This anime has quickly shot it's way into my top 5 of all time. (At the time of this review)
It was an emotional ride that kept me thinking constantly, it brought characters stories to a satisfying end. It was a story that kept me going, kept me wanting more. Until the end.
[Story] 9/10 - Like the other counterparts to this series, it has been split up into several arc or parts. Each arc/part focusing on one character at a time with a set cast of said characters. This is not a bad thing, in fact it's the anime's unique way of structuring their story. Making everything in the stories more effective more meaningful. Visual storytelling plays a massive role in this anime, in fact the plot is already hard enough to decrypt but once you do it truly becomes an amazing thing.
[Art] 10/10 - I have always absolutely loved the wonderful eye candy that is this show! It's unique art style makes every character, every background a joy to look at. There is not one scene, not one! That I hated to look at. Every single scene was amazing! While this anime uses a very stiff pivital style of animation most of the time, it really does just fit the tone of the show. Even when character move or are animated fully, it is done with such care, such heart that it looks like they poured their soul into each frame.
[Sound] 10/10 - If you are a film maker or an animator and you want to convey a scene. Watch this anime and learn from it. Every single scene uses a perfect music choice. Even knowing when and when not to use music. This makes some scenes really intense, while in reality it's just two characters talking about something mundane. This anime has no OP and no ED. Which makes room for more story and more character development so it's not really a loss.
[Character] 9/10 - The one reason this is not a 10, is because some of the characters are horribly confusing. Some of them I had to watch scenes over and over again just to notice the visual story telling element that went along with them. Each character is usually developed through something really subtle, this is not a bad thing. In fact if it makes the viewer think about their character, think about their emotions and why they feel that way makes the character just that more lovable.
[Enjoyment] 10/10 - I watched this anime alone and in my opinion, that's the way it should be watched. This is a very psychological anime, making me think, making me rewatch scenes. In my opinion this is a work of art, this is not something that you and a couple of friends throw on to your tv and watch. This is something that you should binge watch in one sitting, this is something that you should be thinking about. I had an absolute blast watching this anime, it has left a major impression on me. I would rewatch certain scenes over and over again purely because they were that good.
[Overall] 9.5/10 - This is so close to being my favorite anime of all time. Truly. But the story wasn't really connected that well and the characters weren't perfect. If MAL would let me rate something with a 9.5 this would be it. I love this anime.
Do I recommend this? YES. If you are a lover of this series like I am. This would be one of the best entries. So please do not dawdle here, go watch this anime, right now.
If today is your Birthday, Happy Birthday!
Have a wonderful rest of your day everyone!
