I'm writing this review right after I finished the 12th episode, and I've got a lot to say about this beautiful, beautiful piece of work. Its just so realistic, touching, and inspiring. I loved how they portrayed the physical aspect of relationships, because it just made the show so much more believable, and REAL. I will cut the chase and keep my review as succinct as possible, even though I can probably talk about for ages.
George -- So a lot of people call him an asshole, but to be honest, I think George is one of the best male characters/boyfriend ever. Now his crude and sometimes emotionally ruthless personality really does characterize him as a dick(player and all, apparently he also had a boyfriend??), there is no doubt in the fact that he inspired Yukari to be who she is by the end of the show. He was someone who encouraged her to be independent, tell all the haters to f*** off, and believe in herself. His incredibly liberal attitude got me shook, because its rare to see such a mature character who has very 'western' ideals. He only does what he wants to do, and pursues his own dreams, regardless of what the society or people around him say. To me, George was an incredibly inspiring character, in addition to being a total gaudy, hot, billionaire (His family is LOADED its insane).
Miwako - At first, she just seemed to be a typical pink haired loli with a really high pitched voice, but in the end, I really liked Miwako. I consider her kind of like that cute, happy friend that just cheers everybody else up.
Arashi - piercings and band and fashion! Yes! At first, Arashi seems like that boorish, angsty teen you don't want to talk to. However, he is surprisingly pure and loyal. He is loyal to his friends, his love music, his love for Miwako, and his beliefs. I love his relationship with Miwako, especially the moment when he says that sex isn't what makes him happy. His like a gigantic teddy bear on the inside and definitely BFF material. The song he sang for Miwako was so heart touching I legit hugged the computer screen.
Isabella - An unique, transgender character. Unique, yes, but still realistic as hell. Though short, the flashback to her childhood as a boy with George was enough to give depth and meaning to this character. His struggle with her gender was on point, and how George gave him the dress was a genius way of establishing their friendship.(Again, why George is AWESOME) Isabella was like the mature mom of the group. She always gives consort to people around her. You can't hate Isabella. And of course she just also happens to be loaded and GORGEOUS.
Hiroyuki -- A sensible, likeable character. Honestly if everybody were to be like Hiroyuki, the world would be a better place. I'm not gonna talk about manga spoilers, but from what I read this guy had a happy ending.
Finally, Yukari -- I love her character. The development in Yukari was astonishing. From her lack of motivation in life and family pressure to her current model self, the process was well written and again, so realistic. Personality wise, I couldn't find anything annoying about her *surprise surprise. She is usually calm and levelheaded, not over dramatic, have great work ethic and an amazing attitude towards life. I love her interactions with George too. She's a female MC that can stand her ground, and I respect her for that.
The characters are what made this anime so enjoyable. So I won't waste my time talking about the story, because the plot is for you to discover and all I've got to say is that its well written and developed. and have an inspirational message.
Music was good. Arashi's song was amazing. But otherwise, it did its job. The opening had a super catchy intro.
Art: it was such a turn off sometimes. So Madhouse was experimenting with some weird photographic inserts as backgrounds, which was more evident in the first few episodes (THANK GOD), like I know you're trying to be unique and hyperrealistic, sometimes it just looked downright awkward. The black, faded out transition cuts were sometimes super awkward too.
Otherwise, the characters were animated with care. I loved how expressive the eyes and eyebrows were.
ENDING:
The first thing I thought of was the movie LaLa land. Yukari and George doesn't end up together. Now people might be mad about it, honestly I was happy about it. Because it was exactly what George(notably) and other characters stood for. This idea that they are all walking their separate paths. If Yukari went to Paris with George, this would mean to contradict her own beliefs. Thank GOD she stays to pursue her modeling career. Life isn't perfect. Life is full of sacrifices.
I mean, why should watchers even complain when even George said to Yukari: "That's the right choice/answer!" when he asked her if she wanted to come with him to Paris.
**This didn't mean I wasn't balling at the end though.
All in all, this was a masterpiece. The only reason why it wasn't a 10 was because of the issues regarding art I had mentioned above. Otherwise, it takes the crown of being the best romance/drama anime I've ever watched.
