The story seemed to me pretty generic and boring at first glance of the synopsis, but I gave it a try as I saw how many people liked it. I wasn't disappointed. The characters were for me one of my favourite things about this, I found them each to be endearing in their own way. While I would have preferred some more time and depth for some of them, I found them all to be interesting and engaging in their own way. Characters like Jinta usually really annoy me, well I thought he would at first glance. I initially believed he would be a moody brat for the entire series which I was happy to find he wasn't. I really warmed to him, especially at the end. In short, the story was captivating and it may have had me in tears at the end.
The art and sound did an amazing job to set the mood, and emphasize the emotions within the situations at the time. It helped me to really engage with the characters, cement what they were feeling within that scenario, the mood etc. With a story that deals with such a sad event like death, the music helped to grow attachments to these characters and actually care about them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series, it was sad but also strangely fulfilling. Death is a horrible tragedy we all deal with, and this anime shows how friendship can be one thing to overcome the sadness of it. As cheesy as it sounds, and I am aware of how cheesy I am getting, it was heartwarming to see the friends bond and grow from the tragedy. It really moved me and I recommend this to anyone, it is worth the watch and I promise you won't be disappointed.
