Jun 5, 2017
This is my very first review here. Regarding the numerous negative reviews, that I can understand, I wanted to point out the reasons why this anime is good in its own way.
When regarding love, have you ever felt lost? Lost in despair to the point you don’t even understand your own actions, your own desires and your own thoughts? Because this is what Kuzu no Honkai (Scum’s Wish) is all about.
Story 7/10
The story is about High School students that are in love with people they can’t reasonably be dating, aka their teachers. Main girl, Hanabi, has a crush on the guy who was like her
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brother (not siblings). Mugi has interest in the teacher that is loved by everyone. Incapable of fulfilling their love, they both agree to replace the beloved one with a substitute, and so Hanabi and Mugi started to date.
The anime will tell their feelings with the situation evolving and that is pretty much it. No incredible actions or evolutions, just relationships evolving with time. The focus will be put on one of the character’s thoughts each episode, and you will have a panel of different personalities that are different and realistic.
Characters 8/10
You must remind that main characters are high schoolers, not the most experienced about love interests. Learning bit by bit about the characters made them more and more realistic, interesting and understandable. Their actions are not the smartest, but the most likely to happen in such a situation. They end up doing stupid things, I sometimes felt really bad for them, but it is a thing you do not realize immediately when you make a choice. They abase themselves through their decisions to a point they look like scums, and they realize it, but they cannot fight their own decisions and accept their fate. However, the adult characters do not seem lot more mature, maybe revealing they have not really evolved since high school? It would explain their poor decisions.
I am not myself a man of letters, but I could deeply feel the sense of poetry that was put in this story. Even though the darkness there is within all the characters, this is always told with a light note.
Art – 9/10
Supporting this, the smooth and amazing visuals, featuring either realistic characters emotions you can understand in a simple glance, or the wallpaper-quality arts that pauses the story for a short while… Not to mention the color palette with aquarelle tones that are simply astonishing, at all points of the series. Character design, although very classical, is detailed enough to be pleasant to watch. I will add special reference to the ending, with psychedelic arts that totally fits the feeling of loneliness in a world you don’t understand yet.
Sound – 8/10
Most of the story is supported by a peaceful soundtrack that reinforces the poetry aspect. Although in-episode soundtrack was good but not memorable, opening and ending themes were actually good, I rarely skipped them. Voices are well done, nothing exceptional was attempted though, but there is no mistake that I have seen, and they really suit their characters, the mood and everything, they do a good job.
Enjoyment – 9/10
It is not aimed for all audience, clearly. I didn’t feel happy or moe or anything truly positive when watching this series. I just saw realistic behavior of students that could not get what their love dictated them. I am easily affected by visuals and soundtracks, so the deeply worked arts made up for a not-so-interesting plot at first. But the characters development and seeing that they reach a state where they can then bloom with future love is more than enough to make me satisfied.
Summary
Kuzu no Honkai depicts with profound reality the high schoolers experiencing love delusions. Often putting themselves in a bad spot, the viewer will feel weird and sorry for the characters. Supported by very consistent arts and sound, the story’s execution can recreate situations of debauchery with an astonishing light note. This anime is all about its character’s feels and evolution, which is good but does not always provide a satisfying immersion. The first episode is enough to get the very specific feel that drives this series.
Story – 7/10
Characters – 8/10
Art – 9/10
Sound – 8/10
Enjoyment – 9/10
Overall - 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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