That said, I do not feel like I wasted my time watching Kyoukai no Kanata
Art
The animation was fantastic. This will be the show that I point to as the gorgeous staple of what high quality animation can and should be. The art style also fit very well into the world that it existed in. Bright, happy colors existing beside the darker shades did an excellent job of matching up with what Akihito said at the end of the show, "There will always be darkness in the light, but the night is not without light too." Or something like that.
Characters
Regrettably, the show often fails to take itself seriously enough for the characters to reach their full potential. Most of the characters showed potential to be rich and fulfilling; they could very easily have a good show into a fantastic one, but the characters often were dragged down by jokes or by being cute. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy light hearted fluff that these characters often were just as much as the next guy, but when the potential to be something so much more than just fluff is there then I feel like I got cheated out of greatness.
Sound
I loved the music in this series. The closing song in particular stands out in my mind. The way many episodes would end and fade into the credits was one of the high points of the show. It does a good job of capping of each episode in a way that is satisfying and as poignant as the episode allowed itself to be.
Enjoyment
I enjoyed watching Kyoukai no Kanata. I started watching it after the first 11 episodes had aired so I was able to knock it all out over a weekend and then waited for the finale. I did not feel like it took any serious investment on my part and that was definitely for the best. In a show like that this one that so closely misses the mark of being fantastic I can appreciate it as a lazy, watch-it-all-in-a-weekend kind of show. I would recommend Kyoukai no Kanata to anyone who wants to watch a goofy, fun little show with the warning that that is all that it will be: a goofy, fun little show.
