⚠️ This review will contain spoilers ⚠️
The interpretation of Yūji Kazami in the anime adaptation is similar to Tatsuya Shiba ("Mahōka Kōkō no Rettōsei"), he's: emotionally null, grossly overpowered, and a total chick magnet. Though I got laugh out of Tatsuya's perpetual lethargy, I think I preferred Yūji's character. While being a human irregularity is well and good, I liked that Yūji actually became a human weapon and developed an anti-social personality disorder, due to the nature of his abusive and unbelievably traumatizing childhood.
The first season of the franchise is a roulette of different, diverging routes for each, respective female character. I thought that, unlike many other visual novel adaptations, it was handled very tactfully. Many side stories organically diverged from an average day at the academy, and it never felt forced or contrived. The first sign that this series would get more cutting-edge, than its eroge contemporaries, is when Michiru Matsushima reveals that she has an affliction with dissociative identity disorder. This was caused by a tragic incident, in which, the moment that her best friend committed suicide, Michiru started to experience a cardiac arrest episode, and thus she is given a cardiovascular transplant... using her newly deceased friend's heart — thus, her and her friend's soul now cohabit the same body!
After Michiru sees her pet cat get run over by a car, she has a full-on mental break-down because of having to be forced to see her friend jump to her death, so, what does Yūji do to cure her fear of death? HE BURIES HER ALIVE! While morally questionable, Yūji's methodology and out-of-touch reasoning provides some really interesting character interactions and scenarios! Out of all of the routes, I thought that Yumiko Sakaki's side story was the weakest, but she eventually became my best girl, because she's such a boss in the sequel, "Grisaia no Rakuen"!
The route that really steals the show, though, is Amane Suō's scenario: "Angelic Howl"! I just audibly sighed while writing that — this one is painful story to dig into. Basically, Amane's class is on a school trip in the mountains and the bus veers off the side of a cliff, with most of the students surviving. Since they're in the middle of the woods, there's no cellphone signal and the students and their teacher aren't anywhere close to reaching civilization, from the enclave. Everything starts off fine, everyone captures small animals and eats them over a campfire. But, as the plot thickens and food becomes more scarce, the teacher and the student counsel president start secretly cooking the corpses of the deceased students and serving them to the remaining girls.
And as the desperation and madness becomes even more intense, the two cannibals start picking off the girls and murdering them one by one, luring them into the woods at night, so they won't panic the others. Luckily for Amane, Yūji's prodigal sister (Kazuki Kazami) just so happens to have been stranded with her, so her genius and their continual strokes of luck, keep them away from danger. Unfortunately, Amane escapes and is deemed the only survivor of the incident, thus people in her town gossip and torment her, accusing her of murdering and eating her classmates to survive. Some crucial plot points make three things very evident about Amane's character, a) The reason why she states that she's a vegan towards the beginning of the series is because of her horrible backstory, b) It is implied that Amane flirts with Yūji so strongly, because she either felt an intense amount of gratitude towards his sister or had romantic feelings for her, either one seems possible, c) Despite Amane's incredibly kind and selfless demeanor, it is clear that she has been battling intense PTSD and survivor's guilt. A really powerful backstory!
My second favorite route, in the anime version, was Makina Irisu's story and the difficulties with her mafia family. Her younger sister, Sarina (the appointed heir to the family), is abducted and tortured, therefore is in a comatose state. Because of the small chance that she will ever wake up from life support, Makina becomes the successor to a seventy-million yen fortune, and therefore she is almost assassinated and betrayed by her greedy relatives; despite the fact that she's just a little girl. Her and Yūji are able to escape death several times, because of his militant skill and her latent genius — that she hides, thus, most of her friends think she's just an air-headed little kid. It was a really heart-warming story, before I fully earned an appreciation for Yumiko Sakaki, Makina was my favorite character!
The first series concludes with a bang! So, after Amane tells her story, the tragic "Angelic Howl" tale, she is taken hostage by the father of one of the girls who had died during the school trip! Ironically, it is the girl that conspired with the teacher to kill the other girls. The man attempts to torture and sexually assault her, because he has convinced himself that since she survived, she must have been the reason that his daughter was murdered! In the last episodes, the girls and Yūji all work together and overcome their vices to save Amane; and then, Yūji snipes the man through a 10 cm wide field of view from over 900m away! How is that even possible?! Nevertheless, despite the B-movie action flick antics, the conclusion is both wildly entertaining and sentimentally soppy!
—Technical
Luna's Favorite Works by Each Respective Creator = ✅
Motoki Tanaka (director), notable works:
* Azur Lane ✅
* Kin'iro Mosiac —series
* Rewrite
Commentary: From what I have seen of Mr. Tanaka's works, the adaptation of the Grisaia franchise is easily his best work, though the Azur Lane adaptation wasn't bad either! It's difficult to believe that the same man that totally destroyed any hope of the "Rewrite" anime ever being good, was actually able to make a cohesive and emotionally impactful visual novel adaptation. It may have been more Front Wing's involvement with the project or the addition of the veteran, series composition producer, ※Hideyuki Kurata!
※Mr. Kurata is known for writing the screenplays for anime projects, such as: "Battle Athletess Daiundōkai," "Brigadoon," "Made in Abyss," "Ore no Imōto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai," "R.O.D." (also the original creator), Sasameki Koto, and "Uchū Show e Yōkoso"!
Good Seiyū Work = ✅
Really Enjoyed the Seiyū's Performance = ✅ ✅
One of Luna's Favorite Performances OF ALL TIME = ✅ ✅ ✅
Takahiro Sakurai as Yūji Kazami, notable roles:
* Haseo, .hack —series ✅
* Takashi Hayashida, 3-Gatsu no Lion ✅
* Ryō, 7 Seeds
* Blue Knight, Accel World ✅
* Soichirō Sena, Active Raid
* Yū Tosaki, Ajin
* Cutthroat, Akudama Dive
* Atsumu Matsuyuki ("Yukiatsu"), Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai. ("AnoHana") ✅
* Shinobu Kujiin, Babylon ✅
* Yūki Momose, Battle Spirits
* Griffith, Berserk ✅ ✅ ✅
* Jirō Mochizuki, Black Blood Brothers
* Killy, Blame!
* Izuru Kira, Bleach ✅
* Kabuto Hanadori, Boku no Tonari ni Ankoku Hakaishin ga Imasu.
* Bizon Gerafil, Buddy Complex
* Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, Bungō Stray Dogs ✅
* Hiroki Kamikura, Canvas 2
* Suzaku Kururugi, Code Geass ✅ ✅
* Haruhiko Tsugayama, Copihan
* Joe Shimamura, Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Solider
* Yū Kanada, D. Gray-man ✅
* Leon Kuwata, Danganronpa
* Ryūsuke Higo, Detective Conan ✅
* Mono Ureu, Devil Survivor 2 the Animation
* Ruki Mukami, Diabolik Lovers
* Kazuya Miyuki, Diamond no Ace
* Tentomon, Digimon Adventure ✅
* Kōshirō Izumi and Tentomon, Digimon Adventure 02 ✅
* Dorulumon, Digimon Xros Wars
* Yō'ichi Fujitani, Dive!!
* Haine Rammsteiner, Dogs: Bullets & Carnage
* Shirasu Kinjō, Donten ni Warau ("Laughing Under the Clouds")
* Sawa-sensei, Dō ni ka Naru Hibi
* Yūto Takamine, Eien no Aseila
* Sting Eucliffe, Fairy Tail
* Merlin, Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majū Sensen Babylonia ✅ ✅
* Saber ("Saver"), Fate/Prototype ✅
* Cloud Strife, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children ✅
* Ayame Sōma, Fruits Basket (2019)
* Mitsuya Majime, Fune wo Amu ("The Great Passage")
* Kazuki Endō, Gakuen Heaven
* Shun Ukiya, Gate Keepers
* Hiroto Amagiwa, Geneshaft
* Hikari Genji, Genji Monogatari Sennenki ("The Tale of Genji")
* Orpherus Fürst von Marmelade Nahe Görz, Ginyū Mokushiroku Meine Liebe
* Kazuya Watari, Guardian Hearts
* Inugami, Gugure! Kokkuri-san ✅
* Akiteru Tsukishima, Haikyū! ✅
* Dande, Pokémon: Hakumei no Tsubasa ("Twilight Wings") ✅ ✅
* Suefumi Ono, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de ("Beyond the Stream of Time")
* Alzeid, Hatenkō Yūgi ("Dazzle")
* Hiroyuki Sogabe, Hatsukoi Limited.
* Kanade Takahashi, Hatsukoi Monster
* Noboru Take, Hibike! Euphonium ✅
* Enza, Historical
* Richard Ranashinha de Vulpian, Hōsekishō Richard-shi no Nazo Kantei ("The Case Files of Jeweler Richard")
* Ichitaka Seto, I''s
* Jōji Minami ("Tekkaman"), Infini-T Force ✅ ✅
* Jin Tsurasawa, Innocent Venus ✅
* Kazuhito Harumi, Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyō ("Dog & Scissors")
* Rockman X, Irregular Hunter X: The Day of Sigma ("Megaman X")
* Rohan Kishibe, JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken Part 4: Diamond wa Kudakenai ("JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable") ✅ ✅ ✅
* Tazaki, Joker Game ✅
* Misaki Takahashi, Junjō Romantica ✅ ✅ ✅
* Ryūkō Mōten, Jūshin Enbu: Hero Tales
* Izumo Kusanagi, K ✅
* Yoshihiko Nagai, Kaikan Phrase
* Leon Oswald, Kaleido Star
* Kaizō Katsu, Katte ni Kaizō
* Giyū Tomioka, Kimetsu no Yaiba ✅ ✅ ✅
* Kyōsuke Kindaichi, Kitsutsuki Tanteidokoro ("Woodpecker Detective's Office")
* Kiyomaro Takamine, Konjiki no Gash Bell!! ("Zatch Bell!")
* Shōgo Mikadono, Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imōto ga Iru! ("My Little Sister Is Among Them!")
* Claude Faustus, Kuroshitsuji II ("Black Butler II") ✅ ✅
* Yūri Shibuya, Kyō kara Maō! ✅
* Krusty, Log Horizon ✅
* Ja'far, Magi ✅
* Ri'ichi, Miura, Mahōtsukai no Yome ("The Ancient Magus' Bride") ✅ ✅
* Loki, Matantei Loki Ragnarok ✅
* Honey, Micchiri Neko
* Reigen Arataka, Mob Psycho ✅ ✅
* Fareed McGillis, Kidō Senshi Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans ✅ ✅
* Meme Oshino, Monogatari —series ✅ ✅ ✅
* Kusuriuri, Mononoke ✅ ✅ ✅
* Griamore, Nanatsu no Taizai
* Sasori, Naruto: Shippūden ✅
* Yūta Sakurai, Net-jū no Susume ("Recovery of an MMO Junkie") ✅
* Yūta Otabe, Niji-iro Hotaru: Eien no Natsuyasumi
* Rui Sagisawa, Libra of Nil Admirari
* Zombieman, One Punch Man ✅
* Kyōya Sata, Ōkami Shōjo to Kuro Ōji ("Wolf Girl & Black Prince")
* Shun Kurosawa, Ore-sama Kingdom
* Osomatsu Matsuno, Osomatsu-san ✅ ✅
* Kei Agemaki, Otome Yōkai Zakuro ("Girl Demon Zakuro") ✅
* Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix, Overlord —series ✅
* Ferid Bathory, Owari no Seraph ✅
* Susumu Yamazaki, Peace Maker Kurogane
* Vlad Garfunkel, Phantom in the Twilight
* Zwei, Phantom the Animation ✅
* Rook Banjō Crossfield, Phi Brain: Kami to Puzzle ✅
* Fakir, Princess Tutu ✅ ✅
* Shugo Makishima, Psycho-Pass ✅ ✅ ✅
* Kogorō Akechi, Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace ✅ ✅ ✅
* Shin, Saint Beast
* Dragon Shiryū, Saint Seiya: Meiō Hades-hen ✅ ✅
* Minos Griffon, Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas ✅ ✅
* Takashi Kamiyama, Sakigake!! Cromartie Kōkō ✅ ✅
* Jin Mitaka, Sakura-sō no Pet na Kanojo ✅ ✅
* Ya'ichi, Saraiya Goyō ("House of Five Leaves") ✅ ✅
* Taishi Ichimiya, Servant x Service
* Go Ichimonji, Shin Getter Robo tai Neo Getter Robo
* Sasame, Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear
* Lucifer, Shingeki no Bahamut ✅ ✅
* Shirokuma, Shirokuma Cafe ✅
* Satoshi Isshiki, Shokugeki no Sōma ✅ ✅
* Uki Isohata, Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru ("And Yet The Town Moves") ✅
* Yamato Kurosawa, Sukitte Ii na yo.
* Haru Kurabayashi, Switch
* Uta, Tokyo Ghoul ✅
* Yūdai, Tokyo Marble Chocolate
* Coco, Toriko ✅ ✅
* Yasaburō Shimogamo, Uchōten Kazoku ("The Eccentric Family") ✅ ✅ ✅
* Isuzu Ichinose, Uchū Senkan Tiramisù ✅
* Luka Crosszeria, Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru ("The Betrayal Knows My Name")
* Ōgi, Utawarerumono: Isuwari no Kamen ✅ ✅
* Ai, Yū☆Gi☆Ō! VRAINS
* Guiche de Gramont, Zero no Tsukaima
* Bit Cloud, Zoids: New Century
* Shito Tachibana, Zombie-Loan
Commentary: Mr. Sakurai is an incredible voice actor, he usually plays the more often than not, "cold-hearted" pretty boy characters. Though, he's really amazing at comedy roles, too! His talents really fit the role of Yūji Kazami, like a glove! Wonderful work!
Hiroko Taguchi as Amane Suō, notable roles:
* Miyako Miymura, ef —series
* Haruna Yūki, Fortune Arterial
* Línglíng Xú ("Ling Ling Hsu"), Kaiketsu Jōki Tanteidan ("Steam Detectives")
* Gisela, Kyō kara Maō!
* Lisa Eostre, Walkure Romanze
* Sora Kasugano, Yosuga no Sora: In Solitude, Where We Are Least Alone. ✅
Commentary: I have only seen Ms. Taguchi in "Yosuga no Sora" — yet, I was captivated by her performance as Amane Suō. Especially when her backstory comes to light, her character's tenderness and wisdom is really gently conveyed throughout the dialogue! Amazing job!
Ryōko Tanaka as Yumiko Sakaki, notable roles:
* Hinata Kagura, H2O: Footprints in the Sand
* Kyōko Hōin, Kodomo no Jikan ✅
* Kannei Kōha, Koihime†Musō
* Yuiko Kuragaya, Little Busters ✅ ✅ ✅
* Hikari Kuroda, School Days ✅
* Arisa Minase, Trick or Alice
Commentary: I enjoyed Ms. Sakaki's performance in "Little Busters" a lot, but, with that said, I kind of wish I hadn't looked at her discography! She a couple of characters, in both the "Kara no Shōjo" and "Cartagra" visual novels that I really didn't like! Despite that, her characterization of Yumiko Sakaki was really good!
Kaori Mizuhashi as Michiru Matsushima, notable roles:
* Purple Thorn, Accel World ✅
* Taeko Minazuki, Ai Yori Aoshi ✅ ✅
* Ai Aino, Aria the Animation
* Minami Shimada, Baka to Test to Shōkanjū ✅
* Altines, Busō Shinki
* Len, Carnival Phantasm ✅
* Pepper, Chicchana Yukitsukai Sugar ("A Little Snow Fairy Sugar")
* Ayumu Aizawa, Circlet Princess ✅
* Vivian Jones, Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma ✅ ✅ ✅
* Sara Shirogane, Futakoi
* Chika Ogiue, Genshiken ✅ ✅ ✅
* Miyako, Hidamari Sketch ✅ ✅ ✅
* Kasumi Haruno, Kasumin
* Akane Suzumiya, Kimi ga Nozumu Eien ("Rumbling Hearts") ✅ ✅ ✅
* Haruto Mizushima, Kin'iro no Corda: Blue♪Sky
* Mifuyu Kiba, Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate
* Yūno Scrya and Vivio, Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha —series ✅ ✅ ✅
* Mami Tomoe, Mahō Shōjo Madoka★Magica ✕ Magia Record: Mahō Shōjo Madoka☆Magica Gaiden (TV) ✅ ✅ ✅
* Laharl, Makai Senki Disgaea ✅ ✅
* Janet van Dyne ("Wasp"), Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers
* Tio Plato, Minna Atsumare! Falcom Gakuen
* Ōgi Oshino, Monogatari —series ✅ ✅
* Pikaia, Pikaia!
* Fel, Prism Ark
* Mimika, Puka Puka Juju
* Elina Vance, Queen's Blade ✅ ✅ ✅
* Meiru Sakurai, Rockman.EXE ("Megaman.EXE")
* Yagyū, Senran Kagura ✅
* Agnes Bōlange, Shukufuku no Campanella ✅
* Aya Fujisaki, To LOVEる ✅
Commentary: Ms. Mizuhashi is a really, really, incredibly talented seiyū — I tend to prefer her more mature-sounding roles, but her work on Michiru is still really top-notch! Excellent job!
Ai Shimizu as Sachi Komine, notable roles:
* Aimi Yoshizumi, Akahori Gedō Hour Rabuge
* Yuzu Hieda, Asagiri no Miko
* Athena Imai, Cosplay Complex
* Ruri Tenpōin, Cross Fight B-Daman
* Road Kamelot, D. Gray-man
* Ren Ren Ren Nagusaran Rensia Ruroonren Nakora, DearS
* Ellis, El Cazador de la Bruja
* Riko Fukamine, Gift: Eternal Rainbow
* Serafall Leviathan, High School DxD
* Madoka Kōmoto, Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi
* Chinami Hashimoto, Ichigo 100%
* Sango, Jewelpet —series
* Arisu Arisugawa, Kagi Hime Monogatari: Eikyū Alice Rondo
* Sherwood, Kaibutsu Ōjo
* Akari, Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai ("This Ugly Yet Beautiful World")
* Mitsuki Sawatari, Kore ga Watashi no Goshujin-sama ("He is My Master")
* Ariel, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?
* Momen Sanada, Lime-iro Senki-tan
* Minawa Andō, Mahoromatic ✅ ✅ ✅
* Suzuka Tsukimura, Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha —series ✅
* Mikoto Minagi, Mai-HiME ✅
* Snow, MÄR
* Sayaka Kurenai, Oku-sama wa Mahō Shōjo
* Karen Onodera, Onegai☆Twins
* Suzu Koishikawa, Rakugo Tennyo Oyui
* Hajime Kunihiro, Saki ✅ ✅
* Elise Tōdō, Seitokai no Ichizon
* Yoshimoto Imagawa, Sengoku Collection
* Daniel, Shingami no Ballad.
* Tamao Suzumi, Strawberry Panic ✅
* Ermin, Tears to Tiara ✅
* Sumomo, Tsubasa Chronicle ✅
* Senna Tōno, W: Wish
* Hatsumi Azuma, Yami to Bōshi to Hon no Tabibito ✅ ✅
Commentary: Ms. Shimizu's voice is so frickin' adorable! I initially thought that Sachi would be my favorite based on her downright endearing nature and maid aesthetic! I really loved her as Minawa Andō in "Mahoromatic," too! Incredible!
Tomoe Tamiyasu as Makina Irisu, notable roles:
* Rin Natsume, Little Busters ✅ ✅
* Futami Moriyama, Recorder to Randoseru —series
* Nagisa Hanamiya, Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete
Commentary: I only know Ms. Tamiyasu, other than in the Grisaia series, in "Little Busters"! But, her voice is very charming and sweet! Amazing job!
Akane Tomonaga as Kazuki Kazami, notable roles:
* Seira Orgel, ChäoS;HEAd ✅
* Kaku Bunwa, Koihime†Musō
* Yui Furukawa, Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete
* Menace, Vanquished Queens —only, Yūko Gotō voices her in every other iteration ✅
Commentary: I recently watched ChäoS;HEAd, a few months ago, and although I mostly watched it with the English dub, I did sample a little bit of the Japanese audio, too; Ms. Tomonaga has a very sexy-sounding voice! Great job with calculated, yet sensual character of Kazuki Kazami!
Originally, I rated "The Fruit of Grisaia" a 6/10, because although I was brimming with enthusiasm for the series, some of the scenes seemed too edgy. But, after a few months, the show emotionally resonated with me for a long period of time and I decided to rank it a notch up, into the 4★ category, because, let's face it: visual novels are more gruesome than normally curated content. In a way, though, that's why I fell in love with the medium. It's more daring and it often goes further than one would allow with an editing staff, because these games are usually made cheaply (in a basement full of nerds). I love dōjin-culture and I don't ever want it to change, nor do I want gal games to become more proper. With that, I give "Grisaia no Kajitsu" a solid 7/10!
Rating: ★★★★☆
Other Rankings:
The Labyrinth of Grisaia ("Grisaia no Meikyū") and The Eden of Grisaia ("Grisaia no Rakuen") ★★☆☆☆
Grisaia: Phantom Trigger ★★★☆☆
