Story:
There were always lots of twists and turns in the story line, which I wouldn't have expected. It was a really interesting plot which I really enjoyed. The romance was great and I couldn't stop watching! The atmosphere of each episode was very mature, and usually beautiful (apart from the action scenes). I didn't like the heavy politics, which is my only complaint.
Art:
I think that type of art in anime is for the 'beautiful boys'. It makes the women look less cute, but more beautiful and mature. I wasn't used to it at first and didn't like it, but I found myself growing to like it more and more with each episode. It certainly suited the male characters, they all looked so mature and handsome, which is never really a bad thing when you're a teenage girl.
Sound:
I loved the music, which is surprising as I'm not usually one for the music in anime. With each mood there was a perfect song to match the atmosphere, which made the overall enjoyment of the romance/action scenes even better. The music was mature and beautiful, and it fitted perfectly with the story line.
Characters:
I loved the fact that each of the characters grew older and developed new personality traits towards the end of the anime, even small things like the length of their hair, and their height. It made the anime seem more realistic. Each character has their own story and unique personality, and each one of them interested and fascinated me (especially Eugene/Mustafa). At times the men could seem a little bit dramatic, but I think that made them seem more realistic and relatable. Kajika was a female lead unlike any other, she was mature and passionate, and she never once annoyed me like most female anime leads do. They're the most interesting characters I have ever seen in an anime, each of them very admirable and beautiful in their own way.
Enjoyment:
I really enjoyed most episodes, but there were the odd episode or two were I was desperate to fast forward through to ignore all the political talks. I'm not really interested in politics, but I did at times enjoy the talks. That's really the only bad thing I can think of which would mark my rating down from a 10 to a 9. It's quite hard for me to cram all that information about the different places, people and conspiracies, but when you do understand and take it all in, it becomes very interesting. I think Hanasakeru Seishounen is probably one of those animes which you need to watch twice to fully appreciate. The romance was great for me, especially the romantic gestures and the beautiful words exchanged between the four men and Kajika. It really moved me when they would talk about finding love, it inspired me too. The whole series is really mature and enjoyable, I've never watched an anime like it before. The best part for me was the fact that it had a good amount of action, which would always leave my heart racing.
Don't be put off if you think it sounds too mature, I'm usually into the cute, happy anime which isn't hard to follow, so this was a different direction for me. Everyone should watch this, it's so beautiful. I think boys would appreciate this anime too, despite the heavy romance. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did :)
