Story: 7/10
The theme is pretty much the typical slice of life about rich elite students (a group called S.A) and their high school life. Special A uses a conventional plot of an initial rivalry relationship blossoming into love. What is awesome about Special A is that the main couple's romance (Hikari and Kei) aren't the ONLY focus. It also features arcs for the side characters, so even if you're not loving the main couple, you can still follow the interesting side arcs :) Having fun arcs for side characters provides more variety plot-wise.
Characters: 9/10
What I love about Special A is its abundance of fun and nicely developed characters. Unlike many shojos that have the spotlight on the main couple and then neglect the side characters (or give them too little depth etc), Special A manages to give all 7 students in S.A. enough screen time and development to make all of them seem real. There's animal-loving Ryuu, music geniuses Megumi and Jun, and the adorable Tadashi who has the funniest love-hate relationship with Akira. The side characters are not flimsy people just to fill up space.
As for the main character Hikari, she always tries her best (in academics, sports etc), but she can be RIDICULOUSLY dense and oblivious when it comes to realizing Kei's feelings. This can get frustrating, but she's so nice and down to earth you really can't hate her for it.
Kei is every girl's dream boyfriend: good-looking ;) smart, athletic and has an aura that just screams "COOL". But he also has a cute (almost vulnerable) side when it comes to Hikari. The two have a really endearing and cute love-hate relationship.
Art: 7/10
The first thing you'll notice when watching Special A is OMG, THEY HAVE LOOOONG LEGS. Lanky frame aside, the characters are drawn quite nicely, a bit better than average. The way the S.A. greenhouse and some characters' mansions are drawn also adds grandeur.
Sound: 9/10
I really loved the second opening of Special A, because the 4 voice actors for the boys (Kei, Tadashi, Jun, Ryuu) are actually the ones singing the song! What is also really unique is that, each character has their own "character song" that is featured in certain episodes. (WATCH FOR MEGUMI'S, HER VOICE IS AMAZING)
Overall, Special is a really cute slice of life anime, the love-hate relationships are really amusing, the rivalries are cute, and the romance is sweet. I enjoyed watching Special A (and I think I've actually rewatched it a couple of times :D).
