It is artsy and over the top, but in a good way.
The episodes are short, but the director manages to make us fall in love with the characters instantly. Everything is well thought the characters act in refreshingly real ways, never acting forced or over the top. It all feels close to heart, intimate and bittersweet.
Without spoilers, I'll just say that the anime's theme is people's inner wishes or inner true self, and about how hard it is to be true to our nature in a world where everything is judged, everything is online and we put such high expectations on ourselves.
This message reaches not only the viewer, but also seems to defend the anime itself, which is so different from anything I have ever seen before. It screams "This is me, deal with it" and ask us, the viewers, to also step out of our comfort zone and give the anime's different art-style a chance. The result is a perfect harmony between the story, the characters, the anime, the style and even the viewer, urging us to break-out and long for a version of ourselves that is free and, ultimately, happy.
The art is GORGEOUS, making up for the 3d-animation by presenting us with a beautiful journey full of spectacle and colors at every frame. And the soundtrack manages to match not only the anime as a whole, but also the feelings of its characters as they change through the story. Oh, and the costumes are amazing! I love the clothes, the colors, the way characters adapt their looks to each story. It is worth watching for that alone, and so much more.
If you like colors, music, art & feelings, then this is for you! It is a true masterpiece that ends upmaking us feel nostalgic, not only for more episodes, but for a long-lost version of ourselves.
I LOVE IT!
Ikeda-San, you've got a new fan!