I will admit that this anime got off to a fairly slow start. After the first 4-5 episodes, I really wondered if I should continue because this anime wasn't quite what I expected it to be. It consisted of mostly Yuuko flirting with Teiichi and the whole group (Paranormal Investigation Club) discovering the ghostly rumors that were primarily caused by Yuuko's hijinx. Despite this slow start, I would encourage viewers to stick with it, it does get much, MUCH better.
What I loved most about Tasogare was the emotional ties it created in its character development between Teiichi and Yuuko. While a lot of anime relationships seem extremely forced, this one feels completely natural. You feel that relationship grow later on in the series when...(NEXT PARAGRAPH IS ALL SPOILERS)
(SPOILER) Teiichi witnesses Yuuko's tragic fate through a 1st person POV of the memory of her last day(s) alive. This was a downright amazing episode in my opinion. Teiichi felt all of the same senses that Yuuko felt and also felt the dread and fear of death as Yuuko waited for it in the basement shrine. Overall, it was just a moving episode, as were the two episodes that followed. (END SPOILER)
As for the weaknesses of Tasogare, there were quite a few in my opinion but the weaknesses themselves didn't affect the anime as a whole too much. I felt one of the biggest weaknesses however was the interpersonal character development of Teiichi. This anime focuses so much on Yuuko that I felt as though Teiichi seemed to lack in character development. We never saw the lead characters (Teiichi, Kirie, Momoe) outside of school. Another major weakness in this anime is the main plot really takes a while to get going. As I mentioned earlier, I debated dropping this anime because the first half of the series was rather monotonous and boring. Sure, the concept was interesting, but the first 4-5 episodes felt very similar and didn't help progress the plot. Once Shadow Yuuko is introduced, that is when the anime picks up. I'd say a 3rd major weakness of this anime was the ending. Don't get me wrong, the ending wasn't terrible...but in my opinion, it was kinda corny and was hoping for a little bit different outcome. I wasn't completely disappointed with the ending as I did see it as a possible outcome, but the means behind it felt...well...ridiculous.
Overall, Tasogare, if nothing else, is an intriguing series. It is a flawed anime (very flawed) but I'll admit it tugged at my heartstrings quite a bit in its final three episodes. It took a turn that I wasn't quite expecting and I must say, I was quite grateful for that turn. Unlike a lot of people, I can overlook an animes flaws if it has the ability to move you. That's what I feel is the most fundamental strength of an anime. If it has the ability to draw you in to the characters and feel their emotions, then I feel as though it outweighs the flaws. If you're looking for an emotional love story, this is definitely worth a watch, but if you're specifically looking for a mysterious paranomal-heavy anime and not looking so much for a love story, I might pass on it.
