STORY (8/10):
Barakamon's story is nothing special as a concept, but the way the anime executes it is what makes it so great. The way our protagonist evolves throughout the series makes it into a captivating watch.
ART (8/10):
The series has quite above-average artwork on most occasions. However, it occasionally uses simplistic, childish designs, totally on purpose, in beautiful ways. However, visual gags tend to be hit or miss (there's one in episode 5 a lot of people disliked).
SOUND (8/10):
The OP and ED are better than most anime, though nothing I'd go out of my way to listening to. The voice acting is really good, and I like the fact that the children are voiced by actual children, a rare occurrence in anime.
CHARACTER (8/10):
I mentioned earlier the protagonist's evolution throughout the series. It truly is something to see this loner workaholic change and come out of his shell as he becomes more comfortable with the people on the island.
Naru also is forever on my list of favorite anime characters. She's just so cute, and the best portrayal of childhood innocence I've ever seen in anime.
There was one character I strongly disliked, and that was Seishuu's mother. Thankfully, she's only introduced in the final two episodes and plays a minor role. If she had stuck around any longer she would have hendered my enjoyment of the series quite a bit.
ENJOYMENT (8/10):
I am a naturally anxious person, and watching Barakamon helped me with that at times. Ah, the joys of a good slice of life.
OVERALL (8/10):
Overall, if you like slice of life, definitely watch Barakamon. If you don't like slice of life, still give Barakamon a shot. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of story and character development this slice of life has - it's far from a show about nothing.
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CONTENT ADVISORY: Some episodes are completely clean, while others have some mild language and suggestive humor. (Even still, the PG-13 rating on MAL seems a little strict.) The official subtitles from FUNimation are cleaner than the fansubs, so I'd go with those for younger viewers.
