tl;dr- watch it if yr a fan of shoujo love stories, but with a twist (think psycho pass-esque dark themes littered throughout), watch it if you want to have a good cry, watch it if you are currently bumming around and have nothing to watch...its definitely a 'must watch' on my top 10 list.
Story:
Maybe I haven't watched enough anime, but I think that this is one of the most heartwrenching shoujo anime out there. Though Fushigi Yuugi (another work by Yuu Watase) had its dark moments as well- it has NOTHING compared to ANC. This anime is chockfull of mature and dark themes- which I found really refreshing in a (typically) shoujo anime.
Oh, dont worry, there's still the love story (and boy, WHAT a love story it is) to enjoy- but its not one that is characterised by its happy, love-love moments.
Its actually one of the better romance depictions out there- maybe I'm biased, but they don't seem to write romances like this anymore.
Of course, the story doesn't just focus on the MC. The minor characters here have interesting backgrounds, strong characters, and at the end of their storylines you kinda wish the anime was longer so you could learn a little bit more about them.
Art:
The art's old, but I don't usually let things like that get in the way of a good story (and neither should you) . Similar to Fushigi Yuugi, if you've watched it.
Sound:
I thought I would never use this phrase (ever!), but Iwao Junko's voice is beautifully haunting. There's no other way to describe it.
The two EDs are pretty good as well, but there is no beating that OP.
Really, even if yr not even going to watch this anime, just check out the OP and EDs.
Character:
Okay, its been a while since I've watched ANC, around the time I was 13 year old hormonal teenage girl- but one of my favourite shoujo heroines has to be Aya. Maybe I felt that I could relate to her (I mean, if I was similarly thrown in this mess)- so I didn't feel as irritated as I do with other shoujo heroines.
Character development is great. You find yourself falling in love with the MC's love interest as she is (again, 13 year old hormones might've been doing the talking there), sympathizing with the stories of the side characters...you get the drift.
Enjoyment:
This is my first (and likely, only) review that I'm doing for MAL. I think that says a lot about how much I enjoyed the anime.
Please do yourself a favour and watch this- but yknw, get a box of tissues first.
