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There are times when the telling of a tale becomes more than just a story - it becomes a masterpiece, forever to be treasured and remembered. Everything seems to just work, from the overarching plot-line, down to the background character cast and everything in between, the epic masterpieces move, change and impact in powerful ways. Lovely Complex is an anime that makes its mark as a potential to be one of these phenomenal works.
Immediately, this anime begins by setting up the story; a guy and girl who are both very self-conscious about their heights who desperately reach out for some kind of relationship. It becomes apparent almost immediately, though, that these two are nearly perfect for each other. But, of course, they can't begin to see each other as a candidate for a relationship. So the two decide to cheer each other on and help one another. Within just a few episodes, Koizumi (the girl) begins to develop feelings for Otani. Now beyond that is where the actual excitement and enjoyment of the story come into play. Frequently, you will find yourself laughing (extremely hard at times) at the plethora of jokes, but almost as often finding yourself near tears or frowning at that touching emotional scene. Very few stories have the capability to balance both comedy and drama ON TOP OF a romance plot. But not only does Lovely Complex do just that, it's touching, the comedy is genuinely hysterical and the romance is real. There's none of that "lucky" guy who's surrounded by lots of girls who adore him. None of that "hotter-than-the-sun" kind of girl who compels some guy to chase after her. What you get here is a realistic presentation of a developing relationship out of a friendship. One that is easy to relate to, fun to watch and cheer on, and will leave you with a lasting impression.
As for the art and sound, they only work to enhance and improve upon the wonders of the story and characters. Tense scenes seem to always have the perfect music playing. Touching scenes have that beautiful, heart-tugging melody playing quietly in the background. Throughout the 24 episodes, a common rag-time kind of theme is played that becomes very catchy and enjoyable - it seems to capture the nature of the characters and their struggles.
Art, while being rather unique, is fairly detailed and clearly defines what is being presented. Often times, expressions are exaggerated (quite comically, I might add), and some scenes are taken over by "floating flowers" or "swirling angry purple haze" effects. While these may be distracting at times, they lend to improve the mood and feeling of each scene they appear. (Think lots of XD expressions going on).
All in all, Lovely Complex is both a touching and hilarious storyline that is definitely worth checking out. After 3 times watching through this show, I still laugh and cry, ending up with a feeling that I don't really get from any other anime I've watched (or re-watch). The ending seems to tie up a perfect package with an even more beautiful bow. Who knows? Perhaps LoveCom will ease its way into your heart as a masterpiece.
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I rate animes I have seen based upon the categories of Story, Art, Sound, Character, and Personal Enjoyment, each worth 10 points (1 being terrible, 10 being incredible). The overall score is then multiplied by 2 to get a score out of 100.
**STORY** 9.9/10
I give the story a 9.9 out of 10 simply because I can't get enough of it. There never seems to be a filler episode, everything seems both relevant and interesting. The story is both compelling and moving. Comedy, Romance, Slice-of-Life, a bit of Drama. Now, why isn't it a 10/10? Simply because it's a somewhat generic story - girl and guy are friends, would make perfect couple but don't see it that way, one side falls for the other, but other side has reservations. You can probably guess what happens in the end. BUT, there's more to a story than just WHAT it is, there's the HOW it's told that really makes a difference. Which brings me to
**CHARACTERS** 10/10
This category I don't even hesitate to give a perfect score. Every character, from the lovable, dynamic duo of Risa and Otani, down to even the minor characters (Umibozu) and the somewhat detestable/annoying Mimi and Haruka are given such a wonderful personality. They all seem real, you can identify with them, you can love/hate them, cheer them on. Each of the characters are memorable in their own right and will leave some kind of impression on you.
**ART** 9.8/10
As for art, I can't give it a full score just because it didn't blow me away. But, what it did do, is present the story without distracting me, give life and love to each of the characters and clearly convey the mood being set up. I'm personally not one to really care what the anime looks like, as long as it's not... weird... and flows smoothly, doesn't deviate from what it set out to do, and makes changes when change would be expected. (i.e. 3 years go by, from 15-18, I better expect to see some changes in the characters). Thus, I gave it 9.8.
**SOUND** 10/10
Rarely do I ever look for the soundtrack from an anime, but this has become one of them (Cowboy Bebop, Welcome to the NHK some of the others). When the music is so good that you want to listen to it separately, without the scene and other things going on, you know that's a good music soundtrack.
But beyond the soundtrack, the noises, the voices, every other sound is clear, crisp and beautiful. In that aspect, the sound is just like the art to me; as long as it's not weird or distracting, it's pretty good. But LoveCom had that amazing soundtrack (Risa's theme is so catchy), a great vocal cast and plenty of authentic sounding noises.
**PERSONAL ENJOYMENT** 10/10
Obviously, if you noticed that I'm effectively giving this anime two reviews, you should know that I would give this category a 10. I have watched this 3 times and I wouldn't mind watching it again in a few months. Just like that movie of which you never seem to tire, LoveCom grows on you and makes you want to see it again and again. This anime has changed me, too, by inspiring me to have an attitude like that of Koizumi or Otani - never give up and fight hard for what you want.
**OVERALL**
99.4/100
If you like any kind of romantic comedy, give this a shot. You'll know if you'll like it after the first episode. XD
