Story 7/10
The story is simple, and not it's strong point I'll admit. But it's what they make out of the story that makes it so enjoyable. Every episode has at least one moment where you either laugh, smile, or blow out a little more air out of your nose than you normally do ;) The producers and directors did everything right (so far) with this anime. The story is simple at first, but later it actually does seem to get a little deeper and devulges into the importance of friendship and togetherness.
Characters 9.5678/10
The characters are definitely the strong point of the show. Every character is extremely likeable and very realistic. There's the otaku fujoshi girl, the tomboy, the energetic little girl, the shy little girl, the average achieving yet easygoing boy, and of course, your hardworking modern day city boy (or adult, whatever you wanna call Handa) Everything about the characters and their interactions just make the show 100% better.
OST 8/10
At first I didn't really think much of the music since I didn't fully grasp the story throughout the first half of the first episode. But I soon realized what it was really about. And once the first episode ended it made me feel just truly happy and warm. Not many anime shows do that for me, or anyone I'm guessing. Once the episode ended, the ending song totally complimented the entire atmosphere. If I had to pick the most memorable track, it would be the ending; Innocence by Noisycell. It's one of those few anime songs where you don't need the actual anime [footage] to enjoy. The opening is good too. I would say the OST is average overall though.
Animation 9.678/10
Since it is 2014, of course the animation is amazing. The animators really know how to set the happy, warm summer mood and you can tell every background is done with real care and hardwork put into it. It's actually quite stunning if you pay close attention and watch in HD.
Overall, Barakamon is a really enjoyable and heartwarming show. I'm a little bias towards this because I value the same qualities this show depicts; friendship & togetherness. If you need a break from the serious animes or just wanna laugh and smile, this is definitely the anime for you.
