Thankfully, White Album 2 is not one of those adaptations.
Adapted from the ~introductory chapter~ segment of the bestselling Leaf visual novel of the same name, White Album 2 (henceforth referred to as “WA2”) manages to retain a lot of the strengths of the source material while approaching it in a different, but appropriate, fashion. It is important to note that, despite the title, WA2 is not a direct sequel to the first White Album, related only by setting and a number of references, so viewing of the first series is not required.
With that said, WA2 is, simply put, a romance. To be more specific, it is a love triangle. It begins with a student named Kitahara Haruki trying to revive his high school’s light music club. In doing so, he eventually finds himself involved with the two girls who join the club: Ogiso Setsuna and Touma Kazusa. Certainly, this is a fairly basic set-up for the genre. WA2’s romance is played out in a straight and down-to-earth manner, and its strengths lie with the subdued execution of that romance. In a genre filled with stories that often resort to predictable archetypes and tropes to drive themselves forward, WA2 avoids the pitfalls of many other titles by doing away with the excessive melodrama and roundabout confessions. It does not strive beyond the boundaries of its genre, and thus certainly cannot be compared to shows that feature Titans being screamed at.
Consider the very beginning of the show, which reveals some key events that will occur at the end of the anime. In this brief sequence, viewers will be made aware of the kind of road that WA2 is set on. Both readers familiar with the source material and newcomers may initially find this to be a questionable directorial decision. However, in the grand scheme of things, WA2 is not focused on the fact that these events occur, but on how the characters and their relationships caused these events. After all, there are only so many ways a romance can turn out without treading on the grounds of bizarre or convoluted narratives. In general, the genre should focus on the chemistry between the characters and how they deal with the emotions of love.
And the characters are undoubtedly central to the romance in WA2. The characters are not dolls made to fulfill a given role, but believable people with distinct personalities. In particular, the main lead Haruki seems like an excellent student, yet so obviously flawed. His altruistic personality leads him into making many unintentional mistakes, and he is unable to avoid the problems he is causing despite being aware of them. And just like Haruki, Setsuna and Kazusa also try to avoid the problems in their own way, but inevitably end up hurting the others in the process. These characters make sensibly human mistakes that some viewers will resonate strongly with, while others may find themselves incredibly frustrated. The notion that viewers opt for a favorite heroine need not apply when the characters can be both endearing and detestable. The alleged title of “best girl” might as well be given to Haruki.
Of course, much of the characterization is owned to the wonderful script written by Fumiaki Maruto, the original scenario writer for WA2. The characters and their interactions are brought to life through clear and purposeful dialogue. The lines illustrate the chemistry between the characters and the gradual build-up of romantic tension as the show progresses. As an adaptation, the script is very much condensed to serve time constraints in the animated form, and Haruki’s insightful narration is lost. Thankfully, this is substituted by visual expressions and gestures used by the characters to show certain emotions rather than tell them. Setsuna’s physical distancing during some conversations in the earlier episodes, for example, indicate her perceptions toward Kazusa. In many cases, this use of storytelling adds to the scenes, improving upon the original. On the other hand, some lines in the script are altered, perhaps changing the nuance of the original scenes. A particular example of this is with the scene that introduces Kazusa, in which she speaks with an angry tone as opposed to a confused one.
Despite the show’s use of visual storytelling, the technical aspects of the animation suffer from a number of problems, particularly due to the production by Satelight. While the character designs themselves are arguably an improvement over the original's, quality mishaps are abound regarding the anatomy of the characters in some shots. There is also a general lack of “liveliness” in the animation, resulting in dull movements and stills. A notable offender of this is when the concert scene occurs in the story, and repetitive shots of the school’s scenery are seen as music is playing. Moreover, a few other important scenes feature questionable fanservice shots and odd angles, intruding on the mood of these scenes.
Fortunately, the aural aspects of WA2 make up for the mishaps in the animation. The soundtrack, featuring tracks that are played by an actual pianist, really complement the nature of the show, more so due to the focus on music. Dramatic sequences are accentuated with powerful yet delicate melodies, such as the instrumental of the aptly-named ending theme, “Sayonara no Koto.” Vocal songs are also prominent, reinforcing the show’s themes through their lyrics. Ultimately, the music is an integral part of the experience in WA2.
And the experience is certainly something else. Despite being only a prologue to a larger story, the anime adaptation of WA2 offers a sense of completeness that most adaptations, and anime series in general, should strive for. It is faithful as an adaptation, yet carries its own unique charm. It has a fairly simple premise, yet goes much deeper than that with its characters. The season of White Album has gracefully passed us by, but it won’t be forgotten so easily.
