A good story with a unique theme always catches the attention.✔️
STORY: 10/10
I'll only explain 6 points regarding story.
1. REALLY INTERESTING THEME, That is "Koto Club"
Now what exactly is this koto? It's a musical instrument and focus of this anime is Music. Members of this Club play this instrument KOTO, since all of them have their reasons to be in this club because this club is quite underrated in the school. Once they join the club, they get along well, due to the president of this club Kurata.
2. 7 Members of Koto Club:
Kurata, who's a very well spoken and mannered guy. He wants to collect at least 5 members in order to save this club from being disbanded from the school since a club must have at least 5 members to be recognised. The person who contacts Kurata first is
Kudo Chika, who, by appearance, doesn't seem serious enough to be in the club because his image is ruined already due to being involved in fighting always and being ill mannered due to his company with bad boys, so Kurata (the president) couldn't believe when he wants to join the club. Instead he's scared & keeps on pushing him out of the club room saying that he's not welcome at all, because he's not serious about Koto. Kurata misunderstands him but Chika, despite being serious couldn't convince him, unless Chika's friend tells him, how truly he's wanting to be a part of KOTO club. His image becomes the major cause of Kurata's mistrust, but when he trusts him finally, he Leaves Chika speechless! From then onwards, Chika respects him, protects him, more than anyone, like a friend.
Then comes another girl member, SATOWA HOUZUKI, VERY PROFESSIONAL KOTO PLAYER who has been winning national awards and been participating in various competitions, daughter of a Koto Head master. This influence of Satowa Houzuki's background was enough to doubt Kurata who couldn't even imagine that he'd get a member like her in his underrated club, without any problem. She doesn't befriend anyone in the beginning but she accepts this challenge of collecting 5 members because for her, it wasn't difficult to win and participate alone so she thought she could invite anyone who doesn't know how to play koto, to join that club, easily.
Other 3 members are Chika's friends who join without thinking of Playing Koto since Satowa asks them to join only for the sake of Club not being disbanded due to less numbers. They join only for Chika.
5 of them, practice day and night and in a month, they've to prove to the school's vice principal how they're suitable enough to be in the Koto Club.
Looking at them, playing together, another girl, Kurusu, also wishes to join the club. Her actual intention was to break this friendship bonding between club members because she was kind of jealous not to be a part of this Club, but she ended up loving them as well because of kind Kurata.
Characters 10/10
3. THEIR PERFORMANCES 😍 I can't explain how well the Animation style and quality is. Especially me, who never had any interest in this traditional music, is enjoying each and every moment of these stage performances. So I think anybody would love them.
Seriously! I used to wait for the performances, even though I don't have any interest for such traditional music pieces.
When I heard Hozuki playing the first high note, on the stage, It felt so mesmerising. Since she was the one who had more knowledge in Koto's field, all the members used to depend on her a lot, while playing. Their whole piece used to become a masterpiece because of Hozuki. She guided them, without hesitating and realised how enjoyable it is to play with the syncing ryhtms of Kotos.
The Remark of a girl "I didn't realize Koto was so..", I, as audience, completed in my head "So soothing to the ears".
4. SHY AND CUTE ROMANCE: I've always been fond of Shy romance, (And particularly hate Bold romance).
Very graceful Satowa, who never did anything before joining this school, except playing Koto, didn't know how to respond when she encountered unknown feelings, that's why She was quite rude with Chika in the beginning, (because being nice with Chika wasn't easy for her). They used to fight a lot, but Chika respected her anyway because of her talent and grace. She started respecting him too, when she came to know the reason of him joining the club.
Kurusu, who didn't want to see these club members together, started liking it because of Kurata, who listened to her, knew her intentions, yet he didn't hate her.
5. FRIENDSHIP scenes are SURELY WORTH WATCHING.
Some emotions that one feels only with friends, were depicted so perfectly. Before performing, they used to practice a lot. Competing in a very positive way they used to have a lot of fun (quite nostalgic)
Chika never forgets how Kurata Accepted him wholeheartedly in Koto Club and trusted him when nobody else did. He respects him in many ways (just exclude the fact that he calls him FOUR EYES because of his glasses 😂)
He always knew how kind Kurata is, still he gets touched by his words every time.
Feeling of having a victory with your friends, feeling of losing and being apologetic without realising and All of them, being nervous, before the performance seemed so True. I felt as if I'm feeling exactly like them, whenever I'm about to perform on stage. I've always been a person who's not confident on stage 😅 so I could relate a lot,( I think audience can relate a lot) by how they were reacting before the performance, especially Kurusu, who had never performed on stage before and Sano Reacting on every little thing such as "Hearing the school before us play makes me even more nervous"
And when they finished, he was like "O-o-our turn's next. C-calm down." 😅 they were actually showing the real personality who's nervous before the performance. I loved those scenes.
I loved their bonding, they supporting each other indirectly while playing and Chika's "Giving his best" attitude.
6. "Koto Club, Practicing and aiming for national competitions and performing with all their might" this was something I loved during the whole series. It was a major goal from the start, the focus didn't shift. This series had a STRONG plot. During those practices, their memories were the sole reason this story becomes interesting.
This all clearly demands 10/10 of a story. Right?
Animation:10/10
Animation style was SUGOI (TOO GOOD that I can't explain). Koto performances were ENOUGH to explain the brilliance of animation. Because of the Blushing scenes, crying scenes, girls were so cute (normally I hate the red lines on the cheeks whenever girls blush 😂) but this animation style was so outstanding that I couldn't stop myself from admiring it.
Oh yes, another thing I loved and found unique were the pants and skirts of this school. Their uniforms were very different from the usual ones that we watch almost in every other school.
MUSIC: 8/10
no doubt, some scenes were way too emotional, and music had a great role in enhancing them, still music didn't catch my attention. Opening OST of season 1 is refreshing, but I didn't like other OSTS and ending songs of season 1 and 2.
But if I consider the music and pieces of Koto which they played on stages, they were brilliant. I can listen to their performances without a doubt, do many times without getting bored. So music is good because of those pieces.
ENJOYMENT: -10/10
I would gladly say that it's the 2nd anime after Fruits basket that I enjoyed so much.
Highly HIGHLY recommended!
