~Contains Spoilers~
Children are an interesting topic of discussion. Most people have their own general opinion on whether they're good or bad, annoying or cute, and worth the trouble or not. One of the things I like about Amaama to Inazuma is that it showcases both sides of children, and overall just comes of as really realistic. It feels like your witnessing the growth of a life. Or it would, if Tsumugi actually learned from her mistakes.
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STORY: 5/10
Originally, Amaama to Inazuma started out extremely entertaining. Comedy, drama, cooking, adorableness, the whole package was there. But then... it happened again. And again. And AGAIN. Essentially, the show literally repeats the same formula for nearly every episode. By about the halfway point, it was boring.Tsumugi constantly having spats with her bratty friends, which in turn transforms her into a brat. They make food to cheer her up, she apologizes to her friends, all is well until next week. New characters are introduced along the way, but the core elements of the plot never change.
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ART: 4/10
The art and animation are just below average. Nothing worse you can say about it, it's not repulsive or anything. But it's definitely NOT good. The movement looks weird at points, and the art style is too fluffy and childish. It might have been the intention but it doesn't change the fact that it looks bad.
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SOUND: 7/10
The OP and ED are pathetic. They set the tone for the series well, sure, but they aren't pleasant to listen to AT ALL. Both aren't something you listen to more than once, if you even give it the courtesy. The OST is the same case, but it's completely different in context because it only plays in the background. It carries the mood instead of solely trying to set it. The sound effects are barely there and don't contribute much. Still though, that would have given sound an average score. So why the seven? Well, the reason I started the series in the first place is because two of my favorite voice actors voice the main characters. Needless to say, they did a fantastic job as usual. Tsumugi, as well, sounded REALLY good. It's stupefying that the staff went out of their way to get a child voice actor on board with the project. The supporting cast isn't as good or memorable, but the main characters have a fine footing all by themselves.
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CHARACTER: 7/10
Just having a good voice doesn't make a character good though. First off, I'll start by saying the character design isn't the standout part of this group. But that doesn't matter that much, honestly. Neither do most of the characters. They all exist to popularize Tsumugi and that's it. Unfortunately, the chance you'll get annoyed with Tsumugi is high, but that's exactly why the other characters exist. For every character that fails, they have a backup plan, and I appreciate that.
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TL;DR: 6/10
+Unique, very unique story. Not a concept you've seen more than once, if ever
+Decent OST
+Great voice acting
+Overall Good balance of characters
-Story is repetitive
-Looks bad
-OP and ED are bad
Amaama to Inazuma is certainly an experience. It's definitely not a must watch all around but it certainly is for fans of slice of life. It does so many things right and yet so many wrong. In the end, good outweighs the bad, but not by too much. If nothing else, it should serve as a getaway from all the moe high school comedies that dominate today's lineups. Here's to more like it in the future.
