Oct 23, 2014
Introduction:
Over the years, anime's romance genre has been oversaturated with mislabeled shows featuring over exaggerated breasts and fanservice. Thankfully White Album 2 (WA2 for short), does not join the countless series in its genre, whose plot revolves around useless plot devices, excessive fanservice, and little to no character development. White Album 2 is an excellently told romantic drama that isn't afraid to stab you right in the emotions and then twist the knife just to be sure.
The Story:
White Album 2 revolves around three separate individuals whose lives, by the cruel string of fate, meet one Fall afternoon. Two anharmonic sounds - a sad piano and
...
a lonely guitar, are brought together by one angelic voice, singing on top of the school roof. The three soon decide to make a band, and as the story progresses, form a deep friendship, which eventually turns into a love triangle by the middle of the story. Unlike other shows in its genre, who put love above friendship, White Album 2 outshines its peers by showing a more realistic view. In WA2, the level of importance of the two heroine's friendship is on the same level of importance as the romance each one of them desires with Haruki.
The Characters:
At the beginning of the story, each of the characters are generically portrayed. The school idol, tsundere, and plain protagonist are all cliche character archetypes abused in countless of comedies/harems. As the story progresses, and the characters develop, we see that they are not as perfect as they seem. Each character has their own flaws and weaknesses, and they do downright terrible things to each other throughout the course of the show. But it is because of these flaws and weaknesses that these characters can be best described as human. It is through this humanity that the viewer feels for the characters, and knows just how much they want to be with each other. We come to realize that they all have the best of intentions, but they let their feelings rule over logic, which is a surefire recipe for disaster.
Art/Music:
As expected of an anime whose core focus is the music, the art and music overall is top-notch. The character designs are pleasing to look at, the backgrounds are detailed, and the color palette of the show fits perfectly with its theme. There are no complaints for this section.
Conclusion:
Brilliantly told and flawlessly executed, White Album 2 is a show that all future adaptations should strive for. It has a simple premise, yet it delves much deeper than that. It is a show that will build you up, break you down, make you laugh, and make you cry. The emotions that it will leave in your heart will linger there long after the final credits of episode 24 roll past. It is a show that will leave you thinking and at the edge of your seat. A truly unpredictable emotional rollercoaster that will capture your heart from its very first scene, and leave you scarred and longing for more at its last.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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