Amazing is all I can say/write, I have not felt this much emotion from an anime in a very long time (maybe it's because I don't have much time to watch anime anymore, haha).
My head is still wracked from the buildup and ending, so I apologise if my thoughts are all over the place. I'm an absolute sucker for sad, bittersweet endings so I am absolutely biased in this regard.
I went into this anime with zero expectations; I know that it's an adaptation of a VN but never got the chance to play it.
The anime's beginning is quite slow and doesn't really start to ramp up until later, but man oh man is it worth it. If we're talking story, then there are two aspects to it; the beginning that sees the formulation of the band is the first, but it's merely a plot device to highlight the real story, the romance. The romance is a complex web of lies, selfishness, and miscommunication on each characters' behalf, but really, that's what makes it so good, because it captures the self-centredness of what it means to be a high schooler in love. This 'romance' encapsulates each characters' agendas, motivations, backstories, and most importantly, their reasonings, all of which are perfectly portrayed and explained.
It is very easy to empathise with all three main characters, but it is also quite easy to become frustrated with many of their actions, such as Haruki instantly accepting Setsuna's confession despite his doubts (dick move), Setsuna constantly emphasising the importance of their friendship despite being aware that she forced her feelings onto Haruki, and Touma for not speaking up at all about her feelings. These are just a few examples but you get my point, despite this, however, all of their actions are what makes it all the more real and heartbreaking, because there are layers to each of their personalities as characters.
In short, Haruki is a people pleaser and goes with the flow, however, he slowly but surely grows a pair and decides what he wants. Setsuna is selfish, yet honest, her insistence that all three stay friends is guilt on her part for taking Haruki away from Touma. She means well, but, she just ends up hurting herself even more. Touma is in the same boat as Setsuna, because of her standoffish personality she ends up hurting herself even more (despite winning in the end), but, it's revealed that underneath her cold exterior, she is fragile and pitiful, basically just Setsuna on the inside. These aren't criticisms of the anime, however, instead, these are what make the anime such a masterpiece of melodramatic high school romance.
One of the most memorable scenes that has stuck with me is after the graduation ceremony, wherein Setsuna informs Haruki that Touma had just left. The absolute panic and desperation Haruki felt as he was searching for Touma was heartwrenching. How Takeya grabs Haruki's shoulder as he's about to search for her and the defeated look Setsuna gives him as he momentarily turns around before regrettably running off is a melodramatic masterpiece. That one very scene symbolised how fragile Setsuna and Haruki's relationship was, how fragmented Haruki''s and Setsuna's state of mind and feelings were, and how the whole relationship was a facade to begin with.
Story: 9/10 (Slow start, but it's definitely worth it)
Art: 7/10 (Understandable, however, as it is an early 2010s anime)
Sound: 10/10 (From the OP, ED, and BGM, everything just fit so well)
Character: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 10/10 Wish my love life was just as melodramatic and bittersweet as this :'(
This anime has convinced me to play the visual novel, which I heard is even more heartwrenching and tear-inducing (wish me luck).
