Story: 9
Hamatora gets a 9 in my book. Maybe I'm a sucker for episodic animes with a hidden plot backbone (Akuma no Riddle was a personal favorite of mine in this category) but I really feel like Hamatora took its plot in the right direction. Some episodes seem fillerish or too forced, but then by the end you realize that the events of the episode connected back to the plot all along! The last episode left me needing more, and when I found Re:_Hamatora, I was incredibly disappointed in the quality of the second season (I could go more into that, but let's just say I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as season 1). The only real problem I have with it is the direction season 2 took, but maybe I should leave that out of my review for Hamatora? Eh, who knows.
Art: 8
Honestly this would get a 9 if the distance models weren't... interesting. The closeups and backgrounds were stunning, and the take on flashy colors and glitches gave a stylistic feel to it, but when it all got down to it, the distance renders were SOOOO BAD. Otherwise, good job with the art.
Sound: 9
Okay the first opening was mediocre at best. The visuals were great but the song was basic and didn't leave an impression, nor did it really catch my eye. Re:_Hamatora certainly had an incredible opening, but that's its only salvation. Despite the OP, I gave sound a 9 because the OST was always pretty fitting and the voice actors were always really convincing.
Character: 6
EEEEHHHHH.... Hamatora's characters in the first season had little depth. They really seemed like they never developed by the end of it, ESPECIALLY Hajime. She had a lot of potential as a character, but she hardly spoke in the first season and then became a ditzy love interest in the second season. Birthday and Ratio got one episode of development and backstory and then their characters weren't touched on again. Murasaki, a MAIN CHARACTER, PART OF TEAM HAMATORA, got less screen time than Art, a character who lost his relevance half way through the series, and not even half the amount of development! If you want an anime for its characters, Hamatora isn't a good choice for you.
Enjoyment: 9
My own personal experience with Hamatora was a good one, honestly. I really loved the story and its uniqueness, and the art was really alluring. I could go on for days about Hamatora and Re:_Hamatora's flaws, but honestly they didn't affect my enjoyment THAT much. It was a fun anime to watch in my free time and I really did like it. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an episodic anime with a plot in the back. It's kind of a low-maintenance anime which I really liked, since I watched it in the hospital on my tiny phone screen with IVs in my arms. If you're looking to pass time, go for Hamatora, but be prepared for a god-awful second season and a LOT of plotholes.
