Story: 8/10
Within a few minutes, I was already in love with the OVA and by the end of it, I was actually somewhat emotional and very touched by the story even though I found the pacing to be off at times, but let me elaborate a little bit.
In usual anime and manga, parents are either devil spawns or complete angels, but it's not true and this OVA captures that really well with the relationship dynamic between Shima's parents and Shima, along with the way Shima was developed (more on that later), the story really hit home for me, and I think it will for most people too. It shows really well what happens when we try to satisfy everyone and and it teaches the audience not to do that through Isaki helping Shima heal.
As for the Shounen Ai, honestly, I don't understand why everyone puts so much emphasis on the shounen ai because the story is beautiful even without it. I personally think that even a non shounen ai fan would be able to enjoy it, provided that they can find it in them to sit through enough of it to appreciate the story.
Art: 10/10
I don't have much to say about the art, but it is absolutely stunning and it's something you don't see in the anime world nowadays. It's definitely refreshing. It was very colourful but the colours changed from somewhat more saturated and dark into more bright and colourful colours as Shima grew and learnt to accept and let go. It's very subtle though.
I say this, but the art won't be everybody's cup of tea.
Sound: 9/10
I haven't paid a lot of attention to the music, but I thought their choices were perfect, for the ending especially. The words fit the mood, but it was background music and didn't take over.
Character: 9/10
Shima is someone that I think most people can relate to, he tries too hard to satisfy everyone, but in the process he hurts himself almost beyond repair. Isaki comes along and helps him out and the relationship was just beautiful. The characters had their flaws, its more obvious in Shima more than in Isaki, but they are both well rounded characters that are loveable.
That said, I do feel Isaki was underdeveloped and their relationship was a bit rushed, but it is understandable, considering that it is an OVA.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I absolutely loved the OVA, I loved the art and the music and the characters. The story really hit home for me and it really has been a while since I found one that could do it as well as this one.
I do recommend it to everyone to give it a chance, even if you aren't a fan of the Shounen Ai genre.
Overall: 10/10
