The story follows a young man in love with his boss at a flower shop, however, the ghost of her husband haunts him and tries to get in the way of the two getting together. While initially I believed it would be somewhat predictable, wherein the husband eventually moves on, as does his wife, and the two end up together, the story is not so straightforward. Half of the series sort of meanders after some strange plot twists and some more supernatural elements. *spoilers* The main character ends up trapped in a story book world while the ghost posses his body, and pretends to be him while dating his former wife. This arc goes on way too long and gets rather boring, and uninteresting. This arc does eventually end, but right at the end of the series, leading into a rather predictable ending.
The main cast is probably one of the stronger aspects of the show, as they each feel realistic and fleshed out. The pain of losing her husband is evident in the female lead, and the selfishness her husband feels for not wanting the two to get together seems reasonable. The protagonist is a bit annoying as his reasons for attraction don’t really feel fleshed out and authentic.
The art and animation can be pretty inconsistent. The animation is never truly outstanding, but the art has its moments. As the series takes place in a flower shop, there is plenty of gorgeous flowery imagery, filled with bright and vibrant colors. The storybook world also provides more opportunities for fun and bright colors, and quirky character designs. The show does not always look great though, as a lot of the art feels flat and not as vibrant as it could be. While the show has a somewhat pastel like aesthetic at times, this is not always the case as many backgrounds and scenes look rather plain and generic.
The sound design is pretty fine overall. No tracks too memorable but the OP and ED are good mood setters and they get the job done.
Natsuyuki Rendezvous is overall an enjoyable watch, if not a bit plain and uninteresting at times. The series fails to take full advantage of its potential, which unfortunately weighs down the experience overall. If the story and character writing were a bit tighter, this series could have been great.
