I have watched all the previous seasons of Hidamari Sketch for one reason; SHAFT made it. That's it, that's the only reason I have. When I first started watching the first season of Hidamari Sketch I actually dropped it because it was too trivial and tedious for me, but when I then started over 6 months later I found it slightly alluring and quite charming to tell you the truth. I don't know why, none of the seasons or ova's are any different, they're all about the exact same stuff with some slight alternations in settings, scenarios and activites, but maybe that's what's so charming about Hidamari Sketch.
Hidamari Sketch Hoshimittsu is no exception, it's exactly the same as the previous seasons with the addition of two new main characters. Everyone's been upped a year in school which invites two new freshmen to enter Hidamari apartments. Don't worry though, they're exactly the same as all the other characters in this show so you won't get too rattled up and your brain won't get overheated with the originality displayed on screen.
It's cute, it's charming, it's nonsensical, without substance and forgettable. Let's expand slightly on the forgettable part; it's actually so forgettable I can't really recall what happened in the last episode (11) which I watched the same day I'm writing this review, which means that the first two seasons which I watched sometime during the autumn of 2009 are basically two animes I've never seen before. This is not negative, if you like Hidamari Sketch it makes for great rewatch value!
In any case, as I mentioned before I think the charm of this entire anime franchise is the same as with all the other ones pertaining to this, such as; Minami-ke, Ichigo Mashimaro and then ones that are partly similar such as; Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star, Hyakko etc. etc. They are all to different degrees about nothing and everything, just regular (or not so regular) everyday life. You have your set of characters with different attributes and traits and then you make a storyboard around that that has no substance and fill it with interesting screenplay instead and there you go!
Hidamari Sketch's biggest problem I think is that the characters are a bit too monotonous, you know they could have done with a bit more variety in their actions, they're a bit too milky white, they're vanilla icecream when you feel like eating strawberry icecream. And this is the main reason why this anime gets a 6, a 6 is not a bad rating, but it's nothing over the top, just like Hidamari Sketch Hoshimittsu.
For the people who dislike the animation and art style that SHAFT chose to go with; screw you, it owns.
TLDR: It's charming, it has refreshing art, characters are a bit too bland, lacks in originality which renders this anime a 6.
As usual, I am always right in my reviews, even if you comment on my profile saying I'm wrong does not change the fact that I'm always right, you can't be right if you disagree with me and that's one of the few truths that exist in this world.
