved :)

TL;DR
Story:
+ Original Deathgame
+/- Great pacing at certain parts, downright wrong in others
+ Every action and death has impact
+/- Twisted but strong ending (remember to watch the OVA)

Art:
+ Great detail and overall animation
+ Action-scenes are the best
+/- Doesn't have that kind of dark-tone that thrillers usually have, but it's good enough

Sound:
+ Awesome OP1
- Replaced halfway by a comparably worse OP2
+ Great overall background music that amplifies the show well
+/- No rememberable pieces
+/- Set on repeat

Characters:
+ Great main-characters
+ Interesting and diverse player-characters
+/- A tap too many characters
+/- The side characters overall
+ Most characters have real human emotions and reasons

Enjoyment:
+ Worth it
+ Must see
+ That urge to watch another episode is strong on this one

Additional Details:
* Romance: Well, not your average kind of romance...
* Gore & Blood: Excessive amounts, but used sparingly
* Comedic Add-ons: Rare and often not noticable
* Feel-warning?: You could say that towards the ending
* Fan-service?: In small amounts, nothing that'll bother you enough to ruin the show

Well, if you've managed to get this far without immediately gotten a DEAD END on your phone or just headed straight for the "Not Helpful" button after having read the intro to this review, I would like to thank you for your time spent on reading this review by basically the most pathetic, average, no-life of an anime-viewer that I am...just like Yuuki :)

So, smack that "Helpful" button for me (or Yuno, whatever you prefer) and leave a comment so I can make better reviews that might fit your taste better :)

- Just your average-everyday anime-viewer
//VoidX

Just your average-everyday anime-viewer here, with another review!

"Rule no. 10; Let's all have fun and play together!"
- The Tenth Pledge

When I first ran into this anime and read through the synopsis of the plot, I thought I hit yet another generic plot of which more and more mainstream anime such as SAO or Log Horizon. I had never been so wrong before in my life. This 12-long episode show (with fingers crossing for a sequel) brings forth maybe not the most original plot in anime so far, but a pretty original TWIST to the plot itself.

Before reading on, this review is spoiler-free, so don't worry ... should you want to watch this show after reading the review. I take it that you've read the synopsis yourself and maybe even watched the show. This review also comes with a TL;DR section, right at the bottom before the conclusion.

The Story: 9/10
Already in the first episode and things get really exciting, really fast. And take my word for it, they go fast, but slow and simple enough for us viewers to understand our greeted protagonists before moving along with the main plot. Getting literally thrown into another world maybe after ten minutes into the first episode, and everything you need to know about the world is masterfully explained with the ten pledges that govern and rule the world of Disboard. After the 10,000 meter freefall and every game onwards is a wonderful tale of its own, easy to watch, difficult to master. How they portray and making the games interesting with ever so slightly seen twist and turns to the rules is interesting in its own right. Heck, they even made a game of paper-rock-scissor look interesting as fuck. As we progress further and further into the story, you'll start to curve your view on the games itself in relation to our heroes [BLANK]. This happens subconsciously, with your view changing from IF they will win to HOW they will win. At that point, the lines between interesting and fun not only are edge to edge between each other, they overlap. At the end though, the every piece of the puzzle is shown to us in its own might and all you've seen so far connects masterfully with each other, everything from the games being played to the characters to the pledges themselves. And yeah, the plot-pace is point-perfect.

The Art: 10/10
This seems to be quite a controversial topic when discussing the art of NGNL with people on MAL. Some love it, some hate it. Personally, I think it fits perfectly with the story and the anime itself wouldn't be so good if it wasn't for the almost over-saturated colours and odd mixture of color-palets. This is a testamente to the ever so lasting legacy of which this anime hold near and dear to my heart. The art itself has a great focus on making the anime look like a game and may even be percieved as one, yet it is not. I like how the anime makes itself stand out of the crowd and that's always good (I think...). To go into details about the art itself, the portrayal of each and every character are unique and easy to look at, easier to remember. No character gets mixed up with another, and that's always a relief. The background is beautiful and adds a silver lining to the show but the best part is the games. This is where the art truly shines and it shines bright as hell. The effects and impact of each game are epic not only looking at, but also understanding them as well. All games are rememberable, mostly due to how well they were executed and shown to us. The only downside I had was the more ecchi parts of the show, which personally for me, didn't bother me at all the first run I had with this series. For some, they might dislike it, but not for me.

The Sound: 10/10
I'll start of like they do in anime, with the OP first. NGNL has only one OP, but a rememberable and quite the epic one. Played by Konomi Suzuki, "This Game" really leaves a mark in your memory as it was not only upbeat and thrilling, it also brought conventional music-playing to a whole new level. As the animation of the intro play along with the song beautifully, the OP is just a great bonus and another reason for watching the next episode, or even off the screen. The background music is game-themed, meaning little-to-none music played with regular instruments. Again, here, NGNL emphasize the significance of games in the show. If you're a gamer, you can distinguish the music being played depending on what kind of situation is going on the screen. Maybe it's something more faster in pace due to the conclusion of a game, or another tone for a twist that may turn the tide in that very same game. Again, it feels like I'm repeating myself, NGNL could not have gotten so far as a well-beloved show if it wasn't for the unique music as well, along with the great and fairly unique animation. I can't really find anything wrong here. I just loved it!

The Character(s): 9/10
No two characters are alike, not even Sora and Shiro. Sure, they may be gaming-prodiges but they are two sides of a coin to each other. And that's what makes these two very interesting. With both of the characters being on each side of the same coin, named [BLANK], they help each other with their own strengths and intelligence in the game. They falter behind, however, outside the game. New elements are shown to us about [BLANK] as the series progress and that's always something fun and interesting to see, knowing that they aren't gods even with their master-minds and great sense for gaming. The flaws is what makes them human, and it is there where the character development is at its strongest between them. Their bond is what makes them great in the game, and their flaws is what makes this series great as well. The other characters in the show has their role to fill and the fill it perfectly. All rememberable and distinguishable from each other, the roles that they all play are significant and play their part in the overall story. For a twelve-episode long series, they managed to cram in a perfect number of side-characters. They don't, however, have an emotional character-development like Sora & Shiro has, but a character-development in their skills instead. But they do have a really heavy episode which focuses on the characters parse and explores their motives extremely well, leaving one of the side-characters especially understood by us viewers. This is interesting, since some may like it, and some don't. You can guess which I stand for.

My Enjoyment: 10/10
Seeing how they beat a certain game always left me for more, almost to the point of skipping the episodes in-between to just see the games themselves. But, I quickly realized that the games would be half as good if it wasn't for the episodes in-between. There was this hype that needed to be calmed down and I easily watched the entire series through one night (which wasn't very long) and craved for more when I ended the twelveth episode (those who've seen it understand why). This series has not only given me a great time but also given me a new perspective on how games should be viewed, their significance in my daily life and everybody else's.

How it was Overall: 9.6/10
This anime is loved by many and many more to come. They have really brought out a new standard when it comes to how games should be percieved as and even stand out within the anime community, for reasons other than infamous ones such as overly sexualized or controversial. I have no doubts that when (not if, hopefully) season two comes out, NGNL will not disappoint.

TL;DR

Story:
+ Original twist to the story
+ Plot-pace is perfect
+ Plotpoints connect and makes sense
+ New, refreshing and exciting games comes along for us to view
+/- The ending. Most of you know what I mean about here

Art:
+ Very unique colours used
+ Distinguishable characters, enviroments and games
+ Truly shines at the games being played and portrayed
+ Effects and impacts are meaningful
+/- The ecchi part might make some doubt, others don't

Sound:
+ Game-themed
+ One of the best OPs out there
+ Really emphasizes the situation at hand
+ Great voice acting

Characters:
+ Lovable characters
+ Interesting protagonists
+ Excellent portrayal of the bond between Sora & Shiro
+ Our heroes' flaws are fascinating and adds to character-development
+ Perfect amount of characters in the cast
+/- The side-characters' development is focused on skill, rather than emotion. Except for one part of our 'main' side-character

Enjoyment:
+ Every game is interesting
+ Every twist has impact
+ You wanna know how [BLANK] is gonna win, rather than if
+ Left me wanting more, hopefully giving more in the future

As of right now, this show is in second place in my favourite-list, only topped by a tie between Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Your Lie in April and stand ahead (on my own personal favourites list) of the mighty Attack on Titan. That's how good and refreshing this anime truly is.

Think games were there to ONLY decide the winner? Think again!
ASCHENTE!!!

- Just your average-everyday anime-viewer.
//VoidX

I wanted to start this review with a quote, like I would do anyways. The problem is that I can't really find a quote to use here and the "like I would do anyways" is a false statement, since this is my first review. Don't worry, there is a TL;DR section at the bottom.

But anyways, if you've ever seen this anime before on MAL and not tried it out because of the premise that uses "Music" then you have obviously judged this anime by its cover. I will assume that you have read the Synopsis, which you should really do and preferably watch the anime ... as well. I'll explain why this is my current favourite anime and why you should take your time to binge-watch through all the 22 episodes.

The Story: 9/10
The story is set in a typical high school setting, but the story doesn't revolve entirely around the high school and what comes with it. Instead, we get to follow the recovery of a fallen musical prodigy and how his friends help him along the way. And so, we get to see how Kosei faces his past and his regrets, see him break down only to rise up again even stronger and see that life is more than whatever we do everyday. And somehow, this is all expressed beautifully through music and the interactions between Kousei and his closest friends and his musical rivals. This plot is not to the point of a very original story, but it's close if there was any. The progression (or pace) is damn near perfect and really makes a build-up worth it when the climax is reached.

The Art: 8/10
Compared to the other parts of the show, this is where this part falls slightly behind. But alone, it's just truly amazing. The animation really shines when the musical parts are being played and it displays emotions and interactions between the characters masterfully. The portrayal of Kosei and his friends are fantastic and you can really see their true emotions and feelings as the setting and music around it emphasize that fact. The only problem I had with the animation was the "comedic" add-ons that was sometimes good and sometimes ruined a very emotionally heavy scene. Had they toned it down a bit, I would have rewarded it with a 9. Had they taken it away, then it would have been a 7.

The Sound: 11/10 [Unique case]
I know what you are thinking. Why 11? Hear me out. The point of the music in the anime is to applify whatever the situation might be. The music should also serve as a compliment to the entire show, by giving it a silver lining to it. The music did both of these tasks masterfully and even using different tones in the music on the parts of the show where we listen more than we should to reflect Kosei's emotions and tread of thought was absolutely incredible. The OP and ED were rememberable and had a happy tone to it, especially the first OP "Hikaru Nara" by Goose House. And this show opened up my interest to the art of classical music, where now my Spotify-lists are filled with Bach, Beethoven and Chopin. And this of course isn't a bad thing.

The Character(s): 10/10
Our main protagonists Kosei & Kaori show us that music is more than just listening and enjoying it. They play music as a way to express their feelings and even their memories. The motivations that lies beneath our characters are expertly brought out, using not only ordinary conversation to ensure character development but the music as well. I feel like most character development in the emotions- and reasons-department was handled mostly by the musical plays. The growth of maturnity of the characters as well as any other character development happens outside the stage. This is necessarily not a bad thing, on the contrary, it's a good one. Limiting the real-heavy stuff to be expressed through music really gave it a serious tone to it, one that we basically need to both watch and listen in order to fully understand the development that goes on.
Kosei's rivals (if he even considers them as rivals) have their motivations for playing music well-executed and well-motivated. We get to see how they came to be aspiring musicians through the plays of a younger Kosei.
The other characters in the story, don't really have that in-depth emotional charater development like the musicians have, but it's good enough.

My Enjoyment 11/10 [Unique case as well]
This show doesn't require you to be emotionally invested in its story, characters, art and sound. It does fantastic on those parts and will tear you up when it wants you to tear up. However, if on your first time view of it was emotionally invested into the show (like me) then the reward is an experience that follows you outside the show and into your own real life. I had it easy to connect and fully understand the feelings, emotions, motivations and reasons behind every single character and at that part, the crucial point from where you understand the emotions and really feeling them starts to overlap and create a incredible unique experience. And yes, I enjoyed the show.

How it was Overall: 9.8/10
After watching this show, I've started to see life in a different way and I've definietly started to see anime in a very different way. Sure, MAL categories' this show as a romance, drama and slice of life. But this is a show more than just love, dialouge and friendship. It's about life itself, how we need to move on and how important people around you really are and that we need each other and in the end, they need you. This anime will change you, and it will change you in ways you both know and don't know. By tears and by music.

TL;DR

Story:
+ Original
+ Good if not near-perfect pacing
+ Incredible backstory
+ Heartbreaking & simply beautiful ending

Art:
+ Truly shines in the musical plays
+ Expresses the emotions of the characters really well
+ Great general art-style
+ Good portrayals of the characters and setting
- The comedic add-ons can be distracting at times but helpful at other times

Sound:
+ Using music to truly express our musicians feelings and emotions
+ OP and ED are great, especially OP1
+ The overall music outside the stage works with the situation really well
+ Actually got me interested into classical music :)

Characters:
+ Amazingly lovable characters
+ Motivations and feelings through the several musicians are great
+ Character development is outstanding
+/- Side character's motives are less explored but good enough.

Enjoyment:
+ Being emotionally invested really pays off
+ Bring tissues

"I met a girl under full-bloomed cherry blossoms, and my fate has begun to change"

I started watching this show, expecting something good. What I got, was something more. What I got, was something truly beautiful, incredible and life-changing.
I hope that you'll find the same indescribable feeling like I had after watching this story about a kid who lost something, won something and will lose something more in order to gain more and move on and live on

- Just your average everyday anime-viewer
//VoidX