Story(6/10)- Kimi ga Nozomu Eien starts off like all dating sims usually do, in a high school setting. The first couple of episodes help to establish character relationships, their personalities and motivations. However, very early on in the story, tragedy befalls our main protagonists, and tone goes in a completely opposite direction. Surprisingly, the remaining bulk of the story takes place several years after the event, and shows the characters in their adult lives and how they were able to cope with tragedy.
KGNE is by no means a "philosophical," anime, however, what the show does is tests the nature and limit of human relationships. The question that essentially holds the show together is, "Are my feelings truly genuine?" And you will see characters constantly struggle to answer this question.
I found the show to be starkly realistic in many aspects, but completely unbelievable in others. And therein lies the major problem that KGNE has, the lack of realism in certain parts completely ruin the immersion. It reminded me that I was in fact watching an anime. For example, the doctor in the hospital is constantly smoking indoors, and her medical advice made me question if she was actually a licensed professional. Especially, when her medical advice unnecessarily causes more drama than needed. Another problem is the terrible comedic relief. It comes across as poorly written, juvenile, and inappropriate. For a show this dark, some good comic relief is needed but it is so bad it will probably depress you even more.
Art(8/10)- The art surprisingly holds up well today. It doesn't compare to most of the anime released today, but it is watchable.
Sound(9/10)- In dramatic shows, more importantly dramatic anime, the soundtrack is essential to pulling off tragic scenes. Clannad wouldn't have been as powerful if it were not for Jun Maeda's beautiful and saddening compositions. KGNE is also strong in this regard. The OST never failed to arouse feelings of depression and anxiety.
Character(9/10)- Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien would be nothing without its strong cast of lead characters. The characters come across as real people, with real world problems as opposed to the flat 2D archetypes that populate anime. Yes, characters may act stupid, and illogical but it falls in line with their individual pathologies. No behavior is contrived, everything falls in line with their established character. Despite some uncaring, shallow and selfish acts, there is no "bad," character. They all come across as real people trying to find happiness in a bad situation.
I can't really say I enjoyed the show, and I wouldn't hold it against KGNE, because it is a tragedy. Some parts where hard for me to watch, some parts were utterly soulcrushing, but that is why KGNE succeeds. It succeeds because, despite its flaws, despite its shortcomings, it made me feel something. It made me empathize with its characters, it made me feel sad and lonely. I was able to relate to every character in some capacity and that is an accomplishment worth merit. Now, some people will hate this show for it being depressing, or some parts coming off as melodramatic, and some will love it for the same exact reasons. I give Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien a 9/10 because the positives strongly outweighed the flaws in its story.
