Kokoro Connect, AKA the first anime I've ever reviewed. Why this anime? I don't know, a lot of the messages and characters resonated with me in various ways. I thought it balanced comedy and drama near perfectly, and though it may have had some flaws they were pretty minor. This series really left a lasting impression on me, and I thought I'd attempt a review while it's still fresh in my mind. This review's going to have spoilers, but I'll try to keep them to a minimum. This will be a shitty review, but it's my first, so bear with it. ^^'
This series has a total of 17 episodes, so that's 13 episodes plus an additional four.. Those four can be taken as a mini second season, or an extended OVA, but they should definitely be watched as well since without them the story may feel incomplete.
Kokoro Connect is about five friends and their struggles with a malevolent being called "Heartseed." Exactly what this being is or why it's experimenting on these five is never explained, which I felt added to the anxiety of the situation. Is it an alien curious about human reactions and emotions? Is it a vengeful spirit or demon? A criminal mastermind? Who knows, all we do know is that it finds these five "interesting" and wants to be "entertained" by them. It toys with them in strange ways, and seems intent on evoking whatever strong reactions it can. These five begin experiencing various phenomenons and their relationships with one another are put to the test. It's a very drama-heavy show.. There IS comedy, but I found it to be increasingly sparse and low-key. The only flaw I could think of is the fact that although so many dramatic things are happening, things tend to reach "good" conclusions rather predictably.. Traumatic things do happen, but they don't play out as badly as they could've, and some of the outcomes are a little unrealistically optimistic, so that keeps it from achieving a perfect rating. That would normally be an unforgivable flaw for me, but the depth of the characters and the strong messages more than made up for it.
The characters all feel very human. They have secrets, flaws and ugly sides. They're all weak people in their own ways, and can be just as easily dislikable as they can be lovable. They can annoy you one moment, and have you near tears the next. These characters show that NO one is perfect, and that you can't expect people to keep smiling no matter what befalls them. I found myself relating to each one in different ways, and I really think ANYone will find at least one character to cheer for.
This is an anime with some very deep questions in it. What makes a person unique? If you take away a person's appearance, are they still recognizable? What if you take away the personality you thought you knew? Do you still know that person? Can you say you consider someone a friend, without fully knowing everything about them? There are also answers in this anime, and some may find those answers hard hitting. This show says to be yourself, even if you hurt other people in the process. Be selfish before you break. Accept yourself. Forget your past and quit dwelling in it, yesterday was yesterday. This anime can be harsh.. But I think it's worth a watch for anyone, and I really think if you approach it with an open-mind and the right mindset.. It's a definite classic!
