"The folly of youth, you see, is that you sometimes convince yourself that your world is confined to a familiar object the size of your palm. But it's all right. Look up and see. There's an endless world of fun starin' ya right in the face." -Kohinata Kino
(SPOILERS BELOW NOT REALLY MAJOR THO BC IT'S SOL)
It only took 7 minutes for me to realize I was going to love Amanchu!, these 7 minutes gave one of the strongest first impressions I've seen in a long time for sure. The relaxing, nostalgic background music, the quiet humming of a motorcycle and the gorgeous background art assured
...
that I was already relaxed and taking in that lovely healing SOL effect only 30 seconds in. But seeing the grandma smoking a cigarette was what really let me know I was in for a treat.
After the opening played (I'll touch on that later don't you worry now) a clumsy, shy girl rides up to the cliff by the ocean, right near a diving shop. Despite the fact that she's surrounded by natural beauty she's glued to her phone. While this shy girl (Futaba or Teko) sits on a rock there is another girl diving in the ocean below, diving. A girl who we will later learn is named Hikari (or her nickname Pikari). I love this detail because it establishes an immediate connection between these two without them even being aware of it, but it isn't just that. This scene creates a very important Dichotomy between Teko and Pikari: Pikari has a smile on her face because she is experiencing the world around her and doing something she loves, while Teko is glued to her phone and isn't smiling, she has closed herself off. And that is what Amanchu! is to me: a story about a girl who has closed herself off from the world due to being too timid, and her journey to escape that and learn to put herself out there and try new things.
It is while Teko is on this rock by the sea that a giant wave splashes, startling her, and forcing her to look up and pay attention to her surroundings. She was in awe of how amazing the ocean was, the ocean that she had previously been ignoring and taking for granted. And it is during this scene where grandma Kohinata imparts the words from the beginning of this review.
Story - 7
It is difficult to put a score on a sol story as the enjoyment of the series rarely relies on the narrative. However in this case (and there are several others similar) the story is what drives it. The story is quite simply about Pikari dragging Teko out of her shell and Teko learning to pursue interests and interact with the world she lives in. It's about personal growth and the sort of symbolic goal of Teko eventually diving in the ocean that filled her with such awe at the beginning of the series, but only if she is with Pikari, a friend that she will come to treasure more than anything. Teko has to overcome her shyness and learn how to dive (which also involves learning to swim). Despite the fact that it is goal driven and there is certainly a story present, Amanchu is still primarily SOL, episodic, relaxing greatness and it delivers on that every single time, believe me.
Art - 9
HNNNNNNNG the art in this series is amazing, in particular the character designs, they are detailed and unique and I just love them. The background art and the ocean look amazing too. I'm not really an art critic but I think that amanchu nailed it, and unlike a certain show this season it didn't fall off in the art department. *COUGH COUGH ORANGE
Sound - 8
The soundtrack in Amanchu! is very relaxing and serves its purpose well in an iyashikei. I wouldn't bump the OST, but as background noise for the series it works miracles.
The opening tho fam, the song gave me chills. It's soft and quiet and beautiful and then it picks up very suddenly. I really liked it it was far and away my favorite opening this season, and probably my favorite 2016 op. The ending was nice as well, no complaints.
Characters - 8
I really liked all of the characters, while many may complain about Pikari being annoying I think she is the perfect compliment to Teko, the complete opposite. Pikari being loud, enthusiastic and stubborn was the only way to pull Teko out of her shell effectively and they work together perfectly. Teko's development was really nice as well, watching her become less shy and more passionate was so satisfying. The twins (Ai and Makoto) entered later in the series and I liked them as well. Ai was insane and funny but she also served as a rolemodel for Teko and Pikari to look up to as she was older and more experienced. All of the characters just paired so well and all helped Teko's growth as a character.
Enjoyment - 9
I'm a fucking sol fag ok I loved every second. It's extremely chill and relaxing with some occasional comedy mixed in.
Overall - 8
My personal aots spring 2k16, it was great.
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Sep 27, 2016
"The folly of youth, you see, is that you sometimes convince yourself that your world is confined to a familiar object the size of your palm. But it's all right. Look up and see. There's an endless world of fun starin' ya right in the face." -Kohinata Kino
(SPOILERS BELOW NOT REALLY MAJOR THO BC IT'S SOL) It only took 7 minutes for me to realize I was going to love Amanchu!, these 7 minutes gave one of the strongest first impressions I've seen in a long time for sure. The relaxing, nostalgic background music, the quiet humming of a motorcycle and the gorgeous background art assured ... 
Feb 16, 2016
Mori no Ratio
(Anime)
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This is a touching anime. This is a relaxing, atmospheric visual orgasm. And I daresay, my favorite anime of all time.
Story- (10) The simple story of exploring new things keeps it fresh everytime. The plot of each episode drags me in quickly and effectively. Art- (10) This might be stop motion but the design of everything is top notch and the animation is I daresay better than Ghibli and UFOTable working together. It is the smoothest animation I've ever seen. Sound-(10) The soundtrack alone may be worthy of being considered a masterpiece. Each song fills me with joy and nostalgia. Each song tells a story. ... |
