Talk about one hell of a breath of fresh air! Rec is a surprisingly good romance anime between TWO ACTUAL ADULTS!
Rec is a really short, but sweet adaptation of a manga by the same name. At a measly 9 half-length episodes, Rec was able to firmly stand next to the likes of Toradora by being so different then whatns typical of anime romance.
Now when it comes to those differences, they are actually rather simple. Instead of teenagers in highschool whose entire lives seem to somehow revolve around their romantic relationship, we have two adults leading adult lives working two adult jobs. Did I mention they were adults??
The story of Rec is about the two characters, Aka Onda and Fumiko Matsumaru realizing their feelings for eachother as their two careers become intertwined. However the romance never suffocates you, nor does it suffocate the characters, as their lives don't center around it. They met through such a sweet twist of fate, but they come together somewhat because of their jobs, not just because they met one night.
When it comes to characters, obviously the ones that matter most Aka and Fumiko, and hey get as much screentime as possible. There are supporting characters, but their purpsoe is to make the world feel larger than just two people, and show that our two leads have social lives outside of eachother as well.
Aka Onda is easily the best thing about this show. She is proof that an anime girl doesn't need to be in highschool to be unbelievably cute. Rec may have 9 episodes, but it's qute dense. Not only is there the romance stuff, but also a story about an aspiring seiyuu tryin to make it big. Aka's dream is to be a successful voice actress, and for 9 episodes, she gets fleshed out pretty well.
Fumiko, the dude, is a slightly down-on-his-luck salaryman just trying to get by and get an approved proposal. His story is also a compelling one, but understandably less than Aka's. Maybe for japanese salarymen, but not for me. Relatability isn't really the point though. Fumiko was still an interesting guy.
Like I mentioned, Shaft made this series. And boy does it show. Rec is a pretty old Shaft series (2004), so I couldn't find it in HD. But 480p is still good enough. Rec has pretty interesting color design and has a very cozy and warm feel to it. Obviously no sakuga to be found here, but Rec keeps things simple, and that's a good thing in this show.
Overall, Rec was a very refreshing series. It's not incredibly unique or anything, however the cute and cozy presentation, the notably mature characters, and the short runtime make this a VERY worthwhile romance anime. If you want more, I recommend reading the manga, it's pretty good, but not as dense as the anime.
I give Rec an easy and well deserved 9 out of 10.
Snuggle up and watch it on a cold night like I did, it really fits the mood.
Jul 30, 2017
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