Barakamon was a really pleasant surprise for me. I went into it without expecting much, but little did I know! With a simple, yet charming and beautiful story, a big palette of jokes, great variety of outstanding characters and interesting, authentic interactions between them, Barakamon manages to capture everyone's heart. Let me briefly break it down...
As a comedy anime Barakamon has a lot to offer. The humor is pretty good and it doesn't rely on stupid, overused jokes or in tropes.
The characters is probably the strongest point of the anime. If I could describe them with one word, it would be human. They are authentic, real, they behave like a normal man/woman would in their position. The children are carefree and cheerful, the teens are laid back but sometimes sceptical, the adults are trying to face their problems in life in their own ways. What's more, the interactions between the characters are some of the best and most real and enjoyable I've seen in any anime.
Visuals are pretty nice but nothing special here. As for the sound and music, I found it pleasant and fitting with the Opening theme sticking with me for a long time.
What surprised me is how you can find yourself in this anime and identify with the main character. By living a more laid back and relaxing life in a remote island he can see things he couldn't see under the pressure of a big city. He can appreciate and treasure every moment, even the little things. He understands what is important and what isn't. And that should be a lesson to all of us.
