Reviews

Apr 6, 2015
Kotoura-san is a comedy and romance/drama. I typically like fantasy/supernatural, action, and drama genres, so I didn't expect much from this show, but it was surprisingly attractive in its own way. Kotoura's life has been nothing but a road of sad memories ever since her childhood, but now she's taken a different road, starting with the encounter of fellow student shining with positivity. Of course, past mistakes and problems can't be resolved that easily, and it'll take time for Kotoura and her newfound friends to restore the happiness that she had lost.

Story: 7/10
The story might seem a bit tragic at first, and many would expect an emotional coaster, but it really isn't as dark as it seems from first glance. From then on, the show is actually more light and comedic. Of course, the story has its fair share of serious moments as well. I think the story is satisfying even if it is more comedy than drama because Kotoura, the main female protagonist, had a very tragic past, and it was fair that her life was shown to get better after her childhood years of suffering. Otherwise, the viewers would feel way too bad for her and the story would be branded as nothing but a sad and pitiful tragedy that would never be resolved. The stories for some of the main characters were a bit anti-climatic or didn't have much of a resolution, but other than that the main story focusing on Kotoura was nice.

Art: 7/10
The art and animation weren't top notch but was bearable enough for me to watch the whole series without being disappointed or distracted from the story. I specifically like Kotoura's character design and the others' were fair. The chibi art styles in some scenes were fun to watch and were well done too.

Sound: 7/10
The first ED song - Kibou no Sora was rather good and emotional too. The voices were alright, including Kotoura's which was pretty cute. The OP and EDs are nothing memorable but last throughout the show.

Character: 9/10
The best part about the show is the main female protagonist, Kotoura who I could relate with the most. Her life experiences and troubles are very similar to mine when I was younger. At some point in my life, I had lost hope too, like Kotoura, and I stopped trying to make friends and shut myself away from the outside world because of how I had been treated in the past. In Kotoura's case, she met a fellow student, Manabe who didn't mind her for who she was and accepted her. (There aren't many people who are like Manabe from where I come from at least) If this were to happen in real life, and a unfortunate person were to meet some good friends, their life would change for the better immediately too, especially if they yearn for company and friendship, so the character development is logical. You can clearly see Kotoura's character development with her opening up to more people and even developing feelings for Manabe. The treatment she got from some of the main characters might have been chilly at first, but one doesn't just expect a student who is made fun of constantly to suddenly become popular with everyone. The way the other characters eventually came to accept Kotoura for who she was flowed really naturally and didn't feel too forced. It took effort to bring the group of friends together which was respectable.

Enjoyment: 8/10
The show is enjoyable while being watched, and can provide you with enough fun and interest to finish the show. After watching it and comparing it with some other emotional, drama animes, this show really isn't the greatest one out there, but this show wasn't bad in terms of in the slice of life/comedy genre since it isn't too cliche. A relevant story and clear aim accompanied by enough serious moments are provided anyway. The events are mostly logical and correlates with reality, if that's what you're looking for.

Overall: 7/10
The show isn't anything special and probably won't be too memorable, but it's a good experience to be able to sympathize with some of the characters, at least for me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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