Story: 8
There's a spoiler that *has* to be discussed when it comes to this anime, and if you've even glanced at any other reviews or such you likely know already: the tragedy mentioned in the synopsis is one girl getting hit by a car and slipping into a years long coma. This is important because there requires a large dose of logic leaping to support the story. This character, one of the love interests, regains consciousness after 3 years of being in a coma, her doctor decides it is in her best interest for everyone to keep the amount of time she's been out a secret to her. This is the setting for much of the dramatic content, and we absolutely have to accept this or else the whole thing falls apart.
The issue is, however, that most of realize that this is by no means realistic. I've never worked a hospital when I was a young man in the medical field, but I have worked many nursing homes with patients experiencing different forms of dementia. We were instructed to gently remind patients of where they were along with *when*. Now in practice we rarely held to this procedure as it tends to just upset the poor people, but it was even protocol in the old folks' homes I've been in. To believe a doctor in a hospital with a young patient would want everyone around her to lie to her is a little bit of a stretch.
She also is a little slow on the uptake, the young woman. She doesn't notice obvious changes in everyone around her that would indicate that it had been more than a few weeks since she was injured. While her parents might not look *too* much different, her little sister grows into a young woman in the time of her coma, and young ladies make some VERY obvious biological changes in their bodies during that age, to be delicate about it. Not to mention, the young woman does not notice for what seems to be a very long time that her hair is a great deal longer than before, and that she has lost a lot of weight in the in between. If you cannot accept that lying to a patient and not disclosing something so huge immediately is acceptable medical practices, then this is going to bug you to the point you'll likely not get any enjoyment from the series. This is a constant and central theme to the entire thing. This is what causes part of me to want to give a lower score.
If you can roll with this punch, then you'll find a compelling story about a guy and two girls who are thrust by fate into a terrible situation and how they come to overcome and understand their true feelings. The gist of it is basically a girl (coma girl) wants to meet a boy (the MC) and so has her friend (the other girl in the situation) snuggle up to him and get to know him so that she can have a way 'in' and meet him herself. This approach works, as the 'other girl' does befriend the MC, and introduces the coma girl, who quickly confesses her feelings. The 'other girl' and the MC have eyes for each other, but have nothing concrete. For the sake of her friend, 'other girl' encourages the MC to date her. They are not together long, though they hit some major relationship milestones in that short time, before the accident happens. What follows is the story of a man that believes himself to be responsible for what happened to coma girl, and the guilt that wracks him and his life. Not knowing when, or even if, the coma girl would ever be who she once was, he begins to fall apart. The 'other girl' is there, and helps him pick himself up in his time of need. Their interest in each other blooms into a full blown relationship and moves forward to the point of them considering living together. Yet, as this milestone for the couple rapidly approaches, coma girl suddenly wakes up, and believes herself to still be the high school girl dating the MC. This brings the MC back around to his guilt and feelings he had, only now he doesn't know who to turn to, who to love, and which way his life should go. Does he cling to the girl of his past? Or does he continue to move forward with the girl that helped him through that dark part of his life?
Throw in the obvious repercussions that come with coma girl's friend being the one the MC moved on with, the sense of betrayal just being invited in there, and mix that with a little sister that has only a part of the whole picture whose feelings are involved too, and you end up with a bit of a mess. The MC is hated on by many, but I truly recommend giving him a shot before passing judgement. I think he's really trying his best to be kind to everyone, the series itself points this out, and he just wants to do well by everyone involved, but there's no easy way out of the situation. He isn't an ass, he's a guy that has been caught in a serious bind by fate. He can't really bring himself to dump the coma girl, I mean, damn how cold do you have to be to break up with someone in that condition? Though it would have been probably for the best, he doesn't hate the girl, in fact he blames himself for her even being there in the first place. He just wants to do right by her. But by doing so, he has to deal with the feelings he's causing in the 'other girl'.
The tale follows the lines laid by those events, as hearts are broken, feelings are crushed, and souls left to yearn over what might have been, or for what could still be. It's an intense journey where you sometimes want to scream at the screen for him to do a certain thing with a certain one of the girls, yet if you sit back and think, you might find yourself feeling I do, that more than anything I'm glad I'm not him, as I couldn't have gotten out of the situation either without hurting someone. And the MC, like so many of us, just really wants to keep from doing that very thing: hurting either of the girls. Yet sometimes when you try to save the world, you end up saving no one.
The story made me gasp a few times, beg the characters to do or not do certain things, and even misted up my eyes a few times as you realize there are no true 'bad guys' in the situation, just people having feelings and trying to live through them without hurting the people they care about most. I think about the situations, and I tell ya, I can understand how the MC was just trying to spare everyone's feelings, but in his indecisiveness he ended up doing the very thing he was trying to avoid. As he is told, sometimes being kind is cruel. Fitting.
If you have no interest in feelings or that kind of thing, obviously pass. This isn't high school based either, no matter what some of the pictures portray. The majority of the events happen well after graduating, though coma girl for a long while isn't aware of this. This has a real world feeling to it, and has real world reactions. It isn't a simple thing, to untangle the feelings involved, the guilt, the feelings of responsibility, the desire for what the heart truly wants, and how love grows, regardless of all of those things at times. It is gripping, saddening at times, and triumphant at others. This is the part of me that wants to grade the score higher.
Art: 7
This is old school, through and through. We're talking about a series that ended, what, 15 years ago? Of course it looks old because it *is* old. The classic style art is fine, it just is that: classic styled. Which was the in thing to do back in those days. There's nothing wrong with the art at all, I'm just honestly not a fan. I didn't find anything to detract from it per se, I just have a harder time with older titles, and this is no exception. I find art to be highly subjective, so don't let this particular section hold too much influence. I do admit I did lose the sense of watching animation especially as I got deeper into the series.
Sound: 7
The sound effects are well done. The voice acting is very pleasing to the ear. I think I found Akane's voice work very interesting, as she seemed to be the one to carry the most anger (with one humorous exception) and when she lashes out, it sounds right to me. The MC is a little wishy washy sounding, but that fits because most of what he says is wishy washy, as that's kind the core of his character, his desire to shield everyone somehow. The coma girl sounds younger than the 'other girl' via the use of a higher pitched voice actor. That was a good call, as the more mature girl gives a great performance as well. The only oddity would be the 'other girl's older sounding voice in the few early episodes, but firstly we're not in that time frame long enough to notice, and secondly, it's not that obvious until later. I didn't catch the use of tone of voice to augment the story of 'lost time' until nearly the end of the series. I just was a bit impressed when I realized the way they even used voices to illustrate the time element of the story. The only thing that is a little grating is the voice of a coworker the MC works with at the diner, and that's on purpose as a comedic relief character.
The background music is nice and floaty, as you would expect from a fairly serious romance series. The piano work is nice, and the themes fit well enough. I don't think I'll play them without watching the series, but they weren't out of place by any means.
Enjoyment: 8
I really found myself invested in this show, especially as it came to a close. There is a slight bit of slow pacing in the beginning, even a little close to halfway through, but after the 'other girl' starts to come undone, it really steams forward to the ending. I found myself wanting to do the old 'one more episode' so that's always an indication that I'm wrapped up in the story. The only thing that gets me, and if you have ever read any of my reviews you can likely guess what I'm about to say, is the ending. There is a level of ambiguity to the ending that drove me to near madness. The girl he ends up with is heavily implied, but not clearly stated, as far as I'm concerned. It had what I consider a more 'muted' ending. I would have LOVED to have it ending with a wedding, but it was not to be. I love grand romantic statements and movements, but as I've said before, I think that's a cultural thing. It seems here in the west (in my part of America at least) a desire to see the 'happily ever after' stated plainly. We seem to live for that moment the lovers run into each other's arms and fall to their knees kissing in the rain. Eastern cultures, in anime at least, seems to end more often on a note that is much quieter and introspective.
That's fine of course, it is just the difference on how people in different cultures see things. The Eastern cultures seem to be far more adept with the idea of all things having a time and place, and eventually an end. We Westerners seem far more into 'love is forever' and that kind of tenacious holding onto what we love. So there's no 'chick-flick' ending, but the ending we are given is acceptable. I just wanted to see something 'bigger'.
My problem is that of the 'romantic' anime when I first started watching was that I stumbled across Strawberry Panic, which DOES have the grand ending. Ended up setting my expectations to something that doesn't seem to happen so often in the rest of anime. I'll get over it, I still loved the story and will accept the ending given. Begrudgingly, however!
Best Girl: Daikuuji Ayu, the waitress from the diner where the MC works that is constantly screaming obscenities at the MC. My favorite? "I hope you step in cat shit!" If I had to be completely serious, I would say Akane, as a good deal of her issues is sadly because she's not informed of everything going on, which is very sad because those things pain her a great deal.
I say spin this one, and for sure watch episode 4 before passing judgement as after the accident there is a huge shift in the way things go down. This is a story about pain and loss, and how people react and move on, and of course what happens when everything you thought you'd gotten over comes back into your life like a hurricane. I think many of us would try to do right by everyone like our MC does, but I pray we would meet with more success than he did. To quote the incomparable Alice Cooper: "Love is a loaded gun". I say let your heart rumble! Thumbs up, though no new RTLR wall entries. See you guys for the OVA!
