So I was surprised when we had such a detailed prelude into the show with episode 1
I didn't go into this show with any false pretenses that this could of created while it was airing but the prelude did sell the relationship to me between our main characters of Shinobu and Alice.
The main story is about two Englishwoman moving to Japan and their daily experiences with the culture and school life
The main friend group is made up of 3 introverts and 2 extroverts and that worked to be a good composition
Alice is very adorable and has some of the best facial expressions in the show as well as being jealous when Shinobu fangirls about Karen
Karen is one of the extroverts in the group and the contrast between Alice helps the show between the two foreigners
If you have issue with Japanese VAs doing English lines than this isn't the show for you because you will get a lot of that. I do feel Manami Tanaka and Nao Touyama did a satisfactory job with their English. Nao Touyama specially used a different type of voice to VA Karen that gave the show an unique flair throughout the experience
As for the Japanese girls of the friend group we course have Shinobu whom is obsessed with anything English.
There was a time from 2009-2010 where I had a bit of this phase as well so I can relate with her in that regard...but not to the levels of her.
Then we have Youko and Aya whom were put into the Yuri tease scenes of the show. Not my cup of tea but for some that would be their favorite parts
Aya is personally my favorite character in the show but that is most likely because I can relate to her the most. She is the most blunt of the group. She is the most melancholy of the group. I'm shy, she is shy. Now I didn't have anyone that I'd blush about all the time, that is where she has me beat.
Looking at similar shows that I've watched. I do like this group of girls more than Non Non Biyori.
Non Non Biyori has been my benchmark show for Episodic CGDCT.
I like NNB but the show doesn't have enough substance for me to give the show a good score.
Slow Loop is more recent show where the show starts with a strong story elements and then divulges into the Episodic CGDCT that you'd expect it to be.
What it comes down to is how is the show during the learning process versus then the reinforcement of what you already know.
The first three episodes your experience these new personalities for the first time.
The interest level is rather high and coming off such a great prelude to the plot of the show worked wonders.
If this show was only 3 episodes this would be in the 8s. Even 6 episodes it would of held pretty well thanks to my knowledge of Englishman in Japan. In Episode 5 Karen and Alice criticized the food and that remined me of Trash Taste. In Episode 6 Karen wanted to go to Mt. Fuji and that remined me of Chris Broad.
But anything after Episode 6 was just your standard affair that you get from these type of high school setting shows.
They did a school fair, they had a Christmas episode, they had a Summer Break episode, which all was about reinforcement of characters traits we already know with no central plot. The characters are good enough to get you to the ending without feeling too worn out but when it comes to rating story it is always going to be low. The prelude of course would give this show an advantage that other shows don't but it is still the weakest element.
Something this show has above the rest would be their soundtrack. That is one of the first things I noticed in Episode 1.
In Episode 6 I still felt the soundtrack was good. Not to the immaculate level of prelude but it holds throughout the show.
The OP/ED songs are both good and was something I wanted to listen to before and after every episode. Soundtrack though has always been what I focus the least on when it comes to creating a finale score but it can give the show a few more ticks. Enough to get this show into the 7s.
