there are few things that can compare to losing a friend. the hole in your life they tear open by leaving, the gap in days where they used to be and the reminders of memories you made staring you all in the face. maybe it was a wrong turn you took that drove them away, perhaps it was something you said or maybe your paths were never meant to cross in the first place. the spring sunlight paints over the memories, and leaves a gallery in your mind of the moments lost to time. this is exactly what the show feels like, a showcase of tomori's memories that stretches out into melancholy vistas that will put tears in your eyes and make you reflect on your own life, on the people you have lost and can never go back to.
tomori herself is a particular favorite of mine for everything done with her character. she's a hurt girl with everything to lose, nothing but her words to guide her in an uncertain world where everything feels dangerous because she's terrified of being hurt again. hina yomiya's voice provides incredible depth to her character, making tomori's most emotional scenes feel real in a way i do not have words for. soyo is also a standout, her lowest moments coinciding with tomori's and her overall deceptive nature were both compelling points to her character that were executed perfectly, specifically the scene with saki.
this anime takes these emotions and weaves them into a story about learning to move on and let go while entangling each passing moment with gorgeous visuals that will leave you stunned. it's truly amazing how much sanzigen can squeeze out of these models, the raw emotion and visual complexity that's able to be achieved here really impressed me especially in comparison to some of their other projects (bandori s2 specifically).
it goes without saying that this show is definitely not perfect. off the top of my head i can think of at least three episodes that are entirely unnecessary and i would actually recommend people just watch the first twelve episodes, thirteen really felt unnecessary and disconnected from the main plot. the ending here is actually nonexistent as well, which is fine for those who play the mobile game but must be jarring for those who do not. rana's character, while having a few good moments is entirely unnecessary, clearly there to fill out a fifth character position. i still love her though, as i do all of the main cast.
all in all, the release of this anime was a breath of fresh air breathed into the bandori franchise, bringing emotional storytelling to the forefront that makes for a well rounded experience, all things considered. i'm incredibly pleased with the direction of the series and how competent it seems to be when writing its characters and fleshing them out, and excited for the future of bandori's forays into anime.
