This anime is definitely NOT for everyone. I was drawn to this anime simply because of the overwhelming craze/awards/hype it was getting. A friend told me this anime had a girl in it that went beyond the Lolita look and was fancied by the male characters in the series and even though they where all 18+ of age it made him (and me at times) feel awkward.
At the end of the day I (unfortunately) have to agree with the majourity and say this is a very good anime show overall.
Animation
Animation was decent, character animation was different than casual anime with face shapes and stuff but the scenery was drawn beautifully, one of the major strong points of this anime. Ending scene was nice as well especially in the first season.
Sound
Another shining point for the anime, Opening for 1st season was a bit Up-tempo but nice. Character voices were perfect, everyone seemed to fit well even if it was annoying at times (Hagu). Generally the sound just fit very well with the flow of things.
Story
This is the difficult part. I said earlier this anime isn’t for everyone that’s because with these “Real Life” type stories it comes down to what part of real life us the viewers want to see. Now this is definitely a drama/romance anime but I personally wouldn’t class this as girly because it wasn’t girly at all. Yes I will say there is a soap-opera feel which can annoy at times but it is balanced out quite well never going too “sunset beach” if you will. Every character had their own personal issues as well as love problems which mixed well with their college life, work and ambitions. The most surprising part of this story is that it is spanned over a number of years so you see just how fast or slow life can change around you. In retrospect looking at this as a story it is well written and very realistic but some people might find this slow paced and eventless….well sometimes life can seem that way I guess.
Character
Characters are excellent. When I first watched this anime I was really pessimistic in thinking all these other reviewers where just being too nice or something. By the time I got half way through season one I noticed that the characters where quite mature and interesting. I felt a “School Rumble” type vibe from some of the characters especially Morita. These characters make the story what it is and I must say while some might annoy you with their problems (Ayumi) others will gain your respect (Takemoto).
Enjoyment
Uhm I felt a higher sense of intrigue then enjoyment foe this title.
I did enjoy this anime to a point and im glad I watched it overall as it reminded me of the main reason I love anime, which is to enjoy a great story that will get me thinking. So i guess I can understand now why this got such high praise.
Value
Value is probably the lowest point. Although this anime is a great story in itself I do admit I found it hard to watch most of the time. Maybe it’s because after a certain point I was more focused on some characters rather than others or maybe at times the love issues annoyed me. Either way, now I’ve watched it I can say it was a good story overall about people and the lives and choices they made but watching it again would definitely not happen.
In a way it just like real life once its gone there’s no going back.
Planet Tyro Rating: First Class
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