Newer viewers watching back won't have any trouble watching this, as popular title Non Non Biyori uses the same method in its second season Non Non Biyori: Repeat. HOWEVER while Repeat can be watched standalone, without watching the first season of Sketch you miss out on a lot of important details and plot points from the first season.
Sketch 365 seems to have one purpose in mind coming from all of the improvements it makes: Depth.
Story: 7/10
The first season of Hidamari Sketch lacked some very important aspects of world building and 365 makes an attempt to provide more depth to the world our protagonists exist in. While still being heavily character driven, the writers provide hints of background information delivered through the dialogue the characters have with each other. These subtle pieces of information are important because they create a sense of spacial awareness that the first season of Hidamari Sketch lacked. You can feel how far apart different locations are in the world now and it helps the story progress as when a shot will jump to a new location suddenly you will know where it is simply from the subtext of information you unwittingly receive during these small bits of seemingly meaningless dialogue. The chronology will be confusing if you are not familiar with the first season of Sketch because it does like to jump around quite a bit in 365.
Art: 9/10
From the outset 365 proves itself to be a massive and welcome overhaul to Hidamari Sketch. The opening scene is a firm declaration of the commitment the artists working on this series have for it, with far more dynamic animation and interesting angles as Yuno and her mother are rushing around to get to the Yamabuki entrance exams on time. This scene makes me feel as if KyoAni may have been inspired by it for some of the shots in their opening scene in K-On!
The realistic objects and products are still there (albeit much less in favor of drawn objects), alongside the character backgrounds and all of the art direction that made me fall in love with Hidamari Sketch to begin with. This time the drawing, coloring, and animation are all of a much higher quality and it serves as a testament to the efforts of the staff to cement Sketch in its place as a staple of wholesome cgdct anime.
Sound: 7/10
The sound is exceptional in 365. There weren't mismatched lip flaps to the dialogue and while the OP is a catchy earworm, the ED is where Sketch 365's choice of music really shines. There's an early episode where the VA's do a good job portraying the characters and singing as if they were the characters.
Characters: 7/10
The characters are again adapted really well in 365. However many of the characters in the first season of Sketch lacked depth. 365 does a really good job of actually writing some character into the girls of Sketch without losing the focus on their friendship.
Each character has their own thoughts and opinions, with each of their ideals closely matching yet remaining different. The quirks written into the characters are no longer just quirks for the sake of being quirks, and there are episodes that focus on why these quirks exist for some characters.
The characters aren't static in their relationship with other characters, each individual relationship having its ups and downs. The characters responses to each other during these changes are subtle but the tone is correct when a character has annoyed another character or wronged them in a previous scene. Characters have thoughts about each other and subtle animation hints and subtextual dialogue give the viewer a good idea of where these characters stand with each other.
Enjoyment: 9/10
Hidamari Sketch had taken its time to grow on me.
With its eccentric blend of art styles to the wholesome reflections and outlook Yuno has during her baths in each end slate of the show, Hidamari Sketch gave me an opportunity to glimpse in on the lives of the protagonists without telling me I'm supposed to like them, and instead let their writing, art, and VAs speak for themselves. I thoroughly enjoy the Hidamari Sketch series and as I submit this review I will be starting another season.
