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The season hasn't even ended but I'm already sad. I'm sad that this anime is a 12 ep. seasonal series that might not come back next year, or at all. After watching all of the anime eps, I binged the manga all the way to Ch 51 in 2 days. This is not usual behavior for me.

I'm sad that the anime will end soon, because I WANT MORE.

To me this story has been as impactful as Steins;Gate and Kimi no na wa.

Why is this anime / manga so good? Because the author is very good at using CATHARSIS. This might not make ... sense at this point in the anime, but it will as the story progresses. This is not a slapstick comedy about a dorky country girl going to school in Tokyo. The story becomes much more than that. Eps 8 to 12 will make that clear. I'm hoping the anime is able to cover up to Ch 24.

As a SoL story the general theme and vibe is light, cute, and all the characters are lovable. But they are still HUMAN. They have struggles, and insecurities. Nobody has a perfect life, and nobody has it all figured out. So the story does have its serious moments. The author doesn't overuse any tropes, nor do they try to get the reader to think or feel a certain way about any character, or ideology. Even though the story is about a 15 year old japanese high school girl, it feels like a universal story of the human predicament.

The reason Mitsumi is the protag in the series, and is loved and respect by all is because she bravely confronts the world, with all its challenges and opportunities. As a redditor/youtuber explain Mitsumi is always her authentic self, and people like her because they know and understand this. Mitsumi doesn't change who she is, or what she does to "fit" in, or to get people to like her. Rather she's the kind of person that people are drawn to because they realize that she is a kind hearted, genuine person and that they'll likely have a genuine relationship with her. One of the pretty and fashionable girls actually recognizes this, and is jealous because of it.

Mitsumi isn't pretty, or popular, or naturally charming and extroverted. She makes horrible first impressions wherever she goes. Nobody looks at Mitsumi and thinks "I want to be her" at first glance. But she is courageous. She will take risks, step out of her comfort zone, and give everybody the benefit of the doubt. She sees the best in everybody and that's why the people around her love her.

This is an incredible story, and I love Mitsumi. I think the mangaka is a genius. I admire that the mangaka is also staying true to themselves and doesn't try to use fan-service to become more popular and "successful".

This is quite an interesting show, and intended for mature audiences. The MCs are girls who are probably around 14 years old but the subject matter of the show is not for 14 year olds. The handful of negative reviews of this show illustrate this point. These negative reviewers should have checked the genre and plot line of the show before they decided to waste their time on this show, and end up disappointed.

This isn't a shounen, there will be no action in this show. There will no drama, mind games, psychological battles, or acts of super human will where the MC can "REEEE" ... their way to victory by gritting their teeth, and screaming at the top of their lungs, to overcome adversity/the enemy through heroic effort.

Broadly speaking those under 25 who haven't finished developing cognitively, and don't know what it's like to live life after you step out from under your parents umbrella won't "get" this show. This is not an easy show to watch. This show will not provide your daily dopamine fix. The subject matter is difficult to comprehend, but relevant to our modern world. The show is set in a far off, distant future, but yet immediately relatable. Basically humanity had achieved technological utopia, but there was no cure for "selfish primate brain" and everything ends in disaster due to a global war with weapons more powerful than nukes, and humanity is likely to be extinct save for a handful of people. The show also hints that humanity achieved a stunning technological peak, but by the time the events in the show occur humanity was already on the long spiral downwards, and many contemporary technologies were thought of as miracles because the capacity to understand that technology had been permanently lost, but the technology was self-sustaining, and continued to work, even without maintenance.

The show does not carry an overtly positive or hopeful message. The MCs aren't "special" or "chosen". They are ordinary. The show consists of 2 characters, and dialogue. Supporting characters are few and far in between. And although we spend 12 episodes with our two main MCs, we know very little about them even by the end. We don't even know their last names, or anything about what happened to their world. The show portrays a simple struggle for survival in a desolate wasteland on a dead planet. This is immediately relevant to our present era since it increasingly looks like our species is going to extinguish all life on this planet in perhaps 2 or 3 more generations.

Subject matter like this could only be portrayed by manga and anime. I feel that this anime is a tremendous artistic achievement. The music matches the scene and the mood. The anime makes great use of light to convey mood. The anime makes great use of light and music to convey tension in all of the scenes set within the mammoth and labyrinthine buildings and industrial complexes. The viewer joins the MCs on their journey through this dark, decrepit, horrifying maze not knowing whats on the other side, and if they'll even make it. But we must keep moving, because standing still means certain death.

Only in anime could you find such portrayal of existential dread and horror. Japanese artists are truly peerless.

Horrible, Horrible, Horrible anime. The characters are god awful. Every character is drawn and animated horribly. MC always has a dumb, smug look on his face and talks a lot of trash without being able to back it up. The MC is a horrible character and a person like that would never in a thousand years be the manager of a football club. Imagine the most petulant, childish, smug, and self-important person/character you can think of. Why would such a person be the protagonist/MC of any story? This is a dreadful story, with awful characters and one of the worst animations produced for the genre.

So ... all the reviews praising the "realism" are way off base. There is also no grand plan, no "improvement", no tactics. Nothing. Just a horrible, terrible MC, with a garbage storyline, and the worst animation in the history of anime.

The characters are only able to express smugness, sarcasm or petulance. All supporting characters are horrible, every character acts way too nonchalant. Nobody really seems to give a crap about anything in this dumb story.

Just a horrible anime, one of the worst I've ever watched.

I had been looking for a laid back comedy/slice of life type anime after finishing a few other titles. I came across Kono Oto Tomare by chance after watching a different anime in the same genre, and seeing this title in the recommendations list.

I was hooked by the end of the first episode of the first season and binged this series in less than a week. This anime is deeply moving. I'm a 33 year old man and no other work of fiction has brought me to tears as much as this series. This anime is not principally about music, or musicians. Music is the ... medium used to tell a story. But it's not some run of the mill coming of age story either. Each episode leaves you wanting more. The characters grow with each episode. I was totally sucked into this world, and I felt a strong protective instinct for the Tokise Koto club. I wanted the club to grow, and flourish. Although it's a predictable feel good story, its the journey that matters not the destination.

There are many complex themes in this anime and it likely shines a light on some of the negative aspects of contemporary Japanese society. Namely the crushing burden placed on the youth to live up to the expectations of their parents, teachers, and society. It would be good to read a review by a Japanese viewer to get another perspective on the story. These issues are addressed and handled with maturity. The show doesn't simply gloss over complex issues with "will to power"/positive thinking/good vibes nonsense. The show doesn't revolve around a single character who is some sort of genius or "the chosen one" and overcoming adversity isn't simply about training harder.

If anything the main theme of this show is that It is OK to be human. It is OK to make mistakes. Nobody can stand on their own. Geniuses and prodigies have problems too. They are human too. Everybody suffers. Many suffer quietly, for a long time.

Finally the show is also quite educational. The Koto is a beautiful instrument. The show will be instructive for younger viewers on how one should approach an art. With discipline and respect. You must respect and revere the instrument.