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Ano Natsu de Matteru is the follow up work by Tatsuyuki Nagai (myanimelist.net/people/8539), the same director of AnoHana (myanimelist.net/anime/9989). For me, this was reason enough to jump right on it.

[Story & Character]

In short: A bunch of strong characters stuck in a lackluster story.

It's summer vacation and a group of friends decide to shoot a film together. The romances are the focal points here, no pun intended, and the vacation and the film brings all the characters together episode after episode. It's not a plot-driven show. The viewers have to care about the characters and their emotions in order to enjoy watching this. If you're one ... of those people who have trouble watching slice of lifes because 'nothing ever happens,' this show is probably not for you.

That said, the character design is unique, they are well voiced, and there is attention to detail even in the minor characters' gestures and behavior. The characters are definitely the strong point of this show, and they almost carry it to success. We care about the characters because we like who they are, but we can't empathize and really be moved by them because, unlike in AnoHana, we don't understand and see where the characters have come from in the past. Even though the characters' feelings and responses to heartache are well crafted, the drama has no history, is unsupported by story presented to the audience that can make them understand the unique and dizzying weight of love, and therefore lacks depth.

[Art & Sound]

The sound is average -- not so good that you feel particular tracks move you even as you are watching, not so bad that it's intrusive upon the scene. Stock, unoriginal, unobtrusive, average. The anime equivalent of elevator music.

The art is another standout for this show. The animation is fluid, and even when they are cutting corners, they do it with such artistry that it's hardly noticeable.

[Enjoyment & Overall]

No doubt that there are moments of brilliancy in this show. When the characters confront each other or themselves in some way, you get the feeling of a great underlying potential. However, this potential is unrealized or drowned out by an excess of unnecessary scenes, beating around the bush, irrelevant storytelling that tries to pass off as character development.

While well animated and sporting a cast of wonderful characters -- Kanna, in particular, just makes my heart _melt_ -- AnoNatsu fails in creating the same efficacy of storytelling as AnoHana. I understand it is a different story and deserves a different style, but it lacked elegance and tact in its presentation of this new style.

A 6 out of 10. Which I think is generous, and is mostly for Kanna.