First off, I would like to say that the synopsis on MAL (as of this writing) for this anime is absolutely not reflective of Golden Time. In fact, it only details what happens in episode 1 and does not hint at the challenges that the main character, Banri, will go through. Also, Golden Time elicited very strong feelings and opinions in me so there may be light spoilers that I may not catch but I'll try to flag as many as I can.
Golden Time is a highly touted anime that deals with a sensitive issue: mental illness. Banri claims that he is experiencing amnesia but as the audience, it is pretty clear to us that when he has his episodes of mental breakdown, he is switching personality. Although Banri's mental condition is supposed to be central to the story, the drama that occurs around him seems to sweep this issue under the rug. Had it not been for a few annoying characters, Golden Time could have explored this issue in a much more profound and mature fashion.
The story begins with our main character, Banri, arriving for his first day in Law School at a university in Tokyo. He meets a guy named Mitsuo who is a fellow classmate and shortly after, Banri witnesses Mitsuo getting beaten up by his super attractive girlfriend Koko. In a few episodes later, he meets a few other people who will be his good friends, including the VIP Linda. As Banri spends more time with Koko, he realizes that he has feelings for her. The true premise of the story is set when Banri realizes that he has amnesia and lost all his memories of his past self, that is, memories of his high school life. From here on, the story explores how Banri attempts to reconcile with his past while accepting the present. As he goes on this journey, there are many misunderstandings, apologies, and heartbreaks. While I find this story very intriguing, I did not appreciate how the writers sometimes made sharp turns with the story progression. What I mean is that the story jumps from point to point and expects us to follow along rather than guiding us from one point to the next. In a way, however, you can argue that it is reflective of the mental breakdowns that Banri has, especially nearing the end of the anime.
One final aspect that I did not particularly enjoy about Golden Time was that the anime starts off at warp speed but when it reaches the middle of the show, the story seems to have escaped from hyperspace and slows down to a crawl. By the end, the writers realize that they slowed the show too much and take it back into hyperspace until the end. Other than those things, I liked how the anime mixes in some nice and light comedy scenes to alleviate what sometimes may be a very dark and emotional scene.
Regarding the ending, I felt it provided enough closure (of course, it may depend on which character you're rooting for) that I do not see a need for a second season. I definitely feel that the final few episodes is a highlight of Golden Time because it seemed that the writers finally realized that they had to reign in the childish behaviours of the characters and have the characters grow as adults. It is in these episodes that I felt I could see Golden Time as a mature show.
The cast of Golden Time is a mixed bag. You can either find these characters very complex or very shallow. However, one thing for sure is that Banri is a complex character. Because he has amnesia, we experience his emotional moments where he recalls his past and attempts to struggle with his identity. If not for the awkward pacing of the story, I felt his on-screen moments were the "golden times" of this anime as they were the most mature scenes. As for our other main star, Koko, I felt she can be very annoying. She has an especially possessive personality and cannot seem to understand that her partner needs some breathing room at times. Although she does not readily admit it, she has trouble being in a relationship in general. At times, this is what makes me very infuriated with her character is that she can't seem to recognize the issues that Banri goes through. In other words, she recognizes that Banri has issues but she doesn't know how to deal with them, making her the least suitable partner for Banri. The interactions between Banri and Koko do not convince me that they can be a couple.
One final aspect of the characters that I am unable to understand is that the romance amongst the characters seem to be more like infatuation. What I mean is that without any story development between the two characters, out of the blue, the writers have the characters confess. Confessions like that do not leave me rooting for the character nor understanding why the character did that.
---POSSIBLE LIGHT SPOILER HERE ----
For example, while we do see eventually character development between Banri and Koko, their confession for each other is very early in the anime and its done with very little story development to help us understand why they feel that way. Similarly, Mitsuo seems to take on a liking to Chinami at the Film Club social for no apparent reason other than to break apart from Koko.
---END LIGHT SPOILER---
To talk about Linda is to talk about the most important character in Golden Time. To put it shortly and spoiler free, I wish that they could have more scenes of Banri with Linda. Since I have strong feelings about Linda, I will leave those feelings at the end of this review.
The artwork of Golden Time is drawn by the same artists who brought you Toradora. If you liked their style, you will definitely find the character designs very appealing. Golden Time runs on a very vibrant color palette but in the more emotional scenes, they tune the colours just right to convey the mood.
The music was good but not outstanding. The first opening and ending theme songs were very catchy and I absolutely loved it. However, the second opening felt like an entire mess but the second half of the anime is pretty much a mess (though that does not mean the second half was terrible, only that the drama got really messy).
I'm not sure if I enjoyed the anime. The anime definitely elicited very strong inner emotions, with the results almost having my laptop thrown 2 stories down or the screen broken in two. Probably a reason was because I was heavily invested in one ship and seeing the other ship set sail in relatively calm waters while my ship had to endure endless and unexplained hurricanes really got me hating the show. However, this DOES NOT mean that Golden Time is a terrible show. Only the best stories and the top shows can generate strong emotions.
My final verdict: you don't need to watch this show immediately. Take your time to get through the shows you really want to watch and then watch Golden Time.
Let me know what you thought of Golden Time! I would love to hear your views on this anime!!
(here begins the Linda spoiler so do not read if you haven't watched the anime yet)
---BEGIN LINDA SPOILER----
Now, I admit that I shipped Linda x Banri as soon as Banri realized what Linda meant to him so I might be pretty biased towards Linda. Nevertheless, I believe Linda is supposed to be the female lead to Golden Time. In fact, she is the most tragic character in the entire cast. Although having developed a relationship with Banri, Linda is capable of putting a straight face when she sees him at the activities fair. This is a scene that shows how much Linda cares for Banri. She is caring enough to realize that Banri needs time to recollect his memory so she puts her feelings second behind his. Even then, when Banri begins to date Koko, she still acts like he's her best friend although as the audience, we know how much she is struggling to deny that he is in love with Koko. If that is not enough, when Banri has his amnesia episodes, it is Linda who first goes to his aid. She does that even though she knows that Banri probably will not see her in the same light as he does for Koko.
One of the best scenes in the entire anime was when Banri asks Linda to forget about their past for the sake of the selfish Koko and Linda, without hesitation, tears up Banri's only photo of him and her and casts it to the wind. This laptop of mine was about to be flung out the window when I watched that scene. To me, this was a very emotional scene because it shows Linda betraying her own feelings for the sake of seeing Banri live a normal and happy life. This was a great opportunity for her to cling to the past and deny the present, but she wishes to have Banri's happiness to supersede her own. What a beautiful yet tragic scene.
Even until the end, Linda cannot escape her tragedy. At the end, Banri recovers his old memories and recalls how much he loved Linda. When Linda comes home for the holidays, she willingly stays at Banri's side to help him ease into this phase of his condition. Unfortunately, after a visit from Koko, the old Banri regains the new Banri's memories and realizes that he actually loves Koko. As he chases after Koko, Linda throws his running shoes to help him catch up to Koko. It is heartwarming to see Banri reunite with Koko and with Linda enthusiastically cheering him on, but you can't help but feel sad for Linda as she is throwing her own feelings away. Furthermore, the only true moment where Linda expresses her true feelings for Banri is when she jumps into the old Banri's arms on the bridge and tells the old Banri "Yes!" (My hands flew up with excitement during that scene) Even then, she is confessing only to have the old Banri feel some sort of closure. She can never physically love the flesh and bone Banri that she sees everyday because she knows that the new Banri's heart only loves Koko.
Although you can argue that she does these things out of guilt that she is responsible for his condition, you cannot deny that the old Banri planted his feelings inside of her heart and she is trying to nurture those feelings. However, the growth of those emotions are stunted by the presence of the weed killer known as Koko. To me, Koko is a very unlikable character.
Another factor that resulted in her being a tragic character was that Linda is the most obvious person who understands Banri the most and not Koko. She was his childhood friend and love interest up to the end of high school. She is the one who tends to Banri's emotional episodes where he feels lost in the world. In addition, during high school, Banri tended to Linda's emotions when she was unable to cope with the fact that her brother is being cheated. They have a true relationship because they exchange their feelings. All Koko offers is a one-way relationship as exemplified by her constant (and stalkerish) desire to be around Banri. Koko is a brick wall blocking Banri's vision to his past. Essentially, Koko is telling Banri to throw away his former identity, which is equivalent to having him deny who he is as a complete person. All of this behaviour makes Linda feel like the ideal partner for Banri but he fails to see it. Koko, though admirably, dumps Banri at the end (if only for a couple of episodes) having recognized that she is unable to take care of and appreciate him as a complete person. As I see it, at the end, Banri becomes addicted to the drug named Koko and foolishly casts away half of his identity in order to blissfully live in the present. Of course, Linda is a strong character so she is willing to be forever hidden away in Banri's memory.
On another note about Linda, I vehemently oppose the relationship between Linda and Mitsuo. He just begins liking Linda for no reason (a consistent problem of this anime) and Linda only blushes because he has a good face and body. If there is a second season, this relationship absolutely cannot develop unless if the writers convincingly compose a beautiful romance between them.
---END LINDA SPOILER---
