I'll start off by saying while yes there are some things wrong with it It is a good watch and I recommend it tho if your mainly looking for romance like with most Key shows. This one isn't as focused on that. It is more focused on the plot though there is hints through out and a good relationship is built. Without spoilers there is a slight bit of romance at the end as well.
Now for the actual review. The first half of Charlotte is pretty much a building block for the plot and world as well as getting you attached to the main charries and learning about them. It is much more out right and what you would expect from most anime as well as a key anime. However there is a huge twist mid way through that completely flips things upside down. This twist is what I mostly seen people complain about because it pretty much makes the while anime do a 360 in tone,direction and everything you can thing of. I also don't blame them because at first as it's happening. It is quite confusing and if you were enjoying the feel and tone of the first half can annoy you quite a bit. I was kind of thrown off myself at first and didn't like it but after a few episodes thinks begin to make more and more sense and if you stick with it. The turn actually becomes quite good and the show does return to it's roots later on. Pretty much there is 2-2.5 episode stretch tho where it's chaos after the twist and very rough. Make it through that though and it's becomes very good once more.
I don't really like to rate shows based on very technical aspects like sound and so on. I prefer judging based on how I enjoyed it as well as how into it I got and things of that nature. However for this reviews sake quickly. The art as you can see from previews and so on is very good. Nothing amazingly new character design wise but they all look good and it's well done. It's also a style I prefer.
The story is unique in it's own right. I don't need to really give you a description as those are already there for you but long story short. Good looking conceited and selfish kid with a power/special ability uses it to take advantage and accel in life not caring what ti does to others. He thinks he is the only one with a power. He gets taken in against his choice by a group of other teens with powers and forced to join a student council for their own school which is made specifically to catch people with ability's like them and bring them into this school safely so they won't be caught by others and in the government and so on. Without spoiling its far more detailed but some of the charries already have had many horrible experiences with thi type of thing. The mc begins helping them. Realtionships grow though it's done very well especially with the two mcs. It's not just slung into a quick I suddenly love you type deal.Then of course the huge twist happens and chaos ensues for awhile lol.
With this show you almost have to break it into 3 parts. The first part which is like the first 5-7 episodes I forget the exact number then when the twist happens and about 2-3 episodes after that then the rest as the third part. The first part is pretty common and the most normal of how things go in the usual anime of this genre/type and is decently paced maybe if anything a slight bit slow. The second part is chaos. It's hard to even put into words but I guess you could say it's slow and to fast at the same time? It happens way to fast but they also have it take way to long to start making sense and I think that's what through people off. Until your shown differently it looks like the show [not gonna spoil] but is gonna take a horrible route. It comes back on course however and you see it didn't go the way it was looking like it could. Now the third part is not bad but very very very rushed. The last episode especially. I expected this though as almost all anime with a decent story are rushed today being 13 episodes and not getting a second season. I'm not exaggerating when I say VERY rushed lol. The last episode in 20 minutes literally contains the start of the whole final task the whole anime has been building up to. The task itself that is a large task that could fill episodes itself. Then a return as well as a wrap up with the other mc lol. The ending is well as I just said very rushed lol. It's not bad but for some will leave a bitter taste in your mouth as alot of these kinda endings do. It's a sweet decent ending not bad really. But if your looking for the epic and dramatic I love you kiss and hug into the sunset your not going to get it.
Honestly overall with the story. Though I liked it and it was good it seemed that it was just something that was built for 2 or even 3 seasons and they knew going in they where going to have to rush only having one and smashed it into one. Which is where I think the chaos plot twist comes in because they had to do it with so little time.I think they could have made a 12-13 season with the first part of things easily before the plot twist then a 12-13 episode season when the plot twist occurs and all the events and everything after that and then a 3rd 12-13 season with the mcs final task wrapping it up and the ending. But instead it's all smashed into 13 episodes. That I think is the biggest bad mark on Charlotte. Kind of amusing to considering this was supposed to be an attempt by the creator of Angel Beats! to make up for it being so rushed lololol. Creators never learn.
The main thing I loved about the show though was the charries. I love the female mcs attitude and personality and so. Also the male mc while dislikable at first is weirdly likable as well at the same time if that makes sense lol. I probably wouldn't like him in another anime but in this story and he and the female mc mix so well that it works perfectly. The other charries while likable aren't really remarkable.
The sound is very fitting for the show and while nothing jumped at me other than the music in one scene that I thought was great. It's solid.
I give Charlotte an 8 but in all honesty am more at about a 7.5. I liked it and would say watch it but be prepared for that 2-2.5 episodes of confusion and badness as well as a rushed pace. If it wasn't so rushed and things where wrapped up a little better I would give it a 8-8.5 and if that little stretch of chaos wasn't done so badly possibly even higher. In my opinion Charlotte ended up being a show with the story/art/sound/ and potential to be a great/amazing show but ended up being a slightly above average with some flaws one.
