Before I get started I would like to say that I got involved with this show because I wanted a yuri romance that took things seriously. No excessive fanservice/sexism etc. It delivered! I can not say how awesome this show is in handling a yuri romance in a mature way! (and by mature I mean rational) There is absolutely NO offensive content!
So with that here is my review.
STORY (9): the story is what you would expect from a yuri/romance, it doesn't really have a cohesive plot except concerning the progression of the characters and their relationships/lives. This is expected though. It is engrossing, and will have you on your knees hoping that the couple you shipped will be the ones that end up together. Rewatch value is limited though because the plot progression is presented to you in easy to swallow ways, so it is doubtful that you will find something the second time around that you didn't pick up on the first time around. That said, you can still rewatch it because its a heartfelt show that will make you want to experience what the characters experienced all over again.
ART/SOUND (7/7): like i said before, these two don't play into my decision, that is unless they are so bad that they deserve mention, or they are so good that they deserve mention. The art and sound for this show was neither bad nor good, and that is a good thing because you don't want super-visuals to distract you from the heartfelt relationships developing before your eyes.
CHARACTERS (10): this show has the best character development in an anime I have seen so far. I have limited experience in anime, so I will go farther and say that this show has more character development than 90% of all the other media I have ever seen/used (and that is a sizable amount). You will soon find yourself shipping certain characters based on your own personal tastes, and before long you will be engrossed in how the show handles the potential/developing relationships. This is the highlight of the show.
ENJOYMENT (9): I am going to use this as a catch-all for the things I loved about this series. The characters and story are just so well done that I can't say enough about them. A wonderful and serious depiction of female romance, also can't stress this enough. Since this was based on a manga, I know the producers of the show couldn't have done this, but I would have liked more episodes, for two reasons: it is so good that you want more.....and here comes the reason that I gave this show 8/10 (would have gotten 9/10)
****NOTE THIS COULD BE CONSIDERED SPOILER**** ...the main couple doesn't really have a good resolution, and I will leave it at that. I am currently reading the manga because I heard it had a better resolution. ****END OF POTENTIAL SPOILER****
OVERALL (8): a terrific show that deserves any praise it gets (for being well done, thought out, and mature), if you like romance (any type of romance) try to keep an open mind and you will be blown away by the emotions here. A must watch for people with a heart... *cough cough* ...just go watch it already! :)
...also, I am trying to find other yuri/female romances that are non-offensive (though maybe one where you actually & gratifyingly get to see the main couple kiss ;) ), if you have any suggestions comment on my profile, thanks! :)
