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Nov 18, 2023
In the 12 episodes we spend in Adachi & Shimamura's world, there is not much to be said in the way of romantic development, but it succeeds at being a masterclass in wholesome, wind-down relaxation.
Adorned in high quality visuals and animation, alongside a strong pair of VAs in our main cast, each frame looks, sounds, and feels lovingly crafted. The soundtrack, and, more importantly, where it is and isn't used is thoughtful, creating great intimacy in its silence. Despite the low (if not nonexistent) stakes, the emotions explored later on hit hard, and with the excellent, believable dialogue on display, the show overall is
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surprising in its maturity even though it's another high-school romance.
It is unashamedly a slow burn throughout, and the developments that have occurred by the end demand a second season, but even if that never happens, within the sparsely-populated "Girl's Love + Slice of Life" genre(s), it is difficult to think of one that does it better than this. Adachi & Shimamura is simply the best of its kind.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 17, 2023
An isekai different enough that seeing it through is not a complete waste of time, but not without some of the usual cringeworthy gremlins that permeate many.
The main character, named Lugh in his reincarnated form, maintains the memories of his previous life, and so from a young age already demonstrates extreme proficiency and potential. OP main characters are not always bad, but are better suited for parody/self-aware isekais such as The Misfit of Demon King Academy. When the show takes itself even remotely seriously however (such as this one), it becomes a bit of a drag to watch a character that knows and can
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do anything, always.
Beside that, while the formation of harems seems inescapable in this genre (for the most part), this one felt especially gross since our MC is basically a guy in his 50s inhabiting a 14yr old's body. The worst offenders are Maha and mostly Lugh's own mother. Maha just meets this guy and immediately refers to him as "my prince." Lugh's mom wants to see his pecker and talk about ejaculation. Maha at least was an interesting character at first, but loses the edge when she joins the harem. Somehow, with these atrocities, the later scenes with Dia and Lugh managed to be properly infectious and adorable, and I enjoyed every moment she was on screen.
The other main pitfall would be that the anime doesn't seem to know how to spend its 12 episodes. It was interesting to see the main character develop from childhood, but again, with just 12 episodes, it was an arc that, along with his journey to become a merchant, took entirely too long. By the time the story returns to its main thread (kill the hero), there isn't much time left, and the final episodes feel incredibly rushed. It seems as if they paced the first 8 (or so) episodes as if they had been given a 24-30+ episodes budget and had to turn things up to 11 when they realized there's suddenly only 3 left.
In conclusion: not a waste of time, but frustrating at points along the way, and the best parts to take away from the anime are the moments Dia is on screen. Had there not been the weird harem and odd pacing, this would've been an easy 7.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 13, 2023
A cutesy and relaxing anime let down by implications of romance it never delivers on.
Saint Cecelia & Pastor Lawrence would actually have benefitted from the complete omission of any romance. A pure slice-of-life/comedy with the main four would've been the right call, as the cast is still entertaining (if not lovable) in their group setting. This is especially true for Abel and Hazelita, who steal the show most of the time they're on-screen.
Unfortunately, the thickness of Lawrence's skull evolves at an alarming rate in the final third. So much time is spent encouraging, almost pleading with Lawrence to take even the most infinitesimal of
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steps, and just when you think true development may occur, Lawrence resigns Cecelia to being family, as if his innocence has become a conscious effort to avoid having feelings for her, or seeing her as anything but the lady saint.
A missing proper conclusion to whatever romance there was supposed to be could've potentially been circumvented had we been given 24+ episodes, or as stated previously, had there never been romance elements at all.
It is unfortunate, because the wholesome slice of life elements are done so well, and there is something to be enjoyed here in that regard, but too much of the runtime gets allocated to what essentially amounts to nothing.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 8, 2023
Made for those of us in our 20s who want something even just a LITTLE more relatable out of the romance genre. Here our cast is split between working adults and college students, and the situations explored make it a perfect getaway from your overdone Festival arcs and Beach episodes.
Sing "Yesterday" For Me benefits greatly from not having a traditional anime opening. The spared runtime alongside the perfectly-executed pacing early on allow each episode (at least the first 4-6) to feel unusually, satisfyingly long.
Unfortunately, the second half of the show becomes a little sloppy. Evidently, this is around the time when a lot
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of content from the source material was cut or extremely condensed. In a 12-episode stint, it is of course difficult to work everything in, but even though I've not read the source material myself, there's an unshakable sensation that the WRONG things were cut/condensed.
The impacts of this are primarily felt in the shows conclusion, but even in episodes prior, the story sometimes seems to wander aimlessly, almost stagnating. No one episode is a complete time waster, but certain sections are stretched too thin, and by the time significant development can occur again, you've found yourself with just 20 minutes left of the final episode.
It is an otherwise enjoyable watch to be clear, but it, at times, seemed to get away from itself after the halfway mark, leaving too small a window to wrap everything up properly.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 6, 2023
A decent and heart-touching story, if you are willing to forgive some odd narrative choices. It's a rollercoaster of emotion, and on the ride with you are the familiar faces of frustration, disbelief, cringe, sadness, and joy. Despite following a somewhat predictable storyline, it's okay to find yourself glued to it regardless. "It's okay to have fun," one of them said. Maybe Suwa.
Orange is wrapped up in your typical "romance anime" colors, scenes, and soundtracks. It is positively good looking for the most part, except in one area. Faces, particularly the characters mouths and how they're shaped to create the expressions. It is downright
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off-putting at times, but tolerable for most of the run.
Dialogue was surprisingly good, especially considering that our story focuses on a group of 6. Although only half of them receive any meaningful development, the whole group bounces off each other pretty well, and moments when they're all together are still enjoyable. None of them feel like a waste of space.
On to the story. For the genre, it's about what you expect. The suicide aspect is certainly unique though, and the sense of urgency created may have you on the edge of your seat at times. That said, the consequence of this is that, after a point, it starts to feel like babying Kakeru TOO much. That beyond the "save Kakeru" mission, there isn't much to any of these characters.
This is where the can of worms starts to open. Do the characters really feel this strongly for Kakeru? Are they truly happy with what they're doing? Or is it just because of the letters and their emphasis on regret? The love between Kakeru and Naho especially does not feel legitimate. For Naho especially, it seems like it only exists because her letter says it does. On the subject of things only existing because a writer said it does, the New Years Eve mini-arc may possess some of the most egregious, forced drama ever seen. For many viewers, if they've managed to accept how messed up the future Naho/Suwa dynamic is (for Suwa), then this moment may be the final straw. Understandably.
As a glutton for punishment, none of Orange's question marks were enough to make the exit button look attractive. For all of its faults, it at least succeeds at what it set out to do: tell a story to pull at your heart strings. Just understand that you may also pull out some hairs along the way.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 2, 2023
It's a breath of fresh air, sort of, when coming in hot off a streak of more "standard" romance animes (your Nagatoros, Dress Up Darlings & whatnot).
Art style takes a bit of getting used to, but the presentation is otherwise very well done. Animation quality will not win any awards, but is more than serviceable. The pacing felt basically perfect, so despite being yet another 12 episode affair, no moment feels truly wasted or unnecessarily prolonged.
The male MC, Kou, has some frustrating qualities and questionable behaviors towards our female lead, and viewers' tolerance for this will largely determine if they stick with it until
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the end. The developments and backstory he receives later on do help foster more empathy and understanding for how he behaves, though it is debatable if this should've came earlier in the run. Nonetheless, any male MC that isn't your average "constantly flustered self-insert" type is good.
All the other characters are likable enough: a determined, strong willed female lead that you can't help but root for, a comedic relief goofball, shy cutesy girl, and aloof outcast. Our group of five, individually, are all very different, but their time together, drama aside, is enjoyable to watch.
For this reason, despite not ending on strongly on the romance (sorry, no kiss here), I felt satisfied with the final scene - our group of five, all together. The Manga evidently goes on in some directions I've no interest in (lightly implied in the last episodes, even), so for me, Blue Spring Ride ends here.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 19, 2023
Just Because is mostly devoid of the genre's most obnoxious tropes. No overreacting, constantly-flustered male lead, no egregious perversion or cheap fanservice. As a result, despite being another high school romance, the overall tone is surprisingly mature. So much so that the show often feels more somber than it probably means to.
As pointed out in other reviews, the dynamics, conversations, and most situations that the characters find themselves in feel very real. This is helped especially by the voice acting and dialogue, undoubtedly the highlight of the experience.
The biggest point of contention lies in the outcome of the story. Many debates can go one
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way or the other, but until then, there is lots to be enjoyed on the way.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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