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Honestly this is a near perfect season. The character development in this show is amazing and the compositing and overall look of the show is polished to perfection. The overall quality of this show is unbelievably high and its astounding that the studio was able to maintain it for all 25 episodes. The backgrounds are amazing and although there really isn't a moment where the animation really stands out, it's just all around really solid. Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru are all amazing characters with depth that keeps expanding as the show goes on. I also love how deep the cast of characters is and how ... each one is given time to grow into their own character and stand out from just being a background supporting character. The pacing is another things this season does really well. Aside from the flashback episodes of Uotani and Hana which I was a little bored by, each episode feels like it covers an immense amount ground in regards to the plot and character development without ever feeling rushed. Really excited to start the next season.

Honestly I think I enjoyed this more than the first season. I was actually a little blown away by how much fun I had watching this. The characters are so fun to follow and the interactions they have are pretty hilarious. The drama, twists and turns in all of the relationships all kept me glued to the show even though I've read the manga. The anime has also made me understand some of the characters more and grow to like them more than I did when I was reading the manga. I really didn't care for Nino and I didn't like Ichika when I read ... the manga, but after watching this season I actually like Nino as a character now and, although Ichika was pretty terrible this season, I still understood her more as a character. The OP is a bop as well. Pretty excited for season 3.

Well that was fairly disappointing. It started off strong but gradually just fell into mediocrity. There were moments that contained the same spark as the first season, but they were few and far between. Not having read the manga I really have no opinion on its adaptation, but I definitely felt that with each episode I lost more and more interest. The dialogue and stakes didn't feel like they had the same complexity as the first season and there really was no nuance to the conflict. I didn't care for the last episode either. It, and the entire show felt a bit rushed and haphazard. ... Throughout the show people would just 'become good' leaving the audience with a lack of satisfaction or a feeling that the story had accomplished anything.

Despite that, there was some really great background art in the show and there were moments between Emma, Ray and Norman that I really enjoyed. The entire scene where Ray and Emma confront Norman in the village, aside from the Marth-esque plot twist, was pretty intriguing.

Overall, pretty disappointed with this. I might read the manga to see if it's any better, which I've heard a lot of people say. I'm not even upset or mad, It's just kind of sad to see a story with so much potential be squandered like this. And that's not to say anything about the crunch the staff at Cloverworks must be under producing three shows this season. It does baffle me though that the author of the manga was ok with the way the story went. I don't know.

I don't man, I think I'm just a sucker for Makoto Shinkai's style of storytelling. All of his work is extremely similar tonally and thematically, but so far I've enjoyed pretty much everything that he's made at some level. You can tell that this is a precursor to a lot of his work later on, 5 Centimeters Per Second and Your Name being primary examples. There is a significant jump in quality between this and Voices of a Distant Star on a technical level as well. The plot itself was pretty interesting, keeping me engaged for the entire runtime which I wasn't expecting. Generally ... with earlier works of a well-known director you expect it to be a little less interesting than their more recent work, but, for me at least, that wasn't the case. Not sure if I'll watch it again, but I honestly wouldn't mind it.

Despite the rough animation and 3D effects, I actually quite enjoyed this. I was expecting to not really get invested into it, but somehow Shinkai made me care about this story. The theme of strained relationships is found in all of his work with this being no exception. The character designs are kind of wack and the 3D is extremely dated, but the landscapes and lighting really stand out just like any of his other work. It's really cool to see the early work of someone who has made it as big as him and see how far they've progressed. It's kind of inspirational in ... a way. Probably won't watch this again as it's leaving Crunchyroll at the end of the month, which is the main reason why I decided to watch it.

I initially started reading this because I heard it was getting adapted by Cloverworks, and since I really enjoyed Rascal Does Not Dream of a Bunny Girl Senpai I decided to give the manga a go to see if the anime would be something I would enjoy. I can definitely say that I had a great time with this.

Personally, even though the manga kind of lost all sense of plot in the latter half, I really enjoyed it the entire way through. I loved watching the characters interact with each other and learn more about each other. The manga somehow made the must mundane sequences ... entertaining and I think it's mostly due to how likable the main characters are. No matter what situation they're in or how trivial it is to the main story, I couldn't help but love reading each chapter. Each moment reveals a little bit more about each character, investing you in them and making them seem more real.

It's also coincidental that the manga would end just as I'm ending my last year of high school. I don't really know how to express what I'm feeling. High school has been a weird experience for me and in some ways this manga compliments those feelings, but in others opposes them. I almost wish I could approach my graduation with as much nostalgia and excitement as the characters do.

It just kind of sucks that the manga is over. I really enjoyed this.

This show isn't bad by any means, but I must say that I'm surprised that it got three seasons and a movie that's soon to come. I guess it's not the type of show I would expect to be popular enough to get this much attention from a studio like Kyoto.

This season was a huge step up from the previous season. Comparing this season and last season, I felt that the second season lost some of the energy the first season had, which the third season was able to revive. The story was also more engaging. At least in the second season, Haru doesn't really ... do much until end, which doesn't make the conclusion feel all that satisfying. He also doesn't say anything, which makes it harder for the audience to get a read on his character. I know that's his whole shtick and as someone who generally tends to be quieter, I get it, but I felt the writing failed a little in conveying who his character was in the second season. The third season definitely succeeded in making him a more interesting character though. I really liked the dynamic of having Haru confront the effects his swim career has had on those around him. It made for some interesting drama.

This season was really interesting to me as well because of how busy it was. There was so much going on throughout the show with so many character arcs going on simultaneously, which was only compounding with the increase in the cast. Despite all the new characters and storylines, the season somehow works when it shouldn't, but I'm not really sure how. Like, after Ikuya's problem was solved, we don't really see much of him until the last episode, but somehow his race with his brother worked and landed the impact it needed to.

I guess a large part of why I enjoyed this show was also because of how cathartic it was for me as I just finished my competitive swim career yesterday. I don't see myself quitting swimming for good, but the team aspect is something that this show does a good job at conveying and it's something that I won't forget in my own life. Pretty interested to see the movie.

Pretty solid season, though I think I liked the first season a little more overall. The finale for this season felt a little weak. This season did trigger swimming PTSD in me multiple times though, which I'm not if that's a positive or a negative about this show. Also, a lot of the same problems that I had about the last season apply to this season. Some of the characters are still annoying and the overzealousness the characters have about swimming can be a bit off-putting. In the end though, i enjoyed it for the most part. They ended this season in a really good ... spot so it'll be interesting to see how they continue the third season.

As I'm writing this its really starting to hit me that I have less than five days left in my last high school swim season. I'll definitely continue swimming, but the team aspect is something that I'll miss and no matter however over the top this show is, I can relate to the love the characters have of being on a team.

It's another one of those shows man. I knew going into this that the creators of Cowboy Bebop were behind this, so I had a good idea of what to expect. I think I was also able to enjoy it the whole way through due to the fact that I was expecting an episodic adventure, rather than a continuous, plot-driven story. In many ways it's similar to Bebop, but it also sets itself apart in interesting ways, never feeling like a copy of Bebop's success.

There are so many things I want to touch on, like the hilarious ways the show juxtaposes the samurai culture against ... the modern elements that are sprinkled throughout the show, the amazing animation, the perfect ED, and the score, but what really sticks with me now as I'm sitting here having just finished the show, is the way the creators have mastered the ability to capture the everyday interactions of characters and authentically depict what it's like to spend time with someone. You get to know each of the character's quirks, learn about their faults and strengths, and see these characters slowly grow to understand one another. It's this gradual growth in all of the characters that makes it so hard to let the show end. Although the endings in Bebop and Champloo are nothing alike thematically, they both carry the same amount of emotional weight that is extremely hard to replicate. The fact that the creators have gotten me twice, even when I was expecting it on the second time is commendable.

At the end of the day, I can't really say I'm a fan of episodic shows, but the fact that they keep winning me over in the end has to say something at least. This is definitely going to stay with me for a bit.

As a swimmer myself I am absolutely offended by the depiction of swimming this show exhibits. It doesn't show the actual awfulness of what swimming is like nor the tribulation swimmers go through each practice.

In all seriousness though, its lack of realism was the thing I found the most enjoyment in. The emotions and the swimmers' attitude to swimming was so over the top and ridiculous to me that I couldn't help but laugh and have a good time. The animation is also way better than it has any right to be. The water is downright gorgeous and I love how overplayed the act of ... taking off your clothes is.

I do have quite a few complaints about this show though. First being, I found almost every character annoying. (In order of annoyingness) Gray-haired character - wouldn't shut up; Nagisa - wouldn't shut up; Rei - not that annoying to be honest, but he wasn't much of a character; Rin - Backstory wasn't half bad, but the man had one too many mood swings, Haru - No one treats swimming like that; Makoto - Least annoying character of the main cast, but then again he was just kind of there. More bullet points of things that annoyed me:
-No one a) learns swimming that fast or b) starts off with fly, which is the hardest stroke
-Again, literally no one treats swimming the way Haru does
-The way practice was depicted wasn't accurate. Not enough pain.
-Not all swimmers are that incredibly toned. I can say that from personal experience
-Where in the world do high school swimmers get access to a pool like that at the end? It wasn't even Nationals and that pool looked Olympic level.

I know I just did quite a bit of complaining, but I honestly really enjoyed it. Most of these "gripes" are more just poking fun at the show. And damn, I must say the amount of toned muscles in this show was immaculate. I also found the drama to be another aspect that so over the top to the point of ridiculousness. At times I just rolled my times and at others I couldn't stop laughing. I truly enjoyed how dramatic this show was.

I started this show to watch during my last high school swimming season to get in the mood for swimming and also to knock something off my watchlist. I must say that despite all of its ridiculousness, I can really relate to the desire to swim for and with the team. I've made some of my best friends through swimming and it's always fun to swim together and cheer each other on. It's always so easier for me to get motivated when I'm swimming with my friends. In the end I wouldn't recommend this to anyone because I feel like this show appealed to me in a specific way that I think other people might find hard to understand. (Not saying you have to a swimmer to enjoy this show though. Watching the show for all the finely toned bodies is also a legitimate reason.) Kind of intrigued about what the next season is about.