ef: A Tale of Memories.

On Christmas Eve, Hiro Hirono runs into Miyako Miyamura, a frivolous girl who "borrows" his bicycle in order to chase down a purse thief. After Hiro finds his bicycle wrecked and Miyako unconscious, the two unexpectedly spend their Christmas Eve together, and when they discover they go to the same high school, their accidental relationship develops even further. This sparks the jealousy of Hiro's childhood friend Kei Shindou, whose pure approach to life catches the eye of Kyosuke Tsutsumi, a womanizing photographer searching for the perfect shot.

Elsewhere, Renji Asou, a boy who dreams of being a girl's knight in shining armor, has a chance encounter with Kei's twin sister—the overly shy Chihiro Shindou, who spends her time reading alone—at an abandoned train station. The two quickly become friends and eventually decide to write a novel together. However, when Renji discovers Chihiro's secret, his childish ideals are put to the test.

Guided by two mysterious adults, these youths' relationships intertwine in a heart-rending tale of love, rejection, acceptance, and memories.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Shindou, Chihiro Main

Yanase, Natsumi Japanese

Miyamura, Miyako Main

Taguchi, Hiroko Japanese

Asou, Renji Main

Takagi, Motoki Japanese

Hirono, Hiro Main

Shimono, Hiro Japanese

Shindou, Kei Main

Okada, Junko Japanese

Amamiya, Yuuko Supporting

Nakajima, Yumiko Japanese

Himura, Yuu Supporting

Toochika, Kouichi Japanese

Kuze, Shuuichi Supporting

Hamada, Kenji Japanese

Hayama, Mizuki Supporting

Gotou, Mai Japanese

Tsutsumi, Kyosuke Supporting

Tai, Yuuki Japanese

Kubota, Mitsutoshi Producer

Kananiwa, Kozue Producer

Matsuda, Akio Producer

Oonuma, Shin Director

Reviews

Feb 14, 2024

MizuhoKamui

Recommended

ef - a tale of memories offers a refreshing approach to the romance genre by sidestepping common tropes and instead intertwining multiple narratives, each offering a distinct perspective on love and relationships. Central to its appeal is the profound emotional journey of characters like Renji and Chihiro, whose relationship is both relatable and profoundly moving.

However, the series is not without its shortcomings. Some storylines feel underdeveloped, such as the love triangle involving Kei, Hiro, and Miyako, which pales in comparison to the depth of Renji and Chihiro's arc. Additionally, certain characters lack the complexity and depth found in others.

Visually, the animation is striking, characterized by ... vibrant colors and meticulous attention to detail. Yet, there are moments where the animation quality falters, featuring static scenes and limited movement. Nevertheless, the soundtrack adds another layer of emotional resonance, enhancing the overall viewing experience.

In summary, ef - a tale of memories presents a compelling and distinctive perspective on romance, despite its flaws. While some aspects could have been further developed, the series' emotional depth and skillful narrative construction set it apart within the anime landscape.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Aug 19, 2019

RyanSpring

Mixed Feelings

Being a huge Slice of Life fan and a sucker for romantic plots, on paper this show should have been right up my alley but upon actually watching it it just wasn't. I do not understand the 9 and 10 reviews I've seen so many of here. I see many, many flaws in this show.

The first half of it was unbelievably slow and boring and it was hard to stay focused and awake. It doesn't get remotely interesting until episode 8 or so and even then it's merely passable, not anything special. There is zero combat, zero mystery/thriller elements, zero suspense. The plot as a ... whole is extremely linear.

The character development and base premise are shallow and generic- just your standard Slice of Life fare that you've seen many times elsewhere.

There are ridiculously cheesy and non-believable conveniences such as a character showing up at EXACTLY the right time at the end of a phone conversation after "searching every pay phone in the city" or another character recovering many thrown away pieces of a journal that would be literally impossible to retrieve, such as pieces underwater or hanging out in completely inaccessible locations such as on the side of a very tall building.

The music and voice acting were both fine but neither were standouts.

This anime opts for constant camera cuts and shots from different angles. Whether this is good or bad is a personal preference thing I guess but I felt it was way overdone, sometimes to the point where it felt like the anime was trying to give me a seizure.

Overall this felt like a very mediocre, forgettable Slice of Life to me and not something I'd particular recommend or care to watch again. At the end of the day, this show is simply boring.

OBJECTIVE RATING- 6.5
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- 6-6.5

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Aug 14, 2024

yoloswagger95

Not Recommended

ef - a tale of memories gets a 3/10 compared to its mess of a sequel because it doesn't include the explicit physical abuse of its female cast.
but ef - a tale of memories was even more boring to watch (which is very hard).

The show consists of 'atmospheric' scenes with long, empty dialogues. the pseudo deep, artsy symbolism is never once explained. This concept could work if the characters weren't so bland and generic (then it could might be something like Bakemonogatari). I read a lot of comments that people found the characters unlikable. but I don't really understand why. they're written so soulless ... and stereotypical (the girl next door, the childhood friend, the blonde best friend guy) without even commenting on those tropes that you don't care about their interactions at all. the characters are like a toasted bread - they can't be unlikable because they don't even remind you of living human beings. it's truly interesting to me how there is (obviously) an audience who can identify with characters with no personality and the conversation skills of toddlers. It's sad how good animation and soundtracks are constantly wasted on shitty VN adaptations like this because they have a huge incel fanbase

Love yourself, don't watch this

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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