The anime evolves around two friends; Hase-kun, a shy teenage boy with very few friends, and Fujimiya-san, a lonely girl who used to have many friends. When Hase-kun one day dares himself to talk to Fujimiya-san, she completely tries to push him away. It isn't until numerous attempts when Hase-kun gets closer to Fujimiya-san and learns her dark secret; she forgets everything about her friends once the week is over. It's up to Hase-kun to find out why and to help keep their friendship intact.
Needless to say, the animation is extremely well done. Even though it's just a cartoon, the shading, lens flare and tiny details from the uniforms and backpacks to the background bring the anime to life. It overall makes the anime even more enjoyable to watch.
What I really enjoyed about this anime was how well they portray the characters and their feelings. Even though this show is only twelve episodes long, you get to know them so well that you feel like you've known them for a longer time than that.
That's because the character development isn't solely through dialogue, but a lot of body language as well. The animators did an excellent job with body language and making sure the viewer always gets a feel of what's going on, even though things are fairly silent.
Another thing I enjoyed about this anime was the subtle humor. Even though this anime does have it's dark moments, it can give you a good laugh through second-hand embarrassment and "wrong-place-wrong-time" moments. Nothing raunchy here!
But I think the most important thing to note about this anime is that it's written so that it can still be called a great anime whether it has a second season or not. Sure, there are still some questions left unanswered, and fans will be dying to know what happens next once the anime is over.
But even if this series never continues you can still assure yourself that things will end happily ever after for everyone. Unlike other anime that never continued and forced you to read the manga to find out what happens next.
Yes, I would love it if the series did continue and we see how things turn out, yet there's a feeling that I know what will happen next at the same time.
In conclusion, "One Week Friends" is a satisfying anime that will make you laugh, cry and leave you with wanting more. This anime is proof that the best anime's out there don't need to have complex plots to be remembered forever, just excellent characters. I would definitely recommend it to anyone; whether you've never watched anime before or you've watched enough to catch every anime reference made in a show.
THE VERDICT:
+ Perfect Animation
+ Excellent Story
+ Great Characters
+ Wide Audience Appeal
SCORE: 9/10
EXCELLENT!
