Story : 9
Likening this work to recent hit anime of similar concept such as Kuzu no Honkai or Domestic na Kanojo, Aki Sora follows a similar taboo filled story like a mash up of the two series mentioned before with aspects of incest as well as one-sided yuri affection. This one episode cannot cover the nuances of the entire series however being able to establish and evolve multiple relationships in a 20~ish minute runtime in itself is impressive. Certainly after watching this episode, I was sold on the type of character building the author was committed to while keeping the viewer enticed by the teasing sexual scenes we've become all to accustomed to recently which are still satisfying in their own right. What is most impressive which separates this series from its contemporaries which it may be lumped into is that like popular new series is that these scenes do not simply serve as fanservice, however they also progress the story or bring to light emotions of different characters which have been subtly boiling beneath the surface.
Art : 9
For being a one-off of a much larger series, this adaptation was not seen as simply an ad for the manga as displayed in the work seen put into the art. Well drawn characters keeping in-line with the manga designs with vibrant backdrops, this won't be your typical hentai watching experience. Characters are animated professionally and a mix of camera angles keeps each scene interesting. Although not much more can be said, at the very least a decent sum of money was allocated to the studio producing this work to create work that any semi-large studio in the anime landscape would be capable of creating.
Sound : 9
This show blew me away with the amount of detail put into it, including the sound design. Every environment had detailed backgrounds but more than that, the ambient sounds brought scenes to life and became essential to scenes reflecting or enhancing the emotions the characters were showing.
Characters : 8
Not giving much away, I did enjoy the characters however to really get to know them you would have to continue reading the manga. As mentioned before so much is packed into this one episode that sets the tone for the series going forward showing us different sides of each character and preparing the viewer for much more which sadly can only be continued through the manga.
I believe Aki Sora achieved what it set out to do in promoting the manga. It has great production value with characters pushing societal taboo boundaries while testing the line between hentai and anime as well. The genre of incest/yuri is even more significant today than when it was released back in the day and it would probably be a hit if released this year. Viewer beware that this is not really hentai, so nothing below the waist is really shown however if you're looking for an appetizer for your main course this is the way to go
